Christmas in July 2024

Welcome to Build Your Stash Holiday Hop! Let this holiday linky party inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. Tank tops and flip flops fill our wardrobe, with our boots and jackets safely stored away. Yet, if you start to look around, you will find hints of fall and Christmas in the stores. Hallmark has their ornaments on display and school supplies are on the shelves.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music, books, and movies all the time. We usually have to stream our music online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.   

This year I am attempting to make all my cards with paper scraps or use sketches that require the use of paper scraps. This is something I have an abundance of and thought that this would be a fun challenge to try and could possibly inspire you! Here is the sketch that inspired me for my first card. 

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out! Dates for this hop are July 19-26, 2024. 

 

Stamps:

None

Paper:

Snow Day Remix Patterned Paper (Lawn Fawn)

Costal Cabana (Stampin Up)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:
None

 

Accessories:

None

Falling for the Holidays Linky Party 2023

Welcome to Build Your Stash Falling for the Holidays Linky Party! Let the creativity of the next eight days inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. Now is the time where we start to see holiday decor in the stores, and we turn our minds to shopping for the holiday. In our neck of the woods the leaves are on the ground and there is a nip in the air. Mornings are cool and days warm up... but light jackets are almost a necessity. I prefer fall to spring, but I enjoy living in an area where we can see the seasons change in every facet of nature.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.   

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out! Dates for this hop are October 20-27, 2023. 

 

Stamps:

Warm Heart (Trinity Stamps)

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Pool Party (Stampin Up)

Snowflake Splendor DSP (SU)

Ink:
Oreo (TE)

 

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Warm Heart Coordinating Die (Trinity)

Subtle Embossing Folder (SU)

Falling for the Holidays 2022

Welcome to Build Your Stash Falling for the Holidays Linky Party! Let the creativity of the next eight days inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. Now is the time where we start to see holiday decor in the stores, and we turn our minds to shopping for the holiday. In our neck of the woods the leaves are on the ground and there is a nip in the air. Mornings are cool and days warm up... but light jackets are almost a necessity. I prefer fall to spring, but I enjoy living in an area where we can see the seasons change in every facet of nature.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.   

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out!

 

Stamps:

Greatest Part of Christmas- Host Exclusive (Stampin Up)

Paper:

Poppy Parade (SU)

Garden Green (SU)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Plaid~ Open Stock (Hobby Lobby)

Ink:
Garden Green (SU)

 

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Knit Sweater embossing folder (SU)

Banners Pick a Punch (SU)

Tree Punch (EK Success)

Spring into Christmas 2022 Linky Party

Welcome to Build Your Stash Spring into Christmas Linky Party! Let this card sharing event inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. While Christmas and Christmas cards may be the farthest thing from our minds at the moment... sometimes squeaking out a few cards in our free time may be just what we need to do to avoid the rush at the end.   

Just like with birthday or sympathy cards, I do my best to be ahead of the game, and have some cards on hand that I can just pull from as needed. I have been doing *pretty good* this year with looking at my calendar a month ahead and making birthday cards in advance. Lets hope this trend continues. I have missed a few, but much better than last year. I think I missed just about everyone in 2021.

 

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out! Dates for this hop are April 22-29, 2022. 

 

Stamps:

Holly Jolly Christmas (Taylored Expressions)

Shiplap background (Taylored Expressions)

Paper:

Evening Evergreen (Stampin Up)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:

Crumb Cake (SU) 

Versamark
Merry Merlot (SU)

Evening Evergreen (SU)

 

Accessories:

None

Friends of Unity January Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity January Blog Hop. This month the theme is CAS, clean and simple. This is easy for me because I feel all of my cards fit this theme, just deciding what stamp I would use would be the hard part, LOL. Since I needed to make a 'bunch' of thank you cards, I decided to pull out a favorite trick I learned many years ago. 

The second picture hopefully captures how you can make eight cards quickly too! Cut four coordinating cardstock strips to 3-1/2" by 8". Do an all over stamp on each, remembering to turn your stamp and try to fill in the area as best as possible. When finished, cut each strip to 1" and then assemble. You can make the strips a little larger if you wish to skip some of the base layers, but what you see here can be made quickly with little waste from a full sheet of cardstock.

 

 

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see what techniques are their favorite...

Crystal O. Minkler

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Dawn Bryson

Dawn Fields  

April Sarandrea

 Rachel Duong  

Bobbie Sue McConathy

Kim Klinkovsky 

Alaine Tanner 

Amber Trubiak

Joyce Verdon

Robyn Jordan

 

Stamps:

Bunch of Bananas (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:

Basic Gray (Stampin Up)

Smoky Slate (SU)

Melon Mambo (SU)
Night of Navy (SU)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:
Versamark

Basic Gray (SU)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder (SU)

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Friends of Unity November Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity November Blog Hop. This month the theme is a non-card project. Not one to wait until the last minute... we barely moved into our new home and I was scrambling to get something finished for this hop. I had two ideas in mind for this month, and I chose the one that was easier for me to do. Lucky for me I had some spare Halloween candy hanging around ready to model these cute treat holders. 

These items are quick and easy to make and a great way to use up some of your scrap paper. Substitute the holiday paper and they can be used for any occasion. I chose Christmas since that is what is coming right around the corner, but wouldn't these be cute as place holders for Thanksgiving dinner?  Please note the instructions are included at the bottom of this blog.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...

Crystal O. Minkler

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

April Sarandrea

 Rachel Duong  

Dawn Fields

Colleen Balija 

Kim Klinkovsky

Alaine Tanner 

Joyce Verdon 

Robyn Jordan

Stamps:

Glimmering Greetings (Unity Stamp Company)
Small Stuff Christmas (Unity)

Poinsettia Wishes (Unity)

Paper:

Cherry Cobbler (Stampin Up)
Garden Green (SU)

Be Merry DSP (SU)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:Cherry Cobbler (SU)
Garden Green (SU)

Accessories:

Banners Pick a Punch (SU)

Nesting Infinity Circle Dies (Hero Arts)

*Credit for this treat holder and design goes to Terri Gaines.   

 

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Friends of Unity August Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity August Blog Hop. The theme for this month is 'lets go for a ride'. I had a few ideas for this cue, and for the first time in many months, I finished two cards for the hop. It feels nice to have the free time and energy to get back into my crafty space. 

The motorcycle card uses core'dination cardstock that I have had in my stash for several years. I ran it through an embossing folder and then lightly sanded the raised edges. I stamped the motorcycle and tore the edges to continue with the textured took. I lightly rubbed my brown ink pad over the top of the stamped image to give it a more grunge appearance. All the men in my life are motorcycle riders, so this card will come in handy for whatever occasion comes up next.

The truck card was my original plan. I wanted to try this color combination using my distress oxides. When I blended it out, I was very pleased with the outcome and can see how this will make an excellent color combination for several other stamps. I chose to make this one a birthday card for a friend who has a birthday coming up in September.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...

Crystal O. Minkler

April Sarandrea

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Bobbie Sue McConathy

 Rachel Duong  

Dawn Fields

Colleen Balija

Robyn Jordan

Stamps:

Ride it Out (Unity Stamp Company)

Truckload of Blooms (Unity)

Demand a Re-Count (Unity)

Paper:

Early Espresso (Stampin Up)
Early Espresso Core'dinations (SU)

Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

True Black (Papertrey)

Just Jade (SU)

Ink:
Versafine Clair Nocturne

Early Espresso (SU)

Speckled Egg (Distress Oxide)

Evergreen Bough (Distress Oxide)

Black Soot (Distress Oxide)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot

Woodgrain Embossing Folder

Sanding Tool

Blending Brushes

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Christmas in July 2021

Welcome to Build Your Stash Holiday Hop! Let this holiday hop inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. Tank tops and flip flops litter our wardrobe, with our boots and jackets safely stored away. Yet, if you start to look around, you will find hints of fall and Christmas in the stores. Hallmark has their ornaments on display and school supplies are on the shelves  

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.   

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out! Dates for this hop are July 23-30, 2021. 

 

Stamps:

Full of Joy (Concord and 9th)

Paper:

Cherry Cobbler (Stampin Up)
Emerald Envy (Stampin Up)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Presents & Pinecones  DSP (SU)

Ink:
Cherry Cobbler (SU)

 

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Full of Joy trifold dies (C&9)

Friends of Unity July Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity July Blog Hop. This month the theme is a paper piecing challenge.  True to form, I had to think outside of the box. I grew up with paper dolls and Barbies, but didn't want to use an Angie girl. I opted for something to spark some creativity in others. 

This onesie is perfect for this months theme. I also had a friend who was expecting a baby when I made this card. If it was going to be a boy, I figured I would just need to make a second card in shades of blue. Lucky me she had a girl and this card was quickly whisked away to them to celebrate.

I utilized one of my favorite layouts to make this one. I didn't default to this design because I was stuck in a creative rut, but rather a lack of time with college classes and back to work taking up my precious free time. Happy to have finished what I decided on and a baby card to boot! That totally slipped my mind until she made the announcement. I guess lucky for me I picked pink. 

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...
The winner for my giveaway last month is Denise Bryant. Please message me your info so I can mail out your prize. 

Crystal O. Minkler
Kim Klinkovsky

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Robyn Jordan

Dawn Fields

Jeanie Hayes
Alaine Tanner
Joyce Verdon

Stamps:
New to the Crew (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:
Lovely Lipstick (Stampin Up)
Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Flirty Flamingo (SU)
All My Love DSP (SU)

Ink:
VersaFine Clair Nocturne (Unity)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot
Subtle Embossing Folder (SU)

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Coffee Date with Robyn and Eileen

I am excited to share my coffee date card with my friend Robyn Jordan. We have lots of stamps in common, but decided to use a color combination and surprise each other with our creations. She knew the stamp set I was using so there wouldn't a duplicate. What fun!

The color combination was randomly selected from my Pinterest board that I have created for just this reason. Sometimes you have everything you need for a creation but can't decide on your color scheme. The colors are also very bright and spring feeling since the season is now officially upon us.

I love the turnabout stamps from Concord and 9th. They are so much fun and since the addition of the alignment aid and the jig to help with image placement, they are almost foolproof. If you haven't tried them before, give them a shot.

Before you go... hop over to Robyn's blog and see what she created!

Here is what I used to create my card:

Stamps:
Coffee Blend Turnabout (Concord & 9th)
Winter Wear (Concord & 9th)
Daily Wear (Concord & 9th)

Paper:
Cocoa Bean (Papertrey Ink)
Calypso Coral (Stampin Up)
Vintage Cream (Papertrey)
Bermuda Bay (SU)

Ink:
Soft Suede (SU)
Calypso Coral (SU)
Bermuda Bay (SU)
Pool Party (SU) 

Accessories:
Tim Holtz Stamping Platform
Stitched Rectangle Dies (Papertrey)
Daily Wear Dies (Concord & 9th)

Copic Sketch Markers

Friends of Unity March Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity March Blog Hop. This month the theme is “Designers Choice”. This cue was completely done by random... and I mean random. I catalog all my Unity stamps on a Google Sheet. So when it came to deciding what I was going to use, I let random.org decide for me. Luckily it picked a stamp set that I haven't already used. I'm sure we all have a few (dozen) of those in our possession.

Once I had the stamp set, I next need to decide on my layout. Luckily I have a Pinterest board overflowing with ideas that are just waiting to be used. With my card, I embossed the center image which is hard to detect from my picture. Instead of using navy embossing powder, I stamped the image in blue ink, then stamped again with Versamark than used clear embossing powder to achieve the end result. I use this trick often since my crafty space is limited, but also it prevents stray embossing powder from mucking up my project.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...

Crystal O. Minkler

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Amber Trubiak

Kim Klinkovsky
Dawn Bryson
Robyn Jordan
 Dawn Fields
Alaine Tanner

Jeanie Hayes
Joyce Verdon

Stamps:
So Very Grateful (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:
Dark Indigo (Papertrey Ink)
Stampers Select White (Papertrey)
Floral Boutique (Stampin Up)

Ink:
Dark Indigo (Papertrey)
Versamark

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot
Elegant Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things)
Clear Embossing Powder (Unity) 

Stamping Platform

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Friends of Unity November Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity November Blog Hop. This month the theme is “Give Thanks”. Thanksgiving was the first thought that came to my mind, followed by some fancy thank you cards, or even cards of appreciation or admiration. But since I’m a outside of the box thinker, I opted for a different occasion that rightfully fits this topic... Veterans Day.

My family is rich with military service... my husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, siblings, even my in-laws. They have served in every branch of the armed forces, some even seeing combat for many years. I have a great deal of respect for the military and our flag. We spent this past weekend in Washington DC, and I was reminded of just how much we have to be grateful for. This is a picture of one of my two favorite memorials.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...Pssst! There is a giveaway too!

Crystal O. Minkler

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Kim Klinkovsky
Alaine Tanner
Jeanie Hayes
Dawn Bryson
Bobbie Sue McConathy
Joyce Verdon

Dawn Fields

Robyn Jordan

Stamps:
Ragged Ol’ Flag (Unity Stamp Company)
Flourish Wonder (Unity)
Stars & Stripes Forever (Unity)

Paper:
Classic Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Stampers Select White (Papertrey)
Pure Poppy Bitty Big (Papertrey)
Pacific Point (Stampin Up)

Ink:
Real Red (Stampin Up)
Pacific Point (Stampin Up)
Crumb Cake (Stampin Up)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Lucky Stars Embossing Folder (Stampin Up)
Washi Label Punch (Stampin Up)

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Hallelujah by Graciellie Design

The cross in this stamp set was part of a stamp that when I first looked at it simply took my breath away. I was drawn to the elegance in the simplicity of the design that I knew I NEEDED in my collection. Not only did I want it to replace my well worn and over used “Easter Greetings” stamp, but this stamp would fit multiple religious occasions when paired with the proper sentiment. 

I did my best to duplicate the color scheme used for this sample as pictured on the Unity website. I wanted to keep the wood look realistic as shown in the sample. Once I started blending and shading, I was very satisfied with the finished product. 

Stamps:
Hallelujah (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:
Gorgeous Grape (Stampin Up)
New Leaf (Papertrey Ink)
Stampers Select White (PTI)

Ink:
Memento Tuxedo Black (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot (SU)
Subtle Embossing Folder (SU)
Petite Oval Dies (Spellbinders)
Petite Scallop Oval Dies (Spellbinders)
Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips (My Favorite Things)
Copic Sketch Markers

Hello Cupcake

Birthday cards are something I always need, and always enjoy making. May is coming up and I need to get a jump on getting these cards made. I have three friends who even share the same birthday! Inspired by the love it, chop it concept... I looked at my pretty paper hoard and decided that this polka dot paper would make quick work for some fast cards. I think I have had this designer series paper since I became a demonstrator over seven years ago. 

I was excited for the framelits that were released to match this stamp set. I quickly grabbed them, and was surprised to see them sell out as quickly as they did. I have a scan n cut, but bringing items like these to my “stamp 101” classes or all day crafting events is so much easier. I tried a couple different color combinations when making this card, but really prefer the monochromatic look of the matching cupcake liner and frosting. 

Stamps:
Hello Cupcake (Stampin Up Retired)

Paper:
Melon Mambo (SU)
Whisper White (SU)

Ink:
Melon Mambo (SU)
So Saffro (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot (SU)
Rectangle Stitched Framelits (SU)
Call Me Cupcake (SU Retired)

Friends of Unity March Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity March Blog Hop. This month the theme is “Creative”. My interpretation of this theme was to prompt ME to be creative. I searched techniques and fancy folds that I have not tried before. There were lots out there, but I wanted to find something that really inspired me. What I finally settled on was the technique called Northern Lights. For details on this technique, click here.

I live in a geographical area that MAYBE once a year if the conditions are JUST RIGHT, we might be able to see the northern lights. It is something I have truly only seen in pictures. One day when the time is right, My husband and I would like to travel to Alaska in hopes of viewing their gorgeous landscape and seeing this colorful nighttime show on display.

Comment on my blog to be entered into my giveaway, then hop along to the other
Friends of Unity blogs and see their creations also. Psst... there are other giveaways too!

Crystal O. Minkler
Joyce Verdon
Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Jeanie Hayes
Bobbie Sue McConathy
 Kim Klinkovsky
 Robyn Jordan
Dawn Fields

Stamps:
Give it Up- Let it Go (Unity Stamp Company) LOL 1/18

Wild Florals (Unity)

Paper:
True Black (Papertrey Ink)
Rich Razzleberry (Stampin Up)

Ink:
Gina K Amalgam Ink Jet Black (Unity)
Daffodil Delight (SU)
Old Olive (SU)
Pacific Point (SU)
Rich Razzleberry (SU)
Night of Navy (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot
Subtle Dynamic EF (SU)
Elegant Rectangle STAX Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Cuddly Cacti

Sometimes in life, you simply just don't have the right words to say. I have a friend going through a difficult time and I wanted to send her a card to let her know I was thinking about her. We met and had lunch a few weeks ago so we could have some girl time together, just to see how she was doing. It's one of those times in life where you know the best advice is no advice... but to just be an ear for the other person when they need someone to talk to. 

This stamp set I used was an exclusive set from Simon Says Stamp during Stamptember from Sugar Pea Designs. I am not sure why I needed it so much... but I am a big fan of 'punny' sentiments as that is my humor. I made my husband's valentine card with a different cactus from this set and lucky for me, he has a punny sense of humor as well. 

Stamps:

Cuddly Cacti (Sugar Pea Designs)

Paper:

Just be You (Echo Park)

Mint Macron (Stampin Up)

Night of Navy (SU)

Flirty Flamingo (SU)
Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: 

Memento Tuxedo Black (SU)

Mint Macron (SU)

Accessories:

Copic Sketch Markers

Home to Roost

This fun stamp set is one of the freebies from the 2019 Stampin Up Sale-A-Bration catalog. When I first saw this one not only did I want it for the rooster image, but the sentiments will be a great addition to my collection. 

I stamped the rooster out first on a scrap paper so I could use it as a mask. I cut very closely to the image so there would not be too much white space on the card when I stamped the background. I stamped the rooster on my white panel, then lightly tacked the rooster mask on top of that image. I stamped the wheat background then removed my mask and began to color him in. I googled several roooster images and found this one most often. I chose Pacific Point as my card base color since it was the most predominant color in my bird. A quick twine bow and this card was finished. 

Stamps:
Home to Roost (Stampin Up)

Paper:
Pacific Point (SU)
Whisper White (SU)

Ink:
Memento Tuxedo Black (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot (SU)
Tin Tile Dynamic TIEF (SU)
Jute Twine
Copic Sketch Markers

Piece of Cake

I love to buy new birthday stamp sets. Birthday cards are probably the card I make the most often. This set is wonderful because it also includes cake varieties to include wedding and anniversaries. Versatile stamps are truly the best kind to have!

When I first selected some new stamps to ink around with, I opted for some fun ones I could color with. I chose to make an anniversary card and use one of my favorite layouts. I found some Copic markers that closely matched the cardstock and quickly finished this card. 

Stamps:
Piece of Cake (Stampin Up)

Paper:
All My Love DSP (SU)
Flirty Flamingo (SU)
Lovely Lipstick (SU)
Whisper White (SU)

Ink:
Memento Tuxedo Black (SU)
Flirty Flamingo (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot (SU)
Cake Builder Punch (SU)
Classic Label Punch (SU) Petite Oval Dies (Spellbinders)
Petite Scallop Oval Dies (Spellbinders)
Copic Sketch Markers

JOY Christmas Sampler

The idea of a “sampler” was something I had always admired, but never tried my hand at. One lazy day I decided I was going to try and figure one out. I looked at a variety of them Pinterest and found a general layout that I liked and decided to tackle it.

The hardest part of this was sizing. Several of the images I looked at used the alphabet framelits, so I knew my top layer needed to be at least be 2” square. When I started to sketch my ideas out, I opted for  2-1/4” patterned paper with the two layers underneath being 1/8” larger than the one before it. Not wanting to squish everything into a smaller box, I went with a 9x9 shadow box frame and evenly spaced the images out using my T-square ruler. (I’m a self admitted perfectionist). As for the larger piece of patterned paper, the measurement for that is 5”x2-1/4”.

I say that the sizing was the hardest part because I was unable to find a sampler in a size and style that I wanted to make to simply copy and utilize their existing measurements. I wanted to use the word ‘JOY’ and had a sentiment that was a fitting compliment. From there I found patterned paper to use and die cuts and stamps to match the style. The only thing left was a sheet of 12x12 paper which I purchased from M’s to finish off my project.

Stamps:
Dashing Deer (Stamping Up)
Snowflake Sentiments (SU)

Paper:
Cherry Cobbler (SU)
Mossy Meadow (SU)
Very Vanilla (SU)
Gold Foil (SU)
Festive Farmhouse DSP (SU)

Ink:
Mossy Meadow (SU)
Early Espresso (SU)

Accessories:
Sizzix Big Shot (SU)
Detailed Deer Thinlits (SU)
Detailed Poinsettia Thinlits (SU)
Large Letter Framelits (SU)
Stitched Shape Framelits (SU)
Card Front Builder Thinlits (SU Retired)