~ January 2025 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Use Old Stuff!

Happy New Year Friends! First Friends of Unity Blog Hop of the new year and it happens to be to use old stuff from your stash! For anyone who has crafted for any length of time, I'm sure you have some stuff in your stash that's been hanging around for a while! I have paper packs from 2005! Not Unity, but still!! 

I chose to use a sketch that I saved way back in 2014, My Favorite Things Sketch #180 (MFTWSC180 Sketch). MFT doesn't do sketch challenges any longer, but being a big fan of sketches, I was saving these left and right! I grabbed an "old" Unity Set called ...wonderful & simple things, Sentiment Kit from September 2020. I got this set because of Lisa Arana's November 2020 blog post showcasing this set by making 5 different cards. I just loved how they looked so elegant.

Since we're using old stuff, I grabbed a paper pack from the August 2022 Whit Kit called Grow Untamed. It appears that this pack is not currently available, but I have hardly used mine! I used the scallops & rectangles, scallops & squares and scallops & banners nesting die sets. What else says "old stuff" but brads! Grabbed a couple brads from my endless stash to add to the corner of the piece! A little distressing with Vintage Photo, some ivory ribbon and some foam adhesive to finish it off!

(sketch for reference)

Next, because I have sooooooo many old things, I thought why not do another (or three) for a little extra fun!

Tawny Owl Papiere (Crystal Minkler's inspiration page) started sketches in 2022, I chose to use Sketch #1 posted May 2022 for my next card.

I used an older background stamp, topography (2021) over some ink smooshing. I used weathered wood, broken china, faded jeans and salvaged patina. I stamped the background in Versafine Clair in Nocturne. Then I ink blended around the edges to soften. Next I picked one of the first stamps I purchased, somethin is fishy. My husband is a fisherman and works in the fishing industry...this stamp was practically a necessity! LOL Not sure the date on this one, but there is a review from 2020. I stamped it with the same versafine clair, and embossed with clear embossing powder. Ink blended around to soften the edges again and finished it off with some natural burlap twine and blue enamel dots.

Thanks to a comment from Amber, I dug through my stash of patterned papers that I have had (and honestly not even looked at) for quite a while! In the first drawer I found this piece of patterned paper from 2003!! The "denim" paper came from a pack of Authentique from 2012! Whew....that's some OLD paper! 

Red bandana and denim together is a great combo!

Holy moley he's cute! Stamped this sweet guy (...thinking of moo UU 12/24) onto white cardstock. Die cut with the make a tag nesting die set. Colored with some kingart alcohol markers. Found a sketch from probably 2012-2013-ish (MFTWSC161).

Added some foam tape and some brads!

Felt the need to make one more! I had stamped the little high road when I stamped the above one so couldn't just leave this sweet baby to wait! Same red bandana/paisley paper, just made a little "lighter."

I layered a torn piece of the red bandana paper and a piece of black cardstock. I added some washi tape and some staples. I colored the image with some colored pencils. The first attempt was with alcohol markers but because of the "kraft" color, the markers didn't show as well. I added some flower eyelets that I've had forever and some ribbon and twine to the tag. Popped up with foam adhesive! 

This was soooooo fun!! I need to get back into the paper drawers and see what other treasures await! I could have made so many more with the old papers I have! Give those old crafty things some love! You have them in your stash for a reason! Create something today!

Thank you for visiting me and I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me some love! If you'd like to start the hop at the beginning, you'll need to visit Crystal. If you are ready to move on to the next in line, please visit my friend Joyce!    

Refuge

 I was needing some creative time….it eases my mind and helps relieve my stresses. What a perfect stamp to do that!! 

This stamp is from Unity Stamp Co., part of their {itty bitty} collection. It’s called Refuge. Creating is a stress reliever for me. The New Year should bring calm but sometimes it’s just the beginning of a year of change. My youngest will be graduating from high school in May and then possibly off to college. My oldest is getting ready to move out on his own. While it should be a time of excitement and joy I’m feeling anxious. 

I had created this ink smooshed manilla tag some time ago but it was a large tag, I wanted to make it smaller. I found a card in the Unity site made by Lisa Arana and created something similar! My background paper is from a pad I picked up at Joann's made by Craft Smith. The ink smooshed piece and the brown panel behind are cut using the smallest scalloped rectangle from the nesting die set and then I cut the corners off to make a tag. I die cut the focal piece with the postage stamp nesting dies. Then stamped the image with versafine clair in nocturne. I ink blended around all the panels with vintage photo. Then I watercolored the feather with some watered down distress oxides in crackling campfire, lumberjack plaid and shaded with stormy sky. Next I took the leftover ink from coloring and splattered it on the piece. To the tag I splattered some distress mica spray in antique bronze. The ribbon was wrapped around a gift box we received (I keep everything!) Enamel dots from GinaMarie Designs and twine from MayArtsRibbon.

Lisa's card for reference.

This may just sit on my desk for a while to remind me that God is in control! <3 Thanks for looking and letting me ramble on! :) Until next time!