{BYSHC} Sketch 62 - Ho Ho Ho

 Hello again! Welcome back! Sketch 62 is what we are working on this month! Christmas and Holiday card giving will be here soon! We are here to help you be ready for the busy season! Our sponsor this month is Gina K. Designs! I love her!

This card features a technique I learned from a Gina K video! It's not new, but it's new to me! Inked an embossing folder and ran the cardstock through it.  The embossing folder is Stampin Up Cable Knit, the ink I used is Gina K dye ink in Red Hot.  The image is from Angie Blom Digital Designs, called Christmas Joy Mugs.  Tag die cut with one of the make a tag die set from Unity Stamp Co. Enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

This card, while it may not be my favorite, is still a handmade card. Made by me, one of a kind and created with love! They don't all have to be masterpieces to be appreciated! :)

{BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays 2025 Linky Party - Scandi Merry Christmas

 Hello there friends! Here we are on day 6 of the {BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays 2025 Linky Party! I have a card today showcasing quite a few of our amazing sponsors!

This card showcases multiple sponsors, all in one place! It was created for two purposes...one for this linky party and secondly for the current Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge, #245 Color Challenge! Colors for the challenge are red, blue, green and pink.

While the stamp set I chose happens to be retired, it is so fun and festive I had to use it! The stamp set is from Newton's Nook, called Scandi Christmas. I stamped three of the trees onto white cardstock. One in Gina K. Designs dye ink in grass green, one in red hot and the third in Distress Archival Ink in speckled egg. After stamping the three, I fussy cut them out (used my cutter bee scissors) and decided to color in the red tree with all of the challenge colors. I stamped the border pattern, also part of the stamp set, along the top and bottom to frame the scene. I tore the edges and added it to a kraft background. Both were die cut with the largest die from the scallops and rectangles nesting dies from Unity Stamp Co. The sentiment was stamped with Versafine Clair in Nocturne directly on the kraft background. I added some enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs and some foam adhesive on the back of the red tree to showcase it! Four sponsors on one card! Not too bad!

{BYSHC} Sketch 62 - Get Your Jingle On!

 Hello and welcome back! Sketch 62 is up and ready for your creativity! Gina K Designs is this month's sketch sponsor! I love her!!

I regularly see her videos or reels and try to save the techniques for future inspiration! This background was from one of those videos. Simple and easy technique.....I smeared some red hot, kraft and then grass green premium dye ink cubes to an acrylic block. Next sprayed some water on it and then placed it onto a piece of white cardstock. It moves and blends as it wants to! After it was dry, I cut it into the measurements of the sketch (or as close as I could)!  

The red polka dot paper is from Miss Kate Designs Holly Jolly pack and the stamp set is from Unity Stamp Co. called Planner Girl: get your jingle on! I stamped her first on the inked panel....to get all the extra dots and "hair", then stamped her again on white cardstock in order to color her! I fussy cut her out and glued her right on top of the first stamped image. I added some red enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

Be sure to follow along because starting next week.....October 17th is the Falling for the Holiday's Linky Party! It's the last one before the holidays! Lots of sponsors and prizes! Stay tuned!

{BYSHC} Sketch 62 - Happy Holidays

Hello and welcome to October! This is the time to crank those Christmas cards into high gear! We are in the home stretch!

Sketch 62 is upon us! The fantastic sponsor this month is Gina K Designs! I love her!! Her videos and reels inspire me often!  I see them mostly on Instagram, but sometimes a YouTube video notification pops up too!  

The background technique was inspired by one of those clips. I swiped, diagonally across some white cardstock, Gina K Dye Ink cubes in grass green and red hot and distress oxide in crackling campfire. Once dry, I cut it according to the sketch. The poinsettia is from a Unity Stamp Co. set called Merry Everything Poinsettia. I stamped with two stamps, first the flower in crackling campfire, then the black abstract design in versa fine clair in nocturne. The sentiment strip came from Waffle Flower, it's just called subsentiments Christmas Tree Diecut sheet.

Be sure to follow along because starting October 17th is the Falling for the Holiday's Linky Party! It's the last one before the holidays! Lots of sponsors and prizes! Stay tuned!

Christmas in July 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party - Merry & Bright

 Happy Wednesday! The Christmas in July 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party is still going! Friday at midnight is your deadline! Today's card combines two challenges!

The second challenge I'm talking about is at Hero Arts! Their challenge is called "color my world." I take that to mean lots of vibrant colors!!

I've taken their Flower Swirls Stencils, and the Merry Stamp & Cut to create this colorful card! The inks I used over the stencil are lumberjack plaid and twisted citron. After I removed the stencil I splattered some water on it to create a little distressing. The panel was then die cut with the largest scalloped and rectangle die from Unity Stamp Co. I then moved onto the sentiment. I die cut the "merry" from a scrap of white cardstock. Then stamped on the top and bottom part of the sentiment using WOW! Embossing ink and Gina K Designs white embossing powder. That black panel was then die cut with the scalloped and banner die set from Unity. Glued everything together then used some foam adhesive from therm-0-web to attach it to the background. Some green and red glitter enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs to finish it off!

Thanks for visiting!! Keep up the great work on these submissions! We are approaching a record number of entries!!

{BYSHC} 2024 Christmas in July Linky Party! - Welcome!

Welcome to the 2024 {BYSHC} Christmas in July Linky Party! Looking forward to a fun and amazing week!! 

As you can see from the graphic....the party ends on the 26th! Be sure to have any and all entries in by midnight! The sponsor list is AMAZING! I've listed them below. Be sure to enter your cards on the {BYSHC} blog post to be entered! All of the sponsors and their prizes are listed there!

This card....I counted six of the sponsors represented here!! I think that may be a record or something! LOL I utilized a sketch from Tawny Owl Paperie. So many good sketches! It's my favorite go-to place to find great inspiration! I like to use the Linky Party as an excuse to clear out some scraps, it's a great chance to use up a ton of mixed matched pieces by making some amazing cards! There are a ton of sketches available that utilize all different size scraps! The scraps I used are mostly from Unity Stamp Co. as well as the sentiment (gotta love sentiments). I pulled a bunch of scraps that were mostly from the same pack (snowy winter greetings) and cut them as best as I could get to the sizes on the sketch. The thing with sketches....it's not an exact science! They are meant to be a starting place...a jumping off place....not written in stone! So I adjusted! The snowflakes are from one of our newest sponsors...Waffle Flower. It's called Winter Crystal Die. I had just been looking for the perfect snowflake die and I found this one! I utilized some Therm-O-Web products as well! First time using deco foil! To be honest....had to look up how to use it! :/ But the results speak for themselves! The color I used is iridescent. The die cut beautifully through the panel! So pretty and shiny! To finish this off, the sentiment was stamped onto cardstock with WOW! Embossing ink and sprinkled with Gina K Designs white embossing powder, mounted with 3D foam tape from Therm-O-Web and white enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

 The sketch I've chosen is pictured below!

As promised the sponsor list is below!

Tawny Owl Paperie

Unity Stamp Co.

Not 2 Shabby

Angie Blom Digital Designs

Lawn Fawn

Twiddler's Nook

Therm-O-Web

RAM Stamps

Gina K. Designs

Waffle Flower (NEW sponsor)

Colorado Craft Company

Newton's Nook Designs

A Colorful Life Designs

Jaded Blossom

Pink & Main

Gina Marie Designs

Like I said **WOW**

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy the week of fabulous inspiration and fun!!

{BYSHC} Spring into Christmas 2024 Linky Party - Heart of Christmas

 Hello again! {BYSHC} Spring into Christmas 2024 Linky Party is still at hand! I am going through the "save for later" bin and creating cards that wouldn't have been before! :)

Not sure why this stamped snowflake heart was put into the save bin!

I had previously saved a picture of a card from the Unity Stamp Co. website for this particular stamp and thought I would recreate it as best as I could! Lisa Arana created the original, I hope my card is close!! The stamped image is from Unity Stamp Co. called Heart of Christmas. I stamped with versamark embossing ink and used gina k designs white embossing powder. Die cut with the scallops and squares nesting dies, also from Unity. I then distressed the edges a big with some vintage photo distress oxide. The patterned paper came from a pack I just got at the Scrapbook Expo a couple weekends ago and it was perfect! It comes from PhotoPlay called It's a Wonderful Christmas. I added some white bakers twine and some enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs. The sentiment was cut from a digital print from Angie Blom Digital Designs! Lots of sponsors getting love in this card!

Be sure to check out the list of sponsors on the {BYSHC} Blog for more details and be sure to get your cards posted before it's all over!!

Falling for the Holidays 2023 {BYSHC} Linky Party - Blessed Winter

 I didn't plan on there being many more entries for the Falling for the Holidays 2023 {BYSHC} Linky Party but yet here I am.....posting another card! ;)

Angela at Unity Stamp Co. has been posting a few card tutorial videos! They are currently posted on the Unity Stamp Co. home page! Since it was going to be quick and easy....I thought I'd give it a try! She makes it look so easy! It took me longer than it did her! LOL

I used a set called Winter Blessings b y Graciellie Designs & Unity. I also used some kraft cardstock I purchased from Unity along with gina k. designs white pigment ink and white embossing powder.  Next I took some Distress Ink in Walnut Stain and stamped a few more pine sprigs. I then stamped the sentiment from the same kit with Distress Oxide in Vintage Photo and die cut it using the scallops and squares nesting dies. My sentiment was too large for the smallest and my paper was to small for the next size up....so I made my own shape! I splattered some watered down white acrylic paint and some yasutomo shimmer watercolor.  I added some white bakers twine and white enamel dots from gina marie designs and popped the sentiment up with foam tape. 

While it took me a little longer than it did Angela, I do love how this looks!!! 

{BYSHC} Christmas in July Linky Party - Snowflakes

 Another day.....another Christmas Card! {BYSHC} Christmas in July Linky Party is almost to the end! Friday at Midnight is the last chance to enter!

Today's card features  stamps and die sets from Unity Stamp Co. 

Started with a piece of plain white cardstock that I "ink smooshed" some winter looking colors onto. Ink smooshing is the technique where you smoosh some different ink colors onto a non-porous surface (acrylic block, acetate sheet, leftover plastic from a stamp set) then spritz with water. You then "smoosh" the paper into the ink or the ink onto the paper! I created the panel some time ago so I cannot remember the exact colors that I used. So as I am going through things looking for scraps and odds and ends to create with I came across this! I took a stamp set from Unity called Heart of Christmas and stamped it on one corner and then the other using white pigment ink by gina k designs. Embossed it with some white embossing powder also from gina k designs. Die cut it with the scallops and rectangle nesting dies set from Unity. The tan polka-dotted background was cut with the same die set. The Heart of Christmas set has a TON of sentiments and the large scripty words have matching dies!! :) I first die cut my word, then stamped Christmas using Villainous potion and then embossed it. Merry is part of another sentiment that says Merry Christmas....I only needed the Merry part! :) This strip was mounted with foam adhesive for added dimension. To add the sparkle....the sequins are from Spiegelmom Scraps (combo of country winter and autumn wonder).

Get those cards posted!!

Happy Anniversary!

 May the 4th has always been a special day to me.....even before it was "STAR WARS DAY!" My hubby and I were married on May 4th 2002. It was sort of a joke on that day that people said "hahaha May the Fourth be with you!" Who knew it would become an actual thing! LOL

So I made my hubby a card.....because it's what I do! 

Started with a white card base. I cut a scrap piece of white a little smaller and took to some ink blending! I used a dotted stencil and gina k. designs dye inks in ocean mist and tranquil teal. I sort of did this backwards, because I then stamped the image on top of the dots. Once I realized that I should have stamped her first, then masked.....I grabbed a scrap of white and stamped her again! Fussy cut her out and colored her in! Glued her on top of my stamped image! I still have the swirlies and hearts from the stamp but her coloring doesn't have any dots! Since I wasn't crazy about the bottom cut job on my image, I masked part of a larger sentiment with only the "I Love You" showing. (all stamped images are from Unity Stamp Co. Kit of the Month 12/16).

{BYSHC} Spring into Christmas Linky Party - Merry Merry

 Here we are already at day 6 of the {BYSHC} Spring into Christmas Linky Party!

 Today's card features a few sponsors all in one card!

A few things about this card....first I was in way to much of a hurry and cut my center die cut crooked, and glued the panel onto the card base crooked! Moral of this story......try to not rush, even if you need to rush! LOL So I started with a piece of white cardstock, stamped the Snowflake Frenzy background stamp from Unity Stamp Company with Gina K Designs Premium Pigment Ink in white, then used Gina K white embossing powder. I ink blended some Gina K ink over that for an emboss resist effect. I used black amalgam ink, ocean mist and tranquil teal dye inks. I spritzed on some Yasutomo shimmer watercolor over the top. I stamped the sentiment from Colorado Craft Company called Merry Merry Mini using the same white ink and white embossing powder onto vellum.  Die cut both the vellum and the ink blended pattern so that I could pop up the center. When all was said and done I added some glitter enamel dots from GinaMarie Designs and it's done!

Thanks for visiting!

Unity Stamp Co. March Sketch Challenge - Card #2

 As I mentioned in my previous post....I'm just now getting a chance to work on some cards for the Unity Stamp Co. March Sketch Challenge! I'm currently on a roll! I stamped this image three times hoping to get at least three cards done!

This little lovely was stamped onto watercolor paper with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne. Colored with Tombow ABT markers (flower: 925 and N00, leaves: 158, 192 and NOO, shadow N89). Papers are new to me purchased second hand are are by The Paper Studio Against the Grain and Metro Garden by KI.  I die cut all the panels with the scallops and rectangles nesting dies (which appear to be out of stock) from Unity, the twine is from May Arts.

I colored the flower first then had to find paper to match! Another Mother's day ready to go!

Unity Stamp Co. March Sketch Challenge - Card 1

March at Unity Stamp Co. has brought a sketch for their monthly challenge! Unfortunately it's taken me until almost the last day of the month to actually get a chance to create with it! One done and hopefully a few more before tomorrow evening arrives!

Today's card features the set Another Name for Love. Several years ago (6 years actually! I had to go back and look for the video and tutorial) I saw a quick video about using colored pencils and gamsol. Well at the time I had no idea what gamsol was so I saved the video for some future time that I knew a little bit more about it.  Well turns out it was a video by Gina K Designs who designed this stamp set! This was the flower that she used in her video (link here: https://youtu.be/_Rh4hmEpJhk). I used Tombow ABT Markers and a blender pen, but same technique basically! I love how this turned out! Now that I have found (and re-watched) the video, I want to make ALLLL the colors!! LOL 

The rest of the story of this card is that I stamped the image on watercolor paper with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, then colored with Tombow ABT Markers (flower 606, 603 and N00, leaves 158, 192 and N00, then shaded with N89). The background paper is from Unity called Pink & Blue Watercolored. Ribbon is most likely from Michael's and the sequins are from the Autumn Wonder set by Spiegelmom Scraps.

Thanks for visiting and leave me some love to let me know you were here! :)

Happy Birthday!

 I'm on somewhat of a roll here! I always need birthday cards, whether for my daughter's friends, my family, my friends....anybody! I created this by ink smooshing over an embossed image! The results are always amazing!

I started with a white cardstock panel, just plain ole 65 lb. I stamped the background stamp (from Unity Stamp Co., called Inked Florals) using VersaMark ink. Applied Gina K. Designs Embossing Powder in white over the top. Let the embossing powder do it's thing! Now the smooshing magic happens! I added some distress inks...one at a time....to an acrylic/plastic sheet, spritzed with water and applied it where I wanted the colors. Drying in between colors helps to keep them from running together. Watercolor paper may have been a better choice, but alas I'm out!  I used four different colors until I got the results I liked. After it was dry, I die cut it using the largest scallop die from Unity Stamp Co., scallops and rectangles nesting die set. This is easily my most used die set! I die cut the "birthday" background from a piece of scrap that matched using Unity Stamp Co., say it big die set. I cut 2 white and one glitter of the letters. It makes the sentiment pop off the page! Stamped "happy" from another set, blocked off the birthday part and only used the happy. VersaMark and white embossing powder again. I was considering adding jewels, but I think the background speaks for itself and didn't need anything extra!

These are the four colors I used.....started with lightest, then moved on from there.

Ink smooshing is one of my favorite techniques! It's so impactful and wow! Makes the backgrounds more of a focal piece rather than just a background! :)

Give it a try! Thanks for visiting, let me know you were here! :)

#alwayssaythankyou

 My son's 19th birthday was this past weekend (September 3rd) and as he was headed back to his college dorm, I asked if he had any thank you cards to send to his grandparents and his aunt. Of course I knew the answer was no. I started to make these cards with him in mind....but he left before they were finished! LOL Typical teenager! But as with any teenaged boy, they don't want anything too fluffy or soft or sweet, so grunge, distressing and brads were my solution!

To start I took a piece of 65 lb white cardstock, cut it into 4 and ran it through the big shot with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. I brushed some black ink over the raised dots to distress it some. The "hello" bubble is from Heidi Swapp (dated 2013), I've had it forever! Stamped it in Gina K. dye ink in tranquil teal, then die cut it with matching die. The thanks stamp is from paper smooches (no date, but it's old) which I've also had forever! Glad I've decided to pull out old stuff! Stamped it on black cardstock with some versamark embossing ink and sprinkled on Gina K. embossing power in fine detail white. I added some silver brads (which you guessed it....have had forever) to give it a more grunge-like look!

Well he didn't take these, but he may need them in the future, or they may go to any number of teenaged boys I know! LOL

Thanks for visiting, please let me know you were here! :)

Trying new things!

 Trying new things doesn't have to be scary! Look how easy (and pretty) new things can be?!?

It all started with an instagram reel I saw by Ellefedynak where she was cleaning her blending brushes by immersing them in water, then brushing in a circular motion on a piece of watercolor paper until the ink was no longer coming off the brush. Then I saw another reel recently by Gina K Designs where she stenciled using a brick stencil as a background for a focal piece. So the yellow ink blended watercolor panels were on my desk.  I grabbed one, and my brick stencil (back alley by the rabbit hole designs) and some hickory smoke distress oxide and blended away!  The rose is from the February 2022 Whit Kit by Unity Stamp Co. called Lovely Reminder. The kit came with the matching die for the rose. I did fussy cut a little bit more...closer to the image, then I colored it with Tombow ABT markers. The sentiment is also from Unity a kit called Aging Gorgeously. I added some pale yellow jewels (pink fresh studio).

Thanks for visiting! Leave me some love! :)

And one more.....{BYSHC} 2022 Christmas in July Linky Party!

 

Let's see how many more I can get submitted today! So far it's 2!

This was the first attempt at the ink resist technique. It's not my favorite....too much red and the sentiment is stamped over some of it....but we are our worst critics! 

Again I started with a white cardbase, took a panel of white cardstock and brushed over it with my homemade anti-static pouch.  Stamped the large swirl from Unity Stamp Co. kit called embrace you using versamark embossing ink.  Sprinkled on Gina K. fine detail white embossing powder and watched the magic happen once I hit it with the heat tool! I ink blended over the top Gina K. premium dye ink in red hot. I die cut that panel with the largest rectangle and then the black with the largest scallop dies from the scallops and rectangles nesting die set.  The sentiment is from Colorado Craft Company called merry merry mini, stamped in Versafine Clair in Nocturne.  Added some white jewels from Pink Fresh Studio and in the stash it goes!

Today's the day! Last Day for the {BYSHC} 2022 Christmas in July Linky Party!

 

Today is the final day for the {BYSHC} 2022 Christmas in July Linky Party! Be sure to get your entries posted by 11:59 pm EST today July 29th!

Today's card was inspired by a pinterest card! Gina K. ink resist technique! 

I started with a white cardbase, then took a panel of white cardstock and brushed over it with my homemade anti-static pouch.  I stamped a large swirl from Unity Stamp Co. kit called embrace you using versamark embossing ink. I sprinkled on Gina K. fine detail white embossing powder and heated it up! I then ink blended over top some Gina K. dye ink in fresh asparagus and dusty rose. I die cut that panel with the larger rectangle from the scallops & rectangles nesting die set from Unity. The black panel was die cut with the largest scallop die. I backed everything with a base of green cardstock from Fancy Pants Designs from Saint Nick collection.  The sentiment comes from Colorado Craft Company and is called Merry Merry Mini. It was stamped using the Versa Fine Clair in Nocturne.  I added a few jewels from Pink Fresh Studio Essential Jewel mix.

I can see myself making many more of these! It's a fun technique!