**July 2024 Friends of Unity Blog Hop - Technique**

 Welcome to my very first post as a Friends of Unity Team Member! I am so excited to be here! This month of July is all about technique! I have learned so many cool and clever techniques over the years, it was hard to pick my absolute favorite! 

I hope to share some fun techniques and have some amazing cards when I'm finished!

One of my favorite techniques is ink smooshing. If you look back at some of my previous projects, you will see lots and lots of ink smooshing! It's a great way to create a unique background!  

I start with a piece of 65# white cardstock (can be 65# could be 110# could be watercolor paper) and an acetate sheet! Smoosh your ink onto the acetate then spritz with some water. Carefully flip it over your cardstock and gently pounce the watered down ink colors! I suggest some drying time in between colors! A heat tool will speed up the process! 

After I created the amazing panels shown above, I stamped the ...inked florals Background Stamp using versamark and white embossing powder on the first one...versafine clair and clear embossing powder on the other. I die cut both panels with the largest scallop and rectangle die and chose some ribbon. The word "hello" die cut was cut from a dark purple cardstock (and also in black on the second card), then I stamped the remaining sentiment (from ...hello fresh start). I added some staples and some clear sequin circles to add some sparkle.

I think the white embossed image is my favorite! I tried both colors to see the contrast between the two! Which is your favorite of the two?!?

This next card is also ink smooshed with a background stamp, just a different color pallet! 

The colors I chose for this one are distress inks in wild honey, mustard seed and dried marigold. Same technique as above, smoosh, spritz, dab!! I added the May 2023 background of the month stamp called ...honeycomb chaos. Then die cut the panel with the largest scalloped and rectangle die. I tore the bottom of the panel off and distressed the edges with first vintage photo, then some black soot. 

The stamps are from the April 2020 Whit Kit Grow. Transform. Evolve. My inspiration came from Echo's example that came with the background stamp! I masked and stamped the sentiment in two different places. The banner at the top was cut with the Unity scallops and banners nesting die set. The white part at the bottom was stamped with versamark and embossed with gina k white embossing powder. There was a little bit of embossing powder over-sprinkle (LOL) so I added some embossing pen and more powder to make it a little less obvious! The bees were stamped, colored and then fussy cut and attached with foam adhesive. I wanted to try something new-ish to me and added some Hero Paste, colored with some ink, through a honeycomb die. Not too much, but just a little something on the edge.  Translucent enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs and some bakers and burlap twine finish it off! I absolutely LOVE this one! It's one of those cards you want to keep for yourself! :)

Here are my finished cards all together! Give this technique a try! You will not be disappointed! You'll get inky and messy and it will be a blast!

Thank you so much for visiting with me today! To start the blog hop from the beginning, Crystal is your girl! If you are ready for the next project, Dawn is your girl! Enjoy the hop and I'll see you next time! :)

Unity Membership Makes Wednesday - Faith

 Wednesday's are my favorite days 1) because it's my day off, 2) because it's #UnityMembershipMakes day! I get to dig out all my fantastic Unity kits and make something magical! Unity's Show & Tell Facebook Group is a great place for inspiration!

I started this lovely card with some inspiration from Unity Design Team member Echo Noble! Started with a piece of white cardstock, to it I added one of my favorite techniques...ink smooshing! It is as fun as it sounds! 

I took these three colors of distress inks (old paper, worn lipstick, shaded lilac) individually (not together) and "smooshed" them onto a sheet of acetate, added water and carefully tapped the wet ink panel all over the white cardstock until I was happy with the coverage. *TIP* Dry each layer before adding another! You could possibly "blend" too much and the colors would get muddy! After I was happy with the color saturation I stamped a Unity Background Stamp called A Faithful Letter on top using distress oxide in vintage photo. To that I added a tiny dot stamp from the May 2023 Kit of the Month called {bloom in color} using distress ink in walnut stain. Next the panel was die cut using the largest scalloped and rectangle nesting die from Unity, then ink blended around the edge. The bird is from the April 2024 Whit Kit called Bloom for New Beginnings. I stamped it onto white cardstock with VersaFine Clair in nocturne. Next I took the same three colors of ink from above and smooshed them again onto a acetate sheet, added some water and used that (along with a water brush) to water color the image!  All Unity stamps come with a white backing sheet as part of the manufacturing process. I used the white backing paper to create a mask to ink blend over the image for a nice crisp edge! Once ink blended I tore the panel as close to the image as I could, then ink blended over the torn edge to create a vintage-y look. The sentiment is also from a Kit of the Month April 2022 {true colors}. I glued this die cut panel to a piece of kraft cardstock (also from Unity) and added some pink burlap twine and pearls to finish it off!

If you are not a member of the Show & Tell page, I strongly suggest you join! Not only is there a ton of inspiration from the design team members, but everyone! Create and post away!! Never know you could inspire someone today!

#UnityMembershipMakes

 Wednesday's on the Unity Show & Tell Facebook page they share cards and projects created using one or more of the awesome membership kits that Unity offers. This card also happens to qualify for the monthly challenge (wild & wonderful) happening as well!

I started with a panel of watercolor paper and created the yellow blob with another technique that I've done before....cleaning my blending brushes with water and just blending out the ink until it's no more! Lots of backgrounds can be created with this technique! After that I stamped the Unity Stamp Co. May 2023 Background of the month honeycomb chaos over that using vintage photo distress oxide. I then took out a few stamps from the Kit of the Month from May Bloom in Color. The dots were randomly stamped on top with more vintage photo. Die cut the whole thing with Unity's scallops and rectangle nesting die. Onto the focal image....also from the Kit of the Month. I stamped it onto watercolor paper with versafine clair ink in nocturne, colored with my Tombow ABT markers, die cut with the scallops and circles nesting dies and used some foam tape to pop it up. The natural twine and the burlap twine were from my stash. The sentiments are also from the Kit of the month. Stamped the same as the beehive....I hand trimmed the "hey honey" and the "you are the sweetest" was cut using some banner nesting dies which were included in the March 2023 Whit Kit. The clear dew drops were also included in a Whit Kit a few months ago. 

Thanks for visiting! Leave me some love! :)

It's December 1st!

 Happy first day of December! What a blur this year has been! This post is for a couple cards I made yesterday, getting ready for the Unity Stamp Co. Advent Calendar! Ive been away from my crafty space for a few weeks due to one thing or another, but now we're in the final push for all the Christmas craft projects to come together and get finished!

Hat and gloves were part of the Unity Stamp Co. Advent calendar in 2020. I've stamped, colored and then cut out. Mounted with foam tape onto a vellum circle. Sentiment is also from Unity....called Gotta Love Sentiments.

Next is one last card for the BYSHC Sketch 28 challenge. Paper and circle sentiment are part of the Unity Stamp Co. November 2022 Whit Kit and the sweater is part of the Unity 2020 Advent Calendar. I just love how everything is interchangeable! 

Stay tuned for the 2022 Advent Calendar projects along with the BYSHC Sketch 29 challenge! It's gonna be an exciting month!

GIU Week! TGIF!

 Well here I am on the last day of this wonderful week! To recap my week....here are day 1, day 2, day 3 or day 4 .... click on each number! If ever given the opportunity to participate in GIU, you should absolutely do this! It's so fun to challenge yourself by doing things you wouldn't normally do and getting it done quickly! LOL Unity is an amazing company and while I've not actually "met" people in person, the people I've met online are marvelous and super talented!

Now onto the actual card! LOL When I started planning my week, I hadn't planned on so many or "only" Christmas cards, but alas, here we are! LOL Let's shake it up a bit! This month's Whit Kit arrived earlier this week so let me dig into that and share what I can! The Unity kits are all kinds of fabulous! 

This month's kit doesn't disappoint! For this card I used the embossing folder (plaid company), a sheet of the paper pack and a couple of the stamps! WOW! 

Started with the kraft background, which I embossed and then gently brushed with first vintage photo distress oxide, then went back and focused on the edges with black soot distress ink. I used the scalloped & rectangle nesting dies to cut the orange panel and also the watercolor panel. The watercolor panel was ink smooshed first with several distress inks! Ripe persimmon, dried marigold and vintage photo. 

After the ink dried, I stamped the distressed wording and the large pumpkins directly on top of the ink, then die cut. I went back in with more distress inks as a pallet and a water brush and target watercolored the pumpkins, stems, leaves, etc. I added some Nuvo aqua shimmer at the top of the pumpkins and then added some white gel pen for added dimension. Added some may arts burlap string and the sentiment was added with foam tape!

Thanks for visiting and following along! I had the best week and all of your comments were read and appreciated! Please don't forget to leave some love (and your name) to be eligible to win one of 2 $20 gift credits from Unity!! Winners will be chosen at random sometime tomorrow! Thanks again until next time! :)

Jenni

p.s. edited to update.....when your 7 mo old puppy gets on the counter and eats part of your card......embellish, embellish, embellish! She not only ate the corner of my image, but also the twine that was tied as well! luckily the bows were included in the Whit Kit and covered exactly!