Inspired by - Love Letter

 Another week and another Inspired By....challenge! That's two in a row for me!

I was inspired by the hearts, the "mail" aspect and the sketch. The pink ribbon also popped out at me.  I started with a white cardbase. I used the postage stamp nesting die set from Unity Stamp Co. for the background and the insert into the envelope. The envelope die was also from Unity Stamp Co. but part of a kit and not sold currently. The heart die is also a retired Unity Stamp Co. die set called Stitched Up Heart. I added a heart brad to the envelope flap, then also added some pink seam binding ribbon (from My Scrap Cabin) for the bow. Enamel dots are from Gina Marie Designs.

~ February 2026 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Sassy :)

 

Hello and welcome to FEBRUARY! My Birthday month! :) The prompt this month is "Sassy!" I normally don't make sassy cards so this was a little difficult to find sassy, but not toooo sassy! :)

First up is a birthday card which hits close to my heart! I will be 58 this month so the grey hair and "teeth" joke are hitting hard! Paper from Unity Stamp Co. Oh Hey! It's Your Day! Image from KOM January 2024 {all the love}, yes I did cut off the gentleman.....I wanted a sassy birthday card for a woman! The sentiment is from a grab bag. If you know where it's from, go ahead and let me know! Die cut the circles with the scallops and circles nesting dies, sentiment is die cut with spellbinders (circa 2014) A2 curved matting basics B. I followed a sketch from {BYSHC}. I love to follow sketches and {BYSHC} has tonnnnns! I will place sketch 11 below! *Did you see the sparkly streaks in her grey hair?!?!*

Next up is another birthday card which also hits home! LOL Hot Flashes!! Am I right?!?! Ugh, the worst!

When I found the sentiment going through all my stamps to get this months cards started, I knew this was the one! And if I'm going to have hot flashes....I will definitely be having wine! :) I went then to the Unity website and searched for the planner girl: winderful set to see how others have used it! I love to go and look for inspiration on the Unity website! it's an amazing wealth of talent! Julissa's card jumped out at me! I know last month was the "CASEd" prompt, but I totally CASEd this card! :) and sentiment from grab bag.

And last but not least.....grad season will be here before you know it! My daughter graduated last year, but a bunch of friends are getting ready to graduate this year too! I figured I should start early! :)

 Again, I'm not the best for sassy or snarky sentiments, but I did get the snarky graduation set strictly for the grad hat and die! So the sentiments were a bonus! LOL  I paired the graduation gnome with a couple of the snarky sentiments. I also loved Shilo's card layout so I tried to go off of her example! Grad paper is from Echo Park, the kraft sheet was embossed with a grad hat embossing folder. I die cut the rectangles with scallops and rectangles nesting dies. I didn't have black photo corners, but I did have kraft! I colored mine black and viola! 

Thanks for stopping by on your way through the hop! I truly appreciate it!! To start at the beginning again, you can visit Crystal's blog. If you are ready to move on to the next.....Rachel!

MFT Challenge #1 - Feel The Love

 Did you know that MFT Challenges are back?!?! I have saved so many sketches and color challenges throughout the years that I have an entire binder full! 

I'm the first entry on the first sketch! Let's see if I can keep up with these for a few challenges! I only have one MFT stamp, so bear with me! You will see this polka dot background stamp a lot! LOL

I started with the Polka Dot Background stamp, stamped with versafine clair in nocturne onto white cardstock. Ink blended with a few colors...whatever was left on the blending brushes! Found a piece of coordinating cardstock and attached it. I die cut the heart with a die set from Unity Stamp Co., that appears to be retired....stitched up heart. The floral is from another Unity set called The Best You Can. Colored with KingART Alcohol Markers and fussy cut. Attached the heart with foam adhesive over some pink and brown twine from Timeless Twine. Enamel dots finish this off, they are from Gina Marie Designs.

Inspired By......Hot Chocolate

 Thought I would jump in on the current inspired by challenge. I'm feeling inspired by the pink and brown and all the hearts! 

This is a weekly challenge and it usually changes before I have a chance to get to it! LOL But today feels like the right day!

I really didn't have anything in mind when I started, just knew that I loved the colors and wanted to get to my craft desk! I grabbed first the embossing folder from Sizzix and Stampin Up called Falling Petals (likely retired). I first ink blended over with my pink blending brush, not what I was looking for. Then I added some vintage photo.....still not right. I then went with some walnut stain and some cotton candy stickles on a few hearts and it's better! :) Next I grabbed a Unity Stamp Co. set called Love to Go. It's perfect with all the hearts! 

Stamped the cute cup onto white cardstock, die cut it along with a piece of patterned paper from Unity's Enveloped in Love paper pack, with the Make a Tag Die set also from Unity. Colored with my King Art Alcohol Markers and added more of the pink stickles. I added some pink grosgrain ribbon and pink and brown bakers twine from Timeless Twine and some foam tape to give some dimension!

Thanks for visiting and leaving me some love! :)

{BYSHC} Sketch 65 - Special Delivery

 Hello and Happy New Year! Welcome and I hope your holidays were spectacular! {BYSHC} DT are here to help ease you into the new year and the beginning of your stash of cards for December 2026! Personally, I had plenty of cards to send out and quite a few left to start the new year! Let's do this together! Each month there is a new sketch and a new sponsor, please join us and have some fun!  Sketch 65's sponsor is Not2Shabby!

This sweet santa just makes me happy! He is from Unity Stamp Co., called A Little Ho Ho Ho. I stamped him with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne and colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers. The background paper is older Stampin' Up. The stripes are washi tape stuck to cardstock then die cut using Taylored Expressions Easy Strips - 1/4" die.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Create away and post your card on the {BYSHC} page in the Sketch 65 album for your chance to win a prize from Not2Shabby!

{BYSHC} Sketch 65 - Happy Holidays

 Hello and welcome to 2026! Join {BYSHC} in 2026 to fill your Christmas Card stash all year long! Each month is a new sketch and a new sponsored prize! Let's start the year strong! The sponsor for Sketch 65 is Not2Shabby!

My card today features a mix of papers. The background green is from Graphic 45. It's a NON Christmas pad called Ephemera Queen, and the stripes are from a Unity Stamp Co. pack called I'll be home for Christmas. The sentiment is also from Unity Stamp Co., set is called Simply Holiday. I added some red twine from MayArts Ribbon behind the sentiment and added some foam tape to pop it up a bit. The clear flat sequins add just a hint of sparkle.

Don't forget to create away all January and add your cards to the Sketch 65 Album on the {BYSHC} Facebook group for a chance to win a Not2Shabby prize!

~ January 2026 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Case'd

 Hello and welcome to the new year! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog which is part of the Friends of Unity Blog Hop! Each month is a new prompt and each month we feature the amazing products from Unity Stamp Co.!

The prompt this month is called "CASE'd." What this means is Copy and Share Everything! It refers to the practice of creating a card or project based on inspiration from others. Including elements from the original design while making personal changes. You will be giving credit or "props" to the original artist while expressing love for their work by creating something of your own inspired by their original! The Unity Stamp Co. Design Team is a wealth of inspiration! I am inspired every day by them! My camera roll is full of screenshots of their amazing talent!

This first one is inspired by the sweet Angela Magnuson! She posted this beauty a few months ago and I absolutely love the simplicity and elegance of this one!

I didn't have a heart stencil, so I made one! I used the Stitched Up Hearts nesting dies and a sheet of acetate. The die set appears to be no longer available, but I believe Angela used the Heart of the Matter - Stencil. I used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Oxides to ink blend around the heart. Next I inked up A Faithful Letter with Tea Dye Distress Ink and stamped over the stencil. The beautiful floral is from the July 2025 KOMpanion stamp set called Meadow of Memory which I inked up with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne. I die cut this panel and another solid (came from a Tim Holtz pack) using the Deckle & Stitches Nesting Die set. I splattered on a watered down tea dye using a water brush over the entire panel. The birthday sentiment is from July 2021 {Front and Center Stamps}...tree of love. Lastly I added some clear dew/water drops and some natural colored twine!

Angela's card for reference.....hard to photograph but you can find the tutorial here on YouTube!

Next up is the amazing talent of Crystal Minkler and April Sarandrea! Always inspired by these amazingly talented ladies! I'm going to change up the occasion of the card and make another birthday card but followed closely the coloring of the image. I make Christmas cards all year, but the birthday cards sometimes sneak up on me! LOL ;)

Started with the Chirps & Cheer (UU 4/25) set which I stamped onto white cardstock with VersaFine Clair and colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers. In looking at April's coloring on the listing samples, I added what looked to me to be white gel pen on the edges of the flower petals too. I then die cut the tag with the Make a Tag nesting die set and the square the image is on with Scallops and square nesting die set. The little tab was die cut with a tag punch from Stampin Up. The papers I chose are from Oh Hey! It's Your Day!  The ribbon on the tag didn't originally pan out as expected so I had to "fix" the top of the tag and try again! :)

I assembled all the pieces on the cardbase and then added the Birthday sentiment from July 2020 {Front and Center Stamps} ...aging gorgeously and some red enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs!

Crystal's original that inspired me! 

I have sooooooo many screenshots saved that I just had to make one more! Now this one didn't start out as a "Unity" CASE'd card, but I made it that way! LOL

I saved this shot mid-December from a Stampin Up post. I am always on the lookout for ways to use up scraps. I liked this layered weaved look, and I know I have plenty of scraps because I save EVERYTHING! LOL

Scraps are from Country Loving, I used Meadow of Memory again, but the other floral image. I also utilized the digital cut file! Colored the image with my KingArt Alcohol Markers. I then stamped the sentiment onto another piece from the Country Living pack and embossed with clear embossing powder.

original card that inspired my card!

Thank you for following along with us this month! Please visit my friend Jane, she is next on the hop! If you would like to start back at the beginning to be sure you didn't miss anything amazing, visit my friend Crystal!