MFT Color Challenge #1 - Believe in the Magic

 Hello again! MFT Color Challenge is the second challenge posted on the new Card Challenges blog! Again, as I shared in the last post, the only MFT product I have is the Polka Dot Background Stamp, so again I have utilized it for the background on this project!

The color challenge this go around is spring colors. I went through my Distress Oxides (and one distress ink) to come up with this combo. 

I started with ink smooshing, then when that was dry I randomly added the same inks to the stamp....random and scattered! I have a stamp set on the way but in the meantime, I used the Insightful Meadows stamp set from Unity Stamp Co. Stamped once in versafine clair nocturne and again in the seedless preserves as a shadow. I distressed the edges of the panel a bit with the Tim Holtz distressing tool, then for the sentiment, I reached for another Tim Holtz product, metallic sticker sentiments.

I also grabbed a wooden butterfly embellishment and some clear dew drops. With this bold of a background, only minimal additions is necessary!

{BYSHC} Sketch 66 - Warm Winter Wishes

Welcome friends! {BYSHC} Sketch 66 is up and going until the end of February! Our sponsor this month is Creative Worship Stamps. They are offering a $25 gift certificate!! I personally don't own any of their products yet, but hope to soon!!

My card today features a couple of our other sponsors! The image, sentiment and dies are from Unity Stamp Co., the papers are from Crafty Stamp Co. I started with the snowman stamp from Frost Kissed Gratitude. There is also a SVG cut file available for this one! Cut, stamped, colored....easy peasy! Next I chose the paper from the Christmas Snow paper pack from Crafty Stampo Co. Die cut with the scallops and rectangles nesting dies and also the scallops and circles nesting dies from Unity. Added a circle of vellum and some foam adhesive to the circle focal point. The sentiment is from the set Simply Holiday and I used one of the many sentiments!  

 

Keep sharing until the end of the month to be eligible for $25 gift certificate!!

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 Sketch 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!