{BYSHC} Sketch 73 - Holly Jolly Everything

 Hello and welcome to September! The {BYSHC} new sketch is up and ready for the new month! The sponsor this month is Unity Stamp Co.

Today's card features the sweet santa from A Little Ho Ho Ho. The papers are also from Unity, Season Starter. I utilized the Scallops and Banners as well as the scallops and circles nesting dies.

Don't forget to post your entry on the Sketch Challenge 73 album and be eligible for a $25 Unity Gift Card!

Just a heads up.....the Falling for the Holidays 2026 Linky Party will begin next month! Last one of the year and a big one for getting those cards ready for gift giving!

{BYSHC} Sketch 72 - Merry Christmas (Vacation)

 Welcome back to the {BYSHC} Sketch 72! There are only a few days left to get a project completed and posted before the end of the month. Our sponsor this month is Lawn Fawn! They have some really cute sets! 

My card today features a set I got likely about 10 years ago! It's not technically a "Christmas" set, but when I saw the sketch I knew it was the perfect one! The set is called Happy Trails. When I saw the curvy break in the center, it reminded me of a road and Clark Griswold! I used a curved die from Newton's Nook (land borders) to create the stitched curve.

I stamped the car and tree onto white cardstock, fussy cut them both out. The snowflake paper is from Echo Park Snowed In which I sprinkled some Distress Spray Stain in Picket Fence all over to mimic snow! I used the street lines stamp in this kit to make the lines on the road. The sentiment is from Bella Creationz Co.

{BYSHC} Sketch 72 - Merry Christmas Santa

Welcome to the {BYSHC} Sketch 72! This sketch runs through the month of August. Our sponsor this month is Lawn Fawn!

For this card I have chosen the Ho-Ho-Holidays set from Lawn Fawn, as well as the coordinating die set! I started with white cardstock to that I ink blended on some Distress Oxide in Speckled Egg and Faded Jeans. Next I sprinkled some Distress Oxide Spray Stain in Picket Fence all over for snowfall! Die cut down the center with a curved die from Newton's Nook called land borders. I added a scrap of glitter-look paper to the middle. Next I colored all the stamped and die cut pieces. Added them and then added the sentiment. 

last minute I stamped on a little star that is in this set using Rubber Ducky Nuvo Hybrid ink. You could see it, if you looked hard enough, but I decided to add some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer in Glitter Gloss to brighten them up a bit!

Unity Sketch Challenge - August 2026

Hello crafty friends! I have created a couple cards for the Unity Show & Tell Sketch Challenge! I got on a roll last night and made two! :)

First up is an Autumn/Fall/Thanksgiving card. Since this is the next "season" I thought it was a good time to get some fall vibes!

I started with the ink spot! I grabbed my blending brushes, added some water and smooshed it around! That's all! Leftover ink on the blending brush and some water! I had to be careful with the amount of water and rubbing that was used because it started to damage the cardstock.  The pumpkin is from September 2024 Kit of the Month {wander and wonder}. Stamped it onto the card base first to get all the swirlies and yumminess, then onto a scrap piece that I fussy cut and colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers.

The sentiment and enamel dots were added at the end according to the sketch!

I went in a completely different direction with this next one.....

I made the ink spot first and had a stamp set in mind, but couldn't find it! :/ so had to switch gears! I used the same blending brush and water technique for this ink spot. The butterfly I had received in a grab bag (it's from May 2017 Kit of the Month {free your dreams}). I loved the sentiment in this kit, but didn't have it in stamp form, so I printed it from my computer. Used basically the same technique as before, stamped the image onto the card front to get all the "extras," then onto a piece of scrap to fussy cut and color. Gina Marie Designs enamel dots again for the finishing touch!

Thanks for the visit! :)

 

~ August 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Grunge

Hello crafty friends and welcome to my little corner of the Friends of Unity August 2026 Blog Hop! This month our feature is GRUNGE! I always have a hard time with this one.....I am more of a "less-is-more" sort of crafter so adding more and more is not the easiest for me! LOL

This first card ended up nothing like I had thought when I started! I ink smooshed two panels with spun sugar and old paper. I had plans for a large rose spray that I fussy cut and colored and was all ready to use it......but it didn't look right or grungy! 😝 So I started with some stamped words (Unity Stamp Co. Small Details) and dots (Unity Stamp Co. dinged dots) and linen (Unity Stamp Co. linen) all over the panel, some in spun sugar, some using vintage photo. Next I splattered on some Distress Mica Spray in Antiqued Bronze and more watered down vintage photo to boot. Next I grabbed an embossing folder which is rather textured and rubbed the vintage photo and walnut stain distress ink over the raised sections with a blending brush to bring it out a little bit more. I tore the edge and added a piece of kraft which I also tore the edge. Distress oxides and inks over the edges! 

Next on to embellishing! I made a tag from the second sheet of my ink smooshing pair and distressed the edges of this. I grabbed a butterfly that's been in my stash for way too long, found a button that worked and a tiny tag (from the Unity Advent Calendar) which I stamped with the Small Details background stamp. Added a heart paperclip, some natural twine and some baby pink seam binding from My Scrap Cabin. The sentiment comes from a Tim Holtz sticker book. I like how it turned out, even if it was unexpected!

Next I wanted to create a masculine card using a 3-D texture embossing folder and some masculine coloring!

I started with the Tim Holtz 3-D Typewriter Textured embossing folder and a piece of black cardstock. With embossing folders such as these, it's advised to spray a find mist of water over the paper before embossing to keep the paper from "cracking" when using the folder. I found this technique on YouTube (Natasha Foote) to apply ink with my finger to the raised parts of the design....that's what I did. Started with Antique Linen, then switched to Salvaged Patina. Then I "grunged" it up a little bit more! Sprinkled onto it...Distress Mica Spray Tarnished Brass, Distress Spray Stain Picket Fence, and some watered down Salvaged Patina. Roughed up the edges with a Tim Holtz Distressing Tool. 

The typewriter is from the Unity Stamp Co. June 2023 Kit of the Month {from the countryside}. I stamped with black ink onto white cardstock. After I fussy cut it out, I then antiqued it up with some vintage photo and walnut stain. I watered down some Salvaged Patina and sprinkled it here and there. The "paper" was printed and cut to fit in the space where the paper was on the stamped image. I wanted a background sheet to match so I ran the salvaged patina ink pad along with sides of my card base then added some vintage photo distressing. From the Unity website in the KOM samples, I found a great card by Karen Maldonado. I loved the script piece she put behind the typewriter, so I made my own! Manilla tag (Unity thank you gift), vintage ledger background stamp (appears to possibly be retired) and a faithful letter background stamp. I then finished it off with some jute twine!

I hope you are able to get through all of the blogs....there are some amazingly talented ladies here! 

To start from the beginning, visit Crystal's blog. If you are ready to move on, my friends Joyce is the next stop! 

TOPII Sketch 45 - Have Faith

 When I spotted the new sketch from Tawny Owl Paperie and saw the sample the Crystal posted....I knew I needed to recreate it! 

I created a video about how this ink smooshing beauty came to be, but it's in "production edit" at the moment (which means I asked my son to edit it for me and he's working)! I will post to my YouTube channel soon! I will also link on the video all the products I used too!

Started with two pieces of white cardstock, ink smooshed lumberjack plaid distress oxide and festive berries distress ink over both pieces. I stamped onto one a couple background stamps, small details and (retired) dinged dots, both from Unity Stamp Co. The flower stamp came from the December 2022 Kit of the Month called {a new chapter}. I stamped it first on which cardstock and colored the flower with KingArt Alcohol Markers and then fussy cut pieces of it out. I also stamped it onto the inked circle. The sentiment is from faith & hope which I purchased separately. The circles were cut with the scallops and circles nesting dies from Unity.

Here is the sketch I followed:

and Crystal's card that I had to attempt to recreate:

Thanks for the visit!

{BYSHC} Christmas in July 2026 Linky Party - all is calm all is bright

 

Never say it's over until it's really over! LOL {BYSHC} Christmas in July 2026 Linky Party currently has 1 hour left! As I sit here in my craft space with my daughter, crafting & chatting & spending time together, I didn't want it to end so I started to look for other things to keep me here continuing this shared time....I found more scraps! LOL

Because it's 11:06pm, it's dark outside, so no "good" pictures! LOL  I used an itty bitty from Unity that I have discovered is now retired.....called All is Calm all is Bright. I stamped it on the blue piece that had already been die cut. I used a water brush and some vintage photo distress oxide to shade in the deer.  The plaid and blue snowflake papers are back to back and from Echo Park Snowed In. I utilized the {BYSHC} Sketch 44 for this one! Lastly I added some enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs and that's it.....my last card for the 2026 Christmas in July Linky Party! And just under the wire!

Good luck to all that participated and I look forward to the recap next week!