{BYSHC} Sketch 67 - Warm Winter Wishes

 Hello and TGIF! We are on the last round of sketch 67. Be sure to have your entries in before the 31t to be eligible for the $25 store voucher to Pajama Crafter Stamps!

My card today features a sweet penguin sending warm winter wishes! Stamp and coordinating die, called fluffy friends holiday, are from Taylored Expressions, paper is from Park Lane (rip Joann's) Nice List. I also used the scallops and squares die set from Unity Stamp Co., the sentiment is from Simply Holiday by Unity. Colored with my KingArt Alcohol Markers. Brick stencil is called Back Alley by Rabbit Hole Designs.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the {BYSHC} Spring into Christmas 2026 Linky Party! The fun starts April 10th!

Unity Sketch Challenge (Layered Layout) - Haaaaaaay!

 Another card that I managed to get put together for the Unity Stamp Co. Sketch Challenge that is going on over at the Show & Tell Facebook page.

It's sort of ironic that this card came together the same day Angela asked in the group if we clean up our space between projects....I answered honestly as a resounding NO! The reason it's ironic is that these papers and stamp set were already sitting on the side of the desk. I was going to make something a few weeks back with them and never got to it....so it was all still out. LOL

Set is called ...thinking of moo, the December 2024 Uniquely Unity set. The papers are from Barnyard Blowout paper pack. 

I die cut the square using the scallops and squares nesting dies, colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers and used the stamp backing paper as the mask for the ink blending. I added some burlap cording, a tiny piece of red and white gingham ribbon, some red enamel dots and foam tape to bring it all to life!

Crafty Stamp Co. March Sketch Challenge - Merry & Sweet

 Another day, another sketch challenge! I am the queen of procrastination! Again housework has taken a backseat to my need to be creative!

I have limited Crafty Stamp Co. supplies, so I used what I have available! The Christmas Cookie Gnomies and the Nutcracker & Cocoa paper pack! Crafty Stamp Co. is a frequent sponsor at {BYSHC} Challenges so that's what I have....Christmas! LOL 

I followed the sketch, stamped a few items. The sentiment is the same sentiment from the stamp set, however I unfortunately cannot locate it at the moment! :/ So I typed it on the computer and printed it on cardstock! Added some foam tape to a couple pieces and there you go! Super Cute!

Unity Sketch Challenge (Layered Layout) - Have Faith

I sure hope this happens to people other than me.....I am easily distracted by pretty paper! LOL I am supposed to be cleaning up this craft room and what do I do....sit down at the desk and make a card! LOL 

Unity Stamp Co. is sponsoring a sketch/layered layout challenge on their Show & Tell Facebook page.  Thought I would give it a shot!

I had taken out for another project the Bohemian Dream paper pack last week, so it was still sitting on the desk. I knew that there were some scraps in there, so I started going through it. I decided on these few papers and got started. The first thing I did was figure out which die to use, based on size, and then what stamp fits in that size square! 

Boho Blooms is a set of 3 florals set into a square frame. I stamped it (using my MISTI tool) with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne, die cut with one of the scallops and square nesting dies and colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers. I used a bit of green-ish distress oxides to soften the edges a bit. The sentiment "have faith" is from the Faith & Hope set. I added a few glitter enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs and some twine for a little extra umph!

Thanks for visiting!

~ March 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Sketch

 Hello and welcome to March! The Friends of Unity are hopping right into this new sketch! Be sure to follow along for ooodles of inspiration!

It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of sketches! I am a visual person....I can see the sketch, how it's laid out, how layers are placed, all that's left is the creativity!

I have had this idea for a "welcome to your new home" card but wasn't sure how to execute it. I think this is perfect! I used a Unity Background that's no longer available (beautiful day in the neighborhood) but there is another that it really similar...it's called Village Patchwork. As you can see I used a couple of the nesting die sets too! Scallops and rectangles as well as scallops and arches. I stamped the background with Versafine Clair in Nocturne, then colored just one house with KingArt Alcohol Markers. The sentiment was printed on my computer and cut to fit. Instead of a circle, I found a heart shaped button that I felt worked well! Popped up with some foam tape and then tied with some burlap twine and a bow!

When I say you can find inspiration in the strangest places....this is what I'm talking about. As I sat down to my computer to type up this post, a facebook post caught my eye. It's from a group called "Dorm Room Mama's." My daughter started college last fall and this was my go-to site for all things dorm room inspiration! Well the post today was all about care packages! This is the picture that I saw....do you see it.....the rainbow card?!? BAAMMM! Genius!!!

Here's my take on it!

I love it when a plan comes together! :) I grabbed the April 2022 Whit Kit, Rainbow Wishes along with the coordinating stencil. Stamped everything in multiple colors and then die cut the piece with the scallops and arches nesting dies. I added some foam adhesive, stash flowers, dew drops....its sweet!

Thanks for visiting! Please visit Joyce, her blog post is here, to proceed along with the hop. If you'd like to start at the beginning....Crystal's blog link is here.

{BYSHC} Sketch 67 - Holly Jolly Wishes

 Hello and welcome to March! {BYSHC} Sketch 67 has begun! Pajama Crafter Stamps is our sponsor this month! The Sketch 67 winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

I currently do not have any Pajama Crafter Stamps so I used a set from Taylored Expressions called Fluffy Friends - Holiday!

{BYSHC} Sketch 66 - Dashing by with Holiday Wishes!

 Welcome back friends! Tomorrow is the last day to enter any projects for sketch 66 to be eligible for a $25 gift certificate to Creative Worship Stamps (and p.s. it's also my BIRTHDAY!)

My card today features a sweet reindeer stamp from Unity Stamp Co., called A Little Dash! Fun fact, this cutie also has a digital SVG file! I also used patterned paper from a coordinating paper pack called A Dash of Christmas. Cut the sweet fuzzy friend from cardstock, stamped with Versafine Clair and colored with King Art Alcohol Markers. I added some foam adhesive on the die cut image for some dimension. The background panel and the circle were die cut with scallops and rectangle nesting dies and scallops and circles nesting dies both from Unity Stamp Co. I also die cut the sentiment with the scallops and banners nesting dies, but adjusted the die to eliminate the "pointy" part!

Thanks for joining us this month and good luck with the drawing of the prize winner! Come back next month for another fantastic sketch!

Unity Stamp Co. Monochromatic Tear it and Tone it Challenge - Trust in the Lord

Here I am with yet another challenge! This time it's the Unity Stamp Co. Show and Tell FB Page Tear it and tone it challenge!

I loved the idea of the inspiration photo to create four cards with the same image but in different colors.....so that's what I did.....I made four!

The set I chose to highlight is called One of Those People. I then grabbed an itty bitty called Just have Trust for the sentiment. It fit into the "circle" sentiment space better. For each card I utilized some of the Unity dies....Scallops and Circles Nesting Die Set and Scallops and Rectangle Nesting Die Set.

For the above two cards I used the Tuscan Tile Background for the background. Top one is done with Antique Linen Distress Oxide and the bottom one I used Peeled Paint Distress Oxide. Both of these backgrounds, the purple background and all of the other patterned paper and solid cardstock came directly from my scraps. The backgrounds used were created previously and not used for their initial intended purpose!

This background was created with ink smooshing. I used several different purple ink pads on this one and created waaaaayyyyy too many panels to be used for the initial project! Hence the leftover background!

This one I used a scrap piece of patterned paper and found a coordinating scrap of solid in my stash. It was a bonus that this peach colored cardstock is embossed with a swirly pattern.

As well as the cardstock and ink, I also used some embellishments. Foam tape for the sentiments, chipboard hearts from Heidi Swapp, green and purple enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs, and pearls from my stash.

MFT Sketch Challenge #2 - Birthday Wishes

 MFT Weekly Sketch challenge #2 in the works! I'm here for it! Since the last challenge I have purchased another MFT stamp set.....however it was retired in 2014! :/ Well, it is what it is! LOL

Today's card started with a clean white panel which was die cut with a rectangle from the scallops and rectangles nesting dies from Unity Stamp Co. I do not have any large oval shapes at all! How is that possible?! So what does any good crafter do....I made one! I cut an oval on my Cricut and used it as a stencil! I ink blended some Gina K Designs premium dye ink in a gradient fashion....colors used are grass green, fresh asparagus, peach bellini, dusty rose and lovely lavender. Next I took the cut out piece and secured it to the ink blended oval and covered the bottom portion with Versa Fine Clair Nocturne. To that I added some water droplets, and then some watered down distress spray oxide in Picket Fence. 

To that oval I added some lovely silhouetted wildflowers from the Peaceful Wildflowers set using the same versafine clair in nocturne. The banner at the top stumped me and I had to leave it for 24 hours to think about it! When I came back to it, I thought about just adding some twine in different colors....then I remembered some fibers in my stash that would be perfect! Hence the "flag" fibers used to finish off the top. The sentiment is also from the same Peaceful Wildflowers set. I stamped it onto cardstock with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne, added some clear embossing powder and used a punch from Stampin Up. I added a couple tiny brass brads to give some dimension and added it to the card front with foam tape. 

Newton's Nook Designs Inky Paws Challege Sketch #249 - Happy Blooming Birthday!

 I am not sure what's gotten into me lately....but here is yet another challenge entry! LOL This time it's for the Newton's Nook Designs Inky Paws Challenge!

I choose to create a background with the Argyle Stencil in pink, yellow and orange. I found some coordinating papers too! The stamp set I have seems to be retired, but it's called Loads of Blooms. Stamped onto white cardstock with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, fussy cut and colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers. I also utilized the tiny flower stamp to add to the polka dot paper! The ribbon is a beautiful seam binding from My Scrap Cabin Shop in the color "lyric." Popped up the fussy cut image and the sentiment with foam adhesive and then added some clear dew drops!

Inspired by......Berries

 Well I'm not going to jinx myself.....but this is 3 in a row! :) Inspired by.....berries! Strawberries and raspberries are my absolute favorite berries ever! I live only a few miles from the center of the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World! Plant City Florida! 

For my card today I chose some patterned cardstock from Unity Stamp Co. These are from two different packs that happened to be on my desk! The stamp set is also from Unity, it is retired, called berry sweet moments. I was inspired of course by the berries as well as the sketch. Although the pictured berries are raspberries, it is Strawberry season here in my neck of the woods!! Stamped on scrap cardstock with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers and die cut using the Make a Tag die set from Unity. The ribbon is gorgeous seam binding from My Scrap Cabin Shop in the color "lyric." Tag and sentiment are both popped up with some foam adhesive!

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.