~ October 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Pink October/Breast Cancer Awareness

 

Hello and welcome to October! The Friends of Unity are going PINK for this month's blog hop! While I have created some other pink cards, I want to take this opportunity to say God Bless and Believe to those who are battling, have survived or are going through treatment with someone battling breast cancer! My one word of advice, get the boobies checked! Early detection is key! Ok, off the soap box and onto better things!

First card is meant to be for someone who needs some reassurance! Life is tough, but sometimes a little extra positivity hits just right!

I used the Seraphim Wings, both stamp and die (which I see is no longer offered, but there is a SVG). This actual card went through several versions, this is the one I ended up being the most satisfied with! 😀  The sentiment is from December 2023 KOM {difference maker}.  I took the picked raspberry watercolor pencil, scribbled it onto an acrylic block and added water! I started with smooshing, then took to using a water brush and just flicking it on. I found some coordinating cardstock, tore the edge. Added some foam adhesive and enamel dots.

Come to realize that I do not have any baby girl cards in my baby card stash! What a perfect opportunity to make some cute pink cards! I used the May 2026 KOMpanion set, oh baby.

Stamped onto white cardstock, die cut the stamped image and another coordinating piece of cardstock using the make a tag die set. I added some ribbon and a little embellishment from my stash as well as some foam tape to the sentiment! I loosely followed the Tawny Owl Papiere Inky Inspiration Sketch 44 pictured below. For those that may not recognize, Tawny Owl Papiere  is our very own Crystal Minkler!

Well that's it for me this month. I have been getting ready for the busy crafty fair season! Thanks for following along! If you'd like to start from the beginning, my friend Crystal is the beginning. If you are ready to move on, another friend of mine, Dawn, is next!

~ September 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Anything But a Card!

 

Hello crafty friends and welcome to my stop on the Friends of Unity September 2026 Blog Hop! Our theme this month is "Anything But a Card."

This is always a fun prompt to get the creative juices flowing! At first you think "how hard could this be?" The next thing you know you are thinking...."what in the world am I going to make?!?!" Pinterest is my best friend....so is my daughter! She wanted to create an art piece for her dorm room with a jean pocket to hold sunglasses and other stuff. Since I had to cut up a pair of jeans for that project, I decided to finally create a junk journal! No idea what I'm doing! 😆

I found an old journal that I had to tear out a few pages that were one of my kids school notes but then all was good! I tore the insides out and then covered the outside with some denim! I added a few bits and baubles, likely will add more! Covered the inside cover with a scrap piece of pink gingham fabric. Lots of glue and "gravity" to get all the glue to dry it's finally ready for page production!

Again, no real direction, just remembering some of the videos I had seen come across my feeds....I ink smooshed, then added a printed dictionary page that has words like: journal and journey. I then stamped the typewriter from the June 2023 Kit of the Month {from the countryside}. The butterfly was in a Unity thank you gift. The tags, brads and button are from stash. The journaling stickers at the bottom are from a Tim Holtz metallic sticker book.

Next page is a couple pages back in the book. I started with another dictionary page with words like: love, love-bird, lovable. Torn edges, inked with salvaged patina. I then cut the word "love" out with a heart die from Unity (now appears to be discontinued). Inked that heart with spun sugar. Stamped and die cut the beautiful  Seraphim Wings. Lots of colors on this giant butterfly! Stamped the "love" stamp from that set, with seedless preserves and then second and third and fourth generation to fade it out. "Hello" and "Beautiful" are both from the September 2023 KOM {harvest hues}. I added a button and then flicked onto the page, picket fence distress stain, black soot distress stain, antiqued bronze distress mica spray. 

Well, that may be about as much as my brain can handle without a plan 🤣 onto the next project!

I went looking for an idea of what could come next, then I found the cutest little album (link is here) posted to Pinterest in 2012!

As you can see I started with the postage stamp nesting dies and just went from there.   I cut 6 "pages" out of some cardboard mailers. This made 10 pages for photos. 

Lots of dies used on these....in addition to the postage stamp dies, I used the make a tag die set, the scallops and squares, scallops and arches, scallops and rectangles,  scallops and banners, and scallops andcircles.

Stamps sets used are May 2026 Kit of the Month oh baby KOMpanion set, twinkle twinkle itty bitty (retired), fairy from 2024 Advent Calendar, sentiment from Twinkleheart, wild about you (giraffe) itty bitty (retired).  Papers from several kits too...cozy textiles (WK 10/2020), hydrangea harmony (WK 6/2024), enveloped in love (WK 3/2022), cloud hopper chronicles (WK 6/2023), pastel gingham perfection (WK 3/2024).

I managed to get two albums finished! WHEW! The boy album is not quite as elaborate, but that's how boys are anyway! LOL

I started the same way with the die cut cardboard using the postage stamp nesting dies. Next I made each page! Using similar stamps and Unity papers. Some additional sets used were "hello sweet baby" sentiment is from a retired itty bitty called sweet elle. Additional paper packs used are Fields of Summer (WK 9/2021).

I am absolutely in love with these two albums! I feel that there will be more in my future! 🤣

Thanks for visiting! Hope you are inspired by the many talented ladies sharing their blogs! To start at the beginning, you can visit my friend Crystal. Ready to move on... Rachel is next, enjoy! 

~ 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! 

~July 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Color Challenge

Hello and welcome to the Friends of Unity July 2026 Blog Hop! 

We have a color theme this month! Where I live, Florida USA, we are marking the 250th birthday of the USA! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I did NOT want to make only "4th of July" cards, so I created a mix!

My first card features a ink smooshed background (colors are Distress Oxides in stormy sky, faded jeans and speckled egg. Next I die cut that panel using the scallops and rectangle nesting dies. The boots are from the April 2022 Kit of the Month - True Colors which I colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers and then fussy cut out (cutter bee scissors are the best)! The sentiment is from Joy & Brighter Days. 

I then popped the image and sentiment up with foam adhesive and adorned with clear dew drops, thought they looked like rain.

Next up is a celebration card featuring lovely red flowers against a blue wood-look background.

The floral image and sentiment are from the July 2020 Front & Center Sentiment kit called ...aging gorgeously. I die cut it and the blue wood-look background paper (which is from rustic wood paper pack) using the scallops and rectangles nesting dies. I created a tag with the sentiment and attached it using some natural twine from Timeless Twine.

I added some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer in Glitter Gloss to the petals of the flowers. It was a little difficult to photograph, but it's there! :) I also added some enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs too!

Next up is a card that utilizes one of the amazing backgrounds of the month! 

I grabbed ...assorted blooms (BOM 2/2023), stamped it onto white cardstock with VersaFine Clair, colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers and then die cut with the scallops and rectangles nesting dies. Coordinating red polkadot paper was in with my scraps. The sentiment is from a grab bag I received, but the kit is Well Hello There, which I die cut by manipulating the scallops and banners nesting dies to accommodate the size I needed. I added some natural burlap twine from May arts designs and multiple colors of enamel dots and pearls from Gina Marie Designs.

And last but not least, what is red, white and blue without a cow!?!? I just felt the need to add a cow! LOL

I took some inspiration from the examples on the Unity website, created by Tammy Hawes and Shilo Miles. The postage stamp nesting dies are what makes this card! I grabbed the Barnyard Blowout paper pack, which has OOOOODLES of Red, White and Blue! Die cut the red gingham, then took the bandana page and cut it to fit. The cutest cow set..thinking of moo, was the set of choice! Such a sweet face!

The Friends of Unity are sponsoring a challenge on the Unity Show & Tell Facebook group! This same color palette! Let's see what YOU can create! Link to the album is here!

If you came here from Von Marie, but want to start at the beginning, Crystal's blog is here. To continue to the next, please visit my friend Rachel's blog here.

Thanks for the visit! Please leave me some love in the comments! 🩷🩷

~ June 2026 - Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Food & Drink

Hello friends! Welcome to June! The Friends of Unity are hoping this month with a super fun prompt....Food & Drink! I had a giant list of stamps at my disposal! Could only choose a few!

First card has to be a birthday cupcake....right?!?!? I started with the January 2023 Kit of the Month {bloom and evolve}, the sentiment is from Gotta Love Sentiments. I have always been inspired by Tenia's designs so this one pays homage to her style! :)

Patterned paper is from Oh Hey! It's Your Day! After I stamped the image (with Versafine Clair) using my Misti....I die cut it with one of the tags from the Make a Tag Nesting Die set. I used my KingArt Alcohol Markers to color the yummy cupcake to coordinate with the polka dots on the paper. I added a scrap from the same paper pack, some red twine, some foam tape and a heart paperclip! 

Next up a big squeeze!

I created this background a few months ago and it's been sitting here waiting for the perfect chance to shine! Today is the day! I used the Slices of Summer layering stencil but used yellow ink to create lemons! I used cookie dough lunar paste to make the seeds! Die cut with the scallops and rectangle nesting dies!

I decided to add a refreshing lemonade to this for a summer "chill" card! The itty-bitty is called chillin'.  Stamped with VersaFine Clair, fussy cut with cutter bee scissors and added using foam tape! 

I was scrolling through my photos the other day....looking for something and I came across a screen-shot I took 12 years ago! :| 12 years ago?!? Are you kidding me?!?! Realized that it was a card posted by Heather Hoffman that inspired me to find this sweet citrus set! Obviously I had to make something with the need a squeeze itty bitty, sadly now retired. Just as the newest Tawny Owl Paperie sketch was released....seemed like the perfect timing!

I started with a sunburst stencil which was in the August 2023 Whit Kit. I used twisted citron, dried marigold and scattered straw for the burst. I die cut the circle with the scallops and circles nesting dies. I used the leftover ink on the blending brushes to shade in the citrus. Next colored with KingArt Art Markers. Printed the sentiment from the computer. Added some coordinating buttons from my stash for a little extra dimension!

So many choices....I had to do at least one more! :)

This sweet itty bitty has been in my collection for sooooo long! It's called berry sweet moments, since been retired but I still love it!

Stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, colored with King Art Alcohol Markers. Die cut with the make a tag nesting dies. The background paper is from Rustic Farmhouse, the red plaid is from Barnyard Blowout. The polkadot is actually Christmas paper! LOL

I added some burlap and red twine from May Arts Ribbon and some clear flat sequins. As well as some foam adhesive. 

I felt that it needed "something" but wasn't sure what to do. Since I colored with Alcohol markers, I thought I'd try to move it around some. I grabbed some isopropyl alcohol....without a plan! :/  I added a few drops to see what would happen and this is the result! :/ I sprinkled some lumberjack plaid on as well......not sure if I've ruined it or not, but this is the result. I may need to adjust it again. 

I left this on the blog post to show that you could always try something new and see what happens. I almost took this whole part off, but sometimes things work and sometimes they don't exactly, but in the end its still art and you created it! :)

Thanks for visiting and following along! I'd love to hear your feedback!!

If you'd like to start over at the beginning, Crystal's blog is the place to be! If you are ready to move on, Toni is your girl! :)

p.s.  apologies….I just now realized that the majority of my cards feature stamps that have been retired! :/