~ December 2024 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Winter Wonderland

 

Welcome to my stop on the Friends of Unity December 2024 Blog Hop!! Winter Wonderland! Fun fact.......December's Blog Hop marks 7 years of hops! I'm pretty sure I've been following since the beginning and now I'm a part of it! So amazing!!

Here in Florida, there isn't much "wintery" winter. Coming from Michigan, I know winter! Seems like there are one or two days that I do miss the cold snowy winter scene....Christmas Day and New Years Day! But I digress! Winter to me is peace and love and calmness. Waiting for the new year, spending time with family, being present in the moment. As busy as we all are, this time of year gives me the feeling of reflection and being thankful for all that I have been blessed with!

This card was created with a watercolored ink smooshed background. Created with several different colors, then more colors were added after I stamped the Unity Heart of Christmas. Colors used include peacock feathers, stormy sky, faded jeans, speckled egg, broken china. I spritzed some white acrylic paint and distress spray stain in vintage photo onto the panel too. I stamped the image with versamark ink then embossed with Gina K. White embossing powder. After the embossing was finished I then die cut the heart with a Unity Stitched up Heart {nesting die} set. I have to figure out a better way to get the die cut lined up in the opening! It's off, but not by much! I added some foam tape to the back of the heart to pop it up. I took some inspiration from the example on the Unity website done by Lea Johnston (Keisling) with the cut out word and the banner across the heart.

I used the coordinating die set for this set to cut out the word "peace." I stamped with black versafine clair, heat embossed with clear embossing powder then cut out the word and the banner with Unity dies. After all was assembled, I added some clear flat sequins for a little extra sparkle. 

This cutie came about during my week as Growing in Unity (last week) while I was making cards from scraps. Yes, everything but the snowman piece was laying on my desk! Snowmen scream winter wonderland to me! I started with the scraps from the PhotoPlay It's a Wonderful Christmas paper pack. The snowflake panel was die cut from a piece that was stamped with the Heart of Christmas, that didn't get used. The die set is the postage stamp nesting dies. I picked this snowman (Snow Buddies UU 11/24) because he's just so cute! Stamped onto 110lb cardstock, die cut with the same nesting die set and then colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers to match the plaid paper. 

The sentiment was stamped in black onto a red scrap with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne, then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. It comes from the Winter Cheer & Deer set.

To start the hop from the beginning, you want to visit Crystal's blog here. If you are ready to move on, Rachel is next! 

I would like to take this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! Much love and peace to you and your families! See you all in 2025!

Day number 2 - Growing in Unity!

 Welcome to day two of my week Growing in Unity! It's a busy week with Thanksgiving prep and all, but don't miss out on some fun and freebies! I discovered this video and it really hit home with me because of all the little stamps that come in kits that just get ignored because they ARE so small! I did make a card using this technique during the {BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays Linky Party, but today's card is using a stamp from the 2023 Advent Calendar! The 2024 Calendar is about to start so I thought this would be a great time to use one of the smaller stamps for this technique! The video is from Natasha Foote (video link here). 

I chose the poinsettia stamp from the advent calendar (day number 11). I colored with KingArt alcohol markers and fussy cut a bunch of them out. Next I took a piece of white cardstock cut to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and die cut with the scallops and rectangles nesting dies. I cut the outside and then a panel in the center. I took the same markers I used to color the flowers and created the pink top to add the flowers to. I failed to take a picture of that part! :/ Some washi or pink/mint take did the trick to make a line to color against. I added the flowers a few with liquid glue and two with foam adhesive.

The sentiment is stamped at the bottom with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne. Sentiment comes from the October 2024 KOM. Perfect size and font! I added more foam adhesive to the back of the center die cut panel and then some clear flat sequins for sparkle. I love using the tiny stamps! Give it a try! 

Don't forget to comment on all the days for a chance to be drawn as one of two winners of $20 store credit! Stay tuned for tomorrow! It's Unity Membership Makes day! Before you start on your Thanksgiving prep, stop here first! ;)

Welcome to my Week Growing in Unity!

 Hello friends! Welcome to my little corner of the blog-iverse! My name is Jenni Shamblin and I am the Growing in Unity Girl for this week! I have been crafting for just about as long as I can remember, so it is literally a part of me. It is my stress reliever and my safe space! I can pour myself into a project and shut out *some* of the stress if only for a little time!

I am a HUGE fan of the technique called "ink smooshing." The variety of backgrounds that can be created is endless! When I sat down to start working on my projects for the week, I just wanted to get inky! So that's what I did! I started with a couple pieces of watercolor paper that I cut to generally the size of an A2 card. I wanted to make  "winter" themed cards. I am working on broadening my card collection to include all those that celebrate during the holidays.....not just Christmas!

I grabbed some speckled egg, broken china and stormy sky distress oxides and literally smooshed each one, one at a time, onto an acrylic block then spritzed with water. I then took a piece of acetate and dabbed into the ink, then dabbed onto the panel. Over and over again until I liked the coverage. With the leftover ink on the block, I used the other watercolor paper and then a scrap of white cardstock to sop up what was left. I now have two additional backgrounds to use!

To that I then added the snowflakes from the September 2024 KOM {wander and wonder} using Versa Mark embossing ink and some silver embossing powder from Nuvo. The panel was all well and good, but just wasn't grabbing me....it needed something more. So I die cut it with one of the scallops and circles nesting dies. The white die cut panel with the washi tape was not used on a previous project and was perfect to go with this beautiful snowy piece!

I die cut the snowflake from some silver shimmer paper using a die set from Waffle Flower called Winter Crystal Die. I then glued everything together. The sentiment (also from the same KOM) was stamped with versamark ink and white embossing powder was used on it. I stapled it to the die cut piece with some blue staples. Used some foam adhesive on the entire piece and then added some flat clear sequins to give it some pop! This was 1000% influenced by Unity Design Team Member Tenia Nelson! I just love her style!

Thanks for visiting and be sure to comment for a chance to be one of two winners that will be randomly drawn at the end of my week. $20 Unity credit! Lots of great things to come!!

Life is Tough, but so are YOU!

 Hello friends! I was planning out another project and this stamp set had just been delivered…so I grabbed it and made it happen!

I just made a card very similar to this and I loved the tag and ribbons and torn edges so I recreated it! The brown background and the plaid torn piece are front and back of a sheet of patterned paper from My Minds Eye Good Day Sunshine (circa 2011)!!! As I was looking for paper for another project I started going through the older paper in the stash that has been neglected! I plan on using more of it from now on!! 

The brown piece and the Manila tag were both in a thank you gift from Unity Stamp Co.  I die cut the tag down a bit with the make a tag die set. I stamped this cute Highland Cow from the set called Little High Road in versa fine Clair nocturne. Colored with King Art alcohol markers. I added a few dots of white gel pen to his eyes. The sentiment was stamped onto a scrap from the tag I die cut and then cut into a circle. I distressed the edges with some vintage photo. I added some coordinating ribbon and fibers from my *ridiculously* large stash! I attached the tag and sentiment with foam adhesive. Enamel dots were added from Gina Marie Designs. 

 So freaking cute!!

~August 2024 Friends of Unity - Friendship~

Hello and welcome to the August 2024 Friends of Unity Blog Hop! This month's inspiration is about friendship. I have some amazing friends! I love to share cards with them!  

Of course I send/give them handmade birthday cards and Christmas cards, but sometimes you just need a "hey there friend" kind of card! An encouraging word from a friend will certainly make anyone smile!

I've got a couple to share with you this month!

This lovely card was inspired by a card created by Unity Design Team member April Sarandrea. If you are not a member of the Unity Stamp Co. Show & Tell Facebook group, you should be! The talent and inspiration (and encouragement and love) that comes from that group is amazing!

This stamp set is so gorgeous! It's called He Provides and comes with some amazing sentiments as well! I stamped the image onto regular white cardstock with some VersaFine Clair nocturne, then colored with alcohol markers. The coloring was inspired by another DT Member Bobbie Sue! Her watercoloring is superb! Although this isn't watercolored, I wanted to give it some shine and used some gold pigment ink from Delicata (it came in a kit). I smooshed it onto an acrylic block, added water and brushed it on top of the coloring I had done. After that dried...I took more of the gold ink smooshing and splattered some onto the image...then took some white pigment ink and some of the alcohol inks and did the same thing! I die cut the panel using the largest non-scalloped and rectangle nesting die. So I know you are thinking....that's not a rectangle! I moved the die over to cut the other edge! 

After that was cut I took some black printed cardstock and a scrap of pink and tore them to create the edge. Glued everything together and wrapped it with Burlap Twine! The sentiment is from the Kit of the Month from March 2024 called Love and Good Vibes. I attached a scrap if light pink and stapled them together with some rose gold staples! Clear dew drops were also added for some sparkle!

My next card is another simple and cute "hey there friend" kind of card!

 

This also has some torn edges! Seems to be my thing this month! LOL The stamp set is an itty bitty called Glad we're Friends. Started with a sheet of patterned paper, then I tore some cardstock strips and glued them all down. The largest scalloped and rectangle nesting die set is definitely my most used die set! I die cut the entire panel! I added some burlap twine under the tag. The tag was cut with the Unity Make a tag set. I colored with a little bit of watercolor and added a cute little paperclip to the edge! The sentiment and tag were added using foam adhesive. Some Gina Marie Design enamel dots to finish it off!

I can honestly say that my friends *love* a handmade card! One said to me the other day, when I had given her a birthday gift and a handmade card...."No one has ever given me something they made just for me!" <3 You just never know what people are going through or have on their minds...a sweet message of "hey I was thinking of you" could be all that it takes to make someone's day! Love your friends hard and keep them close! <3

That's it for me! Thanks for visiting! Be sure to let me know what you think! To start the hop at the beginning, Crystal is the one! If you are ready for the next inspiration, you can find it here with April!

Enjoy!!

Sketch 47 and Taylored Expressions

 Hello again! My latest card for {BYSHC} Sketch 47 is a sweet polar bear! Our sponsor this sketch is Taylored Expressions who is generously awarding a $25 gift certificate to the random winner at the end of the month!

This sweet friend is from a set called Fluffy Friends - Holiday. There is also a die set for this however my image was fussy cut! The blue patterned papers I used are from a pad from Photoplay called Gnome for the Holidays Christmas. I added a little bit of ink blending over a stencil behind this sweet bear for some interest! The sentiment is cut from a sentiment sheet from Unity Stamp Co. and the white enamel dots are from Gina Marie Designs!

Sketch 47 is below

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are inspired to give Sketch 47 a try! Be sure to join us next week for our Christmas in July 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party! Oodles of sponsors and exciting inspiration to be shared all week!

Welcome to the Spring Into Christmas 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party!

 Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Spring into Christmas 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party! Get ready for a week of fun and inspiration! At the end of the week....there will be prizes! Be sure to get your entries in before midnight on the 26th!

Now let's get started!

This card was created using the TOP Inky Inspiration Sketch #19 (picture below).  The background papers (snowy winter greetings), stamped image (KOM November 2023 {festive flair}) and circle die are all from Unity Stamp Co. I stamped the tree image using stormy sky distress oxide and embossing with clear embossing powder from Ranger. After melting the embossing powder I die cut the circle and distressed the edges with some walnut stain distress ink.  It needed something else, so I grabbed another image from the November 2023 KOM...the distressed plaid stamp. I used antique linen distress oxide and just sort of "pounced" it around a little. I then added some stardust stickles all over the trees to make them sparkle! The sentiment strip was a freebie from Unity Stamp Co., a cut apart sheet of sentiments. Mounted the circle and sentiment strip with some foam tape and added some blue enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs for interest.

The Tawny Owl Paperie (TOP) Inky Inspiration sketch #19 that I used:

The list of sponsors participating in the current Linky Party! These are some amazing prizes! Be sure to get your entry in before it closes!

Tawny Owl Paperie

Unity Stamp Co.

Twiddler's Nook

Therm O Web

Not 2 Shabby

Fresh and Renewed with Teresa

Pink & Main

Newton's Nook Designs

Angie Blom Digital Designs

Colorado Craft Company

RAM Stamps

Gina K. Designs

Taylored Expressions

Jaded Blossom

Gina Marie Designs

A Colorful Life Designs 

Lawn Fawn

Kat Scrappiness

Each sponsor has their own prize bundle! Could be a pack of their product or maybe a gift card or code to use in their shop! Any way is a good way! Good luck to all!!

Merry Christmas Shaker Card for {BYSHC} Sketch 43

 Sketch 43 will run through the end of March! Be sure to post your entry on the {BYSHC} Facebook page!

When I originally saw this sketch I thought "SHAKER CARD" but needed to make the time to get it done! The background papers are from Heidi Swapp, the stamped image (Ornamental greetings) and shaker dies (unfortunately no longer available) are from Unity Stamp Co. Measured and cut the papers according to the sketch, created the shaker and added some silver beads and the yellow stars pulled from the Twiddler's Nook pastel shooting stars confetti pack. White twine was purchased at the grocery store! LOL Yes it's simply bakers twine used for a turkey! LOL

Don't forget to mark your calendars to join us for the Spring into Christmas 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party which begins on the 19th of April and runs through the 26th. Lots of fun, inspiration and prizes to be had!! More details to come!

{BYSHC} and Sketch 42!

 {BYSHC} and Sketch 42 are coming into the final stretch for the month of February! That was fast! 

You know how some cards are just "meh" in your mind and you're just not sure if you actually like it or not?!? That was this one for me! LOL. 

I started with a white card base. I then added the turquoise background, then kraft to that. I followed the measurements on the sketch (below) and cut the fun colorful panels (paper from My Minds Eye Christmas Wish). The image is a digital image from Newton's Nook Designs...it happens to be one of their freebies! I had submitted this one for a color challenge a little while back on their blog! Colored with King Art alcohol markers and die cut with a postage stamp nesting die set from Unity Stamp Co.  Tied with some natural jute twine from May Art Ribbons and mounted with foam tape! Easy peasy! :)

They don't all have to be masterpieces or your "favorite" to be appreciated and loved by the recipient! <3

Also don't forget that each month our sketch's are sponsored by one of our amazing friends! For February it's Not-2-Shabby! Although this image isn't one of theirs, they do have a lot to choose from!! They have provided us with a discount code (see it below) and also an amazing prize package to be sent to the February winner!

Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge #216

 Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge is a challenge I try to do! I've recently just purchased a new-to-me set called Garden Mice and instead of only using the Llama (previously only set I owned) or a freebie....I have a new option!

Challenge #216 is a sketch! I have said it before....but I love a good sketch! This one sort of came to me during the middle of the night! LOL Does that happen to you too?!? I knew I wanted to use this mouse with the flower and then remembered some Unity Stamp Co. paper I have (Hello Daisy) that would go perfectly! Following the sketch I die cut the grey/daisy paper and the yellow gingham paper with Unity nesting die sets in both scallops and rectangles and scallops and banners.

I stamped the image onto white cardstock with versafine clair in nocturne and die cut with the coordinating die set. I colored with some kingart alcohol-based markers (neutral palette and floral palette) and then added some white gel pen accents. He was getting a little lost on the yellow gingham paper so I die cut a vellum circle (used Unity Stamp Co. scallops and circles nesting die set). I stamped the sentiment right on the vellum and then embossed with clear embossing powder....mostly because it was taking too long to dry and I'm somewhat impatient! LOL I added some gina marie enamel dots for a little accent!

so cute!! Wish me luck! ;)

{BYSHC} and Not 2 Shabby - Sketch #42

 Welcome back! {BYSHC} are still creating with sketch 42 throughout the month of February! The sponsor this month is Not-2-Shabby and this image is one that is so versatile! It's called Have a Cup of Cheer.

I printed the image onto white cardstock as well as the snowflake cardstock (Park Lane Nice List). I fussy cut the cup and then the snowflake strip in the center. It reminded me of the Starbucks "Red Cup!" The colored portion was colored with Tombow ABT Dual Brush Markers. I added a circle of vellum behind which was die cut with the scallops and circles nesting dies from Unity Stamp Co. I added some red stickles glitter glue to the sprinkles on top of the whip! The red glitter enamel dots are from Gina Marie Designs. The white wooden snowflake came as a freebie from Unity with an order!

Be sure to join in the fun! Not-2-Shabby is sponsoring this month's challenge with a Christmas Prize package!!

And has graciously provided us with a coupon code!

Pictured are some of the supplies that I have used for this card!!

Tombow Dual Brush Pens

ATG

Best fussy cutting scissors!

Gina Marie Designs Enamel Dots

Liquid Glue

Unity Scallops and Circles nesting die set

Inspired by Challenge (#IB275) and Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #26 - Second Entry!

I am once again throwing my hat into the ring for the Inspired by Challenge (#IB275) Pink Hot Chocolate and also into the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #26 the theme is hearts! Pink, hearts and the Inspired by sketch!

I chose a stamp from Unity Stamp Co. called Joy, Peace & Comfort Mug. As you'll see (stamp set pictured below), I paper pieced the entire mug and then used some foam tape to pop it up!! The pink snowflake paper and the maroon strip on the sentiment are from My Minds Eye Christmas Wish. The black and grey stripe is from my scrap stash. The heart paper is also from Unity Stamp Co. The sentiment is from Unity as well (KOM 9/2015). Iridescent ribbon, wood heart shape, enamel dots, staples all from different places!

Additional supplies used to create this card!

ATG

Did lots of fussy cutting on this one! These scissors are the best!

Not the exact ones used on my card, but same manufacturer!

Foam tape

Joy, peace and comfort mug

liquid glue

KingArt alcohol markers (used 

201, 202 and 216 from Color kit called Neutral Palette)

VersaFine Clair Nocturne

Fiskars Paper Trimmer