Lucky!

 I do not typically make St. Patrick's Day cards....but with the Saturday at the Market event coming up this weekend, I thought I should have a couple on hand just in case! I did a quick Pinterest search and found this amazing background idea! 

I guessed on the supplies used and went with what I had and I absolutely love the two backgrounds I created!! This card was made with the lighter of the two.

Stencil from Tim Holtz (harlequin THS016), Distress oxide in cracked pistachio and lucky clover were used. I inked the stencil, spritzed with water, then pressed it down onto the 110# cardstock. Spritzed some leftover distress oxide on to that, then added some Distress Mica Spray in Antique Bronze, and Distress spray stain in Vintage Photo. I ink blended over the edges after distressing with a distressing tool.  The black border line is hand drawn. The stamp set is here.

I then went digging for a "match" of a background paper color. Cut it and distressed the edges on it as well. I found in the scrap pile some paper I tore to reveal the white edges. I created the bronze looking one myself by spraying the mica spray on a scrap piece of paper. Some brown twine (jillibeansoup) and transparent enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs to finish it off!

close up of the background!

~ February 2025 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Monochromatic

 

monochromatic [mon-uk-kroh-mat-ik] (adjective): of or having one color. relating to, or having tones of one color in addition to the ground hue.

Hello friends and welcome to February! This month, the Friends of Unity are creating in monochromatic tones!  Similar shades and tones of the same color families. 

When I started this card I was thinking yellows, but as it turned out it's more of a tan/off white shading. I tore the background papers (the scripty one is from Antique Annotations May 2024 Whit Kit). Next I stamped "Cast All Your Cares" with black versafine clair nocturne onto a piece of white cardstock. Probably should have used thicker cardstock, with all the water coloring and ink smooshing it was pretty warped! I used Tim Holtz distress watercolor pencils (mustard seed) for the yellowing on the flower. It didn't seem enough so I grabbed some Nuvo Hybrid ink (rubber duck) and ink smooshed it around. I distressed edges on all the pieces with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide. I die cut the image with the make a tag die set.  Finished with some seam binding (ivory) from My Scrap Cabin Shop, some burlap twine from May Arts and some clear flat sequins. 

After all the watercolor and ink smooshing was dry I did splatter on some gold and white inks!! 

After several more attempts for "monochromatic" they just didn't seem enough monochromatic! Too many other colors. Then it clicked! :) Don't get me wrong....I made a bunch of really nice things, but just not the RIGHT things! LOL

I grabbed two gina k designs ink cubes that coordinate...innocent pink and dusty rose. Then I needed a floral...(now retired) insightful meadows. Stamped in the dusty rose, moved the paper over, then stamped with innocent pink and repeat! Using the MISTI it was easy to just move the paper over, rather than try to get the stamp in the exact same position as before! I then went back and did the second stamping of both for some shadowing. (Second stamping means that I stamped it once, then the second time with just the ink left on the stamp...no re-inking.) The pink stripe paper is dated 2016! Somehow it was "on top" of a stack of papers and matched perfectly! Die cut the floral panel with the scallops and rectangles nesting dies. What do you do if you can't find exactly the color you need?? You make it yourself! This tag was white (and bigger). I dragged the dusty rose ink cube over it until fully covered, die cut with the make a tag die set and tied on some baby pink crinkle seam binding.

I die cut the circle (scallops and circles nesting dies) after I printed the sentiment from the computer. I used the "inking-the-inside-of-the-die" technique on this one in the innocent pink. The rose chipboard embellishment has been hanging around for ages! When it works it works!

I felt like I was on a roll, so I tried another! My daughter is a senior this year.....I'm going to be needing A LOT of graduation cards!

This one started with the blue check paper, next I created a background using the graduation cap stamp from snarky graduation. I stamped it all over in stormy sky distress oxide. It was the second generation stamping so it was a little bit lighter. Then I die cut with the scallops and rectangle nesting dies. Graduation gnome is one of my favorite graduation sets! He's just so cute! I stamped onto white cardstock with versafine clair nocturne, then watercolored using the stormy sky distress oxide, gina k innocent pink and some water based Tombow ABT markers. 

I see more of these gnome cards getting made in my future! In all the colors! :)

Give the monochromatic theme a try! It's definitely not as easy as I expected it to be at first! But once I got the hang of it, I want to keep making more! 

If you'd like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, check out Crystal's blog. If you are ready to move on, then April is next up!

Thanks for visiting! Please leave me some love! :) <3

Inky Paws Challenge #232 - Cozy Fall!

 I struggle with fall cards...."fall" in Florida is basically the same as summer! Also, I don't typically send fall-ish cards! Soooooo, BIRTHDAY CARDS it is!

I created the plaid background based on the inspiration photo. Evergreen bough, festive berries, scattered straw and tea dye are the colors I used. I blended over a plaid builder stencil by Unity Stamp Co. Then I splattered some watered down white acrylic paint and some distress stain in vintage photo.  I die cut the panels with a Tim Holtz nesting die set called Stacked Deckle. Then I ink blended around the edges with more vintage photo and arranged them as I thought would look best. On to this cuuuuute mouse!! This little guy is from Newton's Nook Designs set called Garden Mice. Colored with some kingart alcohol markers and then used the matching die set to cut him out. The sentiment is from an older NND set called Simply Sentimental (sorry, it's no longer available). Stamped onto kraft with versamark and white embossing powder then tore the ends. Added some enamel dots, a cute little paperclip and a couple little accent flags for extra detail! Hope you like this one! It took awhile for me to figure out what to do! LOLOL

XOXO!

Another challenge completed for Inspired By Challenges. This week the inspiration is XOXO! 

I recently purchased secondhand some Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Alphanumeric dies and my thoughts immediately went to the die cuts in the picture!

My daughter is a competitive dancer....this weekend is our annual "competition showcase" where the team shows all of the competition dances for the first time. Our studio has a "big/little sister" program as well where they pair up an older girl with a younger or new-to-the-studio girl and they support and cheer each other throughout the season. I have created these little 3" x 3" cards to be given with the gifts that will be given throughout the season.

Started with some pink cardstock for the card bases. Next I dug through some scraps to find the different accent papers. Die cut with some dies from Unity Stamp Co. (hearts are apparently no longer available but the postage stamp dies are!) I die cut the letters from white cardstock. When cut the letters have a white border around the letters so I utilized all the pieces! For some I used the outline, for some I used the inside and for one I used both (after I ink blended over the white letters). Extra add ons are pink heart gems (Joanns), "xoxo" wood accent (in a Unity kit), Unity cut apart sentiment strips, and one stamped sentiment from Hero Arts.  Super simple, super cute and perfect to tuck into a gift or lunchbox or briefcase (for hubby)!!

More supplies listed below! I had fun with these! Thanks for the inspiration!

Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Bulletin

ATG Tape glider

blender brushes

liquid glue

VersaFine Clair Nocturne

Tape refills

Fiskars Trimmer

Unity Stamp Co.

{BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays 2023 Linky Party

 Welcome back! The {BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays 2023 Linky Party continues!

Another background that just wasn't the right color green and more reindeer! But I've added another element on top of the floral background.....a grid background stamp!

Started with a white card base then a plain white piece of cardstock was stamped with the Unity Stamp Co. background stamp called Tuscan Tile using Distress ink in Shabby shutters. I then stamped onto it a background called off the grid using distress oxides in antique linen and vintage photo. I die cut that panel along with a piece of brown cardstock using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz dies called Stacked Deckle. The green panel behind was distressed along the edge and then inked to show the distressing. The reindeer were stamped onto white with black and I thought it was a little too stark so I ink blended over them with vintage photo to darken them up a bit. I added some red twine and brads to finish it off. 

If we have learned anything.....if it doesn't work right now, save it because it will work for something else! :)

The party link will end on the 27th at midnight! 

Inky Paws #199 Color Challenge!

 Newton's Nook Designs Inky Paws Challenge this time around is rainbow! My favorite! First up is MORE LLAMA! It's really a good thing that I love this guy!! Still not bored with this cutie yet! LOL

Started with a piece of white cardstock. I taped an Overlapping Circles stencil from The Rabbit Hole Designs. I used the leftover ink from my blending brushes to create the rainbow effect! No extra ink was needed! Stamped and die cut the Llama Delivery set from Newton's Nook Designs and colored with my Tombow ABT markers. I loved the way that Tatiana colored hers with dots along the edge for a subtle coloring technique.....I will definitely be using it again! I die cut a vellum circle using Unity Stamp Co. Scallops and circles nesting dies. The sentiment is also from Unity Stamp Co. from a set called Gotta Love Sentiments.

Thanks for visiting! Leave me some love so that I know you were here! :)

Creative Scrapbooker Magazine Published!

 Literally never thought it would happen once, but now it's happened again! I have cards published in the Summer 2023 issue of Creative Scrapbooker Magazine! I am beyond excited and honored! What an amazing feeling! 

There they are.....right at the top of page 50!! Such a fun technique! Ink blended over a stencil, then without cleaning, added the glitter paste. It blended the leftover ink on the stencil and created this beautiful smooth rainbow! The brighter one was a little more challenging.....I had to tape off each color as I ink blended...but then smoothed on the glitter paste and it all evened out!

WOWOWOW! I'm blown away!!