Growing in Unity Day 4!

 The week of fun for me is quickly coming to a close! Day 4 of my {Growing in Unity} week is here! If you'd like to go back, links are here! Day 1, day 2 and day 3.

Birthday cards were on my mind today! I hope I'm not the only one that does this....but I stamp the image and think "nah, needs to be on white," "nope, let me watercolor that," "hmmmm maybe black on kraft is the answer." Then you end up stamping the image over and over and over! Well that happened to me with this image from the Kit of the Month 2/23 {happy soul}.

Started first with black on kraft. I wasn't super happy with that. Next was.....

Jolande's technique! I have watercolor pencils (from a Whit Kit a while back), that I did her technique (as best I could). But it still didn't really seem like "me," ya know?!?

Next I tried coloring with some alcohol markers that I found at Ross (not copics, or any other brand name I can think of)! 

After the alcohol markers I came back to the black on kraft and colored in the flowers with a white colored pencil (crayola if you can believe it)! Pretty sure it was a leftover from the kids school supplies! LOL

Closer look at the watercolor.

All the stamped images do not go to waste! I have one more image that needs to get used, but maybe not this time! :) All in all....see where your creativity takes you! In this case it took me in three completely different directions! Same floral stamp.....three different outcomes!

As I linked above, the floral is from the 2/23 KOM. The birthday sentiments are from gotta love sentiments, extended celebration and aging gorgeously.  I used the scallops and rectangle nesting dies, some foam adhesive along with some burlap and white twine and Gina Marie Designs enamel dots!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for day 5! It's been a great week!!

(products used....links above)

Growing in Unity - Day 3!

 Hello there and happy "hump-day!" My week as the Growing in Unity Girl is already half over....boy that was fast! Day 1 post here, and day 2 post here!

If you follow along with all things Unity....you know it's Unity Membership Makes Wednesday! 

Today my card(s) feature one of the larger stamps in the Kit of the Month. This happens to come from KOM May 2022 {one friend}. Sentiments are all from
Unity Sentiment Kit May 2022 ...extended celebration.

It's a set of 4 gender neutral birthday cards. There is something about white on kraft that just makes me happy!

Kraft cardstock is from Unity, along with all the stamps used. White pigment ink and white fine detail embossing powder are both from gina k. designs. Sentiments were stamped onto vellum in VersaFine Clair Nocturne and then embossed with clear embossing powder and die cut with a banner nesting die set that was in a Unity Whit Kit. Spiegelmom Scraps Frolic Along sequins, Pink Fresh Studio Jewels mix...espresso color.

Here's a closer look at each one.

Don't forget to keep following along and comment! 

A gift card could be coming your way! :)

Growing in Unity - Day 2!

 Hello and welcome back for day 2 of my Growing in Unity week! If you missed day one....you can find it here!

I am a big proponent of Thank you cards! If someone takes the time to send you a gift or do something nice for you or provides you with excellent service or ANYTHING, the least you could do is let them know how you feel about it and that you appreciate them thinking of you! Today's post is about saying thank you!

I love the simplicity but the elegance of this snowflake in this Sentiment Kit from October 2020 by Unity Stamp Co. called Heart of Christmas. It also comes with a die set that coordinates with the large words, but this "thanks" is not available any longer. I stamped the heart of snowflakes onto cardstock with distress oxide in stormy sky and embossed with clear embossing powder. I then die cut the panel with the large rectangle from Scallops and Rectangle nesting dies (from Unity). Stuck it to a white cardbase, die cut the word and then attached it to that panel using a glue pen! After all that was said and done....I thought it may need something more.

This is the original card.....embossed stamped image and die cut word.

Then I added a few rhinestones....

Then a few more......

Then I tried pearls (gina marie designs)! I love them all!

This card design/idea came about because my sister-in-law asked for thank you cards that were "not Christmasy, but wintery"! They don't have to be difficult or fancy or hard! They just need to be addressed and mailed! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! This simple but elegant card will be much appreciated by the recipient!

Don't forget to comment each day to be eligible for the random drawing of two Unity Stamp Co. store credits!! It could be you!

Growing in Unity Week!!

 I am so excited to be the Unity Growing in Unity girl this week!! It's been a busy busy year and this week is probably the busiest! Last minute things, dance winter performance, college student coming home for winter break, high schooler getting ready for semester exams, Christmas projects need to be finished! Panic in full swing! LOL 

With that being said, most of us (hopefully) have all the Christmas cards and holiday craft projects either finished or in the final stages ready to be given! Once that's done and out of the way, my mind immediately turns to Birthday (Mom's birthday is January 14th, BFF birthday is January 8th) so there is little time to rest, not to mention the thank you cards! 

Today's post is all about the birthdays!! I occasionally make backgrounds for no specific purpose! Either to clean my brushes or to try a technique I've seen or to use up scraps! Let's make some Birthday cards!

I think I may have made this background in July after seeing Crystal's Technique Tuesday post about using two different background stamps together and lots of colors. This is the Wings and Petals Ledger background stamp from Unity using multiple colors kind of dabbed around the stamp randomly. Along with the Background of the Month from 12/22 called Criss Cross Grunge. I used the Scallops and Rectangle Nesting Dies to cut the main panel, then used the smaller two to cut the center out and then a piece of kraft (also from Unity). That panel was attached using foam tape! The sentiment is from ...extended celebration which is a sentiment kit from May 2022.  Jute twine is from may arts ribbon and the natural bakers twine is from BellaCreationz. Pearls are from Gina Marie Designs and the chipboard butterfly has been in my stash for quite a while! It's from UmWOWStudio.

Please don't forget to comment! At the end of my week, I will chose two commenters at random to receive a Unity store credit!

Pictures of what I used, but links are listed above! :)

We are in the home stretch! Sketch 40!

 And just like that it's December! If you have been following {BYSHC} all year long with our sketches, your Christmas card stash should be overflowing with goodness!!! This is the last sketch of the year!! All entries are due by December 31! Use it to either finish the cards that are going out this year, or to get a jump start on next year!

This digital image and papers are from Rachel Ann Miller (RAM) Stamps. RAM  Stamps is a sponsor of our linky parties! I received an email about a sale, went to the website and well here we are!! :) I purchased this cute "woodland snowman." The paper pack I purchased is called "snowy Christmas." I'm familiar with digital stamps, but this is a first with the digital paper pack!!  I started with a white cardbase, to that I added a piece of kraft cardstock (from Unity). I printed the image onto cardstock and colored with Tombow ABT Markers. The clouds were created using a cloud stencil from Unity and some distress ink blended over it. I then die cut it and another panel of kraft using the scallops and rectangle nesting dies from Unity. I turned the sketch on it's side to accommodate the image! Cut the two pieces of patterned paper to the measurements listed and then tied some white bakers twine around into a bow. I mounted the image over the twine using foam tape.  The sentiment was stamped directly to the patterned paper and is from Unity (small stuff Christmas). The enamel dots added are from Gina Marie Designs!

I love how sweet this turned out! Be sure to check out all the sponsors and my links for more information!

10% off at RAM Stamps with my code: GETCARDEDBYJENNI

 

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #39

 We are in the home stretch! {BYSHC} has filled my card bin to the point of overflowing!

November started with Sketch 39 (it's at the very bottom!)

This sketch was a little bit of a challenge for me, but I did the best that I could figure out! LOL It's more about making the card, than making sure the sketch measurements are exact! ;)

This double sided piece of patterned cardstock was just sitting there and happened to be approximately the right size for an A2 card! I had previously cut a "template" from another piece of patterned paper that I couldn't find a center piece that looked good, so it became the template! LOL But my cuts were crooked and not completely straight, so I cut two strips of red to go over the seams! Worked perfectly! The die and holly are both from Unity Stamp Co.  The holly are from the 2022 Advent Calendar (2023 is about to start!) and the die is called Greetings of the Season.

Love it now that it's finished! LOL

Don't let the exact measurements scare you! It's two cuts or two strips of paper over the top! Easy peasy!

Creative Scrapbooker Magazine - Winter 23/24!

 I did it again! :) I still get excited and all giggly everytime this happens! LOL Creative Scrapbooker Magazine Winter 23/24 issue just arrived today in my mailbox and even though I knew they would be in there.....I'm always excited to get the magazine and flip through to find them! :)

My cards are on three different pages! Here is the first card I found:

and the next:

and the last one!

I posted these everywhere.......of course! LOL Then this happened! 

Do you see who that top left?!?! Unity Stamp Co. shared my card! I'm over here fangirling all over the place! LOL 

So stay tuned because I will do it again! Just a matter of time! ;)