Happy New Year!! {BYSHC} Sketch #53

 Happy New Year! My first card for 2025! Let the stash begin! :) {BYSHC} Sketch Challenges and Linky Parties allowed me to have not only enough cards, but some extra as well! No mad rush to create at the last minute to have enough! I am so thankful!! 

My card today features a leftover plaid background creation (I used the plaid builder stencils from Unity Stamp Co.) in blue, green and yellow with a white background. I backed it with some gold foil paper. I die cut the plaid panel with the Unity Stamp Co. scallops and rectangles nesting dies. The white triangle at the bottom was freehand cut. I added the gold paper along the edge, added it to the panel and then cut after the fact. No exact measurements on that one! The tag image is from Unity as well, ...snow buddies. I stamped onto a "freebie" tag, masked the right hand side of the stamp image as it wasn't going to fit, but I wanted to keep the tiny snowman! Colored with Tombow ABT markers. Added some ribbon and twine from my stash. The wood snowflake was also a "freebie" from Unity! The sentiment was left over from some cardmaking. I save everything! LOL

Thanks for stopping by, I would love to see your comments! Be sure to follow {BYSHC} on Facebook to see more sketches and inspiration!

Inspired By...tea time #IB317

 Every once in a while I remember some challenges that I've done and go back and re-visit the blog! This is one of those! Inspired by.... 

I started with the inspiration picture below. What I see is the warmth, blues, winter, tea pot. I was also inspired by the sketch! I had this background made already, shades of blue ink smooshing that I embossed with a quilted embossing folder. The focal image is from Angie Blom Digital Designs, called Joy Mugs. This particular digital set comes with so many mugs and sentiments! I picked this cute snowman cup and colored him in shades of blue. I die cut with one of the scallops and rectangle nesting dies from Unity Stamp Co. The die is actually not this long, but I positioned it to make it longer! Colored with KingArt Alcohol Markers, I then added the blue tabs to go with the sketch, foam adhesive and some clear flat sequins for some sparkle.

I love a good challenge and sketch! :)

~ January 2025 Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ Use Old Stuff!

Happy New Year Friends! First Friends of Unity Blog Hop of the new year and it happens to be to use old stuff from your stash! For anyone who has crafted for any length of time, I'm sure you have some stuff in your stash that's been hanging around for a while! I have paper packs from 2005! Not Unity, but still!! 

I chose to use a sketch that I saved way back in 2014, My Favorite Things Sketch #180 (MFTWSC180 Sketch). MFT doesn't do sketch challenges any longer, but being a big fan of sketches, I was saving these left and right! I grabbed an "old" Unity Set called ...wonderful & simple things, Sentiment Kit from September 2020. I got this set because of Lisa Arana's November 2020 blog post showcasing this set by making 5 different cards. I just loved how they looked so elegant.

Since we're using old stuff, I grabbed a paper pack from the August 2022 Whit Kit called Grow Untamed. It appears that this pack is not currently available, but I have hardly used mine! I used the scallops & rectangles, scallops & squares and scallops & banners nesting die sets. What else says "old stuff" but brads! Grabbed a couple brads from my endless stash to add to the corner of the piece! A little distressing with Vintage Photo, some ivory ribbon and some foam adhesive to finish it off!

(sketch for reference)

Next, because I have sooooooo many old things, I thought why not do another (or three) for a little extra fun!

Tawny Owl Papiere (Crystal Minkler's inspiration page) started sketches in 2022, I chose to use Sketch #1 posted May 2022 for my next card.

I used an older background stamp, topography (2021) over some ink smooshing. I used weathered wood, broken china, faded jeans and salvaged patina. I stamped the background in Versafine Clair in Nocturne. Then I ink blended around the edges to soften. Next I picked one of the first stamps I purchased, somethin is fishy. My husband is a fisherman and works in the fishing industry...this stamp was practically a necessity! LOL Not sure the date on this one, but there is a review from 2020. I stamped it with the same versafine clair, and embossed with clear embossing powder. Ink blended around to soften the edges again and finished it off with some natural burlap twine and blue enamel dots.

Thanks to a comment from Amber, I dug through my stash of patterned papers that I have had (and honestly not even looked at) for quite a while! In the first drawer I found this piece of patterned paper from 2003!! The "denim" paper came from a pack of Authentique from 2012! Whew....that's some OLD paper! 

Red bandana and denim together is a great combo!

Holy moley he's cute! Stamped this sweet guy (...thinking of moo UU 12/24) onto white cardstock. Die cut with the make a tag nesting die set. Colored with some kingart alcohol markers. Found a sketch from probably 2012-2013-ish (MFTWSC161).

Added some foam tape and some brads!

Felt the need to make one more! I had stamped the little high road when I stamped the above one so couldn't just leave this sweet baby to wait! Same red bandana/paisley paper, just made a little "lighter."

I layered a torn piece of the red bandana paper and a piece of black cardstock. I added some washi tape and some staples. I colored the image with some colored pencils. The first attempt was with alcohol markers but because of the "kraft" color, the markers didn't show as well. I added some flower eyelets that I've had forever and some ribbon and twine to the tag. Popped up with foam adhesive! 

This was soooooo fun!! I need to get back into the paper drawers and see what other treasures await! I could have made so many more with the old papers I have! Give those old crafty things some love! You have them in your stash for a reason! Create something today!

Thank you for visiting me and I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me some love! If you'd like to start the hop at the beginning, you'll need to visit Crystal. If you are ready to move on to the next in line, please visit my friend Joyce!    

Refuge

 I was needing some creative time….it eases my mind and helps relieve my stresses. What a perfect stamp to do that!! 

This stamp is from Unity Stamp Co., part of their {itty bitty} collection. It’s called Refuge. Creating is a stress reliever for me. The New Year should bring calm but sometimes it’s just the beginning of a year of change. My youngest will be graduating from high school in May and then possibly off to college. My oldest is getting ready to move out on his own. While it should be a time of excitement and joy I’m feeling anxious. 

I had created this ink smooshed manilla tag some time ago but it was a large tag, I wanted to make it smaller. I found a card in the Unity site made by Lisa Arana and created something similar! My background paper is from a pad I picked up at Joann's made by Craft Smith. The ink smooshed piece and the brown panel behind are cut using the smallest scalloped rectangle from the nesting die set and then I cut the corners off to make a tag. I die cut the focal piece with the postage stamp nesting dies. Then stamped the image with versafine clair in nocturne. I ink blended around all the panels with vintage photo. Then I watercolored the feather with some watered down distress oxides in crackling campfire, lumberjack plaid and shaded with stormy sky. Next I took the leftover ink from coloring and splattered it on the piece. To the tag I splattered some distress mica spray in antique bronze. The ribbon was wrapped around a gift box we received (I keep everything!) Enamel dots from GinaMarie Designs and twine from MayArtsRibbon.

Lisa's card for reference.

This may just sit on my desk for a while to remind me that God is in control! <3 Thanks for looking and letting me ramble on! :) Until next time! 

2024 Comes to an End! {BYSHC} Sketch 52

 Happy last post of 2024!! {BYSHC} Sketch 52 runs through next Tuesday, so get your cards in to have a chance to win a $25 Gina K. Designs gift card! I love Gina K. Designs!!

I turned the sketch on it's side to make this sweet card! The trees and sentiment are from the Uniquely Unity set called ...simply holiday deer. The background kraft paper and the patterned paper are also from Unity. The patterned papers are from The North Pole Collection. I stamped the skinny tree twice onto watercolor paper, then colored in slightly with a Tombow ABT marker. The sentiment was stamped with versafine clair in nocturne, then fussy cut out with Cutter bee scissors, into individual lines to accommodate the die cut (scallops and circles nesting dies) vellum circle. White enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs to finish it off! 

After all was assembled, I added some star dust stickles to the trees. I thought they needed a little "umph!"

Because of the multiple sketches throughout the year as well as the Linky Parties....I not only had enough cards and didn't need to panic and make more, but I also was able to sell some as well and have some left over! Start your new year off right and come back January 1st for a new year of sketches! Sketch 53 is loading! :)

Until then, hope you and your families have a happy and safe new year! See you in January! :)

~ 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!

{BYSHC} Sketch 52!

Hello friends! Welcome to December! It's either crunch time, or because you've followed along this year, you are feeling no stress because your stash is FULL of cards to mail! :)

If you are still working on getting some cards finished, this sketch is great! 

While the sketch appears to be for a "slimline" card, I don't typically make that shape, so I adjusted it to make an A2 card! Sketches are meant to inspire, not require (stole this line from our fearless leader, Crystal)! The patterned papers happen to all be from Carta Bella Home For Christmas paper pad. Since the measurements on the sketch are for slimline, I had to adjust. I just eyeballed it!  The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Co. Kit of the Month (September 2015) called Our Hearts to Yours. The wreath is from the 2020 Advent Calendar, was colored and die cut, then mounted with foam adhesive! I also added some white enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

 

Gina K Designs is the sponsor this month and is providing the prize! Be sure to play along and have a chance to win at the end of the month!