Growing in Unity Blog Hop!

I am running late today (had some family stuff come up), but here's my post for the Growing in Unity blog hop!!! I had an awesome being being your GIU gal a couple of weeks ago, and I have another project using a Unity stamp for you today!

I loooove this card!!! Most people who know me know I have a large affinity for black & white, and polka dots. (I have 8 different black & white dresses, and three of them are polka dots!) On top of that, I love accenting black & white with a bold pop of red, so this card is really an homage to how I dress, haha! I used the Bright, Happy You sentiment kit from Unity Stamp Co; I used this kit during my GIU week, and I just adore it so much. It's a MUST HAVE!!!

For this GIU blog hop, you have a chance to win one of two stamp grab bags from Unity--rad! I myself have won in the past, and there's always some awesome goodies to be had from Unity, so make sure you're commenting all along the way to increase your chances. Here is the blog hop order in case you've gotten lost. Thanks for stopping by, and make sure you visit all these wonderful ladies' blogs and comment for your chance to win! Happy Sunday!

Mandi - http://faithhopecrafts.blogspot.com/

Wynne - www.cropsscissorspaper.blogspot.com

Kim -  http://craftisanstudios.com/

Christina - http://christinascreations1.blogspot.com/

Paula - http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://royalpumpkinart.blogspot.com/

Dawn - http://fromtwinsburgwithlove.blogspot.com/

Beth - http://nursiebethsbeauties.blogspot.com/

Laura - http://sandytozartdesign.blogspot.com/

GUI winners!!!

Good morning and happy Friday! I know this announcement is delayed, I've had a VERY busy week at work and school, but better late than never, right? The two winners of fabulous random stamp grab bags from Unity Stamp Co for my Growing In Unity week are...

Nancy Schueneman

and

Gina Furman

Congratulations, ladies! I'll need your mailing info to hand over to Unity to get your prizes sent out. If you have Facebook, you can head over to my Facebook fan page and send me a message.

For those who didn't win this time, I will be giving away some Unity duplicates I have in my collection in the next few weeks, so make sure you subscribe to this blog or like my Facebook fan page for updates! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Growing in Unity: Day Four!

This week is really just flying by, isn't it? It always seems to when I get to do something as fun and creative as being a GIU gal for a week! Today is another card with a vintage feel to it. To be honest, it's my least favorite card I made this week, BUT I still really like it and can't wait to give it to my mother for this upcoming Mother's Day...

What do you all think? I've had that white wooden distress heart for literally over a year waiting for a moment to use it, and I really liked it on here for extra dimension and texture. Again, vintage is out of my wheelhouse, but I do like to try to push my creative limits sometimes. I used a sentiment from Botanical Bliss, the March 2014 Kit of the Month.

Reminders that I will be doing a giveaway on my Facebook page some time in the month of March, and that every comment you leave on my GIU posts this week earns you a chance to win one of two random stamp grab bags from the fabulous Unity Stamp Co! Rad! :)

Hope y'all have a wonderful Thursday!

Growing in Unity: Day Three!

Hurray, it's Wednesday! Halfway to the weekend, I like to think. :) Can't believe the week is already half over, and it's already day three of my GIU week! (GIU weeks are so fun, they just seem to fly by.) While I'm usually a somewhat modern, almost always CAS card maker, today I made you something a little different, and I really love how it came out...

I'm a lover of all things shabby chic when it comes to home decor and the like, and this card definitely falls under the "shabby chic" umbrella! I used the Bright, Happy You sentiment kit from Unity Stamp Co, one of my all-time favorite sets from Unity! The fonts are just gorgeous, and the sentiments are great for a ton of occasions. This was my first time using this particular sentiment, and I can't wait to mail this gorgeous card out to someone to brighten their day. :)

Another reminder that I'll be doing a giveaway in March of some duplicate Unity stamps I have (some stamps are so good, I had to buy them twice, haha!) over on my Facebook page, so make sure you "like" it and keep an eye on my page for a giveaway announcement.

Also, make sure to leave a comment on each of my GIU posts this week for your chance at winning a random stamp grab bag from Unity--how awesome is that??

That's it for me today; hope y'all have a rad day!

Growing in Unity: Day Two!

Hello and happy Tuesday! It's the second day of the week, and that means a second project featuring Unity Stamps! I did another card for a friend for today...

Simple, but sweet! I used Gina and Me from Unity Stamp Co, and the paper is from an older Anna Griffin collection. I admit I'm not the best at coloring, so I love doing light colored pencil coloring for the gorgeous stamps Angie Blom creates! This stamp reminds me so much of a friend and I!

Definitely a short and sweet post for today! Don't forget to comment every day this week for your chance to win one of two random grab bags from Unity! Have a wonderful day! :)

Growing in Unity: Day One!

Good morning all! My name is Christina and I'm your GIU gal for this week! This is my second time doing GIU, and I'm so excited to show you all some of my creations again this week!

For my first day, I made a simple little CAS card for a good friend of mine, whom my life just wouldn't be the same without! It's such a cute sentiment...

Honestly, this might be my favorite project of the week, and it's only Monday, haha! I absolutely love this stamp, Suck Without You, an Itty Bitty from Unity. I've had this stamp for probably a year and this is my first time using it. I know--shame on me! I couldn't wait anymore, and I'll definitely be using it more often now that I've cracked it open. :)

Every comment you leave on my GIU posts this week is a chance to win a grab bag of 25 random stamps from Unity! There will be two winners, so make sure you come back every day this week to comment for your chance to win!

If you're not already a fan, visit my Facebook page; I've got a few Unity duplicates in my collection that need a new home, so I'll be doing a giveaway in March! Give my page a like, and be on the lookout for a giveaway update in the next couple of weeks!

That's it for me for today; see y'all tomorrow!

You and Me

Howdy again! I'm back with another creation helped along by this last week's Mojo Monday sketch. I'm really into a groove lately with my cardmaking and I LOVE this week's creation. Here's the Mojo Monday sketch #381; I really like this one...

I usually stay really true to sketches, but I changed this one up a little and I loveloveLOVE how it came out. It's very ME! Take a look...

Cute, right?! That rad stamp is from Unity Stamp Co; it's called You Do This and trust me, you need this stamp set in your collection! I am loving big and bold stamps lately. The patterned paper is from the Stampin Up! Stacked With Love DSP stack, new for Valentine's Day--when I saw this DSP stack, I knew I had to have it! The slightly patterned black paper is from ADORNit's Blender Basics, the red bubbles are Queen & Co and the red glitter strip is some old ribbon from Michael's, doubled up and run through my Xyron. I love how everything came together!

That's it for this week; thanks for stopping by and leaving me some love! ;)

love

Three weeks in a row--I'm on a roll! Mojo Monday's sketches are really keeping me up on being creative, I love it. This week I made my first Valentine's card of the season! Check out the sketch...

Here's what I came up with...

I had fun with this one! I found this "Love is kind" Bible quote stamp and knew I had to make a Valentine's Day card for my mother. I used a stamp from Unity Stamp Co's December 2013 Kit of the Month: Happy Love Day and distress the inks with Tattered Rose. The patterned papers are from Echo Park's Head Over Heels pack. I embossed all those fun hearts using Cuttlebug's Cross My Heart embossing folder + border and topped it off with a few bubbles from Queen & Co.

I loved the stamp, but felt it needed some more sparkle. I went over the big "love" part of the stamped image with my Martha Stewart ballpoint-tip glue pen and sprinkled on some red glitter. Here's a close-up, but pictures don't do it justice!

This was such an easy card to create, but I love all the layers and slightly "alternative" colors for a Valentine's Day. Fun stuff! Thanks for stopping by and come back soon! :)

So Thankful

I should really be cleaning up right now since classes start tomorrow (yay!) and I still have Christmas decorations up (whoops), but I had to stop and post this card I made for this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge! I really love the sketches they make; they get my creative juices flowing when I'm in the kind of rut that's hit me lately. Here's this week's sketch...

Cute, right? It's simple, but enough to give me a little creative shove. Here's my take on it...

I love this color combo! The papers are all from Stampin' Up!; I used Coastal Cabana for my base and the layer backings and that pretty stripey paper is from the Sweet Sorbet DSP pack (from last year's Sale-a-bration). That cute little stamp is from Unity Stamp Co March 2014 Kit of the Month: The Reason Someone Smiles. I colored it in with my SU! 2013-2015 In Color markers and topped everything off with some pretty stitched ribbon I snagged at the Dollar Spot at Target.

Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by; I'll be updating a lot more often now that the holidays are over and I'll need craft therapy with school back in session. See you later!

You mean the world to me...

Hello and happy new year, y'all! It's been a while, but I'm back! I went through a bad personal crisis, end of semester, finals, family drama and my mom had surgery. After all that, I then got thrown off my former design team...not a fabulous month. But I am back and ready to craft away my blues, even if it's all on my own!  :)

I'm jumping back into things by joining Mojo Monday's card sketch challenge 378--the skinny card!

I love this sketch! I've never done a skinny card, so this was definitely a challenge for me. I decided to dig into my Studio Calico stash and this is what I came up with as a thank card card for a friend...

Nothing amazing, but I like it for a quick, simple thank you. The banners are the Stampin Up!

Banners Framelits Dies--I love these! I used all Studio Calico papers and stamps, although they're from old card kits, so I'm not sure what they're called! That circular sentiment is absolutely gorgeous; I heat embossed it so it shines and pops. That heart got a little smudged...oh, well! It's the thought that counts, right?  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Giving Thanks MPC Blog Hop!

Good morning, crafty people! Today is day 2 of the Mountain Plains Crafters Giving Thanks blog hop. This is the month where most of us (in the USA) are thinking about what we're thankful for as the holiday season begins. I prefer the word grateful in my own life; thankful means we are happy for something that's happened, grateful means we are simply showing our appreciation for something. Gratitude is a way of life and recognizing everything good. I am grateful for my health, my safety, my ability to gain an education and my family. What are you grateful or thankful for?

This week's blog hop is sponsored by the fabulous Unity Stamp Co and Tombow Adhesives (stop by their Facebook pages and thank them for sponsoring this hop if you have a moment!). In the grand scheme of life, stamps and adhesives may seem silly, but considering that creating can be a form of therapy in a hectic world for some of us, we at MPC are thankful for fabulous sponsors who help foster our creativity and inspire our readers/fans.

My project uses a stamp from Unity Stamp Co and Tombow's Xtreme adhesive. This is a Christmas gift for a friend whom I am most grateful for; I hope she doesn't see this! (April, look away!)

I think it came out quite pretty. The wood base is from The Wood Connection (I used the Plaque: Circle--so affordable and the possibilities are endless!) and the paper is from the Anna Griffin Lovely Layers 5" x 7" Cardstock Kit. I painted the base a neutral cream color, then cut out a piece of the patterned cardstock roughly to size of the face of the plaque and Mod Podge'd it down. I then sanded down the cardstock to size and Mod Podge'd the entire face and edges. I stamped my sentiment from the Unity Happy, Thankful & Blessed Kit of the Month on cardstock with Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler pigment ink, heat embossed it with clear powder and dabbed some distress ink around the edges. Last, I adhered my sentiment circle down with my Tombow Xtreme runner (pro-tip: this is THE adhesive for your envelopes; if you have the WRMK envelope punch board, you NEED this adhesive!) and Mod Podge'd it all again just to give it a finished look. A little hot glue and some Stampin' Up! Calypso Coral ribbon on the back and it's ready to hang. What do you think? :)

I hope this reminds my friend how grateful I am that she's in my life whenever she sees it. Thanks for stopping by and leaving me some love; your comments always inspire me to keep creating. Now hop on to the fabulous Debra Davison's blog for another creation. If you get lost, head back to the MPC blog and find your way. Make sure you enter the giveaway there as well--there is a wonderful prize in store for one lucky crafter and you won't want to miss out! Have a wonderful weekend!

Growing In Unity Blog Hop!

Afternoon, ladies! A while back, I was given the fun opportunity to be a Growing In Unity girl; I spent a whole week creating stuff using Unity Stamp Co stamps to show you and I had a blast! Today, we are doing a GIU blog hop using this week's brand new stamp of the week!

One lucky crafter has the chance to win a MONTH of the stamp of the week--that's so awesome! Unity Stamp Co subscriptions are seriously the best around, hands down. I'm a KOTM subscriber and it's so awesome to get stamp love show up in your mailbox! :)

I got this week's SOTM in the mail and was so happy, it's a gorgeous wintery stamp that's perfect for any of the upcoming seasonal holidays! I love the retro feel. Take a look at what I made:

It's not amazing, but I kind of like it! I used a pretty, retro tree-printed paper from Anna Griffin's Christmas Kitsch paper collection and matched up a pretty celedon ink with it. I used my new Simon Says Stamp bracket dies to make that pretty shape on the front layer and add a few white iridescent sequins for some shine. I like that's it's fun and visually appealing, but lets the stamp really take the front stage! 

OK, all you need to go is hop hop hop and comment for your chance to win that month of stamp of the week! You should have come here from Sheryl and your next stop is Crystal! There's a full list below in case you've gotten lost. Thanks for stopping by and happy hopping!

Tracy http://queeniesscrapmad.blogspot.co.uk/

Kristy http://mamasanity.blogspot.com

Sheryl igottacraft.blogspot.com

Christina http://christinascreations1.blogspot.com

Crystal Crystalamariscreations.blogspot.com

Angela http://angelascraftyspot.blogspot.com

Mandi http://faithhopecrafts.blogspot.com

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

Hello crafty people and happy World Cardmaking Day! The cardmaking world is abuzz today with blog hops, Facebook hops, giveaways, contests and more. Over on the Mountain Plains Crafters Facebook page, we're having a tag-a-friend contest with an awesome prize from Graphic 45! Want to see what you can win? Take a peek below!

I'm already jealous of whomever wins!  ;)  This is a HUGE prize pack and it's so easy to enter, so make sure you swing by the MPC Facebook page and find the pinned post at the top to enter! 

Since Graphic 45 is all about the retro, vintage, old-world feel, the MPC design team decided to make cards in the vintage style. Now, vintage is not usually my style, but I tried; check it out:

I think it came out alright! I used some really pretty vintage-themed Anna Griffin cardstock and matched it with a sentiment from the August 2014 Unity Kit of the Month: Summer Collapsed into Fall. Distress Inks give pretty much anything a vintage touch, so I edged my sentiment and the little paper flower in Frayed Burlap. The pretty crocheted lace piece was a scrap from my stash.

SO, don't forget to hit up the MPC Facebook page, find that pinned post and tag, tag, tag away for your chance at that pretty Graphic 45 prize pack; thanks for stopping by!

Purr-fect!

Howdy and happy Friday again! Today I am sharing with you all a card I made as part of Mountain Plains Crafters' inspiration post earlier this week; we all decided to make cards with cute critters on them and after an allergy attack from my furry friend Salem, I decided to go with kitties!

It didn't come out exactly as I had envisioned, but it's growing on me! I used Nancy Girl from Unity Stamp Co and watercolored her with my Distress Markers and Anna Griffin Watercolor Markers, neither of which I have had much luck with using before. I actually quite like the soft colors here! I think they go well with the SU! Pink Pirouette base. I also threw on some pretty iridescent sequins by the hearts. The little specks are the punched-out centers of the sequins. Take a closer look:

Aren't they pretty? The sequins are white with an iridescent finish, so they really sparkle and shien in the light. Sorry, don't have a brand name for you; got them in a bargain bin at a scrapbook convention this summer. I'm not a big sequin gal but I think these came out pretty. :)

That's it for today, I hope you liked my kitty card. Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Best Witches!

Hey howdy hey and happy Friday! Today I have my first Halloween card of the season--yay! Halloween is my favorite holiday. People who know me know I LOVE to dress up and wear silly hats any old day, so any holiday where I get to dress up all over town is a winner in my book. I really love how this card came out and I plan on making it in a bunch of different colors for people at work!

Isn't it so fun?!? I used the Witch Boot Card Kit from SVG Cutting Files and cut it on my Explore. I had this gorgeous black glittery Bazzill cardstock I've been dying to use and it worked so perfectly for the boot and skirt! You can't tell from a photograph, but the glitter has all different colors when you move it in the light--so witchy! I also threw on my Wink of Stella in purple on the scalloped circle for more glitz. I stuck with pretty fall colors with the deep purple, dark green, burnt orange and cream. I will definitely be trying the next one with brighter spooky colors. My favorite part of this are the details on the boot!

Aren't you in love with it? I swear photos don't do it justice. I used some purple Queen & Co Bubbles for her buttons and tied up some pretty purple and white baker's twine just for an extra touch. I love how those details look on her glittery glam boot! :) I almost forgot to mention, I used the Halloween Chatter {october 2013 sentiment kit} from Unity Stamp Co; I love this kit!

That's it for today! I am entering this in the Unity Friends with Flair challenge and the SVG Cutting Files Anything with Fall Colors Challenge! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend. :)

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Yay, school has started and that only means one thing: fall is imminent! Well, this is Texas so imminent might not be the right word, but it's on it's way...at some point. Autumn is my favorite season, when it's cloudy and blustery, chilly and windy, time to break out the cardigans (yay!) and jackets and watch the leaves change colors when we're not watching football. ^_^

Over at Mountain Plains Crafters, we've got another fun challenge for you! This month, create something with a leafy/autumn theme and you'll have the chance to win a Donna Downey Mixed Media paint set from PanPastel--awesome! Head over to the MPC blog for all the details. Here's what I created:

It's simple but I I had fun making this one! The pretty browns and golds on all the trees is one of my favorite parts of this season, so I wanted to show that on my card, but still keep it simple. CAS is my favorite style, you know. :) It will be a sweet "just because" card to send to a friend once the weather changes.

The leaves are from Kelly Purkey's Thankful (an old Simon Says Stamp exclusive)--I LOVE THEM!!! I bought this set forever ago and hadn't used it yet, but I plan on using it a lot this autumn season. The quote, so lovely, is from the August Unity Kit of the Month - Summer Collapsed into Fall. You know I love my Unity. If you're not a KOTM member, you should be! It's my favorite stampy shipment of every month. :)

That's it for today! Make sure you swing by the MPC blog and enter the giveaway! There's 25 days left to enter, so you've got plenty of time to make your best creation and link it up. Thanks for stopping by!

A Christmas Card for the Cutting Edge Blog Hop!

Hey hey hey! I've got a quick CAS Christmas card for you as part of the Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop! This is a very simple one, but I love how it came out! Take a look:

I am in love with the clean white and bright red. I used the Mama Elephant Dainty Bow Creative Cut die--isn't it adorable?! The bow is so easy to assemble and is such a cute little size. I should also mention a "behind the scenes/workhorse" type die I used here, and in most of my cards, are the Spellbinders A-2 Matting Basics sets. They're just the best die investment I've ever made and they help me keep my sanity by spacing my layers perfectly for me! :)

That pretty red is Real Red and stamp set is Wishing You, both from Stampin Up!

I wanted something simple, clean and a little "masculine." By leaving the cutesy tails off the bows, they almost look like little red bow ties. This will probably be a Christmas card for my manager, with just the right amount of cheer without being glittery or glitzy! Check out the inside sentiment:

I love the tiny present! Again, see that wonderful, perfect layering...yeah, I love those Spellbinders dies. :)

That's it for tonight; thanks for stopping by and make sure you hit some other creations on the hop!

Back to school!

Happy Saturday, crafty friends! This week on the Mountain Plains Crafters blog, the design team has created a bunch of fun inspiration cards for you to celebrate the end of summer and back to school season. It's still baking hot out there (at least it is in Texas!), but thoughts are turning to backpacks and new teachers as we head into the new school semester. For me, my thoughts are of senior level classes (eep) and figuring out how to pay for books! ;) Check out the card I made to celebrate going back to school and read a little about my own inspiration behind it...

Special teachers have always made a strong impact on me throughout my life and continue to do so to this day. I made this card with one of my favorite sociology professors in mind, as she definitely encourages her students not only to think outside the box, but to approach all matters from a place of love rather than judgement, which is crucial when studying sociology. Hope you enjoy it!

I love how this card came out. I used JEN Girl from Unity Stamps; isn't she cute? Her dress is paper-pieced using the peace joy love petite paper pack from Lawn Fawn. The cork layer is trimmed from the DCWV pastel cork stack, which I am super in love with right now. The sentiment layered on top reminds me of those inspirational quotes teachers tack up above the chalkboard in grade-school classrooms. :) Oh! And the green pearls are from Queen & Co, as is the fun red Twinkle Flower I used on her lapel. Isn't it cute? I love me some Queen & Co. ^_^

Thanks for stopping by; have a wonderful weekend!

Bright Butterflies and a winner!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I've got a new card for you and oh, the winner of my Unity Stamp Co random grab bag giveaway. Yay! First up is the card; the fabulous ladies of the Mountain Plains Crafters design team decided to make a flurry of butterfly cards this weekend. Here's mine, which I am also entering in the card sketch part of the Unity {be inspired} challenge!

I love the embossed butterflies! The Hero Arts Neon ink went great with these bright patterned papers! I love any reason to use Queen & Co embellishments (bubbles and rhinestones) and, as usual, I used a Unity Stamp here, the Wish with Your Heart {august 2014 sentiment kit}.

Now it's time for the grab bag winner announcement! And the winner is...Katie S.!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats, Katie! Everyone else, thanks for entering! I will be doing another giveaway sometime in September, so stay tuned here and on my Facebook page for updates. :)

Thanks for stopping by today; y'all have a great week!