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/

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! :)

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!

Growing in Unity: Day Five!

This week has flown by; I'm a little sad that my GIU week is up--tear! Since it's my last GIU day and I've been feeling extra crafty the past couple of days, I have two cards for you today!

This first card I just drummed up last night for my mom's birthday this weekend; my birthday is the 12th and my mom's is the day after mine on the 13th! She and I are both wine drinkers, so as I was scrambling around my stamp collection trying to find something to make her the perfect birthday card, I remembered this gem of a stamp, Age and Wine!

(PS--Mom, if you're reading this right now, look away and close the browser!)

 

I'm kind of seriously in love with this card. I used this rich, burgundy pearlescent cardstock that matched the Raspberry Ripple ink so perfectly and is reminiscent of merlot! The scrollwork is an Anna Griffin Cuttlebug die and the flowers are by Recollections. Look closely; the largest red flower is glittery and there's a sheer fabric layer above it! They are so gorgeous together and really make the card.

Warning: This second card has some profanity, so if you are offended by that, please skip it. I made this card for a friend who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, so I'd appreciate everyone refraining from leaving any negative comments! This stamp, F*** Cancer, is pretty straight to the point. I hate glitter getting everywhere, so I used some really rad glitter washi here for the diagonal stripes (you can't tell, but it's very glittery). I matched that with some gold sequins and threw on a couple of orange Doodlebug jewels to coordinate with the orange base. It took me a while to be able to make this card without tearing up, but my friend is done with chemo and remission is on the horizon, so yay. :)

That's it for today's post and my GIU week! I've had such an awesome week sharing my creations with y'all. Don't forget that later this month I will be doing a post-birthday crafty giveaway of some stamps and another crafty surprise or two! If you haven't liked my Facebook page...you know the drill.  ;)

Last, don't forget that all your comments on my GIU posts this week put you into a drawing for two Unity Stamp Co itty bittys of your very own, so make sure you've commented on all five posts and cross your fingers! Thank you for stopping by this week and have a great weekend! <3

Growing in Unity: Day Four!

Good morning! Wow, this week is going by so quickly, I'm kind of sad it's already Thursday. On the up side, another day means another GIU project for y'all to see! Today, I've got a pretty, soft colored card made with the May 2014 Hey Girl Kit of the Month.

This is one of my favorites right now! I always wonder how to use floral stamps and I'm generally scared about layering stamps, but this one came out pretty decent if I say so myself. ;) I absolutely love my Unity KOTM subscription; there's always something I love and can't wait to use and something I wouldn't have normally purchased on its own. This quote and these flowers are perfect examples!

I used the gorgeously shimmery Tsukineko Brilliance DewDrop in Pearlescent Purple and a piece of cardstock from the Anna Griffin Metallic Card Layers Kit, matched with a piece of pleated Stampin' Up! ribbon in Blushing Bride. The pearlescent effect from the ink and cardstock are so pretty with the smooth, satiny ribbon at the bottom. Here's a better look at the shimmer:

I am so proud of how this one came out...and now I don't want to give it away! :) Another reminder that every comment you leave on my GIU posts this week is an entry to win two Unity Stamp Co itty bittys--yippee! And don't forget to like my Facebook fan page if you're so inclined and want to be in on a crafty giveaway I'll be doing later this month. ;)

Thanks again for swinging by my little blog; see y'all tomorrow for my last GIU day! <3

Growing in Unity: Day Two!

Good morning and welcome to day two of my Growing In Unity week! Today, I am sharing two

birthday tag sets I made for a Swap-Bot tag swap. These were simple and quick to make

and would be easy to recreate again and again!

I used stamps from Sabrina {fashionista}, MAGGIE girl {it’s your birthday} and Bee Happy Hexagons, all from Unity, of course! The black chevron ribbon, stretch glitter elastic and net ribbon are all from May Arts; I am loving using more ribbon and fabric on my tags and cards lately, it gives such great dimension with little effort--which I'm all about. ;)

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me some love; I read all comments! :) Be sure to come back tomorrow for another GIU project and don't forget, every comment you leave on my GIU posts this week is a chance to win two free itty-bittys from Unity Stamp Co! See y'all tomorrow!

It's been a while!

I've had quite a busy June and haven't posted in some time--so sorry! I have a few projects all ready to post, I just haven't had the time to do so, so here we go!

Today is a simple card I made for my mother. She has been going through a rough time at work and I wanted to make her something to keep at her desk and lift her spirits (hope you liked it, mom!).

I used Unity's Lasting Thoughts kit. I love how versatile this kit is, with several quotes perfect for all different occasions. I added some silver Stickles on the stars and tied off a piece of black May Arts baker's twine. (Their baker's twine is seriously the best!) The embossing folder is from Darice. Simple and quick, but I love how it came out.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

A bit of red, white and blue

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, spending time with family and reflecting on the meaning of Memorial Day. I just couldn't give up, so I tried my hand again at watercoloring and came up with this little bit of red, white and blue...

I used the limited edition Beautifully Confused set and made this card with the 4th of July in mind, thinking of fireworks and people going "just a little crazy" with patriotism, happiness, fun and all that good stuff. I think I'm into the imperfect look here, because it covers up my mistakes. ;) 

Mountain Plains Crafters is having a contest that ends TODAY!!! It's a super easy like/comment-type contest with a pretty awesome prize of May Arts twine and a Unity stamp, so make sure you swing by the blog and enter before it ends in 5 hours!

***Flash giveaway at Mountain Plains Crafters!!***

First Mountain Plains Crafters challenge!

Hey everyone! Mountain Plains Crafters is hosting their first ever challenge and in typical fashion, I am sliding in on the last day to submit my entries! ;) I actually did two cards for this challenge, but I am only going to post one in this blog because the second one came out kind of...meh. Anyway, here's the inspiration picture we were given...

And here's my entry!

I was inspired by both the flowers and the colors in the photo; I used more subdued versions of the pink and orange so it would go better with the colors of the Anna Griffin Perfect Palette cardstock/card base I chose (her Perfect Palette really makes cardmaking so much quicker!). You can't tell in this picture, but I chose random green leaves and covered them with some coordinating glitter glue that really stand out in person. The heart in MOM is glittery, too. :) I used the Unity April 2014 KOTM: Botanical Bliss.

That's it for today's post! Remember that life is short: have fun and spend time with the ones you love.

A post-Easter card!

A quickie blog post; I wanted to show off the Easter card I made for my mother this year. It's definitely a simple card, but I had fun coloring in the eggs and flowers! I used colored pencils, as well as some Liquid Pearls and Stampin' Up! Dazzling Details to highlight the decorations on the eggs...

If you look closely, you can see the raised pearl dots on the far left egg; Liquid Pearls are so cool! I love the pop of orange from the patterned paper! I added the bow as an afterthought and I think it added the perfect extra touch that brought the entire card together. I used the Pretty Easter Find stamp from Unity.

Short and sweet for today. Thank you so much for stopping by! :)

Dignity and a birthday wish

Two blogs in two days--go me! I have another two cards to show off today, both using Unity stamps! The first one was a random card I made for a friend who has gone through some difficult times this past year; when people are on my mind, I like to reach out and let them know I'm thinking of them. I used this lovely sentiment from the November 2013 Strength & Dignity KOTM:

This was the first gatefold card I've made and somehow, magically, the patterned layer was guesstimated and came out perfectly. I used the "you're on my mind" sentiment from the same KOTM on the inside.

The second card is one I (sort of lazily) just whipped up for a coworker whose birthday was this weekend. I say lazily because I wanted to do more layers, but I had a lot of cooking to do tonight and wanted to get this card wrapped up quickly. I still like how it came out!

That jumbo birthday sentiment is from the Here's My Thought August 2013 sentiment kit. This is the first time I've used this kit; I used a raspberry-colored pigment ink and it came out so smooth and bold. Notice the little Queen and Co. bubble dotting the i in big; that's my favorite part. :)

I just noticed I used the same Spellbinders on each of these cards, labels four--how about that. It is a pretty versatile shape! That's it for today; as always, thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my creations! :)

Girl Power and a Wonderful birthday card!

Happy Sunday, all! Today I have two cards I've made, both using Unity stamps! First up, I had a request from my mom for a birthday card for her coworker. I wanted to make something colorful, but elegant. Of course, I used my all-time favorite Unity stamp set, Everything Wonderful. This is what I came up with!

I distressed all the edges with Antique Linen for a vintage tea-stained look and added some on the embossed parts of those pretty flourishes (Anna Griffin Cuttlebug dies!) and finished it off with Studio Calico pearls. I think it's way prettier in real life and the birthday lady loved it. :)

The second card I've got for you today is one I made just for fun; when I saw this cut file posted in the Cricut Design Space group I'm in on Facebook, I knew exactly which stamp from the I Am Woman sentiment kit I'd use with it...

I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Let me tell you, Wonder Woman was a complete PITA to put together, but it was totally worth it in the end. This card took me forever, especially since I had it stuck in my mind that I wanted the stamp inked up to look like the American flag, but I love how it came out; a fun, modern take on the original glamazon standing for all things girl power! I'm definitely keeping this card for myself. ;)

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by! :)