Unity GIU Day One: 1 Stamp, 5 Projects: Card

Hello, fellow Unies! Welcome to my GIU week 2020. This week I thought I would look at different types of projects to use our stamps on. And for an added bonus, I am using just one kit all week, with a few supporting kits here and there.

The star of this week is the adorable Cuddlebug Zebra. Isn't he just the cutest? I got to go on safari in Tanzania, Africa last year and I came to love the zebra. All the cats were so cool and I got to see a lot of them, but the zebra are everywhere and they are so smart and seem very caring within their herds and look really cool against the golden grasses, a look that I tried to convey in my card with the color palette and burlap texture. Be sure to check out the video of how it was put together below.

Cuddlebug Zebra

Be sure to leave a comment to be in the running for a prize of some deeply etched red rubber of your very own. Tune in tomorrow to see this lil guy in action on a project of a different kind. Until then, happy stamping!

Unity Stamp Co Challenge - Thankfulness and Gratitude

Welcome!For all of my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving! All of us should remember to have an attitude of thankfulness and to be truly grateful for what we have and for those in our lives.

A friend asked if I would make him a card to give to his wife, to let her know how much he appreciated her and her support during a rough season. What better way to let someone know how much they mean to you than to send a handmade card? This is one of the ways we can use our craft for good.

I made this pretty floral card, using Don't Give Up, that is loosely watercolored. It's a pretty quick way to whip out a fast card. I love this sentiment kit. Not only a gorgeous image, but really thoughtful sentiments to accompany it.

Don't Give Up

I challenge you to make a card to send to someone showing your gratitude. It's a tangible way to tap into the thankfulness in your heart. This challenge will be open for one week, until December 4th. Be sure to upload your project to the Unity Show & Tell groupto be in the running for a prize. Next week I will have a new month long challenge, so be sure to tune in then! Until then, happy stamping!

Handmade Papercrafting Parade

Today I am excited to be with Scrapbook.com as a part of the inspiring Handmade Holiday Papercrafting Parade, filled with fabulously festive holiday crafting. Join me and the rest of the team as we celebrate a week of unbelievable deals on Scrapbook.com's fabulous exclusive products! Be sure to leave a crafty comment at every stop along the way of this amazing parade hop to qualify for an unbelievable GIVEAWAY!

20 of your favorite crafters have used tons of Scrapbook.com Exclusive products to provide you with plenty of holiday cardmaking inspiration! You'll love seeing how we used products like the Exclusive Hybrid Inks, the revolutionary Domed Blending Tool, festive dies, cheery stamps and so many more! Come join us on this parade of Handmade Holiday Cardmaking Inspiration! 

November 26 - November 30 - Black Friday WEEK

Scrapbook.com Exclusive Products are at their Lowest Prices - 30%, 40% and 50% OFF!

A FREEBIE is offered each day, too!

Nov 26-28: Scrapbook.com Exclusive Doodlebug Pin

Nov 29-30: Scrapbook.com Exclusive Adhesive SAMPLER Pack

My project is a card featuring a starry night, die cut stars, with this big and bold sentiment.

Firstly, I created a night sky using the Midnight Blue Scrapbook.com Exclusive Hybrid Ink. Blends like buttah. A bit of white spray ink creates the starry night look. I cut out two star frames, using the exclusive Nested Star dies and painted them with Gansai Tambi gold paint. My third star is simply the center of one of my cut out frames. I stamped the JOY, from the exclusive Big and Bold stamp set, with Cardinal Red Exclusive Hybrid Ink and the TO THE WORLD in Midnight Blue. I cut the letters of JOY out and popped them up using the exclusive square foam adhesives. A sprinkling of sequins was my finishing touch.

You'll be so inspired after visiting each of the 20 stops that you'll want to create designs of your own, we just know it! Why not enter to win a Scrapbook.com Gift Certificate for yourself? 

Scrapbook.com is giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to ONE lucky winner! To be eligible, leave a comment letting us know a bit about your holidays at each of the 20 hop stops along with your email. It's that easy! Share a favorite tradition, a cherished memory, or a memorable handmade gift! 

Giveaway closes Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at midnight MST. The winners will be notified and announced no later than Monday, December 9, 2019. The winner will be notified through the email provided and has 72 hours to respond to claim their prize. for complete official rules, click here

GOOD LUCK!

HANDMADE HOLIDAY PARADE STOPS

(Leave a comment at each of these official stops to enter the Giveaway!) 

Alexandra Stapleton-Smith
Jess Francisco

Nicole Watt
Mona Toth
Amy Tsuruta
Terri Burson
Anita Trippi
Laura Volpes
Laura Mooney <<<<You are here
Brandi Mahon
Nanette Tracy
Daniel West
Ashley Ebben
Marie Heiderscheit
Erin Reed
Juliana Michaels

-- HOP OVER TO YouTube --

Justine Hovey

Heather Little

Ingrid Blackburn

Lorene Caido

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Single Layer Card - Unity Challenge

Happy Thursday! I'm up on the Unity blog today. We are entering the Winter and holiday seasons and I have a cool card for you today.

Today I'll show you how to make a single layer card, with a masked stamp image. I used the new Tierra Jackson snowman found in Stay Warm. He's such a cute snowman and the lil bird just kills me. Be sure to watch the video below to see how I used masking to make my inky background, whist leaving the stamped image clean and ready for coloring.

Create a single layer card, bonus points if you incorporate masking in the making of, but not required. Be sure to upload to the Unity Stamp Co Show & Tell FB page. There will be prizes given! This challenge will be open for one week, until 11.28.19. Until next week, happy stamping!

Unity Grounding Challenge

Good morning and welcome to another regarding grounding. We've grounded to the ground, in space, and now we'll look at grounding using supplies.

Today I am using the new, super retro chic Make It Happen Girl. This girl is perfect for a lesson on grounding images that don't reach the ground or occupy space. How does one ground a partial person? This is where our supplies come in. You can anchor images such as this one by adding strips, washi tape, ribbon, twine, sentiment spot, etc. I used paper strips, my sentiment, and twine to anchor my girl.

Use paper strips, washi, ribbon, and/or twine on your project. Bonus points if you use them to ground an image, but not necessary. This challenge will be open for one week, until 11/21. Be sure to upload your project into the challenge album in the Unity Show & Tell FB groupto be in the running for a prize! You'll want that prize! And don't forget to shop the huge, site wide, sale.

Unity Challenge - Black & White

Hi and welcome to another Unity Stamp Co mini challenge! I have a simple card and some thoughts on the rule of odds for you today.

Today I am sharing a simple card using just black and white. White paper and black ink. There are plenty of great images you can use that don't need any added color. For this project, I used Damn Girl and a sentiment from Not Always...But. I love the lacy background! My gems were placed using the rule of odds. The brain loves to have things arranged in odd numbers. Even numbered things confuse our brains. I'm not sure why, but this is a classic interior designer rule in arranging photos, vases, other decor, and it works for adding embellishments to our art pieces too. Check out the tutorial here.

Make a black and white creation. Put your colors away and use the textures found in your black and white supplies. Be sure to upload to the Unity Show & Tell FB pagefor the chance at winning a prize! Try to keep the rule of odds in mind too, I think you will find it helpful.

Until next time, happy stamping!

Gelli Print Card Background

Hi, I am up on the Unity Stamp Co Blog today with another tutorial! And it's one that's near and dear to my heart.

I adore making Gelli prints. It's so soothing and satisfying to pull print after print. You never know what you're going to get. I love the mix of paints and seeing how they play out on the paper. Check out the video below to see how this one came about. After I had my background, I stamped the flowers from Insightful Meadows and sentiment from Abundant Blessings in black, giving a silhouetted look. I also stamped the flowers slightly off the edge of the painted area. This adds a lot of interest that grabs the viewer's attention.

Abundant Blessings

Insightful Meadows

You can see how it was made here:

This week begins the monthly challenge for November. Use paint in your project. It can be a painted background, stamping with paint, splatters, however you feel like adding paint. This challenge will be open all month, so you have some time to think it over. Be sure to upload your work to the Unity Show & Tell FB groupfor your chance at a prize.

Until next time, happy stamping!

Tis The Season - Scrapbook.com Exclusive Cut Files

Great news! Scrapbook.com has new cut files in the house and they are so cute!

I cut the card base with trees and snow and used it as a stencil to add foiling glaze and added foil to make a background. I then die cut the mountains and trees with the new Tim Holtz mountain dies.

You definitely should check out this great collection. There are files for every occasion; cards, traveller's notebooks, and scrapbook layouts!

Until next time, happy scrapping!

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Grounding To Space - A Unity Stamp Co Challegne

Welcome to another lesson in grounding, with an added bonus of undersea ink blending. Now grounding to the ground seems obvious. You don't want people or animals floating off the ground, but what about grounding in space? A bird should float in the sky, right? What about a fish in the water? A rocket in outer space? Sure, these things don't have to be anchored to their surroundings, but I think it gives a more finished look when the elements are grounded. You can use things found in the scene to accomplish this. Clouds or the sun for sky scenes, seaweed for under water scenes, planets or stars for outer space.

I created an ink blended background, using under the sea colors, a die cloud piece,  and blending brushes. This technique creates a watery, wavy backdrop for my mermaid. I used the gorgeous She Mermaid and a variety of die cut greenery for my under the sea scene, finishing off with some Morning Dew Nuvo Drops.

She Mermaid

Create an ink blended background as a canvas for your focal image. You can use blending brushes, ink daubers, foam blenders, sponges, your pet's tail. It's up to you. Give a thought about how you might ground your image to the background. This is a mini challenge that will be open until 10/21. Be sure to post in the Unity Show & Tell FB group to be eligible for a nifty prize. Until next time, happy stamping!

Fall Color Palette - Unity Stamp Co Challenge

Welcome back to the Thursday challenge! I feel the crisp, cool air. The kids are back in school. The days are getting shorter. It must be Fall.

Today I have a fun Fall color palette to share with you. Fall is my favorite time of year. I just love the colors of the changing leaves and this palette has them all. For my project, I did some ink blending with each of the colors, creating a fun seasonal background for the leaves in the Love Never Leaves kit. I love these images, with their little hearts. So fun for mixed media cards.

Love Never Leaves 

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You can see how it was made here

Use the color palette above for any project of your choosing. Sky is the limit, you don't have to make a Fall piece. Be sure to share in the Unity Show & Tell Groupto be in the running for prizes! What's better than that? Inspiration and prizes. The challenge will be open for one week, until October 17th, when you can check back here for a new challenge. Until next time, happy stamping!

Unity Blog - Grounding To The Ground

I am back up on the Unity Blog for the 4th quarter and I am so excited! I had a blast last time I was here and so look forward to spending my Thursdays with you once again. This round, I thought I would teach some design principles. I've learned a lot over the years. I have a friend who loves applying how the brain works to creating art that makes the viewer stop and linger over our work and that's one of the reasons we do this, right? We want people to find enjoyment in what we create and there are ways to engage viewers into stopping and really soaking in all of your hard work.

Cierra Girl

Today I am going to look at grounding. Specifically grounding to the ground. I know that sounds redundant, but if elements aren't grounded, they seem to be floating and that confuses the viewer's brain. By grounding, you make your piece more solid and finished. I've chosen to use Cierra Girl. Unity has so many fantastic people and animals that are so fun to play with, why not give them some firm ground to stand on? You can do this with coloring, die cut hills or grass, adding to a scene that has built in ground. There are so many different ways to achieve this result. I love this stamp because the fabulously talented Angie Blog has drawn ground right in, it just needs coloring. We will look at other forms of grounding in future weeks, but for now we shall plant our feet firmly on the ground.

You can see how it was made right here!

Great news, Unity will be hosting a challenge! Use a Unity person or animal and try your hand at grounding them to the ground. I can't wait to see the creative ways you ground your subjects! Be sure to share them to the Unity Show & Tell group to be in the running for a prize! This challenge will be live for the whole month too, so you have time to think this through. Until next time, happy stamping!

Happy World Card Making Week!

It's World Card Making week and Scrapbook.com is celebrating by delving into making cut files! Their first set is amazing and comes sized for all sorts of projects; cards, traveller's notebook, scrapping, and pocket cards. There are many add ons too. Best of all? It's a freebie this week! Be sure to head on over and download them today!

Here is a card that I whipped up using the card front. Isn't it just darling? I did rainbow inking using Distress Inks and blender brushes, backing onto a black base. I just sprinkled a few gems and hearts from the die cut. Bingo, fast card that is sure to please.

Also, be sure to check out the freebies that are being given away this week. They are simply fantastic!

Stay tuned for another project using these cut files later in the week. Until then, happy crafting!

Affiliate Links:

          
Double Sided Adhesive Foam                  Cut Files                           Barn Door


       
    Carved Pumpkin              Mustard Seed                    Mowed Lawn               Mermaid Lagoon

    
   Seedless Preserves         Neenah Solar White        Black Cardstock           Silhouette Cameo


    Blending Brushes