Whoa… April certainly has arrived with chaotic weather streams everywhere it seems! Nothing like April showers (and/or snow for some) to bring May flowers! So, I decided to focus this month’s theme on flowers, and particularly, the early blooming lovely fragrant peony! (Which I so miss having in my garden because of the hot dry California growing zone we live in.)
Joyce’s Creations
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Friends of Unity April Blog Hop
Friday, March 22, 2024
Growing in Unity - Day 5 Be Who You Want
Okay…last day! Phew, what a watercolor week! Couldn’t finish the week out without another one! This time I used the Be Who You Want kit from Unity. I also used a couple other Unity papers for backing and framing from 2 different kits, Magnolia Dreams and Watercolor Stripes. Again, I think I stamped this one with a couple different oxides (they just blend and dissolve into the watercolors… you just need to make sure the ink color doesn’t change the tones you want).
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Growing in Unity - Day 4 Everblooming
Day 4…oh my, close to the end! Today’s card was created using Everblooming and the Magnolia Branch paper pack. I started by stamping the flower image again using Antique Linen onto watercolor paper. And you guessed it… I then watercolored it to match the paper colors. Again, it’s a beautiful pack! Once completed, I used a tiny bit of pen for detailing. I then used the outline stamp to frame the image using a darker ink. I then fussy cut it out.
For the seed pack image, I found a random patterned paper I could use. After stamping, I cut it out and distressed the edges. I then adhered the center flower part. I used papers from the pack as backgrounds. I added a ribbon. After stamping and watercoloring the sentient, I added clear crystals to complete the card!
I like the coloring and completely different design and feel of this one! Again, it was fun to pull it together! There’s a ton of cute examples of how to use this kit.
Remember to comment below for a chance at winning Unity store credit and let me know what you think of this one! Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting till next time!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Growing in Unity - Day 3 Have Courage
Hey there… half way through my Growing in Unity week! Phew! Okay, on this card, I married a bunch of stuff from Unity! I used the Have Courage stamp set, Trust it Will Be Okay sentiment kit, and the Blossom Avenue paper pack. Again, I started with watercolor paper, my pan set and a paper from the pack. I then stamped the images using Antique Linen oxide ink. I proceeded to try to recreate colors from the paper and started watercoloring! I tried to match the watercolor style to the paper with a little more detail. I even thought about adding the white script over the top and then pulled myself back from the edge of.. whatever 🤪!
I then fussy the flower images. To create the card, cut down another paper from the pack and used cream paper to back both papers. I added green twine for some reason… who knows why!
I then stamped and clear embossed the sentiment and backed it with matching plain paper. Since it was so busy, I stopped there!
Welp… what a different style for me…but I kinda love it! I actually was thinking of a couple ladies undergoing significant health issues when I created this card. I hope you like this one! Remember to comment below for a chance to win Unity store credit!
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Growing in Unity - Day 2 June Rose
Back again with Day 2 Growing in Unity week! I used the June Rose and Pink Lemonade paper pad to create this card. I also pulled in an old Signature lace die. I began by pulling out the papers (watercolor and patterned paper) and stamping the images using pink and tan oxide inks. After mixing colors to match, I then watercolored the images again using my Schmincke pan set. I then fussy cut the images out. I used the die on a plain yellow paper and backed it with white paper. I clear embossed the sentiment onto paper from the kit after stamping with green and gray inks.to complete this one I added pink and green enamel dots.
Must admit I love the colors of this one…and I do remember picking up the papers for that reason and the lovely images! I think this stamp set is another lovely match with the papers!
Remember to comment below for a chance at winning Unity store credit!
Monday, March 18, 2024
Growing In Unity - Day 1 Falling into Place
How fun is it that I get to enjoy another Growing in Unity week? Very, I say! Reminder: this week of my posted cards is sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. At the end of the week, I get to pick a winner from commenters here of store credit from Unity Stamp Co… so be sure to add your comments below! Let me know your likes and dislikes!
Today I a sharing a card I made using the stamp kit Falling Into Place. I was drawn to a Pinterest painting of a butterfly using grays and soft blues and tried to create version of it with this card. I used a watercolor paper and my Schmincke pan set on this one. I started by stamping the image using a black ink which on the textured paper produced a gray broken image and then watercolored it, including adding a soft wash and spatters in the background. I pulled out a black pen and detailed the flowers and darkened the black areas. I used gray and white pens to add wing details. I used negative painting, black pen marks and white gouache brush marks to create the illusion of stamens.
Must admit, I had fun trying to create the illusion of stamens with detailed negative painting brush strokes around the stamens. This stamp is so pretty and and the possibilities of colors and mediums used to create cards is endless!
Reminder, comment below for a chance at winning Unity stare credit! Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
BYSHC Sketch 43 - Bo Bunny Cards
Welcome back to another BYSHC sketch for the month of March! Here’s the design!
I decided to take advantage of this sketch and try out some Bo Bunny papers I’d collected over the years. For the first card, I pulled out my old Yuletide Carol collection (papers and ephemera). For some reason, the lovely papers in this collection really drew me in. It was pretty easy to create this card using papers and chipboard pieces from the collection. For the sentiment, I used an Alexandra Renke kit and added enamel dots to complete the card.
For the second card, I used papers from Bo Bunny’s Christmas Treasures collection. This time, I coupled the papers with Unity stamps from a retired Tags, Glorious Tag kit. I stamped the image and watercolored it, added copper spatters and then copper embossed the same image onto acetate paper. Since I had stamped the image with an oxide ink and watercolored over that, the details of the ornaments was lost, so the acetate embossing brought those details back. I ended up creating a shaker card using those two pieces.
I stamped the sentiment and embossed it with a glittering embossing powder. To complete the card, I added pearl embellishments.
Clearly, with this card I took some creative freedom from the following the detailed sketch. Must admit, both cards are a big departure from my usual style but were fun to experiment with! Thanks for stopping by, till next time… happy crafting!
Saturday, March 2, 2024
Friends of Unity March Blog Hop
Hello there… its a new month, so welcome to a new blog hop featuring creations with this theme…
If you are new to the hop, we offer giveaways every month from our own stash. To be eligible, you just need to comment on blogs in the hop including your name. We randomly select names when choosing winners. Check out the other blogs for who’s doing giveaway this month!
Now, on to the first card! I paired Stamperia’s Forest papers, with a couple Unity kits, Happy Soul from February 2023, and Difference Maker from December 2023. I stamped the image using Antique Linen onto one of the ~6x3” frames in the kit which already ha$ some foliage on it. I then used my Prismacolor pencils and some pens to color in the image. I fussy cut out the paper and distressed the edges using Scorched Timber ink. I inked up the sentiment with varied brown and green inks and clear embossed it. To fill in behind and around the image I lightly added sprigs of foliage. To complete the card, I used another paper from the pack and added enamel dots. Unfortunately, a couple friends of mine enduring some hard times were on my mind in creating cards this month.
This next card was also inspired by the Stamperia paper which you can see in the background of the photo. I used Jeanie Hays’ Unity Sail With No Limits kit and for the sentiment, Fresh Air and Sunshine from July 2022. I used my watercolors and watercolor paper after stamping the image with Antique Linen. I added pen marks to tighten up lines and inked the sentiment on when done. This time, I embellished the card with twine, metal embellishments and sequins.
Again, I’m hoping this card provides some encouraging words to get outside and enjoy nature when life gets rough! Funny story, I grew up summers on a small lake in upstate NY which is why this image so resonates with me. Well, my first and only attempt at sailing with my 11 year old girlfriend, ended us up at the other end of this 7 mile long lake. Of course, we had to be humiliatingly towed back to the other end by strangers as we had no idea how to tack! Give me a motor or oars any day over sailing…although I do love looking at them from afar! Love, love, love being on the water!
Hope you enjoyed my nature cards…and now on to some spectacular cards from my creative fellow bloggers! You may have ended up here from:
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Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Altenew’s Statement Flowers
So, in an attempt to get back into watercoloring, I pulled out Altenew’s Statement Flowers Kit, Antique Linen oxide ink and Arches Watercolor paper. After stamping the image, I first painted the background. I then watercolored the flowers loosely. I painted the background several times to darken it and added palette knife scraping marks to give the appearance of stems. I also painted the image a couple times, continuing to darken the colors and added paint spatters. I wasn’t satisfied with my painting so I proceeded to add colored pencils and pens to continue to give the flowers depth. This ended up adding quite a bit of texture to the flowers that I was okay with for a change. Here’s some of the progressions -
Sketch 42 Holiday Cards
February came in with a new Build Your Stash Holiday Card sketch challenge:
So, I was inspired to create a few different cards using older papers and ephemera I hadn’t touched in a few years! Here’s my first card using My Mind’s Eye Yuletide collection. I split one of the papers up and backed it with another paper from the pack and a shiny silver holographic paper to spruce it up. I then took one of the tag ephemera from the collection and stamped a sentiment from a Tim Holtz kit. To complete the card, I added silver snowflakes, silver twine, a metal snowflake and a Snow ephemera sentiment. I really like the gray tone scenes on this card!Friday, February 16, 2024
Creative Expressions Vintage Baubles
Oh my, I fell in love with this very cute stamp from Creative Expressions, called Vintage Baubles, that I had to pick up recently. I was so inspired by a sample card that I had to try my own version of it.
Sometimes, I get so excited that I don’t take the time and care I should on painting the image (using watercolors and Gansai Tambi paints), but I still think it turned out okay. I started by gold embossing the image on watercolor paper. After painting it, I cut it down to fit a 5x7 card base and distressing the edges. I then searched for paper scraps that I thought could complement the colors I used to paint it. I distressed the edges on those as well after cutting them down.
To complete the card, I glued down the first layer. I then used glue to adhere the centers of the rest of the layers, ensuring the sides could lift a little. I found a sticky sentiment that I cut in half, adhered paper scraps to and distressed the edges as well. I added gold thread behind the sentiment and called it done!
For some reason, I love the random sloppy vibe of this one! Well, hope this inspired you to try this kind of busy stamp! Let me know if this style works for you! Happy stamping till next time! Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Friends of Unity February Blog Hop
Hey… it’s time for another blog hop! With a different, for us, theme … that of a card sketch!
Before I review the cards I created this month, I wanted to remind you to comment on my blog for a chance to win Unity goodies! As I was searching my stash for this month’s cards, I happened upon some dups … shocking, I know ;-) ! So, I’ll be doing another giveaway this month! And… speaking of giveaways, my winner from last month’s hop is….Congrats, Kendra… please PM me your address and I’ll send out some goodies!
So, had a bit of fun this time making a small bunch of cards with varying purposes… time to restock some multipurpose cards! First off, I made a masculine card using both Unity’s May 2023 KOM, Bloom in Color, and June 2023 KOM, From the Countryside (sentiment). I coupled the stamps with a Paper Roses’s One of a Kind patterned paper. I used alcohol markers on the image. I also used Unity’s ABC.123.washi kit on the background strip. For embellishments, I added sequins, feathers and a button.
For the second card, I pulled out Unity’s What If. I paired this image with some old patterned paper and a green tinted vellum sheet. Must admit I had fun coloring up with pencils and paper piecing the image to match the background. I also pulled out the Get Your Happy On to add matching colored pencil flower images that I fussy cut. I think I might be getting ready for spring already with this one! I added coordinating sequins over the card and green sticky strips to the vellum. Now I think I need to color the floral image alone for another card…hmmm… another day, perhaps!
For the last card, I pulled out My Smiles Begin. I used pencils again, on this one. I ended up pairing her with a very old favorite Kaisercraft paper collection called Keepsake. All of the paper used on the card came from that collection, including the ephemera. I distressed all the paper edges. I ended up adding string and crystals to complete this card.
Overall, I had a lot of fun pairing papers with Unity kits to come up with these cards. Now, on to the rest of the hop! Should be great fun to see the variety of cards created with this super sketch! Remember…. Leave a comment, with your name, for a chance at Unity goodies!
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Friday, February 2, 2024
Life is Tough
Just wanted to create an original card today, so I pulled out an already die cut embossed burlap stamped image scrap and a small scrap of watercolor paper. I embossed a sentiment from Unity’s Difference Maker kit onto the watercolor paper and then proceeded to watercolor some sprigs. I then distressed the edges.
I found a piece of paper I had tried leaf/coffee staining on that I could use as a background. I used a background stamp from an old Unity SMAK kit on it. I then added a paper strip to it.