Love is All You Need Card

When I was cleaning up late last night after a glass of wine, I found my January 2019 SMAK kit, which had a bunch of Valentine themed stamps. Forgot about those! I love the vintage feel of the SMAK kits. I started remembering the last vintage collage kind of card I made (Let Adventure Card) was based on Stamperia paper, so I had to pull out another kit, the Time kit, to have it ready for today to look for ideas. (I’ve had the urge to paint another collage for awhile, though that’s not how this turned out.) But, while looking at it I noticed it had bunches of keyhole images and I thought it’d be great to pair the key stamp with it. I was so excited I decided I needed to stamp the key image right then and do a little test. Well, needless to say when I get crafting, I got lost in the moment and that’s when this card was started.

I pulled a scrap watercolor paper out and stamped the key with Evergreen Bough and Rusty Hinge oxides, Vintage Photo Distress, and black archival inks. I then pulled out my Gansai Tambi watercolors and dumped all the little pads on the floor! Yikes...what am I doing at midnight? Anyways, after putting them all back, I added black, mint and rust colors to the key. I then decided after I thought it matched pretty well with a keyhole to cut out that keyhole. Since I liked the look of the key, I decided to add a background to the key and stamped the hearts background stamp from the same kit using the above colors again. It’s slightly smaller than the key so I stamped it twice...which made an edge. I decided to use that line to make the key look like it was sitting on a book. I then went searching for a script I could add and found one in the 6/17 SMAK kit. So I stamped that around the key. I then added a shadow under the key. Unfortunately, I hadn’t stamped the key high enough on the paper so the book is shortchanged on the right side which I covered up with Washi tape and string and beads on the card. Figuring I needed to do one more thing before I went to bed, I stamped the sentiment on left over paper I created from a previous card that matched the colors. I then, again, added paint to the images and cut out a few words to see how it could come together in the morning if it ended up looking as good as it did last night. I then went to bed!

This morning, I was very excited to see it matched pretty well and added a few more details, like a tear in the paper, more dilineation between the pages and inking the edges. It was funny that at one point I tried to pick up the key...so I guess it turned out pretty realistic in the dim morning light. I finished fussy cutting and painting the sentiment. I pulled out beads and metal brass pieces. I added Art Anthology paint to the metal to make it blend more with the rusty vintage look. I did pose a question with my ATC friends as to whether I should add another painted image or call this good, and they rightly advised me to stop here. So, I pulled the card together finally and called it done!

Hope you enjoyed this one, I sure did! It’s always a such a wonderful fun challenge to me to match images with patterned paper. Don’t forget, if you like my style, click on the follow button or follow by email. Feel free to ask questions or provide feedback...always wanting to learn! Enough for now, happy crafting till next time!

Hello Beautiful Card

Wanted to get inky very bad today, and had an urgency @bout it for some reason. So, I pulled out 3 new Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists, Unity’s Hello Beautiful Kit and watercolor paper. I also pulled out my spray box (just a cardboard box I keep around for just this purpose). I started by spraying the paper with navy and red sprays. I then pulled out an Art Anthology stencil and used the green spray to add a branch to sit the flower upon. I added some pen strokes to the branches. I then stamped the flower using a navy Gina K ink. I stamped the flower, heart and corner stamps using distress and the navy inks.

I painted the flower using Gansai Tambi watercolors. I also used Art C metallic gold ink, and Posca and other gel pens. I used a Simon Says Stamp die that I received in a mystery box to die cut leaves out of sprayed paper. I added ink and used these to embellish the branch. I spattered some of the red spray around. I also added some drops from the sprays on the sentiment tags and outlined them. Finally, I inked the edges, added interesting Brutus Monroe circles (I also picked up in a mystery box) and cut down the paper to fit an A6 card.

For a random urge, I was so pleased with the result of this mixed media effort that I thought about framing for a minute it before making it into a card. But, it’s still not good enough for that...so back to the drawing board, so to speak!  As usual, my card making inexperience shows through, as I always forget to size the paper to a specific card size. I think I lucked out that I could trim it to fit.

Well, that’s it for today! Have a great weekend and happy crafting!

Penny Black Rose Card

Tried my new Penny Black Scented Beauty kit along with some background stamps and a sentiment from Unity. I pulled out watercolor paper and Gansai Tambi watercolors. I stamped the image using black archival ink and proceeded to paint it. I then pulled out background stamps from Unity’s Hello Beautiful, Make Today and Vintage Era Background kits and stamped the images in distress inks in brown, green and honey colors. I cut the paper down and used leftover scraps to stamp the sentiment from the Hugs, Kisses and Birthday Wishes Kit.

I found coordinating papers in a kit and cut all the patterned and plain pieces. I attached a coordinating ribbon and cut the ends of a couple flowers to layer over the sentiment and ribbon. I finished by adding crystal dots.

Pretty pleased with the results of this easy card! Was fun to use some uplifting yellows for a change. Enough for now, till next time, happy crafting!

January 2019 Artist Trading Cards

This month I was in a very mixed media mood and since I’m in holiday withdrawal, I decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day early... bring on the hearts! The first ATC is very conventional! I used the following kits from Unity and various products: 

The following pics show the products I used. Briefly, I sprayed an 8 1/2 x 11 mixed media paper with the silver and pink sprays. I then stamped the large heart all over using Versafine black ink and the alpha stamp using the Memento Luxe ink. I used the same ink to stamp the sentiment. I then cut up the paper into 10 ATCs. I then attached 4 ATCs to my mixed media glass and laid a stencil over the 4. I used Brutus Monroe silver glitter on the insides of the doily and with a craft knife added the pink Raspberry Ice glaze. I did that to all 10 ATCS. I then added drops of white distress stain. I die cut hearts out of patterned paper. I stamped the love heart all over pink paper and stamped the smaller heart and embossed it with gunmetal Powder.  I also die cut those out. I cut out the sentiment, added silver pen to the edges and adhered the pieces to each ATC to make sure the background showed up well (each came out differently). Finished with toile and Brutus Monroe sequins.

For the second ATC, I really wanted make an unconventional heart based card. I used the following products:

I started, as usual, spraying the same type paper with yellow and blue sprays. I then stamped a few background stamps (which probably can’t be see) all over. I cut up the ATCs and added torn pieces of ephemera to each and then some then Washi tape. I then dribbled a dark blue ink from Art Anthology down the cards (because there’s so much yellow in the background the blue became more blue green.). I didn’t like how dark the blue became so I lightened it a little with some matte medium. I then too a Dylusions random heart stamp and used rust and gold colored glazes to add hearts around each ATC. I stamped the sentiment in teal, masked it and added the girl image in orange. I colored her with a mixture of pencils and pens. I wanted her to have excessively vivid orange/red hair to pair with the sentiment and background. I added a coordinating braid with a heat gun and some sparkly stickers.

Pretty happy with how these both turned out and I just love playing with all the mediums. At least I know they are one of a kind sets! Happy crafting till next time!

Flower Heart Bling Card

For awhile, I’ve been wanting to try coloring up the hearts from Unity’s KOTM kits. So, I, finally, pulled out the heart from the 10/15 KOTM and stamped it using a rose Archival ink. I selected some red and cool gray Prismacolor pencils, put on my recently downloaded pop music and began coloring. I really just pleasantly zoned out for awhile completing the heart. I added a few highlights using a white Posca pen.

I decided to use my silver bling cardstock I picked up at Tuesday Morning...heck, why not? I then started looking through my Valentine paper pads and found a plushy pattern that appealed to me and die cut that. I wanted to back my colored image with a gray heart, so, I found a gray paper and die cut a heart out. As I experimented with a design, I decided to embellish the gray paper. I pulled out a stencil and a Brutus Monroe Silver Glitter Glazc and added a glitter design to the gray heart. I also cut out a heart shape from white tulle and sprayed that with pink, red and silver sprays.

To complete the card I stamped a pretty background vine stamp with hearts from the 1/15 KOTM using Hickory Smoke ink on white paper. I then stamped the sentiment from the same kit. I pulled  the card together adding red/white string and silver sequins.

Hope you like this card, as I’m pretty pleased with it! Until next time, happy crafting!

Heart Rose Card

I recently happened upon this heart shaped rose when looking for a background stamp. I stamped it and was intrigued, promising myself I’d go back and use it. I also just recently bought a new palette, knowing I needed to replace the busted up one I used to hold my tube watercolors. So, starting fresh, I filled up the palette with the 8 colors needed to make any color I needed. I also created a black color (from the almost perfectly complementary colors, Alizarin Crimson and Pthalo Green). Now I was itching to watercolor!

I had a blue, dark blue, peach and gray color scheme in mind. So, I started by stamping the rose from Unity’s 9/15 SMAK kit onto watercolor paper. I then stamped a few of the branches from the same kit using gray archival ink again. I then proceeded to paint the image after mixing the colors I needed in various hues. I decided to add a peach color in the background, so I pulled out Tattered Rose distress ink and stamped a few background branches from another stamp in the kit. I then pulled a heart freebie I received recently, from the In Love kit and stamped that around with Hickory Smoke. Finally, I inked the edges and die cut the paper.

I found a Bo Bunny paper I could use as a base and a matching ribbon. I then decided to try to use the heart stamp, Tattered Rose ink and the shape as the sentiment base. I pulled the sentiment from the Feather Soft Love kit and silver embossed it. I then stamped the heart over that and fussy cut it out and inked the edges using another distress ink. To finish the card, I used a Heidi Swapp ephemera Kit I picked up at a Tuesday morning store and some clear crystal dots.

This card turned out more artsy, as, for example, I embellished the rose with my own highlights and I used a non-traditional sentiment shape and ephemera. I was unsure about this one, but I had fun and it seems, once I start something, I have to finish it! So it will get used!

Well, till next time, happy crafting!

Knight in Shining Armor Card

Bought this kit, Unity’s 12/18 KOTM in a swap FB group, specifically for this stamp! Always loved coloring in coloring books as a kid, and I was itching to ink this up and get out my Prismacolor pencils. I, of course, had my hubby in mind for this card!

I began by stamping the image with a Colorbox gold ink. I then sat down, relaxed, zoned out, and just colored the image. I then started looking around for paper I could pair it with and decided to use a DCWV pad, The Primrose. I love the sparkly grey diamond paper. In looking at the image, I decided I wanted to tone down the white background. I pulled out Hickory Smoke ink and Unity’s Ledger stamp and stamped around he image. I also pulled out a random, dotted image that I could add a pale green and yellow distress ink to. I inked up the sides of the image and the paper from the pad I thought could back the image.

For embellishments, I decided on 2 ribbons, a rusty organza and a Tim Holtz tweed. I found a crown brad I thought would go. And finally I pulled out a Bo Bunny die I recently picked up deeply discounted. I used one of the crowns on 3 different colored papers and glued them together. Finally I added gray crystals.

I really like how this one turned out, and hope you do too! If you enjoyed this post, please click on the Follow button or the Follow by Email button for the latest posts! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! Happy crafting!

Butterfly Snow Flakes

Responding to another color combination selection, I pulled out my tube watercolors and started inking up a watercolor panel with pale violet and mint colors. I painted the colors on my matte and dipped the paper into them, drying in between. I then pulled out a stencil and painted through it a slightly darker color hue of each using both sides of the stencil. I then searched thru my stash and hit on the butterfly and sentiment from Unity’s December 2018 KOTM and the snowflake from the 10/18 SMAK kit. I inked up the snowflake using mint and violet archival inks and stamped all over. I finally pulled out a Brea Reese gold paste and used a stencil to add gold color all over to match up with the color combo.

Turning to the image, I inked up the image using the combo inks above onto another piece of water color paper. I used the watercolors, Art C gold ink, gold Perfect Pearls and some Prima Metallic pastels to paint the image. This time, for a change, I painted the background with the glittery gold. When I paired the image with the background paper, it was too white against the darker gold image. I decided to try adding color to the background by painting around the snowflakes and adding darker hues around the paste. I also added flecks of paint to the background.

I then decided to try making a card with the two panels. I stamped the sentiment on coordinating paper with violet ink and embossed it with a multi color Stampendous powder. I ended up pulled the pieces together with pearls, crystals and ribbon.

If I were to redo this one, I would pay more attention to the background so that the beautiful snowflakes would show up better. I’d also work more on the layout. In reality, I was experimenting with colors, the stencil, and stamps, and not really sure if I would end up using what I put together. But, in playing with my pieces, I had fun pulling this happy accident together. Not the best design, but it’s pretty, shiny and interesting!

Till next time, happy crafting!

Unity Valentine Cards

Been making some cards in the background that I thought I’d collect up and post here. The first card was developed with a bunch of Unity stamps and a stamp and some die cuts from Vicki Boutin, Tim Holtz and Crafter’s Companion. I also used patterned paper, Washi tape, string and crystals. I wanted to see if I could use the angel from the Peace, Peace, Peace kit to make a Valentine. I like the combo of the sentiment and this stamp! I’m not bothering to describe the process as many of the stamps I used ended up hidden...similar to what happens in mixed media as you keep playing. The additional kits used were: 5/16 SMAK kit (background stamps), Love is Grand, and Heart Strings.

The second card was created using the following kits: To My Valentine, Heart Flutter, and going to be okay. ,I started actually by combining a pink Heidi Swapp paste with a white one with a gold tint, which made a rose gold color. I used that with a TCW stencil with hearts and x’s, found coordinating papers, combined and then die cut. I ended up using a square cardbase for this one. Since I wanted this to show, I decided to use bird’s to create the Valentine and found a few kits I thought looked good together, including the sentiment. I think this one will go to my son and DIL. I added Washi tape and crystals to this.

The last card was created with my newborn grandson in mind. The Again, I used patterned paper, Washi tape and die cuts to make the hearts. I used pencils and pens on the mouse. Kits used were Love Birds and Alfie (Heart and Soul Mouse).

Well, on to watercoloring...I need a fix! ;) take care and happy crafting till next time!

Friends of Unity January Blog Hop

Welcome to the New Year’s Friends of Unity Blog Hop! I expect this blog hop to be interesting again as we all provide our take on the theme, New Year! In keeping with prior years, my New Year resolutions all relate to crafting goals! So, I thought this key Unity stamp kit, Enjoy, Explore and Believe, says it all and reflects my wish for all of you! I just love this stamp! I have combined and used it in a variety of ways, so let me know your favorite! I also happened to obsess over and use new patterned Kraft paper, recent Unity SMAK kits and gold Perfect Pearls throughout.

This blog hop, as usual, offers giveaway goodies. Several of us, including myself are offering up giveaways this month. To be eligible, please leave a comment on each blog in the hop. Winners are randomly selected and posted on or by the next month’s blog hop. At this point, I’d like to congratulate, JAN VINT, for being my winner on last month’s hop! Congratulations, Jan! Please PM me providing your address within the next 2 weeks and I’ll gladly send out my giveaway!

For this first card, I chose a fairly standard card design. I decided to frame the sentiment with the frame from the 11/18 SMAK kit. I seem to be in a peach-like mood lately, so I first selected a patterned paper to use with the striped Kraft paper on the bottom. I stamped and clear embossed the sentiment on watercolor paper. I then stamped and embossed the frame using my new Wow Metallic Gold Rich Ultra High powder, which left a very thick beautiful layer. I then fussy cut the frame out and watercolored the insides, adding Perfect Pearls iridescence in spots and spatters. I pulled this card together with gold/white twine and a silver/gold metallic mesh underneath the frame.

The second card was developed with a mixed media bent. I again used watercolor paper and began by  spraying the paper with a green stain, brown stain and water. I mixed some Primary Elements together with a liquid medium and water and sprayed that as well. After drying, I then stamped the script/paper stamp from the 12/18 SMAK kit all over the paper. I then stamped the mushrooms from the same kit, this time using Faber Castelle gelatos, an orange and a metallic gold. I then also put a layer of Bo Bunny glaze over the tops, giving them a shiny sparkly raised look. I took white and brown pens to delineate the details. I stamped, cut up and added color to the sentiment strips. I then took a cream Bo Bunny glaze and an Altenew stencil and added paste where the sentiment pieces would go. Finally, I used pastel sticks and pens to enhance the mushrooms and areas surrounding them. I embossed the Barn Wall stamp on the Bo Bunny background paper and added the vines from the 11/18 kit to add some greenery in the background. Card was finished with sequins and twine.

The last card, was actually the first card I did, to start the new year off with crafty inspiration. I used a variety of products here: Star brads, Prima Paintables paper (built in with resist patterns which I stamped and added watercolor to...look closely and you’ll see the pattern), Tim Holtz dies (smudge spot and circle), Washi tape, gold and gold tinsel string, clear embossing powder, wood chip butterfly,  sticker numbers, crystal dots and patterned papers. I know this one will be the least liked, but I love the power behind the woman with wings and that beautiful sentiment. I wanted not only to surround them by all the crafty craziness, but also make a statement piece, with an exclamation mark!

Hope you enjoy these cards and my friends’ cards on this hop. Be sure to leave comments on each hop for your chance to win a giveaway. Just to remind everyone, we are not sponsored by Unity Stamp Co., but they do approve of this hop. I and my fellow crafters on this hop are keen users of their products and enjoy focusing our attention on monthly themes where we can showcase their products. We use our own stash as giveaways to share our inspiration with others. Hope you enjoy these efforts as much as we enjoy doing them! Happy New Year everyone and happy crafting! Now on to the hop:

Crystal Minkler

Kim Klinkovsky

You are here => Joyce Verdon

Bobbie Sue McConathy

Eileen Mathys

Jeanie Marie Hays

Robyn Jordan

Dawn Fields

Cozy Hello Card

Created a quick card using Unity’s pretty new Difficult Roads Kit. In keeping with my new crafty birthday card resolution, I chose a sentiment from another kit, One Sip at a Time. I also decided to continue with the color challenge (pic shown in last blog entry).

To start, I stamped the image using gray archival ink. I found the perfect colored and patterned paper that I would use to color the image using my Prisma pencils. I stamped the sentiment using gray ink again. I diecut the papers and adhered them together. I added pastel crystals and string and called this simple card done.

Till next time, happy crafting.