Start Where You Are Card

Created another Unity June 2020 SMAK kit card today (Start Where You Are). Instead of creating my own background for this one, I used another Stamperia paper kit, Forest. This was my firs5 time using this paper. I was inspired by a close friend who is an avid hiker!

To begin, I stamped the paper with Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then used my Schmincke watercolors to give a wash of color to the image, trying to match up hues. I then turned to my Prismacolor pencils and some pens to add further definition. I fussy cut out the image, laid it over the cut down paper and adjusted color where needed to blend into the image. Then I adhered it to the paper and die cut the piece.

For the sentiment, I was again inspired by the paper collection to make my own sentiment paper. I watercolored a frame around the stamp, filled it in more ensuring the edges had the strongest colors. Then I brown embossed the sentiment in the frame. I used a pen to add lines and again added a little more paint on those line edges and then fussy cut it out. I darkened the edges again to make sure it would stand out, then I used foam backing to adhere it to the paper. I assembled the card and added twine, sequins and enamel dots and called it done.

So, hard for me to judge... how’d I do? Like it? I so enjoy making a stamp come alive... hope it worked. Again, this stamp is so versatile... it has so much detail, it would be great stamped in black on Kraft and left plain. Well, hope you enjoyed this idea... thanks for stopping by! Till next time, happy crafting!

June SMAK 2020 Key Card

Loving this month’s Unity SMAK kit, Start Where You Are! Was on a roll yesterday, so I stamped the key from the kit using a brown Stazon ink on hot press watercolor paper (smooth finish). I then went looking through my patterned paper for one of my favorite vendor’s collection, Stamperia’s Time is an Illusion.

I love trying to get my image to coordinate with patterned paper, and so, after finding a scrap in the kit and cutting out the perfect keyhole to match the image with, I tried doing just that!

I first turned to my watercolors to add the patina look to the key. I then augmented the key with gold and white pens. Next, I used my Prismacolor pencils to add a shadow beneath the key using a dark brown. I then added a blended background using gold, yellow, turquoise and chestnut colors. Next, I used other stamps in the kit to add visual texture to the background.

To pull the card together, I added brown backing to every piece and used a Kraft cardsock for the base. I added 2 stamped sentiments on paper from the kit. Finally, I added a Tim Holtz metal embellishment and string to complete the card.
   

Love how this one turned out! So fun, playing off patterned paper... especially beautiful papers like this. “Hope” this inspired some of you to give this a try! Till next time, happy crafting!

June 2020 SMAK Vase Card

Made a quick watercolor card today using the pretty vase stamp from this month’s Unity SMAK Kit, Start Where You Are. I stamped the image on watercolor paper using InkOn 3’s No Line Fadeout ink and proceeded to watercolor it loosely with my Schmincke watercolors.

I ended up using some oxides and a Stencil Girl stencil to match the K&C Company patterned paper I found to match. I used a curved Studio Katia die to die cut the image. I cut down all the papers, adding brown paper to offset the patterned paper. I stamped the sentiment in the leftover watercolor scraps, backed that with patterned paper, added ribbon and sequins, and called the card done. This is a larger stamp than normal, so I ended up using a 5x7 card base.

This stamp has a lot of options for use... cards, canvases, art journals and scrapbooking. It’s such a pretty delicate image. I encourage you to take a look at the SMAK kits, if you haven’t before. They are a lot of fun to play with.

Well, till next time, happy crafting!

Feather SMAK Cards

Tried playing today with the new gorgeous feather from June’s 2020 SMAK kit, Start Where You Are. I pulled Vicki Boutin crayons, scribbled them all over the feather, sprayed it with water and stamped it on watercolor paper. With both cards, I ended up re-stamping the image with regular ink. The fun part about doing this is the crayons and water end up bleeding around the image, allowing multiple colors to chine through.

On my first attempt, I used multiple color crayons, yellow, orange, blue and purple and doing it multiple times. The colors ended up blending a little too much, but I kept on. I then pulled out a Gina K blue/purple ink and stamped over the dried crayon colors. I used oxide inks to add the other background stamps and finally used Versafine ink to add the sentiment. I did add a couple more stamps, a circular dots stamp (from the Helluva Start SMAK kit) and the border stamp (from the Time to be Happy Again Kit). I inked the edges. I used one of the stamps on a piece of Washi tape. Tore it up, added another piece of Washi and some die cut paper additions for embellishment.

For the second, I used only yellow and red crayons, added the background stamps and paint spatters. This time, I also added copper Perfect Pearls spatter. I used corrugated paper and patterned paper as backgrounds. I stapled on cloth ribbon and added enamel dots.

So, these turned out interesting and we’re fun to do... love getting inky and spraying stuff... the kid in me, I guess! But, this stamp is gorgeous and I need to try some other techniques to really show it off.

Till next time, happy crafting!

Friends of Unity June Blog Hop

Welcome to another monthly hop! (Yes, I know, another one.) But this time, it’s the Friends of Unity Blog Hop, coming again to you with the chance of winning some Unity goodness! I’ll be giving away a new stamp set this time, so be sure to comment on each blog for a chance to win it! Speaking of winning, my winner of last month’s Unity gift certificate is:

Wilma Marquand DeGraffenreid!

Please message me, Wilma, your email address and I’ll contact Unity Stamp Co., promptly! Thanks again for stopping by!

Now, this month’s theme is Wings! And, although there’s a lot of options here, I decided to take advantage of many of the beautiful bird stamps I have in my collection. And, I’ve veered completely away from traditional cards. Hope you enjoy my spin on this fun theme!

First off, I created this colorful tag. I was inspired by my new Tim Holtz Speckled Egg collection and this pretty foiled tissue paper I received it in from Joggles! Besides other products I used the oxide spray, the oxide ink and the Embossing Glaze very shiny... I’m in love)! I used @ couple of stencils and the birds, sentiment and background stamps from Just Want To Be Me 3/19 SMAK kit.

My next endeavor, ay yi yi, this one took several days to create! This time I was inspired by an artist paper included in the most recent Somerset Studio Summer 2020 magazine. I cut that down into pieces (it was already marked up with dividing lines). I also used my new Tim Holtz inks as well as other inks, cut up ephemera from many different collections, ribbons, brads, lace, pearls, pin, cloth, Washi tape and embossing powders. This time I was inspired by my crafty friends to create an accordion vintage card. 

A very, very close friend let me vent all my pent up anxieties on her one day recently. All sorts of old icky stuff came out (kind of like, cat fur balls) and it was just what I needed to relieve pressure. So I created this special card with her in mind. We’ve been friends since grade school... so she’s my other sister from another mister!

Anyway, sorry to say, I didn’t take an inventory of all the SMAK, KOM and other kits used to create this one off card, but if you have an interest in any stamp, just let me know what page (1 being front) and I’ll get back to you! The dimensions are 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. I used a 5 1/2 x 12 inch strip of paper to start and scored it at 4 1/4 twice. I did the same with a second strip. I overlaid the last few inches of the first strip on the second and cut off the trailing end. In essence, I ended up with 6 sides I decorated and 2 plain (8 total). I used a double sided paper as the base (cool back speaks to friendship). I used Authentique papers as first layer, except for front and back... which I created myself. I then used my cut up paper in a variety of ways. If nothing else, there’s a lot to look at in this card... hope she likes it!

Now, on to the rest of this great hop: 

Crystal

Eileen

Dawn B

Kim

Robyn

Dawn F

Amber