BYSHC Sketch 45 Holiday Cards

 Another month - another holiday sketch to play to continue building my Christmas card stash! Here’s the really fun simple sketch - 

This sketch really enabled me to reach into my stash and create simple but pretty cards using just dies, ephemera and pretty papers. I used a Concord and 9th edge die on both of these cards to create the basic sketch design. For this card, I used random papers that matched and a lovely Stamperia ephemera chip board piece. I used a Simon Says Stamp sentiment from the Snowflake edges kit. I added enamel dots for embellishment.

For this card I used pretty Studio Light Magical Christmas papers with gold foil on them and parried it with a Spellbinders sentiment die. For embellishment, I just added crystals and a gold flower.

I really like how this sketch lends itself to using pretty papers as the focal point. Try it yourself and let me know what you think! Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting till next time!

Friends of Unity May Blog Hop

 Oh, my, 2024 seems to be moving by fairly quickly! Welcome to May’s (already) Friends of Unity Blog Hop focusing on - 

cards! Before I started, I wanted to remind hoppers that giveaways are always part of the hop. My crafty friends volunteer to give away items from their own personal stash to lucky winners from those who post comments on their blogs! And, in fact, I’m giving away unused items from my personal stash to the lucky winner from last month’s hop! So, congratulations to

Deb Coughan

- please PM me your address and I’ll get your prize out to you shortly! Thanks for the lovely comment too! I’ll be doing another giveaway this month as well, so be sure to leave your NAME, along with your comment below for another chance at winning a prize.

So, before I begin, may I just take a humble moment to say, I really am not good at masculine cards… so this was a stretch! And… I have nontraditional guys I give cards too, making life harder than it needs to be🤣… not drinkers, not campers, not fishermen, not car, bike or motorcycle fans, no ties in their life right now, etc. But I did happen upon a couple themes that’ll work!

First off, I decided to make my husband this card! He’s a walker… in fact, he walk 12-15 miles about 3 times a week around our local town and hills, our golden California hills, that is! They look like this…

I used the following kits on this card: Looking Forward, September 2021 Kit of the Month, A Good Man and Some Butterflies, March 2023 Kit of the Month, and, for the map in the background, an old retired August 2017, Just Go, SMAK kit. 

I started with my watercolors on the stamped background. After loosely watercoloring the image, and ending pen marks, I cut it down. I then stamped the boots on Bristol paper and again added watercolor to coordinate with the hills. Finally, I pulled out some coordinating papers and added detail in the form of a map and boot prints.

 I added the sentiment, framed the image and backed with black paper. For embellishment, I just added enamel dots.

I think he’ll get the heartfelt message and hopefully appreciate the thinking behind it!

For the next card, I kept my son in mind! He’s enjoying the pleasures and burdens of being a first time homeowner! For this card I pulled a very old yellowing My Mind’s Eye paper pad and 2 Unity kits, Best Tool in the Box, Inspired Minds and another old SMAK kit, from May 2020, called Radiate Joy. I used the argyle patter on one of the papers from the pad and cut it down. I stamped and embossed the tools on Bristol paper and added watercolors to them. And I stamped the industrial looking cabinet like image on another paper from the pad and watercolored it too. I fussy cut the tools out (hmmm, 🧐 wonder where the screwdriver went 🤣). I used black paper to back everything and added a sentiment from the kit, string, sequins and pearl dots to complete this one!

Now, looking at the kits online, I should have checked the samples as there sure are some really cool cards on Unity’s site for all of these kits! But, then I wouldn’t have made them in my own wonky style!

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think below, and be sure to include your name with your comment for a chance at winning this month’s prize. Check back next month to see if you’ve won! Now, to orient yourself to the rest of the hop, you may have come here from 

Rachel’s blog

But, you can start from the beginning with

Crystal’s blog