{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #28 - Cocoa & Love SSS

 Pulled out an older tiny Simon Says Stamp kit, called Cocoa & Love. Had to pick this one up as I am a cocoa lover! 

This card fulfills both the Coffee Loving PaperCrafters FB group‘s Fall 2022 | Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and the Build Your Stash Holiday Card FB group’s challenge as well!

Now that I have a sketch to work with, it was easy to pull this card together! After identifying patterned papers I’d combine it with, I stamped the image on mixed media paper and used my Prismacolor color pencils and a few pens to color it in. Also used a sparkly pen to highlight the fluffy trim on the hat. 

To complete the card I used Washi tape and matching sequins!

Be sure to check out both challenges and search your stash for those gems that fit! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy crafting till next time!

Concord’s Cozy Up Set

 Made another card for the Coffee Loving PaperCrafters FB group’s Fall 2022 | Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! Anyone can participate and this year, any season or occasion is fine! However, I’m still on a quest to get holiday cards done!

So I pulled out an older Concord and 9th stamp set, called Cozy Up and here’s a pic of it! Cute set from 2016!

I pulled out a sheet of Bristol paper, die cut it down and started stamping the background using a combo of brown distress inks and the new red one! I then stamped the cups, stocking and log heart with the same inks, embossing the brown images with a sparkly clear powder and the stocking with the new distress red powder. I fussy cut the images. Then I found a sheet of acetate and cut that down, leaving a strip at the top to tuck behind. I gold embossed the sentiment on that. I used an older brownish red Photoplay Christmas paper as backing. I used a strip of that to tack down the bottom bottom of the acetate once I assembled all the pieces. I think this set is adorable and don’t know why I haven’t used it more!

Pretty easy to create, once I carefully stamped, embossed and fussy cut pieces out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Warm & Cozy Studio Light/P13 Card

 Oh oh oh… if you haven’t checked it out yet,  Coffee Loving Papercrafters FB group are hosting a Fall 2022 | Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! Just found out it started today… and, since I knew it was just around the corner, I, coincidentally, happened to pull out stamps today that I could use! This is so fun, and there are tons of sponsors, all of which I haven’t even check out yet! Look at this pretty graphic…

So, wanting to participate and kick start my participation, I pulled out this cute maybe retired? Studio Light stamp set… from a former Snowy Afternoon collection. I decided to couple it with a very pretty paper from P13, called Cozy Winter. 

Having made those decisions, I found a mixed media paper and selected watercolor paints I thought would match up with the paper. I stamped the cup and saucer lightly with a brown distress ink and proceeded to paint. I fussy cut the images out, and stamped and watercolored a star anise image. I cut the papers from the collection down, added a sparkly embossed brown sentiment fromthe Kit, twine and embellishments. I decided to also add a little sparkle as I will be turning this into a holiday card by adding glitter to the sugared sprinkles on the whipped cream!

 

Had so much fun creating this card! Next step upload to the site for a chance at winning some goodies! Be sure to check out the blog hop and cards submitted for inspiration! 

Well, thanks for stopping by… till next time, happy crafting!

Paper Inspiration Cards

 Pulled out an Olive Vine Primary Elements pigment and tried to pour some out to use on paper. All of a sudden pigment was all over! Then I noticed the cap inside was open. Thus, I ended with a small pile of the beautiful pigment on my mat… which I couldn’t waste! So, after spritzing it with water, I ended up with a few beautiful sheets of colored green/gold paper, that I had to try using! Hence, the origin of these 2 cards (and probably more)!

Olive Vine, Colourarte, Primary Elements:

For the first card, I gold embossed and colored the ornaments from Unity’s 10/17 Conspiracy of Love kit using watercolors and pencils in complementary colors. I used an oval die on the ornaments paper. I decided to gold emboss the pigment paper with the Holly All Around background stamp. I then found a magazine paper that I thought worked as the bottom layer. I used a green Seth Apter powder, to emboss a sentiment from a recent kit, added gold ribbon and crystals and called the card done.

For the second card, I used the Search for Those Moments kit, to emboss the tree image, using a combo of green oxide inks and Rustic Wilderness powder. I spattered gold and white spatters over the paper. And, to make a snowy image, I added white acrylic paint to the trees. To back the image, I used the ink smooshing technique with another paper using the oxides and a gold liquid ink. I also stamped swirls using a mixed media kit from Unity and an oxide ink. 

I cut the papers down with dies, added a gold background, embossed sentiments from the Winter Wonderland Walk kit, and a ribbon, and called this one done.

Love how both of these turned out. I think I’m making some progress now, in creating holiday cards… but I have a ways to go! Hmmm, may be time for a little paper piecing. We’ll see… well, till next time, happy crafting!

Winter Scene Card

 Hello again… merrily building my holiday card stash here! This time I was inspired by craft magazine paper I had saved! I decided to couple it with a watercolored background. Then, I was inspired to pull out an older Unity SMAK kit, called Peace in Your Soul, from 11/2020. 

I started by laying down by laying down tape on watercolor paper to form the background hill. I then used a combination of violet, blue and green to paint the sky and add background forest. I then added shadows and snow with white+acrylic paint and a white pen. I used a sparkly blue Stampendous embossing powder to stamp the deer and painted shadows and sprigs of grass. 

I cut down the mag paper and backed it with another paper to strengthen it. I then used oval dies to cut the mag paper and a silver glittery frame. Using a more recent Unity sentimen, I embossed it on a blue scrap paper with a sparkly silver Stampendous powder and cut and backed it with white paper. I added a bow and crystals for embellishment.

You can see with the little video clip how sparkly the card is. Think it turned out okay!

Well, time to clean the craft room before I do anything else! Thanks again for checking in… till next time, happy crafting!

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #28 - Unity and a little Washi

 Here’s another Sketch Challenge #28 card! 

This time, I’m trying to use up some pretty Washi tape, one a soft glitter and the other, a beautiful soft Alexandra Renke tape. This was another easy card to make. I embossed Unity’s All Wrapped Up sentiment with a sparkly green embossing powder and added a little watercolor. Finally, I used a green ribbon, enamel dots and sticky gold strips to complete the card. A simple but elegant card, I think.

Thanks for stopping by… happy crafting till next time!

Odds and Ends Gingerbread Man Card

 So, how many of you are like me and picked up pretty odds and ends at different stores on sale, or have scraps from special cardmaking events? Well, I have just decided to make a card from those odds and ends, including, sparkly craft store holiday ribbon, a Stampin Up paper scrap, a sparkly My Mind’s Eye paper scrap, a Penny Black die, called Mitten Stocking, a Tim Holtz clipping sentiment and other paper scraps. Oh, and I used this month’s Sketch Challenge #28!

So, this was pretty easy to put together, but I think all elements combined with a few crystals make a pretty cute card! I think a sketch is so useful with simple cards! To pull elements together I did fussy cut a gingerbread man out versus using the die!

Well, that’s it for another holiday card, yay, till next time… happy crafting!

Friends of Unity November Blog Hop

 Hello… welcome back to another Friends of Unity Blog Hop! Just in time to be inspired for holiday cards and, maybe, to make some purchases during Unity’s Brown Thursday sale! This month our theme is:

As a reminder, our hop always includes stash giveaways in one blog or another. All you have to do is leave a comment on each blog and check back the following month to see if you won anything! PLEASE be sure to leave your address and name if anonymous pops up! Last month, I offered a giveaway and I’m pleased to announce that

Sandee

is the winner from last month. Please PM me your info and I’ll send your package along to you!

I used the Unity stamp, Bright Spirits, which I purchased because one of my friends favorite drinks are manhattans and martinis! Couldn’t resist! First, I stamped the image with Pumice Stone Oxide ink.  I used my Schmincke watercolors, mostly, and Arches cold press paper. I must admit I took a little license decorating the ornament with stripes and added gold metallic colors using Kuretake Gansai Starry watercolors. Finally, I also added a bit of metallic green pen and Posca Acrylic white and gold pens. I embossed the sentiment using a very old sparkly green embossing powder and used circle dies. I used a sparkly ribbon, and some random striped paper I thought complemented the colors and ornament design. I added red sequins to finish off the card. This is probably a bit of a strange card… but then… I think it kind of works.

On this second card, I used the same paper and watercolors and the Posca white pen with Christmas Cookies. To add a little more outline definition I used tan, brown, green and red pens. I used a green embossing powder on the sentiment for this one as well. I added enamel dots for cookie decorations and embellishments.

Hope this reminds you of a couple other cute stamp sets to use for the holidays! Thanks for stopping by! And remember to leave a comment with your name! Now on to the rest of the hop!

You may have come here from:

Dawn’s post

Next stop is:

Rachel’s post

Or, you can start from the beginning with:

Crystal’s post

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 28 - Simple Little Joy

 A new month, another sketch challenge - #28! Just in time for many of us building the bulk of our holiday cards in preparation for December mail boxes! Here’s the Sketch!

This card was pretty simple to make! I used an older paper pad and found a good pattern I thought matched the pretty Unity stamp deer from the Simple Little Joy kit. I stamped the deer and used my Prismacolor pencils to color it in. I die cut the deer and a matching blue paper to back it. To add dimension, I embossed a snowflakes all over, from September’s Kit of the Month, using a sparkly blue powder on both the background paper and the deer die cut. I also used a snowflake punch to add a few pink snowflakes. I used a sentiment from an older Unity Kit, backed that, added a ribbon and called it done.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting, till next time!

Falling for the Holidays - Merry Merry Christmas

   My entry for Unity’s October Challenge, a Sketch Challenge, 

and, my last card for the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party!

For this card, I pulled out an older My Mind’s Eye paper pad, called Sugar Plum… pretty pastel pinks, blues and greens, and foiling. I used 5 papers from the pad, one of which was a scene that I stamped on. I embossed the image from Unity’s Merry Christmas Treeline onto the scene using Liquid Platinum powder. I then cut it down and used watercolors on the trees. I mounted that on another patterned paper and added die cuts using another paper. I then added 3 liquid dots in gold, blue and pink to the trees. I cut the remaining pieces and added cream paper backing. I mounted it all on a blue card base and added crystals for embellishments.

 Join in the fun and link up some pretty holiday cards… and check out all the beauties already submitted! Remember, the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party also has a great list of sponsors and giveaways. See rules in the attached blog post!

Thanks for stopping by… till next time, happy crafting!

Falling for the Holidays - a Christmas Flower

  Okay, okay… getting near the end of the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party!

Today, I pulled 2 stamps from another vendor (or 2) out of a hat, or really, out of my stash… Picket Fence’s A Christmas Flower and a Unity sentiment. I really want to go back and paint this one when I have more time! I wanted to use this pretty paper I’ve had in my stash for a while now… somehow I think it’s from DCWV. This card was pretty simple to create, although I fussed a bit with different options. Finally, I ended up silver embossing the image twice, once on gray card stock and once on white card stock. I then fussy cut the top leaves and attached it to the gray flower with foam tape. I used a gold paper to embellish the top layer and added the embossed sentiment on red scrap paper. Both papers have metallic shine to them so it was important to have the flower stand out. I added crystals and gold thread as well.

It’s a very pretty stamp and I would like to go back and paint this one next time.

 Join in the fun and link up some pretty holiday cards… and check out all the beauties already submitted! Remember, the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party also has a great list of sponsors and giveaways. See rules in the attached blog post!

Thanks for stopping by… till next time, happy crafting!

Falling for the holidays - Pretty Pink Posh

  Wow, Day 5 in the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party!

Today, I pulled out a never used stamp & die set from Pretty Pink Posh… one of our sponsors… yay! The Joy stamp and die sets are just adorable. I can see using it over and over with many different combinations of paper and colors. I used a Unity patterned paper and another lighter green one from my stash to define the colors I would use for stamping ink and for watercoloring with my Arteza pens! Can you believe this is the first time I’ve used these ink pens? Geez… they were perfect for getting into those small images. This was so fun and such a break from the techniques used on my other cards! 

I strongly encourage anyone who can to pick up this perfect set! There are a couple different ways to use it… may need to try a shaker card with it!

 Join in the fun and link up some pretty holiday cards… and check out all the beauties already submitted! Remember, the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party also has a great list of sponsors and giveaways. See rules in the attached blog post!

Thanks for stopping by… till next time, happy crafting!

Falling for the holidays - Vintage Card

 Day 5 in the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party. 

 So, I had fun putting this card together with paper scraps, dies, stamps and ephemera from my holiday card stash. (I don’t know about you, but I hate to throw away paper.) So, I began by piecing together the background with vintage Paper Studio papers scraps. I then pulled out an older Impression Obsession die, called Christmas Tree, and a vintage textured gold paper. I decided to back the diecut with paper I added white embossed snowflakes and red pen “ornament” dots to. Then I found a winter Tim Holtz paper doll I could combine with the tree and added rosy cheeks.

 I then went to town looking for other embellishments I could add to the card. I found a Joy die from a magazine and used that with the same paper. I found a brad, an old braided ribbon, and other odds and ends. I fussy cut some of the ephemera to fit the card. I used a Unity stamp to add another “No Peeking” embellishment using Unity’s Ticket to Christmas.

I must admit, I do like collages of vintage cards; all the layers and textures!

Join in the fun and link up some pretty holiday cards… and check out all the beauties already submitted! Remember, the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party also has a great list of sponsors and giveaways. See rules in the attached blog post!

Thanks for stopping by… till next time, happy crafting!