Unity Chick

I had a little time to hit the craft room and since I haven't used my Unity Stamps for awhile decided to pull those out.  No coloring on this one...I just stamped the chick from the April 2011 KOTM on some patterned paper, cut it out and added it to the circle panel.  The chicken wire background on the circle panel was embossed in silver ~ I just thought it was a cute touch.  The papers are from the Lily Bee This and That collection.  I also tried something new on this one with the ribbon and like how it turned out.  I added a button, some ric rac trim and a few brads to finish it off.  All in all, I love how this card turned out.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Unity's KOTM sketch challenge - ♥Love♥ this sketch and will defintely keep it on hand to use again.

Unity Monthly Challenge - "Tweet Tweet"  - use a bird
Try it on Tuesday - Something old (chicken wire background/embellishments) and something new (unity stamp/designer papers)
Papertake - Anything goes
Creative Inspirations - Embossing
Lollipop Ladies - photo inspiration (ribbon candy) with ribbon - gathered ribbon
Papercraft Star - use any sketch
Catered Crop - used Polka Dot patterned paper; the color yellow; ribbon; die cuts
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Try something new - ruffled ribbon
Totally Gorjuss - 1,2,3 your choice - 1 button, 2 stamps, 3 designer papers
All Things Unity - Get Felt Up - use texture ~ heat embossing, different ribbons
One Stitch at a Time - Emboss it
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Use 2 ribbons
Stamp with Fun - Lace or Ribbon
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Something with a C - Chick, circles, chicken wire
Pear Tree Designs - Anything goes
Let's Ink It Up - Embellish It
Phindy's Friday - Embossing

Wags & Whiskers - Use a die or punch
Paper Play - Show us your style



Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! 

Recipe ~ all items SU unless indicated 
Stamps:  Unity April 2011 KOTM; Chicken Wire Background
Ink/Coloring:  Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black); Versamark; Silver Detail Embossing Powder
Paper:  Barely Banana, Riding Hood Red; DP - Lily Bee (This and That) 
Embellishments:  Ribbon (wide - Very Vanilla; narrow - Cream); vintage Ric Rac; vintage Button; Brads (Making Memories)  
Tools: Circle Nesties; Heat tool 

Sweetest Day Ever

Today is another Inspiration Day at Claudia & Company . 

For my card I used Jillibean Soup's Chilled Strawberry papers, and what better image to pair them up with than a co-branded Unity Stamp Co. Itty Bitty Stamp set Sweetest Day.  I tried something different and stamped the image on Kraft Cardstock and colored it with copics.  I like how it turned out and may just need to try people images on Kraft cardstock next.  After coloring the strawberry I added rhinestones to it.  I added some Red Satin Ribbon, and decided it was a bit too fancy for this card, so I then added some Brown Baker's Twine over it.  The Basic Grey Kioshi buttons were threaded with Red Baker's Twine and some linen thread.  The image and sentiment are both adhered with 3-D dots.

Making this card made me about think about strawberry picking.  I started taking the kids strawberry picking after Trevor was born and we have gone each year since.  We go to a farm about 5 minutes away (can't beat that!) and after picking strawberries (and eating a few on the tractor ride) have an ice cream cone or a strawberry sundae.  Fresh strawberries are the best!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

All Things Unity -Bling it Up
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Wee Memories - Anything Goes
The Spotted Chick - That's Krafty Thursday

Thanks for stopping and have a great day!

Copics new 2011 Colors 12 piece set

The Girls Paperie Jubilee, Kitch, and Vintage Whimsy

Fancy Pants Its The Little Things

Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden, Soiree, and Hometown Summer

7 Gypsies Camden 6x6 paper packs

Melissa Frances 5th Avenue and Attic Treasures

Recipe ~ all items SU unless indicated 
Stamps: Sweetest Day (Unity Stamp Co.)
Ink/Coloring:  Memento Ink (Rich Cocoa); Copics (R29, YG21, YG23,YG25)
Paper:  Kraft; DP - Jillibean Soup (Chilled Strawberry) 
Embellishments:  Satin Ribbon (Red); Bakers Twine (Brown); Bakers Twine (Red); Button (Basic Grey-Kioshi);  Rhinestones
Tools: 3-D Dots

Just Be You

I haven't yet had a chance to use my Unity Dec KOTM so I pulled out that set to play with.  I paper pieced parts of the bee and added some shimmerz to the hearts and the wings.  I started to to sew on it, and then a little bit into it, my bobbin ran out of thread....ok, I think I can cover up those few holes after I put a new bobbin in.  So far, so good, until the bobbin thread decided to jam my machine, which made my stitching, well, not so nice.  Aside from starting over, what can I do now....sew another border around the paper and make it look messy intentionally!  OK, at this point I am thinking a distressed card is in order, so out come the sponges, ink, distressing tool, new trims and different buttons (of course by now my desk is a complete disaster).   I sewed the trims on and then added the image piece.  Finally done....and the finished project is completely different that what I had originally envisioned, but that's ok, life would be boring if it went as we planned.  I'm still undecided on if I really like this one or not, but, hey, after all that I'm sharing ;)

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Stamp Scrap & Doodle - Anything Goes
Wee Memories - Free your Creativity
Paper Sundaes - Distressing
One Stitch at a Time - As you like it
Sweet Stampin - Clear as mud
The Crazy Challenge- Dots and stripes
Claudia & Co  - 2 sheets of DP, 3 buttons, 1 image and at least 1 piece of decorative trim
City Crafter - Sew fun
Do You Stack Up - Patterns
Paper Cutz - Your Choice
Catered Crop - Tools: sewing machine and sponges; Techniques: Machine Stitching 


Thanks for visiting and have a great day! 

Recipe ~ all items SU unless indicated
Stamps: Dec KOTM (Unity)
Ink/Coloring: Memento Rich Cocoa; Creamy Caramel
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Pink Pirouette; Gina K Luxury White; DP - Loves Me 
Embellishments:  Buttons; Linen Thread; Zipper Trim (Wrights); Vintage Trim; Shimmerz (Angel Wings) 
Tools: Sewing Machine; Paper Distresser; Circle Punch; Nestie; Sponges
    

Life is Too Short to Match Socks.....

...and besides, how can you match them when they disappear into thin air?  I will never figure that one out, seriously, where on earth do socks go???  I have a drawer in my laundry room with no less than 30 unmatched socks sitting in it right now.....and some have been there for over a year (because I think the minute the garbage men take them away the match will mysteriously appear and then I just wasted a perfectly good sock)......so yeah, I admit it, sometimes my kids wear unmatched socks (although the only difference is the color stitching of the logo).  I also admit that it drives me nuts that there are missing socks out there...somewhere......

Now onto the card that inspired this little discussion: 

I think this is just a really "fun" set to use.  I followed the Unity Hip Hop sketch on SCS for this card.  When I saw it I knew I wanted to play along because this is actually one of my favorite sketches and I have used many variations of it in the past.  Since my background paper is a bit on the busy side, I added a simple knotted ribbon to the corner and then some brads to the sentiment in place of the o's.

I do have one more card that I finished today, but I can't show you that until Thursday.  Now to type up and pre-schedule that post since I'm not sure when else I will have a chance to get to it.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
AI Factory ~ Anything GoesMeljen's ~ Square or Round Shaped Card
Easy Craft Projects ~ Use your old stash (DP, Cardstock, ribbon, brads)
Stamp Something ~ Anything Goes
Craft Your Days Away ~ Anything Goes
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle ~ Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time ~ New (Stamp)
Pile It On ~ Anything Goes
Pear Tree Designs ~ Free for All
The Crafty Pad- Something New (Stamp)
Copic Creations ~ Use anything new (Stamp)


Have a great day and thanks for visiting :)

Recipe ~ all items SU unless indicated
Stamps: Matching Socks(Unity)
Ink/Coloring: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics (BG13, BG15 (I think ~ I put them away before I wrote them down), YG23, YG25, YR21, YR23, YR24) 
Paper: More Mustard; Gina K Luxury White; DP - unknown (from a Grab Bag at my LSS) 
Embellishments:  Ribbon (Mustard); Brads; Dimensionals 
Tools: None

Destination Imagination and some Unity projects

On Thursday all 4 of my kids tried out for Destination Imagination (DI) at their school.  Ashley and Trevor are in the Rising Star age level and performed a poem the three of us worked on together about DI.  Alicia and Tyler are at the regular DI level and performed a skit about recycling that they wrote themselves. 

Ashley and Trevor made a Rising Star team and I am their co-coach.  I've never coached a DI team before so I'm not sure what I'm in for, but I know we will have a fun time (and I know quite a few of the coaches from last year, so I'm sure they will help me along the way).  

Now the older two, Alicia and Tyler, won't find out until Friday the 12th if they made a team or not.....that is such a long wait for me that I can't even begin to imagine how it feels to them!  Alicia was on a team last year that placed 1st in Regionals and 3rd at State, and would be absolutely heartbroken if she didn't make it on a team this year.  She was sad when DI was over for the year and has been counting the days until she could do this again.  Tyler has not been on a team before, but after watching his sisters last year, he had his heart set on this and I know he would be really hurt if he didn't make a team.  I do believe that they both have something special to offer and hope the judges saw that as well.  So now it's a waiting game and all I can do is hope and pray that they both make it!


Last month I finally got my first Unity Stamps.  They have been on my wish list for quite some time, but I'm sure you know how it is....a wish list a mile long with papers, stamps, embossing folders, nesties, punches, embellishments and more, but unfortunately no money tree to go along with it.  But, waiting turned out to be a good thing for me because I picked up on some awesome "Deals of the Day".

Here are a few of the fall themed cards I did:

This card is one of my favorites ~ and although not a fall card, I did incorporate fall colors.  I used one of the sayings in "The Artist in You" set:

This one is a mini card using the "Trick or Treat Peeps" Set:

These two use the "Harvest of Memories" set:

Note:  This is my attempt at a one layer card (I still don't like doing these!)

This one uses the 12/09 KOTM:

I have oh, about 18 more cards to get up yet....sooner or later they will be here ;)

Have a great day!