ALWAYS LOVE

The theme for this month's Unity Challenge is LOVE.  With that in mind, I decided to use the heart and love stamps from the February 2011 KOTM that I recently received. I wanted the stamps to really stand out on my card so I chose a white cardstock base and used my Tsukineko Kaleidacolor inkpad in Calypso (I've had this stamp pad for many, many years and can't remember the last time I used it or if it is still available for sale...and how amazing that it wasn't dried out!). The large heart was stamped on white cardstock three times, inked in different places each time on this multi-color stamp pad. I cut the inside out of one of the hearts just leaving the center portion. The small 'love' stamp was also stamped three times; however, I cut the word 'love' off two of them to add to the center of the large hearts. The third was left whole and then punched using a small tag punch (this is attached on the inside of the card with a pink rhinestone at the top). The sentiment stamp came from the Sentiments O'Simple set. This was also inked with the same stamp pad. Lemondrop twine from the The Twinery was tied to the open heart and attached behind the sentiment. Both were then adhered with SU dimensionals. The other two hearts were added along with a pink rhinestone to the center heart.

SEWING ON A CARD

I've been wanting to try my hand at sewing on my cards. I'm pretty happy with how this came out ..it's the first time I used the Singer Pixie craft sewing machine my daughter gave me (she decided she didn't want it, so I inherited it LOL!). This also gave me a chance to try out my newest PTI stamps, dies and ink. I'm entering this into these three challenges:
Paper Trey Ink: February Blog Hop Use Scallops
The Paper Variety Challenge 22: Sew Much Fun
CASE Study Challenge #28: Create a paper crafting project (card, layout, off-the-page item), based on provided inspiration (being a featured creation, made by our Muse)
Products used: kraft and dark brown cs, PTI Button Card Dies and Button Boutique stamps, chamomile and chai dye ink; Taylored Expressions It's a Banner Day 1 Stamp and Die; Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa dye ink; DCWV At Home paper stack; MS Topiary Punch and brown twine; SU Chocolate Chip Grosgrain 1/4" ribbon, Scor-tape 

WHO 'WOOD' HAVE GUESSED IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?

Our friend and neighbor, Jim, is having a birthday soon so I made a card to fit one of his hobbies. He is an amazing woodcrafter (previous posts showed a lamp and candleholders he built for us) so this is what I came up with. Products used: kraft cs; dark brown Bazzil cs; Unity Stamp Grainy Background; Cuttlebug and forest branches embossing folder; Tim Holtz dp, walnut distress ink and distress tool; Stickopotamus Tool stickers; Recollections screw brads. I'm entering this into the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge 23 where the challenge for this week's project is to make anything you like, but you must stress it out with some sort of distressing technique. I used Tim Holtz' distress tool on the edges of each of the layers (both outside and inside the card) and then inked them with Ranger walnut distress ink. I'm also entering this into Southern Girls Challenge where the challenge is to use brads, gems or dew drops. I used screw brads on the front of the card.

HELLO

Felt like making a card today and I just had to use my new Unity February 2011 KOTM... again.  The adorable flower/swirls stamp is from this set. I stamped it onto a piece of dp from Basic Grey; colored it with some Copic markers; cut around it and inked the edges with PTI chai ink. The banner, mat, tag and scallops are some I had left over from other projects and decided they would work for this card.  I used a Unity scalloped border stamp on the top of the banner; for the sentiment (HELLO) from DeLovely Whimsy and the distressed dots stamp on the front of the card. Other products used: kraft cs; Webster's pages dp; Wild Honey Distress Ink; Ranger Watermark ink; Memento Rich Cocoa ink; buttons and twine from stash; Cuttlebug with Swiss Dots and Spots and Dots embossing folders; PTI dies; SU scallop die and dimensionals.

ATU#25 CHALLENGE

All Things Unity#25 Challenge is to Alter Anything using Unity or Ippity stamps only.  I chose to take an empty bath salt bottle that I've been saving (the bath salts are so yummy and come in these great brown glass bottles). I removed the labels and then using Adirondack Mixatives in Pearl and Copper and Alcohol Ink in Stream painted the black screw on cap and set it aside to dry. I then used my Tim Holtz Rosette Die, dp from his Lost and Found Paper Stash in my Vagabond to create my rosette (I used my iBond hot glue gun to assemble it). The felt flowers were cut with an old Sizzix flower die.  I used two stamps from my Unity February 2011 KOTM ....I finally took the plunge and decided to join...thanks for enabling me Lynn with all your beautiful projects :o) . The sentiment is stamped onto kraft cs with Forest Moss Distress Ink; punched out with the SU Curly Label Punch and inked around the edges with a Copic marker.  I saw a You Tube video by Jennifer McGuire some time ago for using sticky back canvas and since I had some I thought it would be fun to try something new.  I don't have the Claudine Hellmuth paint she used so I decided to wing it and 'paint' my canvas with some Magic Micas mixed with water and dry it with my heat gun. I then stamped the bird image from the KOTM onto white tissue paper with Jet Black StazOn ink and dried it with my heat gun. Using Ranger multi-medium gloss I adhered the stamped image to the front of the canvas and also coated the front with some (again I dried it with my heat gun). When completely dry I used Copics to color the little bird and swirls. I really love how it came out.  To assemble my altered bottle I wrapped some shabby wrinkled ribbon around the bottle; tied two bows and added a blue glitter dome. To hold the ribbon in place I peeled off the backing paper on the canvas and adhered it onto the bottle. I then used Scor-tape to add the felt flowers, rosette and sentiment. A few more blue glitter domes and it was done.  I haven't decided yet if I will refill the bottle or use it to hold some flowers or a candle.  This was the perfect challenge to get me to finally do something with my empty bottle and try out my new KOTM. Also added this to Paper Issues Challenge.

A VINTAGE STYLE FRAME FOR A VINTAGE PHOTO

I had the opportunity to try out Canvas Corp Chalkstock Chalkboard Paper (which you can find at Custom Crops) and decided it would be fun to use it a bit differently than what may be expected with this type of paper. (First though, let me say, that I am impressed with the quality. It has a really nice weight and you can write on it with chalk, erase it and write again and again. Or, if you prefer something more permanent, you can use gel pens....I tried my Gelly Roll Metallic ones and love how it looks). For this project, however, I decided to use it to create some black flowers and also as a background for my Grandmother's photo.  If you go to my article at Custom Crops (just click here) you will find all the directions including lots of photos, what other products were used and a free .cut file for the flowers I created. I'd love to hear what you think so please leave a comment here and when you go to Custom Crops I'd appreciate if you left a review....I appreciate the feedback.

A CARD FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL

I recently had the chance to try out a product I never used before by Viva Decor called Paper Soft Color (which you can find at Custom Crops) and have to say that I really like it. I used it to color a plain white piece of slightly glossy cardstock to create the pink background layer, the sentiment layer and also on the tulle (which was originally white) that is under the flower. I am also now the happy owner of the Sizzix Vagabond by Tim Holtz (LOVE IT!!) and used that and his Tattered Florals die to create the flower (it's not made from paper).  All the details, along with lots more pics can be found by clicking here to go to my article at Custom Crops.  Please leave me a comment (here and on Custom Crops) as I'd love to know what you think.

CHALK AND MAGNET BOARD FOR LITTLE BOYS

I was given the opportunity to try Designer Effects Chalk It Up Vinyl (which you can find at Custom Crops) and wanted to create a project with it {I found this vinyl to be extremely easy to use}.  Off to the Dollar Store I went and found these cute Fireman and Policeman magnets along with a metal 'Home Decor' board and an idea was born.  These products (and a few more)  would make a really cute combination Chalk and Magnet Board.  The firetruck and police car (also magnets) are made using my Cricut Design Studio, Cricut Expression and the Boys Will Be Boys cartridge.  All the details, lots of pictures and a free .cut file are available by clicking here for my article at Custom Crops. I am so happy with how this turned out that I'm sure I'm going to make more (and they don't just have to be for boys...one of my friends said her daughter-in-law would love to have one in her kitchen).
I hope you'll let me know what you think of my project (here and at Custom Crops). Your kind words are always appeciated.

ATU#24 CHALLENGE

All Things Unity Challenge #24 is to make anything using your favorite Unity or Ippity stamp(s) or set(s). This is the card I created for this challenge.   I don't have the names of the stamps since they all came in the grab bag and special offer that I just received.  I stamped the three trees; once on kraft cs and again using three colors of VersaMagic chalk ink on dp from Basic Grey basics manila paper pad; cut the tops of the trees out and layered them with SU dimensionals onto the kraft cs stamped designs. Then I cut this out using the Labels Four Nestabilities die and inked around the trees with three of the chalk inks.  The words (enjoy and today) were stamped onto more of the Basic Grey dp and punched using EK Success and Marvy Uchida punches. The word 'today' was run through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I cut a 1 1/2" wide strip of kraft cs and the same size piece of Basic Grey dp. The dp was put through a wavy Lil' Boss Paper Crimper and then I inked around all the edges with Night Sky chalk ink. The card base is Bazzill cs in a dark gray with two corners rounded with my Corner Chomper.

'HAY', WE 'HERD' IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!

One of our friends (a guy) is having a birthday later this month so it was time to come up with a masculine card.  I purchased a stamp set from Cornish Heritage Farms some time ago (sorry to say I don't think they are in business any longer) and decided it would work for his card.  The horse and fence were stamped, colored with Copics, cut out and adhered with SU dimensionals. Tiny black rhinestones were used on the fence and for the horse's eye. The products used are: kraft cs, Basic Grey Curio and Oliver dp, Copic markers, Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, VersaMagic Gingerbread chalk ink, SU dimensionals, Cuttlebug and Herringbone embossing folder, PTI Limitless Layers Die Set, tiny black rhinestones

WISHING YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I was getting ready to create a birthday card for a friend and was thrilled when my order for some magical micas from lindystampgang.com came in yesterday's mail so, of course, I just had to use them. I colored a piece of SU twill tape and two Prima flowers with Tiffany's Blue as well as a Prima with Cotton Candy Pink. After playing with four of the micas I have to say that 'I love them'!!!! They have a binding agent so there is no need to seal.  Other products I used are: kraft cs, Basic Grey Olivia dp, PTI Mat Stack 1 Collection, MS Optic Dot Punch, rhinestones, Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink, Prima Say It In Pearls, Corner Chomper, Copic marker

'TREE OF LOVE' CARD

I've been MIA since getting sick last week with bronchitis and laryngitis...finally starting to feel a bit better so I decided to create a card.  I've had this adorable 'Tree of Love' stamp for some time (purchased on one of our RV adventures). The stamp is actually two stamps in one.  The tree is attached to the wooden block as usual, but then on the top of the block the tiny little heart stamp is attached. I stamped the tree three times using Memento Rich Cocoa dye ink onto a small piece of kraft cs. Then using Memento Lady Bug (red) dye ink I stamped the tiny hearts around the darkest tree and again onto some SU Twill Tape.  Other products used: kraft cs, dark brown Bazzill cs, Corner Chomper, SU scallop punch, tiny hole punch, SU dimensionals, buttons. I'm entering this into the week 19 Yummy Heart's challenge at The Paper Variety which is a photo inspiration.