Growing in Unity...Life is Full of Beauty!

Well if you are still coming back to follow me this week for my time for Growing in Unity then I thank you!!  I have had such a great time inking up some of my otherwise neglected Unity stamps.  As things settle down in life just a bit more I am hoping to get back to the daily challenges I used to do and also to playing more regularly with my Unity (and Ippity) stamps!!


My card for today was made for two challenges going on at SCS!!  The first one was yesterday's Color Challenge (CC272) given by Betty Wright.  We were to use Bermuda Bay, Real Red and Kraft for our creations.


The second challenge is from this week's Unity Addicts Challenge which has recently been reactivated for us to play along with.  Maria has been so wonderful in keeping these coming and I hope that you will play along with us!!  This week's challenge (UAC2) is to incorporate STAPLES on our projects!!


And here's my card...

I love how this came out!!  The red and blue with the Kraft looks great!!  I love the way everything pops off the Kraft!!  The Unity stamps used here are from the Moments in Bloom and Naturally You May Stampin Store Kit!  I LOVE this kit.  But remember that they are only available from a Retail store so you can CLICK HERE to find a store near you, or an online store!

 I used SU inks to stamp with... Real Red, Taken with Teal and Blue Bayou.  The DP is from Kaiser Kraft.  It worked for the color challenge because I don't have Bermuda Bay and it was a nearly perfect match.  

Did you see the amazing crinkle ribbon I have on my card?  My fabulous friend and Ippity partner in crime, Eva,  sent me a sweet care package that contained a sampling of the crinkle ribbon she recently made!  They are amazing. Love you Eva!! Thank you sooooo much!! Check out her blog post HERE about how she made it!!

For the Unity Addicts Challenge I used some red staples that I had in my stash.  I thought they added a nice element to the card!  If you can notice the slight shimmer on the red flower... it's because I added some Sakura Gelly Roll pen to the outer edges of the stamped image!  It adds a nice sparkle!!

No matter what is going on in your life, be sure to take the time to notice all the beauty around you. It is everpresent and presents itself in so many ways!  The gorgeous flowers, the beautiful sunsets, the adorable children of yours... remember that life is full of beauty!!  Enjoy it and rejoice!!

Artful Inkables Birthday/ Color Challenge Card!

Happy Sunday blog buddies!!

With yesterday being the first day of spring I decided it was time to start my spring cleaning this year.  I spent many hours yesterday deep cleaning parts of our house with intentions to do the same thing today!!  It is no fun doing it, but sure wonderful when you can sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts!!

So I finished this card earlier this week and hadn't had a chance to post it yet.

It combines a Think Ink #16 challenge on the  Artful Inkables blog to make a Birthday card and this week's SCS Color Challenge (CC262,) to use Elegant Eggplant (or Rich Razzleberry), Old Olive and Orchid Opulence.  At first I wasn't sure I would like those colors together, but in fact I really do love that combo.  And what was even a greater surprise was that those colors are some of the colors in the new line of Kioshi papers by Basic Grey.  So it was nice to use some of those papers for my creation.

I used the AI stamp set called Fairy Whimsy.  I thought these flowers and butterflies were so pretty to wish some one a magical birthday!  The birthday sentiment on the ribbon tag is actually made on the computer, but the rest of the words and images are all from Artful Inkables.  I colored the images in with my Copics.

The butterflies were stamped twice with the second set mounted on top of the first with dimensionals to give it depth and dimension.  I created the background effect by sponging on inks and then spritzing with Tattered Angels Shimmer Mist.  The color challenge had a "dessert" option to add swirls which I did by using my paper piercer adding a trail for one of the butterflies!

I hope you have a wonderful day and may your bucket overflow with blooming flowers, flittering butterflies and other reminders that spring is here!!

New Whimsie Doodles For You!!

Wohoo!! It is that time of the month again!

(OK, well maybe that doesn't sound right!)  It is however time for another 

New Release of  Whimsie Doodle Stamps!

Yesterday you got to see some sneak peeks of what was to come so are you ready to see the whole thing today?  All right well get ready to be excited because Melyssa has done it again!

My first card uses the new digistamp called Standing Baby Bear...

The DP is from the new DCWV paper pack called the Crafty Stack.  The musical score background stamp is from the {ippity} stamp set called Music of My Heart. 

I used the Baby Bear from the set called Baby Bear Standing, but you can also get the sitting version!.

Standing and Sitting Baby Bears

And some adorable sentiments like the one I used are also being released!

Baby Sentiments Digital Stamp Set

The next card I have to share with you is one I call Berry Sweet that comes from the new set called So Sweet!

I am not sure who makes the DP I used, but to create the layered border, I used my new Martha Stewart Pinking Scallop border on three coordinating colors and them layered them while staggering the scallops. 

I colored the cherries using my Copic Markers and the button I used is from the black package I bought while at CHA from Clear and Simple Stamps.  I paper pieced the towel that hangs from the jar.  The adorable label is interchangeable with the other sentiments you see below. 

And guess what??  This set is available in RED RUBBER!!

How Sweet Rubber Stamp Set

And finally how about a set just in time for St. Patty's Day?  In fact that is the name of this set!  

The DP is from the MME Home paper pack.  I colored in the pot of gold and rainbow with Copic markers.  I printed the image twice once to print the image with the cloud empty and then the second time so that the sentiment would fit inside the cloud.  I used the color combo from this week's color challenge CC260 at SCS which was to use Basic Gray, Crushes Curry and Always Artichoke and conveniently were the exact colors from the MME collection that I used.

St. Patty's Day Digistamp set

Like what you see?  Well then head right on over to the  

Whimsie Doodles Store 

to get yourself some!

Be sure to come back by 8am EST to see my Friends with Flair post for Unity!

It's Time to Hippity Hop!!

Happy Monday! 

Many of you might be enjoying the fact that today is a holiday for many schools and businesses.  Or you might be disappointed that your otherwise quiet house on a Monday is now filled with people that aren't usually there!  LOL! But whichever best fits your scenario, rest assured that with {ippity} there is something fun to do that will make any day better than it would have been!

Today we are having our weekly H{ippity} Hop!  

To start at the beginning of the blog roll, just visit the {ippity} blog HERE and follow down the list.  We have the DT blogs plus 30 wonderful blogs all lined up with great (ippity} creations for your enjoyment!

I have the pleasure of hosting today's blog hop and with that I am offering a challenge to all of you.  My challenge for this week (IHHC7) is to create a project using your {ippity} stamps and the following colors...

BLACK

A NEUTRAL

AND ONE OTHER COLOR!

You can check out all the details on the {ippity} forum, but you have a week to create your project and you can be eligible to win a FREE Unity stamp handle if you do!!  So have fun and I hope you will play along!

So, here is what I made using the colors black, cream and pink!

Isn't that pretty and girly!!  I had so much fun making this one because I just kept adding fun embellishments to an already beautiful paper line by Karen Foster.  One thing you may notice is that the {ippity} stamp I used which comes from the Just Wanted to Say set doesn't overpower the card.  What I like about that is that with {ippity} stamps, you can make the stamped image be the center of attention on a card, or in this case just the sentiment that you are trying to express and let the other parts take center stage.  Now the {ippity} sentiment is framed rather nicely in the center, but it doesn't overpower, but just nicely suggest sthe meaning of the card!

The whole card is made on acetate (which is a photographic nightmare!)  The sentiment is actually on the inside of the card and all the embellies you see are on the outside.  The flowers are from Prima, the Velvet ribbon and rhinestone buckle are from MM, The black chipboard accents are Thickers from American Crafts and I also used an embossing folder in my Cuttlebug.

I really loved how this turned out and am so happy to have my Just Wanted to Say stamp set from {ippity} so I can use it to create the perfect sentiment for all my cards!!  If you are interested in purchasing this stamp set, please visit "There's {ippity} in My Bucket" which is my {ippity} sales blog for details.

So be sure to stop by and see all the DT creations using this challenge and then also stop by and visit all the blogs on today's hop!  What a great way to start the week huh??

Have a great day and may your bucket overflow with {ippity}!

Happy Friday Friends!!

My Friends with Flair that is!! 

Today is a great day because we get to visit the many blogs of the very talented Unity fans as they share their creations with us.  To start from the beginning, just visit the Unity blog for the list of today's participants!!

So, remember how a couple of days ago I told you that I gave myself a personal challenge to work my way through all the SCS Sketch Challenges skteches?  Well today I have another one for you!

The sketch for my card today is Sketch Challenge #2 (SC02)!  It also uses this week's Color Challenge (CC252) from SCS (Certainly Celery, Taken With Teal or Bermuda Bay and Hunter Green) and yesterday's Ways To Use It challenge (WT252)  which was to use something NEW on your card. 

My card uses a stamp each from Unity and {ippity} and it was super easy to make.  In fact I was also trying to sneak in today's SCS challenge which was to make a card in 15 minutes, but it actually took me about 20 to complete this!! The focal point is the awesome sticker letters by Colorbok that I found on clearance at Big Lots recently for a buck.  This is the NEW thing on my card!

The Unity stamp used is the cute sketchy flower from the August "08 KOM.  I thought the style of that went perfectly with my DP from SEI.  The {ippity} sentiment stamp, Birthday Wishes is from the Just Wanted to Say kit that you can purchase by visiting my {ippity} sales blog HERE.  The cost of the set is only $13.50 (plus shipping.)

I am trying really hard to increase my stash of Birthday cards at the beginning of the year so I can always have some ready to send out at a moments notice.  This one will find a home soon I am sure!! 

Did you check out all the great benefits for becoming a Unity KOM Club Member?  It is amazing!! Only something that Unity would do!! Be sure to check it out!! If I could only buy one stamp set a month, it would definitely be the Unity KOM!!  I LOVE them all!!  (Hehe... and I have them all!!   LOL!) I just can't help myself!!

Have a wonderful Friday and enjoy the FWF Hop!!  May your bucket overflow with lots of cards to give to your loved ones celebrating birthdays!!

Friends with Flair Friday Challenge Card

Have you guys seen the new blog for the upcoming online magazine called Embellish that is run by the wonderfully talented Ashley Cannon Newell? She is one of the current Dirty Girls in the Dirty Dozen at Splitcoaststampers. Talk about a class act...the things she produces and the blog she is running are top notch and incredibly inspirational. I hope you will visit her and see for yourself.

The Embellish Magazine blog held a challenge recently called the Polka Dot Paradise Color Challenge which was to make a project incorporating polka dots and the following color scheme.

What gorgeous colors that fit perfectly into the fall season. So I decided to make a fall-themed card using some new leaves from Unity's September Store Kit and the sentiment from Unity's September KOM.

Season of Blessings

The digiwords used for the background text underneath the leaves are from Say it With Stamps. Inks used are TH's Aged Mahogany Distressed Ink; Stampin Up's Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal and Purely Pomegranate. I used the Rock n Roll technique on the stamped images to create the variation of colors on the solid stamps.

To create the cool ribbon/twine effect I just tied knots in the ribbon at three points that I tried to space evenly over the front of my card and then wrapped the twine around the ribbon and secured it at each end. It makes for great texture, interest and depth on the card!

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you didn't start at the beginning with the Unity blog to see all the Friends with Flair posts, then click HERE to go there now!

Enjoy your day and may your bucket be filled with flair!!

The Last Hip Hop Hangover

If you are a Unity stamp fan like I am then you know that yesterday was the last Hip Hop blog hop for Unity. But don't worry! They aren't going anywhere, they are just changing things up a bit! So if there aren't any more HH's then there can't be any more Hangovers after today's. So enjoy my last contribution towards the last Hip Hop Hangover!

Even though I am curious to see what is in store for us with Unity, I know that it will be good! So I am celebrating the upcoming changes and calling today a Happy Day!!

Here is my happy card in celebration of things to come...

I am so excited to be using this dragonfly stamp from Unity's August KOM because I am on the Whimsie Doodles Design Team with the very talented artist who drew this. Her name is Kelli Caslow and she makes some really awesome cards too! Please check out her blog and send her some love if you like her dragonfly! I hope to see more stamps of hers in our Unity kits in the future!

The colors for this card come from a color challenge at the Florida Group at Stamp TV. I just got it done in time!

I have a couple of other Unity cards to share with you today too! I was able to complete both of the Hip Hop challenges on the forum yesterday. In fact the one you see below won the da da da Doodle contest where we had to use some doodling on our card. I was awarded the Hullabaloo stamp as my prize! Woohoo!!

This card uses the adorable old fashioned phone from the Everyday Adorable set. I paperpieced the four handsets and placed them in each of the corners and framed my card with doodles phone cords. The DP is from We R Memory Keepers. The phone was colored using my Copic markers.

The last card I want to show you combines FOUR challenges in one!! I have been behind making my challenge cards this week at SCS so I decided to get all caught up today!!

The first challenge for the next card is CC233 to use Red, Kraft and Chocolate Chip.

The second challenge was SC243 which was this week's sketch challenge.

The third challenge was WT233 which was to use Vintage ephemera on our card.

And the last challenge was the Hip Hop challenge Ta ta ta Texture. We were supposed to add some type of texture to our card.

See what you think!! I like what I ended up with!

The stamps I used were from the 100% Happiness in-store kit. The red dotted DP is from K & Co. and the Vintage label is from Flair Designs. The texture was added with my Swiss Dots embossing folder and my Cuttlebug!

If you are interested in getting the next in-store kit I hope you will go to the Paper Maniac to get yours! My good friend Stephanie Muzzulin is on their DT!

Hope you are enjoying the last HHH and are getting inspired by the talented fans of Unity Stamp Co. May your bucket overflow with good changes for you in the future!

What a Sweet Wednesday it is!

It's Wednesday, aka Hump Day for some of you that have Monday to Friday jobs! But for me Wednesday's are really SWEET days because they are the days when a new Sweet Sketch is released from the Sweet Sketch Wednesday blog and I get to share with you a creation I made following that sketch! This Wednesday is especially sweet because it is the fourth Wednesday of the month which means there is also a Color Challenge with this month's sketch! SWEET!!

Arlana, the sketch designer has been a little under the weather, and I hope she is feeling better! She always has such neat sketches to use. They are the fun kind where you get to add a lot of special touches. I happen to like the busier cards more than just the clean and simple ones I have been showing you lately. But the neat thing is that you can always uses the sketches to fit your needs! I hope you will go and get the sketch and play along with us this week!

Here is this week's Sweet Sketch number 12!

These are the colors she chose for the challenge...






And here is the card that I made from it! (My couch really is red, but it photographed kind of pink!)

Sitting Here Thinking of You

This card uses a new stamp set that I got when I was at CHA earlier this month. It is such a cute set from Papertrey Ink called On My Couch Additions. They were out of the main On My Couch set, but the accessories set that I got still comes with a whole chair and all the makings for a room!

Here is a closeup of the scene I created using that set...

I wasn't sure if the geometric designs were supposed to be pictures or pillows, but I think they could be either. I used them as pictures on this card! LOL! The DP's come from many sources. The "wallpaper" is from Sassafrass, the card base is from Scenic Route and the ornge dotted paper is unknown. I used SU inks; Real Red, Certainly celery and Pumpkin Pie for the couch, carpet and pictures respectively. The senitiment was stamped with Amuse Black ink. My Copic markers were used to add shadows and color the pictures. The sentiment was sponged using one of the nesties as a template with So Saffron SU ink.

I bought the yellow gingham ribbon from a local stamping expo that came to town and the orange felt flower I bought online but don't remember from where! The border punch I used is from Martha Stewart.

I created the look of wood floors by coloring with my Copic markers onto white cardstock in stripes and then going over some of the stripes a second time to add a deeper color and make it appear like streaks of woodgrain. I think it looks pretty realistic for paper! By adding an outline of gray around the bottoms and right sides of the carpet, couch and pictures I tried to give the illusion of depth with the light source coming from the upper left hand side of the room.

So head on over to the Sweet Sketch Wednesday blog where you can see all the creations that the DT made up for you to look at. It is always fun to see how different people interpret the sketches. Come along with us and join in the fun and make sure you share your project on the SSW blog so we can all see it!

Have a SWEET day and may your bucket overflow with lots of people that you can sit and think about that make you smile!

More Clean and Simple Cards!

The wonderful thing about CAS cards is that they come together so quickly! I was able to complete three of them yesterday with very limited time at my craft table!

I already showed you yesterday my first card for the Sketch Challenge for the CAS DT contest that I am entering. I finished the other two yesterday and posted them on the thread.

Here is the card I created for the Color challenge which was to use Browns with a touch of red!

Friendship Gives Wings to the Heart

This card uses the Heart With Wings stamp from Unity's August KOM (LOVE it!) Then I paired with it the stamp that I just bought while at CHA from Cornish Heritage Farms Friend Centers set. How perfectly does that match the stamp? I was so excited when I realized how well they would go together! I used BG paper and colored my image with Prismacolors. The ink is SU Chocolate Chip. The ribbon is from Michael's and I thought it was a perfect match too! I added a touch of paper piecing for the little extra touch that this clean and simple card needed!

My next DT challenge card is a theme based card. We had to use Fall, a Fall holiday or Christmas as the theme of the card. I chose Halloween! (That is a holiday right?)

Hauntingly Sweet Halloween

Yesterday was Happy Mail day since I got a big package of Unity Halloween stamps plus some free ones that I got for making my order during their special last week! This Hauntingly Sweet set is one of the ones that I got and I just had to ink it up right away. It is so cute... I love it!

The DP is from HOTP and I colored the image in with my Copics. Not a lot of coloring here, but this stamp lends itself really well to CAS style cards! The border punch is also a new I got from Martha Stewart. It is one of the new releases! I have plans to repeat this card, but turn it into a NOT Clean and Simple card! I will post it when it is finished!

Finally, I did one more CAS card yesterday for Monday's CAS Challenge (CAS29). We were supposed to make a card that was inspired by a shoe or bag from the Anthropologie website. My card is inspired by this shoe HERE!

Butterfly Thank You

This is another Unity card! You know how much I love Unity!! Both the stamp and the sentiment come from the September 08 KOM. Really quick to put together. The border punch is also MS, but it is the punch to make holes for binders. It matched the shoe perfectly though don't you think?

That will do it for today! I hope to have some time later at my craft table to work on some more creations to share with you! I am off to go hang out with my neice Lindsay! We are getting the baby's nursery ready! Ava Rae could be here any day!

Have a clean and simple kind of day and may your bucket overflow with happiness!!

How Sweet it is!!

Sweet!! Today is Wednesday which means that it is time for another new sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday's blog!! Please take a moment to visit over there and take part in the sketch challenge that is offered each week and be sure to use Mr Linky to share your creation with everyone else!

The sketches are really sweet, but this week it is even sweeter!! Since it is the fourth Wednesday of the month, it is the SSW Color Challenge week too!!

Here is the Sweet sketch Arlana made this week...

And here are the Sweet colors she chose...
[Lime green ( gable green or green galore,) Pink Passion. Pretty in Pink, and Only Orange]

And here is what I have created with it!!

The Fine Print: Sketch: Sweet Sketch Wednesday sketch #7; DP: K & Co.; Stamps: Unity (Rain & Flowers); Markers: Copics; Sentiment: Computer generated; Flowers: Prima; Ribbon: Target Dollar Spot; Nestabilities (Rectangle and Scalloped Rectangle); Border Punch: Martha Stewart; Brads: Basic Grey.

Do you think it would be SWEET to be on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday DT? Well, Arlana is still looking to fill a few spots. If you are interested just follow these steps below and you might be one of the newest DT members at Sweet Sketch Wednesday...

1. Add a link on your blog to Sweet Sketch Wednesday.
2. Post your card that follows one of the sketches along with link.
3. Sign Mr. Linky and add a direct link back to your site.
4. Leave a comment on the SSW site

Thanks for taking a look and have a Sweet Day! May your bucket overflow with showers of sweetness!!

HHH with Hodge Podge of Happiness!!

Yeah for Friday's and Hip Hop Hangovers!! Yesterday's Hip Hop was so inspiring (well of course it always is!) But I am in love with the new set that WE the customers of Unity hand picked! Didn't we do an awesome job?? If you don't know what I am talking about, a while back, Angela gave us a choice of three stamps all designed by the same designer and the Unity Forum voted on which of the stamps to include in the collection. She kept giving us more choices until we had filled a complete collection. It was so cool to see the set come together!

The Hodge Podge of Happiness was available for purchase (if you didn't preorder it) yesterday. Those of us who preordered it received them this week in our mail boxes!! Woot Woot!!

Take a look at this awesome kit!!!

Once mine arrived, I couldn't put it down and put together three cards, all using the Hodge Podge of Happiness!

And here are the cards that I made...

Wedding Wishes

This card follows the color challenge from SCS CC227. The DP is from MM Black Tie collection, the lavender CS is from SU. Using my Copics, I just subtly added some color to the cake to make it look like the frosting was lightly airbrushed. I added a silver pen to the cake rack to make it look metallic.

Sending Happy Thoughts

Recognize these colors and patterns? You might have seen the bed set that is the latest inspiration for Unity's Addict Challenge USC42. All the little dots of flowers in the flower pot were hand cut and paper pieced. The DP's are from MM and DCWV.

And for my last one...

Little Cup of Happy

This little card is whimsical and light because of that cute stamped image being paired with the adorable Cosmo Cricket papers. The cup was colored onto plain white CS and then paper pieced onto the plaid background paper. I had to color the felt button with my Copic marker to make it match the card!! :-) The sketch for this card is the SCS Sketch Challenge, SC237.

Well, that does it for now! I hope you have a wonderful day of Hip Hopping the Hangover! To see all the blogs that are posting Unity today, please visit the Unity Blog or you can jump to the blogs from THIS forum Post too!

Don't Forget.... Only 2 More days for your chance to win BLOG CANDY!!!

Have a great day and here's hoping that your bucket overflows with a Hodge Podge of Happiness!!