The Jiffy Girls are at it Again!

Good morning! :) Today's card is for this month's Jiffy Girls' challenge! This month, Alli picked one of my favorite images from Unity's "A Pocket Full of..." set (July's Kit of the Month). I just LOVE the folk feel of this bird! Mmmm! And... miss Carole sent us some Graphic 45 paper that just so happened to match PERFECTLY with this image! I can't wait to see how the other girls put the two together!



The sentiment is from the same Unity kit. I love how a simple saying can have so much style! And... I was pretty excited when I found out my circle punch fit perfectly over the letter "I"! I just added a few rhinestones to accentuate all of the circles found in the paper, bird, and sentiment.

Make sure to check out what the other girls came up with!

• Alli

• Michele

• Lori

• & Kim

Supplies:
Stamps: bird, sentiment ("A Pocket Full of...") Unity Stamp Co. Ink: (Fresh Snow) Papertrey Ink; (Tuxedo Black Memento) Tsukineko Cardstock: (Stamper's Select White, True Black, New Leaf) Papertrey Ink; (Intense Yellow) Prism Patterned Paper: ("Hot Tomato", Times Nouveau Collection) Graphic 45 Accessories: (White Twill) Martha Stewart Crafts; (markers) Copic; (colored pencils) Prismacolor; (Labels Four Nestabilities dies) Spellbinders; (circle punch) EK Success; (black rhinestones) Mark Richards Tools: sewing machine

Christmas Sherbet

Since my youngest actually took a nap today, I was able to whip up another Christmas card for the Moxie Fab World's Stamping Challenge (part of their week of challenges to celebrate the new Holiday Cards publication).

I think Unity's 'Bright & Merry Winter Wishes' is such a beautiful & versatile set! I used paper from Basic Grey's June Bug collection for all of my layers & sanded the edges to distress. (LOVE this line!)

Here's a close-up of my ornament in all it's glory. :) I added a little floss to 'hang' it from & layered everything with Pop Dots to give it added dimension. After coloring bits of the ornament with my Copic markers, I glammed it up a little with a few Kaiser rhinestones & added details with a white gel pen & clear glitter pen.

This layout is based off of this week's SFYTT.

Thanks for taking a look! Have a great weekend! :)

Christmas Cutie!

Have you been following the Paper Crafts blog this week? They're debuting their newest publication, 'Holiday Cards', & they've posted TONS of inspiration - along with great daily challenges! When I saw the 'Fun & Cute' Challenge, I knew I had to give it a whirl!

I just discovered this adorable Etsy shop called 'Digi Stamp Characters' (Thanks Michele!) full of THE cutest digital images! So... I snatched this one up quickly! Who could resist a face like this?!? ;)

I paper pieced her houndstooth jacket and added a tiny stamp from Papertrey ink for the sentiment. (Her sleeve is popped up with a dimensional to make it a little more realistic.) The little cutie was colored with Copics & her skirt just had to be denim! I'm really getting a lot of use out of this one pair of worn out jeans! Who knew one pair of little boys' jeans could go so far? Love that stuff!

Hip Hop Winner & a New Nesting Doll project

I have a couple of things to share with you today! First up... the winner of my Unity Blog Candy is:

Kelly Braund said...

So cute! I'd love to know where you got your sticky back canvas, I've been searching and haven't found any, thanks!

August 27, 2009 8:08 PM

Please e-mail me for deets! (julie_stamps@hotmail.com)

And... to answer your question, I like to shop at Ellen Hutson's store. :)

Recently, I had a request from an Etsy customer for some custom Matryoshka doll invites for her daughter's 1st birthday. This was such a fun project & it made me wish I had a little girl of my own to give a 'nesting doll' themed party! :)

I used some of my Hero Arts doll images along with some BG June Bug paper. The sentiment is by Kim Hughes. I masked the doll's belly & stamped a strawberry image inside (from Papertrey Ink's Vintage Picnic set).

And... here is the inside, along with the coordinating envelope. Fun stuff!

I had a few supplies left over, so I decided to make another card for my stash. This time, I used a little Basic Grey bling for her belly & changed up the sentiment a bit. I just LOVE these colors together!


Here's a close up of my nesting doll in all her glory:


Thanks for visiting!!! :)

Ever Have One of Those Days???

Happy Hip Hop Thursday! Changes are coming to Unity & I can't wait to find out more! :) But... for now, I'm enjoying this last blog hop showcasing some Sneak Peeks of September's Kit of the Month! And let me tell you... you're going to LOVE this kit! (doing the happy dance, clapping my hands). I always love the day when the new kits are revealed! Just when I think I have a favorite, a new kit comes out and I love it even more. (My husband should feel privileged b/c I've stuck with him for over 10 years & not replaced him yet.)

One of my favorite images in September's kit is this crazy rag doll. LOL! And the sentiment is perfect! You know how there are those stamps that you like... but can't really see yourself utilizing? Well... I'm pretty positive that I know several people who could use a card like this. ;)

I scanned the image and printed it out on Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas. (I've found that this technique gives a much clearer impression! And... printer ink works perfectly with Copics!) Her eyes are coated with Matte glaze Accents by Ranger. The paper is by Sassafras... and yes - that is yet another piece of denim from my son's old jeans that I used to mat my main image onto. :)

Would you like to see more? Then Hop on over to one of THE sweetest girls in cyberspace!

***Jennifer***

On the Eighth Day...

The last couple of weeks have been so crazy & busy... so I decided that I needed a little craft therapy to de-stress. I love reading Dawn McVey's blog & decided to try out her color challenge.


I've had these Whipper Snapper images for a few weeks now & finally pulled them out & inked them up. I LOVE this sentiment! LOL! I'm a coffee freak (It all started after delivering my second child who had colic for his first few months of life. I think it saved both of our lives!) ;)

The sketch is from Jen delMuro's SFYTT. Fun stuff!

I wanted to add a strip of "newsprint" to go along with my coffee... and without realizing it, picked just the right piece! The story is about Sunday School. Love it when things like that happen! I added a Jenni Bowlin button & a handmade ruffle. (I colored a strip of Papertrey Ink linen vellum with a Copic marker to match & then gathered it & stitched it in place.) I gave the coffee a coat of Glossy Accents too... but I forgot to take a close up. You'll have to trust me on that one! ;)

Thanks for coming to visit! :)

Trendy Touches

One thing I love about paper crafting is the ability to customize cards or gifts for any style or personality. I really wanted to make a trendy card for a stylish gal & had so much fun creating this project!

This flower/vase image from Unity just screamed out to be embellished! The open circles from the flowers were the perfect size to glam up with some of my new Kaiser crystals. This fun leopard-print & hot pink floral paper is from the Peyton Collection by Anna Griffin. (Doesn't it make you want to purr!) ;)

Here's a close-up of my bedazzled bouquet. Mmmm!

For the "belt" - I just cut a small strip of paper... stitched both sides... and then added a few silver eyelets. The buckle is from a hardware kit by We R Memory Keepers.

Thanks for checking out my 'Hot Mama' card! ;) It felt so good to just create something! --- something with no deadlines attached to it. --- the way it should be! Ahhh! I love this hobby! :)

Stamps:
- vase (Hodge Podge of Happiness)
- sentiment (Simply Said)

More Unity Goodness

Happy Thursday! :) Today, I wanted to show you a couple of cards I made using some of my newest Unity stamps! If you are just popping in & would like to see even more Unity creations, please start your journey at the Unity Blog! Then... just Hip Hop along the way and see what all of the Unity designers have been up to.

We've been interviewing potential daycares & preschools and FINALLY found somewhere that we're excited to send our little guy to. He can't wait to start... and I'm not sure who's more excited about it -- my preschooler or me! It just looks like so much fun! So... in lieu of school being just around the corner, I pulled out this super cute school house from the 'following my heart' set (August's Kit of the Month).

I stamped my school house onto a Sassafras Paper Whimsy & layered it onto a stamp from the School Rock Star set.

Here is another card I whipped up using THE cutest pear image found in August's Store Kit - 100% Happy. (Find out more HERE)
I really loved this geometric paper by Luxe Designs & wanted to keep everything else pretty simple. (It's hard to compete with a pattern like that!) The cherries are coated in Glossy Accents to give it a little pop of fun. I used a sentiment from Papertrey Ink along the pear's edge.

Thanks for checking out my little crafties! Now... make your way to the next stop on the Blog Hop! --- my sister in crime......

*** KIMBER ***

Oh Baby!

With the birth of my new nephew & the adoption of our new 10 week old Boston Terrier -- I've got babies on my brain! Here are a couple of super quick cards I whipped up the other day:

These three gemstone rattles were an easy way to glam up this simple card. The sentiment is a rub-on from Melissa Frances & the green gingham ribbon is by May Arts.

And... here's a REALLY simple card that I made in about 5 minutes. The baby shoes remind me of my own first pair. The sentiment is from the same rub-on set & the patterned paper is by October Afternoon.

Thanks for checking out my fast little numbers! :)

Let Him Carry Your Heart...

Happy Hip Hop Thursday! Today is the first day of school for our community... so I have mixed emotions as a send my 2nd grader off to begin a new year --- excitement paired with a little nervousness. :)

Today's card has a bit of a different feel to it than my normal projects, which are normally bright and fun... and cutesy. One of my co-workers is preparing to send her son off to college this week and it's really hitting hard. I'm so glad we have a few years before we have to think about all of that! I know she probably feels like her heart is being torn from her chest, and that raw emotion is what I was going for on this card.

Through different struggles in my own life, I can say with certainty that in those really difficult times... when it does feel like our heart is being ripped out... ---those are the times that God will take our heart in His hands and carry us through. There were times when, in my own strength, I couldn't make it even one more day. But... time and time again, God has brought me through to the other side, stronger than ever before.

I used several Unity images to create this card. The heart with wings is from the August KOM. It's covered with Shimmers, but it's hard to pick up on camera. :) The collage of words is from the Confession set & the sentiment is from the Folk Inspiration set. The black design at the top of the card is a Jenni Bowlin rub-on.

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me! If you'd like to see more of the Unity Design Team's creative projects, make sure you start your blog hop at the Unity Blog.

Your next stop from here is....
***Christi***

Bag Lady

Have you seen the latest Moxie Fab World 'Bag Lady' challenge? Cath has posted so many cool bags for our viewing pleasure. :) You should join in too! Just pick a bag that inspires you and create something based off of it.


As soon as I saw this bag, I knew I had to recreate it... paper style! I matched the fabric squares as close as I could to patterned paper and stitched everything together. The hardware is by We R Memory Keepers. I didn't want a sentiment that would take away from the quilted front, so I chose a tiny rub-on from Melissa Frances and applied it to the 'strap' of my card.

This was a labor of love, but was a lot of fun to make!

We have a winner!!!!

Well.... I was suppose to draw my Hip Hop winner last night.... but I got the call that my brother & his wife were heading to the hospital to deliver their first baby! So.... AJ hopped in and posted a winner for me. :) Here it is in case you missed it:

random.org drew an 80 which is........
Lori said...
Your card is adorable! The little measuring cup is perfect with those papers--and you even colored in water in the cup...Precious!August 6, 2009 5:42 PM

Congratulations!!! :)

Oh! And, by the way.... let me announce the birth of my new nephew - Gabriel Aaron!!! Weighing in at 7 lbs. 14 oz.!!! Everyone is happy and healthy and blessed. :)

Love Beyond Measure

Hey Hip Hoppers! :) I'm so happy that you've found your way to my blog! If you've just randomly popped in, make sure to start your hop at the Unity blog. There are always great specials and goodies to be had! Today, the Unity designers are showing off something new and exciting! --- the very first STORE Kit of the Month ...100% Happy! The images from this kit can only be purchased through your local stores.... so if you like what you see, you might want to encourage your LSS to start carrying some Unity goodness! :) You can also click HERE to see a list of stores that already carry this set.

I fell head-over-heels for this sweet measuring cup the minute I saw it! And... the sentiment?!? ADORABLE!!! This vintage-looking recipe paper is something I've been hoarding for awhile. I just KNEW a perfect image would come along one day, screaming to be paired up with it! (Paper: "Grandma's Pantry" by Sulyn Industries.)

Here's a close-up of my cup of love. I popped it out and added a bit of Glossy Accents to give it the appearance of water.

Guess what?!? You've reached THE END of the blog hop!!! How would you like to win Unity's Folk Inspired set?!? (one of my all-time favorite kits!!!) Please leave me a comment below and I'll pick a random winner tonight around 8 pm EST.

Flowering Trees

I've been a BAD blogger lately! ;) I think I've become back-logged from our vacation. And... work has been crazy too. On Monday, I left for the hospital at 5:45 and didn't get home until 7:30.... just in time to make dinner for the fam. The next thing I knew.... I found myself waking up on the couch with two little boys' stinky feet dangling in my face. We must have all been exhausted! :) And... it's a good thing that I woke up because I had to set my alarm for 5 am and start it all over again. But... today I'm home & am SO happy to have a day off! I even had a little bit of crafty time. I love crafty time. It refreshes me and de-stresses me like nothing else. :)

Here's a card I made using this cute tree image from Unity's August Kit of the Month. Can I tell you how much I love this month's kit. Ahhh! Me likey!

I paper-pieced my trees using some Lemonade paper by Basic Grey. The yellow printed paper is by Webster's Pages.... and the bright pink paper is from BG's June Bug collection. I used a frame from Sassafras to tie everything in... and added a couple of buttons from my stash. The sentiment is a rub-on by Crate Paper. (Man... could I have combined any more companies! Wowza!) It still looked like it was missing something, so I stitched a border & called it a day.

Thanks so much for continuing to visit (even when I'm a slacker)! ;) Hope you have a great day too!!!