GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Friday

I have featured stamps from Unity Stamp Company each day this week.  Be sure to visit all week and comment on each of the Growing In Unity posts, because there will be a drawing for some FREE UNITY STAMPS from all of the comments received during the week.  Unity Stamp Company is providing TWO generous prizes of 25 stamp grab-bags each. 

    

Since I get to award two prizes, I thought I'd bid farewell to my week as the GIU gal with two cards!  As you can see, they both follow the same general layout.

   
The patterned paper used on both cards is from Couture Creations.   The flags (which are pierced along the border if you look closely) were made by a die from My Favorite Things.   The green button is from My Mind's Eye. 

      

Thank you so much for joining me this week!  Remember to comment on each of this week's posts to maximize your chance to win.  (One comment per person per post, please.)   I'll let the comments continue through the weekend and draw the winners on Monday. Winners have been drawn.  Thank you!

   

Happy Stamping!

   

  

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Tuesday

I'm featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company each day this week.  Be sure to visit all week and comment on each of the Growing In Unity posts, because there will be a drawing for some FREE UNITY STAMPS from all of the comments received during the week.  Unity Stamp Company is providing TWO generous prizes of 25 stamp grab-bags each.
 
Similar to yesterday's card, this one includes love and the color pink.  The layout and feel, however, are completely different.   

The layout was inspired by a design challenge from Take Ten magazine.  I find sketches and design challenges inspiring, don't you?
 
I used the Call Me Itty Bitty stamp designed by the good folks at Webster's Pages.  I love the Itty Bitty stamps!  They're so versatile, and they're a great value!  The patterned papers and embellishments are from My Mind's Eye -- I knew the second I saw the telephones and the quotation marks on the paper that I had to use this stamp with it.  To get the nice solid black images, I used VersaFine Onyx Black ink.  I sponged the edges of the papers with a black chalk ink for more definition.
   
Thank you for visiting today!  Remember to comment on each of this week's posts to maximize your chance to win.  (One comment per person per post, please.) Winners have been drawn.  Thank you!
 
Happy Stamping!
  

Weekly Challenge #12 - Paper Piecing

This week, our team is showcasing paper and embellishments from the My Mind's Eye Now & Then Izzy line, which is now available at the Cuttin' and Stampin' Scrappy Supply Store.

    

My project got underway when I saw the bow-tie paper and thought about how it could be used to make a really cute patterned cat.  So the kitty is grey and white, and I paper-pieced his mouth too.  Then, of course, I had to add the mustache enamel shape.  The blue cardstock for the card is actually the darker blue jeans Bazzill cardstock -- and it looks like it was custom-made to match the mustache.

    

     

I chose "thrilled for you" as the sentiment because of the happy & excited look on kitty's face.  I punched out photo corners from another of the patterned papers and then cut out the "smile" and floral pennant shapes from one of the cards from the 3"x4" pack.  Paper Smooches stamp sets used:  Nine Lives & Simply Said.

   

Now it's your turn!  Please join us and submit your paper-pieced creations.  Click HERE to add your project(s).

   

Happy Stamping!

   

2014 Cuttin' & Stampin' DT Blog Hop

 

     
Can you believe Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge Blog has been going for over a year now? It has gone by so fast and we have had so much fun creating and sharing projects with you.  Starting the first of the year we decided to make a few changes.  These changes include bringing you different types of projects, and to do that we needed increase the number of members on the team.  We also decided to split the team in to two.
   
Today's hop features the Orange Team.
   
Be sure to stop by each of them and welcome them to our 2014 Design Team.  We will have a drawing for each day of the hop.  Just leave a comment below and at each stop along the way.  We will announce blog hop winners on Friday along with our regular weekly challenge winners.
      
For my project today, I'm celebrating both C&S and the 3rd Anniversary of Paper Smooches!   If you've been to my blog before, you know that Kim Hughes is my favorite stamp designer.  I'm so excited that she makes stamps and dies for all of us to enjoy!

This card uses the butterflies from the Flap Happy set and the Butterflies 1 die set, and the sentiment comes from the Many Thanks stamp set.   I chose three butterflies to signify the third anniversary.  The cute patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye and the cardstock is a smoothie from Bazzill Basics.  Happy Third Anniversary, Paper Smooches!!
    

             
ORANGE TEAM Line Up
Madge - http://thescrappinlounge.com
Karen - http://karey2005.blogspot.com
JoAnn - http://joboogie.typepad.com
Lynda - http://positive-force.blogspot.com/
Courtney - http://cshorrcreations.blogspot.com/
Cathy - http://cathyplus5.blogspot.com
Kim - http://kimross.blogspot.com  --- you are here ---
Melissa - http://CreatedbySunshineHoneyBee.blogspot.com/
Michelle Kinder - http://michellekinder.blogpost.com
  
If you're doing the full hop, you should have arrived here from Cathy's blog.   If you haven't started but would like to, please start today's hop with Madge.   Remember to leave comments, because there will be a prize drawing among commenters.   Next up is Melissa.
 
Thanks so much for hopping with us and Happy Stamping!
  

Growing in Unity - Wednesday

Since I featured {itty bitty} stamps on Monday & Tuesday, I thought I'd go to the other end of the spectrum and create a card using stamps from one of the past Kits of the Month.  If you haven't considered subscribing, it's a great opportunity to get some great Unity stamps at a bargain price.  The 8.5" by 11" sheet of stamps costs only $26.  (By comparison, many companies sell 4" by 6" stamp sets for about $15 -- so if another company sold the huge sheet of stamps, it'd cost nearly $60!)

So, on to today's project...  it's the Eiffel tower, an iconic symbol of Paris, embossed on a patterned paper panel.
 

  
To add visual interest, I used a corner rounder on two opposing corners.  Then I embossed the sentiment, "merci", on a flag cut with a Sizzix die.  A simple black button embellishes it.  Edges are colored with the ColorBox chalk ink in Charcoal.

TIP:  Can't find a thread or ribbon that matches your project exactly?   Thread the button with a thin strip of cardstock or patterned paper!

Merci for joining me on my Growing in Unity journey so far.  Please come back for more cards on Thursday & Friday.  Don't forget that each comment throughout the week is entered into the drawing for 2 {itty bitty} stamps of the winner's choice!

Happy Stamping!

Bike Challenge - Week 20

TGIF!  This week's Cuttin & Stampin Challenge is Use a Bike.   It's perfect timing for a card like this one, too, since my husband just got himself a bike last weekend.  He's been through so many surgeries, and we think it'll be a perfect way for him to get out and get a little bit of exercise.

This card features a new technique for me:  stamping over an area painted with acrylic paint.   Here it is:

The stamps on this card are from Hero Arts, and the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  I added a little bit of bling on the flowers and the polka-dot strip to dress things up.  Rounded corners add some visual interest.

We'd love for you to participate in our challenge -- and you've still got all weekend to work on it.  This challenge ends on May 27th. Click here to enter your creation.

Happy Stamping!

Friday - Friends - Five

It's Friends with Flair Friday at Unity Stamp Co. today.   It's also their FIVE YEAR anniversary this week.  Congratulations to Angela & her whole team!  In celebration, I'll share a "celebrate" card made with one of their fun {itty bitty} stamps.

This particular stamp appeals to me -- probably because I grew up in Fort Lauderdale and our home decor had nautical themes.  There were shells in the living room, a fish sculpture in the den and even a ceramic octopus on driftwood in the hallway.   (Said fish sculpture made it to landlocked Idaho and now hangs in the kitchen.)

I'm a big fan of the plaid paper used on this card.  It's from the Lost & Found 2 collection by My Mind's Eye.  I'm always in search of a good plaid.

In other fun news this week, I had a card published in the new 400 More Ideas for Handmade Cards from The Stampers' Sampler.    If you'd like a peek, check out this post from August.  It's the one with the adorable ice cream cone.

Happy Stamping!

New Years Stampolution

I'm not usually one to make New Years Resolutions, so I'm going to have a New Years Stampolution instead. In 2013, I will be stamping more (and, therefore, posting more) and having more fun! I'm looking forward to lots of wonderful things in 2013, including a cool new challenge blog that will be kicking off later this week and an adorable new cat set that is debuting at Paper Smooches tomorrow. Speaking of PS, I really dig Kim Hughes' designs. They're super-cute and I thought I'd make a card to thank you for coming to my blog this year.

This whale stamp is one of several adorable sea creatures and sweet sentiments from the Surf & Turf stamp set. Love it! The plaid paper is from My Mind's Eye.

Happy New Year & Happy Stamping!

Grungepaper Butterfly

We seem to have almost skipped Spring here in Boise. It was in the 40's a day or two ago, and right now my weather link says it's 84! I worked on this butterfly over the weekend dreaming of spring and hoping for warmer weather. I guess you have to be careful what you wish for (or at least be more specific!).

Two of the newest Shimmerz colors, Choc-o-lot and Fire Engine Red, are the perfect complement to this Penny Lane paper from MME. The butterfly was cut from Grungepaper, the thinner version of Grungeboard, and then painted with Shimmerz. I drew on the antennae and the dotted flight-path.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill Brown (Bazzill Basics); Penny Lane Free Bird Love Paper (My Mind's Eye); Tim Holtz Grungepaper (Advantus)
Paint/Ink: Choc-o-lot & Fire Engine Red Shimmerz (Shimmering Products); Memento Marker in Rich Brown (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch (Fiskars); Boys Will Be Boys Dies (Sizzix); Butterfly #1 Die (Ellison); Amber & Blue 5mm gems (Mark Richards); Single Rhinestones (MAMBI)

Happy Stamping!

Penny Lane Birds

Today's card has two unusual features for me: it's square and it has no stamping. I know.

These cute birdies and accompanying paper are from the new Penny Lane release (Free Bird collection, Love theme) from My Mind's Eye. Very cute! I didn't add much more. Both birds and the twig were on one sheet of cardstock punch-outs, and the "kindred spirits" sentiment oval was on another.

Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill Brown (Bazzill Basics); Penny Lane Free Bird Cardstock Punch-outs Large Love Accessories & Small Beauty Accessories and Love Paper (My Mind's Eye)
Paint/Ink: Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink (ClearSnap)
Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch (Fiskars); Amber & Blue 5mm gems (Mark Richards); dimensional adhesive (3L)

Happy Stamping! :)