GIU Day 5 - Friday, and a Final Kit

    It's Day 5 of my week as a featured {Growing in Unity} Girl. It went by so fast! Today I'm sharing one more card kit has been upgraded using Unity Stamp Company stamps!

   This card uses one of my favorite butterflies of all time. What a great design! The name of the set is Perfect the Way You Are, and it's one of only two stamps that I've purchased multiples of on purpose.  I'm still in love with this bird, too.

   The piece of cardstock I used for the sentiment was turquoise and had the word "HOPE" pre-printed on it. I turned it over to stamp the sentiment and, since it was going on white paper, I decided to sponge the dark purple ink on the edges so it would stand out.

   It's been terrific to share my cards with you this week!  Thank you for joining me.

   Be sure to leave a comment today -- (and you can go back and comment on my posts from each day this week for more chances to win)! I will choose 2 lucky people to win a generous prize from Unity. 

Happy Stamping!

Growing in Unity Blog Hop

Hi Stampers!  Welcome to Stop #1 on today's Growing in Unity Blog Hop!  If you arrived from the Unity Blog, you're in the right place!  Each of the stops on this hop belongs to one of the lucky ladies who served as Growing in Unity gals over the last month or so.  We're big Unity Stamp Company fans!

• Kim  (You Are Here!)
• Tammy
• Terry
• Cynthia
• Annie
• Renee
• Chris
• Becky
• Brianna
• Amber

       

My project features stamps from the May 2016 Kit of the Month shown here:

  

   

The card is fairly simple and easy to reproduce.  It incorporates light pinks and minty green.  I colored in the heart on the cup with a pink Copic marker.

    

   
I'm not a coffee person by any means, but the buzz surrounding the Unicorn Frappuccino from Starbucks was undeniable.  Did you get to try one?
   

Thanks for visiting!  Please don't forget to leave a comment here, on the other hop blogs and on the Unity blog for the most chances to win. Winners have been drawn and announced.  Thank you!

  

Happy Stamping & Happy Hopping!

GIU Week Winners

Congratulations are in order!  I have two lucky winners to announce, and each will win a grab-bag of high-quality stamps from Unity Stamp Company.

Let's have a round of applause for:

   jwoolbright
   Lindarose

Their mailing addresses have been sent to Unity, and their grab-bags should be arriving soon.

Thanks so much for all of the commenters and visitors during my Growing In Unity week!  Happy Stamping!

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Friday

Is it really Friday already? I have been featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company on this blog each day this week.

I acquired the cupcake and sentiment stamps for this card separately. I love cupcakes, so that one was in my collection. The sentiment, "Happy 29th Birthday AGAIN!", was a joke at our house. Usually, it's the ladies who hide their ages. My husband, however, decided that he wasn't going to turn 30 either. We're both 29 with over a decade of experience, but who's counting, right?
     

  

  
I decided to share two photos of this card with you. I had a very difficult time getting the beautiful gold foil balloons on this card to show their shine. On the photo above, they look green and black. I see this often in magazines, too, where special things like glitter, gloss, sequins and foil just don't show up like they do in person.

TIP:  Did you know that Unity has sentiments like the one used in today's card for ridiculously low prices?  There have a wonderful variety of single sentiment stamps that have a regular price of under $3.00.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!  Happy Stamping!

  

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Thursday

I am featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company on this blog each day this week.
  
Today's project features stamps from the Lilacs & Birthdays {Floral Collage} stamp set. The lilacs in this set are so delicate and lovely, aren't they? 
 

      
Today's card is so CAS, it's free of embellishments and patterned papers! There's just a cardstock flag (thanks to a My Favorite Things pierced flag STAX die) and some inking around the edges. I considered adding at least a dozen different things, but decided in the end to let the image speak for itself.
 
I love lilacs, but I don't remember seeing them in South Florida when I was growing up. We have a beautiful lilac bush in our yard now, and I love when it blooms. They look great and smell even better!
   

Thanks so much for visiting today. See you tomorrow. Happy Stamping!

   

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Wednesday

I am featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company on this blog each day this week.
 
Back to my typical CAS style today! This card features stamps from the "Simply Magical" KOM from 11/09.
     

     
The moment I saw this typewriter patterned paper from Doodlebug's Flea Market line, I knew immediately that I'd be making at least one project with this pair of Unity stamps.
  
It's been a long time since I've used a typewriter. I remember we that had an IBM Selectric II at home for a long while, but it's been at least 20 years. How long has it been since you've used a typewriter?  And how about those rooms full of typewriters in high school? I'll have to find my yearbook to remember the typing teacher's name. She'd call out "K I K space K I K space" and we'd all try not to peek at our fingers while we typed in unison. I never in a million years would have thought I'd be touch-typing as quickly as I do now.
  

Thanks so much for visiting today. See you tomorrow. Happy Stamping!

  

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Tuesday

I am featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company on this blog each day this week.
  

Today I'm sharing a project using another beautiful Unity stamp set, Take Care of You. The daisy was my mom's favorite flower. I originally chose the stamp set because it featured a pretty daisy, but I haven't used the daisy itself yet.  This project features a sentiment from the set and the neat hexagon pattern that forms part of the daisy's background.  
  

     
This particular card has a lot more embellishments than I typically use.  It has two different washi tapes, the cardboard dress form, metallic thread, black mesh fabric, a button and silk ribbon.
  
You know what I just realized about this card? It doesn't use the daisy that my mom would have loved, but its theme is sewing and she was so good at it! I didn't start stamping until after she passed away, so I often wonder if she would have joined me. She was very crafty, after all.

For me, this card is a terrific example of the versatility of many of Unity's stamp sets.  Sure, the set features a daisy, but there's so much more to enjoy!
 

Thanks so much for visiting today.  See you tomorrow. Happy Stamping!

   

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Monday

This is such an exciting week for me! I'm am the Veteran Growing In Unity Gal this week, and that means I'm going to be featuring stamps from Unity Stamp Company on this blog each day this week. 

Today's project features one of the most beautiful and elegant Unity stamp sets, Let Your Dreams Bloom. I'm mostly a CAS (Clean and Simple) stamper. For me, the simplicity lets the focal image shine.

    

     

Buttons are a fairly common embellishment, but I added two little touches to make the card more visually interesting. First, rather than mounting the focal image on a panel that was the same size on all sides, I placed it on a two-sided patterned paper rectangle with extra length on the left-hand side. This allowed for the folded over section with the diagonal stripes. Second, rather than just threading the two buttons, I unraveled the twine that tied them to create a bow-like effect.

    

What do you think of two-sided patterned papers?  It's often difficult for me to choose one side or the other -- I like them both!

    

Thanks so much for visiting today.  See you tomorrow. Happy Stamping!

   

GIU - Growing In Unity Gal Monday

What a great week this is going to be!  I'm going to be 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.

     

Today's June 20th, the first day of Summer.  What do you love about summertime?  Though I'm not a fan of the heat, I've enjoyed fishing for as long as I can remember.  I didn't realize this when I moved here, but Idaho has lots of lakes, rivers and reservoirs that are great for fishing.  We've even got vending machines that sell nightcrawlers!

     

This isn't what I'd call a 'traditional' fishing card, but it was definitely fun to create.

        

     

It's a fairly easy card to duplicate.  First, I stamped the fishing pole and sentiment in hot pink, then mounted that rectangle to a matching hot pink rectangle.  Then, on a gray card, I added a striped panel (from American Crafts), followed by the stamped panel.  I added a rhinestone to the fishing reel and colored in the heart.  Last, I added two quick strips of very thin washi tape (Little B Designs) in an X pattern.

    

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 Summer Solstice & Happy Stamping!

     

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Girly

We're showing off our girly side, with projects that feature the Prima clear stamps and the Prima Jodie Lee Butterfly Collection paper pack & embellishments.

        

My project shows the fairy trapped in a jar.  The jar is paper-pieced with a grey lid.  The fairy was stamped with Memento ink in Rhubarb Stalk.  Then, I added some highlights to her with a Rhubarb Stalk marker.  If you look closely, you can see that I colored in her hair, made pleats in the skirt, etc.

   

The flower on the bottom left corner was made from two Prima mulberry flowers and the pearls are Prima, too.  The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company.  The cute pink bow was made from Light Pink Sea Grass from The Thread Gatherer.

   

 

So, what do you say?   Would you like to join us by making your own "Girly" project?  Remember, "girly" can mean lots of different things -- colors, flowers, bling, etc.  Add yours here.

    

Happy Stamping!

FWF - Nobody Sweeter

I fell in love with a recent Unity "Kit of the Month".   Each kit has such a variety of stamps, and they're a great deal!
  
This kit featured a cupcake and a couple of cupcake sentiments.  I'm not lacking on either front, but these were so cute, I couldn't resist.   Here's what I mean:
  

    
These patterned papers are from Doodlebug -- this year's and last year's Valentine's Day lines.  They do say "love" and things like that, but nothing absolutely specific to the holiday... so I use them all year. 
  
Happy Stamping & Happy Friday!
  

Growing in Unity - Friday

Well, everyone, this is it!  I can't believe it's Friday already, and time to share my last post as this week's Growing in Unity Gal.  

Since we started the week with a couple of {itty bitty} stamp projects, I wanted to end with one too.   The stamp talks about strength, and I thought that a paper depicting tree trunks would be appropriate.
  

 
The patterned paper is from We R Memory Keepers, and the solid is Pear from Bazzill Basics.   Then I tied a ribbon around the center panel and affixed a button.  Any other embellishments seemed superfluous.  The edges were inked with ClearSnap chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.


It's been a great week!  Thanks so much for joining me.  Please don't forget to post a comment on today's post and on the other posts this week.  Each comment will be entered into tomorrow's drawing for a pair of {itty bitty} stamps of the winner's choice.

Happy Stamping & Happy Holidays to all!

Growing in Unity - Thursday

Time for the fourth project this week, and this one's sweet!
    

    

This card's focal image is considered a 'background'.  It's a collage called Pear of a Recipe, which I stamped in green ink.  Then the sentiment was added in black and three black gems were added in the upper right corner.  As usual, the edges were inked in ColorBox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.

Oooh, and how about a bonus card today?   This "Celebrate" card is published in the current issue of Take Ten from The Stampers' Sampler.  
   

   
The boat & sentiment are an {itty bitty} stamp set!  Remember on Tuesday when I said I love plaid?  It's totally true.

Please leave comments on each post this week for a chance to win TWO {itty bitty} stamps of your choice.  Thanks for visiting.

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!

Growing in Unity - Tuesday

Since I featured an {itty bitty} stamp yesterday, let's keep the theme going!   After all, that's what one lucky commenter will win at the end of the week.  Comment every day this week for more chances to win!

This is another clean & simple card, featuring the On the Bright Side {itty bitty} stamp:

I stamped the lamp and sentiment onto a cream panel with Rich Cocoa dye ink by Memento and edged the panel with my go-to Chestnut Roan chalk ink from ClearSnap.  I added a little copper-colored paper clip and tied that with a small bit of ribbon from May Arts.  The lamp panel is layered atop a cute plaid rectangle (that was also edged with the chalk ink) and then both panels are mounted onto a dark chocolate card.

I have a real 'thing' for plaid papers.  I can't get enough of them!!

Thanks for stopping by!   Happy Stamping!

 

Growing in Unity - Monday

This is so exciting -- I'm the "Growing in Unity Gal" this week!   I can't wait to show you some simple yet fun stamping projects using stamps from the Unity Stamp Company.  I will post each day this week.  Please comment, because each one will be entered into a random drawing for two free Itty Bitty stamps of the winner's choice!

Without further ado, let's take a peek at today's project:

It's made using the "how's it rollin'?" itty bitty stamp set, along with patterned paper and the cute "memo" tab sticker from Fancy Pants.  All the edges are inked with the indispensable ColorBox Chalk Cat's Eye in Chestnut Roan.   I use those ink pads until the sponge is falling apart, and I almost always have a back-up on hand.

These roller skates remind me of the days in the early eighties when my sister & I would go skating.  I even had one of my birthday parties at the skating rink... maybe third grade?  My poor dad broke his leg at that party.  Were you ever a rollerskating nut?   Ever had an injury while skating?

Hope you'll stop by each day this week for more Unity fun, and comment for a chance to win!  :)

Happy Stamping!

Cuttin’ and Stampin’ DT call 2014

This post is my application to join the Cuttin' and Stampin' Design Team for 2014 as a Challenge Post Design Team Member. I have greatly enjoyed working with the team in 2013 and hope to get the chance to do so again.

I live in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, with my husband, Chris.   We're owned by two senior cats, Digit and Dusty.  I started stamping 10 years ago when Chris fell ill and I needed a quiet hobby to fill my time when I wasn't caring for him.

I like to travel, and have gotten to stop at lots of wonderful stamping stores and stamping events (and, of course, meet lots of terrific stampers) along the way.  It was on one of my trips that I got a chance to meet Tammy and we were like old friends the very first time we met -- and that's how I learned about Cuttin' and Stampin'.

My gallery is at SplitCoastStampers, where I also participate in the forums as "StampingSpud".  My crafting résumé includes information on published projects, past design team work, and stamping television appearances.

Here are a few projects that I think best represent my stamping style:

 

  

  

Thanks so much for your time and your consideration of this application.

Surprises in the Mail

Some of the best things about cardmaking are the feelings of excitement when something comes in the mail! It's so great (and increasingly rare) to go to the mailbox and find something other than junk mail, catalogs, and bills. Cardmakers usually send the surprises to their friends and family, but sometimes we get to receive surprises in the mailbox, too.

My recent surprise was an issue of the brand new The Stamper's Sampler Summer 2013 issue which hits newsstands on June 1st. This issue has three of my recent cards inside! Two of them shared the same color scheme, and I used pieces of the same single sheet of brown & blue spritzed cardstock in their designs.

This card features stamps from Unity Stamp Company. The spritzes used are Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels and Denim Adirondack Color Wash Dye Spray from Ranger. I wish the sparkly background showed up better, but it's nearly impossible to get fine details like that to show up in print.

The sentiment on this card really speaks to me. I can almost hear U2 singing it as I read along. If there were an album of my life, that song would certainly be on it.

Happy Stamping! And I hope you receive a happy surprise soon!

Thank You Card Challenge

It's a new week and time for a new challenge at Cuttin' and Stampin'!   This week's challenge:  Thank You Card.   It's a great reminder that it's always good to have a few thank you cards on hand.  You never know when you're going to need one.   

I have a few cards on display at Cuttin' and Stampin', but I wanted to feature this one here.  I've been lucky to have several terrific teachers in my life, and I'm so grateful for them.

This card features a tree from Unity Stamp Company, the sentiment from the Kim Hughes (designer at Paper Smooches) collection from Cornish Heritage Farms, and red brads for apples.

So whether they're ultra-feminine, juvenile, masculine, minimalist or super-fancy, silly or serious, show off your Thank You Cards!  We'd love for you to link up and join our challenge, so click here to enter your creations.

Happy Stamping!

The Garden

It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cuttin' and Stampin'!   This week's challenge is:  GARDEN.

Spring is upon us and so is our newest challenge!  I'm posting from the Boise area and it's not quite time to plant yet here.  We've got about another month before it's safe to put plants outside.  However, the chill in the air doesn't prevent me from being excited about getting those first seeds sown.

So in anticipation of the first seedlings, I present my project:

This card features stamps from Unity Stamp Company, papers from Crate Paper, washi tapes from Freckled Fawn, and "noted" and ticket embellishments from BasicGrey. 

Now it's your turn!  Create something wonderfully reminiscent of the garden...  plants, flowers, veggies, etc.   Don't forget to show it off at Cuttin' and Stampin'!

Happy Stamping!