Growing in Unity July 2023, Day Four

This card happened totally by accident. I knew I was going to use the beach babe and I really wanted to incorporate the tropical scene. I thought I was going to stamp the tropical scene at the top of the card, but as I was removing ink from the tropical scene stamp by stamping it over and over at the bottom of the beach babe, I saw something that looked pretty cool. Here is the result:

So what do you think? I used two stamp sets on this card. The sentiment and woman are from, look out beaches, by Jessica Pickeral. The tropical image is from a throwback Kit of the Month, June 2010, fly free. I have always loved this scene and 13 years later, it finally sees ink. That's a totally different subject, but long story short, I shop so much faster than I create.

The card base is a heavy weight, white card stock. The images and sentiment were stamped on water color paper. The tropical scene was colored with Art Anthology sprays and some Prima water colors. She was colored with Prima water colors. Background was created using a Prima water color and an Art Anthology spray. Some jewels were added for a finishing touch.

Thanks for coming back! I am enjoying all the generous comments. I appreciate each and every one. Thanks for hanging out again. See you tomorrow for my last day of Growing in Unity.

Dawn

Growing in Unity July 2023, Day Three

 Hi friends! Thanks for coming back and leaving generous comments. I so enjoy reading them. Thanks, too, for all the lovely comments on Facebook as well. I went with a border background stamp for today. The border background stamps at Unity are perfectly perfect for a quick card. This border background is called featherly from Angie Blom. I was thinking this stamp would be stunning on kraft, so I gave it a go. I am happy with the results. Now, I'll have to try it with water color on water color paper.

I used three colored pencils and blended them with Gamsol. The card base is heavy weight white card stock. The featherly stamp was stamped on heavy weight kraft card stock via my MISTI. The stamped piece was layered onto the card base using foam adhesive. This beautiful sentiment is from the April 2021 Kit of the Month, love dwells here. This is a beautiful kit. I think you need to add it to your stamping arsenal if you have not done so already. Ha ha! I cut the sentiment piece with a Gina Marie mini slimline die. I cut off the decorative edges, but still have the stitching. This piece was placed onto the kraft with foam adhesive as well. To complete this card, I added a metal bird embellie and a few sparkly jewels.

That's it for me today. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win some Unity. Also, remember to follow me on IG @lovepaperetc.

Hugs,

Dawn

Growing in Unity July 2023, Day Two

Hey there crafty people! It's already Day 2 of my Growing in Unity Week. Thanks for all your love on my first day. I appreciate you all. When hello human was released, I knew I had tohave it in my life. The giraffe is so stinkin' cute and the sentiment is perfect.

Isn't she cute? This card was created on heavy weight green card stock. I took heavy weight white card stock and cut it with one of the Unity deckle and stitches dies. This is my first time using this die as well as the hello human set. Once it was cut, I sponged Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Fossilized Amber over it. I spritz some water on it and set it aside. I stamped the giraffe on water color paper and fussy cut it. I used a Prima water color on it along with a Prismacolor colored pencil with a little Gamsol. I then grabbed the Resilience set. First time using this set as well. I stamped the fern in Stampin' Up Old Olive and the bamboo shoot in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on the white card stock. I then layered 3 acetate pieces from 49 and Market over the fern and bamboo. The giraffe was added with foam adhesive. I placed a strip of Tim Holtz fabric tape on the left side of the card base. I placed the stamped panel on the card base with foam adhesive. The sentiment, hello wonderful human, is also from the hello human kit. I stamped it on white card stock and rounded the edges. The edges and cut piece were inked with Fossilized Amber and Ground Espresso, also from Tim Holtz. A Basic Grey metal brad was added next to the sentiment. The sentiment piece was adhered at the top of the card with foam adhesive.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Also, make sure you leave a comment each day for your chance to win some Unity. Thank you for hanging out with me for a bit!

See you again, tomorrow!

Dawn

Growing in Unity July 2023 Day One

 I am so excited to be the Growing in Unity person this week. For my first day, I am sharing a wedding card for a very special couple. I incorporated their colors on the card. I hope they both like it.

Here is the card:

Heavy weight light blue card stock was used to create the card base. Bo Bunny pattern paper was cut down to size and placed directly on the card base. Gray pattern paper was run through my Big Shot Pro using a Gina Marie texture plate. This piece was placed on the Bo Bunny paper using foam adhesive. A Pink Fresh tag die set was used to cut three different tags from pattern paper. They were layered on each other using foam adhesive. 

The large floral is from Birthday Blooms (Sandhya Iyer). I stamped it on water color paper by way of my MISTI. The coordinating die was used to cut it out. I just received the die last week. Perfect timing! Zig Markers were used for water coloring. The flower was placed over Prima sky blue wax cord and a couple of Pink Fresh die cuts. The sentiment, two became one, was stamped on a Prima ticket. I cut the sides of the ticket, just a little, and rounded the corners. I just could not cover up this gorgeous floral, so I selected a small sentiment. It was added under the flower with foam adhesive. The sentiment is from, love is a magical thing (Lisa Arana). This set is perfect for wedding and anniversary cards. It is a November 2015 Sentiment Kit. A My Minds Eye metal brad was placed next to the sentiment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. 

If you are not familiar with Growing in Unity, make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win some Unity. I get to pick two winners. It may just be you!

Thanks for hanging out with me! See you again tomorrow!

Dawn

Friends of Unity Blog Hop, July 2023, Watercolor

Hello my crafty friends! Welcome to a new month and a new hop. Our cue this month is watercolor. So many stamps, so little time to watercolor.  Watercoloring is one of my favorite techniques. I Love to get those colors moving around. My winner from last month's hop is GLENNIS F. Congratulations Glennis! Please email me at lovepaperetc@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Let me just preface this paragraph by saying I have only inked one of these stamps before. See what I mean, so many stamps, not enough time to get inky. My first card features a lovely Phyllis Harris image:  

To me, this image exudes trust, faith, and innocence. Prima water colors were used. The verse is from, my heart trusts, which is another beautiful set of stamps from Unity. The card was completed by die cutting the image. The postage stamp die is also Unity. This piece was layered on another die cut. A metal floral brad, a chipboard circle, and lace were the final touches. If you don't have this image in your collection, I highly recommend it. It is a dream to color.

Next up is a plain navy blue journal cover I altered:

This stamp is huge, perfect to adorn journals. It comes from the set, Blooming Peonies. This kit is another must have in your stamping arsenal. I prepped the journal cover with a super heavy gesso, let it dry overnight and then stamped it. I used Karin markers and one Zig marker. The sentiment is from the September 2017 SMAK Kit called truest life. I really miss this membership. Maybe Unity will come out with something similar one day. A girl can wish, right? I really love how this journal cover came out. I'm in love with the color palette. It's quite soothing.

Lastly, I have another card:

This one did not turn out like I had hoped. I'm thinking I should've used a different background stamp instead of the wonky stripes. Or maybe have added some color to the embossed butterflies. But, it'll have to do for now. This pretty stamp image is from Layers of Life, embrace today, March 2018. I love everything about this stamp, the flower, honeycomb, and butterflies. I tried to play up the butterflies with a butterfly embossing folder from Stampin' Up.  A crafting goal of mine is to use embossing folders more. They add amazing texture. The image was stamped on water color paper and colored with Karin markers. The sweet sentiment is from the May 2021 Kit of the Month, summer vibes. It just so happens that this kit of the month is on sale. Hint, Hint, you need it in your life.

Thanks for hopping with us. I am having another giveaway this month, so don't forget to comment on all our blogs for your chance to win. Also, please follow me on IG @lovepaperetc. 

Here is the hop order once more. Happy 4th of July to my friends in the United States. Enjoy and please be safe!

Crystal

Tammy

Jane

Gaylynn

me

Rachel

Amber

Until next time, my friends!

Friends of Unity June 2023 Blog Hop, Masculine

Man listen. Y'all know I love making some masculine cards. Thus, I am so excited for this cue. Peep the graphic:

I have been MIA for several months for both happy and sad reasons. But I'm back! I have missed hopping with my friends. I have missed YOU! The last time I participated in a FOU hop was February 2023. In that post, I mentioned a prize. Sorry for the late notice, but Jen R., you are my winner.  Please send me an email at camdyl@msn.com to claim your prize. I am giving a prize for this hop as well, so make sure you leave a comment on all our blogs.

Here is my first card. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SECOND CARD IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF SOME PROFANITY

Three Unity stamp sets were used on this card. First, the bull, is from Take No Bull. Second, the background was created using Barn Wall. I placed a chicken coop wire sticker over the barn wall stamp. Finally, the sentiment. The sentiment is not from a kit. Several years ago, Unity offered individual sentiments in a sale. This sentiment was an add on to Take No Bull if I remember correctly. The 'remember this' was cut from Tim Holtz ephemera. A strip of pattern paper was placed over the sentiment. The bull was layered over a frame die cut. The two metal hearts are Prima and the other three metal pieces are Tim Holtz.

Second and final card. NO PROFANITY ON THIS ONE

Three Unity stamp sets were also used on this card. First, the background was created using all the stamps from Woodland Layers. Second, is Forrest Guy. Finally, the sentiment is from Happy Retirement along with the coordinating die. I used colored pencils and Gamsol on the sky and lake. Forrest Guy was colored with Prima water color pencils. The die cut with the mountains and sentiment is from Pink Paislee. I think Unity should make something similar into a stamp. Hint! Hint!

Well, I'm the last stop in the hop, but if you need the order again, here it is:

Crystal

Amber

Kim

Jane

Tammy

Colleen

Bobbie Sue

April

Rachel

Gaylynn

Thank you so much for visiting all our blogs. We appreciate all of you and your support of our monthly blog. 

See you next month,

Dawn

Friends of Unity February 2023 Blog Hop, Say It! All About the Sentiment

 I've been waiting for this cue...can't wait to see all the different interpretations from the team. I have one creation to share with you this month, but it has many sentiments. Firstly though, check out our graphic:

Pretty cool, right? So, as I have mentioned, I have been excited for this month's cue. I have been having this idea floating around in my head and I finally decided to do it. I am calling this a daily affirmation unbound journal in a decorative wood container.

I'm so excited about this creation Unity has so many encouraging sentiments. Their stamps were perfect for what I had in mind. I used so many sets, that they are too many to list here. If you see a sentiment or two that you really like,, just ask me, and I will happily let you know which set it is from. This lovely wood container is filled with so much inspiration. I used a lot of the tags Unity sends out as free gifts and cut them down to size. I also used these really large tags from Ranger. They were cut down to size as well. And of course, I used pattern paper, too, because you know I love my pattern paper. I was thinking that the recipient could jot down aspirations, hopes, fears, doubts, dreams, and or ideas. 

The next group of pictures highlight some of my favorites. This section is picture heavy.

Are you still with me? Sorry for the picture overload. I am giving away a prize this month. To be eligible, all you have to do is comment on all our posts. We love to read your comments. Thanks so much for your continued support.

Here is the hop order once more. See you again next month. Don't forget to comment.

Crystal

Amber

Bobbie Sue

April

Rachel

Kim

Colleen

Gaylynn

Joyce

Thanks again for hopping! See you the first Saturday in March.

Happy crafting,

Dawn