Friends of Unity December 2025 Blog Hop, Mood Board

Hey there! I am so giddy for this hop. I love the concept of a mood board, but I have never created from one before. I also have never created one. So many things here to inspire. I love cinnamon scented pine cones, so I had to include them on my cards. My pine cones are not cinnamon scented, though. Lol. I have a winner from last month's hop. Carla Hundley, whoop, whoop, congratulations sweet lady. Shoot me an email with your address at lovepaperetc@gmail.com. I will get your goodies to you immediately.

Card #1:

This sweet card is going to one of the administrative assistants I work with at my elementary school. Long story short. She brought in these delicious lemon raspberry muffins from Costco and I fell hard for them. I do not have a Costco membership, so I unashamedly asked her to pick me up a pack and that I'd pay her. Well, this past Monday, she brought them in. Not only did she bring them in, but they were on her. I did not have to pay because she expressed how grateful she is for me being me. Wow! Her remark really made my day. My heart exploded. We gave each other the biggest hug. I love my school family! 

The beautiful floral is from the October 2024 Kit of the Month, small bliss of Christmas. It was colored with Prismacolor pencils. The colors were blended with Gamsol. I also used a nesting  die from scallops and arches. Sentiment is from the October 2018 Kit of the Month, all winter long.

Card #2:

I don't know if you can see it, but there is so much sparkle. Call me crazy, but do you ever go to bed obsessing about your next card creation? I do and this is one I obsessed over. I was so excited to make it the next day, but my body was tired and she told me tomorrow is a new day. Well, tomorrow has arrived. I took a piece of white card stock and sparingly blended ink over it. Then, I stamped the branches from Winter blessings at the top and bottom. Next, I die cut it. The pine cone and joy sentiment are from A Christmas Hello. I stamped a second pine cone, cut it out, and placed it over the stamped one for dimension. Finally, I layered branch die cuts I made at the top. Stickles were used on them. Let me just say, I loved making this card. Stickles were added to the pine cone as well.

Well, we can't wait to see how you are inspired. To go back to the beginning of the hop, here is the link to the amazingly talented and beautiful, Crystal.

Thanks for hopping! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Dawn

Friends of Unity November 2025 Blog Hop, Creating a Background

Hello everyone! So glad you are here! My winner from last month's hop is Celeste Goff! Congratulations Celeste! Please email me your address at lovepaperetc@gmail.com, so I can send some Unity happy your way. I have a nice, little grab bag for you. 

We are creating backgrounds for this month's hop. We hope you are inspired. There will be another challenge this month on the FB Unity Show & Tell page. Make sure you submit your creations to be eligible for a $25 gift card from Unity. We can't wait to see the backgrounds you create.

I only have one card this month. Here it is:

The background was created using two sheets of pattern paper I received as a gift with an order. I just love the great finds in those paper bags. Don't you? I added two rub ons to the text paper. I then cut out several pieces of ephemera from Proof of Grace. I decided on two mixed media tags. A mini clip I received as a gift in an order, was placed on the one tag. I layered the two tags using foam adhesive. The sentiment is from You don't have to be ok. I love the sentiments in this kit. They are so empowering. Enamel dots were added last to pull it all together.

I am giving away some more Unity. All you have to do is, comment on each of our blogs to be eligible. 

That's it for me. Next up is our super talented, Toni.

Thank you for hopping and playing in our challenge!

See you soon,

Dawn

Friends of Unity October 2025 Blog Hop, Color Challenge

Happy World Cardmaking Day! I can't believe it's October. We have a fun challenge for you, a color challenge. Please enter your creations in the Color Challenge Album on the Unity Show & Tell page. It's going to be so much fun. I love a color challenge, especially with the colors of fall. Fall is my second favorite season. Summer is the first. I'm looking forward to pulling out the sweaters and I recently bought these really cute green courdoroy pants with a fun hem. 

Check out this beautiful cue:

Card #1:

The border background stamp, frondescence, was used on this card. Such a beautiful image to color. I used colored pencils and Gamsol for blending. This stamp is a must have. The postage die was used to cut it out. Sentiment is from Autumn Dream. It is one of my favorite sets by Unity. The floral is gorgeous on cards. I added a couple of die cut leaves, wax seal, and gold paint splatters, to bring it all together.

Card #2:

The image of the woman paired with this sentiment is so powerful. She is from Darkest Night Brightest Day. The sentiment is from the same kit. I was going for movement. She looks like she is literally walking through a storm of leaves. Her hair is also blowing in the wind. I took pattern paper and used an impression die with swirls. I added a little ink to the panel. I layered a couple acetate clusters under the woman. She was colored with colored pencils. Colors were blended with Gamsol. 

GIVEAWAY ALERT: I AM GIVING AWAY A GRAB BAG OF STAMPS. IT WILL INCLUDE ALL IMAGES.  ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS VISIT ALL OF OUR BLOGS AND COMMENT. MAKE SURE YOU YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO THE END.  AMBER IS THE LAST STOP IN OUR HOP. SHE IS GIVING AWAY A UNITY GIFT CARD. GO TO HER BLOG, COMMENT, POST YOUR CARD IN THE ALBUM AND BE SURE TO TAG HER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS GENEROUS PRIZE.

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS.

Have fun hopping!

Crystal

Toni

me

Jenni

Doreen

Jane

Rachel

Kari

Amber

Good luck and see you next month,

Dawn

Friends of Unity September 2025 Blog Hop, Anything but a Card

Guess what day it is! It's my birthday! I entered this world on September 3, 1970. I am celebrating double nickels. I am having a wonderful day. I went to work in a new outfit and even put on make up. I usually just use lip gloss or a lip stick, but I went all in with concealer, foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and a lip oil. I'm hoping I can stick to this routine. Time will tell. Well, enough of that. Let's keep hopping. Here is our wonderful cue:

Hmm! At first I was going to make book marks, then tags. I finally decided to create my own ephemera. I did this some years ago and had a lot of fun. The ephemera I made years ago was purchased by a sweet woman in England. I couldn't believe it. 

Set #1:  

This set features moths, butterflies, magic, and a little bit of grunge. It is intended to inspire creativity. Embrace the messy magic was created using a vintage wood block stamp. This is my first time using it. I guess I was waiting for the right project.  I stamped the image onto a sheet of paper from Grit & Grace. It was cut with a tag from Grunge Cuts. I then cut a sentiment strip apart and adhered it to the tag. A mini, metal hanger was attached at the top. Each of these creations were backed with card stock. Believe in your magic was created using the butterfly from the February 2024 Kit of the Month, grace and more grace. I am in love with this image. It, too, was stamped onto a sheet of paper from Grit & Grace. In fact, this paper kit was used for all of them. I then took another sentiment strip and cut it apart. The last one features a stamp from the February 2017 SMAK Kit, be you for you. It is now available as its own smaller kit. An acetate moth was layered on the middle moth. I used a postage die to cut the paper.

Set #2: 

The second set is all about embracing transformation, that change should be encouraged. Both were stamped on paper from Grit & Grace. The phases of the moon and sentiment are from the August 2023 Kit of the Month, phases. It was cut using a Terrific Ticket Die. Embrace the Seasons of Change used stamps from the July 2021 Kit of the Month, special spot in my heart. It was cut using a Grunge Cut die. An acetate stem was layered over the image.

Well, that's all for me folks. I am the last stop in this hop. To start from the beginning, click here to return to Crystal. Can I just say how amazing this woman is? She does so much for our team as well as several other teams. She is super talented. Please give her an extra shout out.

See everyone next month for another incredible hop. As always, thanks for your continued support. We appreciate each and everyone of you.

Inky hugs,

Dawn

Friends of Unity August 2025 Blog Hop, Technique

Well hello there! I've missed you! I am having the best summer ever traveling and being more active. It hasn't left much time to get in my craft room. But now, things are slowing down a bit, and I am able to get crafty. I hope everyone is having an amazing summer. It truly has been a hot one, here in northeast Ohio. For this month's hop, we are diving into various techniques. I went with alcohol ink backgrounds, die cutting, fussy cutting, and using rub ons. If you have not tried rub ons, let me tell you, they are a game changer. Here is our lovely cue:

I guess I took our cue literally with alcohol ink backgrounds. Ha ha!

First up:

For this card I used the stamp sets, trust in its wings (Whit Kit Dec. 2021) and kindness unfolded for the sentiment. My little blue bird was stamped on water color paper and colored with water colors. I created an alcohol ink background. I cut a peek a boo die in the center of a scalloped edge die. This piece was placed over the inked background. I also used the coordinating dies for trust in its wings. The kindness unfolded set has so many lovely sentiments, it was hard to choose one. Rub ons were also used behind the bird.

Next up:

For this beauty, I created another alcohol ink background, but this time I added a rub on directly on it. I wasn't sure if rub ons could be used on Yupo, but per Google, you can, so I tried it. I am so impressed with the final result. Don't you just wanna give her a big bear hug and let her know that you are there for her? I know I do. She is from the in the light series. I just love this series. So many gorgeous sets. This set is called love stays no matter what. The sentiment is also from this set. I stamped her on water color paper. She was fussy cut, then I used some water colors on her. 

The final stop for our hop is my lovely, super talented friend, Joyce. Make sure you show her some love.

By the time you see this post, I will be getting ready to attend a stamping convention in Sharonville, Ohio, called StampAway. Have you ever attended this one before? Are you going? Maybe we will run into each other. Wouldn't that be awesome?

See you next month for another great hop.

Peace and hugs,

Dawn

Friends of Unity May 2025 Blog Hop, Bloom Where You are Planted

Hello there! So glad to have you here, hopping along. Here is the pretty graphic for this month's cue:

I was in a bit of a creative rut for this hop. Then I remembered the gorgeous girl from the March 2025 Kit of the Month, chapters & crossings. Then, I was like, what am I going to do with her?

As you can see, this is a tri-fold card. First, I cut water color paper with a scallop and arch die. Next, I stamped the girl onto it. She was colored with water color pencils. Then, I cut out a sheet of untamed meadow using the next size scallop and arch die. I cut a sheet of Bohemian Dream and layered it directly onto the front of the card base. The arch dies were layered onto the base, using foam adhesive. I die cut a couple of flowers from the same paper packs and layered them next to the girl. The sentiments and sprigs were stamped on pattern paper. This piece was adhered to the first fold. More Untamed Meadow was used to line the other folds. The middle was left blank for greeting. Lace ribbon was tied around the card. I think it adds a delicate touch.

Well, that's all I have. But please keep hopping. Next up is our sweet Jenni. Show her some Unity Love. See you next month.

Inky hugs,

Dawn

Friends of Unity April 2025 Hop, Use All Scraps

So glad you are here. We all have scraps, right? I know I have my fair share. Don't let them just sit there. Use them up! Here is our graphic for this month's hop. It's so springy...LOVE.

This first card was created for a friend to give to her brother, who loves books and plants.

I always keep large pieces (scraps) of card stock because they are perfect for large, stamped images. They are also perfect for layering. In this case, I stamped the beautiful book case image from Cozy Nook onto a scrap of cream colored card stock. Colored pencils and Gamsol were used. Since this is a finely detailed stamp, only a little bit of color was needed to create a stunning image. Scraps of pattern paper and card stock were used as a back drop. The sentiment stamp is from the February 2021 Sentiment Kit, not the end of your story. I cut it with a banner die.

So, I had this piece of embossed card stock, waiting to be used. I decided to use it on my second card.

I absolutely love how this card turned out. I did a little ink smooshing on the embossed piece. Next, I added a couple of rub ons to it. The gorgeous butterfly is from Seraphim Wings. It was colored with Tim Holtz water color pencils. The sentiment stamp is from Guided by Grace. The butterfly was cut with its coordinating die. This butterfly is huge and is absolutely gorgeous. It is a must have in your stamping arsenal. Its size makes it perfect as the focal point on a hand made card and even on mixed media creations.

Well that's all for me, lovely people. I am the last stop in the hop this month. If you want to hop again, please start with my lovely, super talented friend, Crystal.

See you next month,

Dawn

Friends of Unity March 2025 Hop, Sketch

Well hello! The Friends of Unity are playing with an amazing sketch. We are even hosting a challenge on the Unity Show and Tell Facebook page using this sketch. Unity is giving away two prizes, so be sure to get your entries in. Good luck! Here is the sketch:

 

I dug in the crates for this card:

Both the bunny and sweet sentiment stamps are from the January 2022 Kit of the Month, found in the heart.  It's been a week for me, so this post is short and sweet. Thanks for visiting. See you back here in April!

Here is the hop list, once again:

Crystal

Doreen

Jane

Kari

Toni

Jenni

me

Rachel

Friends of Unity February 2025 Blog Hop, Monochromatic

Welcome! I hope all is well! So happy you are joining us for another amazing hop. My winner from last month's hop is Carol Wortman. Congratulations, sweet lady! Please email me your address so I can get some amazing Unity to you. My email is lovepaperetc@gmail.com. 

So this month, we're rocking a monochromatic cue. I tend to struggle with this. It's hard for me to stick with one color or one color family. I think I did ok with this card. 

So how did I do? This card was so fun to create. The stamp set I used is, Flamingle into Retirement. I also used the coordinating flamingo die. I LOVE that Unity offers coordinating dies. I am not a fan of fussy cutting. I colored the flamingo with Prima water colors. Other dies are from different companies. I love this sentiment. It is so fun. 

Next up in our hop is the lovely, Doreen. I love her style. Wait until you see her cards for this hop! Amazing!

See you next month for another incredible hop.

Inky Hugs,

Dawn