Love, Paper, Etc.

Saturday, January 8, 2022

Friends of Unity January 2022 Blog Hop, CAS Card

Happy New Year everyone! The Friends of Unity are kicking off 2022 with a CAS Hop. For my friends who might not know what CAS means, it stands for clean and simple. I really feel that CAS is subjective. What I feel is CAS, someone else may not. For instance, the two cards I am sharing for this hop are CAS compared to what I usually create. But do you think these two cards are clean and simple? I really would appreciate your input. I must admit CAS is difficult for me. I admire card makers who can pull it off with their cards looking complete. I feel like something is missing when I go for CAS. Check out our cool graphic:

Here is my first card:

I love this stamp image created by Jeanie Marie Hays. I think it represents my dog, Charlee, and I perfectly. Charlee is no longer a puppy, but she makes me so happy. She always takes me on these incredible adventures when we have our walks. She is now 11 years old. She has not slowed down. She is still moving and grooving. She has so much energy. The image is from the kit, A girl and her friend. The sentiments are from Hailey's puppy. So what do you think? Is this card CAS? Is it not CAS because I used paper piecing? I don't know. LOL. Again, subjective...for me this card is CAS compared to what I usually create.

Here is my second card:

So is this card CAS? I think so. It involves simple stamping, a piece of pattern paper, some twine, and a mini wood heart. It took no time to pur this card together so it is definitely CAS. The rainbow and sentiment stamps are both from the May 2019 Kit of the Month, sweetness, miracles and wishes.

I AM GVING AWAY SOME UNITY STAMPS FOR THIS HOP. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COMMENT ON ALL OUR BLOGS. I AM GIVING AWAY TWO SETS TO ONE LUCKY WINNER. THE SETS ARE LIL' GIRL PRAYIN' AND LIL' BUNNY WISHES. As always, thank you for your continued support. We appreciate each and everyone of you.

Here is the blog hop order once again:

Stay crafty my friends,

Dawn

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Friends of Unity December 2021 Blog Hop, Retro/Vintage

Hello crafty friends! Happy Holidays! We are going retro for this hop. I absolutely love creating retro/vintage crafts. I am so excited for this month's hop.

I created two cards for this hop. This first one has more of a tetro vibe:

It is now only a few hours before our hop starts. For some reason, I was unable to upload my photos this past evening. I am so relieved I can now. I am so proud of these two cards and I couldn't wait to share. Isn't this woman fabulous? She screams, retro, don't you think? Six stamps were used on this card. The woman, Ikat background, stitching, and flower are all from the June 2019 SMAK, enjoy where you are. Filmstrip stamp is from the September 2017 SMAK, truest life. The beautiful sentiment is from simply blessed.

As you may know, I absolutely love layering stamps. The trick is finding ones that compliment each other and the right color palette. And the bonus, no coloring necessary. So if you need a quick card, this is definitely the way to go.

My second card screams vintage:

Three stamps were used here and they came from a 'vintage' Kit of the Month, I am referring to this kit as 'vintage' because it is from February 2013, so it is an older kit. It is called, let love grow. This has always been one of my favorite kits...just so many lovely images and sentiments. I stamped the ink well with quill on vintage themed paper. The sentiments were stamped on chipboard and sealed with a spray. Initially, I was going to use lace at the bottom of the card, but I saw this fun tulle trim in my stash and decided to go with that.

I hope you can see my love for retro/vintage on these two cards.

Now, for even more inspo. Up next is Colleen with her beautiful creations.

Thanks everyone for your continued support! We hope you enjoyed our hop this month. Come back next month. Oh wow, it'll be 2022. The Friends of Unity have some amazing things lined up for the new year...so stay tuned.

Wishing you peace and love this holiday season!

Dawn

Saturday, November 6, 2021

Friends of Unity, November 2021 Blog Hop, Non-Card Project

Hello there! This month we are making anything that is not a card. I love that there are so many things you can do with stamps. They are so versatile. I can't wait to share what I made! I love the organic vibe of this graphic:

Here is my non-card project:

I altered a Tim Holtz mini clipboard. I have not altered a clipboard in quite some time. This clipboard is different from the others though. I did not incorporate stamping on those. I decoupaged pattern paper on them. The grungy sunflower is from the September 2020 SMAK Kit, everything is up to you. I really miss my SMAK. They had gorgeous, large stamps...perfect for altering various projects. The flowers were painted with Prima and Art Anthology paints. The sentiment is from what will be...will be.

Here are the steps in altering this clipboard: first, remove the metal clip. Then apply clear gesso and let dry for 24 hours. Stamp flower randomly on the clipboard. Next, paint the flowers. Stamp sentiment on white card stock and place on journaling card. Round the edges with a corner rounder. Place sentiment on bottom right corner of clipboard with foam adhesive. Stick a metal memo pin in foam adhesive. Add metal heart. A wood butterfly button was placed in the center of the main flower. Add washi tape to film strip, cut to size, and place diagonally near the top of the clipboard. Finally, replace metal clip.

As you can see in the pictures, eyelash trim had been tied to the clip. I think I like it better without the eyelash trim. Which way do you like more?

Well that's it until next time. Here is the hop order just in case you need it:

I hope you enjoyed our hop. We always appreciate your support. We also really love your comments.

Until next time,

Dawn

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Friends of Unity Blog Hop, October 2021, Technique

Happy fall everyone! My winner from the Friends of Unity Color Challenge on the Unity Show and Tell Facebook Page is Sheila Hurst. Congratulations Sheila...please pm me so I can get several new Unity stamp sets to you. We are sharing techniques for this month's hop. I decided to go with ink smooshing since I have never really tried this technique. I watched several videos and combined elements from all of them. Here is our cool cue:

Here is my ink smooshed card:

Another technique I used on this card is embossing. As I mentioned before, I watched several videos on ink smooshing. From one video, the you tuber showed how to move the ink around with your fingers. Another video was a basic introduction to ink smooshing. And the other video showed an embossing resist technique with ink smooshing. I did not do an emboss resist, but I'll come back to that later.

I needed a nice sized surface to spray my ink onto. So I grabbed my Big Shot Pro cutting pad and sprayed two Prima inks (pressed petal and tea stain) on it. I placed water color paper onto the ink and used a finger to spread the ink around. I am really going to have to work on my technique here. I am not totally happy with my first ink smooshing attempt, but I'm going to roll with it. Ha! I took an old sock and wiped away excess ink. Once the paper was dry, I stamped The Grace of Presence background stamp using Tim Holtz embossing ink. I added white embossing powder and used my heat gun. It is really hard to see the words from this stamp, but if you look closely on a few pictures you will see it. I set this piece aside and went on to stamp the beautiful girl on heavy weight white card stock. She is from the September 2019 Kit of the Month, All Kinds of Holiday Love. I cut her out. Next I colored her scarf with Derwent metallic colored pencils and used Gamsol to blend. Whoa, I guess that's another technique I snuck in. Her hair and skin were colored with Prima water color pencils. I set her aside. Then the search began for the perfect sentiment. I don't know if this sentiment is 'perfect' for this card, but I love this encouraging sentiment. It is from the Start Anew set created in collaboration with Graciellie Design. Finally I found a die cut with a cool geometric design. I glued it to purple card stock. I almost forgot, washi tape was added to the ink smooshed piece. A Gina Marie die was used to cut the inked panel. Foam adhesive was used on the inked panel and the girl.

I really wanted to make a second card, but my tank ran out of gas. I'm sure you can relate. Here is the blog hop order once again, just in case:

Thanks for your continued support! We appreciate each and everyone of you!

Until next time,

Dawn

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Friends of Unity Blog Hop, September 2021, Color Challenge

Hello crafty friends, I am so excited for this month's hop! We're having a color challenge! Plus, we are inviting all of you to play along. There will be an album on the Unity Show & Tell page to link up your lovely creations. I mean, who doesn't love an awesome color challenge? And these three colors are gorgeous together, sage, kraft, and white. Perfect color combo for fall. Check out this beautiful graphic:

Here is my first card:

This image is so endearing to me. I couldn't wait to create a card using this stamp set. The beautiful sentiment is also from the same kit. The kit is called every leaf speaks bliss to me. I love fall. First, I love the colors of fall. Second, I get to wear my sweaters and scarves. Lastly, it's time to pull out the boots. Fall is just a fun season. If you don't have this kit, you must add it to your collection.

Next card:

I used my brand new Gina Marie frame die. I purchased it at Stampaway USA in Cincinnati last month. Now I have to buy the rectangular die set. This card did not go as planned. I planned on CAS, but as you can see, it's not. Ha! I decided to use some Prima embellishments. But first, let's get to how this card was created. The script background on vellum is actually Prima packaging. Their packaging is as beautiful as their embellishments. I have used their packaging before. I stamped the leaf, cut it out, and colored it with one of my new Prima water colors. I set it aside. I used kraft paper for the frame. I stamped the brick background on white card stock and adhered it to the frame. Foam adhesive was used on the frame piece. I grabbed my stamped leaf and placed it at an angle using foam adhesive. The fabric leaf was then glued to the frame piece. The Prima flower was layered over the leaf. I decided to add the wood button with the butterfly at the last minute. I then stamped the sentiment, cut it out and placed it under the frame using foam adhesive. Kits used on this card are: change can be beautiful and hit the brick. I love the versatility of background stamps. You can use a little or a lot.

There are more beautiful creations to see, but if you want to start from the beginning, here is the hop order:

Bobbie Sue https://www.two38creations.com/

Thank you for hopping! We can't wait to see your creations!

Also remember to comment on all of our blogs to be eligible for prizes.

P.S. Happy Birthday to me! September 3. Let the PARTY begin!

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Friends of Unity Blog Hop, Let's Go For A Ride, August 2021

By now you have heard the exciting news, April Sarandea has joined us. We are all so excited to have her aboard. Her creations are always so beautiful. Love her sweet vibes. WELCOME April!

I can't believe it's August. Where did the summer go? I know we still have a few weeks of summer left, but geesh. I hope everyone is having a wonderful, relaxing summer. What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? Mine is going to the ocean. I also love to go on bike rides, even though I really haven't done this, this summer. Luckily I still have a few weeks to squeeze it in. So, this leads to our cue for this month:

Who's ready to ride?

Here is my first card:

I used colored pencils and Gamsol on this card. The bicycle is from the March 2020 Kit of the Month, spring & things. I used the background stamp, floral blast, as my pattern paper. This background stamp is so pretty. So glad I purchased it in the swap. Both sentiments are from the Happy Retirement kit. I cut the happy retirement sentiment with the coordinating die. I just love the softness of this card. I have been seeing other cards with a soft color palette and wanted to give it a go.

Here is my second card, loaded with color:

I really love how this card turned out. It looks so peaceful and now I want a red sailboat. Haha! I always look through my Unity collection for the perfect sentiment to go with my stamped images. I think this one works. It comes from a Graciellie Design set, hey friend. The sailboat is from Sail with no Limits. Jeanie Hays created a beautiful set here. Zig Markers were used to color in the image.

Last, but not least, a fall card:

Three kits were used for this fall card. The truck is from Great Blessings. The leaf is from the September 2016 Kit of the Month, moments between moments. This is a beauty of a kit...great images and sentiments. The sentiment is fromd the August 2017 Kit of the Month, never be afraid. The images were colored with colored pencils and Gamsol.

So which card is your favorite? For me, it's a tie between the sailboat and truck. Probably because I just love color.

Here is the hop line up again if you need it:

Thanks for hopping with us! We really appreciate your support and your shared love for Unity Stamp Company. Take care my friends, See you next month!

Dawn

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Friends of Unity Blog Hoppers, July 2021, Summer Vacation

Well hello there! I missed you last month! I was enjoying what so happens to be our cue this month, summer vacation. My hubby and I went to Myrtle Beach for some much needed R and R! It was our first time visiting Myrtle Beach and definitely won't be our last. It is just something about the beach that calms and refreshes the soul. The beach is my happy place and I can't wait to share my cards reflecting this. But first, let me announce the winner from our May 2021 hop. Congratulations Kathryn! You are the Lucky Winner of a Grab Bag of stamps from SMAK, Kit of the Month, and more. Please email me at lovepaperetc@gmail.com.

Check out our amazing cue this month:

Can't you feel the wind in your hair, the sand between your toes, and the warm sun on your bare skin? I have created 3 cards for this hop. I don't think I have ever created this many cards for a hop. I guess those days on the beach last month really inspired me. I have a few more ideas for more cards, but I ran out of time. First up is this beauty from the the July 2020 Kit of the Month, life is better in flip flops. She reminds me of old Hollywood glamour. The sentiment is also from the same kit.

I almost did not create this card on kraft, but I am so glad I did. I used Prismacolor pencils, a Prima watercolor pencil, and Faber Castell crayons. I also used one of my new Gina Marie mini slimline dies. The size of this card is so darling. I layered the sentiment on a heart cut from pattern paper and a yellow acetate flower. I also added a mini wood heart to the sentiment.

Next up is a fun card. This one really makes me smile:

I have been wanting to use this golf cart for sometime. I finally had a use for it. It's perfect for a beach theme card. I love to see people riding around on golf carts in beach towns. It's the coolest thing. Maybe one day I'll get to ride around in a golf cart in a beach town. I created the background using the Just a Dash Background. And to think, I almost removed this stamp from my cart a few weeks ago. The compass and just go stamps are from the August 2017 SMAK KIT, just go. I stamped the compass first and then the sentiment. The beach is calling stamp is from Foundation of Friendship. I can't wait to use the ladies from this set. I placed Tim Holtz linen tape at the bottom of the card and placed the golf cart on top of it.

Last but not least, I created another beach card. I think there is a theme here! What about you? LOL.

She is so chilled. She is from the May 2021 Kit of the Month, summer vibes. The sentiment is also from the same kit. I love this sentiment. It is so important to do this! I used Art Anthology spray inks and Prima water colors to color up this scene. I used another one of my new Gina Marie mini slimline dies. They are so addicting. Just like Unity stamps, right?

Well, I know this was a long post, but you are near the end. Thank you for hopping with us! Here is the list again, in case you lost your way. See you next month!