Membership Wednesday ~ September 2026 UU Rise & Decline ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend!

Happy Membership Wednesday! I have been itchin' to ink up the fab Uniquely Unity stamp for September... love the awesome sentiments in this set!! It was SO hard to pick just one.

I inked up the fab lady and cat from the September 2026 Uniquely Unity using Black Amalgam ink and then I colored them up with Copic markers. If you're not interested in the membership, this fab stamp is available as a one-time purchase here... Rise & Decline. 

I ink smooshed a piece of white card stock using Stormy Sky Distress Ink. And then I stamped the Criss Cross Grunge background with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I then covered the panel with anti-static powder and stamped the Global Brew background using Wow Clear Embossing ink. I dusted the wet ink with Caramel Macchiato Embossing Powder from Wow. And I melted the powder with a Wagner Precision Heat Tool. Such a fun background!!

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used:

Skin: E000, E00, E11

Hair: C0, C3

Head Scarf: YR20, YR15, V06

Shirt: Y11, Y15, YR20, YR15, V12, V06

Necklace: BG09, B00, B93

Earring: V06

Capris: B00, B91, B95, V12, V06

Mug: B00, B91, B93, B95, BG09

Slipper: C0, C2, V12, V06

Cat: R00, R20, W0, W1, W3

Here's a look at the Uniquely Unity membership stamps. 

That's it for me today! I hope you've been INKspired to play with your membership stamps! 

Have a fabulous day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

Rainbow Chicken Card ~ Just Beak-Cause ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend! 

Today I'm sharing a fun rainbow chicken card I made using the new Just Beak-Cause chicken from Unity. Love this cutie!

I inked up the fun new chicken and sentiment with Black Amalgam ink. I colored it up with some Copic markers. I die cut it using a die from the Scallops & Squares {nesting dies}.

Copic markers used:

Chicken: Y11, Y15, YR20, YR15, YG11, YG23, B00, B02, BV00, BV02

Wattle: R20, R14

Beak / Feet: YR20, YR15, YR27

Eyes: C0, C2

Wall: E11, E25

Butterfly: B00, B02, BV00, BV02

Flowers: RV10, RV02, Y15

Leaves / Stems / Ground: YG11, YG23, YG17

Sky: B0000, B000

I heat embossed the Hoedown Hankie background stamp using white pigment ink along with the Alabaster White Embossing Powder on a piece of white card stock. I ink smooshed the background using Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin and Abandoned Coral Distress Ink. I then blended some more Squeezed Lemonade and a bit more Abandoned Coral until I was happy with the blends. I wiped off the excess ink from the heat embossed image using a microfiber cloth. I then ran the background through my Big Shot with a die from the Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies}.

I adhered the background to a white A2 top fold card base. Adhered a piece of lace ribbon using tear tape and added a button using glue dots. And then I popped up the focal chicken square using a bunch of foam tape. So cute!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky hugs,

Crystal

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 66 ~ Tender Thoughts ~ Creative Worship Stamps

Hello there crafty friend!

I'm back with a little inspiration for the {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 66 hosted in the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Facebook group! Today I'm sharing a lovely Christmas card featuring a beautiful stamp set from our amazing Sponsor Creative Worship Stamps! This month's prize is a $20 gift code to Creative Worship Stamps! Woohoo!

I started by ink smooshing my backgrounds for this one onto a card front {4-1/4 x 5-1/2"} and a scrap of white card stock that was just large enough for the tree stamp from the Tender Thoughts Stamp and Die Bundle. I ink smooshed the panels with Stormy Sky, Seedless Preserves, and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks. Once I was happy with the ink smooshing, I blended more Chipped Sapphire over the whole panel.

I dried the backgrounds completely with a Wagner Precision Heat Tool. I applied some anti static powder to the scrap panel. I stamped the beautiful trees from the Tender Thoughts Stamp and Die Bundle on my scrap panel using Sugar Cube Pigment Ink from Taylored Expressions and then I dusted the wet ink with Alabaster White Embossing Powder from Unity and melted it with a heat tool. I die cut the panel using a stitched circle die from the Scallops & Circles {nesting dies} from Unity. I also die cut a scrap of white card stock just to get the snowy ground piece for the deer. I fussy cut the wavy hill with EK Success Cutter Bee Scissors.

I die cut the background panel using a stitched rectangle die from the Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies} from Unity. I adhered the circle to the panel and then trimmed off the edge. And then I spattered the whole panel using Apple Barrel White Acrylic Paint. I stamped the deer with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and I started fussy cutting it on the line and then remembered too late that I had a die and could have used that to cut it out. I stamped the sentiment from the Holly Jolly Stamp & Die Bundle and die cut it out with the coordinating die. I popped up the sentiment on the card with foam tape. I finished the card off with a few pieces of White Glossy Card Bling from A Colorful Life Designs.

Here's a look at {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 66 for the month of February. If you're interested in seeing a bunch more inspiration for this sketch, check out the amazing inspiration from the design team over on the {BYSH} Cardmakers blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky hugs,

Crystal

Advent Calendar 2025 Day 24 ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend!

It's Day 24 of the 2025 Advent Calendar from Unity!! Tomorrow is Christmas... unbelievable how fast the days flew by over the last 24 days. I hope that you've been inspired along the way to play with your advent goodies. And if you haven't had time to play along, I hope that you do soon. Merry Christmas crafty friends!

Today's stamp is actually two stamps!! A sweet sentiment that says Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a fun fireworks stamp. I stamped them both with Wow Clear Embossing ink. And then I heat embossed them with Ultra Fine Antique Gold Embossing Powder from Simon Says Stamp.

You can check out my video revealing the Advent Calendar Day 24 stamp and my process in making this card here... Unity Advent Calendar 2025 Day 24 | Unity Stamp Co.

Inspiration for my card came from past Tawny Owl Paperie Inky Inspiration Sketch 24. This one deviated from the sketch but I think I kept a couple of the elements.

Even though I used anti-static powder you can see I had some fly-aways. Normally, that would drive me crazy and I'd probably redo the card, but since it's fireworks which typically have fly-aways... I'm okay with it!

That's the end of the 2025 Advent Calendar from Unity! I hope that you've enjoyed the inspiration I've shared over the last few weeks. Have an INKtastic day & a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

~ Friends of Unity December 2025 Blog Hop ~ Unity 2025 Advent Calendar Day 6

Hello there crafty friend!

It's time for our Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! AND I'm sharing inspiration for the Unity 2025 Advent Calendar for Day 6! I had a lot of fun using the Day 6 stamp for this month's fun cue for our blog hop. But before we get to the cue and my cards... we're celebrating 8 fabulous years of blog hopping with you all!! First of all, how has it been 8 years already?! That's just bizarre to me! I've really enjoyed sharing inspiration with you all the last 8 years. I hope that you'll stick around for the next however many years we keep hopping around!! Thank you for supporting our hop and sharing your love on our blog posts!! We appreciate you all SOOO very much!

This month's cue is a Mood Board!! Yay! I had so much fun putting this mood board together. I'm super excited because once again we are hosting a challenge in the Unity Show & Tell Facebook group. I sure hope that you can play along. If you're not familiar with how a mood board works, it's basically just a board of inspiration. There's different textures or images that may inspire you. There's also a lovely color combo. Maybe that gets the creative juices flowing. Or there's a sketch to inspire... whatever part of the mood board catches your interest, I hope you'll join us in the group and play along with the challenge. 

My first card features the beautiful cake slice for Day 6 of the Unity 2025 Advent Calendar. The detail in this small stamp is amazing! I really enjoyed coloring it with my Copic markers.

You can check out my video revealing the Advent Calendar Day 6 stamp and my process in making this card here... Unity Advent Calendar 2025 Day 6 | Unity Stamp Co.

I was inspired by the colors and the sketch for my card design. I used two fun paper packs for this card... the Cozy Christmas {paper pack} and the Where Winter Lingers {paper pack}. The pretty cake and Kraft mat are both die cut using dies from the Scallops & Circles {nesting dies}.

Copic markers used:

Cake: E21, E23, E25

Plate: R20, R14, R29

Frosting: C0, C3, G24, G46

Candles: Y11, Y15

Ground: C0, C1

The sentiment is from the Extended Celebration {front & center stamps}. I heat embossed it with Sugar Cube White Pigment ink from Taylored Expressions along with Alabaster White Embossing Powder from Unity.

For my second card I added some knit texture using an old embossing folder from Stampin' Up. It's trimmed to 4 x 5-1/4" and adhered to a Kraft A2 top fold card base. 

My inspiration for both cards not only came from the colors and a couple of the textures in the mood board, but also from the sketch. This simple sketch makes it so easy to make a card and I think my cards show a bit of variety with this design.

 I stamped the gorgeous floral stamp from the December 2025 Kit Of The Month called Peace, Paws & Possibility and it's also available on it's own in the Winter's Gentle Heart stamp set. I colored it up with Copic markers and then fussy cut it and popped it up on the card with foam tape.

Copic markers used:

Berries / Red Flower: R20, R14, R29

Pine Needles / Greenery: YG11, G24, G46

Pinecone: E21, E23, E25

White Flowers: C0, C2, Y15, Y35

The festive paper strip across the card is a scrap from the Yuletide Memories {paper pack}. Rather than cut strips I decided to just use this scrap to represent the strips in the sketch. I trimmed the heartfelt sentiment and adhered it directly to the card. I chose not to use foam tape because the embossed background has a good amount of texture and I didn't want it to be too much. I finished off the card with a few enamel dots. 

Now before we get to the hopping, I chose a lucky winner from the comments on last month's hop to win a fun prize and the lucky winner is...

... Sue D.!! Congratulations, Sue!!

Please email me at crystalominkler@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

Please claim the prize before December 31st, 2025. 

Well, that's it for me this time! It's a short hop this month with just seven of us sharing our makes. Be sure to hop along and enjoy some more inspiration! I can't wait to see how our friends were inspired by this month's cue. I will be doing another fun giveaway this month!! Be sure to hop along and comment for a chance to win. {When you comment please leave your name just in case it posts as anonymous.} I'll announce the winner next month! 

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Doreen

Joyce

Toni

Jenni

Rachel

Dawn

Thanks so very much for supporting our little hop!

We appreciate you so much!!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

~ Friends of Unity November 2025 Blog Hop ~

Hello there crafty friend!

It's time for our Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! This month's cue is another fun one! 

Our cue this time is Creating a Background! So fun! And even more fun because we're hosting another fun challenge in the Unity {Show & Tell} Facebook group! Be sure to hop along with us to see inspiration for the challenge. I sure hope that you can play along with us. Three lucky winners will each win a $25 gift card to Unity! Yippee!!

For my first card I created a fun wintry background for the new deer stamps from the November 2025 KOM called Tinsel, Toasts & Truth (the website should be updated with the new KOM on Monday). It's also available separately in the Where Treetops Listen stamps. 

I started the background by ink smooshing Salty Ocean Distress Ink. And then I swiped the ink pad down the card front leaving fun streaks of ink. I dried the panel with a heat tool. And then I heat embossed the Grit & Glint Snowflake background stamp using white pigment ink and white embossing powder. Such a fun background! It was hard to cover any of it up. 

I had used this technique back in August with the fun Ghastly Gourds stamp. It's a really quick way to add color to your background. You can check out the details for this card here... Have a Spooky Day card. You can see more of the ink smooshed background in this one.

I cut a simple hill from white card stock to ground the scene. I fussy cut the trees and deer leaving a white border around them and adhered them to the card. And then trimmed the sentiment and adhered it too. Love how this turned out!

My second card also has some ink smooshing. Ink smooshing is my go-to technique for backgrounds! This time I used Candied Apple and Lumberjack Plaid Distress Inks. Once I was happy with the ink smooshing, I blended some more Candied Apple over the panel to cover all the white spots. I did a bit of water spatters by spritzing some water in the palm of my hand and clapping over the panel. I dried the panel completely with a heat tool.

 And then I did some stamping! I stamped the ink smooshed background with the Linen background stamp using Candied Apple Distress Ink. Can you see the texture in the background? I love it! I then stamped the background with the Buffalo Plaid background stamp using Black Soot Distress ink. I love the technique of using two background stamps together. I've shared some fun cards with this technique in the past. You can check them out here... Fun with Background Stamps {there's also a video}. I die cut the background using the largest die from the Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies} and adhered it to a black A2 card base.

I stamped the cute Santa from The List Guy stamps and colored him up with Copic markers. I fussy cut him on the line {except around the fur trim and pom pom where I left a white border}. I adhered Santa to the card covering up the edge of the scallops on the bottom right corner. To finish off this card, I heat embossed the sentiment, trimmed it and adhered it to the card.

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used for Santa:

Skin: E000, E00, E11

Beard / Mustache / Fur Trim / Pom Pom: C0, C2

Hat / Coat: R20, R14, R37

Belt: N0, N2, N4

Buckle: Y11, Y15, Y28

Now before we get to the hopping, I chose a lucky winner from the comments on last month's hop to win a fun prize and the lucky winner is...

... Meghan Kennihan!! Congratulations, Meghan!!

Please email me at crystalominkler@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

Please claim the prize before November 26th, 2025. 

Well, that's it for me this time! Be sure to hop along and enjoy some more inspiration from our friends! I can't wait to see how they all were inspired by this month's cue. I will be doing another fun giveaway this month!! Be sure to hop along and comment for a chance to win. {When you comment please leave your name just in case it posts as anonymous.} I'll announce the winner next month! 

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Doreen

Amber

Jane

Dawn

Toni

Rachel

Jenni

Joyce

Thanks so very much for supporting our little hop!

We appreciate you so much!!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 62 ~ Joy of the Season ~ Gina K. Designs

Hello there crafty friend!

I'm back with one last card for the {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 62 hosted in the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Facebook group! Celebrating Blue Christmas with this one! My mom loved that song by Elvis Presley. She played it all the time! So naturally, I love it because it reminds me of her.

Anywho, I had a lot of fun making this card! I started by heat embossing the beautiful trees on white card stock with white pigment ink and white embossing powder. I wanted to be sure the trees would stay a nice, bright white. The beautiful trees and deer are from one of my favorite Gina K. Designs stamp sets, a collaboration with Simon Says Stamp for STAMPtember back in 2018 called Joy of the Season. Good news though... the trees are available in the Tall Pine stamp set. I don't see the same deer on the website but there's a pretty deer silhouette in the Holiday Silhouettes stamp set and a similar one in the Season's Greetings stamp set.

Once my trees had cooled off, I started ink smooshing with Salvaged Patina, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot Distress Inks. It's not super easy to ink smoosh with heat embossed images. The raised images tend to keep the paper from reaching the ink pools, so I do tend to do more ink and a bit more water so the pool of ink is a little deeper. Once I was happy with the ink smooshing, I started blending with the inks until I was happy with the background. Lastly, I spattered the background with white acrylic paint that I thinned with a spritz of water. And then I ended up trimming the background way down to fit the sketch. That actually hurt after all that work on the background. But I made another background and adhered it to a black A2 card base. I trimmed the tree panel into three segments following the design of the sketch and adhered it to a black mat. I popped it up on the card base with foam tape.

I heat embossed the sentiment from the Christmas Cheer stamp set on black card stock again with white pigment ink and white embossing powder. I die cut it using the coordinating Christmas Cheer die set, and then I popped it up on the card with foam tape. I stamped the pretty deer using the three distress inks. I started with the lightest, Salvaged Patina, and worked my way down with the Chipped Sapphire and then Black Soot inks. Hint: to keep from getting harsh lines between your inks use a blending brush along the edge of the ink on your stamp. It's a wonderful way to stamp silhouette stamps!

Here's a look at {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 62 for the month of October. Today is the last day to enter the challenge! If you're interested in seeing a bit more inspiration for this sketch, check out the amazing inspiration from the design team over on the {BYSH} Cardmakers blog! I'm always blown away by the creations from the DT... they are amazingly talented cardmakers!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky hugs,

Crystal

~ Friends of Unity October 2025 Blog Hop ~

Hello there crafty friend!

It's time for our Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! This month's cue is SO MUCH FUN because you're all invited to play along with us! 

The Friends of Unity are hosting a fun Fall themed Color Challenge in the Unity {Show & Tell} Facebook group!! Yay! I sure hope that you can play along with us! One lucky winner will win a $50 Store Credit to Unity!! Wow! What an awesome prize!

I went a little crazy making cards, but I'm only sharing two today. I didn't want to have the worlds longest blog post today! LOL! Anywho, I created a fun background using the Geometric Leaves stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. I blended Carved Pumpkin, Candied Apple and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink over a Kraft card front measuring 4-1/4 x 5-1/2". I trimmed it to 4 x 5-1/4" and wrapped it with three pieces of natural May Arts burlap string. And then I adhered it to a Kraft A2 top fold card base.

I stamped the super sassy chicken from the October 2025 Uniquely Unity membership called Don't Cluck with My Coffee! I'm just tickled with this stamp. I showed Angela a fun meme and asked for this stamp and voila! Love it! I couldn't wait to ink her up! I die cut the sassy chicken using a die from the Make a Tag {die set}. I chose to do it at an angle since the stencil I used had a geometric theme. I also die cut a mat from Kraft card stock using the largest die from the set.  

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used:

Chicken: E21, E23, E25

Eyes: C0, C2

Waddle: R00, R14, R27

Beak / Feet: YR21, YR15, YR27

Curlers / Tail Feathers: Y11, Y15, YR15, 

Cup: Y11, Y15, Y28, E23, E25

Glasses: Gold Uni-ball Gel Pen

This sassy chick is also available as a one-time purchase if you're not interested in signing up for the membership. I once again couldn't decide on a sentiment so I ended up using two. Both of them are die cut using dies from the Scalloped & Stitched Sentiment Nesting Dies. The chicken panel and the sentiments are all popped up on the card with foam tape.

For my second card I did some ink smooshing and blending. I used Carved Pumpkin, Candied Apple, and Gathered Twigs on Kraft card stock. I blended a bit more of the orange and red here and there until I was happy with the background. And then I dried it completely with a heat tool.

I prepped the card stock with anti-static powder and then inked up the beautiful Array of Fall stamps with clear embossing ink. I sprinkled the wet ink with my really old gold embossing powder from Stampin' Up. It worked really well. It's SO shiny! I love the gold on these background colors! I also heat embossed the sentiment.

I couldn't find any gold card stock in my stash so I had to make my own mat by embossing the edges of a 4 x 5-1/4" piece of Kraft card stock. It's not perfect but I like the texture in it.

I smooshed my Candied Apple and Carved Pumpkin Distress inks on acrylic blocks and added some more color to the flowers using a water pen. I think it helps the flowers pop just a bit more. I adhered my layers onto a dark brown A2 card base. What do you think of the heat embossed gold on this one? Too much? I'm kinda liking it.

Now before we get to the hopping, I chose a lucky winner from the comments on last month's hop to win a fun prize and the lucky winner is...

... Denise Bryant!! Congratulations, Denise!!

Please email me at crystalominkler@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

Please claim the prize before October 29th, 2025. 

Well, that's it for me this time! Be sure to hop along and enjoy some more inspiration! I can't wait to see our friends makes for the Color Challenge! I'm doing another fun giveaway this month!! Be sure to hop along and comment for a chance to win. When you comment please leave your name just in case it posts as anonymous. I'll announce the winner next month! AND there's an additional giveaway on Dawn and Amber's blogs so be sure to hop all the way through to the end to see all the details on their blogs.

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Toni

 Dawn

 Jenni

Doreen

Jane

Rachel

Kari

Amber

Thanks so very much for supporting our little hop!

We appreciate you so much!!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal