There's still time to play along with the Inky Paws Challenge #199 - a fun Rainbow Theme challenge! You have until this coming Friday, June 9th to get your entries in for the Rainbow Theme challenge and a chance to win a $20 store credit to Newton's Nook Designs!
I am enjoying the awesome entries being shared so far for the Rainbow theme challenge. I just love rainbow cards! I had a fun idea for pretty paper layers for my second card.
The Birthday Party 6x6 Paper Pad has a rainbow theme in the papers just minus one color - violet (and technically indigo, but I often skip that one). I thought it would be fun to play with a mix of the pattern papers and some card stock to balance out the colors. I die cut my pattern paper layers using the Frames & Flags Die Set. I then adhered my layers to a Real Red card front from Stampin' Up measuring 4-1/4 x 5-1/2". The yellow mat under the green present pattern paper measures 3-3/8 x 4-5/8". And then my purple paper layer is Winter Wisteria card stock from Papertrey Ink and it's die cut with the 2-1/2" decorative square die from the Frames Squared Die Set.
I stamped the sweet kitty from Newton's Birthday Balloons Stamp Set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored it up with my copic markers and then I fussy cut it leaving a bit of a border. The Newton's Birthday Balloons Die Set would have been really handy but I don't have that yet. It's on my wishlist!
Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used to color up the sweet kitty:
All of my paper layers are just adhered directly to each other except the sentiment and Newton... those two are popped up with foam tape. I really had fun with this rainbow card! There's still time to play along with the challenge... I sure hope you can find some time to play!
Now it's your turn to get your paws inky with your Newton's Nook Designs products and create a project with a Rainbow theme. Be sure to link up to the Inky Paws Challenge! Can't wait to see your projects!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky Hugs,
Crystal
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It's the first Saturday of June which means it's time for our Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! This month's cue has become an annual theme. It's one that us card makers are always looking for ideas and inspiration for our makes. I hope that you'll hop along with us this month and find lots of inspiration from our friends. Now, onto our cue this month...
... Masculine. Yup! Those cards for the guys in our lives. Sometimes masculine cards can be tough. I'm sharing a couple of easy masculine card ideas that never fail. Let's get to it...
Brown on Kraft - Monochromatic Earth Tones
I'm excited to share my first card because it's also a sneak peek of a new stamp that will be releasing in just a few days. And yes, I got permission to share early. Woot woot! Thank you Ang & Whit!! I'm super excited about this upcoming release... it's Tuesday, by the way. Unity is releasing some super cool background stamps... a collaboration with Brutus Monroe, along with some other wonderful stamps. I just adore the Wrinkle background stamp. I inked it up for my background on Kraft card stock using Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, and Ground Espresso Distress Oxide inks with a spritz of water here and there. It almost gives the background a leather vibe. Don'tcha think?!
I just love the texture that it gives the card. I also die cut the background with the recently released Deckle & Stitches Nesting die set. So excited to get these amazing dies in my recent order. Can't wait to use them more! So fun! I also stamped a fun background using the large fonts from the Favorite Dad stamps. I used the same three distress oxides to stamp those. I actually stamped a larger panel so I might just use the leftovers for another card. I laid the sentiment background over the Wrinkle background and then I placed the large deckle die overtop and secured it to the sentiment background with a couple pieces of washi tape. I then pulled it away and die cut it. Then I adhered the pieces together.
Did you notice the design for my card?! It's the sketch I recently shared in my Tawny Owl Paperie | Inky Inspiration Facebook group. It's also the same sketch that I used for one of my cards in last month's Inspired By hop. I just loved the card design so much I had to turn it into a sketch. I'm actually hosting a challenge in my group for this sketch with a fun prize. I hope you'll join us and play along!
The cute mustache was stamped with Vintage Photo and then I swiped the Ground Espresso ink down the stamp adding a cool texture to the mustache. I don't think you can see it as well in the photo though. It was die cut with a plain circle die and then adhered to a Dark Chocolate card stock mat from Papertrey Ink that was die cut using the smallest stitched circle die from the Scallops & Circles {nesting dies}. The sentiment, also from the Favorite Dad stamps, is stamped with Ground Espresso ink. I die cut it using the recently released Scalloped & Stitched Sentiment Nesting dies. I also used a slightly larger die to die cut a mat for the sentiment from Early Espresso card stock from Stampin' Up. The sentiment is adhered directly to the card and the mustache is popped up with foam tape. Brown on Kraft is always awesome for a guy card.
Nature Scene Cards
My second card features the sweet Happy and Cozy stamps. I had a blast playing with my ZIG Clean Color Real Brush markers. I used a couple of fun watercolor techniques for this card. I actually recorded my progress while I made this one. I'm hoping to share it soon. The background was created with a few blue ZIGS and a green one. It was actually really easy and it turned out pretty nice.
I dried the background with my heat tool and then stamped the trees using the ZIGs to color and then stamp each part. It was a tiny bit time consuming but it was fun coloring directly on the stamp. I played around a bit with the background until I was happy with it and die cut it with the deckle stitched die. Loving this die for guy cards! I stamped the cabin on a scrap of Canson XL watercolor paper using Black Amalgam ink from Gina K Designs. I used a few ZIGs to color up the cabin. Once it was dry, I fussy cut it. I colored the edges of the cabin using a Memento Tuxedo black marker. This is a great tip for making fussy cutting look nice and neat.
I stamped the sentiment from Favorite Dad stamps again... this time I heat embossed it with Sugar Cube Pigment ink from Taylored Expressions and Alabaster White embossing powder from Brutus Monroe on Early Espresso card stock from Stampin' Up. I just trimmed the sentiment this time and adhered it to the card. To finish off this card, I added a few more stars using a white gel pen. Nature cards are another great idea for guy cards.
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...
... Vannessa Osbourn!! Congratulations Vannessa!!
Please email me at crystalominkler@gmail.com to claim your prize.
Prize must be claimed within two weeks.
Well, that's it for me this time! Please hop along and enjoy some more inspiration from the Friends of Unity! I'm so excited to hop and check out all the pretty creations shared by our friends!! I can't wait to see the masculine cards our friends have made to share with us. 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!
It's time for a new sketch challenge over in the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers! Today I'm sharing a Christmas card with a sweet little scene that I created using adorable Let it Snow die cuts and pattern papers from Doodlebug Design. Still trying to use up those die cut/ephemera pieces and the papers.
So this month's sketch is very simple with a whole slew of possibilities... it can be super CAS {Clean & Simple} or you can build a scene within the focal panel like I did.
I've followed the measurements for the sketch. Now, I didn't specify the measurements for the two separate pieces of the focal panel on the sketch... I left that up to the card maker to decide for their card. I had fun using my pattern papers on my focal panel to create a background for my little scene. The top paper measures 3 x 2-1/2" and the bottom gingham paper measures 3 x 1-3/4".
I used two of the die cut/ephemera pieces from the Let it Snow Odds & Ends pack and a sentiment from the Let it Snow Chit Chat pack. The ephemera pieces are adhered directly to the card while the sentiment is popped up with foam tape. I just love how quick this card came together and I can't wait to play with this fun sketch some more.
Here's a look at {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge #34 for the month of June. I hope you'll join us and play along with the sketch! 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!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky hugs,
Crystal
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I'm back for another Membership Wednesday and today I'm sharing a card using the gorgeous mountain and tree stamps in the May 2023 Kit of the Month called Bloom in Color. Love the fantastic mix of stamp in this month's kit! I thought the mountain and trees stamp would make a wonderful masculine card.
I really like the monochromatic vibe for this card. However, I really wish I hadn't added that ribbon on the right side. It throws off the balance of the card. I think I may redo this one and omit that ribbon. The background card front layer is a piece of pattern paper from the Let Your Soul Wander {paper pack}. It's trimmed down to 5-1/2 x 4-1/4" and adhered to a white A2 top fold card base that I've turned on the side.
I stamped the lovely trees and mountain stamp using Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I then stamped it again adding a bit of Ground Espresso Distress Ink near the bottom of the stamp. I used a blending brush to soften the line of the ink on my stamp before stamping it. A great trick for avoiding those harsh lines when stamping with multiple inks.
I trimmed the stamped panel to 3" and adhered the ribbon around the edges securing it with tear tape. I then adhered the panel to a slightly larger piece of Early Espresso card stock from Stampin' Up. I roughed up the edges of the dark brown card stock using a Tim Holtz Paper Distresser. I stamped the sentiment using the Ground Espresso Distress Ink. Trimmed it up and adhered it over the a portion of the trees. This was such an easy and quick card. I think it's a great masculine card... and it could be for any occasion just by switching the sentiment. And minus the ribbon, of course.
Here's a look at the whole Kit of the Month for May!! I wish I had had more time to play with this one! Can you believe that you get this full sheet of rubber for only $44.99. That includes shipping! You also get a $6.95 discount on every order from Unity over $45. And you can purchase any past kits for only $34 plus shipping. Such a great value!
I hope to see you next week for another Membership Wednesday blog post. I'll be sharing inspiration for the amazing new June 2023 Uniquely Unity membership... at least that's what I'm leaning towards.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky Hugs,
Crystal
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It's time to get our paws inky with a super fun rainbow themed challenge! It's so fun to play with rainbow colors! You have until Friday, June 9th to get your entries in for the #199 Rainbow Theme Challenge and a chance to win a $20 store credit to Newton's Nook Designs!
I love love love rainbow colors!! It's a wonderful color combo to play with and I couldn't wait to get inky for this challenge!
This is a pretty simple card and it's a big one! It measures 10 x 7"; scored at 5" for an A7 card. I blended my clouds over the Clouds Stencil from Newton's Nook Designs onto a large piece of white card stock using Distress Oxide inks. I used Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks. I got a little heavy handy as I worked my way up the card but I love the dimension that it gives the clouds!
I die cut my large panel using the stitched scallop die from the A7 Frames & Banners Die Set. I was going to adhere my panel to a purple card front but decided to just go with the white background of the A7 card base.
I stamped the adorable kitty from the Newton's Umbrella Stamp Set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it up with the following Copic markers:
I die cut the kitty using the coordinating Newton's Umbrella Die Set. I stamped the sentiment using the Memento Tuxedo Black ink and die cut with a stitched circle die from the Circle Frames die set. I adhered the kitty directly to the card using liquid glue. To add a bit more dimension on the card, I used foam tape to pop up the sentiment.
Now it's your turn to get your paws inky with your Newton's Nook Designs products and create a project with a Rainbow theme. Be sure to link up to the Inky Paws Challenge! Can't wait to see your projects!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky Hugs,
Crystal
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I paired them up with the Amy Design Christmas Wishes paper pad that has been in my stash FOREVER. Or at least it seems like forever. I just felt like using gray-blues for this girl and these papers were a perfect pair up! Unfortunately, I don't think they are available anymore. I can't seem to find them online.
I stamped the sweet image using Memento Tuxedo black ink on Stampers Select White card stock from Papertrey Ink. My favorite ink when I'm stamping with clear photopolymer stamps because it cleans off really nicely. I used the following Copic markers to color up my image:
I die cut the cute image using one of the Loopy Rectangle dies from Gina Marie Designs. The pattern paper layers are all adhered together and then adhered to a white A2 top fold card base. I used the TE Anti-Static Powder Tool to prep my black card stock before heat embossing the sentiment. Love this little tool!! I stamped the sentiment with Sugar Cube Pigment ink from Taylored Expressions on True Black card stock from Papertrey Ink. I added some Alabaster White Embossing powder from Brutus Monroe and melted the ep with my Wagner Precision heat tool. I trimmed the black card stock and adhered it to the main panel. I then added a bunch of foam tape to the back of the main panel and sentiment strip.
I popped them up on the card and wanted something for that extra space on the right side of the sentiment so I went looking through my dies for a snowflake and found the Deck the Halls dies from Spellbinders. I die cut two snowflakes from white card stock and adhered them together and then I adhered them to the sentiment strip. It's actually floating off of the card on the top. Not sure how it'll do if I mail it. I might have to hand deliver this one so the snowflake doesn't get all bent.
There's still a few days to play along with the sketch! The challenge ends on May 31st. I hope you'll join in the fun and start building your stash of holiday cards. 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!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky hugs,
Crystal
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Today I'm sharing a no coloring card using just the lovely Petal Play dies from the wonderful May 2023 Whit Kit membership from Unity along with a cut-apart sentiment that I also got from Unity.
I had a fun idea to make a background using the detailed die from the Petal Play dies and the Cotton Candy card stock sheets also from the kit. I think it made a lovely background for the focal piece.
I die cut the full rose from the Razzle Berry card stock included in the kit using the outline die. And I die cut another detailed rose from the Cotton Candy card stock. I adhered those together. I also die cut a few leaves using the green card stock from the kit. I adhered them together and then to the rose.
I'm thinking it's pretty safe to say that I'm obsessed with using vellum card stock for matting my focal pieces. I didn't want to cover up the pretty background that I created. It just made sense to use vellum again. I die cut a piece of vellum using a circle die from the Scallops & Circles {nesting dies}. The card front panel was wrapped with a white organdy ribbon before adhering it to a white A2 top fold card base. I trimmed the sentiment from the Cut Apart Sentiment Strips and adhered it to the card. I added a few scraps from the sentiment itself to pop up the right side so it would lay flat on the card.
Here's a look at the wonderful Whit Kit for May!! Gorgeous! This wonderful card kit is available for only $42.99. That includes shipping! You also get a $6.95 discount on every order from Unity over $45. Members are also able to purchase past Whit Kit stamp sets for just $14 and past Whit Kit paper packs for $2 off!! So awesome!!!
That's it for me today! I have another idea for a card using the May 2023 Whit Kit but I'm not sure if I'll share that next week or play a bit with a different membership!! So I'm thinking it'll be a surprise... for you and me! Hee hee!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See ya next time.
Inky Hugs,
Crystal
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