~ Friends of Unity February 2020 Blog Hop ~

Hello there crafty friends!

It's my favorite time of the month... time for the Friends of Unity Blog hop!!

This month we have a Monochromatic cue... fun right?!! And Chall.En.Ging!! This cue was a big challenge for me. I really struggled with it! But once I got started, I couldn't stop... so I have a few cards to share with you today!

My first card is using the new gorgeous February 2020 Uniquely Unity by Ang kit called Here For You!! Isn't she gorgeous!? She was a dream to color too... so amazing! I love thinking outside of the box and coloring images with unexpected colors. This one actually reminds me of a black and white photo... so maybe it's not way outside the box, but still fun!

I used the following Copic markers ~ N0, N1, N2, N3, Colorless Blender.

A pretty simple list of markers... I wanted her hair to 'shine' so I only gave it the slightest bit of shading. I also made sure to do the darkest shading around the girl so she would pop.

Once she was all done and I had die cut her out with a stitched rectangle die... I tried to find the perfect patterned paper to pair with her. I couldn't find one! I'm still in shock... LOL! But... it gave me an excuse to create my own background which I haven't been doing much of lately. I pulled out a piece of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor paper and smooshed some Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide... well, the watered down and smooshed Hickory Smoke ink changed into a warm gray. It's a little off from the neutral grays that I used in the copic colored girl so I decided to do some stamping near the edges so the colors would peek out from behind the main image.

I used the Never kit and the I Am Who I Am kit... these mixed media kits had the perfect stamps to compliment the design around the girl image. I stamped them with the Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink and Black Soot Distress Oxide ink. I dried my background with my heat tool, trimmed it, and adhered it to a black card front. I adhered a strip of black card stock across the card and then popped up the main image that I had also mat with black card stock. To finish it off, I added a bit of metallic black thread and a few black roses from the Tim Holtz Heirloom Roses - Halloween package. I wish the roses showed up better in this photo... overall though, I love how this card turned out and it gave me an idea for my next card!

A purple scene card!! I'm going to be honest here... this card gave me SO MUCH trouble!!! OMG... it took me three tries to get it how I wanted it and I'm still not totally sure it's right. LOL... and then to top it off two of my copic markers suddenly dried up!! UGH! Maybe that's why I'm not sure it's right because I didn't get to finish blending out the colors how I had wanted.

Anywho... this lovely scene was created using the wonderful new stamp set in the February 2020 Whit Kit Let Your Soul Wander... another fabulous card kit!! Since I was doing the monochromatic technique, I just used the stamps in the card kit. By the way, the card kit is amazing!! Whit seriously knocked the ball out of the park with this one!!  

I used the following Copic markers on this card ~ V0000, V000, V04, V12, V17. I do love the purples in this scene that I created even though I didn't quite get to finish blending it all out. 

I didn't want to mess with the scene so I just trimmed the panel down a bit and mat it with a purple card stock. I then adhered the panel to a white card base and called this card done!

So... if you're a member of the Unity Show & Tell group, you may have seen the sneak peek of the February 2020 KOM called Timeless that Angela shared this week. I instantly fell in love with this kitty!! How adorable!! I knew I wanted to make one more card using teals and as soon as I saw the kitty, this idea popped in my head! Like my first card, I did a combination of copic coloring, ink smooshing, and stamping. First I blended out some teal copics around the sweet kitty.

I used the following Copic markers ~ BG000, BG01, BG10, BG45, BG49. I die cut the kitty image with a Large Cross-Stitched Circle Stackables die from Lawn Fawn. I set it aside and got to work on the background. I grabbed another Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor paper and ink smooshed Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide inks. I dried the panel and then ink smooshed some more adding some layers and dimension to the color. I then dried the panel completely with my Ranger Heat Tool. I pulled out the March 2017 Layers of Life kit called Love Who You Are and stamped the large rectangle background stamp a couple times with Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide ink. I then stamped the three circles with lines from the March 2014 Layers of Life kit called Spring Inspired with Gina K Amalgam Jet black ink. And also stamped the small sprig of greenery from the Hello Lovely kit by Gina K. Designs with the black ink.

I then trimmed down the panel, mat it with black card stock, and adhered it to a teal card base. I stamped the sentiment and mat it on black card stock. I popped up the kitty image and sentiment with foam tape. And there is my third monochromatic card for this hop! Phew! A lot of work for this one, but I truly enjoyed the challenge!!

I want to say a HUGE Thank You!!! Time got away from me and I didn't come back and thank each of you for the lovely comments for last months hop, but I really, truly appreciate each of you taking the time to share your thoughts so... THANK YOU!!

Now, I do need to share the winner of my giveaway from last month and that is...

Scrappy!! 

Congratulations!! You are the winner of a brand new Say It Big May 2019 Sentiment Kit!!! Please email me at crystalominkler@gmail.com to claim your prize. Prize must be claimed within two weeks.

 A few of my friends are having giveaways so be sure to check out all the fabulous creations along the hop and comment on each blog for a chance to win!! 

Thank you all so much for your continued support of our little hop... and for all of your lovely comments! I really, truly do appreciate each and every one of your sweet comments. 

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Eileen

Amber

Kim

Dawn B.

Dawn F.

Joyce

Bobbie Sue

Jeanie

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal