~ Friends of Unity January 2023 Blog Hop ~

  Hello there crafty friend!

Happy New Year to you! It's the first Saturday of January and I bet you know what that means... it's time for our Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! This month's cue is all about Birthdays.

I don't know about you, but I think Birthday cards are just about THE card that is most needed in my stash. I did a terrible job last year making birthday cards and an even worse job sending them. I'm not going to say it's a New Years Resolution or anything like that but it is a serious goal that I make AND send more birthday cards in 2023.  Who's with me?! Anybody else have the same goal?

My first card is a vintage style card using the new amazing January Background of the Month called Old News. I stamped the background twice on Kraft card stock with Black Amalgam ink. I trimmed the first one down to 4 x 5-1/4" and die cut the bottom with a stitched edge die. 

I distressed the edges with a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink and then just a touch of Ground Espresso Distress Ink to darken the edges a bit more. I popped it up on a Kraft A2 top fold card with some thin foam tape. And then I stamped the sentiment from the Could Be Better {June 2022 Sentiment Kit} with Ground Espresso Distress ink. Isn't that sentiment just too funny?! 

I die cut my second stamped background with a scalloped heart die from the Dashes and Frills Hearts {die set}. I distressed the edges with the same inks I used for the other background piece. And then I die cut a slightly larger stitched heart from a piece of Early Espresso card stock from Stampin' Up. 

I decided to stamp inside the card with another sentiment from the same sentiment kit. I think it's perfect along with the sentiment I used on the front of the card. And this makes it sort of a birthday card... well, I may have stretched it with this one, but my next cards are actual birthday cards.

I finally got a chance to play with the gorgeous Newsprint Floral Greetings background stamp. I inked smooshed some Evergreen Bough, Mustard Seed and Twisted Citron Distress Oxide inks onto a piece of Stampers Select White card stock from Papertrey Ink and a piece of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor card stock. I usually use the white card stock from Papertrey Ink but I wanted to see how the background would look on the distressed watercolor card stock.

This is the ink smooshed background on the Stampers Select White card stock.

Once the ink smooshed backgrounds were dry I stamped them both with the background using Black Amalgam ink. I also stamped the sentiments with the same ink. I trimmed the sentiments and colored the edges with a Memento Tuxedo black marker to clean up my fussy cutting around the sentiment box.

This is the ink smooshed background on the Distressed Watercolor card stock.

I die cut the backgrounds with the largest stitched scalloped die from the Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies}. I adhered the backgrounds to white A2 top fold card bases. I then popped up the sentiments with a thin foam tape.

And my last card is one that I made for my Father-in-Law using the Let Your Soul Wander {paper pad}. I saw a fun idea for this card a while back and thought it would be great for my FIL. I don't have any specific measurements other than the background piece is 4 x 5-1/4". The top corner piece (the collar) is just a corner from the 6x6 pattern paper. I laid it on the background piece how I wanted it and then flipped the papers over and drew a line where the papers met so I could cut it.

The pocket was die cut using one of the smaller dies from the Labels 5 Nested die set from Gina Marie Designs. I also die cut a scrap of white card stock with the same die. I cut both pieces and adhered them together and then I popped them up on the card with thin foam tape. I stamped the 'celebrate' sentiment from the Extended Celebration {May 2022 Sentiment Kit} by partially masking the stamp with a post it note before inking it up and then removing the post it note before stamping.

The buttons are from a Blueprints 19 die set that I've had in my stash for a long time and it's from My Favorite Things. I'm not sure, but I think it's retired now. I do think a small circle die would work just as well for the buttons. And maybe a tiny circle die could work for the button holes or you could draw them in. 

To finish off the card I stamped two sentiments on the inside. I couldn't decide if I wanted to just do 'happy birthday' or the other sentiment so I did them both! I really like how this one turned out. I hope my FIL likes it too. Well, that's it for my cards this time.

Now before we get to the hopping, I chose two lucky winners from the comments on last month's hop to win a couple fun prizes and the lucky winners are...

... Kelly Brillhart and Laurie2cats!! Congratulations, Kelly and Laurie!!

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 see all the creations from our friends this month... I'm always needing inspiration for birthday cards!! 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 ---> Amber

Bobbie Sue

Gaylynn

April

Dawn F.

Rachel

Joyce

Colleen

Alaine

Kim

Thanks so very much for supporting our little hop!

We appreciate you!!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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