Advent Calendar Day 22 ~ {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 40 ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend!

It's Day 22 of the 2023 Advent Calendar from Unity!! I'm revealing the Advent Calendar stamp on my YouTube channel each day and also have a short blog post. I made a fun background using today's stamp with some ink smooshing and blending.

A fun snowflake stamp is the next Advent Calendar stamp! I stamped the snowflake several times with Sugar Cube Pigment ink from Taylored Expressions over the Stampers Select White card stock from Papertrey Ink and added Alabaster White embossing powder from Brutus Monroe. Melted the embossing powder with a Wagner Precision heat tool. Then I did some ink smooshing and a bit of ink blending using TE Blender Brushes from Taylored Expressions with Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks.

Inspiration for today's card comes from the current {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 40. I omitted the background paper on the right side and left some white space instead. If you need another Christmas card or maybe you want to get ahead for next year, give the {BYSHC} Sketch 40 a try and enter your card in the challenge. The challenge ends December 31st. I hope you'll join in the fun! If you'd like to see some more inspiration for the sketch check out the {BYSHC} blog.

The sentiment for today's card is from a cut apart sentiment strip that was a freebie during Brown Thursday or Black Friday... not sure. I trimmed it up and adhered it directly to the card. No foam tape this time.

This one didn't turn out how I thought it would but I like it. What do you think? If you watch the video I'd love to know if you would have kept the other ink smooshed piece for the right side or if you would have gone with the white card base like I did.

You can check out my video revealing the Advent Calendar Day 22 stamp and my process in making this card here... Advent Calendar Day 22 | Unity Stamp Co.

Looks like the Advent Calendars are out of stock... but there's some new goodies that were just released for the final release of 2023. I haven't had time to play with any of them yet, but soon I hope! I'll be back tomorrow for Day 23 of the 2023 Advent Calendar from Unity! Have an ink-tastic day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

 

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Hug in a Mug ~ Christmas Quilt ~ A Colorful Life Designs

 Hello there crafty friend!

I had started another card for my guest designing gig with A Colorful Life Designs last month, but time got away from me and I didn't get it completed until now. So today I'm sharing a fun Winter card featuring a lovely stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. Have you checked out the selection of stencils over at A Colorful Life Designs yet? All so AMAZING! AND they just released a crazy amount of new holiday stencils! OMG!! You have to go take a look! 

I had a fun idea while playing with the Christmas Quilt Stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. I wondered how it would look if I shifted it using two different colors. I did it originally on a scrap of white card stock and I really liked it. So I decided for this card, I wanted to give it a go on Kraft card stock. I blended Lumberjack Plaid Distress Oxide ink over the stencil. I shifted the stencil so the design would overlap and I blended Rustic Wilderness over top. I love it! 

These fun ladies are from an exclusive STAMPtember stamp set, a collaboration from Art Impressions and Simon Says Stamp called Hug in a Mug. This exclusive set from 2021 is no longer available, unfortunately. But I'm super happy that I finally inked it up! Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used to color up these ladies:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, E04

Brown Hair: E51, E53, E55

Green Hat: YG11, G24, G46, E51, E53, E55, C00, C1, C3

Teal Hoodie: BG70, BG72, BG75

Jeans: B91, B95, B97

Black Boots: N0, N1, N3, N5, N7

Tan Glove: E53, E55, BG72, BG75

Red Mug: R20, R14, R46

Straw: G24, G46

White Hair: C00, C1, C3

Red Hat: C00, C1, C3, R20, R14, R46

Red Scarf: R20, R14, R46

Ivory Sweater: E81, E43

Black Pants: N0, N1, N3, N5, N7

Brown Boots: E51, E53, E55, E57, E59

Blue Gloves: BG70, BG72

Green Mug: YG11, G24, G46

I heat embossed the sentiment using Sugar Cube Pigment ink, Alabaster White embossing powder and my heat tool on Kraft card stock from Papertrey Ink that I had die cut using the Land Border Die Set from Newton's Nook Designs. I trimmed the stenciled panel and adhered the sentiment. Trimmed off the excess and adhered the whole panel onto a white A2 top fold card base.

You can check out my process video here... Hug in a Mug | Christmas Quilt Stencil | A Colorful Life Designs.

 Be sure to head over to A Colorful Life Designs and check out their amazing selection of stencils. Since I'm no longer a guest designer for them my code doesn't work, but my sweet friend Von Marie is on the design team so you can use code VonFan10 for 10% OFF your order! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky hugs,

Crystal

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Friends Warm the Heart ~ Cozy Knit Stencil ~ A Colorful Life Designs

 Hello there crafty friend!

Today I'm so excited to share a fun Winter card as a guest designer for A Colorful Life Designs. Have you checked out the selection of stencils over at A Colorful Life Designs yet? All so AMAZING! There is literally something for every occasion!! Before we get to my card, please use code Crystal10 for 10% OFF your order over at A Colorful Life Designs and tell them Crystal sent you over!

Today I'm sharing a very simple Winter card featuring the Cozy Knit Stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. It makes such a pretty background! I love, love, love this stencil! I blended Tumbled Glass and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks over the stencil leaving white space around the edges.

The adorable girl and snowman (and the bunny further down in the pictures) is from the STAMPtember stamp set collaboration from The Greeting Farm and Simon Says Stamp called Warm the Heart. This is an exclusive set that, unfortunately, is no longer available. I'm so glad I was able to get it and super excited that I could play with it already. Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used to color up these cute images:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, E04, R00, R20

Hair: YR31, E43, E44

Hat: B000, B00, B02, B04, V000, V12, C00, C1, C3

Coat / Button: V000, V12, V15, V17, B000, B00, B02

Pants: B000, B00, B02, B04

Shoes: N0, N1, N3

Snowball: C00, C1, C3

Snowman: C00, C1, C3, YR21, YR15

Snowman Hat: B000, B00, B02, B04, N0, N1, N3, N5

Snowman Buttons: B000, B00, B02, B04

Bunny: W00, W1, W3, R00, R20 V000, V12, V15, C00, C1, C3

Since I did my ink blending directly on the front of my card base, all I had to do was adhere the cute die cut images to the card. I heat embossed the sentiment using Sugar Cube Pigment ink, Alabaster White embossing powder and my heat tool on True Black card stock from Papertrey Ink. I trimmed the sentiment and popped it up on the card using foam tape.

You can check out my process video here... Friends Warm the Heart | Cozy Knit Stencil | A Colorful Life Designs.

 Be sure to head over to A Colorful Life Designs and check out their amazing selection of stencils. And don't forget to use code Crystal10 for 10% OFF your order! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky hugs,

Crystal

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Distress Crayon Background ~ Technique Tuesday ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I'm back with another Technique Tuesday! On the 2nd Tuesday of each month I'll be sharing a bit of inspiration and a video featuring a fun technique. I hope that you'll be inspired to get inky and play along with some of the techniques that I share.

Today's technique is all about quick and fun backgrounds with Distress Crayons!! I was chatting with a crafty friend about Distress Crayons and how we HAD to have them but we haven't played with them much, at all! So I thought, what better time to play with them and have some fun than for Technique Tuesday!

And they were so much fun! AND quick!! That's the key word when you're in need of a card ASAP. Am I right?

For my first card I made a Spring version using Mustard Seed, Kitsch Flamingo and Salvaged Patina Distress Crayons. These are my go-to colors for Spring.

I stamped the lovely silhouette stamp from the Meadow of Hope {April 2023 Whit Kit} with VersaFine Onyx Black ink. It's a tiny smidge crooked... but the crafty friend I'm sending it to won't mind. An easy fix would be to trim the panel and adhere it to a white base. Or cut a skinny strip of black card stock to run across that bottom. But I left it as is. 

I just love the font on this sentiment. Stamped so beautifully!

For my second card I made a Winter version... I know. I know. Enough with Winter. I can't help myself. I love Winter. I'd much rather snuggle up in a blanket by a fire to stay warm during the Winter than to lay absolutely still under the ceiling fan just to get some relief from the heat of Summer. Hahaha... but that's just little ole me.

For this background I used Seedless Preserves, Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass, and Chipped Sapphire Distress Crayons. Love love love this combo!! I will be using this combo again.

I used the gorgeous Shake Your Flakes {Front & Center stamps} for this card. One of my favorite Winter kits. I smudged this one up when I adhered it to the card base. I was devastated! Check out how I fixed it in my video down below.

You can check out my process video here... Distress Crayon Backgrounds | Technique Tuesday | Unity Stamp Co.

These Distress Crayon backgrounds were SO much fun! If you give this fun technique a try, I'd love to see what you create so please share your cards in the Unity Show & Tell group and tag me. Have an ink-tastic day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party ~ October Sketch Challenge ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I'm back for day 7 of the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party and I'm also sharing inspiration for the October Sketch Challenge over at the Unity Show & Tell Facebook group! I am hosting the challenges over there for the next couple of months. I'd love for you to join us over there and play along.

So my first card today features the adorable Oh Hey There, Winter. A super cute snowman stamp! I just love him! I paired him up with the beautiful Brilliant Blizzard {paper pack}. The blues in these papers are so lovely and there's a wonderful mix of snowflakes.

I mat the papers with white card stock to help the snowflakes pop on the card. The contrast of the bold black sentiment circle also helps the sentiment pop on the card.

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used to color up this cute snowman:

Snowman ~ BG70, C00, C2, YR21, YR15, R000, R20

Hat ~ BG70, BG72, BG75, BG90, C00, C2

Scarf / Mittens / Boots ~ BG70, BG72, BG75, BG90

Heart ~ R000, R20, R14

I'm entering my winter card into the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party. 

I hope that you'll stop by the Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party to check out all the wonderful Holiday inspiration being shared!! 

Now my second card is purely for the Unity October Sketch Challenge and all about Fall!! This one features the gorgeous Bountiful Fall Itty Bitty stamp. I paired up this beautiful pumpkin stamp with the Fall Y'all {paper pack}. I love the polka dots in the papers and around the pumpkin! It just brings the design of the card all together.

I die cut the pumpkin using one of the brand new stitched square dies from the Scallops & Squares {nesting dies}. How pretty are all these patterns together?! So fun!

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used to color up this gorgeous pumpkin:

Pumpkin ~ YR21, YR15, YR68, E55, E57

Yellow Flowers ~ Y15, Y35

Orange Flowers ~ YR21, YR15

Blue Flowers ~ BG70, BG72

Red Flowers ~ R35, R56

Leaves ~ YG03, YG63, YG67

Ground ~ E55, E57

You can check out my video for these cards here... Bountiful Fall & Oh Hey There, Winter | October Sketch Challenge | Unity Stamp Co.

Here's a look at the Unity October Sketch Challenge! Please know that the sketch is meant to inspire and not require. Feel free to alter it to work for your creation and most importantly have some inky fun! I can't wait to see what you create! Be sure to share your cards in the Unity Show & Tell group and also add them to the sketch challenge album in the group to be entered for a prize!! I'll see you back here next Thursday with a brand new challenge for the month of November!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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