Spring into Christmas {BYSHC} Hop ~ Holiday Helpers ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I can't believe that we are nearing the end of the Spring into Christmas 2021 {BYSHC} Hop!! Time has seriously flown by... and I've really enjoyed all of the creations being shared! I hope that if you haven't been able to play along that you drop by the hop and check out all the wonderful cards being shared and maybe even give some love on the creations. I know I enjoy it thoroughly when I get a sweet comment on my cards. Anywho, today I am featuring an adorable stamp from Unity Stamp Co. that's called Holiday Helpers. I chose the little boy elf stamp for my card today.

Isn't he just the cutest?! I pulled my palette of colors from the papers that I used... the Twas the Night Before Christmas Vol. 2 paper pad by Echo Park Paper. Both layers of pattern paper are from that paper pad. The toy paper layer is die cut with a stitched rectangle die and then I adhered it to the polka dot paper. I then adhered the layers to a white A2 top fold card base.

I used the following Copic markers to color this cutie:

Skin ~ E000, E00, E11, R00, R20

Hair ~ E55, E57, E59

Shirt ~ W00, W2, R14, R27, R59, R89

Hat ~ R27, R59, R89, Y15, Y28

Jumper ~ G24, G29, G85, G94

Tights ~ R14, R27, R59, G85, G94

Shoes ~ R14, R27, R59, R89

Hammer / Nails ~ N1, N3, N5, E55, E57, E59

Truck ~ N1, N3, N5, Y15, G29, G85, G94

Ground ~ E51, E55

I die cut the cute elf and the sentiment with standard circle dies and then with a pencil ticked off little marks to trim off the one side of the circles. If you're a member of the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Facebook group, you may recognize this card design... it was for our 8th sketch challenge.

The challenge is over but it sure has been fun using some of the sketches that we've been playing with.

Tomorrow is the last day to play along with the Spring into Christmas 2021 {BYSHC} Hop!! I hope you can find some time today to create and join us in building our stash of holiday cards!! Be sure to stop by the {BYSH} Cardmakers blog to check out all the amazing inspiration being shared! So much fun! 

Stop by the Unity Stamp Co. website... there's a fabulous new release and a big Birthday sale.. both start later today!! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Unity Stamp Company ~ Old Bird

Hey there crafty friends!

It's Cyber Monday and Unity Stamp Co. is having another fabulous release along with a sale... AND an Instagram Hop!! So many fun things all at the same time!! I am loving this Old Bird... a new release and another fun version of this sweet and spunky lady by Tierra Jackson.

I think she's just perfect with the Coffee Lovers {Paper Pack} designed by Graciellie Designs and also available from Unity Stamp Co. I trimmed the sentiment/wood background paper to 4-1/8 x 5-3/8" and die cut the coffee background paper with a stitched hillside border die. I adhered both layers to a Spring Rain card base and set it aside. I colored the Old Bird with the following Copic markers:

Skin ~ E000, E00, E11

Hair ~ C00, C1, B000

Earrings ~ BV000, BV00, BV02

Coat ~ E0000, E21, E23,E25, E27

Shoes ~ N0, N1, N2, N5, N7

Cup ~ C00, C1, C2, C4, B0000, B000

Pigeons ~ C00, C1, C2, C4, BV000, BV00, BV02, YR24

Using a pencil and ruler I drew a line across the colored panel in between each image and got to work fussy cutting. I used a bunch of foam tape to adhere the colored image to the card base. I really love the dimension it gives to the card! 

And that sentiment... lol... perfection!! I love how this turned out and I hope you do too!

Be sure to check out the new releases over at Unity Stamp Co. and all the fabulous inspiration on the Instagram Hop... there's prizes up for grabs on the hop! Just saying! You can start hopping with my Instagram link above{just under my blog header} or click Instagram Hop and it'll take you to the Unity Stamp Company Instagram.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

~ Friends of Unity August Blog Hop ~

Hello there crafty friends!!

Our hop this month is all about friends... of the furry variety!! Lol! Such a fun cue and Unity Stamp Company has a huge variety of animal stamps! So many to choose from!

One of my favorite lines of stamps available at Unity are the adorable Cuddlebug stamps designed by the wonderful Tierra Jackson. And it just so happened that I was needing a baby card so I grabbed the adorable Cuddlebug Fox and some Canson XL watercolor paper and got to watercoloring!

I had already picked out my papers ahead of time... the Little Adventurer paper pad by Pink Paislee. I just love that little fox in the paper (can you see him peeking from the right side?) so I decided to go with the Cuddlebug Fox though there are so many different Cuddlebugs to chose from that would have been just as cute... a bunny, a raccoon, a teddy bear, and an elephant.

It had been awhile since I had done any watercoloring. I need to do more... I'm rusty! I usually heat emboss my image to keep the watercoloring contained and I forgot my own tip and the little fox got a little messy, but he's still pretty cute! Once he was dry, I die cut him with a die from the My Favorite Things Blueprints 24 and then I mat it with Spring Rain card stock and then fussy cut around it. I trimmed my patterned papers and adhered them to a Spring Rain card base. I then stamped the sentiment from Bundle Congrats that says "Congratulation on your new little bundle"... isn't that the cutest!?! Perfect for my card! To finish off the card I added a Spring Rain button with some white baker's twine. A cute card for an adorable new baby boy!!!

Now onto my second card... yup... I'm still working on Christmas cards! Why not?! It's been so hot the last week I've been dreaming of cooler temps and this cute Winter Bunny Cuddlebug was the perfect stamp to get me thinking about cooler days ahead. For this card I started by coloring the sweet bunny with Copic markers and then I was lucky enough to match it with the gorgeous Plaid Patterns Merry & Bright paper pad by My Favorite Things! And then it was fun finding the right card stock to coordinate but thank goodness for my hoarding tendencies because Cool Caribbean was the perfect blue!! Anyone else hoard that retired Stampin' Up! color?! Lol! I also chose Lavender Moon (PTI) which looks a bit more purple in the pictures here but in person it's perfect! The card needed a little something to give it that wintry feel and some die cut snowflakes were the perfect touch. I used Simon Says Stamp Rina Snowflake... such a cute snowflake! I adhered all my layers to a white card base and the popped up my winter bunny and the sentiment. Done!

Here's a list of the Supplies I used that weren't mentioned above:

Copics ~ W00, W1, W3, R000, R20 (bunny), C00, C1, R81, R85 (clothes), 

BG11, BG23, V06 (gift)

Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

Taylored Expression Stitched Oval Stacklets

Sakura Clear Gelly Roll pen (sparkle on the snow)

Here's a close up photo of the sweet bunny! I just adore this stamp!

I'm linking up my Winter Bunny Cuddlebug card to the fabulous Mojo Monday Sketch challenge that inspired my card design! Love a fabulous sketch challenge and Julee Tilman has some of the best sketches!!

Now, I heard a rumor that there's some giveaways along our hop... just kidding! There's always giveaways!! In fact, I have two duplicates that I've discovered this week so I'll be picking two lucky winners and I'll announce them during next month's hop! Be sure to check out all the fabulous creations along the hop and comment on each blog for a chance to win!! As always, I'm super thankful for your support of our little hop!

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Eileen

Kim

Dawn

Jeanie

Joyce

Bobbie Sue

Robyn

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

Unity Stamp Company ~ Cuddlebug Raccoon with Pumpkin Patch {border backgrounds} ~ Happy Fall

Hi there crafty friends!

I wanted to share one of the cards that I created for the latest Unity Stamp Company release using the adorable Cuddlebug Raccoon and gorgeous Pumpkin Patch {border backgrounds} stamps!!

My original plan was to make a simple card with the cute raccoon in the back and the pumpkins in the corner but then I colored the raccoon and the leaves and nuts and realized that the pumpkins would cover a lot of that up so, I got to thinking how to work around that and decided to make a pocket card!

 Like I said, I colored the raccoon and also the pumpkins.

 I used the following Copic markers:

Raccoon ~ W00, W1, W2, W4, N0, N1, N2, N4, N7

Ground ~ E21, E23

Pumpkins/Leaves ~ BG09, BG18, BG72, YR14, YR15, YR21, YR24, YR27, YR68, G24, G94, G99 Nuts ~ E55, E57, E59

Once the images were colored, I die cut the pumpkins on the edge and then fussy cut the inner portion. I die cut the raccoon and layered him with some pretty fall paper from Carta Bella called Hello Fall. I adhered that to a True Black card measuring 3-3/4 x 4-7/8"... on the other side of the Cuddlebug Raccoon I added a piece of white card stock measuring 3-1/2 x 4-5/8". That's where I can add a personal message to the recipient. I tied off some jute twine and set that part of the card aside.

I die cut a piece of kraft card stock with the same stitched rectangle die I used for the edge of the pumpkins and then I adhered the kraft piece to a True Black card measuring 4-1/4 x 5-1/2... so it's not a card base, it's just a card front. Using tear & tape adhesive I adhered the pumpkins to the card just on the very edge leaving the pocket for the raccoon card.

A fun way to incorporate a portion of the new Pumpkin Patch {border backgrounds} stamp along with the adorable Cuddlebug Raccoon! I just love how this turned out! I hope you do too!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog today!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

Polka Dot Orchard ~ Petals for the Pittman's

Hello crafty friends!! 

Today I have a very special card to share with you.... it's created with a lovely image available in an exclusive floral digi stamp set only sold by Polka Dot Orchard!! This lovely set is part of a fundraiser to help the Pittman's during their difficult medical ordeal. 

Larissa Pittman is a crafty friend and DT sister with Polka Dot Orchard. 

You can read more about Larissa and her husband Gary here: Pittman’s Go Fund Me.

Polka Dot Orchard has collaborated with several different artists and companies to put not just this digital stamp set together.... but since there are so many images, there's two digital stamp sets available. These will only be available for a limited time, so stop by the Polka Dot Orchard Etsy shop today and purchase yours!  ALL PROCEEDS from these special sets will go directly to the Pittman's. There is also a crafty link up with sponsored prizes on the blog....you can find all the details by visiting  Polka Dot Orchard.

Before you head over to Polka Dot Orchard, let's take a quick look at my first card using the lovely Lily by Tierra Jackson... such a beautiful flower!!

I just love lilies!! Such gorgeous flowers!! So I was very excited to see one in this amazing floral digi set! I had so much fun coloring this image. I only used a few Copic markers for this one... RV19, RV91, YG11, G24, G94. I had fun adding the polka dots too... I think I went a little crazy with them, but how could you not?! I love it!

Here's a close up of the card I created. The sentiment is from the Floral Flourish Background 3 digi set. I love the font for this Happy Birthday sentiment and thought it would pair up nicely with the lovely lily!!

I was so touched when Jessica mentioned she was doing this fundraiser set for the Pittman's. Such a sweet way to help out a crafty friend! I'm even more touched by the pour out of love with donations by the crafty community... always warms my heart this fabulous community I'm a part of.

Be sure to stop by the Polka Dot Orchard blog for more information about this wonderful fundraiser. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!
See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,
Crystal