Spring into Christmas 2025 {BYSHC} Linky Party ~ Winter Cardinals Set 2 ~ Pink & Main

 Hello there crafty friend!

I can't believe how fast the time is going by! It's the last day of the Spring into Christmas 2025 {BYSHC} Linky Party! It's always so sad to reach the end, but I'm super happy to be adding so many cards to my stash! Yay!

This time I used the adorable Winter Cardinals Set 2 from our wonderful Sponsor Pink & Main. I just adore this stamp!! The birds are so cute and they're kissing under the mistletoe... AWWWW... Super cute! I stamped the image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock and colored them up with Copic markers.

Here's a quick list of the markers I used:

Left Bird: R20, R14, R27, C00, C2, YR21, YR04

Right Bird: R20, R14, R37, C00, C2, YR21, YR04

Scarves: YG11, G24, G46

Branches: E21, E23, E25

Mistletoe: G24, G46

Bow: R20, R14, R27

As always, I used the fabulous Pressure Pal from our awesome Sponsor Twiddler's Nook when I stamped the sweet birds. I also used it when I stamped the sentiment. I die cut the panel using the X Stitched Mini Slimline Die from Sponsor Gina Marie Designs. I wrapped the corners with some Natural May Arts Burlap String and tied a pretty bow. I popped up the panel using iCraft 3D Foam Tape Jumbo Roll (white) from Therm O Web. 

My card design was inspired by past {BYSHC} Sketch 44. This simple sketch has become a favorite and it was perfect with this cute stamp.

I wanted to use another fun stencil for a lovely background for these two lovebirds. I grabbed the Simple Christmas Trees Stencil from Sponsor A Colorful Life Designs. I blended lightly with Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the stencil on Kraft card stock. I trimmed the panel to 5-1/4 x 4" and adhered it to an A2 kraft card base.

I hope you'll stop by the Spring into Christmas 2025 {BYSHC} Linky Party to check out all the wonderful Holiday inspiration being shared! I've been inspired by so many of the cards! I sure hope you'll stop by and check it out! Have an ink-tastic day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Thinking of You ~ December 2021 Whit Kit ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I am excited for another fabulous year of Whit Kits from Unity Stamp Co. and I hope to be more consistent in sharing my cards using the kits. However, today I'm sharing a couple cards I created using the beautiful December 2021 Whit Kit called Trust in its Wings. December was such a busy month, I didn't get to play with this kit until now.

I couldn't help but color with my Copic Markers on Kraft card stock again... it's one of my most favorite techniques and it's so pretty for winter cards!

Here's a quick list of the Copic Markers I used to color the image:

Leaves ~ G14, G46

Berries ~ R14, R20, R27, R37

Bird ~ E01, E11, E17, E07, YR24, YR27

I used the coordinating die to die cut the bird. The top layer of Kraft is die cut with the Double Roped Square die from Gina Marie Designs.

My bonus card using the kit!! This kit has another great pack of papers and the wood wreath and berries paper was perfect for a very quick and pretty birthday card using a sentiment from a sentiment kit.

I colored the image the very same way and with the very same Copic Markers on white card stock. It's neat how it's so different from the Copic coloring on Kraft. 

You can check out my process video for my first card here... Thinking of You Card | December 2021 Whit Kit.

Even though the kit isn't available anymore, the stamps and papers are available separately at Unity Stamp Co. Be sure to check out the Whit Kit membership at Unity... the new January 2022 kit is perfect for New Year's cards! I can't wait to ink it up and share a bit of inspiration with you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Growing in Unity December Blog Hop

Hello! I'm super excited to be hopping with some very talented ladies that have participated with Growing in Unity the last couple of months. 

If you've been hopping, you arrived here from Amanda Garrett's  blog and you've reached the end of our hop. No pressure there being the end of the hop... yikes!! Haha! Anywho, onto my card... 

I have a sweet friend who likes birds and I wanted to make her Christmas card using these particular birds. I just love these sweet birds, but I also love the scene behind the birds so I wanted to make the card kind of like a window. I sure hope she likes it!

I started with a kraft card base that I stamped the birdy image from the Chick Time kit using Memento tuxedo black ink. I colored the image with prismacolor pencils and then set that aside. I grabbed another piece of kraft card stock to stamp the lovely pine cones and branches on from the Winter Blessings kit. First, I wanted to make sure that the pine cones and branches framed the scene so I laid the card with the birds on my grid paper and marked some general measurements for my 'window area'. I then laid the 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of kraft card stock in the same part of the grid and lightly marked off the area with pencil. 

Then came the fun part, stamping the branches... I stamped them just twice - once in each corner and colored them using copic markers. I grabbed another piece of kraft card stock and stamped the pine cones several times. I cut out my 'window' by hand fussy cutting around the branches. I colored in the pine cones using copic markers and then I wanted to add a touch of gold so I used a Ranger Emboss It pen and then heat embossed some Ultra Fine Antique Gold embossing powder. Those pine cones look so cool in person. I wish the picture showed it better. I fussy cut the pine cones and adhered them and then I cut off the edges that went over the card. I popped up the pine cone and branch piece over top of the card base using dimensionals. All that was left was the sentiment... I originally planned on doing a banner with the Merry Christmas sentiment from the Cheerful Prancing kit, but it was much bigger than I anticipated so I ended up fussy cutting around it and adding it to the fence under the birds. It almost looks like the birds hung a sign on the fence. Haha! Well, that's my card for this fun hop. I sure hope you liked it!

Like I mentioned above, I am the end of the hop so if you happened to miss any blogs be sure to check out the hop list below AND don't forget to comment on each blog for a chance to win a prize package from Unity Stamp Co.

~ Blog Hop List ~

Unity Blog

Denise Sayers
Lori Simonson
Shannon Edwards 
Amber Sheaves 
Kim Chong

Angela Bode 
MariLynn DeGroot 
Amanda Rhodes 
Paula McClane 
Sue Nagata 

Amanda Garrett 
Crystal O. Minkler  <--- you're here

Thanks for stopping by!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal