Hive Had Enough ~ This Stings ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend! 

It was so fun to get back in the studio and get inky. I just couldn't resist this new bee stamp from Unity. I had to ink him up! He's currently a Spotlight Steal on the website!!

I colored up the bee from This Stings with some Copic markers and fussy cut him leaving a white border. If fussy cutting isn't your thing, there's a This Stings digital cut file available that's compatible with some electronic die cutting machines.

Copic Markers used:

Yellow: Y11, Y15, Y38

Antennae / Legs: N1, N3, N5

Wings / Eyes: B000, B02

Green: YG11, YG03

I ink smooshed a background with Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, and Wild Honey Distress Inks. Die cut it with the largest die from the Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies}. The grey spatters were supposed to be black spatters. My black acrylic paint is very watery. I guess I need to mix it more. 

I used the Stitched Hexagon Nesting Dies {I don't see this on the website anymore, sorry} for the black hexagons and the one behind the bee that I ink smooshed with just Wild Honey Distress Ink. And for the strip diagonally across the card I used the HoneyComb Chaos Die. I think it was a Spotlight Steal at one point. I don't see it on the website either. To finish off the card I popped up the bee and the sentiment with foam tape. So fun to make. I hope you like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky hugs,

Crystal

Pretty Wonderful ~ Buzzy Blooms ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend! 

Some days it just feels so good to get inky... I had a blast making this card. A little ink smooshing and ink blending and some white acrylic paint spatters can make for a good day in my book!

I inked up all of the stamps in the Buzzy Blooms kit. I used the honeycomb and script for my background. The blooms for my focal and then those beautiful bees for accents. I am smitten, y'all!! I made this beauty for a friend that is moving away. A little reminder for her that she is wonderful. The sentiment is from The Softest Thoughts stamps.

I ink smooshed and blended the background using Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough, Mermaid Lagoon, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.

Copic markers used:

Flowers: Y21, YR21, YR02, R22

Centers: Y15, Y38, Y28

Leaves / Stems: YG00, YG95, YG67

Background: BG000, B000

Bees: Y11, Y38

I die cut the background panel using a die from the Zig-Zag Rectangles {nesting dies}. I wrapped the two corners with May Arts Natural Burlap String and secured them on the back with scotch tape. I tied a bow with two pieces of the string and adhered it using a mini glue dot. The sentiment is adhered to the flowers and then I popped it and the flowers up on the card with foam tape. I glued the left bee directly to the card and popped up the right bee to give it a little dimension. Love how this turned out!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky hugs,

Crystal

Tawny Owl Paperie Inky Inspiration Sketch 34 ~ Vintage Artistry Countryside ~ 49 and Market

 Hello there crafty friend!

Today I'm sharing some inspiration for the Tawny Owl Paperie Inky Inspiration Sketch Challenge 34 in the Tawny Owl Paperie Inky Inspiration Facebook group. Absolutely no stamping or coloring for this card!

I used papers from the Vintage Artistry Countryside 12 x 12 Collection from 49 and Market.

Here's a look at the fun sketch for Tawny Owl Paperie Inky Inspiration Sketch Challenge 34. The sketch, as always, is meant to inspire not require. So let the sketch lead in your design, but don't feel limited by it. 

And the cluster of ephemera is from the coordinating Vintage Artistry Countryside Ephemera Bits pack.

I adhered the ephemera pieces together and popped up the tag on the card. I also popped up the bee with foam tape. I added some wrinkled ribbon from my stash and finished off the card with a sentiment from the ephemera pack. I'm having a blast with this sketch! I hope you can find time to play along. Have an ink-tastic week!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Release Day Blog Hop ~ Bee Happy ~ The Greeting Farm

The April 2025 New Release is now available for purchase in The Greeting Farm Store! This month we introduced 3 new stamp sets. Our first set called BOBA PANDAS features 4 adorable Pandas enjoying the outdoors with their favorite Boba tea. Next, our favorite girl has resumed her travels and this month we have ANYA IN INDIA. Lastly, we showcased the cutest, chubbiest bees in a set called BEE HAPPY. 

I couldn't BEE more happy than to share another card featuring the absolutely adorable bees and flowers from Bee Happy! I just adore these cuties! I stamped the flowers and bees on white card stock and colored them up with Copic markers. I fussy cut them leaving a white border around the edge - just like a die cut would. I adhered the flowers to the hexagon layer and popped up the bees with a little foam tape. And then I stamped the little bees swirly line directly on the pattern paper.

The yellow gingham pattern paper is die cut with a hexagon scalloped die. I covered an A2 card base with the black and white pattern paper from the same pack. The sentiment was stamped, trimmed and adhered to the hexagon. And then I popped up the hexagon focal piece and the sentiment onto the card with lots of foam tape.

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

Bees: C00, C2, C4, C9, Y11, Y15

Flowers: BG10, BG01, BG15, Y15

Leaves: YG11, G02

To celebrate this release we are having a short BLOG HOP! One lucky fan will win a $50.00 Gift Certificate to The Greeting Farm Store!! You have until April 18th, 12pm CST/1pm EST to leave your comments on each Designer's Blog. Then head back to The Greeting Farm Blog to let us know you completed the hop. **Remember to qualify for the prize you MUST leave a comment on each Designer's Blog AND The Greeting Farm Blog letting us know you completed the hop.

NOTE: Comments on The Greeting Farm Blog are admin approved so it may take a day for your comment to be visible. Please only comment once, and use the same name on all the blogs when leaving a comment. Do not pick the Anonymous option (otherwise we won't be able to verify that it's you). We will announce the random winner later in the week on the Blog and in our Facebook Group: The Greeting Farm Fan Page.

TGF Design Team:

Crystal

Cynthia

Elisabete

Meg

This is a short hop, and definitely worth playing along! If you want to grab your favorites now, you can purchase the new stamps HERE. We will have more cards featuring the New Release from our Design Team Leaders starting on the 16th so be sure to stop by The Greeting Farm Blog to see more inspiration.

Happy Hopping!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Bee Happy ~ Preview Day 3 ~ The Greeting Farm

 Hello there crafty friend!

It's the final day of previews at The Greeting Farm for the April release! Introducing Bee Happy... oh. my. cuteness! These bees and all the pretty flowers are just too darn cute.

I stamped the bees and flowers with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored them up with Copic markers. I fussy cut each of the images leaving a white border - almost like they were die cut.

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

Bees: Y11, Y15, YR23, N0, N2, N4, BG10, BG01, BG15

Pink Flowers: RV10, RV02, RV04

Blue Flowers: BG10, BG01, BG15, Y11, Y15

Stems / Leaves: YG11, G94, G99

I paired up these sweet bees and flowers with the Simple Vintage Lemon Twist 6x8 paper pad from Simple Stories. This is a 6-1/2 x 7" mini slimline card base, scored at 3-1/2". My paper layers are: black with polka dots - 6-1/2 x 3-1/2"; Yellow distressed - 6-5/16 x 3-5/16" ; and the die cut is 6-3/16 x 3-3/16" approximately.

The white panel is die cut with the largest die from the X Stitched Mini Slimline Die from Gina Marie Designs. I popped up the white panel with foam tape avoiding the negative hexagon space. The hexagons are all cut using the Hexagon Frames Die Set from Newton's Nook Designs. The two on the right side are die cut from the white panel giving me the negative space to build around. The larger hexagon on the left is die cut from the pretty papers and it's popped up with foam tape.

I stamped the sentiment directly on the white panel. All of the adorable bees are popped up on the card with foam tape. Too fun! The release goes live in the store on the 15th at 12am EST! Woohoo! Bee sure to come back tomorrow for the release Blog Hop!! One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card to The Greeting Farm. All you have to do is comment on the hop! Yay!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Joseph's Coat Technique with a Twist ~ 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 a fun little twist on the Joseph's Coat Technique. I shared a masculine card a few days ago using this technique but this time I've changed it up a bit.

I created a colorful background by blending Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, and Ripe Persimmon on a white card front. Next, I stamped the beautiful stamps from the Hive and Herb stamps using an embossing ink and I heat embossed each stamped image with a clear embossing powder. I then stamped the wonderful Honeycomb Chaos background stamp in the lower right side and heat embossed it, too.

Now for my little twist... I blended Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink over the background. Usually this technique uses a black ink. I know that's not super crazy or anything but it sure is fun! And I just love how the colors pop!

Another twist on this technique... since I used distress oxide ink I was able to do some water splatter on the card and look at that added dimension. Loving it! 

To finish off the card, I die cut the panel with the Postage Stamp {nesting dies}. I wrapped it with some copper metallic thread securing it on the back of the panel with tape. Adhered it to a yellow mat and then a dark brown card front. I then adhered the entire piece to a white A2 top fold card base. Stamped the sentiment with white pigment ink and heat embossed a white embossing powder. Trimmed up the sentiment and adhered it directly to the card.

You can check out my process video here... Joseph's Coat Technique with a Twist | Hive and Herb | Unity Stamp Co.

Such a fun technique and so many possibilities depending on what colors you use for your base and for the pop! 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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Membership Wednesday ~ May 2023 Uniquely Unity and Background of the Month ~ Unity Stamp Co.

  Hello there crafty friend!

Today I'm sharing a mixed media card using the lovely stamp from the wonderful May 2023 Uniquely Unity membership along with the May 2023 Background of the Month membership from Unity. I just had to pair up these two membership kits.

So, yesterday I shared a couple of one layer CAS cards using the Distress Crayon Background technique. Well, I had so much fun with that technique I wanted to play a bit more.

This time I used Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, and Dried Marigold Distress Crayons for my background. I stamped my background using VersaFine Onyx Black ink.

I added a bit of black acrylic paint splatter to the background. I die cut the background using the second largest die from the Postage Stamp {nesting dies}. These dies were just restocked over at Unity, too! I heat embossed the sentiment. I love how the white pops on the black card stock. 

You can check out my process video here... Mixed Media Card | May 2023 Uniquely Unity & Background of the Month | Unity Stamp Co.

Here's a look at the beautiful Uniquely Unity stamps for May!! So gorgeous! This membership is available for only $16.99. That includes shipping! 

And here's a look at the awesome Background of the Month stamp for May!! Love it! This membership is available for only $18.99. That includes shipping! Included with both of these memberships is a wonderful inspiration sheet with pictures and step-by-step instructions for two cards so you can easily recreate the cards yourself. And now when you sign up you have the ability to pause, skip or cancel your subscription within your Unity account. So awesome!!

That's it for me today! I'll be back next week with inspiration for the May 2023 Whit Kit!! Have you seen this month's card kit! I'm so excited to play!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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