Growing in Unity ~ Day 4 ~ Coffee Coffee Coffee!

Hello! I can't believe that it's already Day 4 of my Growing in Unity week... it's flying by way too fast!! Today, I am featuring not only my love of Unity, but my love of Coffee!! Unity has some wonderful coffee stamps!!!

My first card started out as a CAS kind of card... but... the ink just kept talking sweet to me like it needed to go on this card. Ha! I started with a Kraft card base and I inked up a fun background stamp in the Vibes kit with Ground Espresso distress ink. I love the cool splatter and coffee ring vibe to the image. I dabbed a sponge in different areas around the edges in different colors. I like the texture it gives to the card. I stamped the image of the coffee cups from the February 2017 Unexpected Place KOM directly on the card and then stamped it again on a scrap of white card stock. I colored the cups with copic markers and then fussy cut each one out and adhered them to the stamped images on the card. I did it this way for two reasons... I didn't want to fussy cut a mask for each cup and this way the cups give a bit of texture to the card. I stamped the sentiment using Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink on Dark Chocolate card stock and heat embossed it using a fine clear embossing powder. I also added some Nuvo Chocolate Fondue glitter drops. You can't see the glittery goodness in the drops, but in person they are so pretty! I adhered the sentiment and called it done!

For my next card I used the new fall themed coffee cup kit called Fall to Go. I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored it in using copic markers. I paper pieced the body of the cup. I then stamped the sentiment in VersaMark on another piece of patterned paper and heat embossed it using a fine white embossing powder. I decided I wanted this card to have the feel of a home so I grabbed my 6x6 pack of Wood & Notebooks Basics papers and found a nice piece to make my 'table'. I cut that out using an oval stitched die. I then cut out the sentiment using a label die and mat it on a different wood themed paper. I wanted it to look like something hanging on the 'wall'. I then had to decide on what papers to use as my 'wall' and 'floor'... I'm terrible at home decor so this was difficult. Ha! I finally settled on this yellow with white polka dots paper and a nice light brown. I adhered all the fun pieces to my card and I have to say I love the way it turned out!!

My last card for today features the fun coffee mug from the Cuppa Comfort sentiment kit. I blended a few fun fall colors on a piece of white card stock and then stamped the mug. I liked the fall theme with the colors so I decided to stamp a leaf from the August 2017 Never Be Afraid KOM and I loved the way it looked so I went with it. I added a little highlighting to the leaf using a white prismacolor pencil and I colored in the heart with some Cranberry Bliss silk. I fussy cut the mug out and set it aside. I grabbed a piece of watercolor paper and painted some 'steam' for my mug. I decided the card needed more so I dug through my collection of Jolande & Marleen stamps and found a few kits to use.... You Can Do It, You Matter, Hug, and I Am Who I Am. I did a little bit of blending on the edges and then stamped my sentiment from the new kit called Hug using VersaMark and Ground Espresso distress inks and then heat embossed it with a clear fine embossing powder. I adhered the watercolor paper to a piece of Dark Chocolate card stock and then adhered the entire piece to a white card base. Love it! I didn't plan on a fall theme for my coffee cards today, but I think I'm ready for some cooler weather!

I sure hope you like the cards I shared with you today! Come back tomorrow for my final Growing in Unity post. I'll be featuring some fabulous seasonal stamps from Unity! You won't want to miss it!

Be sure to check out Berina Febin's post today as well, she's another Growing in Unity girl this week. You can check out her blog ---> here!

Now, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to 

win a grab bag from Unity. I'll be drawing names for 2 lucky winners!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal

Growing in Unity ~ Day 3 ~ Hello!

Hello! I can't believe that it's already my third day as a Growing in Unity girl... the time is flying by!

Today, I have some of my most favorite flower stamps from Unity. If there is one thing that the artists for Unity can draw and turn into stamps, it is flowers!!! I love Unity's flower stamps! I have too many favorites... this post could go on for days, but I'm going to just focus on my two most favorite.

My first card features a daisy... I love daisies! They are my most favorite flower! The daisy stamp is from the May 2017 Free Your Dreams Kit of the Month. I stamped the daisy in Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored it in using copic markers. I stamped the daisies again on a long post it note and masked the image on my card. I then stamped the other images around the panel using distress inks and stamps from two kits... Spring Inspired Layers of Life kit and Blow Your Mind, a Jolande & Marleen kit. I just love the texture it gives to the card. I colored the background behind the daisies with some grey copics. I stamped the sentiment with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it using a black detailed embossing powder. I also die cut the panel using a fun diagonal stitch rectangle die. I layered it with a light purple card stock and adhered it to my white card base. Fabulous!

My second card features my second most favorite flower... the sunflower!! This stunning sunflower is found in the September 2016 Moments Between Moments KOM. This card went in a totally different direction from what I had planned, but I absolutely love it! I stamped the image three times on white card stock using Memento Tuxedo black ink. I colored the center of the flower and cut it out. I then colored the inner petals and cut them out. Lastly, I colored the outer petals and cut the entire flower out for that layer. I set all those pieces aside and started searching for the best patterned paper... that took awhile. Ha! I wanted just the right paper! I thought these papers would be perfect so I layered them on a Dark Chocolate card base and added a little bit of ribbon. I then adhered the outer petal layer for the sunflower. I popped up the middle layer using dimensionals. I then popped up the center of the flower also using dimensionals. I just love the way this card turned out... 

Here's a close up of the layers on the sunflower!! Isn't is just stunning! I love the dimension 

it gives to the flower!! 

I sure hope you like the cards I shared with you today! Come back tomorrow... I'll be featuring some fun coffee stamps from Unity! You won't want to miss it!

Be sure to check out Berina Febin's post today as well, she's another Growing in Unity girl this week. You can check out her blog ---> here!

Now, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to 

win a grab bag from Unity. I'll be drawing names for 2 lucky winners!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal

Growing in Unity ~ Day 2 ~ Moments

Hello! It's Day 2 for my Growing in Unity week! 

Today I'm sharing cards using stamps from Unity's fabulous membership subscriptions. It wasn't long after I discovered Unity, that I had fallen in love with the Kit of the Month stamps. My first card features one of my favorite stamps from the September 2016 Moments Between Moments kit. 

I just love that stamp and I just had to use this fabulous paper I had found a couple of months ago. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored it in using copic markers. I also added a bit of glossy accents to the lens of the camera... how fun?! I love it! I kept the sentiment on the front simple because I wanted to tie it in with the sentiment on the inside of the card. 

For the inside of the card I used the stack of cameras stamp from the May 2017 Free Your Dreams Kit of the Month. I stamped it off so it would just be light behind the sentiment. This sentiment is from the Moment Between Moments kit. I just love how this whole card came together!

Another fantastic membership subscription is the Layers of Life. I love the mixed media feel to the stamps in these kits. This stamp is from the September 2017 Love Anchors kit. I stamped the anchor in VersaMark ink on watercolor paper. I then heat embossed some Pewter embossing powder that I found in my stash. I added a bit of color burst around the anchor and spritzed the paper. I just love that it looks like water around the anchor. After adhering all of the layers to a white card base, I added a simple sentiment from another Unity kit called So Glad You Were Born.

Here's a close-up of the texture that the pewter embossing gives to the anchor. 

I love the way this turned out! 

I sure hope you like the cards I shared with you today! Come back tomorrow... I'll be featuring some of my most favorite flower stamps from Unity! You won't want to miss it!

Be sure to check out Berina Febin's post today as well, she's another Growing in Unity girl this week. You can check out her blog ---> here!

Now, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to 

win a grab bag from Unity. I'll be drawing names for 2 lucky winners!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal

Growing in Unity ~ Day 1 ~ Shine Bright!

I am beyond excited to be a Growing in Unity girl this week!!! 

I'll be sharing my love of Unity Stamp Company with you for the next 5 days!! 

Today, I have a quick and cute Christmas card inspired by one of the challenges over at the Unity {Show & Tell} Facebook Group. If you aren't a member of that group, you really should be. There is so much wonderful inspiration shared in that group by not just the Unity Design Team, but also the talented and creative customers of Unity! 

For both of these cards, I used the Wintertime Friends kit! I stamped the images and the sentiment using Memento Tuxedo black ink and then I colored using Prismacolor pencils. I kept the coloring very simple by just highlighting the snowman and the bit of snow on the ground. There's also some glossy accents on the heart buttons, but that doesn't show up on the picture. I used up some of my Christmas paper stash! *gasp* I have so much... and it's really so fun to use these pretty Christmas papers! I kept these simple, but you could easily add ribbon, sequins, buttons, or Nuvo drops... the possibilities are endless!

I sure hope you liked my first post for my GIU week! Come back tomorrow... I'll be featuring stamps from a couple of Unity's great membership subscriptions! You won't want to miss it!

Be sure to check out Berina Febin's post today as well, she's another Growing in Unity girl this week. You can check out her blog ---> here!

Now, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to 

win a grab bag from Unity. I'll be drawing names for 2 lucky winners!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal

Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice ~ September Flavor of the Month Blog Hop

Who doesn’t love pumpkin spice? 

Oh, do I love that flavor and definitely look forward to this time of the year when I can pop in the grocery store and get that Pumpkin Spice flavored creamer to go in my coffee!!! Well grab some creamer, coffee, and savor this blog hop because this kit is full of Pumpkins, spice and a little bit of everything nice! 

Get your kit by clicking on our Flavor of the Month link and either subscribe or purchase a one time kit!

I cannot tell you just how ecstatic I was when I opened my September Flavor of the Month card kit! I love Fall! It's my absolute favorite and then you bring my most fave beverage into the mix... coffee!!! Oh my goodness! I could not wait to get inky with the collections for this month. I was given the Banana Split subscription to play with...

and let me tell you, there's so much crafty goodness!! Just look at it all!! I had a lot of fun!

My first card features the ingredients from Collection One. I also kept my cards in order of the sketches for this month, so this is also sketch #1. To start, I die cut a circle of white card stock. I then stamped the cute cup and spice shaker from Lawn Fawn's Pumpkin Spice stamp set using Memento Tuxedo black ink. I stamped the images again on a piece of the patterned paper and then fussy cut them out and adhered them to the main image. I colored the inside of the cup, the coffee with whip cream, and the top of the shaker using copic markers. I layered the circle piece onto a scallop circle and set it aside. I die cut a piece of brown card stock using a rectangle stitched die and adhered it to a white card base. I adhered two pieces of patterned paper and then popped up the main image. I stamped, die cut and popped up the sentiment. My last touch for this card was a few dots of the Ripened Pumpkin Nuvo Crystal Drops. 

For my second card, I used the second sketch. I inked up the sentiment from the Falling For You stamp set by Newton's Nook using Distress Oxide inks in Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, and Wild Honey. Since the distress oxides take a bit to dry, I decided to emboss the sentiment so I used some fine clear embossing powder. I die cut the sentiment with another circle die and then mat it on a scalloped circle. I set that aside and die cut the brownish orange card stock using a stitched rectangle die. I then adhered that to a white card base. I adhered a couple different pieces of the Flea Market papers from the second collection to the card base and then popped up the main image. I added some faux white stitching to the banner piece as an after thought. 

Then I got to thinking that the little mice in the papers needed a couple of friends so I die cut two little mice and colored them with copic markers. I adhered them to the card... it almost looks like they are trying to read the sentiment. I added a few sequins to the corner and then I got to thinking... what would happen if I added some Nuvo drops to the center of the sequins? Well, the drops just spread out in the bottom of the sequin... it almost looks like a Toffifay candy. 

Not quite what I was hoping for, but I'll take it! 

My third card came together pretty quickly. I stamped the coffee cup from the Got Pumpkin? set by Brutus Monroe with Memento Tuxedo black ink and then I colored it in with copic markers. I fussy cut it out and adhered it to a circle cut out from one of the patterned papers in the third collection. I then cut out the other cup from another piece of patterned paper and adhered that partially to the circle. I layered the different pieces of paper on the navy blue card stock. I popped up the main image and added a few drops of Nuvo drops. I cut off the little fasteners for the leaf brads and used foam tape to adhere them to the card. The light tan leaf has double foam tape so it gives it a bit more dimension from the others. I stamped the sentiment on a scrap piece of white card stock and then fussy cut a flag to add to the card.

My last card was the most fun to put together! I just love this little kitty with the pumpkins from the Newton's Perfect Pumpkin set by Newton's Nook. I had a lot of fun coloring these. I stamped them a few times and colored them in with copic markers. I added a few layers from the Not Too Spooky papers to a purple card base. I also used some distress inks to make a moon that I die cut out. I adhered that and the pumpkins to the black and white stars paper and then I popped up the little kitty with his pumpkin. I had set this aside and then I decided to add the spider and bat using VersaMark and fine black embossing powder. I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark as well, but used fine white embossing powder for that. I die cut the banner out and popped it up on the card. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Scrapping for Less

Tanya Hahn

Tina Smith

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

next up ---> Stacy Tiedemann

Sandy Hentzel

Jessica Wilson

Katie Williams

Don’t forget to head back to the Scrapping for Less blog to enter the Rafflecopter to win one of the collections from the kit! There will be 4 prizes! One collection to each winner.


Thanks for stopping by!

See ya next time.
~ Crystal

September Flavor of the Month Card Kit ~ Sneak Peek!!!

Happy Fall!! Today I'm sharing a fun sneak peek from the new 

September Flavor of the Month card kit. 

I'm so excited to share this sneak peek with you... well, really... I'm super excited about the card kit! I can't wait for you all to see this month's kit!! It's amazing!! Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the big reveal and the blog hop with all of the design team.

Thanks for stopping by!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal

More Neat & Tangled Fun!!

Hello! Today we're going to take another look at the fun Kindness Matters set from Neat & Tangled. I just love the fonts in this set... and I have to admit, I'm most fond of this one sentiment. It's so true! Kindness really is good for the soul!

I still had a few pieces of patterned paper leftover from the August Flavor of the Month card kit. For these cards I changed up my favorite sketch...

I made the sentiment my focal point on the card and I did away with the extra layer and just adhered everything to the card base. I did keep the three 'circles' by adding the drops. I think these cards are another great way to use up some more of those patterned papers that are sitting around. 

I love the way these turned out! I hope you do, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal