The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ November 2023

Hello crafty friends! It’s November and the cue for this month is slimline. A long and lean shaped card is a nice change from the A2 size I most often make. Have you made slimline cards? I hope you might feel the need to try it out or revisit or just keep making them with this hop… new designs on a longer space to create is a fun challenge.

Card #1 – “Winter Boy and Girl” by Lisa Glanz for Unity Stamp Co

A sweet couple caught in a little bit of wind and snow. They were so much fun to watercolor with distress inks. I decided to keep the color scheme limited and I resisted adding in evergreen trees.(I will save that for next time)

I stamped and embossed the snowflakes in blue pearl and the sentiment in black sparkle. I added Stickles to the snowflakes.

Then I die cut the panel using a Gina Marie mini-slimline border die. Finally I added a fine red edge and glued it to a white card base.

Card #2 – here comes amazon

There is something about a string of lights… I love to stamp these images on a card. Maybe because it reminds me of the beautiful lights my mom would decorate our tree with every year. They were large, bold and so colorful!

To create this card I began with a previously made background of blue distress ink on watercolor paper. Next I die cut a card front using a Gina Marie stitched slimline die. Then I stamped the lights at the top and bottom. Yellow filled in the center and then various colors surrounding it, blended with water to transition the colors together. The best thing is that yellow blends well with all the lights except for purple–I was careful to just add a touch of yellow to that bulb.

I painted in more yellow in the background. Don’t you just love the warm glow! Next I stamped the sentiment from “…cheerful prancing” (I will be using images from this set in my next card) in red Versafine Claire ink. To give the sentiment a more bold appearance against the blue, I added Versafine Claire grey ink to the left side of the stamp.

A fine black frame grounds the card before adhering it to a white card base. Finally I added a few Nuvo Jewel drops around the sentiment. I love the artsy yet festive vibe of this creation!

Card #3 – …cheerful prancing by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co

Once in awhile I stamp an image without any firm ideas of what I am going to make. For this card, all I knew was that I wanted to emboss the outline of these deer in clear.(I made a rhyme) I have always admired this set– loving the posture and handsome long lines of these images.

To create this card I die cut my front panel with a Gina Marie mini slimline in white. Next I stamped the image in Versamark ink and heat embossed with clear powder. After blending greens and pinks for the background I misted the entire panel dissatisfied with the look. After drying it, I blended in browns around the edges, working in the color but careful to leave an untouched circle for the moonlight! Filling the deer in with browns, darkest areas on their backs so that the white acrylic paint(next step) would be a striking contrast. And don’t forget the white tail!

The next step was stamping the confetti like image that comes in the set. I started with the antlers and worked around the edges of the moonlight. I used Versamark ink and heat embossed glitter powder over it. I wanted more sparkle, so I dabbed liquid glue on same areas and sprinkled on a layer of fine glitter.

Still not quite done, I picked up an old stamp of trees and repeatedly stamped them using Versamark ink to give it a watermark effect. I pondered over and over what sentiment to use and I decided to leave it just as it is. A sentiment can always be added later and I didn’t want to ruin the effect of the light and instead have the sentiment become the focal point. For me this card is dramatic and the only sentiment that kept coming to mind was “the thrill of hope” and I didn’t have a stamp with these words!

I hope you enjoyed my cards this hop and please continue on with these amazing friends. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!

Crystal

Jane

Amber

Tammy

Gaylynn

Kim

April

Colleen

Dawn F.

Rachel(me)

Joyce

Have an exhilarating, fantastic and beautiful month. This time of year is when all the hustle and bustle gets underway and can be overwhelming. I am going to make an effort to enjoy the time I get to be in the moment.

May love and peace envelope the world in every corner of every space this holiday season and always….

Rachel

instagram @cardartbyrachel