The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ September 2022

Fall is in the air! Hello to crisp mornings and leaves turning their brilliant, beautiful colors! Welcome to our blog hop and definitely a favorite theme for me! Not a day goes by without many cups of coffee…. and if there is chocolate in our home, I will be inhaling it! My favorite drink has recently become Matcha Lattes, so so good.

Card #1 ~ Miss You!

**A hot drink on a cold autumn morning sounds wonderful! This stamp is so beautiful and it takes little time to watercolor.** **Following** are steps to create this card. 1. stamp the image in Versamark Ink. 2. Watercolor the image. 3. Ink blend Oxide ink to resemble sky and lightly spritz with water. 4. Die cut the image with a border die. 5. Stamp the sentiment with black ink and heat emboss with clear powder. 6. Using an embossing ink pen, color over the cup. 7. Sprinkle Distress glaze over the cup and apply heat to emboss. 8. Stamp the heart in distress oxide ink. 9. Wrap 1mm burlap string around the card front and glue it down to a black card base at an angle.

**Supplies I used and the stamp set featured is called “Take a Break” by Unity Stamp Company**

**A close-up view and I love the open heart in brown distress oxide ink.**

Card #2 ~ Vintage Teacups

**These teacups say vintage, elegant , fine detail, and light. Steps to create this card**. **1. Stamp the image** with a medium gray ink. If you only have black you could first stamp the image on a scrap and then without reinking, re-stamp again on card front for a lighter image. 2. Stamp the sentiment slightly overlapping the teacups. 3. Heat emboss the sentiment with clear powder. 4. Washi tape across the top and then again on the bottom leaving a torn area. 5. Sequins for interest. 6. Mount card front to a black border and then adhere to the grey card base.

**The few supplies I used and “the little things” itty bitty stamp set by Unity Stamp Company**

Card #3 ~ Coffee and a Cinnamon Stick

Fun with texture! This card was fun to add elements and mix patterns and elements. Here is how to create this card. 1. Stamp the coffee cup with Memento ink on pattern paper and fussy cut it out. 2. Stamp the image again on heavy card stock. and cut out. 3. Glue the two pieces together. 4. Emboss a light creme card front. 5. Color the coffee in the cup and the cinnamon stick. 6. Ink blend walnut stain distress ink around the edges of the coffee. 7. Add crystal laquer on the coffee for a shiny effect. 8. Stamp the heart and cut out and color. 9. Paint Pixie Dust on the heart and glue to card. 10. Die cut the shape and stamp the sentiment in brown ink. 11. Ink blend Purely Pomegranate on the sentiment and glue to card. 12. Adhere card front to a kraft base. 13. 2mm burlap string and a button in the lower left corner finishes the card.

**Supplies I used and stamps are by Unity Stamp Company**

**Pixie Dust on the heart and Crystal Laquer on the coffee for a little extra fun**

**I love cinnamon in my coffee. Mixing it with a cinnamon stick is even bette**r, isn’t it?

Card #4 ~ Coffee to Keep You Warm

This border stamp is a definite favorite! The many shapes of coffee cups are incredible. These are the steps to create this card. 1. Stamp the image with green ink and heat emboss with clear powder. 2. Watercolor images with various green and brown colors. 3. Using a crimping tool, run a strip of kraft through it and adhere to card front. This is to resemble corrugated hand protectors on coffee cups! 4. Die cut shape with heavyweight vellum. 5. Stamp the sentiment on pattern paper and die cut with the same shape as the vellum. Trim off the top and bottom. 6. Add a copper brad to the sentiment and glue down to the kraft strip. 7. Glue card front to a kraft card base.

**Supplies I used and “Hot Mess” border background stamp by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Company**

A few close-ups. The crimper was fun to dig out to simulate a hand protector on a coffee-to-go. Brads are great because there is no fear of it falling off the card… I sometimes worry about glue holding down embellishments.

**Super fun to loosely paint this border stamp. Notice some of the cups actually have coffee in them!**

**The cards I made for the hop in an evening light. Don’t fall asleep now. (Yawn)**

Thank you for joining in the hop. Please keep hopping to the next friend on the list below. Also please comment and I will randomly pick one person to win a “thank you” prize! The winner will be announced next month.

Crystal

Eileen

Amber

Kim

Bobbie Sue

Rachel(me)

Dawn B.

Gaylynn

April

Colleen

Dawn F.

Robyn

Joyce

Alaine

And the winner from the August Hop is…. Stephanie Puccini! Congratulations Stephanie, thank you so much for your comment, we appreciate it! Please message me your mailing address and I will get your prize in the mail.

Have a wonderful September and take time to enjoy cardmaking as we welcome the new season!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel where I post videos on how I make these cards!

“**Blushing Bride” Hydrangea in my backyard**

“It’s not just about creativity, it is about the person you’re becoming while you’re creating” Charlie Peacock

A Poppystamps Butterfly Wish!

Hello! It’s a beautiful day to share a whimsical butterfly card with you. I love the Poppystamps Stained Glass Butterfly collage and the Large and Small Stained Glass Butterfly and Background. They can be used together or individually.

I chose a soft watercolor background of blue, green and purple swooshes to die cut the Stained Glass butterfly collage from.

Next I die cut the Large and Small Stained Glass butterfly and Background dies from heavy vellum. I glued the wings and antennae over the two butterflies with a glue dot adhering only the center. I also glued a small antenna on the butterfly without the layered wings.

A close-up view showing the dimension created with the wing layers. The vellum gives the butterflies a fluid, dreamy feel.

I chose the “Best Wishes” sentiment from the Modest Greetings 1 Hot Foil Plate and Die. I rolled the plate through the die machine for a letterpress look. Then I mounted the sentiment on a thin frame of the watercolor paper and mounted it again on white cardstock.

I glued two tiny butterflies from the Stained Glass Butterfly collage on the background. Finally I placed Autumn Fairy Jewels around the image for extra sparkle.

I love how this card turned out. It can be used for many occasions. I can’t wait to try more washes of color. Until next post, have a fantastic day!

You can also find me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel for short videos of how I make my cards!

A Poppystamps Birthday Treat!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to join the Poppystamps Design Team! Here is a sweet birthday card where The Grand Whittle Ice Cream cone takes center stage. It looks delicious, can you taste it?! I am also using letters from the Happy Birthday Background.

To create this card, I watercolored the ice cream cone combining distress inks and watercolor paints. I placed random blocks of color on the ice cream scoop to give it a textured feel. Next I glued the cone directly on the kraft card base. For the scoop, I glued two layers together, then trimmed off the scalloped portion that meets the cone to keep the image level on the card.

Now the fun is continuing because the letters are making their appearance! With quite a few sizes and fonts to choose from, I had a blast arranging the letters on the card. Finally I came up with a satisfying display. I began by gluing the letter “T” at the bottom of the cone and “P” at the top making sure they fit and were centered on the card. The funny part is when I got to the end, the “Y” in birthday didn’t fit…but instead of panicking, I was able to fix it. I found another “Y” that was a bit more narrow. Thank goodness!

Using a fan-shaped brush, I splattered watered-down white acrylic paint mixed with a hint of green. (Green to tone down the brightness.) I lightly tapped the top of the brush, holding it close to the card to control the amount of paint and placement of the splatters. A one mm thin burlap string tied close to the fold finishes the card!

Here is another card I made, this time using the background part of the Poppystamps Happy Birthday Background. What I love about this most is that every piece of it can be used on more than one card! If you don’t have this die, you have to check it out. It has so many possibilities!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you like this sweet card. The Grand Whittle Ice Cream Cone is one of my favorite dies. I can’t wait to make so many more ice cream flavors. Please let me know if you have any questions. Have a wonderful day!

The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ August 2022

Hello! We are super excited to welcome an amazingly talented and crafty friend to our blog hop, Gaylynn Martling!

Now that summer is in full swing, let’s take a detour from this season’s themes of ocean beaches and exotic vacations. Let’s focus in on holidays celebrated throughout the year. There are so many choices!

Card #1 ~ Happy Halloween!

A coffee and a witch make quite a combination! Here are the steps to create this card. 1. I stamped the image with black Versafine ink on watercolor paper. 2. I heat embossed her with clear embossing powder. 3. Next I watercolored the witch with purple, green and orange. Lots of fun, festive colors! 4. I punched out a circle to use as a stencil, I set the circle aside. I placed the stencil where I wanted to create a full moon and blended squeezed lemonade inside. 5. Then I laid the circle cutout over the moon as a mask and blended chipped sapphire and black soot distress ink for the background. 6. I removed the cutout and misted water over the chipped sapphire allowing it to bleed into the moon, a cool effect! 7. After dry, I painted in areas of carved pumpkin on the moon. 8. I die cut a border by Gina Marie Designs. 9. Then I heat embossed a sentiment with Ranger gold embossing powder on a strip of black cardstock. 10. Finally I heat embossed a second sentiment with winter white embossing powder **directly on the card.**

**A close-up. Stickles gold glitter glue on the hat is an extra bit of bling.**

**“A Real Witch” by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Co.**

**I love that the outline of the moon can be seen as if the darkness is ever changing and moving.**

Card #2 ~ Happy Thanksgiving!

This house is perfect to create a fall scene. I thought how awesome it would be to send as a Thanksgiving card! 1. I stamped this image on watercolor paper with black onyx Versafine ink. 2. Next I painted the home and surrounding background with Tim Holtz distress inks. 3. I splattered watered down distress inks in fall colors over the trees. (you can cover the house to control how much splatters you want on the image.) 4. I stamped the lower sentiment in Hero Arts tangerine ink. 5. Using the same ink, I stamped the sentiment and roughed up the edges. I mounted them on a fine border of dark brown. 6. Finally, a Nuvo drop finishes the card **in the lower left corner.**

**A close-up. The lower sentiment is a bit hard to read. Next card I will change that but I do love the orange ink!**

“**Warm Wishes for your Home” by Unity Stamp Company**

**A final look at the little house on the hill. I wonder what kind of fun is happening in there on this day?!**

Card #3 ~ Happy Holidays!

**I love how festive I feel when I look at this card! It is super easy to make. The timeliest part is waiting for it to dry. 1. I stamped the snowflakes in** Versamark ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. 2. I brushed on candied apple distress ink with various amounts of water. I let it dry naturally and the feathering effect is gorgeous. 3. I stamped the same three snowflakes with red distress ink and added bits of water so the color would bleed. 4. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with Ranger gold embossing powder. 5. I added paint around the sentiment to make it more visible and to bring out the beautiful gold. I also added color to the center of the snowflakes to highlight the details and to create contrast.

**A close -up of the gold embossed sentiment over the deep red hue. It is so warm and inviting.**

**“Conspiracy of Love” by Unity Stamp Company, Kit of the Month**

Card #4 ~ Happy Easter!

A card with a bunny to celebrate Easter! 1. I stamped the bunny on heavy cardstock and colored it with markers. I used a dot technique for texture and less precise blending. 2. I fussy-cut out the bunny. (I cut off the whiskers and will restamp them later in the process.) 3. Next I blended Tim Holtz kitsch flamingo distress oxide ink in the center of a white card base. 3. I die cut a spiral and splatter shape by Tim Holtz. I glued them on the background. 4. Then I stamped the bunny image over the die to allow the whiskers to be visible. I lined up the whiskers and glued the bunny down. 5. I stamped the sentiment in black onyx Versafine ink and added a pink organza ribbon to complete the card. Oh, I can’t forget the fruit punch Stickles for that special touch of sparkle on the bunny’s heart!

**Die-cuts in fun shapes adds character and interest.**

**A close-up of the heart that sparkles and shines!**

“**You’ve got HEART” by Tracy Malnofski for Unity Stamp Co**

**One more view of the bunny. Organza ribbon is timeless and goes great with the vintage bunny who has a patch underneath the heart.**

Thank you for stopping here on the hop. Below is the list of Unity friends to visit along the way. Please comment for the chance to win a fun “thank you” prize! A random person will be chosen and announced at the September blog hop.

And now, the winner from the July hop is……..beccab33324!!! Congratulations to you, please message me your mailing address and I will send your prize in the mail! Thank you for commenting and hopping with us.

Crystal

Eileen

April

Amber

Rachel (me)

Dawn F.

Colleen

Kim

Gaylynn

Robyn

I hope you enjoyed the “Holidays” theme as much as I did! Until next month, stay safe and healthy. Wishing you wonderful summer days ahead and I hope you find a few minutes to craft in between the activities of the season!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel for videos of how I make these cards. The videos will be posted during the month of August.

**This Fuschia is just about to bloom in my backyard.**

“Create what sets your heart on fire and it will illuminate the path ahead” Karma Voce

The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ July 2022

Hi Unity friends! Are you enjoying your summer? Are you crafting away with blue sky days?! We finally got a blast of heat and now it seems summer has arrived. July is all about stencils. I am excited to share my “stenciled” cards and a few new products I am using for the first time.

Card #1 ~ Word stencil and distress texture paste

**I love this image and there is no coloring involved. I imagine this vase being a pretty colored glass**. **I am using two new products to create this**! **They are Ranger distress opaque texture paste and embossing glaze. I can’t believe I have never tried these awesome products!** **Following are the steps to create this card.**
1. First I applied paste to three of the words on the word stencil with a flat tool. I used enough paste to create texture, but made sure I could still see the outline of the stencil. It takes about 15 minutes to dry. 2. Next I stamped the vase with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with distressed Salty Ocean glaze. The glaze is translucent and the see-through effect is cool. 3. Then I stamped the leaves in Versamark ink and embossed in another glaze, overlapping the leaves one image at a time. 4. I stamped the “Hello” in black and added specks with a stamp and Versamark ink. 5. I punched small holes on both sides of the neck of the bottle. I threaded sage twine through the holes and tied a bow. 6. Finally I added a bit of shading under the bottle with an embossing pen.

**A closeup. “Hello” is stamped in black ink. It does not have dimension but has a strong presence.**

“**Everything in Between” Whit Kit November 2020**

**One more look. Embossing glaze is translucent, which means you can stamp and then emboss over it without losing the image! The “H” in hello is visible under the leaves.**

Card #2 ~ Tulip stencil, distress texture paste and glitter embossing powder

**A favorite image of mine, I think this is the only image I have repeated in all the hops!**
**1. First I die cut the card front with a stitched slimline die by Gina Marie** Designs. 2. Using Mowed Lawn distress ink, I blended the ink onto the leaf stencil. I was careful to create dimension by applying more pressure at the bottom of each stem (dark) and less pressure (light) as I continued up. 3. Next I blended distress oxide ink over the tulip bloom stencil. 4. Then I spread paste over the last layer of the tulip stencil. 5. I sprinkled embossing glitter over the top and let it dry before applying heat. 6. Then I embossed the sentiment on a strip of black with Brutus Monroe Alabaster embossing powder. 7. I adhered iridescent sequins to finish the card.

**Supplies I used. The tulip stencil is by Unity Stamp Company.**

**The paste adds so much texture and character!**

**Embossing glitter is heated over the dried paste. If the paste is not dry, it will bubble to create another effect.**

**This is truly a fun and easy card to make with no coloring!**

Card #3 ~ Overlapping distress inks

**I love this girl image so much. As for the card, it has quite a lot of white space but I feel it draws the viewer in. Following are the steps to create this card.**
1. **I taped the stencil over the card front and began by blending** Peacock Feathers distress ink on the top left corner. I added more color to create a rounded background. 2. Next I stamped the girl on white cardstock. I colored her with distress inks and fussy-cut her out. 3. Then I stamped the sentiment on teal cardstock, heat embossed it in Brutus Monroe alabaster powder, and mounted it on a thin white border. 4. Finally I chose a coordinating washi tape and a bubble embellishment.

**A close-up. I chose this image to fussy-cut because of it’s nice, easy defined lines**.

“**…there is you**“ **by Phyllis Harris for Unity Stamp Co.**

**She is contemplating and deep in thought. I am drawn to images that look up to the sky.**

Card #4 ~ Stenciled background

**This card was a pleasant surprise. I was playing around with the idea of creating a stenciled background and I love how it turned out! Steps to create this card are as follows.**
1. I began with a beautiful lavender cardstock. I blended Peacock Feathers distress ink over the most open image of the peony stencil. 2. Continuing on with the same stencil, I blended oxide inks over the entire card to create a background. 2. Next I lightly sprayed the background with a mist of water until I had the amount of I desired! I used a heat tool from a distance to speed up the drying process. 3. I splattered watered-down white acrylic paint in various size splatters. I felt the red peony lost detail and needed something to break up the undefined lines. 4. I die cut the same shape in two sizes. the larger one in vellum and smaller one in a blush tone cardstock. 5. I stamped the sentiment in Versafine ink and glued it to the vellum. 6. Finally, I blended ground espresso distress oxide ink around the edges.

**Supplies I used. The peony stencil is from Unity Stamp Co.**

**One more look**. **A fluid, flowy feel.**

I hope you try some of these techniques. This was an awesome theme and there is no the limit for creative ideas with stencils! Please keep hopping with our Unity friends! Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a “thank you” prize! The winner will be announced at the next month’s hop.

Crystal

Amber

Eileen

Kim

Rachel (me)

Dawn F.

Joyce

Alaine

Dawn B.

Robyn

And now to announce the winner from the June hop is………..Dawn Braddock!!! Congratulations Dawn, please message me your mailing address and I will send out your prize! Thank you for your comments, we really appreciate the support and kindness.

**Stencils are versatile, easy and fun to use! These the cards for this month’s hop.**

If you get a chance, please let me know which card you liked the most. I love your feedback!

Until next month, enjoy summer, the warm nights and sunny days. My favorite thing this time of year is to see the surprises popping up in my garden, it is ever-changing.

Stay safe and healthy!

Rachel

For short videos on how I made these cards, check out my instagram and tiktok @cardartbyrachel. I post videos throughout the month!

**Forty Heroes rose from my garden, named in memory of the crew and passengers of flight 93 on September 11, 2001.**

What if art was not measured by quantity but ricochets?

What if art was not measured?

Ocean Vuong

The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ June 2022

Hi and welcome! This month is all about masculine cards. I enjoyed looking in my stash for images I thought would fit this theme. I came up with a few different styles and techniques to keep things fresh and exciting! I hope you like them. One thing I learned is that I definitely need to make more masculine cards. Sometimes I get caught up in one theme and forget to create others. This got me out and broadened my paths of adventurous creations!

Card #1

**This close-up view shows the natural way the vellum and card front are not flat but are loosely glued in the centers so the edges are free to turn up.**

**Unity Stamp Company stamps and embossing folder**

**Strength grows in the moments when you think you cannot go on but you keep going anyway. This sentiment is so powerful, I thought it paired nicely with the majestic purple mountains**.

Card #2

A bit of a mixed media feel was the thought behind this card. 1, Using a kraft card front narrower than the standard card size, I blended walnut stain distress ink over a Tim Holtz clock stencil. 2. Next I stamped the car image with distress oxide ink. I was careful to leave the image in the Misti in case I needed to restamp the image. I was so glad I thought ahead because I did just that! With early espresso, I inked up the edges on the car. Without doing this, the details were barely visible. 3. Then I die cut a red and brown patterned paper with a Gina Marie Designs die. I glued the image front over the pattern paper. 5. I stamped the sentiment in Versafine ink. 6. Black Nuvo drops to finish the card.

**Another view and this picture was taken during a different time of day than the previous ones. Lighting really changes the look**.

Card #3

**A sophisticated tie card for a special someone. The steps to create this card are as follows. 1. I die cut the black card front with a Gina Marie border.** 2. Next I stamped the ties in Ranger gold embossing powder. 3. Then I watercolored the ties with Korembi metallic watercolor paints. 4. I stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink and embossed it with satin pearl powder on a banner die. 5. Finally I mounted the black card front on blue-grey cardstock to add an extra border and adhered it to the white card base.

**A close-up** **displaying the quality of metallic watercolor paints!** **The sentiment is embossed in pearl powder.**

**KOTM May 2020 (beginning of anything)**

**Black and gold give the image a rich, warm, classic yet modern feel.** **I absolutely love this sentiment and it could be for a father, a brother, a cousin, a friend….**

Card #4

A little whimsy, a little earthy and so much to love! There truly is gnome one like him! 1. I stamped the gnome on a white card front with Versafine ink and die cut it out with a Gina Marie stitched die. 2.Next I watercolored the gnome with distress inks. For the tree I used 2-3 different green inks. This gives the image depth and interest. 3. Then I stamped the sentiment in Versafine ink. 4. Finally I mounted it on patterned paper and then again on a creme card base.

**A close-up** **and I painted with the light source in the** **center of the gnome.**

**“Lending your Ear” by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Co.**

I had fun but it’s almost time to hop to the next person, Kim. Please don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a “thank you” prize. One person who comments will be randomly drawn and announced on next month’s hop. And now to announce the winner from May’s hop …….. Angela Hall!!! Congratulations Angela! Please message me your mailing address so I can send your prize in the mail.

Crystal

Amber

Eileen

Dawn B.

Rachel(me)

Kim

Dawn F.

Colleen

Alaine

Joyce

Robyn

Thank you again for joining us. I hope you found some new ideas for your future cardmaking endeavors. Until next month, may you take part in lots of wonderful things that fills you up with happiness, joy, peace and love. For me, this means I will be either in my craft room cardmaking or my backyard gardening!

Stay safe and healthy~

Rachel

I am also on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel with short videos of how I made these cards. I also post videos of my backyard and my sweet, beloved dogs!

**A look at the four cards I made for the hop!**

“Beautiful are those who be themselves”
Risbah Singh
(Delphinium blossom from my garden)

The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~ May 2022!

Hello friends! Happy Spring! Even though the birds start chirping very early in the morning, I love the sound of it. Mornings are my favorite time of day. The theme this month reminds me of nature and all the flowers blooming and beautiful winged creatures surrounding my garden.

**Card #1 ~** The expression on this sweet bird’s face is too adorable to pass up! These are the steps I took to create this card. 1. First I stamped the bird on watercolor paper. 2. Next I painted the image using distress inks. 3. Then I cut out the paper with a Gina Marie scalloped border die and adhered it to the light turquoise base. 4. I embossed the sentiment with winter white powder on **brown cardstock.** **5. Finally I glued iridescent sequins to finish the card!**

“**Beginning Today” by Tierra Jackson for Unity Stamp** Co

Card #2 ~ I have only made a few shaker cards ever. I love how this turned out! Following are the steps to create this card. 1. I stamped the image on white cardstock and colored the musical birds with copic markers. 2. I die cut a wonky stitched patterned around the image. 3. Next I filled a plastic sleeve with sequins and cut it down to size, taping the open side closed. 4. Then I die cut a yellow textured cardfront with a larger oval wonky stitched die. 5. I repeated step 4 with a scrap piece of cardstock to add more depth and space for the sequins to move. 6. Using double sided tape, I adhered the card front. 7. Burlap string and a sentiment framed in red with roughed up edges, finishes the card.

**Peek-a-boo, I see you! The sequins are almost as big as the chicks!**

**“Note this Birdie” by Tierra Jackson for Unity**

A **shaker card adds a bit of fun and motion for the recipient!**

**Card #3 ~** An owl graduation! Here are the steps to create this card. 1. I stamped the owl with Gina K. Amalgam ink and colored it with Copic markers. 2. Next I dry embossed a pattern on cream cardstock and die cut it with a curved edge. 3. Then I blended ink on the curved edge for depth and interest. 5. I stamped two sentiments and framed them in navy and white cardstock. 6. Charcoal grey string to finish the card.

**“Owl Graduate” by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co**

**Card #4 ~** I absolutely love this butterfly! It is so beautiful with flowers on one side and wings on the other. Following are the steps to create this card. 1. I stamped the image with Versamark ink. This created a watermark look. 2. Next I colored the butterfly with Prismacolor pencils. I used greens, teals, blues and purples. A colorless blender is a must have to blend layers of color over one another. 3. Then I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with a pretty die. 4. I blended Unicorn ink over the edges of the sentiment and the card for interest and also to soften the appearance. 6. Clear, iridescent sequins to finish the card!

**“Falling into Place” by Sandhya Iyer for Unity**

**Colored pencils on a darker cardstock have a beautiful effect! White really shows up and adds so much depth.**

Thank you for hopping with the Friends of Unity! There is alot more feathered fun ahead. Don’t forget to comment for your chance to win a “thank you” prize. I will randomly draw one person’s name and announce the winner on next month’s blog!

Crystal

Amber

Eileen

Dawn F.

Rachel(me)

April

Bobbie Sue

Colleen

Kim

Joyce

Dawn B.

Robyn

And now the winner for last month’s hop is…….Wilma DeGraffenreid! Congratulations Wilma! Please message me your mailing address and I will send your prize in the mail. Thank you so much for commenting!

**The four cards I created for the month of May! Which one is your favorite?**

I had a wonderful time choosing images with wings! I hope you get a chance to create a winged card too! I think the reason I’m fascinated with birds is that they can fly and see a whole different perspective than from where I stand. What an awesome power to soar and dive in the open sky! Until June, I hope you stay safe and healthy as we enjoy Spring showers and May flowers!

Rachel

Please visit me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel for posts and short videos of how I made these cards and many more.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer –

it sings because it has a song.”

– Chinese proverb

The Friends of Unity Blog Hop! ~ April 2022

Hi and a Spring-filled welcome to you! Pattern paper is the theme for April. I was excited to rummage through my collection and get inspired. I have to say, cardmaking with pattern paper creates a wonderful starting point. I pick out a pattern and then paint to match. Everything seems to fall into place!

Card #1 ~ A Sweet Hello

Pink lemonade just makes me happy! These are the steps I took to create this card. 1. I picked out two coordinating pieces of pattern paper and cut out with a Gina Marie designs die. 2. Next I stamped the image with Versafine ink on watercolor paper and painted it with distress inks. (see picture below for colors) 3. Then I stamped the image again on the top pattern paper. 4. I fussy-cut the watercolored image. I cut off the bow. (the bow on the pattern paper will show when glued onto the paper). 5. I stamped the tag on watercolor paper, painted the heart and popped it up. 6. To finish the card, I used an open dot background stamp on the green paper for bubbles.

**I was so excited when I found an old background bubbles stamp to perfectly match the bubbles in the jar!**

“**Happiness Is Homemade” by Graciellie Design for Unity Stamp Company**

**So many embellishments can be added to this card. Stickles, sequins, and even crystal lacquer over the jar are a few fun ideas.**

Card #2 ~ A Brighter Day

This card is a little busy but I love the soft color! To create this card, the steps are as follows. 1. I die cut the rose paper with a scalloped edge die by Gina Marie Designs. 2. I stamped the image on heavy cardstock and colored her with Spun Sugar distress ink. I also watercolored her hair, skin and lips. 3. I fussy cut her out, then glued her to the pattern paper. 4. I stamped the sentiment and mounted it on black, leaving a fine border. 5. To finish the card, I tied pink organza ribbon with burlap twine in a **sizeable bow.**

**This girl’s dress reminds me of the organza ribbon** **I used to embellish the card.**

**This card might be a little busy with the pattern I picked out. To offset the business, I chose little color.**

Card #3 ~ Dropping in

Another image that makes me smile! That’s pretty good the bunny only takes one arm to hold the umbrella and the other for flowers! Here is how I created this card. 1. First I chose pattern paper with lots variation. I cut a piece to cover the back leaving a fine border. 2. Then I cut 2 strips, one wider for a border and one slightly narrower. (I made sure there was contrast). 3. I die cut a fancy stitched circle out of paper I had previously blended Victorian Velvet distress oxide ink on. 4. I stamped the image and painted the bunny with matching colors. 5. Using a scrap of the paper, I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with tails on each side. 6. Finally, a brad beside the sentiment and Stickles on the flowers for sparkle.

**Glitter glue on the flowers and a pewter brad on the sentiment**.

**“Fall Breeze Bright Leaves” by Lisa Glanz for Unity Stamp Company**

**This card is a sweet Happy Easter card! It can also be used for many other occasions too.**

Card #4 ~ Berry Nice

I don’t know why, but I love strawberries! I probably could have spent more time on crisper edges of this image but I am satisfied how it turned out! Here are the steps to create this card. 1. First I stamped the strawberries on watercolor paper with Sahara Sand ink by Stampin’ Up. *Make sure you can line the image back up in the Misti. 2. Next I colored the image using the no-line coloring technique. 3. Reposition the image in the Misti. Then I inked the leaves and berries with darker green and red mini ink pads directly on the stamp for fine detailing. 4. I die cut the strawberries with a fun circular shape. 5. I picked out a red plaid and fun floral paper for the background and border. 6. I glued the image on the paper. 7. I stamped the sentiments in red and cut them down to size adding brads on opposing sides. 8. I laid washi tape on cardstock and cut it out. I glued it to the top for grounding and contrast. 9. I tied olive and burlap twine with a metal swirl accent to finish the card.

**“The Berry Sweetest” by Joselyn Nielson for Unity Stamp Company**

**Two sentiments that came in the kit. I decided to use both of them! Brads make another appearance in an oil rubbed bronze look.**

**Distress the edges of the strawberries image to give a nice vintage look**.

I hope you have enjoyed the hop so far. Please let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear which card is your favorite. Also I will randomly pick one person to win a thank you prize for commenting! Below are the friends to continue on the hop.

Crystal

Kim

Rachel (me)

Dawn B.

April

Alaine

Amber

Eileen

Bobbie Sue

Joyce

Robyn

Dawn F.

And now to announce the winner of the March hop ……….Kathy Hering!

Congratulations Kathy! Please message me your mailing address and I will send your prize. Thank you so much for your comment.

**A last look of the four cards I made for the April** **hop.**

Have a wonderful April with blue skies and sunshine. May you find lots of time to craft away with pattern paper. And don’t forget, if you don’t have pattern paper, you can always create your own with background stamps, watercolor paper and paint, or repeating stamped images.

Rachel

You can find me on Tiktok and Instagram @cardartbyrachel for short process videos of how I make my cards.

“Hope is not pretending that troubles don’t exist. It is the hope that they won’t last forever. That hurts will be healed and difficulties overcome. That we will be led out of the darkness and into the sunshine.”

Day 5 ~ Growing in Unity!

you are not alone… The people of Ukraine… my inspiration for this week. Sunflowers, blue and yellow, hope and love. My card for today is the flower of Ukraine and the colors of their flag.

To create this card I stamped the sunflower with Ink on 3, fadeout ink on watercolor paper. This ink is used for no-line water coloring. Next I painted the sunflower. Beginning with the center, I made circles of ground espresso, walnut stain, tea dye, rusty hinge and spiced marmalade. I used mustard seed for the petals. I dotted ground espresso on the center for detail. Then I stamped the same image on a white card base in three areas for the background. I used Versamark ink. A light grey was the result because my ink pad was stained from previous use. Finally, I stamped the sentiment with Hero Arts blue Hawaii ink on a thin strip. I adhered an extra strip to make it stronger and raised.

**A few close-ups.The sunflower has a muted effect. A little whimsy, contemporary feel.** **A bright pop of blue for the sentiment stands out.**

**I often place sentiments off-center. I feel it makes a more interesting card design. It also provides balance on this card with the two background stamps on the left, and only one on the right.**

**August 2018 SMAK kit by Unity Stamp Company**

Another look. Stickles glitter glue, sequins, drops, burlap string are a few embellishments that could be added. There are always so many possibilities!

Thank you for spending this week with me. I have enjoyed it! I hope you saw a few techniques and designs you might like to try. I appreciate all of your comments and let me know if you have any questions about how I make my cards. I love talking about stamping and cardmaking.

A million thanks to Unity Stamp Company for giving me the opportunity to share my cards this week. You are a fantastic company with an endless amount of amazing images to create so many wonderful projects. I love the community of friends here that support and inspire!

As I go about my day, I will keep the people of Ukraine in my heart. World peace is what we need and I believe it can happen.

Until next time, take care, stay safe and healthy.

Rachel

Visit me on Instagram and TikTok for fun videos @cardartbyrachel

**These are a few more cards I made in support of the people of Ukraine. I ran out of days so I thought I would include them anyway!**

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” van Gogh

Day 4 ~Growing in Unity!

Today I am sharing a card depicting a person who I imagine living in a place of freedom. I am reminded every day how grateful I am to be this person. My heart is with the people of Ukraine.

To create this card I stamped the image on white cardstock. Next I ink blended Squeezed Lemonade oxide ink around the girl to become the background. I painted the dress usingPrize Ribbon and Blueprint sketch distress inks. And a combination of reds and browns for her hair.Then I stamped the sentiment in black Versafine Ink. I die cut a scalloped frame by Gina Marie designs and glued it to the front. Finally I added a tiny jewel embellishment next to the sentiment for balance and a little extra something!

**Loose watercoloring, yet bold and strong.**

**It is fun to add splotches of color to dream up any pattern on her clothing. I gave the dress a tie-dye appearance!**

**A sentiment to express care and thoughts to those in need.**

“**What Will Be… Will Be” by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Company**

A background can be filled in right up to the image, or left with empty space around like this card. Both styles are fantastic and each give a different distinct look.

Thank you for stopping by. I love to hear your thoughts and comments.

That which brings you joy, may your day be filled with an abundance of it.

Rachel

For short videos of cardmaking, please follow me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel

A beautiful view I captured outside my window this week.

A beautiful view I captured outside my window this week.