Hi crafty friends! It’s Rachel here with the theme for our January blog hop. The theme is –Case’d. The ideabehind the theme is to see another creator’s card and take at least one element and “case” or copy it.

Card #1 – Pawsitively Wrapped Up by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co

This dog is too funny wrapped up in ribbon. Of course I love any opportunity to use Stickles glitter glue. The cased technique I used is creating a stenciled background. The layered stencils are by Poppystamps. I used Distress Oxide ink in black and brown on watercolor paper. I also went over the edge in black.

A close-up of the sparkly ribbon, yappy birthday cut out in metallic cardstock by Poppystamps and a border die by Poppystamps too!

Turquoise Nuvo Drops give the card a more dimension and color.

I stamped the dog in black Versafine ink and watercolored black to color him in!

Card #2 – Resolutions are Rubbish Pissy Kitty

This fancy kitty is just too stylish! The technique I cased is from the Unity site where cards can be ordered already stamped and ready to send out.

I couldn’t help myself, I had to add a bit of color even though I told myself I wouldn’t! Glitter glue was used on the flower and fancy eyelashes.

I added clear laquer gloss to the champagne and the eyes. My glue was very thick and I couldn’t get a smooth effect. Turns out, I kind of like the crackle effect!

The coloring was subtle and I also painted dark blue in the shaded areas on the cat for dimension.

Card #3 – Happy Little Abode by Lisa Glanz for Unity Stamp Co.

I happened on this camper scrap when I was foraging through my stashes. I think I might have posted a similar card months back. The technique I feature here is taking a stamp and stamping half of it in one place and the other half in another.

I taped the area of the stamp I don’t want to use and apply ink. Before pressing on the paper, I remove the tape. That’s it!

Between the split stamped image I added a birthday die in kraft. I also used a Poppystamps border fie cut in light teal.

Turquoise Nuvo drops for the “i” in birthday and a few more added for balance.

I stamped the camper in Versafine ink on lime green cardstock. I watercolored the image with a rustic vibe.

Please continue on the hop with the links listed below. The team have Case’d some amazing cards from talented card makers all over the globe!

Crystal

Amber

Toni

Jenni

Jane

Dawn

Rachel (me)

Have a wonderful January! Wishing you the best this year full of adventures and creativity in our crafting world!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi Friends! It’s December and this blog hop is all about a Mood Board. How do you feel when you take a look at the above picture? I immediately felt a sense of the holiday season filled with a bright and fresh new spirit. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of this time is chaotic and busy and I forget the simple joy of crisp days, mornings with a cup of coffee, the thoughts of past memories and future days that will engage our lives into something positive and new. I am grateful.

Card #1 – Gretchen Girl by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Co.

A beautiful image taking a moment to look out the window and enjoy a hot drink is all goodness. I watercolored the image and fussy cut it out. (very easy as it is mostly straight lines!) I chose a paper that looked like wallpaper and mounted it all on a slimline kraft cardbase. The image determined the height. I mounted the sentiment sign I stamped from Farm Fresh Girl, another image by Angie Blom, on patterned paper and cut out a cute piece from an ephemera pack by Unity and glued it on to suggest a picture on the wall?!

Burlap string in 1 mm thickness and glitter laquer on the mug by Hero Arts finishes the card.

Card #2 – A Little Dash by Unity Stamp Co.

Dash was not able to be passed up when I laid my eyes on him! Too cute for words, even though I have a million reindeer images, I had to have him. Stamped on watercolor paper, I painted him using Prang watercolors. I mounted the image previously cut in a square-ish shape on a beautiful dark forest green cardstock which was on a white cardbase. I adhered a cushioned green heart embellishment and decided I wanted to add a little more to the background.

I found an image of trees by Stampin’ Up and stamped them in random places using Versamark ink. Versamark ink used by itself creates a watermark appearance. I felt it still needed more. I stamped the trees in Fresh Ink Paper White pigment ink.

Card #3 – Cottage Lane by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co.

This image was gorgeous and breathtaking when I saw it. It reminded me of Whistler, BC from over 30 years ago. I have a weakness for sceneries as I collect Thomas Kinkade images and have always loved his paintings of light.

If you look closely I added Stickles glitter glue in a bright yellow on the lamppost. Frosted Lace Stickles are on as many of the snowy areas I could find. Dark red jewels adorn the closest tree. I chose this color over bright red as to not compete with the lamppost. I mounted the scene on forest green and then on a white cardbase.

Card #4 – A Whiff of Christmas Cheer by Unity Stamp Company

I have to say I don’t have a skunk stamp until I got this sweet one. It’s not that I don’t love them, I just haven’t come across too many. If I may take you down memory lane–my little town I grew up in often had the scent or “whiff” of skunk spray around the farming fields. It was one of those fun moments when we would cover our noses and make funny faces until it passed!

Stamped on watercolor paper I painted a green background and used Prismacolor watercolor pencils for the candy cane and holly. I mounted the image on white and roughed up the edges. i chose a burgundy red patterned paper adhering it to a white cardbase, adhering the image and a fitting sentiment cut into a strip that comes with the stamp kit. A matching burgundy wide net ribbon completes the card.

My cards on the hop!

Below are the links to friends on the hop. Please be sure to click on them as they have beautiful creations to see!

Crystal

Doreen

Joyce

Toni

Jenni

Rachel (me)

Dawn

Thank you so much for visiting!

Until the New Year, I wish for you this month, thoughtful moments of past memories with loved ones and warm ones for the upcoming days ahead.

Peace, love and light to all of you,

Rachel

Please follow me on instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi friends! November is here and Creating a Background is the theme for this month’s hop. There are so many ways to create a background with stamps and patterned papers but I decided to watercolor mine. Sometimes it is so relaxing to take a pad of watercolor paper and just make a whole bunch of backgrounds!

Card #1 – You Grow Girl, UU for Unity Stamp Company

Watercoloring a background is all about allowing water and color to intersect and freely run together naturally or manipulated with air or paintbrush. It is a practical technique because you can create a group of colors that you plan for your card design that may not be available in a patterned paper.

I inked up the plant portion of the images in green distress ink and the pots in brown distress ink. tip–I used the mini inks as it is much easier to control the area to ink up. Next I used a fine tipped paintbrush and Prang watercolors and began a no-line watercoloring technique. The idea is to paint over the lines with color as to erase any outline to make it appear more natural. I didn’t bother to follow coloring the leaves found in nature, I had fun using hues of green that I felt like using! I mounted the cardfront onto a kraft cardbase.

This card is simple in design yet full of dimension. I resisted the urge to add a burlap twine bow on the top. Even a sentiment strip, I saved it for the inside. Do you ever make cards without a sentiment on the front?

Card #2 – Write A New Story, Whit Kit for Unity Stamp Company

First of all, I giggled with the sentiment because the contrast of a pretty background paired with such a direct message is super funny to me! Is it just me or do you feel the same?!

I stamped the image on watercolor paper and I had fun choosing what color each book should be. While coloring the books, I enjoyed thinking about reading and libraries and listening to books online. Turning pages and collecting physical books, especially ones with pictures, are still appealing to me. I am enjoying listening to audio books these days but my collection of art books is treasured.

I die cut the image using a Poppystamps Scallop PInpoint Hearts die. I painted a teal edge on it. I die cut a smaller heart on white and in the leftover background (to create the edge) and stamped the sentiment. I tied a pale blue bow vertically over the large heart, adhered the smaller one, roughed up the background edges and adhered it to a white cardbase. Pearl embellishments complete the card!

Card #3 – Love Brings You Home by Erin Schreiner for Unity Stamp Company

This watercolored background screamed water to me. World peace is a constant hope housed in my heart so I immediately thought about this beautiful image. I stamped it on the watercolor paper and went over it with black paint as the paper texture needed more color to fill in the image. I mounted the image on silver mirrored cardstock and then on a black cardbase.

Stickles glitter glue on the heart finishes the card. Upon looking at my pictures, the marks at the top of the card show up as black ink smudges but is actually silver!

Once again I opted to leave off a sentiment. It must have been my mood this hop! Watercolor backgrounds give so much depth and visual interest, I want to get lost in that instead of a preconceived thought. A beautiful quote by Robin Williams comes with the image–No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. Embossed in silver, the sentiment is perfect inside!

Thank you for hopping, following are my friends who have created amazing backgrounds. Just click on their names and it will take you to their blogs.

Crystal

Doreen

Amber

Dawn

Toni

Rachel (me)

Jenni

Joyce

Have a fulfilling and generous November. As the busy time of year approaches, take some time to create beautiful watercolor backgrounds and get lost in the joy of creating!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi friends! Today I am sharing a Christmas card from the latest Poppystamps holiday release, the Nordic Sweet Angel die. I can’t say enough about how much I love this darling angel.

I used gorgeous glitter, metallic and pearl papers from the specialty 6 x 6 paper packs.

I diecut the angel’s face and hair out of watercolor paper and painted in the skin tone, hair and pink cheeks!

The background is Lavender Bloom paper from the Poppystamps 8.5 x 11 color cardstock. I used the largest frame from the Scalloped Pinpoint Frames. Five frames come in this die set.

I popped up the skirt and halo with dimensionals to level out the height of the wings.

I adhered the pieces together on a white cardbase. The finishing touch is the gold foiled greeting tab with a fairy jewel on top!

One more look at the beautiful effects of the specialty papers in the light.

Have a wonderful day, please check out the Poppystamps release @poppystamps.com. It is filled with so many amazing dies, I can’t say enough!

Happy World Card Making Day! It’s October and welcome to The Friends of Unity Blog Hop! The theme for this month is a Color Challenge.

We have a special giveaway – play along with our color challenge and add your card to the album over on the Unity Show & Tell FB page. Amber has a special giveaway happening for entries and all of the details are over on her Blog (it is the last stop on our Hop) Good luck!

Card #1 – Positive Currents by Unity Stamp Company

Koi fish are so beautiful! Many years ago my dad’s aunt and uncle owned a koi farm. I remember visiting them and feeding the fish, throwing pellets into the large ponds! The koi came in so many colors and the gold ones were the most sought after.

To create this card I stamped the images on watercolor paper in Versafine ink and painted red orange (Prang watercolors) and metallic gold (acrylic) spots on them. Next I watercolored brown over and over the background. I added the darkest brown right up against the white on the fish to build contrast. Then I stamped the sentiment and spattered gold acrylic paint over the surface. I mounted the images on rich brown cardstock before adhering to a kraft cardbase. Two jewels at the bottom right corner, finish the card! Tip–I went over the eyes with a fine point black Sharpie to enhance the eyes!

A close-up of the beautiful effect metallic gold paint gives off as the sun shines directly on it!

Card #2 – Winnie the Pooh: No Fun Without You by Unity Stamp Company

Tigger is pure happy with abounding energy! I wish I had that much spring in my step! I kept this card very simple because Classic Pooh is so beautiful without alot of fluff! I hope the background isn’t too much!

To create this card I loosely blended all the colors from the challenge on a sheet of watercolor paper. I stamped Tigger with Versafine ink and added a wash of orange. I went back over the stripes with black paint. Next I diecut the paper with a fine dotted edge using the Poppystamps Scalloped Pinpoint Frames die. Then I adhered it to a kraft cardbase. Finally I stamped the sentiment and that’s it!

The sentiment is perfect to send to someone who is getting back up on their feet and needs a little love and encouragement.

Card #3 – Scaredy Cats by Unity Stamp Company

These felines just crack me up! I love their expressions and just thought of making a silly, all over the place card. I am not sure how I feel about this card but sometimes it’s fun to just throw a curve ball. (Go Mariners!)

To create this card I first stamped the hilarious cats on various brown cardstocks and fussy-cut them out. I painted the one peeking out with watercolors. Next I die cut a scalloped border by Gina Marie Designs with red cardstock and adhered it to a kraft cardbase. I glued a cool red patterned paper over the top to be the background. I overlapped the cats and made sure they ran over the edges. I popped up the middle cat, he is my favorite. What a cutie! I stamped the sentiment on a piece of kraft and roughed up the edges. A thin strip of worn metallic brown paper and gold orange jewels completes this card!

Maybe this card explains a chaotic world that somehow comes together with hugs and humor!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Below is a list of the friends on the hop. There are amazing cards with tons of inspiring ideas and creativity to see. Don’t forget to comment and check out the giveaway at Amber’s link, the last stop on the hop.

Crystal

Toni

Dawn

Jenni

Doreen

Jane

Rachel (me)

Kari

Amber

Have a wonderful October! As the leaves display their brilliant color, may they inspire and stir up all kinds of creativity just waiting to emerge!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel