Hi Everyone! Spring is upon us and I feel renewed energy in the air! The theme for March “Found in Nature” is so fitting as birds begin to sing and flowers are blooming. I can’t wait to share my cards with you.

Card #1 ~ March Beginnings by Sandhya Iyer for Unity

Daffodils are so beautiful, I love the hand-sketched style of this image. I colored it with Prismacolor watercolor pencils and fussy cut it out.. Then I embossed the sentiment in gold and adhered it and the image on copper textured paper.

I sprayed Ranger Distress Mica Stain over the daffodils. Have you tried Mica Stain? I love the gorgeous effects they produce! Two burnt orange jewels finish the card.

Watercolor pencils are a fun medium. When water is applied with a brush the color blends like butter!

Card #2 ~ A lighter approach

I stamped the daffodil image on white cardstock, colored it with watercolor pencils and die cut the cardfront with a Gina Marie slash stitched border die. I stamped the sentiment vertically for interest. I framed the cardfront with a thin black border.

I added a narrow black and white stitched ribbon, then adhered the cardfront to a bright yellow cardbase.

Card #3 ~ Wildflower Critters

This scene is sweet and I love the little creatures tucked in the garden! At first glance I missed the mouse on the stem. I thought it would be fun to give the creatures a wash of color and the rest of the scene a gray scale appearance. To highlight the animals even more, I added Stickles glitter glue in various colors. The heart on the “HI” sentiment also got lucky and received some sparkle!

I sprayed the Ranger Mica Stain over a black card base. I glued the image down and thought the card was complete… After it dried, I noticed it was a bit crooked. I tend to do this more ofter than not. To fix the problem, I added a ribbon on the bottom and distressed the left top corner to make it appear more even on the card. Finally, in keeping with the distressed feel, I frayed the edges to give it a worn look.

Card #4 ~ hello human

Are you kidding me?! The minute I saw this giraffe, I knew I had to have it! So majestic are these animals and oh so cute is this one! I stamped the image on watercolor paper and painted it using Tim Holtz distress inks. At first I planned to keep the background plain, but then thought it might be fun to watercolor splotches of color repeating the pattern of the giraffe’s gorgeous spots.

I die cut the cardfront with a Gina Marie fancy die, wrapped burlap twine around the top and adhered it to a kraft cardbase. I stamped the sentiment on scraps, separated the words and adhered them toward the top. I glued the cardfront to a kraft cardbase.

Card #5 ~ Lily of the Valley (border backgrounds) by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Company

This lily of the valley border is so lovely and perfect for a birthday or Easter or many occasions. There is something so sweet and innocent when I see these beautiful flowers. I heat embossed the image using Ranger gold embossing powder. I watercolored the flowers with Tim Holtz distress inks. I chose blues(Salty Ocean) but any color would look fabulous! I added a touch of grey at the bases of each bloom to make the white part stand out. Also more intense color surrounding the blossoms makes the white pop even more.

I die cut the sentiment in pale blue and then glued a fine glitter over it for an extra fancy appeance! I love how it turned out.

Inside the card I stamped “wishes” to complete the sentiment.

Card #6 ~ Lily of the Valley, take two

I often stamp an image two times with the intention of having another just in case of a mess up. The previous card turned out, so yay! I decided to color this time with a whole different family of colors–pink, orange and yellow.

Next I die cut the cardfront with a stitched Gina Marie die and adhered it to a buttery cream cardbase. Finally I die cut lower case “h” and “b” letters with gold glitter and solid green paper.

Here is a pic of my cards this month. Which one is your favorite?!

Listed below are the Friends of Unity, please continue along the hop for awesome ideas and inspiration. We appreciate all of your comments.

Crystal

Jane

Amber

Tammy

April

Colleen

Rachel (me)

Kim

Gaylynn

Joyce

Dawn

Thank you for stopping by. Until April, have a wonderful March full of blue skies and blooming creativity!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi Everyone! I am here with a fancy Valentine. I am so excited about the Poppystamps “Nordic Flourish Background” die. It has so many inticate details and can be used for many occasions throughtout the year. Do you have your Valentines ready to send?! Here’s hoping you might want to try this one out.

To create this card I die cut the “Nordic Flourish Background” in white cardstock and adhered it to an A2 white card base. Next I used red glitter paper from the Memory Box shimmering cardstock “Glitzy Glitter Pad” and cut the second largest heart from the “Scallop Pinpoint Hearts” die. I die cut it two more times in white. Next I die cut the Poppystamps “Nordic Flourishes” using the Memory Box “Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad” red foil paper and the Memory Box Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad in pearlized gold.  Then using the Memory Box “Lush Green Collection” paper pad in two shades, I die cut leaves from the “Nordic Fancy Blossoms” die. I stamped and cut the sentiment in black ink from the Poppystamps clear stamp and die set called “Sentimental Banners”.

Now for the arranging and gluing part of the card! I chose a few random pieces to glue on the existing white background. I adhered the heart frame to the background and arranged the leaves. Next I taped the leaves in place, glued the solid white heart, second white frame, and red heart on top.

Finally, the gold accent flower grounds the sentiment!

The pearlescent gold and the shiny red embellishments complement the gorgeous heart! I just love this card. It has so much character and movement when it interacts with a light source!

May your Valentine’s Day be full of love and happiness. Take care and see you in a little while with another card. Please take a look at the amazing Poppystamp collection full of endless creativity, it is spectacular! You can find it @www.poppystamps.com.

Hi Crafty friends! February is here, I am enjoying a few blue skies and I can feel a hint of Spring. That makes me happy! Our theme for this month is a sketch (pictured above). Sketches are a great starting point, just fill in the spaces and there you have a card design. If you ever get into a creative slump, have no fear, try out a few sketches to get those ideas flowing.

Card #1 ~ “the heart of a bff” by Phyllis Harris for Unity Stamp Company

I love this stamp so much by Phyllis Harris. The fine lines, the two friends stretching into a heart shape, the carefree vibes… it’s all so good.

I stamped the image on watercolor paper and then die cut it out with a Gina Marie wonky stitched pattern. I trimmed off the sides to mimic the sketch. Next I grabbed a scrap of watercolored paper in greenish blues and a roll of washi tape with the same hues. Then I chose Tim Holtz distress inks and painted the image.

Keeping with the sketch, I added a sheer organza ribbon over the image. I added the washi tape to the background and die cut the love script in light pink. All of this went nicely on a rich lavendar cardbase. Just a tiny bit of a border adds so much.

Finally I embellished with Stickles glitter and Nuvo drops. I strategically placed the glitter to similate jewelry.

Card #2 ~ “Winnie the Pooh Rainbow Searching” by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Company

This Pooh card is a completely different style than the previous one. I went for a grittier, grungier look. It’s always fun trying new things out, I never know if it works but love to share anyways!

I stamped the partial image using VersaFine Claire Morning Mist making sure the Pooh image was complete but faded out the umbrella. Next I stamped the “Love & Wisdom Background” by Sandhya Iyer for Unity in the upper right side and at the bottom. I watercolored Pooh and created a hint of a rainbow on the umbrella. Washi tape with hearts was adhered on the panel in keeping with the sketch.

I stamped the script again on a black cardbase masking off areas to avoid ink. I adhered the cardfront. Then I stamped the sentiment, cut it into two pieces and adhered at an angle. Finally I applied 3D Crystqal Laquer to Pooh and Stickles glitter over the raindrops.

Card #3 ~ “Hoppy & Hedgie” by Lisa Glanz for Unity Stamp Company

A funny thing about me is that I love coloring balloons but in real life I am actually afraid of them. The anticipation of sharp, loud popping noises makes me so uneasy! Anyways, I decided I was going to have fun creating balloons with a marbleized look to pair with a calico kitty!

After coloring the images, I wrapped fishing line around the panel with a threaded heart button. I wanted to keep in line with the sketch and I was toying with vellum vs. fishing line so that it did not completely cover the kitty. I framed the image on a muted lavender. Then I found a coordinating patterned paper and cut to fit the sketch. I glued it onto a buttery cream cardbase. I stamped the sentiment directly on the pattern, which I usually don’t do for fear of it getting lost in the pattern– I love how it turned out. Finally I positioned the front panel onto the base and that’s it!

What I love about this card is that the balloons go off the edge and it creates a feeling of upward movement to me.

I hope you found a few ideas and inspirations in my cards this month. Please play along with our sketch on the Unity (show & tell) Facebook group page and add your card to the album. I can’t wait to see your creations!

Below are links to the friends on the hop.

Crystal

Tammy

Gaylynn

Colleen

April

Dawn F

Amber

Joyce

Rachel (me)

Kim

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful month and Happy Valentines to you all! Did you notice I snuck in a heart on each card?!

Lots of Love,

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi everyone! It’s Rachel here to share a light-hearted card with subdued hues. The Poppystamps “Nordic Spectacular Butterfly”, the focal point, is nothing short of pure beauty. The detail on this die is just like it’s name-Spectacular!

To create this card I began with a gorgeous floral patterned paper from the Memory Box “Anemone Grove” pack.  I die cut a border using the “Double Scalloped Stitched Frames” using the outer piece of the largest frame. 

Next I chose colors I saw present in the border from Memory box paper packs “Ocean Blue”, “Stormy Blue” and “Lush Green”. I die cut the butterfly and mushrooms and glued the pieces together. Many were cut to come up with just the right color combinations! For a whimsical feel, I added an extra layer of mushroom tops at varying angles. 

Next up was a hot foiled sentiment in gold on black cardstock from the “Modest Banner Greetings” foil and cut die set. I love the elegant feel it gives to the card!

I adhered all the pieces to a steel grey cardfront and then a black cardbase.  The cardfront was slightly smaller than an A2 size card, leaving a narrow black border. Notice I was able to fit the butterfly right over the sentiment without it covering up the words?! 

Finally I added Fairy Jewels for the finishing touch.

I hope you love this card as much as I do! Please take a look at the awesome Poppystamps Nordic dies on the website @www.poppystamps.com. There are so many to choose from and they all work so beautifully together. Have a wonderful day and I will see you very soon!

Hi! It’s Rachel here sharing a Valentine card using the beautiful Poppystamps “Nordic Fancy Blossoms” and the “Scallop Pinpoint Hearts”.  Soft pinks, sage and mustards may seem like an unlikely palette but it’s fun to try something new and change up the traditional colors. This card creation is a little bit delicate and a little bit vintage with a whole lot of flair!

To create this card, I began with “Nordic Fancy Blossoms” and chose 3 shades of yellows from the Memory Box “Sunny Orange Collection” cardstock pack. Next I cut the stems from the Memory Box “Lush Green” collection. I used the green to diecut letters L,V, E and U from the “Marzipan Alphabet” set. I die cut the “Scallop Pinpoint Hearts” and the L, V and E letters with the Memory Box “Berry Red” and the “Vibrant Violet” collections paper pack.

As I combined the petals, I decided I wanted to add some glitter to give it some extra pizazz. I grabbed the Memory Box “Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad” shimmering cardstock and die cut the middle layers of the blossoms. 

I also die cut the border of the smaller heart and the “U” in the same pink glitter cardstock.

I found the perfect patterned paper for the background from the  Memory Box “Poinsettia Garland” paper pad.  It’s a Christmas release but there are many papers that can be used for other occasions.

I love the gold foil paired with the glitter, awesome!

Arranging the pieces together, finding just the right design, I adhered it to the floral background and then onto a pale pink cardstock base. 

I hope this card might have sparked some crafty ideas for you. Here’s hoping you have lots of fun designing Valentine’s Day cards. Poppystamps has so many gorgeous dies to create with, please check out their latest release of Nordic designs @www.poppystamps.com. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year everyone! I look forward to a fresh start as the new year commences. The theme for this month’s hop is all about a little humor and fun. I think my resolution in 2024 is to laugh more and make lots of cards.

Card #1 – …could be better

I love a vintage image and this woman is so stylish and chic. When I saw this Unity set I read the sentiment and found it hilarious and spot on– I had to have it!

I stamped the image on light blue cardstock in black ink and die cut it with a jagged border. Next I blended Tim Holtz peacock feathers distress ink around the edge. I mounted it on black cardstock and again on vintage paper. (My daughter saved a paper bag she received thinking I might use it for cards. I love it!) After that, I adhered it on a black card base.

Next the embellishments. I dug through a drawer of washi tape and chose pink, orange and teal patterns. I layered the tape at the top and the bottom. I threaded a button with orange twine and placed a few Ranger liquid pearls in random areas for interest. Rosy cheeks were filled in with a Prismacolor pencil. Last of all, the jewels placed on her waistline for the finishing touch!

Card #2 – A Cold One by Joslyn Nielson

I love the realistic look of this beer mug image. Paired with a sentiment telling the recipient they get a nice cold beer for their old self is just too hilarious.

On a maize yellow cardfront slightly smaller than an A2 size, I stamped the beer in Versafine black ink. Next I colored the image using Prismacolor watercolor pencils in blue, yellow and red. For the foam and reflection, I had to use Prismacolor white but it was not a watercolor pencil so I couldn’t blend the color out when it went over the lines. (I am hoping to expand my watercolor pencil assortment soon with white included!)

At first I was going to leave the background untouched, but then decided to use a fine pattern to stencil in a color slightly different than the background. I love the subtle look and the quality it gave to the image. I stamped the sentiment in heavy black cardstock with Versamark ink and heat embossed it in Ranger gold powder. I dug out worn gold brads and placed them on both sides of the sentiment for balance and interest. Finally I mounted the cardfront to a kraft base.

Card #3 – Change Is a Good Thing by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co.

Yes, change is a good thing in more ways than one! Need I say more?! 

I love this “Itty Bitty” set because it is fun to stamp on pattern paper and so easy to fussy-cut. I actually used a large scrap I kept with the blue splotches. After stamping 4 images, I ink blended yellows, red tones and blues on them and spritzed water over the top. I cut them out. Next I went over the waistband with ink and a brush for definition. I also added a slight shadow on the inner part of the underwear. Then I stamped the sentiment on the same paper and mounted it on white to give it a thin white border. I arranged the pieces on a white stitched square cardfront and then on a light blue cardbase. The blue border is wider on the top and bottom for interest and it gave me more room to arrange the pieces at sharper angles.

I often have a hard time with change. I get comfortable in my life and it is easy to stay safe in familiarity. Sometimes I have to force myself, give me an extra push to try something new and just “go for it”. It’s usually a personal choice and that in itself is another reason to try. The outcome is almost always the right decision. Now when it comes to underwear… I can’t think of any scenario where change is a bad thing!!! If you have one, I would love to know, or do I? And one more question…. who would be the recipient of this card and why?!

Thank you so much for checking out our hop. Below is the list of friends to keep on hopping!

Crystal

Colleen

Tammy

Amber

April

Jane

Dawn

Gaylynn

Kim

Rachel (me)

Joyce

I hope you had a laugh or two along the way. I never get tired of creating cards with humor as I feel we all need to use humor more in our lives to get through the ups and downs of the daily grind. Now that the hustle and bustle is coming to a close, may you enjoy more crafting and stamping those images for pleasure and lots of smiles! 

Happy New Year!

Love, laughter, giggles and smiles,

Rachel

Please follow me on instagram @cardartbyrachel.

Hi Friends! It’s December and time for another fun hop. The cue is Furry Friends and I am super excited to see all of the creations! I have two little dogs that bring me tons of joy! Now on to the cards….

Card #1 – “All Ears“

I love this basset hound image. It is such a realistic image, I just want to hug him. Who can resist his floppy ears and affectionate eyes?!

To create this card I chose a pattern paper of holly and adhered it to a kraft card base. Next I die cut the border die in burgundy. I stamped the hound in black on kraft and colored him with Prismacolor pencils. I stamped the speech bubble, cut it out, colored it and added Nuvo stone drops on the heart. These drops are gritty, matte and have a vintage feel. I stamped and cut the sentiment on patterned paper. I cut a creme square and blended ink over it to create a background for the sentiment.

I adhered all the pieces and tied a burgundy organza ribbon at the top.

He is so cute! This is a unique holiday card for a recipient that might be stressed and overwhelmed during this time of year.

Card #2 – “Darling Menagerie”

This panda bear was not the bear intended in the set. I found an embossed bamboo scrap and it lead me to this idea! I looked up Panda images and discovered I would not have to do tooo much to turn it into a specific species of bear!

To create this card I stamped the bear on white cardstock and using grey Copic markers I colored in the eyes, ears, arms and feet. I fussy cut it out. Next I adhered the bamboo panel onto a thin black border to make it stand out. Then I adhered it to a piece of patterned paper and then to a white cardbase.

I stamped the sentiment in Memento pear tart and then in random areas with VersaFine green oasis. This gives the sentiment a little character and movement. The panda is then placed at an angle in the lower left corner. A double bow of chartreuse burlap string and matching dot embellishments finish the card!

Card #3 – “Brand & Emma Good Morning” by Phyllis Harris for Unity

Nothing makes me more happy than a wet kiss from one of my puppies!

I stamped this heart-warming image on watercolor paper and filled it in with holiday colors from my Mozart watercolor set. Using a sentiment I received in my last order, I stamped it directly on the cardfront. Hearts from the set were next, I felt there was more empty space to cover so I adhered a peace die I had previously cut. Red jewels were added for balance and festive glow to finish the card!

Card #4 – “Peek-A-Boo Cats“

I am allergic to cats so I always call myself a dog person. Lately I have a new appreciation for the sweet feline qualities as I admire a beautiful calico cat that visits our backyard every day.

To create this card I die cut the front of an A2 heavy white cardbase with a fancy MFT die. I penciled in the square area on the inside and stamped the cat. Next I stamped the fun sentiment above the image making sure it fit inside the square. I colored the cat with a mix of copic markers in browns and tans.

I randomly stamped cat pawprints by Hero Arts on the front. I might have been covering up smudges on the card, but nobody needs to know this secret! A soft, green cushiony heart finishes the card.

Now on to the rest of the friends on the hop! I hope you find tons of inspiration and ideas to try on your up and coming card creations!

Crystal

Amber

Tammy

Colleen

Kim

Gaylynn

Dawn F.

Rachel (me)

Jane

Joyce

Have a wonderful December! May peace and calm fill your heart and home as the holiday season continues through the month.

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

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