Creative Girl

Well ladies, it’s been such a great week on the blogo.  I’ve loved sharing my Unity inspiration with all of you and can’t wait to giveaway one of the stamp sets to one of you on Saturday.  It’ll probably be in the evening because I have plans for the day.

For todays card I used one of my favorite Suzi Blu stamps.  The sentiment around the lady says “I am a creative girl.  I have the right to make my mark.  I deserve a rewarding creative life.”  Suzi’s stamps are nice and big so the cards don’t need much help.  I just used some 7 Gypsies DP and a little Prima lace!!!

I’m in awe of Suzi’s talent and can’t wait to be able to take one of her classes.  I’ve got a ton of stuff going on now but I plan to take a class as soon as I can!!!  Mmmm, maybe that’s something I could do while I’m out camping for a week!!!

I’ve seen a lot of new names on the blog this week and I want to say thank you for all of you, including my old friends, for stopping by.  I’d love to have you back again!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Another Day with Unity

 

2nd Post. 

Please scroll down for the McMahon Five Thursday release and a beautiful vintage lady made into a card!!!

 

This Unity stamp set is what made me decide to start receiving the Kit of the Month.  I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw the photo.  To be honest, I’m not sure what occasion I would use for this card but I’m sure it will be “Picture Perfect” at some time.

Once again, more GCD Melody Ross paper.  I just can’t help it.  I love it so much!!!  Tomorrow, I promise there won’t be any Melody Ross in sight!!!

I’ve been working in my yard a bit the last couple of weeks.  I want my yard, in particular, the area leading up to my deck and my deck to be a haven of peace and beauty to me.  Along those lines, I’m planting a fairy garden.  I think I mentioned it before.  Tonight, I installed the drip hose watering system into the half whiskey barrel and put the fairy house in there.  I was hoping to have a picture to share but it was a little dark when I finished.  I plan to take photos all along the way and share them with you.  I think I’ll do it all in one post though.  I’m very excited about it and think it will turn out beautifully!!! (if I do say so myself)

That’s it for today!

Blessings,

Christine

Today is the Day

…that I’m featured on the Unity blog. 

And this is the project that I created.  I have really enjoyed collaging lately.  I used a lot of Unity stamps, mostly sentiments and backgrounds, for the background and then used a sentiment from one of Melody Ross’ Unity stamp sets for the main sentiment on the piece—“you are just right exactly as you are.”

Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about the stamp sets that you can choose from!  I’ll also have a card from a past KOM and on Friday I’m planning on using a Suzi Blu stamp!  Can’t wait to see you here!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Day 2 with Growing in Unity!  This has been so much fun.  I love picking out my favorite Unity stamps to share a few projects with you!!!

Today, I’m letting the paper and the sentiment do the talking.  The sentiment is from a Webster’s Pages set and, of course, the paper is also Webster’s Pages.

I also used some Basic Grey pearls, May Arts ribbon and I coated some wire with flower soft as an accent to the bow.  I can’t hardly tie a bow without putting some kind of accent on it, can I?

Check back again tomorrow for a great project featuring Unity stamps and don’t forget to leave a comment today for another chance at winning the Unity Stamp set!!!

Blessings,

Christine

More Growing in Unity

For those of you that are coming to my blog as part of Growing in Unity, I love Melody Ross!!!  Everyone else already knows that!  Two of my other favorite things are also on this card, bicycles and flowers.  It can’t get any better than that!!!

I used one of Melody’s Unity stamp sets for this card with a sentiment from another set by Melody (past store kit).  I used GCD’s DP also designed by Melody.

I meant to post this earlier in the day.  I’m a late sleeper and usually get up about noon.  I checked my emails and Facebook, made this card and then photographed and edited it.  Then I went off to work on my other projects for the week!!!   Oops!  It’s up here now!

The good news is, I have tomorrow’s card almost done, still working on Wednesday’s project and I have Thursday and Friday’s cards already in the works!  Yay!!!

I’m off now to finish tomorrow’s card and work on Wednesday’s project because it will need some drying time before I photo it tomorrow.  Stay tuned!  There’s a lot going on this week!!!

Blessings,

Christine

P.S.  Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a Unity stamp set!!!

Growing in Unity and a Giveaway

I am so pleased to announce that I am this weeks Growing in Unity gal.  Not only does that mean that you get to see some Unity goodness from little ol’ me but Unity is hosting a giveaway on my blog this week!!!

I’m still working on my project for today (Monday) so I’m sharing a card that has been up on my blog before!   I think this is my favorite card to date using Unity stamps!!!

So now about the giveaway.  Unity has given me a list of kits from which the winner of the giveaway will be able to choose.  I’ll talk about those later this week.  All you need to do is comment on my Unity posts each day and you will be in on the chance to win.  Since I don’t have my card ready for today, that means you get to enter twice today.  Once on this post and once on the post I’ll be doing later.

And on Wednesday, I’ll be featured on the Unity blog with an extra special project I’ve been working on!

See ya’ in a bit!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Live a Good Life

Have I told you lately that I’m in love with all of Melody Ross’ products.  Oh, I did?  Well, it’s worth mentioning again.

I used Melody’s beautiful GCD paper and a couple Unity stamps that Melody designed.  I used some lovely Webster’s Pages bloomers and a few black gems in opposite corners and, there you have it, a card!!!  I stamped the frame and the sentiment with black Momento and embossed the sentiment to make it stand out better!!!

See ya’ next week!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Yee Haw, Y’all!

Good Morning!  With summer close at hand (here in Idaho we haven’t even had a 70 degree day yet), it’s also rodeo season.  The first rodeo of the year in Idaho is this weekend in a little town called Riggins.  I haven’t been there since I was a kid but it always proves to be quite the party with cowboys sliding down the hill behind the rodeo grounds riding on coolers, usually fueled by beer!!!  I’m going to have to try to make it one year!!!  However, my feet will be planted on the ground.  It’s much safer that way!!!

Now about my card.  I used the fun Cosmo Cricket Wanted 6x6 pad.  I love everything by Cosmo Cricket!!!  Speaking of, I’m actually going to the Cosmo Cricket warehouse this afternoon and meeting Julie Comstock.  I commented on her Facebook page about the Circa fabric and she invited me to stop by.  How cool is that!!!  I ‘m visiting in Utah in a town near where their offices are.

We’ll that’s it for today!  See y’all next week!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Artsy Rose

Hi all!  It’s my day again for the Paper Maniac Inspiration blog!

I used some of my fave stamps and papers for my card today.  The stamps are by Unity from the June 2010 Store Kit (on sale this month).  The beautiful papers are GCD Artsy Urban. 

I applied Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick, Barn Door and Aged Mahogany for the rose and Peeled Paint and Forest Moss for the  leaves and shading) directly to the rose stamp, cut it out with my Nestabillities and then applied more DI to the edges of the die cut.

Speaking of sale, all the Unity stamps are on sale this month!!!

I used the sketch from  Moving Along with the Times.

See you next week!

Blessings,

Christine

Fresh Beginnings

How was your weekend?  I had a terrific weekend!!!  About a year ago, through a very strange series of circumstances on a trip to Utah, I literally met a long lost cousin.  This weekend, I was able to meet her two sister.  It was such a wonderful time!!!

It’s Tuesday again so that mean I’m here with another project for the Paper Maniac Inspirations blog. 

I love all the new products that Patti has gotten in the store.  The new releases from Webster’s Pages are definitely among my favorite!!!  Plus, the Webster’s Pages stamps by Unity make cardmaking easy!  I used some vintage lace and May Arts ribbon with a Basic Grey button added to the bow and some Kaisercraft pearls in the corner are the final touch. 

Blessings,

Christine

Everything Matters

Good Evening!!!  I’m a little, or maybe a lot, late today with my post from the Paper Maniac Inspiration blog.  I always post on Tuesdays but I forgot to photo and prepare my post last night until 2:00 am (my normal bedtime).  Needless to say, I didn’t prepare my personal blog post at 2:30 this morning.  Every time I sat down to my computer today, I would think “I’ve got to get my PM post done.  I’ll do that next.” while I was blog hopping or catching up on Facebook or whatever else I get involved in on the computer.  And I just kept forgetting!

I do have a bit of an excuse however.  I was in more pain the normal today and took the big pain pills so my mind has kind of been wandering all day.  I have a call into the doc to see if I might need to change my meds up a bit which I think would help out.  Plus, it seems I’m a little more talkative (or writative as it were) on the meds as well!  Kind of a long post!

Anyway, about my card!!!  Our theme this week is Webster’s Pages.  I didn’t have much in the way of Webster’s Pages and our February themes are all designer’s choice, so I went with the designer’s choice option with a little WB Bloomers thrown in for style.

I used GCD Studios Artsy Urban papers and Unity Stamps June store kit.  Both of these were designed by Melody Ross, my superstar!  I also added some Webster’s Pages Bloomers to the top of the card!  Aren’t Bloomers gorgeous.  I added another sentiment—Live a Good Life--from the set to the inside of the card.  The stamps are on the clearance racks in the Paper Maniac store!  The clearance is now down to 30% off!  Go take a look!

I colored the bird with my Copics and then stamped the sentiment with Palette Black and embossed it with iridescent embossing powder.  It kind of matches the sparkles on the floral DP.

A new Soul Restoration lesson started today.  I listened to the the videos (Melody does such an awesome job.  She’s is a beautiful person.) and reviewed the materials and I just can’t wait to do my lesson this week.  It is such a positive a beautiful message.  It puts me in a good mood just thinking about.

I hope you have as great a week as I plan to!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Be the Poem

Hi!  It’s Christine again with my card for the Paper Maniac Inspirations blog.  Our theme this week is Copic coloring. 

In the fall of 2009, I was thinking it might be about time for me to start getting some of these Copics that everyone was talking about.  I loved how people did shading and that there were so many colors to choose from.  Well, about that same time I stumbled upon the Paper Maniac store. 

They had just started the Copic Coloring Club so I bought the first kit thinking that if I didn’t think it was worth it, I would at least have enough pens to color as many pumpkins as my little heart desired (it was October)!!!.  Long story short, I have no idea how many Copics I have now but I’ve gotten every kit from the store plus many others.  I REALLY love coloring with my Copics.  Can you believe they are even a cure for migraines?  I had a migraine when I started this card and now it’s gone.  It just really relaxes me to color—I feel like a kid again!!!

I chose the Unity Be the Poem stamp by Suzi Blu.  I LOVE Suzi’s stamps!!!  I used the Homespun Chic paper by GCD and Melody Ross.  There are so many beautiful papers in the stack with such a whimsical, vintage feel.  I’ve been using these a lot in my soul restoration projects!  The buttons and ribbon are Papertrey Ink.

I also took a photo of the Copics I used just in case you are interested.  I guess you can’t see the names very well but you’ll probably get the idea.  I better get back to my Copics; I feel that migraine coming on again! (*giggle*)  I’m still getting used to my new camera.

See ya’ next week!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Winter Birds

It’s my day again to post for the Paper Maniac Inspiration blog and our theme this week is winter.

I used the Memory Box Mistletoe paper stack. Aren’t those little birdies so cute dressed up in their hats and coats. I inked it all up with lots of Distress Ink. I added some of the paper to a chipboard bird and applied Distress Ink all over it as well. I dyed some crinkly rayon seam binding with some of the same colors of Distress Ink that I used on the papers.

Now it’s way past time for me to go to bed. I’m scheduling this post for noon so you’ll probably be seeing it before I even get logged on to my computer. He-he!!!

Blessings,

Christine

I’ll be back later with the deets. Also, I received my order in the mail for my giveaway so I’ll put everything together and take a photo later so we can get this thing started. I hope you like it!!!

Deets: Chipboard Image-GCD; Sentiment-Unity; Ink-Papertrey Ink Pure Black; Paper-Memory Box Mistletoe; Pearls-Kaiser Craft; Ribbon-rayon seam binding dyed with Distress Ink; Punch-McGill Swirls; Cuttlebug-Nestabillities.

Challenges:
Card Positioning System--sketch

My Favorite Things

The theme at the Paper Maniac Inspiration blog this week is “Favorite Things.”  We were to use three of our favorite products from the Paper Maniac store to use on our creation! 

Since I’ve been shopping with Patti almost since they opened, this was easy.  My very favorite thing that Patti carries are my Copic markers.  I love them almost as much as Paper Maniac!!!  I buy the Copic Kit Club every month (I think it’s 14 months now) so I now have quite a selection and it was a lot easier on the budget than trying to buy them in sets. 

My other favorite things are the beautiful stamp from the Unity June store kit and the stunning Crate Paper Restoration DP.  Plus, you all know that butterflies are one of my very favorite things?  Love them!

I have told you before, that I live in the “banana belt” of Idaho.  Our weather is usually warmer and dryer than the rest of the state.  If we get snow, it usually melts by mid afternoon.  That’s part of the reason I live here.

Well, we’ve had snow on the ground for over a week now!!!  Then it snowed on and off all afternoon with a 90% chance of precipitation through tomorrow and still a smaller chance of rain through the week.  IT DOESN’T SNOW HERE!!!  However, tomorrow is supposed to be in the high 30s so maybe some will melt.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, maybe I’ll feel better.  It has been a bad day here at the Fairy Studio (that’s what I’ve decided to call my studio—I have a few fairy dolls hanging to help keep my muse going).  They are working on the plumbing next door so I was without water ALL DAY.  They turned it on again and while it was on, I had a phone call that they are shutting it off in 1/2 hour until tomorrow when they get done fixing stuff over there.  Ugh!!!

For the next few days, I’m going to work on making ornaments for my Christmas tree that I can’t get out of my shed until the weather gets better.  (There I am complaining again—sorry).  I have a white feather tree and I’m making some vintage style ornaments to decorate it!  I can’t wait to show them to you as I create and to get my tree set up and decorated!!! 

Maybe I can get out tomorrow to purchase some of the things I need.  I’m not going  out after dark because they are having slide-offs everywhere!!!

I’m breaking my mood now and I hope you have as good day!

Blessings,

Christine

Deets:
Pearls-Gems; Cuttlebug-Nestabillities; Other from stash-ribbon.

Challenges:
Card Positioning System--sketch
Gingerloft Challenge--bows

Pixie Thanks

Today is my first day posting on the Paper Maniac blog, Paper Maniac Inspiration.

I only make one Thanksgiving card a year (for the hostess of the meal) and so decided to make a Thank You card instead.  I used Cosmo Cricket Pixie-licious paper and chipboard and the Unity/Cosmo Cricket Pixie-licious stamp set.

It’s supposed to snow a bunch tonight—blizzard like conditions (what’s the difference between blizzard like and just a plain old blizzard?).  They said the storm should hit between midnight and 8 am.  It’s going to be a rough commute but thank goodness I don’t have to commute.

Anyway they’re predicting it to dip into the single digits Wednesday so I went to unhook my hoses and noticed that one of my faucets is leaking.    If it were summer, I’m sure my sis and I could fix it but with it so cold tomorrow I decided to call a plumber.  Hopefully it won’t cost too awfully much.  I’d hate for it to dip into my stamping budget!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Born to Fly

Finally, I got a challenge finished for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge by my friend, Linda!  Yay!!!

The technique this week is Alcohol Ink Splatter.  This is a fun technique but I got the hang of it after a couple of tries.  I love making tags because you can just keep doing things until it looks good. 

I started with the splatter and then added a couple of Unity stamps.  The blue lace is vintage hem binding and the pink is Artalicious.  I made a cute rosette with Papertrey Ink and then added a little birdie from GCD-Melody Ross.   There is some Basic Grey Kioshi paper on the back and I covered the bird with Kioshi.  It blended to much with the background so I colored it with a pink BIC marker and added some sugar glitter.  Love that stuff and it’s the time of year to bring out the glitter!!!!

Have a lovely and peaceful Sunday all!

Blessings,

Christine

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp and Show--Whatever makes you happy
Compendium of Curiosities Challenge--Ink splatter
Simon Says--sparkle

Are You Funky?

Have I ever told you how much I love Unity?  Have I ever told you how much I love Melody Ross?

I love it when I can combine two of my favorite things—Unity stamp designed by Melody Ross!!!  Plus GCD papers designed by Melody Ross!  I added a bit of Papertrey Ink cardstock, buttons and ribbon. 

I love this image because all of my life I have been the gal on the right but for the last few years I have been moving further and further to the ladies on the left.  That is not me and I’m moving myself further to the gal on the right.  I LOVE her!!!

I’m off to bed now.  I hope you are having a great week!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Challenges:
Lexi’s Creations--Anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenges--Square card
Sketch Saturday--sketch
Gingerloft Challenge--buttons

Where Should you Be?

Right where you are, of course. I’ve been working on this canvas for the last couple of days. There’s a lot of glue this...let it dry, paint this…let it dry, apply this…let it dry. You get the idea. Just to give you a little example… here are the items that I used to make this project.

I painted it, Mod Podged paper to it, Distress Inked it, applied Mod Podge mixed with paint, distressed the edges with paint, Mod Podged it again, applied spackle mixed with paint using a butterfly stencil, applied Distress Crackle paint, Distress Inked the resulting crackle, added the flowers, the stamped and colored sentiment and the buttons. Whew!!! I also added some Glimmer Mist and Sparkle Mod Podge to the flowers and applied distress ink to the sentiment. AND THAT’S IT!!! I really love how it turned out and can’t wait to find a place to hang it. I think I’ll put it in my bathroom so I can see it every morning when I’m brushing my teeth and hair to remind me that I’m right where I should be! Not that I can’t go somewhere else, but for today, I’m right where I should be!

The stamp is a Unity Ippity, the buttons are Papertrey Ink, the DP (that you can’t see anymore in the photo) is October Afternoon and the roses are from my stash that I bought on clearance for 10 cents who knows when!

A lot of the people at Brave Girls Camp made canvases. I wanted to finish my art journal cover (I haven’t shared that yet) so I didn’t get started on my canvas at camp. When I got home, I picked it up a few times, even tried a couple of things but nothing really worked in my head. I learned at BGC that when making art that has a personal meaning to you, if it doesn’t feel right, it’s just not the time for you to deal with that particular emotion or problem. There was a lot of Melody Ross’s art work around the cabin and in the art room. She told us that when she makes art, it’s to workout a problem or to resolve an issue in her life. There is some real meaning behind what I wanted to put on my canvas and I think I need to work some things out in my head before I can do that. However, I have started another Brave Girl canvas for now!

The challenge at Studio L3 Compendium of Curiosities challenge is Distress Crackle which is included on this canvas!! I’m so happy that things have settled down in my life now that I can participate in those challenges. I’ve already learned a lot and it’s been so much fun!!!

The weather was the perfect break in the summer today. I woke up and it was so cool outside. Since I get up about noon, it’s always hot outside. But today, I stayed out and played with the pup for a while. Then, it clouded up, thundered, sprinkled and then a cloud burst for about an hour! We had a late spring but it has been a hot one since! It’s going to gradually warm back up to 97 on Monday but I’m ok with that. It’s August you know!

Have a great Thursday! Thursday has always been my favorite day of the week. When I worked, there was only one more day to get through so I could stay up late, do what I wanted because you can always make it through one more day!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Challenges:
Compendium of Curiosities Studio L3--Pg 42, distress crackle
Crazy Amigo--Free theme
Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply--paint
Simon Says Stamp and Show--Winged things
Crafty Creations--Winged things
Creative Belli--paint
Flutter By Wednesday--Open

Now is the Time

While I was working on my plum box this week, I had a lot of other things going on and going through my head.  This was one of them.  I have had this die for awhile but hadn’t had a chance to use it yet so I definitely wanted to give it a try!  Since an uncaged bird is one of the symbols of Brave Girls, I used some of the sentiments from the Melody Ross Brave Girls set from Unity.  Speaking of Melody and Unity, she has designed some other sets that will be unveiled at CHA.  I saw a couple of them on Facebook and I’ll need to save my pennies so I can get them all when they come out!  There is even a set with cowboy boots!  Melody collects cowboy boots; she says they make her brave!

So that’s my card for Monday morning!  Next, I’ll be working on my McMahon Five Designs project for Wednesday but I’ll probably have more to share before then!  After that, I will be working on something that I wasn’t able to finish at Brave Girls Camp.  It will be one of those projects that you work on for a little while and then wait for it to dry, and work on and wait, and work on and wait….  You never know what I’ll be coming up with in the meantime! 

I hope you have a great Monday!  I put a Will Rogers quote on my Facebook today that I thought I would share here:

“If you want to be successful, it is just this simple:
Know what you're doing. Love what you're doing. And believe in what you're doing.”

Blessings,

Christine

Deets:
Medium-acrylic paint, Copics, Distress Inks; Sentiment-Unity; Paper-Tim Holtz; Cuttlebug-Tim Holtz die; Other from stash-buttons, flat back pearls colored with Copics.

Challenges:
Created by Hand--Looking in…looking out and use dies
Design Dollies--Inspiration--Vintage movie (The Bird Man from Alcatraz)
Etsy Inspired--
Scrap the Art-- (colors)

Sew Thankful

2nd post of the day.  Please scroll down for my 1st post!

I’ve been letting the stamps inspire me lately.  Currently, I have stamps sorted by company in zip lock bags (I have a better storage solution but haven’t gotten started on it yet,).  Last night, I grabbed a bag at random and then decided which stamp I would use.  I grabbed a bag from Unity and . . . decided on this cute little sewing machine.  I think if my sewing machine was this cute, I might sew a little more often!!!  I decided to decorate the inside as well.  I loved this sentiment and wanted to make a special place for it!

I’m in the middle of working on another McMahon Five card using my next free digi image.  I’ll be back with that when it’s done!

Blessings,

Christine

Deets:
Medium-Copics; Image and Sentiment-Unity; Ink-Palette, Papertrey Ink; Paper-Basic Grey; Punch-EK Success; Ribbon-Papertrey Ink; Buttons-Papertrey Ink.

Challenges:
Papertake Weekly-sketch
Basic Grey Challenge-
Crazy 4 Challenges-sketch