Halloween Chatter!

It's almost Halloween and the kids and I have been making Halloween cards for each other and family/friends.  So fun creating with them, my 4 year old daughter especially loves it!  All of the cards I'm showing today are using the Halloween Chatter sentiment kit from Unity Stamp Co.  I LOVE that kit and have used almost every stamp in it so far!

This one is my favorite!  The design is from a card by Erin Schreiner, I thought is was just the cutest and had to try my take on it.  I also used 3 Unity Itty Bitties for this card:  Witching Hour, Hello My Pretty Friend and You Witch!

 This card was quick to make since I had made this pumpkin last year for a layout and didn't end up using it on there.  The pumpkin stamp is from Tattered Angels and I just stamped this cute sentiment and added some brads on a cute patterned paper.

This one is using some TH distress inks, the tree stamp is from Tattered Angels and the bat is a cute one from my August 2012 KOM.  The gate is something I cut awhile ago from a Cricut cartridge I borrowed from my LSS.

Tonight we are taking the kids on a special Halloween night at Greenfield Village to go Trick or Treating.  I am SO excited (and the kids are too)!  They're going as Minions from the Despicable Me movie and they are just the 3 cutest minions you ever did see!

Happy Friday my Friends with Flair!

Growing in Unity Winners!!!

I would like to thank you all for being so supportive and for all of the kind comments during my week as your GIU gal.  It was a truly great experience and I look forward to signing up again in 2014!
Now for winners!  I used random.org to pick the winners from all of the comments from my GIU posts from Monday-Friday.  The winner of 2 Itty Bittys of choice from Unity Stamp Co was cinmfoster's comment from Day 4.  Please contact Kelli@unitystampco.com with your choices and let her know you were my GIU winner.
The winner of my giveaway was sam's comment from Day 3.  Please contact me with your address and I will get that in the mail to you ASAP!  My email is crystal _ hubbs at hotmail dot com

Congrats to the winners and a huge thanks to everyone who visited my blog!
Have an amazing week!

Growing in Unity Day 5

It's Friday and that means it's my last day as a Growing In Unity gal.  It sure has been a fun week and you all have been so sweet and your comments have made my day(s)!  It's also Friends With Flair Friday over on the Unity blog so be sure to stop by there for lots of wonderful inspiration!
I had so many projects I wanted to share with you all during my time as GIU gal and it was tough to choose but today I decided to show you a layout.  My first traditional layout in almost a year!  Crazy, I know!  My craft time is so limited these days that I normally keep up on my family's memories through a Project Life style album (greatly embellished with lots of Unity stamps of course).  I was inspired to scrap a traditional layout when I snapped this great picture of my wonderful hubby playing in the yard with the kids.  It deserved to be a centerpiece!

I love the recent chalkboard art craze and this was my first time playing around with it.  Definitely want to play around some more and Unity has such great stamps for this!

Unity stamps used:  My Dear (ornate flower in top left corner), June 2013 SMAK (heart), Modern Chit Chat (heart bubble), Generations (always & forever), April 2013 KOTM (photo love and best dad ever), March 2013 SMAK (arrows, hand, count your blessings chalk art).
Other supplies:  black card stock, white chalk ink, Momento Rose Bud ink, Amy Tangerine sketchbook stickers and die cut, washi from Target.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Courtesy of Unity Stamp Co:

2 Itty Bitties of your choice to one lucky winner!

To win: simply  comment on any of my GIU posts this week.

My giveaway:  A goodie bag filled with Unity Stamps!

To win:  You must be a follower of my blog and comment on any of my GIU posts this week.

***all winners chosen by random***

I will post the winners on Monday, Sept 23rd

Thank you all for being so wonderful and supportive!  I have loved being your Growing In Unity gal this week and hope you all have a fantastic and crafty weekend!

Growing in Unity Day 4

Thursday is here already, boy has this week been flying by!
Today I am sharing with you a special project I made for my 4YO daughter this summer for her birthday.  She and I love collecting rocks together (in fact that is a hobby that my mom passed on to me).  I knew I wanted to do something special with the rocks we collected but the right idea never came to me until just before her 4th b-day in June when I saw an idea on Pinterest for Story Prompt Rocks.  Whoa, perfect! 

Going through my vast stamp collection to find the perfect story prompts was by far the most time consuming part of this.  Most of the stamps I used (not all) are from Unity Stamp Co.  Their red rubber stamped perfectly on the rocks!  I used Archival Ink to stamp and then colored them in using a combination of Smooch inks and Perfect Pearls.  When they were dry I covered them in several layers of Mod Podge to keep them looking pretty.

They were a huge hit!  My 4YO daughter LOVES using them to tell us stories!  The stories always involve that beautiful Phyllis Harris golden retriever because she loves puppies.  My 2YO son loves stacking the rocks similar to the Inuit inuksuit stacks and has managed to stack them about 6 high.  Thankfully no one has started throwing them yet which is a relief because I was a tad worried about a broken TV or window!

Stamping on rocks was surprisingly fun and easy!  To get a clear image on an uneven surface I couldn't use an acryllic block but had to carefully hold in my hand and press the rock down into the stamp.  You could make pretty garden decorations with stamped rocks too and with all of the amazing Unity stamps the possibilities are endless!

Unity Stamps used: Sail Away, Create Your Day (house), Dreams That You Dare (rainbow), Pirate Madness (treasure map), Forever Friends (dog), Labeled Oct 2012 KOTM (tree circle), Moment By Moment (butterfly), and All Worth It (queen bee).

GIVEAWAY!!!

2 Itty Bitty stamps of your choice courtesy of Unity Stamp Co to one winner!

To Win:  Simply leave a comment on any of my GIU posts this week.

My Giveaway:

A grab bag of Unity goodness to one lucky winner!

To win:  You must be a follower of my blog and comment on any of my GIU posts from this week.

*winners chosen by random***

Growing in Unity Day 3

I am having so much fun being your Growing in Unity gal this week!  Today I am sharing a project I made with Hazel girl.  Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday and we really get into decorating the house for it!  My hubby and I also have a longstanding tradition of exchanging several Halloween cards each year.  We have a pumpkin shaped wicker basket that we keep them in on the table and it's so much fun to look through our cards to each other from years past!
I still haven't decided if I'm going to make this Hazel girl into a card or put her on a decorative frame and make her into a wall hanging but I love her!

Supplies used:  Unity Stamps: Hazel Girl and You Witch.  Papers: Fancy Pants Oct 31st and Copic markers to color.

Giveaway courtesy of Unity Stamp Co:

2 Itty Bitties of your choice!

To Win:

Simply comment on any of my GIU posts this week (M-F).

My Giveaway:

A grab bag of Unity stamps to one lucky winner!

To Win:

Comment on my GIU posts this week and follow my blog.

***All winners chosen by random.***

Growing in Unity Day 2

Hello and welcome to Day 2 of Growing in Unity!

Today I have two cards to share with you using the lovely Carissa Girl.  Having had 3 babies of my own I just adore this pretty lady and think that all pregnant woman everywhere would love to receive this Angie Girl in their mailbox with a reminder of how beautiful and loved they are.

 Supplies used:  Unity Stamp Co Carissa Girl and Hiya Gorgeous. Paper American Crafts/Amy Tangerine Yes, Please. Copic Markers

Supplies Used:  Unity Stamp Co Carissa Girl, A Noteworthy Occasion (family quote) and Feb 2013 Kit of the Month Let Love Grow. Papers American Crafts/Amy Tangerine Yes Please and Crate Paper Maggie Holmes.Copic markers

These cards got dropped in the mail last week to two friends who are expecting their 3rd and 5th babies in early 2014.  The 'she procreates' stamp just cracks me up!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Courtesy of Unity Stamp Co.

2 Itty Bitty stamps of your choice.

How to Win:

Leave a comment on any of my GIU posts this week.

(Come back each day for more chances to win.)

My Giveaway:

I'm giving one lucky winner a grab bag of Unity stamps!

How to Win:

Comment on each GUI post this week and follow my blog.

***All winners will be picked randomly***

Growing in Unity Day 1

Happy Monday!  I don't think I've ever been so excited for a Monday before but today starts my week as a Growing in Unity gal!

I've been stamping for almost 10 years and Unity stamps and I are a perfect fit. I discovered Unity about 4 1/2 years ago when they were just a brand new company starting out and their great images by talented artistas and quality red rubber have become the staple of my craft room.

I've got a lot of projects to share with you each day this week and you could win some Unity stamps by commenting on each Growing in Unity post this week.  Next Monday I will be picking one winner by random from all of the comments to win 2 Itty Bitty stamps of their choice courtesy of Unity Stamp Co.

I also have a GIVEAWAY and will pick randomly from the comments a winner to receive some great Unity stamps that I have lying around in my pile of doubles (just follow my blog and comment for a chance to win)!

Let's get this party started with a round of cocktails!

 Unity stamps used for this were A Round of Cocktails and Let's Uncork.  I used my Tim Holtz Distress markers to color the stamp.  Colors used: Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany and Dusty Concord.  The paper is a really old one from my stash by Reminisce called Simply Red.

This stamp set was so much fun I couldn't just stop with one card!  Seriously, true story.  This was my hubby and I almost 15 years ago over drinks with mutual friends at BW3 which is now known as Buffalo Wild Wings.  It's been one great adventure since then!

Supplies used:  Unity's A Round of Cocktails, American Crafts/Amy Tangerine's Yes Please 6x6 paper pack.  Washi from Target.

Stop by tomorrow to see another project (or maybe two) and remember to comment for a chance to win some Unity love!

A good Snapshot...

Blogging from my phone for the first time since my laptop died yesterday.  Wah, wah!  I ordered a new battery for it and hopefully that is all that is wrong otherwise I've got some lost pics from the past month which would devastate me.  Of course it would choose now to die as well because I was trying to set up my posts for next week because I am the Growing in Unity gal starting on Monday!!! I've got lots of great projects that I am so excited to share with you all and even some prizes I will be giving away! Hopefully my computer will be fixed by then so you don't have to see bad cell phone pics.
Today I am sharing this sweet camera/photography loving Suzie girl (I just adore all of the Angie girls!) and I made this card super quick yesterday morning for a friend of mine who is going back to school this semester to take a photography class.  She's got 3 little ones 4 and under and I think it's incredibly awesome that she is making the time to go back to school and learn about something she has come to love!  Also it was the perfect opportunity for me to ink up this lovely lady!

Stamps used are by Unity Stamp Co. Suzie Girl and sentiment and the flowers are from the original Angie Girl-Dream with your Heart.  I stamped them on watercolor paper and had fun playing with my watercolors.  The chevron and heart paper scraps are from a 6x6 Amy Tangerine Sketchbook paper pack.
That's it for me today, I don't like typing this much from my phone.  Head over to Unity's blog for the Friends with Flair links today and I look forward to seeing you all back next week for my GUI posts where I will have some Unity love to give away!Friends with Flair

A sympathy card and a memories album

Whoa, it has been A LONG TIME since I have blogged. I have missed it and especially Unity's Friends With Flair so much! Life has become VERY busy with the arrival of my 3rd baby over the summer and what little free time I can squeeze in goes to crafting but I often forget to take pics and certainly don't even come close to having the time to blog my creations recently. Last week I remembered that I have a Growing In Unity spot coming up in September so I tried super hard today to make a little chunk of time to get back on the blogging horse.  Hiya!

My project that I am sharing today was one I put together last month for a friend who lost her precious 2 year old daughter to her lifelong illness.  My heart was breaking for her and her family and I wanted to do something/anything to try to help them heal.  She has 2 older girls as well (6 & 8) and all I could think of was how horrible it would be to mourn one baby and still try to do your best to put on your mom face and be strong to comfort your other children. 

I used to be an avid scrapbooker until I ran out of time to do it.  Now I am an avid Project Lifer because I can record so many precious memories in much less time.  I thought that it would be great if there were a way for my friends daughters to record their memories of their beloved sister and thought that a Project Life Mini Album would be something that was doable for them.  I got them each their own albums and then went through my stash of PL cards as well as made many of my own cards from Unity stamps. 

Unity had just released this beautiful angel stamp from Phyllis Harris and it was perfect.  I was very inspired by Angie Blom's gorgeous coloring on her canvas and used the same colors on my card.  I kept it super simple and added some sparkle to the wings with a gold sparkle gel pen.  Both of the papers have a beautiful shimmer to them and on the inside of the card I used the stamp There is no footprint too small to leave an imprint on this Earth.

 I used one of the butterflies from Unity's Butterfly Beauty to make an insert for the front of the album.  Her sisters said that green was Gabby's favorite color so coloring them in with my green copics was a no brainer.

 I made a title card with stamps from a few different SMAK kits and used my neglected Big Shot machine to die cut some letters.

 Here are some of the cards I made using so many of my Unity stamps from kits, itty bitties, SMAK and KOTM. 

Getting ready to wrap the albums up and drop it in the mail.  My thoughts and prayers are with this family every day.  I hope that these albums help the girls through some of their grief and healing as well as record their precious memories in an album they can cherish forever.

If you've stuck with me this long, thank you!  It has been a long post and most surprisingly of all my 2 month old has napped through the entire time!  Hoping to get back to blogging somewhat frequently but right now I am cherishing the time spent with my babies and what little creative time I have.  Happy Friday and Labor Day Weekend!

Merci

Finally found some time to blog some of the creations I've been working on, hooray!  For this card I used Unity's December 2012 Kit of the Month.  I wanted to play around with my Tim Holtz distress markers and watercolor so I stamped with Memento ink onto watercolor paper.  Mistake.  Even though I waited for the ink to dry before coloring it still bled.  It actually looked really horrible until I decided to just spritz the whole thing with clear glimmer mist and then soak up the excess ink.  You can still tell that it bled but it's not as bad and it has a beautiful shimmer to it now.  :)  The papers are from Crate Paper's On Trend collection.  I wanted to leave it sentiment free but it just didn't look finished to me that way so I finally added a miniaturized version of a banner from the stamp kit and the Merci stamp.  I'm always short on Thank You cards anyways!

If anyone has any tips on using T.H. distress markers with watercolor I sure would appreciate it!  Next time I think I'll try it using Staz-On ink and see if I have better results.

Love is in the pages of our Story

I think this may be my favorite stamp from the December 2012 KOM by Unity, I just love books and all of the great sentiments to go along with it!

I used Kraft paper, a spellbinders die cut for the scalloped circle and then clear embossed the Kraft with Unity's Plump Polka background stamp.  I stamped the books with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain distress ink and colored it in with distress markers.   I also colored the flower with distress marker to match.  I used my stamp positioner but it slid a little so the books are a little off center which really bugs me.  Oh well, guess that's the beauty of handmade creations!

CELEBRATE!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!  I certainly have missed Friends with Flair the past few months.  Life gets hectic and I've barely been able to find the time to craft let alone blog anything.  I do have a backlog of projects that need to be blogged so hopefully I'll find some more time to catch up soon.

I wanted to play along with the new Unity {be inspired} Challenge and was inspired by the color challenge and especially that picture of the pinwheel in the clouds which reminded me of several stamps that I've had for a while that had yet to be inked (yikes)!


Here is my creation:

I clear embossed Written in the Clouds for the background and paper pieced Happy Pinwheels.  I used bamboo skewers as the sticks and popped up the pinwheels and the celebrate banners.  The paper is from My Mind's Eye Dilly Dally collection.
 

Thanks for stopping by today, I can't wait to browse through everyone's FWF entries and see what you've been working on!

14 Years

2013 already!!!  I know I for one am still typing and writing 2012 and needing to backspace and erase a lot.  On January 6th my husband and I will have been together for 14 years!!!  Sometimes it seems crazy to me that we've been together for so long and that I was blessed to be able to meet the love of my life so young and to have all of these wonderful years to grow together as a couple, husband and wife and now parents.  Even through the rough times he's still the one!

Here is the card I made for him with inspiration from this awesome card by Brigit Scraps.  I used stamps from Unity's November and December Kit of the Month.  The papers are from Glitz.  The ink is Worn Lipstick distress ink.

I even finished the inside of the card with more Unity stamps of course!  More Nov and Dec Kit of the Month and SMAK kits from November 2011 and January 2012

 I am linking this up to Unity's Friends With Flair which is like having a party to go to every Friday.  I love looking through all of the lovely Unity stamp friends wonderful and inspirational entries every week!