Grateful for Paper Maniac & ATU

Good morning. This is the card I posted over at Paper Maniac a couple days ago. I made it with All Things Unity challenge #31 in mind, and chose a couple stamps that I'd never used before - but which were also still in stock at Paper Maniac. I probably have a few too many of those, so I love this particular challenge!! It works for both previously unloved stamps *and* brand new goodies! At least, that's how I read it...it doesn't say how long a stamp has to have been in your stash. Right?

So anyway...I've had the set Simple Blessings since it was released, but I'd only used the leaves before. My friend, Nancy, is a member of My Time Made Easy's Pretty Pattern Sketch DT. She suggested I play along with Challenge #10, so I thought the larger leaf swirl would be perfect for the slanted lines in the sketch. And since Paper Maniac is closing (sniffle) several of us are making cards for Patti, the owner. I chose the Grateful for You sentiment because I am truly grateful for the opportunity she gave to me in giving me a place on the design team and I appreciate the faith she showed more than I can ever convey.I used Memory Box cardstock for the base, Crushed Olive Distress Ink and Oval Nestabilities.

Bling it On with All Things Unity!

Hey guys....four days in a row! I'm still not at 100%, but I'm definitely getting there!

All Things Unity has a brand new challenge today!
It's time to
Bling It On!!!

That means gems, rhinestones, glitter, pearls...stickles...use any or all of those! Well, and of course a Unity or {ippity} image!

I went with a sentiment from a past KOTM (September 2008 - "Love. Friendship. Miracles.") The same sentiment is now available on its own, called Almighty God, but it's about twice as large!

Deets:
Stamps: Unity
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Sketch: Mojo Monday 182

Since there were a few entries this past time that did not follow the rules, I thought I'd post them again just to be fully clear.

• First of all, have fun!!
• Second, please create something new for the challenge.
  
• Please use ONLY Unity or {ippity} stamps on your creations.
• Link back to All Things Unity and use our challenge photo (when one is provided).
• When uploading to online gallery, please use ATU##. (This week is ATU27)
• Please link to your specific post--not your entire blog.
• OPTIONAL - Please display our NEW ATU badge on your sidebar and in your posts. You don't have to, but it'd make us really, really happy if you did!!

Eligibility for MONTHLY prize::
All entries must be linked before 11:59pm EST the Saturday completing our 2 week challenge. You can link as many creations as you want (the more you link/create--the more chances to win). On the first of every month, we will post a winner of the prize package.

If you do not follow the above rules and guidelines, your creation will be ineligible and thus deleted.

NEW CHALLENGES are posted at 12:01am EST every 2 weeks on Sunday.

Eligibility for Challenge Blinkie::
One or two players will be featured on the Wednesday following the challenge end. The playersʼ creations, along with a link to their blogs, will be included in this post. These players will get to display this blinkie on their blog.

**NOTE** :: Receiving this blinkie does not mean you won the monthly prize.

There, now that all of that is out of the way, check out what the rest of the team has made - and when you're done, hit All Things Unity to enter your own new Unity or {ippity} creation! To be eligible for Challenge #27 - Bling It On!!, you need to link your creation no later than 11:59 on April 2.

Cathy
Sara
Savannah

H{ippity} Hopping With My Party Hat On

Well. It's Monday. At least there's an {ippity} Hop to look forward too, right? I think that's the only really good thing about Mondays. I'm really glad I'm participating this week, too. It's been a little while.

This week I'm stepping in for All Things Unity and the birthday/celebration challenge. There are 5 more days to play along - until 11:59pm Eastern on March 19.

My card uses the {ippity} kit Party Hat Wishes, to make a completely different card than the one I did on Friday. Still CAS, but a totally different feel. I think this one has a much more feminine feel, even though the other one had a big, pink bow. I used Twisted Card Sketches #50, which I like a lot for a CAS card.
Check out this morning's {ippity} blog for a full list of hoppers.

All Things Unity Celebrates Birthdays

Good morning! If you haven't hit the bunny trail and hopped along with OWH yet, I hope that you will! There are a lot of posts to see this weekend - and some amazing projects along the way.

Graphic Courtesy of Lettering Delights

This morning, it's time for All Things Unity Challenge #26 - and we want to see Birthday or Celebration cards (or projects!!) I pulled out two older sets, Sweet Yummy Cupcakes and Birthday Chic, to make this card for my goddaughter's impending birthday.

Deets:
Cardstock: Stampin Up
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Euphoria "Cool", Sugared "Delectable", Urban Prarie "Straw"
Ink: Versamark, Versacolor Wild Berries
Embossing Powder: Ranger Clear, Adirondack Eggplant, Stampendous Claret
Challenges: SCS CC311, Sketchy Sunday TG009

Now it's your turn!! Choose YOUR favourite Unity or {ippity} stamp and create something. Link it up to the ATU blog no later than 11:59pm on Saturday, March 19, and you'll be eligible to win this month's prize/and or the challenge blinkie.

Speaking of this month's prize...it's this set of fabulous Jillibean Soup papers and cardstock stickers!! Nice!!
Check out the rest of the team and see what they have to share with you today. We've got a brand new Guest Designer, the amazingly talented Megan Lock joining us as a second guest DT for the month of March!! Please help us make her feel welcome!

Cathy
Megan (March Guest DT)
Sara
Savannah

Here's hoping you have a great day!!

Altering All Things Unity

Wowie, I did not think I was going to get to post this today! Well, at least not from home, anyway. We lost our electricity at 11:19 this morning (Saturday, as I write). BGE (Baltimore Gas & Electric) had a recording that stated "the vast majority of customers" to have service reestablished by late Sunday evening. Sunday evening!?!?!? YIKES!! Well, we were exceedingly fortunate and ours was restored just before 5pm on Saturday. Whew!I hope everyone is as excited as I am about our newest challenge at All Things Unity! I very, very seldom alter anything. I don't know why I don't. I guess I just get nervous about it, but you know what? I think I was making it a heck of a lot harder than it really is!

In any case, I started out working on a journal for DD#2, Hannah - but she took the innards with her to a sleepover, so I couldn't put it back together for a photograph. I set it aside first thing this morning (after texting her to see what she'd done with it and discovering that yes, she did have it with her), and pulled out my own spiral notebook, which I use as a combination "list of things to do"/notebook/idea-book/journal. I got it out of the dollar bin at Michael's. If I'd thought to do it, I would've gotten a before picture, because it's a pretty big transformation.

I used a combination of Unity/Melody Ross co-branded stamps. This is the front.

And here is the back. Full supply and other challenge deets will be at the end of the post.

Now it's your turn!! Choose YOUR favourite Unity or {ippity} stamp and create something. Link it up to the ATU blog no later than 11:59pm on Saturday, March 5, and you'll be eligible to win this month's prize/and or the challenge blinkie.Remember, the prize for February is a February KOTM straight from Unity !!

Check out what the rest of the fabulous DT has to share!

Ashley (February Guest DT)
Cathy
Lynn
Sara (on hiatus)
Savannah

Card deets:
Stamps: Unity - Brave Girl Boots, All Worth It..., Love Life, Just Be You, She Sprouted Wings, She did it Anyway
Paper: Basic Grey - Sultry, Wisteria, Urban Prarie
Ink: Distress Ink - Pine Needles, Fired Brick, Victorian Velvet, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo; Palette - Moulin Rouge
Spellbinders: Fancy Tags, Heartfelt Creations
Etc: Stickles, Copic Spica, clear embossing powder

Challenges:
Crazy for Challenges: C4C75 - use dies
The Stamp Man #16: Hearts
Res-Q-Challenge #71: RESQ71 - use something that makes you happy. Things I used that make me happy: Unity/Melody Ross stamps, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, Spellbinders dies, Distress Inks, embossing powder, hearts
CRAFT #90: Not a card
PaperCrafting Journey #4: Anything Goes (ooh, a new challenge site for me!)
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #105: Patterns! - the birdcage is stamped onto BG Wisteria and Free Spirit was stamped onto Urban Prarie
...Wee Memories #44: Source of Inspiration - Melody Ross, whom I think is just amazing.
Unity Challenge #1: Hearts!

ATU Asks The Serious Question...

Yes, that's right. All Things Unity wants to know

- What is your favourite Unity Stamp? That's the challenge Savannah posed to the team. We had to figure it out and use our favourite stamp. This was perhaps the most difficult challenge I have ever faced! Pick a favourite? Are you kidding me? This is the stuff of nightmares! Oh, the dreams I had as I suffered, trying to narrow down my options. What was I to do???

Unity has released so many fabulous stamps lately. Some I have yet to use, some I don't yet own...and then there are the {ippity
} kits...how was I to choose??? Inspiration struck with Rachel Bogner's Neglected Unity Challenge. When I first saw the January 2009 KOTM, I immediately fell in love with the peacock. I absolutely went nuts over him! Yes, it is a him. According to the designer who drew him (Lindsay Spencer), he even has a name. In any case, once I saw Petey again, I knew my quest was over and I'd found my all time favourite Unity stamp.

I used this week's Sketch Spotlight from StampTV (STVSKSP11) and colourQchallenge #70 (poppy, coral, blush, vanilla & espresso) to create my card, which decided about half-way through that it wanted to be distressed. I think it was the Tim Holtz Texture Fadez rubbing off on the rest of the card. What can you do but just go with it!
Now it's your turn!! Choose YOUR favourite Unity or {ippity} stamp and create something. Link it up to the ATU blog no later than 11:59pm on Saturday, Feb. 19, and you'll be eligible to win this month's prize/and or the challenge blinkie.

BTW, this month's prize is a doozy!! There is a February KOTM straight from Unity on the line!! Some lucky winner is going to be very, very happy!! Will it be YOU??
Check out the rest of the team and see what awe-inspiring goodies they have to share with you today. We're SUPER thrilled to have the utterly fantabulous Ashley joining us as a second guest DT for the month of February!!

Ashley (February Guest DT)
Cathy
Lynn
Sara (on hiatus)
Savannah

BTW, I still have 8 stamps left to use from Jan '09. I'm not quite sure I'll be able to fully accomplish that one, as 2 of the stamps are New Years' - and one is specific to 2009. I guess maybe I'll have to do a layout!

FWF Goes 3x3

Morning! Thank you to all for the kind words about my back. I'm feeling better, courtesy of rest, anti-inflamatories and muscle relaxants. I did get a shot of Toradol on Monday, which helped, though not as much as usual, but then again, I hadn't had anything spasm quite like that before either. It isn't an experience I care to repeat!
Did you guys see all the amazing goodies Unity added to their site yesterday?? ZOMG!! If only it were not the week before classes start back up again. Fortunately, the boys can share books for one class, so that's helping the textbook bill a bit, but mine alone are....you're sitting down, right?

Are you sure you're ready? I mean, I'm only taking two classes.

Getting one book off Amazon, as it's almost half the price (new!) of a used book via the college and the others through the school, my bill will be $489.13.

Did you choke as much as I did?

Okay, back to the more fun world of stamping. In my quest to use stash and unloved stamps (thanks Rachel!!), I pulled out 2 of my first Kits of the Month. This fits in perfectly with OWH's Unused/Unloved Supplies challenge! The little flower pots are from October 2008 and the sentiment is from August '08. Both kits retired last month, but you can still become a KOTM member and get in on the fun - there is a new kit each and every month. Deets are here. I've used other stamps from both kits before, but not either of these.










I took the sketch from Get Sketchy #69, the colours from the Play Date Cafe #64, Meljen's Designs #41 (challenge to make a square or oval card), and mixed them in with ATU's mini card challenge and this is what I came up with.

Hop on over to the Unity blog to see who is participating today. I wonder who's got the blinkie?? I know I'll be on the hunt for it!

See you tomorrow with something new and EtsyInspired! Have a fantastic day!!

A Very Boxy H{ippity} Hop

Hi. It's me. I'm back. Yup, four days in a row. I'm on a roll, peeps! What's really amazing about that, is I can barely walk. Thank goodness for my kids, who have been extremely helpful in playing step & fetch. I've got an appointment at 10:30, so here's hoping the doc can do something other than say "here, take some more narcotics." No worries. My back does this periodically. I'll be fine in a few more days.

This is my first H{ippity} Hop since December 6th! I am so happy to get back to it!

I made a batch of 3x3 notecards this weekend, with Just Wanted to Say, for All Things Unity, so I wanted to make a little box to hold them in. I used the tutorial on SCS for the measurements. One quick warning - there is a slight goof on there currently. For patterned paper A, you really want that to be 5 1/4". If you go by the measurements she gives in the video, I think, everything works out properly, but if you go by the typed measurements, 5 1/8" will cause headaches and much gnashing of teeth. Trust me on this one.
In keeping with Cute Card Thursday's challenge, Out With the Old, there is not a single thing new used in the creation of this box. Everything came from stash that is at least 6 months old, if not older. By the way, that's one of my resolutions this year - use my stuff. If I'm not using it, I don't need to have it. Right?

Other challenges this little box is for are Flourishes (FTTC99 - flowers) and Let's Ink it Up (anything goes so long as it's rubber, not digi).

That's all from me today. If you haven't been there yet, hop on over to the {ippity} blog and see who's hopping today. The DT will have a new twist on the monthly challenge to go with last week's sketch and don't forget there's a comment prize. It could be hidden on any blog, DT or hopper.

Hope you all have a great day!

Honey, We Shrunk ATU

Yup, we shrunk All Things Unity this week and made 3x3 - or smaller!! - cards.I went super crazy and made a set of 9 notecards! I just couldn't stop!! All of them use {ippity}'s Just Wanted to Say (available via my {ippity} blog) and I think they're perfect for when you want to add just that little extra touch without going overboard.
I used the same layout and the same basic papers for each card, just varying the ribbons and switching off between 3 sentiments, so that the person who will be receiving the set will have a few options.

We've had a few rule changes for the All Things Unity challenge. They're not really serious changes - more like clarifications.

• First of all, have fun!!
• Second, please create something new for the challenge.
  
• Please use only Unity or {ippity} stamps on your creations.
• Link back to All Things Unity and use our challenge photo (when one is provided).
• When uploading to online gallery, please use ATU##. (This week is ATU22)
• Please link to your specific post--not your entire blog.
• OPTIONAL - Please display our NEW ATU badge on your sidebar and in your posts. You don't have to, but it'd make us really, really happy if you did!!

Eligibility for MONTHLY prize::
All entries must be linked before 11:59pm EST the Saturday completing our 2 week challenge. You can link as many creations as you want (the more you link/create--the more chances to win). On the first of every month, we will post a winner of the prize package.

If you do not follow the above rules and guidelines, your creation will be ineligible and thus deleted.

NEW CHALLENGES are posted at 12:01am EST every 2 weeks on Sunday.

Eligibility for Challenge Blinkie::
One or two players will be featured on the Wednesday following the challenge end. The playersʼ creations, along with a link to their blogs, will be included in this post. These players will get to display this blinkie on their blog.

**NOTE** :: Receiving this blinkie does not mean you won the monthly prize.

There, now that all of that is out of the way, check out what the rest of the team has made - and when you're done, hit All Things Unity to enter your own new Unity or {ippity} creation!

Cathy
Lynn
Sara (on hiatus)
Savannah

Friends with Newsy Flair

Hey everyone!! It's Friday Friends with Flair and I have news! I am super-duper thrilled to be able to share that I am one of 4 new members of the design team for my favourite challenge!!! The official news is posted here on the EtsyInspired blog. Can you say "bouncing off the walls"??

So of course, my FWF project is EtsyInspired, right? I have new Unity/Bella Blvd stamps and this gorgeous necklace from Tzaddi Shop reminded me of one of the Bella Doilies. I pulled the sketch from this week's CAS97 challenge on SCS. It just seemed perfect for the Bella Doilies, so I went with it. I topped off my challenge trio with the Play Date Cafe's Challenge #60, black & white with a splash of yellow.Before I go, there are two things I'd like you to remember. First of all, of course check out the Unity blog for a full list of this week's participating peeps. Find the hidden blinkie, leave a comment, and you could win 25 random Unity stamps! Not bad for a little blurfing, eh?

Second, the All Things Unity challenge blog is in full swing and we'd love to have YOU participate! Full deets on the most recent challenge are here. What are you waiting for?

Taking Joy in All Things Unity

Hey there peeps. I'm back online after a few days taking care of my eldest daughter, Meagan. She had some pretty massive oral surgery on Thursday. It's not often that a 16yo needs her mother. Heck, with my own medical garbage, she often takes care of me, so you can bet that I was going to do anything and everything in my power for her.

Anyway, it's time for a brand new challenge at All Things Unity! For Challenge #21, we're looking towards Christmas and we'd like you to design anything but a card.

I made a little flap-lid gift box, decorated with some Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses dp and stamps from the Unity/Jillibean Soup kit 'Tis the Season for Joy. I used Copic atyou Spica markers to colour in the Joy stamp and make it sparkle. Somebody in my family will be receiving a little giftie in this for Christmas and I'm not saying who!!
Now go check out what the rest of the team has made - and when you're done, hit All Things Unity to enter your own new Unity or {ippity} creation! You have two weeks, until December 25, to enter!

Cathy
Lynn
Sara (on break)
Savannah

My project is also for Allsorts week 82, last minute Christmas.

Growing with an {ippity} Hop

Happy November!! It's the start of NaBloPoMo - and my week for Growing In Unity!! Not only that, but OMG!!! I'm the Guest DT over at All Things Unity for the next 2 months!!! So I am super-duper excited today!! Oh, and of course it's H{ippity} Hop day! It's just all kinds of fun around here!!

The first official challenge that I get to participate in as guest DT is ATU18 - and it's to make a monochromatic project. I've been working on the challenges for Hope You Can Cling To (and yes, you'll be seeing more of those this week), so I went pink for this one. Sara doesn't know yet that this card was for her HYCCT challenge - something old and something new. The pink speckled dp and the dp I used to paper piece the leaves is some mystery paper I've had in my stash forever and a day. I couldn't tell you what it is or where it came from! My "new" item is my brand new rolled-rose die! It just arrived in the mail a few days ago.The sketch is Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #97. The floral dp is Basic Grey Olivia. The lovely {ippity} set is Where You Should Be, which is wonderful for just about any occasion. I hope this card cheers up whomever receives it at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Check out the {ippity} blog to find out who is playing along today...including the oh-so-talented {ippity} design team.

Now, for All Things Unity, you have until November 13 to create and upload a monochromatic project. That's plenty of time and we'd all love to see what you come up with. In the meantime, there's more eye candy to see:

Sara
Lynn
Savannah
Cathy

Lastly, one quick little note. My friend, Ashley (she of EtsyInspired fame), and I have challenged each other to see what we can do using the same stamp sets for the next 7 days. Should be interesting...I can hardly wait to see what she comes up with. Heck, I can hardly wait to see what I come up with!

A Little Bit of Flair

Good morning! Happy Friday!! I've got a busy, busy weekend ahead of me - not only do I have my normal homework/test cycle, but Monday starts my week for Growing in Unity and it's the first day of NaBloPoMo. I'm not up for NaNoWriMo - there's no way I could write 50,000 words in a month - but I think I can manage a blog post a day for 30 days. Anybody else up for the challenge?

So of course, being Friday, it's time for Friends With Flair! For a full list of participating peeps, check out the Unity blog - and don't forget...someone is hiding that blinkie. I'm still hoping I win those 25 stamps one of these weeks!

And speaking of stamps, did you guys SEE the new stamps?? Unity and Jillibean Soup! Now there's a cool combo!! I'm trying to figure out if I can maybe, just maybe, find a way to justify buying some of them.

So, my flair card today fulfills several challenges. I said it was a little bit, though, because it's only 4" square! First of all, it's for All Things Unity's paper piecing challenge. It's also my 2nd Hope You Can Cling To challenge card. Lori Craig's challenge was to "bring in the brown" - use brown with the pink for breast cancer. Done and done.

The Etsy Inspired Challenge shop this week is just downright gorgeous. Drool-worthy even. I already knew I was going to make a pink and brown card because of the challenge from HYCCT. But the style from the prints in Stelettoheights, and The Dream Thief in particular, lead me directly to some old Sugardrop paper from Memory Box. Yum!!

And lastly (I think...it's late and my brain is getting pretty fuzzy) it's Mojo Monday 162.So that's it for me. Enjoy the hop and have an awesome weekend! I should have pics to share next week of my youngest two all dressed up for Halloween. Then {ippity} on Monday and who knows how the rest of the week will go. You'll just have to come back and be surprised.

H{ippity} H{op} Monday

I've got the Monday morning blahs today. No idea why. I think my mojo took a vacation.

I've got a quick little card that I made for All Things Unity's paper piecing challenge and for Tanis' Colors of Hope Challenge - it's one of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges to benefit UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.For a full list of hopping peeps, check out the {ippity} blog.

One Layer FWF

Morning Peeps. Hope you've all had a good week. Things are crazy here, but with 5 kids, that's pretty much status quo. I have a final exam coming up early next week. I'm sure I'll be fine, but I always get nervous about such things.

Today I've got a one layer card for you. It's super simple. The only thing I'm not happy about is that I really thought I had some silver cording. I found some gold, but that...um...no. Not gonna work. Instead, I used a very thin ribbon. I may pick up some silver cording this weekend and change it out.

I noticed that All Things Unity has teamed up with Jennifer McQuire to do Cards for Kids, so I was on the lookout for card idea. I'd wanted to do a one-layer card for today's post, and for Kelly Mahany's WCMD challenge, so I was thinking up ideas on that when I came across the One-Layer Wednesday challenge. Uh oh...a new-to-me challenge. This week's is to add a metallic element to your card. As soon as I read that, everything came together.

I used the bicycle stamp and Smile sentiment from Everyday Adorable and embossed them with silver detail embossing powder. I still wish I'd had silver cording! I think it would have set the card off perfectly.

That's it for me today. Check out the full list of Friends With Flair on the Unity blog. I wonder who's hiding the blinkie this week.

A Whole Latte Coffee

Hey everyone! My desktop is still down for the count. I'm still not exactly sure what happened, but I may have run into a malicious website, since it seems to be fine - unless I try to open up Firefox. As soon as Firefox tries to restore the previous session, everything locks up. I've tried reinstalling over the old version, uninstalling and reinstalling...and now I've completely removed all evidence of Firefox from my system. Yes, the spousal unit made me do it myself, while standing over my shoulder and telling me what to type in, since when it comes to registry information, I'm fairly clueless.

Anyway, I took a little time to play around with a few challenges. First off is this week's Color Throwdown #108- Kraft, So Saffron, and Chocolate Chip. Next, I thought I'd check out a couple of the Splitcoaststampers challenges. The first one was one I've not done before. It's called the Featured Stamper Challenge. A stamper is chosen each week and the challenge is to CASE one of his or her cards. This week it is BobbiesGirl, whose name happens to be Carol. I chose this card of hers to CASE. I went close enough to her card to also do CAS82 - to be inspired by the word "delicious."
And of course, I had to go with my absolute favourite challenge. Anyone wanna guess? You get three chances and the first 2 don't count, because of course it's Etsy Inspired! This week, the shop is Glamasaurus - and let me tell you, this is one shop I do not dare
share with my daughters, particularly the younger two. They would want half the shop! I took my final inspiration from this plate of cookies. How did I get my card from a plate of cookies? Well, in part, the colours. I can see Kraft and...er, chocolate chip... there. But also, when I see cookies, I don't want a big glass of milk. I want a triple venti skim caramel macchiato!!

Other challenges this card is for:
The Shabby Tea Room #25 - Old Meets New: The sentiment is from my one of my very first GinaK sets, bought app 18 months ago. The Starbucks stamp is a brand new gift from my friend Jen!
A Crafty Little Place #54 - Anything Goes
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #99 - Clean & Simple
All Things Unity - What's Your Flavour: um, am I getting closer? still simple and I think it's kinda cute...and well, heck. Coffee is ALWAYS my flavour!!!