Little Candle

I made a quick candle this evening. The coloured area was done with Creative Inspirations Paints. The tutorial for the technique is here on Splitcoaststampers.Because the stamp was so wide, it took me two shots to show the entire thing. I set it in a nest of crinkle ribbon that I dyed. The stamp is from Unity.

CIDT - It's a Real Card

Guess what! I'm posting an actual card today! I made it last night for my Creative Inspirations Paints DT blog post...using several challenges that I found while checking out Feline Playful. I will list them all after the photo, along with how the card incorporates each of them.
Since my original goal was to write a post for the CIPaints blog, I started off with paint. I knew I wanted to paint my embellishments, so I thought of flowers. I thought I had some plain white paper flowers. I still think I do, but I sure couldn't find them last night! I found some kind of darkish blue-grey flowers in several sizes and shapes. I can work with those. Then I went looking for challenges to see if anything sparked.

First I found the sketch from Skipping Stones Design. That told me exactly what I was doing with my flowers. I checked through my scraps to see if I had a piece of cardstock that was already cut to the proper size for the card. I had 3 to choose from and I went with purple. I like purple.

While I was checking out sketches, I spotted the Shopping Our Stash challenge. Never been inked? Oh yeah. I have a few of those. So I had to play in that challenge. Plus the post was written by my friend Carla (hi Carla!!) Right off I decided to use the background stamp, Paisley Deco, from Unity Stamps. It was one of the very first stamps I got from Unity...and it had never been inked. I eventually went with a sentiment from Forever Friends (because it matched the flowers and because it went with the Pollycraft Monday Challenge of friends and friendship) that had also gone uninked, so I'm just all kinds of shopping my stash.

Divas By Design said to be monochromatic, so I stayed with purple when stamping that sentiment instead of using black, which had been my original plan. I think it looks better than the black would have, even if it did take me several purples to get the right one!

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

Yeah...about that title. Blame the 17yo. She said the moon needed to be silver, so my black cat appears before an Antique Silver moon.
Because this was a card made for a Creative Inspirations Paints DT post, I took a close-up of the moon to show the shimmer of the paints.
Other than the Antique Silver Creative Inspirations Paint, nearly everything else is Memory Box. The paper is from the Nightfall 6x6 pad, the stamp is called Cat and Moon and the die is the Wrought Iron Fence, which I cut twice and overlapped so that I would have a finial on each end. Once that was done, I glued it onto the card so that it would appear that the cat was walking along the top. The sentiment is from Unity's Hauntingly Sweet, which is currently on sale for $4!!

Have a great day everyone!!

FWF - Unposted Unity

I wasn't really posting earlier this year, but I'm doing my darnedest to post for NaBloPoMo, do here's a page I made in August. It's been a very difficult year for my family and, as I wrote on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog, I tried to put everything I have been feeling into some art. This page is one I've made that I can look at when I'm feeling particularly down and need a little help remembering that it does get better.See if you can figure out which kits and/or single stamps I used.

I'm Back: CI Paints Inchies

Hey everyone. I know I haven't been around much lately. Things have just been really hard the past few months, starting with the huge family emergency in April. I can't really talk about that publicly yet. In part because it is still being investigated by NCIS (yes, really. Those guys.) Secondly, it involves the privacy of one of my daughters. You may read into that what you will.

Secondly, the spousal unit was forced to retire. He is still not working. He was "technically hired", also in April. In fact, the same week as everything else. But any of you who have ever worked with the government and security will know that those wheels grind very, very slowly. VERY. SLOWLY.

He has applied for temporary jobs and I have been looking for a job myself. Neither of us has had any luck. Neither has either of our sons (19 & 21.) Our 2 older daughters have been working (for tips only) as baggers at the commissary - that's how they can get away with "hiring" a 14yo. But I'm truly glad of it. The two of them have been paying for our groceries for the past 6 weeks. This is the worst things have ever been for us and I have felt helpless.

As a result, I've not been creating and I have not been online. How could I be, when this is all I can think about? I don't want to be the world's biggest downer. I don't want everyone to take pity on us. We will get through this. We've gotten some help from some of the most amazing friends. We have a roof over our heads and we have food. Except for our rent, all the bills are paid.

Before anyone asks, yes, as a retiree, he has a pension. It covers the medical/dental insurance fees and most of our regular bills - utilities, the few remaining credit cards we have, doctor copays...even without touching the rest of the bills, just insurance, it would be nearly $470 short of our rent. So we're paying everything else and our landlord is, so far, being as understanding as possible. But it's stressful.

And today, well yesterday, as it is now past midnight, was the anniversary of my friend Alice's passing. I miss her.

Now that I've gone and depressed everyone, how about I just copy over what I wrote for my Creative Inspirations Paints DT post?

Have you ever needed something quick and easy to add to a small gift or to jump start your mojo? Well, I needed a quick pick-me-up for myself, so I made some little inchie magnets for my fridge. I thought it might be fun to use parts of some larger stamps (from Unity's June 2009 KOTM: Perfect in Every Way) instead of using my dedicated inchie stamps, so I only inked up parts of them at a time before stamping. The larger the stamp, the less of it you need to ink. For the cherry, I did ink nearly the entire thing.

Once I had compositions I liked, I painted them with Chocolate, Garnet, Evergreen, and Green Olive Creative Inspirations Paints.
It's pretty easy to see the sparkle and shimmer, although I do wish the photo had been clearer. It was either get the details of the cherry, or get the glimmer of the paint. I went with the sparkle. These little guys make me smile when I see them holding up coupons or the latest grocery receipt.

Thanks for sticking with me. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

OWH Memorial Day Weekend Hop

Good morning!! It's time for the Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop for Operation Write Home! You should be coming here from
Sharon's blog.
If not, or if you get lost, head on back to the very beginning.

I've got a Heartfelt Creations card to share based on this card by Mona Pendleton.I thought it would translate beautifully using the Semper Augustus Tulips. The sentiment is from the Dutch Iris Oval precut set and the hummingbird is from the Springtime Medley Collection - the Angel Trumpet Flower, to be specific. The matching die makes it a snap to get a perfect cut every time.

Over the top, I stamped Unity's Worn Music in Vintage PhotoDistress Ink. As usual, when making cards for Operation Write Home, I've used Memory Box cardstock because of it's white reverse side, making it ideal for any writing conditions.

Copics used were YG13, YG23, RV14, RV17 and RV19.

Thanks so much for visiting me today! Next on the hop is the lovely and talented
Joanne!

PS - I almost forgot to mention! The spousal unit officially retired from the Air Force on 1 April after 24 years 4 months and 17 days.
I'm proud of him.

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.

EtsyInspired #139 - Paula Art

Wow. I almost feel like I've forgotten how to write a real blog post! But I think I can, I think I can! It's Saturday, which is EtsyInspired time again. We're biweekly now, so you'll have 2 full weeks to play along!

This week we've got a super cool shop. Paula Art is contemporary, collectible art for your home, using as many recycled, reclaimed and reused items as possible. This makes for some very intriguing pieces! This is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill art. This truly is super cool and downright funky!

I chose to be inspired by the colours in the photo of these pipe vases - red, white, grey/black, and kind of a sandy colour. I like the colours and I think they're pretty darned awesome looking.

I went totally CAS to coincide with the SCS CAS DT search, but our sponsor this week, Shery K Designs has some great patterned paper that would work perfectly with the colours I chose, including the Victoria Super Mega Paper Pack, which is only $3!!

Deets:
Stamps: Unity Beach Days & Sun Rays
Ink: SU Real Red, Distress Ink Vintage Linen, Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: SU Real Red, GinaK Pure Luxury Base Weight
Etc: Embossing powder - clear & Brushed Corduroy Distress, pop dots

Now it's your turn. For full deets and to link up your project for this week, head on over to the EtsyInspired Blog. You've got until Friday, June 3, at noon, Pacific time. Before you go, though, check out the rest of the EIC team...Ashley & Emily may be a tad late, so if they haven't gotten their posts up when you get there, check them out later today.

Angi
Ashley
De
Ellie Augustin - May Guest DT!
Emily B.
Jackie
Joy
Kerry
Ruby
Savannah
Sherry
Virginia

Thanks for stopping by and for all of your thoughts and prayers.

GIU Makeup Day 4ish

Hey guys. That fibro flare has me good and hard still, but I will finish out last week to give everyone their full opportunities to comment and win.

Today was my first day on the Creative Inspirations Paint blog, and since typing hurts, I'm going to cut/paste most of what I wrote over there.

This past week has been birthday central around my house, so I made a birthday card using a few Unity stamps. I thought I'd try painting directly onto my stamps and stamping with them, since I'd never used my paints that way before. As you can see, it worked out really well! It's definitely a different look, but I think it came out really cool, plus the shimmer is fantastic!

Deets:
Stamps: Unity - retired vine
Unity/Bella Blvd: Bella Trees & Sweet Celebration Birthday
Paint: Creative Inspirations Paints - Emerald, Evergreen
Cardstock: Memory Box, Neenah Classic Crest
Etc: embossing folder Swiss Dots

I especially love the look of the vine stamp down the left side of the card. I'm definitely going to be using this technique more often! I did learn that it works a lot better with a stamp that has more solid areas, rather than just outlines, such as the sentiment, but that did still work. I can hardly wait to try it with multiple colours!

Paper Maniac has all of their Unity stamps on sale for 40% off throughout the month of April. That's a fantastic steal! Great time to pick up one of the new Websters Pages kits or some Melody Ross....

CASEing Myself for Growing in Unity

It's day 3 of Growing in Unity and I was a little stumped. Ashley pointed me to the monochromatic challenge at Claudia & Company, and looking at Piali's card reminded me of a couple cards I made way back in April 2009. I'd actually forgotten that I'd originally CASE'd someone else when I made the first two way back then! The link to the original-original (made by LynniePoo) is in my SCS gallery description.

The layout works beautifully with Unity's big background stamps and it also works with the large {ippity} stamps.
The background on this one is Grandma's Apron. The sentiment comes from an older Kit of the Month (September 2008), which is now retired. Both are stamped in Faded Jeans Distress Ink.
For this card, I used {ippity}'s Gurnsey Gingham for the background and Life's Little Moments for the sentiment (both of which I do have in stock - just leave a comment or email me if you'd like either.)

That's two more for my 40 cards in 40 days for Operation Write Home. I hope some of you are joining me, even if it's just for one or two cards. See you again here tomorrow!

ACK!! Just realized I hit save last night rather than publish...so this didn't get put up at 8am like it was supposed to! I'm such a dork!

GIU - Jillibella Soup

Good morning. It's been busy already today. We had one heck of a thunderstorm at 4:00 this morning. It was loud enough to wake up several of us in the house. The wind was terrible. Then the Dell guy came and replaced the spousal unit's motherboard, soundcard and something else. We're hopeful that this will solve his blue-screen-of-death errors. We do know that 2 of the RAM slots on the old motherboard were bad, so cross fingers and all that.

Today, I've got a quick and easy birthday card, yet again for OWH. This is my go-to sketch, which is from Nina Brackett's first blogiversary. It's so multipurpose and just the easiest thing in the world.
The reason for the odd placement of the present and stars is because I accidentally droped the ink pad onto the card when I went to stamp the present a second time. Of course I already had the background attached to the base.

Oh, and my goofy title for today is because I used Jillibean Soup paper (Yellow Squash) and Sweet Celebration Birthday from Unity's Bella Blvd co-branded stamps.

Have a great day today! I'll be back again tomorrow (much earlier!)

Friends With Flair - March 25

Hey everyone. I hope you are all having a really good week. The boys have been on Spring Break, so that's been nice. Today and Tuesday, the spousal unit will be taking the civilian form of the language test that he's taken yearly for the military. His results could net him a job, so I'm on pins and needles. It would truly be a wonderful thing for him to have a job offer prior to his final military paycheck on 1 April.

Anyway, it's Friday, so time for another episode of Friends With Flair! For a full list of participants, check out the Unity blog.
For my card today, I used the sketch from CPS#210. The colour combo is from the Play Date Cafe #74. The stamps are from an older kit I don't recall the name of and Simply Said. I get my Unity and Memory Box patterned paper at Paper Maniac.

Have a great weekend. Good luck finding the blinkie!!

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

FWF - March 18, 2011

Hey peeps! What's up with no Hip Hop chat yesterday?? Anybody else as bummed as I was? Oh well. Maybe next week?

So today I've got a quick card I made using the CPS sketch for this week (#209). It's my last one for All Things Unity's Birthday/Celebration challenge - which you still have time to enter...you have until tomorrow night, 11:59pm Eastern. Of course, this is also one more card in my own personal challenge of 40 cards in 40 days for Lent. I'll be sending them to Operation Write Home when I'm done.

Deets:
Cardstock - Kraft
Paper: Girls Paperie
Stamps: Unity Encompassed Grace
Ink: Versamark
Etc: Stampendous EP Claret, Mini pop dots

Head on over to the Unity blog to see who all is participating today. You may get lucky if you find that elusive blinkie! Good luck and I'll see you back here tomorrow with a new challenge from EtsyInspired!

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!

Braving FWF

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I'm so late today. I'm still pretty sick, but I really didn't want to miss a FWF Friday. I had these made in my head yesterday, but couldn't get across to anyone all the stuff I needed in order to make them - or rather, exactly where the supplies were. That's the problem with having no voice and with running out of air when you try to do anything yourself. Oh well. It'll get better.

So, All Things Unity is finishing up the "Use your favourite stamp(s)" challenge. I just love the Brave Girl Boots set, and the boots are my favourite stamp from the set, so I knew I needed to use them. I needed to go easy, due to circumstances, and I had this thought of an ATC. I wanted to do some emboss resist with Distress Inks. It just seemed fitting.
Supplies used:
Distress Inks: Black Soot, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Vintage Photo, Tumbled Glass, Bundled Sage, Aged Mahogany, Embossing Ink
Stamps: Unity Brave Girl Boots, Just My Type
Etc: October Afternoon alphabet stickers, Ink blending tool, Taylored Expressions Choice Snow White

FWF - Feb 11 2011

Hey Peeps. We're still in hack city around here. That's one of the things about some big families - once something starts to make the rounds, it usually goes around a few times before it's all done. No big deal, really, just a minor annoyance in the greater scheme of things. When it causes me to miss Hip Hop, though...that's really pushing it!

For FWF, I have a super CAS card pulling my sentiment from the Unity/Samantha Walker set Swirling Snow and layering it onto some Jillibean Soup paper. You can pick up both at Paper Maniac. The sketch is Clean & Simple Sunday Challenge #5.
For a full list of this week's participants, check out the Unity blog.

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!

February's First FWF

Wow. I think yesterday was the absolute slowest/least attended Hip Hop I've ever seen. I think a lot of peeps are either still traveling back from CHA or just haven't yet recovered from all the excitement and exhaustion, not to mention catching up with the lives they put on hold while they were in LA having fun while the rest of us were wishing we were there, too! I know we will all reap the benefits in the coming months, so I'm working on my patience.

In the mean time, there's a new Hip Hop Sketch Challenge (#43) and since I'm still working on Rachel's unofficial Neglected Unity Challenge, I've used one more stamp from the January '09 KOTM, Love, Etc. The heart stems come from the Sept. '09 KOTM, Go Ahead Wish. I may use it for my next "neglected" kit, particularly as these are the first stamps I've used from it! Three down, 18 to go...
Other than the two mentioned, I'm only entering this one in two other challenges - both Flourishes Timeless Tuesday (#103) and Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge (#40) have asked for a Valentine this week.

I tried Patter Cross's (ex-Unity DT) method of tying ribbons (shown here), just to see if I liked it better than my normal way. I think I will need to give it a few more tries before I make a decision. I had a little bit of a hard time making the bow lie straight, but that may just be because I need more practice. In theory, it should make things much easier, so for now I'm going with user error. In the end, I think the bow came out pretty well.

Head on over to the Unity blog to see who is hopping today. I'm sure the rest of the peeps are not as wordy as I. Good luck at finding the blinkie!