Unity Blog Hop 05.15.14!

This month is flying by! It’s almost summertime. Today in my neck of the woods, it’s forecasted to reach as high as 95 degrees! I’m not ready for that yet--I’m just not and don’t think I’ll ever be ready for that.

Today I’ve got some projects to share that I had the pleasure to put together recently using this month’s Kit of the Month, SMAK Kit, some Suzi Blu, and an ANGIEGirl!

Let’s start with a pillow!

A few years ago, I discovered a product (PhotoFabric) that allows one to assemble a scene or put together an image using your computer, print it using your home printer, and then use it as fabric to sew for use on pillows, bags, quilts, and a number of other sewable items. In order to use this technology with rubber stamps, you must make the rubber stamp a digital image. The way I do it with my stamp collection is I first stamp the image(s) onto white cardstock and then scan that piece into my computer using my scanner.  Once it’s in my computer, I can arrange the image(s) any way I like using Photoshop Elements. Then I print it onto Photofabric following their guidelines. It really is that simple. If you don’t own a scanner, stamp the images onto cardstock and then see if your local Staples print/copy center will scan them for you and save them to a jump drive, disk, etc. I think they can also email the images to you.

Pillows are an excellent beginner sewing project.  In fact, I often relate pillows in the sewing world to cards in the paper crafting industry.  You just arrange the scene however you want it, keep it simple, embellish or not—it’s up to you and your imagination. They make excellent gifts AND you can make a matching card to accompany your creation. If there’s some interest in this, please let me know below in the comments and I’ll see if I can put together a video showing how I accomplish this. Pillows are FUN and one of the most rewarding sewing projects around.

In the above pillow I used a sentiment and an image from this month’s Kit of the Month (link to KOM below) and Spring Flower Chic-Exclusive Stamp by Suzi Blu available at Unity Stamp Company.

(clicking on the image will take you to the product page at Unity)

Here are a couple of layouts for all of the animal lovers out there.  About five years ago, a couple of puppies from the same litter entered our lives and enchanted our family.  Their names are Dixie and Dottie.  If you’ve seen my latest video (StampTech Episode 2), you’ve met Dixie.  Well, this is Dottie, her sister.  They are both cuddlers and, with their small size, we call them our forever puppies. As soon as my butt hits the couch or bed, I’m owned by these two. This is a picture of me being owned (and loving it) by a pint-sized forever puppy named Dottie.

In this layout I used a sentiment (perfect friend) from the latest Kit of the Month, “Hey Girl”  with a stamped image (the stitches/stars) from the latest SMAK kit, “Day Dreaming” available at Unity Stamp Company.

(clicking on the images will take you to the product pages at Unity) Here’s another layout featuring my forever puppies, Dixie and Dottie, this time with an ANGIEGirl!  In this photo, my youngest daughter, Gwen, is enjoying some chicken tacos BUT Dottie is wanting Gwen to share these amazing tacos. What you may not notice at first, is where is Dixie in the photo?  Notice the bottom right corner of the photo and you’ll see her lying under Dottie, looking defeated. Her eyes say it all. This is one of my all-time favorite photos.(clicking on the image will take you to the product pages at Unity) Next up is a customized card I put together in Silhouette Studio using the balloon girl and quite a sassy, bold sentiment from this month’s Kit of the Month, “Hey Girl” (link to KOM above).Here’s another angle of the customized card, showing how the balloon girl swings out from the hinges.This image was watercolored using ArtRage 4 which is a stylish and easy-to-use painting software for your computer, iPad, iPhone, etc., with tools that feel just like the real thing. If you’re wanting to try your hand at water coloring and own an iPad, this might just be the software for you. It’s only $4.99. I use it with my PC and a Wacom tablet. I don’t have to buy/store watercolors, paper, etc., and there are a number of other intuitive tools included in the software. The software also comes with the ability to make images into stencils. It’s fun, trust me!  If there is enough interest in seeing how I use this software to watercolor, please let me know in the comments section below and I’ll put together a video.

We have TWO amazing Unity filled prize packages to giveaway.  Leave a comment on EACH blog in the hop (including the Unity blog) for your chance to win.  The winners will be announced Saturday night by Karen Maldonado on the Unity blog.

Be sure you take advantage of Unity’s latest promotion by clicking the graphics below which are just like magical portals that will take you away to Unity Stamp Company where you can SHOP—SHOP--SHOP!

SALE STARTS AT NOON CENTRAL TIME

PLEASE share your lovely creations on Facebook with the Unity {show & tell) Facebook group. Lots of us check-in there daily (I check in several times daily—I’m addicted to inspiration). Click on the next picture below to be taken to the next design team member’s blog for some Unity inspiration. Have fun hoppin’!