Unity Blog Hop 10.16.14!!

YIPPEE--It’s THURSDAY and Unity’s got NEW releases—Four Christmas kits by Phyllis Harris. Also, there’s a SALE, a blog hop, and I’ve got a NEW video for you, too.

Let’s get started with the NEW video where I show you how to use the Distress Marker Spritzer Tool 2 ways—with a Distress Marker and WITHOUT any marker in it at all.

The Distress Marker Spritzer Tool gives a speckled effect to paper projects when you use a Distress Marker in it. When used without a Distress Marker in it, you get a different result. Most of us know that when you spray distress inks with water, they react to produce random, cool effects. When using this tool without a pen in it, the tool provides bursts of air by pumping the bulb which helps move the ink/water randomly. Also, it helps to move the ink/water away from a particular place on your project that you want to keep clean or free from chaos. Watch the video to see how this is done!!

Also, I provide some tips on using the Distress Marker Spritzer Tool if it hasn’t worked for you in the past.

Below is the tag I completed in the video. I used a stamp from this month’s Kit of the Month (preview below).

Using a stamp from Unity Stamp Company’s October 2014 Kit of the Month

In addition, if you haven’t seen how I use my Silhouette Cameo with the Pixscan mat to help me with my fussy cutting, here’s a video I prepared a little while back. This is the same process I used to fussy cut the angel and add the offset to the angel.

The magic of a Pixscan mat, a Silhouette Cameo, and Unity Stamps--Fussy Cutting

Below is a preview of this month’s Kit of the Month, Love & Joy for the Holidays. As I’ve said before--This is THE kit to have for the coming holiday season and for years to come. You can easily whip out some cards, holiday tags, ornaments, keepsakes, gifts—whatever your crafty heart desires to make.

Here’s a peek at the Four NEW Christmas kits by Phyllis Harris

WHAT does Unity have this week for two lucky Unity enthusiasts?!!!

We have TWO amazing Unity filled prize packages to giveaway (Unity sign not included). 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 on the Unity blog:

http://theunitystampco.blogspot.com/

Good luck to you ALL!

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).

Thank you all so much for hopping along with us and leaving positive comments. They are MUCH appreciated. If you ever have questions regarding my creative process or crafty items or tools that I use along the journey, PLEASE leave me your questions in the comments.

Click on the next picture below to be taken to the next blog in the hop for some Unity inspiration!

Tag Tuesday Challenge: Starry Night

Here’s my tag for Tag Tuesday using “Starry Night” as the challenge prompt.  Today is the last day you can post tags to this challenge at the Tag Tuesday Blog. The next theme will be posted on Tuesday, December 31.

To support the challenge prompt, I used a background patterned paper that had the look and feel of a wintery, starry night, the sentiment simply continues the theme, and the big nested star at the top of the tag serves as a guide to the theme as well.  Interesting challenge!

Interesting Pause Tag Supplies List

Art Doll digital stamp from The Stamping Boutique.  This image was colored using the Silent Night Collection’s color palette in Photoshop Elements, traced in Silhouette Studio, and then printed-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo.  It was printed onto printable white sticker paper, adhered to chipboard, and applied to the tag base using 3D Zots.  Glossy Accents by Ranger was applied to the hearts of this image.

This digital stamp is only $3.25 and because it’s digital, you don’t pay for shipping and you get it FAST!  Clicking on the image below will take you directly to the product page at The Stamping Boutique.

Tim Holtz Tag & Bookplates Die by Sizzix (cut using my Silhouette Cameo); Black Soot Distress Ink was applied to the edges of the tag.  Mustard Seed Distress Ink and Pumice Stone Distress Ink were applied to tag topper and other bits and pieces of the tag.  OF NOTE: 

The Silent Night Collection was used for the background print of the tag, the stars, the tag topper print, and the sentiment.  These elements were printed-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo using printable white sticker paper and chipboard to give it some added weight. This digital kit is by Nancie Rowe Janitz and Melanie Ritchie and is available NOW at jessicasprague.com.

The tag topper base is by Silhouette America.  OF NOTE:  The tag topper was printed-and-cut using printable white sticker paper and adhered to chipboard.  It was then embossed using a Cuttlebug and a Tim Holtz embossing folder.

Heavy duty jute from hardware store was applied to the tag by tying a bow.

Below is a peek at the Silent Night Collection Kit that I used in the tag above. 

Click on the collection image below to be taken directly to the product page at jessicasprague.com.

Faux Polaroid Rosette Turkey Door Decor

Last year I made a small rosette turkey for a greeting card and admired it all year long.  I couldn’t wait to get started this year for the next installment of . . . Rosette Turkey!  I used the same cut and sentiment from Animal Kingdom Cricut cartridge.  I inserted an ultrafine sharpie into my Cricut Expression 2 and had it draw the sentiment and turkey legs onto some watercolor paper.  My Cricut also drew the turkey body which was then cut.  I then colored the background and turkey body, legs, etc., using a combination of Tim Holtz Distress Ink markers, pads, and Stampin’ Up watercolor pencils.  Then I sewed the clouds (digital patterned paper from Lori Whitlock’s Fall Fling Collection) onto the background.   Twine was tied into a bow and adhered to the top of a piece of 12-x-12-inch chipboard. The watercolor paper piece (background with sentiment) was trimmed and adhered to the white side of the chipboard, so that it resembled a Polaroid.  The rosette (digital patterned paper also from Lori Whitlock’s Fall Fling Collection) was from Close To My Heart’s Artiste cartridge.  This was assembled and hot glued onto the background.   I hot glued the turkey body where shown, added a black cardstock bow tie with button (also from CTMH Artiste cartridge), and applied glossy accents to the turkey’s wattle (because every wattle needs dimension!).  Black pearls were added to the Turkey’s eyes.   Then . . . I hung it on my front door!

Amador County Farm Day

Recently I had the honor of chaperoning my daughter and her class at our county’s first Farm Day--what a treat!  Gwen was so taken with the chickens that we might just have to get a couple for our backyard next spring.  I think it will be a great learning experience for the kids and maybe we’ll get a few eggs a week out of it.  By the way, you DO NOT need a rooster if you just want eggs.  I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll understand why.  The reason I’m bringing this up is that initially, after explaining to more than a few people that I just wanted to have some backyard chickens for eggs, they kept explaining I needed a rooster.  Being the understanding person that I am, I just nodded my head and walked away.  Trust me, I don’t want to BREED the hens, I just want their EGGS.

That day, instead of lugging around my big DSLR, I decided to just use my iPhone to take pictures. I couldn’t help but take the pictures and combine them in an album for her as a keepsake of our day together.  The Spellbinder’s Snapshot set came in handy as well as Cricut’s new Mini Books cartridge.

Hopefully I will have the opportunity to go with my son, Raiden, next year.  Maybe after that trip, we’ll plant a vegetable garden, too—Lol!    

The tag above lists all the children that were in our group during the Farm Day tour at the Fairgrounds.

The children were given a swag bag at the event.  Gwen gave me permission to use the ruler she received in the bag as an embellishment in her album.  You’ll see the rest of it at the end.

The tag on the right side includes the folded itinerary for the day that we received at school before leaving on the trip.  Each activity was given a letter on the itinerary which explained the nature of the activity.  Most of the pictures I included in the book after this page will have a letter on the tab which refers back to this itinerary.   The picture below shows the itinerary unfolded.

The picture above shows the other side of the tag with attached itinerary.  Below, you will see how this side will unfold and show a map we used that day of the Fairgrounds to get to each activity.

In the above picture and in the picture below, you see that ruler again!

This entire album, almost every page (except for the manila tags) was constructed with chipboard.  By the time I was done assembling my pages, I noticed it was quite bulky.  With that said, I did have to remove some pages (not pictured above) from the album.  One of the things I had removed was a cardstock folder assembled using that new Cricut cartridge called Mini Books.  Our name tags from the day were going to be nestled in that pocket.  I just loved it but it had to go. In the future, I think most of my pages will be constructed with cardstock instead.  Also, the spine originally was closed---another cut from Cricut’s Mini Books cartridge, but it was just too bulky, so I had to cut it in half.   

All in all I am very proud of it, but most of all, so is Gwen.  It’s hers after all is said and done.  This did take quite a bit of time but we just had Fall Break and Gwen helped me in the planning of her album while we were off. 

Below will be a list of items and tools used to assemble the album.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at cammie1971@yahoo.com.  TFL!

Supplies

All patterned paper and some doodle elements by Nancie Rowe Janitz available at  jessicasprague.com items:

My Doodle Book

Mixed 4:  Mixed Media Canvas

Mixed 3: Backgrounds

Die Cutters, Tools, Inks, and Stamps

Cricut Mini Books and CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridges used with Cricut Expression 2 and Gypsy for album structure

Spellbinders Grand Calibur and following dies for frames, etc:  Snapshot, Nested Lacy Pennants, and Labels Two, Twenty, and Twenty-Five.

Jenni Bowlin For Fiskars Tab Punch and Butterfly Punch

WRMK Crop-a-dile 2 and large eyelets on binding of book and pages

I-Rock and crystals by Imaginisce

Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pens and Pads:  Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, China Blue, Faded Jeans, Barn Door

K&Company Smash Tape and Smash Clips

Stamps by Unity Stamp Company:  Summers Best by Simple Stories, Travel Notes, Slow & Steady, and 1/12 and 9/12 Kits of the Month

Distress’ed Out!

But in a good way!  For the past couple of weeks I’ve been taking THE online class by Tim Holtz, Creative Chemistry 101, at onlinecardclasses.com.  If you haven’t taken an online class there before, you should, especially this one.  I’ve learned SO much and inspiration has come easy taking Professor Tim’s class.  Here’s some pics of what I’ve been up to.

Pictures of how I binded all the tags and will store them:

I was so lucky to have made some cupcakes during the class.  That’s when I came across the cocoa box and decided to use the empty one as a container for my tags.  Very easy to upcycle by using ModPodge and scrapbook paper, ribbon, etc. 

Day 2 of CC101:

Day 3 of CC101:

Day 4 of CC101:

On Day 4, I wasn’t able to complete the third tag as I didn’t have any cut-n-dry felt.  At this point, I don’t think I’m going to purchase any, so no tag that day—LOL!  I might change my mind in the future If I can find another reason to use cut-n-dry felt. 

Day 5 of CC101:

Day 6 of CC101:

Day 6 tags are a favorite of mine as I had been waiting for my full set of distress markers to arrive as I had pre-ordered them shortly after CHA.  They arrived on the last day of class, so I was able to participate in that portion after all.  When they arrived from Absolutely Everything, they were gift wrapped with free goodies, some Perfect Pearl powders, which was a surprise in and of itself as I had only had one color previously, and this was a technique Tim was using in the class!

Day 7 of CC101:

On Day 7, I wasn’t able to complete the third tag as I didn’t have any Distress Embossing Powder, but I plan to make one when I get some as class videos, handouts, etc., will be available to me forEVER!

Day 8 of CC101:

Day 9 of CC101:

Day 10 of CC101:

I’m feeling such a sense of satisfaction upon completion of this class.  It was tremendously detail-oriented, complete with techniques and tips I’ve already put in motion with my Ranger supplies and my creative process.  The class materials are available to me forever and I think I will be referring to them quite a bit.  I highly recommend taking this class—you still can—it just won’t be live.  BTW:  Tim is one cool dude.

Yours Truly

I’m so in love with these little boxes from svgcuts.com.  They sure come in handy for Valentine’s Day, too.  After helping my children put together their Valentines, I was definitely in the mood to make something for their teachers, too.  These boxes hold Dove milk chocolate hearts and so does my belly!   I also made a home decor project with the same Echo Park Yours Truly collection.  In fact, I only printed three sheets of 12-x-12 patterned papers from the Yours Truly paper and element kits and had enough to make two boxes with tags and the home decor project pictured below.  I’m pretty sure I can even get a card with embellishments with what’s left over.  It’s a great collection---SO cute!

Candy Boxes and Home Decor Frame Set Supplies

Yours Truly Paper Pack 1 and 2 and Elements 2 available at jessicasprague.com; one-piece boxes svg kit from svgcuts.com; Cuttlebug butterfly and hearts embossing set; twine, eyelets, and ribbons.

Last but not least, I went to a baby shower over the weekend with my youngest daughter, Gwendolen, and we had much fun.  It’s been quite a while since I went to one and it was her first time.  She was so delighted to take part in all the games and belong in a house full of women, talking, bonding, and eating cake.

Baby Girl Card Supplies

Lily Kate paper by Basic Grey; CTMH grey wool and Hollyhock cardstock; Tim Holtz Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Rock Candy Stickles, and Vintage Market die; Dress die by Sizzix; white embossing powder; Alpha stamps with punch by Stampin’ Up; string, embroidery thread and sewing machine.

Hope you all have a Happy Valentine’s Day.  I’m going to inhale quite a bit of chocolate!

More Clean and Simple Cards

Here are some images of cards I’ve completed recently, with the Clean and Simple Card Class techniques and lessons as inspiration, some hybrid and some traditional.  TFL!

Thanks

Colonial White cardstock, Hollyhock cardstock, and Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, CTMH; Vintage photo, Broken China, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks, Tim Holtz/Ranger; Large Flower Background, Hero Arts; Thanks sentiment, Unity KOM 01/12; White embossing powder and black embossing powder; Watercolor pencils, Stampin’ Up; sewing machine and embroidery thread.

Thinking of You (Hybrid)

Cotton Tail Papers, Samantha Walker, jessicasprague.com; Heart die, Sizzix; Embossed button punch, Martha Stewart; Butterfly layering punch; EK Success; Broken China, Mustard Seed, and Festive Berries Distress Ink, Tim Holtz/Ranger; Thinking of You sentiment, Hero Arts/Two Peas digital product; Sewing machine and embroidery thread.

Thank You Very Much (Hybrid)

Holly Lane Paper Pack, Ki Memories, jessicasprague.com; Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, CTMH; Ribbons and Rosettes Cricut Cartridge; Thank You Very Much sentiment, Hero Arts/Two Peas digital product; Festive Berries, Broken China, and Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Tim Holtz/Ranger.

Oh Happy Day!

Black and Bamboo cardstock, CTMH; Prismacolor Pencils; White ink; white embossing powder; Wildflower Garden, Hero Arts; Happy Days Clear Stamps, My Minds Eye; Border Punch, EK Success; Button, Autumn Leaves.

It’s All About Love

It’s All About Love stamp set, Unity; White embossing powder; water color paper; Faded Jeans, Broken China, Peeled Paint, and Wild Honey Distress Ink, and Tiny Attacher Tim Holtz/Ranger; Pearlized water; string; Everyday Pop-Up Cards Cricut Cartridge.

Clean and Simple Cards Round 1

Hello Sunshine Hybrid Card

jessicasprague.com supplies:  Hello Sunshine Patterned Paper and Candy Candy by Cosmo Cricket.

Other Supplies: Tim Holtz scallop On The Edge die by Sizzix; brad, eyelet, and twine; 1-inch round punch.

Just For You Hybrid Card

jessicasprague.com supplies:  Clementine Patterned Paper by Cosmo Cricket; Meet and Greet Wordart by In The Making Designs

Other Supplies:  Just A Note Cricut Cartridge (Cosmo Cricket); sewing machine/thread; Hero Arts/Basic Gray Out of Print Flower Dot Pattern Cling; Tim Holtz Evergreen Bough Distress Ink, and Imaginisce i-rock gems.

You’re Precious To Me

Supplies:  Versafine black onyx ink; Hero Arts/Basic Gray Out of Print Flower Dot Pattern Cling; Hero Arts You’re Precious To Me rubber stamp; DCWV cardstock; Tim Holtz tiny attacher; brad, circle punches, and twine.

It’s All About Love

Supplies:  Tim Holtz Festive Berries Distress Ink; various stamps by Technique Tuesday, K&Company, and Unity. Cricut CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge (to make mask); red ribbon and EK Success border punch.

My Heart Sings: Happy New Year to you All!

My Wish:  Keep crafting, smiling, and loving the ones you love.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner . . .

You Make My Heart Sing ATC & Card Supplies

jessicasprague.com:  Pink Paislee’s Spellbound Paper Pack and Elements Pack—COMING SOON (Monday, January 9, 2012)

Other Supplies:  Tim Holtz ATC Sizzix die and Iced Spruce Distress Ink; twine; Stampendous Music Score Rubber Stamp; Inkadinkadoo Music Notes stamp wheel; Ranger Glossy Accents; CTMH cardstock

Santa Struck! & Not enough time or tags

(Santa Struck Supply List below)

Even though I got most of our shopping done on Black Friday, it still seems like Christmas snuck up on us again and with a vengeance. We did manage to get our Christmas tree up the first week of December, which hasn’t happened in a very, very long time but not all the decorations were hung or placed to my liking—oh well!  Next thing I knew, it was time to make batches upon batches of Heavenly Layered Bars (my husband refers to it as my Christmas Crack), volunteer for kids’ Christmas parties at school, and manage to get to school Christmas programs by 6 p.m.—all in one day—oh and work, feed the kids, and go to the bathroom (LOL!).  It happened but barely, even the bathroom (LOL) thing.  Me and the kids are off for the next couple of weeks and we plan to hug, craft, and be merry!  I’m sure it’s just as hectic if not more so for everyone else on the planet.  How did we get ourselves in such a jam for the holidays? I still haven’t wrapped any presents nor found a gift for my mother-in-law.  That, I hope, will happen today.  On Christmas morning, as always, I plan to make Monkey Bread, grits, and this year, start the crock pot using a recipe of scalloped potatoes and ham.  I really don’t want to make things difficult.  Relax and be merry.  Just have fun and be with our family. Simplicity is key.  I really don’t know how other families deal with and accomplish as much as they do for Christmas—cheers to you all for your hard work and I hope your families treat you with the respect and love you deserve.

The layout above was inspired by a visit to see Santa last weekend.  My children, just like your children I’m sure, tell you all year what they would like Santa to bring them for Christmas.  When my children were presented with Santa’s lap and his ear, I could not believe what I heard! They were star struck and stunned by the legend himself.  Couldn’t even utter the words they had been telling me for a full year.  My son is a full-blown video game fanatic.  What did he tell Santa he wanted? A car and a plane—I’d never heard that a day in his little life.  My daughter, on the other hand, took the crowd by storm (and might be a future candidate for Miss USA), “I just want my family to have a merry Christmas.”  It warmed my heart to hear them utter such cute nonsense and reminded me of one of my favorite holiday movies, “A Christmas Story”.  I still have not found time yet to see it this year—I’m adding THAT to the list. 

I used my circle punch to punch bottle caps from Carina Gardner’s element collection for the middle of the rosettes.  Also, when I die cut the rosettes from the digital kit papers, instead of folding a couple of them and using them as rosettes, I used them at the bottom of the photo/journaling block as scalloped borders. 

Jessicasprague.com Supplies for Santa Struck! Hybrid Layout

Vintage Christmas Element Collection--COMING SOON!
and Essentials Plus Mega Collection by Carina Gardner.

Other Supplies:  Tim Holtz Rosette and Mini Rosette Sizzix Dies, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, small circle punch, sewing machine/thread, printer, etc.

Did I tell you I happened to squeeze in some time to get some tags done?  I just couldn’t help myself.  This year I noticed a big trend online--tag making.  In noticing that, I went searching the internet and found it’s been a trend for quite some time now—thanks to Mr. Tim Holtz! I’ve had his Vintage Photo distress ink for years but really didn’t know what wonderful, cool coloring tools these distress inks were until I took an online card class, “Inspiration Showcase” by Jennifer McGuire a couple of months ago.  Since then, I’ve purchased quite a bit of Mr. Holtz’s inks, dies, tools, stamps, etc. Thanks, Jennifer.  If you haven’t taken this class, I suggest you do so.  My fingers haven’t been this inky in years!  It really revitalized my love for stamping.  Have you seen Unity Stamps?  Soooo cute! Have you seen the new Hero Arts 2012 stamps—amazing!  Oh my wallet hurts but my tags have never looked so good!