CPS 234

CPS Sketch 234 is sponsored by Unity Stamp Company!  Love this adorable set, Margarita Moments, so fun to color with brightly colored Copic markers!  This sentiment was perfect for this layout, and using water-based markers directly to the rubber gave it a little extra pop of color to match the line art!  Just looking at it makes me happy!  Who needs happy hour?!  ;)

Notes:
Unity Margarita Moments
Echo Park and Kaiser Craft designer papers
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
SU markers (for the sentiment)
Spellbinders classic rectangles, classic circles
Martha Stewart chunky glitter "salt"

Unity Sale at i {heart} papers!

Hello! Today the IHP DT is Hip Hopping along with the Unity Design Team, so be sure to check our blogs and theirs for fabulous projects showcasing Unity stamps!

In celebration of this little hop, ALL full-sized kits are $12 or less! There is VERY limited inventory and these past kits will not be restocked so don’t wait or you might miss your chance to get them at this price. Happy hopping and happy SHOPPING!

Tracy
Carolyn
Kendra
Kate
Lori
Lynn
Gretchen
Loretta

Notes:
Unity Bouncy Blue
Echo Park designer paper
Memento ink
Copic markers
Copic multiliner
Nestabilities tag
satin ribbon
adhesive dots

ihp Birthday Bash Gift Card Challenge

Welcome to Day 3 of i {heart} papers' Birthday Bash!  If you missed the first two days of our celebration, be sure to visit Kate's blog post from Day 1 to catch up on all the festivities and bring yourself up to speed on opportunities to score discount coupons and free stuff!

Today I have the privilege of hosting our final challenge.  As the mom of a 16 year old son, I know the dilemma of purchasing a gift that is meaningful for the recipient versus giving cash so that they can pool gift resources and buy themselves something they really want.  I have found that a hand-made card with a gift card tucked inside is the perfect compromise...better than ever if the card can be spent anywhere!

My challenge is for you to make a card that makes a personalized presentation for a credit-card-style gift card.  There are all kinds of options available, and plenty of tutorials at your disposal to help you accomplish this task!  Just take a look at the gift card holder gallery at Splitcoaststampers.com, and then check out the project resources section to get your creative juices flowing.  There are several here too if you'd rather cut straight to the chase!

For my gift card holder, I started with a 4 1/4 x 11 1/2 inch piece of card stock scored it at 3 inches,  5 1/2 inches, then flipped and scored at 3 again...the folds, when scored, create a "w" configuration.  Apply glue to the very edges of one point of the w so that the bottom sticks together.  It is important to apply glue only to the very edges so that the inside will remain open to form a pocket for the gift card.  I used a word window punch and a round tab punch to create a shaped opening for mine.

The front and inside can be decorated any way you like.  The only important thing to consider is the closure.  It is easiest to adhere a length of ribbon to the front before adding the decorative top panel.

For my card, I used some scraps of SEI Moonrise designer paper and a matching metal filigree butterfly, a little lace, and some beautiful sheer gold ribbon.  The beaded oval frame is adorned with Zva Creative bling, and the oval die cut focal image is from one of Unity's store kits.  I used a copper spiral clip to lift the butterfly off the surface to a more realistic angle.  I kept the inside relatively simple, stamping a sentiment directly on the center section and adding designer paper to the inside of the front and back flaps.

Can't wait to see your submissions to my challenge!  You can upload your card to an online gallery (keyword IHPBB10GC) or to your blog, but be sure to come back to list your link here with Mr. Linky!

Thanks!

I made this card as a thank you to our family for the great time we had together this vacation...there's a cute ceramic turtle in the garden which inspired me to use these colors and this adorable Unity image.  LOVE this Basic Grey Oliver paper!  This deep red pom pom trim is a perfect match!

I have certainly enjoyed having my stamps and Copic markers along for this trip.  I even got to stamp with my SIL from Arizona, which was sooooo fun!  She loved it...wish we could be together more often!  I don't think it would be too hard to have her addicted to this fabulous hobby!

My flight was delayed, which would have caused me to miss my connecting flight home, so I got to spend an extra night here and will hopefully be heading home this afternoon!  I'll have to hit the deck running!  I have some upcoming design team challenges, and we'll be starting homeschooling for the year again soon.  I'm not ready for summer to end, but I'm ready to be home again!  Traveling is fun, but there really is no place like home!

Unity FWF!

I'm so excited to be part of today's Unity FWF!  My young friend Keri called last weekend to ask if I would take her stamping at our LSS.  My new Unity store kit had just arrived from Kate at i {heart} papers so she didn't have to twist my arm!  When I saw this gorgeous designer paper (Scrap Within Reach, The Cottage Collection) I couldn't work on anything else until I had these cute images stamped and Copic colored!  I love these calm, relaxing hues, which go along perfectly with this sentiment!  So often things will work out better when we just have a little faith and quit trying SO hard!  It also helps to have a little encouragement from our friends!  ;)

I had almost finished my card and was wandering around the store looking for *just the thing it needed* not knowing exactly what that was.  I showed it to Janet and a little crowd of customers gathered round to see too.  One of them squealed and ran to her stash to bring out that adorable blingy dragonfly!  What a perfect match!  Gotta love this fabulous hobby that unites us all in our love of creativity through stamping and scrapping!  






I'm also really thrilled to have my blog be the home of the Unity FWF blinkie this week!  I'll be choosing a winner on Saturday morning, so be sure to leave your comment here for a chance to win!  Please, make it a sincere one!  :)

eta:  The winner has been drawn!  Congratulations to Laurel Seabrook! 

I hope that you have seen something you like so that you'll visit again soon!  Have a great weekend!

World Card Making Day!

I'm hoping to play along with as many World Card Making Day challenges as I can fit in! Here's my first card, for the Unity challenge on Splitcoaststampers. I didn't have an 8.5 inch wide piece of Rose Red to use w/ this Bittersweet designer paper, so I had to make a scallop-edged card with an overhanging image. It came out ok, very Valentine-ish. Most supplies are from i {heart} papers.

Notes:

Stamps: Unity
Papers: Basic Grey Bittersweet
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in tea dye
Accessories: Nestabilities squares, Copic markers, Kaiser pearl, primas, rickrack and button from the stash!

Here's a card for Beate, Jenn and Lori's challenge to make a Chocolate Sketch Thank-you card. I used some SEI Chocolat` Mousse and Noisette designer paper that I've been hoarding forever! It is so shimmery and beautiful I just wasn't quite brave enough to cut into it. I am going to *attempt* to show you the way it changes from silver to gold depending on the light.

This paper is so yummy that you just don't want to do anything to cover it up! I stayed very simply to the sketch and let the paper speak for itself. All I added was a Hero Arts sentiment cut and matted with Nesties, a few Basic Grey Opaline pearls and a sheer bow.

Two cards today!

Today is Wednesday, which means Color Dare #36...but there's another post below for OCL's Spotlight Set of the Week!

I missed playing Color Dare last week so I really didn't want to miss this one, but with all I've got going on, I had to get up early to play! I'm so glad I did because this card was really a fun one! The colors are Barely Banana, Creamy Caramel and Bermuda Bay. LOVE this cute Unity image from i {heart} papers...the Bermuda Bay made me think of those eggs, and I love how it turned out with a quick flick of ink with the aquapainter on vanilla card stock. I used Mojo sketch #96 for the layout, adding a little texture with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the large and small circle nesties to mat the image. I am also really getting the mileage out of one of my new favorite tools, the Bow Easy.