It's here! the cropchocolate.com design team banner blog hop!

And just so my FWF peeps know they are in the right place, I'm including some Unity here, too.  I am so excited to be designing for one of my favorite companies, cropchocolate.com.  I have been happily buying scrappy supplies from them for a few years now, and enjoying the great prices they offer, so what could be better than designing for them?  Just about nothing!  I am so honored to be here.  If you arrived here from Brenna's blog, you are in the right place.  I know you were wow'ed by her talents, so I'll see what I can do.  I have 3 projects to share with you, but first, I have some blog candy to give away. To win, please follow my blog, leave a comment, including how to contact you, and you will be eligible to win.  I will choose a winner Monday, July 30th, using random.org.

On to the artwork. We are planning on having a "banner" term as a design team, so that is the theme for this hop. When the new design team was announced in June, there was talk of us having very big shoes to fill, and that is very true.  That's where I came up with the idea for this first project -- filling those shoes any way I can.  Here's a card I made just for this occasion:

And, the sentiment says it perfectly, I'll put my best foot forward the 6 months I am representing cropchocolate.com, bringing you the best projects and ideas I am capable of. I used Echo Park card stock for the base, EP Victoria Gardens for the banner.  The banner is cut using the Cricut Pretty Pennants cartridge.  The shoes are from the Cricut Forever Young cartridge, using Bazzill coal cardstock, American Crafts glitter paper -- mulberry, and EP Victorian Gardens, plus some stickles on the flowers.  The Sentiment is stamped using a Close To My Heart Halloween stamp set -- Wicked.

My second project, is a hanging banner.  It hangs on a small wall in our bedroom, on the way to the master bathroom.  I display many seasonal projects in this small space.

We've been showing Ombre techniques this month on the cropchocolate.com blog, and this is another example of ombre. I used cereal boxes to cut the cardboard shapes first using various Spellbinders and a Grand Calibur.  Then, using the same shapes, I cut them again with the delightful papers found in Echo Park's Hello Summer 6x6 pad.  I purchase many 6x6 pads from cropchocolate.com.  I love the smaller prints on these pads, especially for cards and projects like this one.  I cut the letters out using the Cricut American Alphabet cartridge, both the shadow and regular layers.  I used mostly Bazzill card stock, plus 2 Echo Park card stocks, shading them from darkest blue to lightest blue to get the Ombre effect.  Then, after assembling all my cuts, I had the fun of embellishing the wall hanging.  I used mostly American Crafts and Pebbles felt shapes, some Dilly Dally brads and embellishments, and a few buttons, all purchased from cropchocolate.com.  The ricrac tying the squares together and ricrac used to hang it are from Close To My Heart.

My third project was created for my Unity peeps, with Friends With Flair in mind.  Every Friday, I submit a project with many talented gals and participate in the Unity hop.  Here's a card with a Unity stamp I used as a banner.

Doesn't this stamp just make you think of summer?  I had to include this sentiment.  It seemed perfect for the card.  I used Copics to color the banner images.  A Spellbinder romantic rectangle was used to cut the white cardstock.  All other cardstock is Echo Park (purchased from CC, of course!)  The baker's twine -- can you guess where I bought that?  Ah, such a wise audience I have!

I love the many ways banners can be used.  You'll see many uses as you hop through the blogs of the talented new design team.  I know you won't be disappointed.  When you are through, return to cropchocolate.com and leave a comment.  Rumor has it there is a prize to be won on their blog as well!  Now, hop on over the the oh-so-talented Nina's blog  Tell her Julie sent ya)