Happy Holidays!

The last Friday of 2012!  Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope to play along with Friends with Flair every Friday that I can in 2013.  Maybe that should be my new year's resolution?!?  Sounds like a fun one to me!

I have two very similar cards to share with you today.  I used them for Christmas thank you cards.  I used non traditional Christmas papers on them, and my new favorite Unity stamp -- Bernie.  He is soooo adorable.  He makes me smile!

The papers are by Fancy Pants, but were from a Grab Bag so I don't know the specific line. I cut the Neenah Solar White cardstock square with a Spellbinders die, and the scalloped square behind it is also a Spellbinders die.  Bernie was colored with Copic markers, then blinged up with Viva Decor Glitter pens.  The snow on the log was enhanced with a Viva Decor pearl pen (white).  I wrapped some baker's twine from the Ribbon Carousel around the striped paper.

This card is very similar, except I used some ribbon from 3 Girl Jam, found here: http://www.3girljam.com/product/seasons-bundle.  I also used a different Spellbinder die (Label 26) to cut the shape behind the square.  It's difficult to see on the two cards, but I sponged around the owl with Tim Holtz spun sugar ink.

I hope you enjoyed today's cards, and the many other awesome Friends With Flair entries.  There's another great sale at Unity, so check it out!

I'm entering these cards in the Really Reasonable Ribbon's challenge #62 -- anything goes and ribbon, and Ribbon Carousel's Holiday Spirit challenge (#75), 3 Girl Jam's Anything Goes Challenge, Unity's Sketch of the Month challenge, and Unity's non-traditional Christmas colors challenge.

More gift boxes!

My husband had to work on Christmas Eve Day, and I had to work part of Christmas Day.  As I was waiting for him to get home from work, I whipped up these treat boxes to give to his family.  I filled each box with some of their favorite chocolates.  Christmas and chocolate go hand-in-hand, don't you think?  

I used papers from Echo Park Dots and Stripes Christmas, Making Memories, and Basic Grey.  Ribbons are from 3 Girl Jam, Really Reasonable ribbon, and Ribbon Carousel.  I am entering these boxes in the RRR challenge #62 -- Anything Goes and ribbon, and the Ribbon Carousel Challenge 75 - The Holidays.

I wish you joy!

Merry Christmas, Unity peeps!  It's Friday, so time for Friends With Flair.  It's been another busy week for most of us, I'm guessing, so I'm keeping this short.  I have two cards to share this week.  Both are Christmas cards, using non-traditional colors.

The top card uses Ippity stamp set "naughty. nice. not sure."  The bottom card uses Ippity Itty Bitty "most Wonderful time".  Papers are all Fancy Pants Christmas papers, but they were from a grab bag, so I don't know what collection(s).  I used twine and silver shimmer trim from CTMH on the top card, ribbon from Reasonable Ribbon on the bottom one.  Both cards are colored with Copic markers.  The bottom card is sponged with Tim Holtz antique linen ink. The top card has some Stickles on it, while the bottom was has some Liquid Pearls.

I'm entering these cards in Unity's non-traditional Christmas challenge, Oozak's Anything Goes Plus Red challenge, Reasonable Ribbon's Anything Goes and Ribbon challenge, 3 girl JAM Christmas inspiration challenge and Ribbon Carousel's Holiday Spirit challenge.  You may want to check out the sale at Ribbon Carousel and the great cause they are supporting!

That's it for me.  Have a blessed Christmas, and may you find joy.

Christmas Cheer

I made some boxes over the weekend for my staff.  We are having a get-together after work on Friday.  Each staff is getting a little different box filled with chocolates as part of their gift from me.  Here's a couple of them to share with you.

I used Echo Park's Dots & Stripes Christmas 12x12 papers.  The box on the left was cut on the Silhouette Cameo.  The box on the right was cut on the Cricut Expression 2 using the Fall & Winter Tablescapes cartridge.  The boxes are decorated with Unity stamps (Snowflake Kisses), ribbons from Reasonable Ribbon, 3 Girl Jam, and Ribbon Carousel, a stocking charm, and clear bling from CTMH.

I am entering these boxes in cropchocolate.com's weekly challenge.  This week's theme is ribbon plus. I'm also entering it in the Ribbon Carousel's Holiday Spirit challenge, Reasonable Ribbon's Anything Goes plus Ribbon challenge (#62), and 3 Girl Jam's Christmas Inspiration Challenge #8.

Go Pack! Fun with Friends with Flair

Happy, happy, happy, happy Friday!  I can't tell you how badly I need for this to be Friday.  My schedule in December is always insane, and by about the middle of the month, I start wearing down physically and mentally.  TGIF!  I NEED the weekend! 

I have a mix of cards to share with you, my Unity FWF peeps.  I hope you like them.  Creating them was a definite stress relief for me. 

The first card, I created last weekend for my husband.  Our 29th anniversary was Dec. 10th.  I wanted a card that let him know how much I loved him without being overly gushy.  I thought this non-traditional card worked out just fine.

He's a no-nonsense kind of guy, so I left off any glitter, bling, or ribbon.  Inside, I stamped a sentiment that said, "you + me = (heart) -- and it's an actual heart shape but I don't know how to do that on my computer.  Then I wrote a mushy message just 'cause!  I used American Crafts white cardstock for the base, Neenah solar white cardstock for the image, stamped with Memento black and colored with Copic markers.  I'd never used grays to tone down colors before, so it was a new technique for me.  There's also some CTMH Kraft cardstock there.  The crayon image is from Unity's August, 2012 Kit of the Month.  The 'so happy' arrows are from Unity's November Kit of the month.

I'm thinking they'll be lots of Christmas cards this week on FWF.  Tis the season, after all.  I do have one to share.  It's not strictly Christmas, but I used it as a thank you for an early Christmas present I received and it uses Christmas paper.

I used this card for a challenge on Cropchocolate.com.  Three hearts out of designer paper was the challenge.  I'm also entering it in this month's Unity kit of the month sketch challenge, ribbon carousel's Holiday spirit challenge, and 3 girl Jam's Christmas challenge.  I used  a Unity stamp of the week, Mug of Hugs (WIB-425), and Echo Park's Season's Greetings 6x6 paper on this card.  The base is CTMH cardstock.  I used Copic markers on the mug, a Creative Memories heart punch, and reasonable ribbon baker's twine. The circle was cut with a Lifestyle Crafts circle die.

The last card comes with stories.  First, a disclaimer.  I am NOT a football fan.  That being said, I enjoy a good rivalry and can smack talk with the best of them.  My life is also easier when the Packers win on Sunday because my co-workers are happier on Monday.  Well, in this wonderful online scrapping community, I have gotten involved in some football rivalries.  One is with Sharondoesbaskets, from Chicago.  So, I made her this card and dropped it in the mail hoping she gets it in time for kick off.

The bird was cut on my Cricut, using the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge.  Papers are from LYB Acorn Hollow 6x6 paper pad.  I got to ink up some of the new Susan K. Weckesser stamps I recently won, using the "a little bit washi" set on this card.  And, I got to play with some of the new crinkle ribbon I won from 3 Girl Jam, found HERE.  It is GREAT ribbon to work with!  The speech bubble was again cut on my Cricut Expression 2, using the CTMH Artiste cartridge, and a CTMH chipboard speech bubble.  I'm going to enter this in the Unity Sketch challenge, also.  Sharon will love it, don't you think?

Winners, winners, I've got TWO winners!

First, I want to say how much fun I had being Unity's Growing in Unity girl last week.  Reading all your great comments warmed my heart.  I put all your comments for the 5 days together and chose one winner.  This person will get TWO free Itty Bitty's from Unity.  That person is:

are you ready?

yes, I chose...

Ava Gavloski!

Congratulations, Ava!  I know you are a Unity lover, so start shopping!  Let me know your two choices and I'll pass the info on to Unity.

Then, I chose one winner from my 100th post to win the Susan K Weckesser stamps and other goodies I put together.  It's quite a package, if I do say so myself.  You'll be happy with this bundly of scrappy goodness.  I used random.org to choose the winner for this, and #36 was chosen.  That is:

again,


are you ready?

un hunh...


#36 is SHartl

Please contact me with your mailing address so I can get your package out to you.  Again, congratulations winners!

GIU day 5, FWF and 100th post giveaway!

I'm celebrating!  And I want to share the joy with you.  I have so much to be thankful for -- 130 followers since I began my blog in March, 2011.  Today is my 100th blog post, so it seems like the perfect time for a giveaway.  And, I'm celebrating the prize package I got in the mail today.  I won the Unity/Susan K. Weckesser bloghop prize package last Thursday.  It arrived today.  In a BIG box.  Well, I was expecting a stampset or two, but it ended up being 18 (eighteen)*****18---EIGHTEEN Susan K. Weckesser/Unity Brand stamp sets.  Wow!  I was blown away by the generosity of these 2 companies.  So, I'm going to share the joy with you, my loyal blog followers.  First, though, my 5th day Growing In Unity project:

I used my Silhouette to cut out the 3D letters, then glued them together (very putzy, I didn't like this part of the project at all -- I almost gave up).  Then, I used various Unity images to embellish the letters.  Designer papers are Echo Park Very Merry Christmas 12x12. Stamp sets used were:  Kit of the month (Aug. '12), and 3 Itty Bitty's:  Sweet Christmas Wishes (IB-203), Stuffed with Joy Stocking (IB-423), and, in honor of my big win, One of a Kind Winter by Susan Weckesser (IB-SB-326). I used ribbon and twine from Ribbon Carousel and am going to enter it in their Holiday Spirit challenge. I'm also entering this in 3 girl JAM's Christmas inspiration challenge.

Here's a little different angle so you can see the 3D a little better.

I took a picture of the stamps I won:

Isn't that incredible?  I can hardly wait until I have some time to get them inky! 

Now, here's your chance to win some scrappy goodness.  I am going to put a prize package together for a lucky winner.  It will include some Susan Weckesser stamps that I have duplicates of, some Christmas 6x6 paper and 12x12 paper, various embellishments, and some ribbon. There'll be some other stamps in it, too.  You'll like it, I promise! Please follow my blog if you don't already, leave a comment, and I'll pick a winner on Monday.  And remember, someone will win 2 Unity Itty Bitty's for commenting on my Growing In Unity posts this week, so go back and comment on each day to increase your chance to win.  Leave me a way to contact you, please.