Mini Mouse

 Hello Friends and Happy Resurrection Weekend! 

It is dreary and rainy here today so I have been crafting away the time.  I have been making cards for my friend who sells them and thought this could be used as a general card or for Mother's Day.  I will send an optional Happy Mother's Day sentiment to stick inside the card if she wants.  

I have been struggling with creativity so I looked to a sketch to change things up.  

I tried to use some scraps on my desk including the wood grain panel and the circle/ring die cut.  The leaves were also a last minute find that worked well on the card.  

Here is the sketch from Try Stamping on Tuesday~

I did not make a mini slim card so added strips of patterned paper along the side of my card to give the illusion of a mini slim card concerning the white panel. 

I used an older, never used Unity Stamps image, colored it with Copics and fussy cut it out.  

I am also linking up to Festive Friday- Earth Day.  I have used animals, tree (embossed wood grain), and plants.  

Thanks for visiting and have a Blessed Easter! 

Lee Ann  

Geranium Joy

 Hello Friends!  

I have been revisiting older stamps like this Geranium from Unity Stamps.  It has not seen ink for quite some time.  

I have also been trying to use bits and pieces sitting on my desk, such as the scalloped patterned paper.  It was the perfect green for the card.  I colored the image with Copics but kept it very loose to give it a bit of a watercolored look.  The image was then fussy cut out.  

The sentiment is from SnSS, now known as Creative Worship Stamps.  I stamped the 'count it all' on a strip of paper and then stamped the 'joy' separate and fussy cut it out.  

The background panel was in my stash- made with a stencil and distress ink, using the reverse stenciling technique. Everything was assembled- scrap paper was used to pop up parts of the flower.  

A few SSS Moonshine sequins finish the card.  

I am linking up to the following challenges~ 

Inkspirational~ 

Stencil Fun Challenge

Triple B Challenge- I have used Blooms

Thanks for stopping by! 

Lee Ann  

Supplies used in today's project(s)

Copic Sketch Markers SSS | Blick	3M Scotch ATG Advanced Tape Glider SSS
Neenah Classic Crest 80# Ream Smooth Solar White Cardstock SSS	Simon Says Stamp Assorted Moonshine Sequins SSS
EK Success Cutter Bee Scissors SSS | scrpbk	Tonic Craft Guillotine Trimmer SSS
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink SSS | scrpbk	Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer SSS | scrpbk
Gina K Connect Glue SSS | scrpbk	Canson Mixed Media Paper Blick
Versafine Claire Ink Nocturne SSS | scrpbk	MISTI SSS

Hope

 Hello Everyone.

My goodness, this year is flying by.  Here we are, almost to the month of March.  I have been taking a break from crafting, but really wanted to spend time with Bible study and Bible journaling.  I joined the gals at an online Bible Study, Embracing God's Word, and created this page about hope.  

Isn't that what everyone wants right now, Hope?  In this crazy, scary, sinful world we can have Hope in Jesus.  That hope brings us Joy and Peace according to Romans 15:13.  

The girls in the group used printables to create their flower adorned lady, but I am a stamp girl.  I used the stamp 'Eva' from Unity Stamps.   I stamped her on heavy printer paper with Memento ink and fussy cut her out.  Then I stamped two of the floral sprays from the Sweet n Sassy Stamps stamp set, In This Together, onto computer paper, colored them with Copics and fussy cut them out.  

Picked Raspberry,  Spiced Marmalade and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks were used on my Bible page.  I used my Illustrating Bible.  

I sponged on some of each of the 3 colors onto my page, then using a Tim Holtz stencil, Flourish, I sponged more of the same colors through the stencil.  

The girl was colored with Copics and then adhered to the page. After arranging my flowers, I adhered them as well.  

I decided to add a butterfly to the floral spray.  I used the Made New Stamp Set.  I used the same products to color as I did the girl and flowers.  I fussy cut the butterfly out and adhered to the page.  

For the title, I used the Choose Faith Stamp Set and the School Days Alpha Stamp Set.  I stamped out my words and then highlighted the words with Black Micron Pen.  I added white dots to the word 'hope' using a white Signo Gel Pen.  

I needed a few more leaves around her neck so I stamped some leaves from a PTI stamp set, fussy cut them out and adhered them to the page. 

I have linked up to Word Art Wednesday.  

 

Romans 15:13- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Have a blessed weekend, friends! 

Lee Ann 

Supplies used in today's project(s)

""

Copic Sketch Markers SSS | Blick	3M Scotch ATG Advanced Tape Glider SSS
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens SSS | Blick | scrpbk	EK Success Cutter Bee Scissors SSS | scrpbk
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink SSS | scrpbk	Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen SSS | Blick
	Gina K Connect Glue SSS
Tim Holtz Flourish Stencil SSS	Distress Oxide Ink, Picked Raspberry SSS
Distress Oxide Ink, Wilted Violet SSS	Distress Oxide Ink, spiced Marmalade SSS
snss In This Together Stamp Set SnSS	snss Made New Stamp Set SnSS
snss School Days Alpha Stamp Set SnSS	snss Choose Faith Stamp Set SnSS

Freshly Made Sketches #420

Hello!
Welcome back to another Wednesday and a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!
This week's sketch is by the oh so talented Jen Timko, who is as sweet as she is talented.

Here is your sketch- you are going to love it!

I went with a rectangle vs a square card base, but otherwise, I followed the sketch; I know, pretty unusual for me, lol!  I had just colored up this sweet Unity image that I have had for some time and she turned out to be perfect for the sketch.  I colored her and the background with Copics.  Masked her and added some snowy splatters of white acrylic paint.
The white card base needed something, so I die cut several of my Spellbinders Shapeabilities Nordic Tree Folk Art Die in white cardstock and created a faux card front die cut.

I am also linking up to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes,
and The Color Throwdown~

That's it for me.  Be sure to check out the rest of the inspiration on the FMS blog and then join us!

Lee Ann 

Unity Stamps Blog Hop

Hello All!

What a happy day!  I am officially on summer break and I am officially taking part in the Unity GIU Girls Blog Hop.  I could not wait to ink up my knew Unity Kit of the Month- this one is from 6/18- We Can Rise.

I used my Arteza water color brush pens for this image.  Stamped in Versafine ink and the colored away!  The sentiment is from a set I just got, Special Wishes Sentiment Kit.  Love the versatility of this set! This image reminds me of the Southwest, a place that I love, love, love to travel to.  Sadly it is not in my plans to head to Colorado, Utah, or Arizona this summer, but a girl can dream!

I am linking up to The Paper Players Challenge~

When I realized I had more time to create I pulled out the set I got from the first time I did GIU.  That set had yet to see ink as well.  So here you are- 1 dress stamp, 2 cards.  The stamp set used is Hey Girl, the 5/14 KOTM. 

The first card is vintage, all colored with the neutral, E40 Copics.  Love the warm tones in this card.

Added a bit of color with the bows and the background and used a gelly roll gold glitter pen to highlight the petite flowers, add dots to a bow and a bodice and color a bodice gold.  I left the sentiment off until I know the recipient.

The second card has a totally different look- contemporary with cool colors.

This one was tough to photograph.  I do not know why that is the case for some cards, lol.  Each dress got a contemporary look, each different.  I added big pink dots to one, colored one a platinum color, another black and another white with pink flowers.  Everything got a generous dose of Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen.    The dresses were fussy cut out and adhered to the card using the MOJO Monday sketch~

 I am also linking up to Watercooler Wednesday, Anything Goes.

The sentiment is from the same Special Wishes Sentiment Kit.

That's it for me!  Leave a comment on each blog for your chance to win one of two Unity prize packs!  Your next stop on this hop is Shannon!

Growing in Unity Hop Links~

You are here- Lee Ann Barrett

 Shannon Pavlovic Edwards

Brianna Jackson

Jeanie Marie Hays 

Bobbie Sue McConathy

DeAnn Adamson

 

The Name of the Game is Green!

Hello Everyone!

Time for a new challenge at The Rainbow Challenge!  If you are looking for the Technique Junkies New Release Celebration and the new Freshly Made Sketches challenge, go HERE. 
Wow!!! May already???  Say it isn't so!  Anyone else feel the need to slow the clock down a bit?  May is always a busy month with the end of the school year in sight!  Flowers are blooming, trees are turning green and summer is on the horizon!    The new challenge from The Rainbow Challenge is all about GREEN!

I used a Unity Stamp Co. image and heat embossed it in black.  I masked off the flowers and stem and then sponged two different shades of distress ink to the right of the image.  I used Crushed Olive and Twisted Citron.  I changed my plans at this time and decided to fussy cut along the other side of the image and then pop it up on dimensional tape.  I dug through my stash and found a perfectly matching piece of green polka dot paper to back the card front.  I added black splatters to the inked panel and finished off with a Unity sentiment.
 Now it is your turn!  Check out the inspiration from the rest of the talented team and then join us by linking up your green card HERE!

I am linking up to Addicted to CAS- 'Contrast'.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  

Geraniums for Mom

Hello All!

Wow. Not only is May fast approaching, but so is Mother's Day.  I needed a card for my Mom, so I used a stamp I just bought from Unity, Wild Geranium.
I can remember all of the geraniums my mom planted every summer.  She still plants them at their
home in Florida.  I guess geraniums are pretty nostalgic for me.

This is definitely not my usual M.O.  It is loose (translate sloppy) coloring, a non white, distressed background and a long and narrow card.  I also tried a new cardstock with my Arteza watercolor brush pens- Bristol cardstock.  I was really impressed with how it held up.  Not only did I use the brush markers with it, but also a waterbrush.  And, I did lots of spritzing and wetting of the cardstock as well.
The sentiment is heat embossed on vellum. I embellished with a tiny strip of black cardstock and dp as well as sequins.  Lastly, I spritzed with some shimmer spray.
I am linking up to Wednesday's Simon Says Stamp Challenge, 'Anything Goes'
as well as Addicted to Stamps and More- 'Holiday'.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann

Growing in Unity Day 5

Hello!

Well, that week went by super fast!  Thank you all for visiting my blog and leaving such kind comments all week long. A huge thank you to Angela, Whitney and everyone at Unity Stamp Co. for giving me this opportunity! Commenting on my GIU posts this week gives you chances (1 per day) to win 25 stamps from Unity Stamp Co. 
 This last card evolved over time.  I colored the bowls, which are from the July '17 It's Going to Be Beautiful KOTM, for one of Kathy Racoosin's 30 day coloring challenge events.  I wasn't sure what I would do with them at that time, so I tucked them away for future use.

As I started to work on my GIU cards, I started pulling bits and pieces out and played around with them.  That included these bowls and this mixed media background that I did last summer with a gel plate and acrylic paints.
The blue in the bowls and the blue acrylic paint really seemed to coordinate.  Once fussy cut out, I loved the almost primitive look to the bowls and background as a whole.  The mixed media background panel was cut with a scalloped rectangle die.  The bowls and the scalloped frame were popped up on dimensionals.
The sentiment, from the set, Butterfly Endearment,  was heat embossed in black as it did not stamp well in versamark alone on the acrylic background.
I used the sketch from Fab Friday~

I am also linking up to The Paper Players for their color challenge this week.

Thank you all again for your love and support this week!  Good luck to all in winning the free stamps!  Winner will be announced in the Unity Show and Tell FB group and on my blog.

Lee Ann  :D

Growing In Unity- 1 image 3 Ways

Hello, Hello!

It is already Day 4 of Growing in Unity.  The week is flying by.  Don't forget to leave a comment on this blog post for a chance to win 25 Unity stamps.  For more chances to win, comment on each of my GIU blog posts for this week.
Today I am featuring one of my favorite Unity Stamps, You Are Forever Beautiful, buy Angie Blom.
 Angie is so talented; from florals to her Angie girls, bunnies to Butterflies, Angie's images are outstanding.
I decided to show you 3 ways to use this stamp (as I could not settle on any one way to use it), starting with the easiest and ending with the most involved.

I got out my Alcohol Ink Lift Ink and an alcohol ink panel that I had in my stash.

Using my MISTI, I stamped the image with the Lift Ink several times.  Easy Peasy!  I added a sentiment from the Lily Blossom set in gray ink and then die cut the panel with a scalloped rectangle die and popped the outer frame up with dimensional tape.  Once again, I used sequins to finish the card.  I was inspired by the book at The Library Challenge.  I love the rich yet subtle colors of the cover.

Next up, I stamped the image in Versafine ink on water color paper and did some loose watercoloring.

I used my Arteza watercolor pens for this which made it super easy.  As you can see, aside from the sentiment, everything else is the same as the first card.  The sentiment is from Another Name for Love.  I had a heck of a time photographing this card.  Sorry for the two pictures.
I am linking this card up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- Beautiful Blooms

Lastly, I did quite a bit of masking for this card, making it my most involved card.

I used a sketch from Sketch Saturday for this card.  I simply turned the sketch upside down.

I really love how this turned out. I masked the lower portion of the image off each time I stamped.  The sentiment panel hides all of the 'unfinished' images.  The images are colored with Copics and the sentiment, which is from the Girl Truly Sentiment Set, is heat embossed in gold. I embellished the card with gold thread, and of course, sequins.

That's it for me today; I really appreciate you stopping by, and I appreciate all your support through commenting on my blog posts and in the Unity Show and Tell group.  Stampers are the best!

Lee Ann