Monday, January 24, 2011

Unity Guest Designer Monday with a Video Tutorial {Jan 24th}

Today is the start of my very last week as Guest Designer for Unity Stamp Company! It makes me so sad but I say with great joy that it's been an amazing two months. Okay, I won't get ahead of myself. I'll save that speech for next Monday! ;) Both of today's cards use the beautiful PDCC65 colours and feature stamps from the newest Unity co-brand Marah Johnson. I love these big, bold and beautiful stamps because they are so easy to use!

I started this card by creating a mask to cover the outside border and taped that in place. Then I used two sheets of paper to mask off the different sections that were stamped alternately with Hearts of Old and Giving It All Meaning to create the background. For the frame, I used an image from the new Marah Johnson release Breathless but I removed the sentiment in the centre with an X-acto knife. I made several versions with these three colours to determine which one looked best and you'll see in my second card that I used the green frame since I couldn't let it go to waste. The sentiment comes from the Marah Johnson sets Moxie and Harmony. I finished by stitching a thick grey border around the masked background and attaching the frame and sentiments with dimensionals. I used the same foil I used for this card behind the sentiment because my husband suggested the background showing through the centre of the frame 'confused' him. See? Sometimes I do listen to my husband. LOL I could explain how well that mirror effect works with all the elements in this card but that would be getting way too philosophical for someone who hasn't had much sleep. :Þ

As explained above, this second card uses the same Marah Johnson frame from Breathless, except it's green and mounted in its original vertical position. The length of the frame makes it perfect for the shape of this card which is 6.5" x 3.25", as well as for featuring this long {puffy} heart from Samantha Walker's With All My Heart.

And now for the video tutorial on how I make my puffy paper hearts! Unity has so many great hearts with which to make these because they are large, vary in both shape and style, and so easy to mix and match with stamps from other sets. After you watch this super quick tutorial, I think you'll be amazed at how easy it is. I hope you'll be inspired to make a few for your own projects. Please let me know if you do because I'd love to see them!! Plus, there's no better time since I'm the Featured Stamper this week on Splitcoaststampers. :)

Sources for Create Harmony: SU Naturals Ivory; Aitoh silver origami paper; Unity Hearts of Old; Unity Giving It All Meaning; Unity+Marah Johnson Breathless; Unity+Marah Johnson Moxie; Unity+Marah Johnson Harmony; SU Tangerine Tango, Old Olive & Basic Grey ink; Versafine Smokey Grey ink; Ranger Blending Tool; X-acto knife; Gutermann grey thread; sewing machine; Stampin' Dimensionals

Sources for So Happy Together: SU Naturals Ivory; Unity+Marah Johnson Breathless; Unity+Samantha Walker With All My Heart; SU Tangerine Tango, Old Olive & Basic Grey ink; Versafine Smokey Grey ink; Ranger Blending Tool; Gutermann ivory thread; sewing machine

30 comments:

Wendy ten Hove said...

Hi Emily!

You've been busy! This puffy heart card is so pretty, love the colors you used! I don't own a sewing machine yet, but I think I should seriously consider buying one, because I always love cards with sewed lines on them! Can you just do that on any machine? Or are there some specifics? Love your 'A song in my heart' cards as well, great border this way!

Hugs, Wendy

~amy~ said...

gorgeous schtuff....thank YOU for the puffy heart tut...I def need to give that a go!

Janna Werner said...

OFC I enjoyed this tutorial! thanks for sharing this technique, Emily! Janna

Karin said...

Hi Emily!
You are becoming an expert at these videos ;) Awesome card once again and thanks for showing us how to do it for ourselves...Now if only I had your inner design wisdom! Have a great Monday :)

Anonymous said...

Fabulous cards! Love the colors.

lisa a.

Angela said...

Yeah yeah yeah! That video rocks!
And so do both cards -- really love your masked background on the first one, and of COURSE I love the puffy heart on #2.
Awesome job all over the place.

Virginia L. said...

Love the puffy heart and video!! This is so FABULOUS!

Lindsey said...

I really like both these cards, but I think the first is my fave of the two... and ya gotta admit, your husb was onto something with his suggestion -- the mirror effect looks great! Another winning puffy heart, too. :)

Jennifer said...

Loved the tutorial and LOVE those puffy hearts!!! (=

scrapsnsuch@gmail.com said...

What fab masking! I will have to check out your vid later today:>)

farmhouse-story said...

emily, you have to do lots of videos--your puffy heart is darling, and the stamped background on the first card is awesome:)

Michele Gross said...

Oh Wow! These are awesome projects! I LOVE how you've embraced the colors and you really made them sing! So glad you joined us at The Play Date Cafe!

Fiona said...

These are really beautiful Emily :) I love that background you created - I think I will have to try that sometime! Thanks for playing at the PDCC this week!

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

Simply gorgeous Emily, you make every color work just like magic! And thanks for the tutorial of the puffy heart, very cool, thanks for sharing it!

Angie Blom said...

Oh Emily I have so enjoyed your wonderful cards I am going to have to keep on stalking you!! Hehe
you have inspired me so much with your creativeness! One day I want to meet you! We are so close! Thanks I love this tutorial.. Keep them coming!Xx

Monique said...

Great cards Emily...Thanks for the tutorial and congratulations on Being the Featured Stampers at SCS!!!

Colleen Dietrich said...

Ooooh, Emily! Love both the cards you made with our colors this week, but that puffy heart wins *my* heart! Thanks for playing with us at the Cafe. ;)

Vicky Hayes said...

It's always such a pleasure to visit your blog Emily, your work is always so inspiring! Congratulations on being SCS featured stamper too.

Jinny Newlin said...

Beautiful cards, Emily! Thanks for sharing the tutorial! I've done that hundreds of times with fabric. I just never, even, thought about doing so with paper! I promise I'll give it a go, soon, in your honor ;). Thank you so much for playing with us, this week, in the Cafe!

Smita said...

Pretty cards!! And thanks for the tutorial. Though I may never sew (the sewing machine scares me!), I loved your tutorial! And again, such a soothing voice you have, Em, that I could listen to your tutorial a few more times :-)

Hugs,
Smita

Jaclyn Miller said...

Oh wow. I am speechless. I just love how you have used these colors and the fantastic way that you used masking for that first card. So glad you joined us in the Play Date Cafe this week.

Libby Hickson said...

Oh Emily, these are FABULOUS!!! I am so completely in love with your first card!! Thanks for joining us at The Play Date Cafe this week!

papertrails leaver said...

oh my! What a delight to visit your blog! I love your cards! That second one with the stuft heart is so cool! :-) Amy

Julie said...

Beautiful card and great tutorial! You've been really busy this year! Definately going to try the puffy heart!

Erin (Homemade Cards by Erin) said...

Woo hoo you WON!!! Great job on scoring the fabulous PDC prize.

Jen W. said...

You go girl! Congrats on your Play Date Cafe win!! :)

Kelly Latevola said...

fantastic card, congrats on your win! It's absolutely deserved :)

Tammie Koehnen said...

Just found your blog... and LOVE it. You are so creative. Thank you for this great video and all the creative inspiration! :)

Alice said...

beautiful stamped background for the first card as always and really like how you used the frame image, too. beautiful cards, Emily! thanks for the video, too! =)

Virginia L. said...

Looks like you are winning EVEERY challenges! Congrats on your PD Cafe win! Well-deserved! You rock, Emily!!