Warm Winter Comforts II

Good afternoon and happy Monday! As promised, I have more Unity goodness for you today. This card uses Hip Hop Sketch #30 (shown at left) and again pairs images from the October and July Kits, just like yesterday's card. I knew what I wanted to do with the circle but figuring out what to do with all those layers was a bit difficult. For the big red panel, I ended up making my own patterned paper with the hexagons from the July Kit. They are subtle because I used Versamark ink. The green panel is textured so I didn't do anything with it except add stitching. The musical paper is from last year's Jolly By Golly.

The wreath, like yesterday's lace frame, is also from the July Kit and a favourite of mine to work with. I coloured in the berries using three shades of red Copic markers. Then I cut out the wreath as seen in Believe and Season's Greetings. Then I looped some twine over the top of the wreath and attached the mittens, adding little bows. The mittens dangle freely from the wreath adding even more dimension and movement when you pick up the card.

Sources: SU Kraft, Real Red & Whisper White cardstock; AC textured green cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly paper; GinaK 120lb pure luxury White cardstock; Unity October 2010 Kit of the Month - Take Time to Laugh; Unity July 2010 Kit of the Month - Happily Ever After; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Versafine Versamark ink; Copics; Zig Emboss Writer; PSX Red & Malachite embossing tinsel; Hobby Hot Boss; The Twinery baker's twine in Peapod; Gutermann white thread; sewing machine; Glue Dots minis; Stampin' Dimensionals

True Friend

This card was inspired by Lindsey and Stephanie. First, I told Lindsey that I was drooling over the butterfly in Unity's Key to Joy Store Kit and she convinced me that I could make my own musical butterfly. Thanks, Lindsey! Then Stephanie became my 63rd Follower and I saw the Hip Hop Sketch Challenge #26 in her post here. As you know, I rarely do sketch challenges but this one called out to me and I never would've come across it had it not been for Stephanie becoming my 63rd Follower and inspiring me with her beautiful work. Thanks, Stephanie!

The HHSC26 rules state that participants can only use Unity or Ippity stamps so I used my two Unity KOTMs and an Ippity background for the larger circle. I stitched hot pink thread to connect the four panels because I thought the card needed that little detail, and I popped the circle with dimensionals. This was so much fun and I love the way all those beautiful images look concentrated in one area!

I love the friendships I've made on Splitcoaststampers and Lindsey is one of those awesome friends I met this past summer. Lindsey and I chat over email almost daily, mostly about life, but also our shared obsession for crafty things involving squirrels, musical notes and instruments (not necessarily together), and she always tells me whenever I'm featured on the Unity Blog, just like today! Thanks, Jimmi! See? Plenty of inspiration. :)

Now for something funny. The CreativFestival is coming up and I asked Lindsey if she wanted to meet up with me there. When she talked to her husband about meeting up with me, he wondered if I was really a petite woman named Emily. He joked that I could possibly be a 300lb man named Emil. My reply was that Lindsey's avatar is Hobbes so she could very well be a 300lb man named Linden! Besides, how risky would it be to meet up with someone in a large public place surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of (mostly elderly) crafty folks? LOL

Sources: SU Kraft, Tempting Turquoise, Always Artichoke, So Saffron & Naturals Vanilla cardstock; Unity June 2010 Kit of the Month - Fly Free; Unity July 2010 Kit of the Month - Happily Ever After; Ippity A Bit of Burlap; SU Taken With Teal, Wild Wasabi, Summer Sun & Crumb Cake inks; Memento Rich Cocoa ink; Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large; QuicKutz Epic Six; McGill 1-11/16" circle punch; Gutermann pink thread; sewing machine; Stampin' Dimensionals