From our Gnome to Yours ...

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, then Christmas is. ~Eric Sevareid (1912–1992)

Good morning!

We have a new Crash your Stash Challenge starting at The Outlawz Challenges which will run through October 14th

Our generous Sponsor this month is Alex Syberia Design with a prize of a $15 gift card to the Etsy shop so please make sure you check out her images … they are stunning!

Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlexSyberiaDesign

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/alexsyberiadesign

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/pg/alexsyberiadesign/groups/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsyberia/

Instagram2 (my new account where I'm sharing my stamp designs): https://www.instagram.com/alexsyberiadesign/

Our cue this month is Embossing powder

I have quite a bit of this stuff and frankly, While I love the way it looks, I don’t use it a lot because it’s a pain to dig everything out, carefully heat the image then have to clean up all the straggling bits of powders that got blown everywhere.

It is great for these subtle hints of something on a card … like snowflakes.

This card was done using clear EP, then using a soft brush to add the background color, which will cause the snowflakes to pop once you wipe down with a soft tissue.

Supplies:

1. Image, Christmas Gnomes Digi Slimline Card Panel Stamp
2. Cardstock from Pen+Gear (Base) and Stampin Up!
3. Embossing Powder from Stampin Up!
4. Ink from Stampin Up!
5. ProMarkers
6. Snowflake Image unknown
7. Twine from American Crafts

Now come on over to The Outlawz Challenges to play along with us or one of the other challenges that are always in process!

(Hugs) Cara

BLOG CHALLENGES JOINED
Mirtillamente Challenge, Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday, Occasions

Crafty Creations Challenge #425, Anything Goes

Magic of Prayer ...

In addition to the magic of love which moves the human heart, there is yet another magic which can remove mountains. That, of course, is faith. Lucky is he who has both, and this is especially true in age. ~Cid Ricketts Sumner, "I believe, yes, I believe," A View from the Hill, 1957

Hi All,

I dug through my scrapbinder and decided to use this panel with the cat which was salvaged from another card that was damaged and unusable. I rifled through my other binder which holds matched papers/cardstock pieces and found some bits that I thought worked well with the image.

Supplies

Cardstock from The Paper Studios (Base) and Stampin up!

Banner punch from Stampin Up!

Design Paper from Cartabella

Die from Spellbinders

Image from Onyx Expressions

Ranger Archival Ink

Sentiment from The Angel Company

Sketch: Mojo 496

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara

Day 3, Growing in Unity 2019

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Good Morning!

Today is my day three for sharing with you a card I made using a Unity Stamp. This card was made for a young family friend who is celebrating a birthday this month

The image is a recent purchase and I bought it because I kept seeing the clouds in different and fun colors! So it was great to actually play with it and see those thoughts come to life!

First I stamped the image on watercolor paper then heat embossed in black. Once set, I misted the paper and starting adding the twinkling H2O paints. When the paints and paper were dry, I added glitter glue to give a lot of additional sparkle to the card! Perfect for a young lady!

I love how bright and sparkly it turned out

Supplies for 5 x 7 card

• Image “Clouded by Cuteness”  from Unity Stamp Company
• Black Hybrid Ink from Scrapbook.com
• Canson watercolor paper (140lb cold press)
• Card stock from The Paper Studio (Base) and Stampin Up!
• Design papers from ColorBok “Watercolor Rainbow” and ProvoCraft "Speckled Frog"
• Sentiment from Unity Stamps “Halo Dirty”
• Stampin Up! Black Embossing Powder
• Studio G Glitter Glue
• Twinkling H2O watercolor paints

Sketch: Stella Says Sketch SSS606

 Here are links to the Unity Stamp Company Store and Social Media Sites!

Go check them out! You won’t be disappointed!

Unity Stamp Company

Pinterest

Facebook: UNITY {show & tell}

Facebook: Growing in Unity

Instagram

YouTube

  

Don't forget to leave me a comment for a chance to be one of two people I get to pick to win 25 random stamps from Unity Stamp Company!

Thank for stopping by!

Cara

Growing in Unity Blog Hop ...

Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. ~Author unknown, quoted in The Ladies Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature, Arts, and Religion, September 1874, commonly misattributed to Henry Van Dyke and Henry David Thoreau

Good Morning!

If you came here from Ginger Pelfrey's blog, you are on the right track ...
If not, the complete blog hop list is at the end of this post so make sure you stop, look and comment on each one!

In early September I was lucky enough to be a “Growing in Unity Gal” and spent a week sharing Christmas cards I made using my Unity Stamps. I loved the challenge of it and I look forward to next year’s event.

This week, I am participating in small blog hop with several other GUI gals to share some more cards made with Unity stamps as well as give two lucky commenters a chance to win some Unity Stamps of their very own!

For this hop I wanted to play with my new set of Unity Stamps as well as some goodies that have not seen the light of day for a while … namely, watercolor paper, embossing powder and Twinkling H2O paints!

After a few trial and errors with my paints, here is my card. I have to say I love how well the image stamped and heat embossed. Even those little fine lines picked up nice and clean. 

Here are some close ups of the flowers so you can see the embossing and the fine sparkle from the Twinkling H2O paints. (and yes, the card really does shimmer with those colors in the light.) 

Supplies

• Image & Sentiment (Unity Stamps KOM 2015 “Halo Dirty”)
• Card stock, base (The Paper Studio)
• Card stock, black (Stampin Up!)
• Card stock, metallic (Neenah)
• Cold Press 140lb watercolor paper (Canson)
• India Ink (Memories)
• Pearls (Stash)
• Sharpies – used to color the pearls
• Twinkling H2O (ColourArte)
• White embossing powder (Stampin Up!

Now comes the HOP part ....

Make sure you visit all of our blogs and comment fo a chance to win a Unity Prize package!

1 Ginger Pelfrey

 http://myheartspleasure.wordpress.com

ME! ---> 2 Cara Malmrose http://creativechaosbycara.blogspot.com/

3 Stephanie Puccini 

Http://stephieree80.blogspot.com

4 Victoria Moore Beall 

https://beallvicki.wixsite.com/nonniescards

5 Anya Lynet 

Www.maiaink.blogspot.com

6 Tami Carlson French 

Www.teamgingerbread.blogspot.com

7 Unity Blog 

http://theunitystampco.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
(Hugs) Cara

Once in a Lifetime ...

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. ~John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

Greetings to my crafty Peeps this fine Wednesday morning!

Today is my Growing in Unity 2017, Day 3 show and tell!

I also have a thing for snowflakes!

I am not sure why, since I am a Arizona born Desert Rat through and through … I hate being hot, but I hate being cold to the bone even more!

But there is that … something … that snowflakes have that fascinate me to no end. Maybe it’s the knowing that, like us, they are each beautiful in their own way and there is no two alike. Maybe it’s the knowing that, like us, they have a limited time available to them to provide pleasure and beauty to this world…

I do have quite a few snowflake stamps but none like this one. Like my Angels, I love to find those snowflakes that are different from what people expect. The main reason I bought this one is that it is so very different and I fell in love with that one little tiny word “believe”.

For this 5 x7 card, I used an embossing folder for the background, lightly tapped with some VersaMark and embossed with gold embossing powder. The image and sentiment were also stamped and heat embossed.

Supplies

• Image/Sentiment “Magical Days”
• Card stock from The Paper Studios
• Gold embellishments from Close to My Heart
• Gold embossing powder from Stampin Up!
• Gold foil tape from Close to My Heart
• Gold rhinestone ribbon from the Dollar Tree
• Softly Falling embossing folder from Stampin Up!
• VersaMark 

If you are interested you can find out more about Unity Stamp Company by visiting their website and social media sites:

UnityStamp Company

Blog 

Pinterest 

Facebook

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to comment for a chance to win some awesome stamps!

Sympathy

Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't.

Richard Bach

Good morning

A card to share - I made this last year for a friend who lost her dad.

The butterfly image was heat embossed onto white glossy cards stock then light sponged around to make it visible.

Card size is 4.25 x 5.5

Supplies:

Card stock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! and stash

Image "Swallowtail Butterfly" by Stampin Up!

Sentiment from "Close as a Memory" by Stampin Up!

Sequins from my stash

White embossing powder from Stampin Up!

Ink from Memories and Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by

Cara

Confirmation: A renewal of Faith

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

Dr. Seuss

Good evening ....

I made this card for my niece ... 

I am so proud of her and the person she is growing into.

She has a sweet heart and a ready smile and will do great things with her life out there in the world.

I have to say though, her confirmation was quite an emotional day for me.

... watching her stand there in front of the congregation taking ownership of her baptism and making her faith commitment to Christ, the Church, her family and herself.

I remember standing there at the front of that same church almost 16 years ago holding her little wee self in my arms while the pastor baptized and blessed her. I remember feeling as though I was being baptized all over again myself.

I felt such a deep connection with that baby I held in my arms start that day and although not mine, she became mine.

From that moment in time, she claimed and moved into a huge piece of my heart.

I often wonder if Joseph felt the same way the night Mary gave birth to Jesus and he held a child not his.

Did his heart open wide to take in that moment and that child?

Not because he was commanded too, but because his heart said, "Yes! This child is as much yours as any child from you - hold him, teach him ... love him ... always."

I like to think so

My card here is 5 x 7 in size.

I heat embossed the image onto watercolor paper. I misted it few times, then starting laying down colors with my crayons and water where needed for more blending. After it was dry, I took a tissue and lightly wiped away any residual watercolor from the image.

Supplies:

Card stock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!

Image " Romantic Rose", border punch, watercolor paper, white embossing powder and watercolor crayons from Stampin Up!

White pigment ink from Colorbox
Ribbon from my stash

Stick pin made with jewelry findings and beads from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cara

CHALLENGES ENTERED

Art By Miran

#19 - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar Challenges

#120 - Anything Goes

Love to Create Challenge Blog

#141 - Anything Goes

That Craft Place

November 9 - Anything Goes

Crafty Little Fairies

November - Not a Square

Love Letters

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other

but in looking outward together in the same direction.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939, translated from French by Lewis Galantière

Good morning!

It is my turn to post the Clean and Simple Challenge at The Outlawz and this week your challenge is Love Letters!

May has been designated as National “Date Your Mate Month.” Apparently, dating is considered an important part of building a healthy love relationship and becomes even more so after a couple marries.

Your challenge, if you decide to accept it, is to make a "Just because I love you" card or project for your significant other and share something about that person that you appreciate and value about him or her.

For those of you who do not have significant others - you can do something for your bestest friend and again, share something about that person that makes him or her special to you!

You can use anything you want as long as you keep it CAS!

My card is for my husband.. We have been together over 30 years. 28 of them married.

We've had our share of ups and downs over the years like everyone else, which I think has made us both stronger as individuals and as a couple.

He's not perfect, but he's perfect for me and I love him very much.

Size A2

The card was made by heat embossing a piece of white card stock. I then cut the heart out and sponged with ink. Once dry, I glued back into place and added the die cut U with a foam dimensional

SUPPLIES

Card stock, "Weathered Background", Ink and white embossing powder from Stampin Up!

Dies "Hearts One" and "Donna's Alphabets" from Spellbinders

CHALLENGES ENTERED:

Card Mania Challenges

Addicted to CAS #39 - Texture

Less is more week 173 - Diecut

Sapphire

Good morning! Today is a new Clean and Simple Challenge at the Outlawz!

It's a September birthstone challenge. 

"Sapphire, the September birthstone, has been popular since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm.  Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize heaven, while commoners thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings".  This challenge is to make a monochromatic card using Sapphire Blue as the dominate color....keeping it CAS.

Here is my card for the challenge!

The mother/child image was given to me several years ago by a friend. I stamped with versamark onto glossy card stock, heat embossed with clear EP then lightly sponged with brilliant blue.

SUPPLIES: Stampin Up! (Ink), The Angel Company (Sentiment), Stash (Glossy card stock, image, sequins and clear embossing powder)

Please stop by top play along and take a chance at winning one of these fabulous prizes!

$15 store gift card from OOZAK
$15 store gift card from 7 KIDS COLLEGE FUND
$20.00 Value Gift Package of 20 Sheets of Cryogen Paper from THE PAPER TEMPTRESS 

3 free digi images from SQUIGGLEFLY

3 Prizes of 3 digis each of your choice from RICK ST. DENNIS

$10 store gift card from TOUCHED BY A BUTTERFLY 

Birthday for Alex

This is a card for co worker and was entered in the Outlawz CAS challenge

SUPPPIES:
White cardstock unknown
Image: Stampin Up! (Lovely as a tree)
Sentiment: Stampin Up! (Unknown set)
The trees were heat embossed with Aspen (Mfg unknown)

With Sympathy

Good evening ...
Time for another challenge from the Outlawz Challenge.

I was playing with a new technique I found on pinterest where you emboss with spellbinder dies and versamark creating a watermark effect on the paper.... very cool

I decided I wanted to use the technique on this card challenge so I used Spellbinder Label Four but instead of leaving the watermark alone, I just had to play around and used some translucent gold embossing powder I have from Judikins and I love how it came out!

I am also trying to use colors combinations outside my comfort zone so I printed off the SU! color challenge list from SplitCoastStampers and randomly selected a number ...

The colors I used are Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi and So Saffron.
and here is my card

Thanks for looking
(Hugs) Cara