coffee love...

i participated in an atc swap that was hosted by grumbacher.  it is a one on one swap, meaning you create one atc and send it in and get one in return.  back in the day (like i'm so ancient here!) i was used to swapping atcs as a set of 9.  so it was a little odd just making one.  but this swap definitely had me stretch outside of my comfort zone, because it was a drawing atc.  now i can stamp up and craft an atc with the best of them. but simply using drawing or painting?  yikes!  but i absolutely loved making it.  and i even still used some stamps on it. (tracy's dare2beartzy stamps made perfect coffee rings!) can't wait to see which atc i receive!!  and i hope whoever gets mine likes it!  there were over 100 participants.  you should check them all out over on the grumbacher facebook page.

flutter...

hello, bloggerland.  it's been a while.  had knee surgery last week and trying to recoup from that.  but even though i haven't been able to craft yet, i realized i have projects i need to blog about!  so here is a set of atcs for a mixed media swap.   i used some awesome tissue paper that came in an order from the brave girls club.  that melody ross is amazing!!  now more than ever i need to remember to be a brave girl!

the process for the atcs was this:  first i gessoed the background; then mod podged the tissue paper; third added some layers of stamps (it's no secret for my love of unity stamps); then i sealed the deal with mod podge acrylic sealer--my new fave!  thanks for taking a peek!!

live, love
stamps:  unity
cardstock: kraft
ink: ripe persimmon, shabby shutters, seedless preserves, tumbled glass
other:  tissue paper, acrylic paint, mod podge

live, love...

friday, friday, friday. oh happy day. this weekend is supposed to be the hottest days of the year so far. all triple digit days expected. let's hope the old ac keeps up!! here's a set of atcs i wanted to share for friends with flair. check out the other lovelies over on the unity blog.  i got a new heidi swapp stencil i was dying to try. i used it on the background. simply inked it with some distress ink. love the effect.

live, love
stamps:  unity
cardstock: soft sky, crumb cake
ink: peacock feathers, riper persimmon, black soot
tools:  stencil

idea...

been in the atc making mode lately.  i love these little canvases.  makes you think big, but small!  i saw this quote on pinterest and loved it.  this is a mixed media swap so  i used all sorts of things...acrylic paint, gesso, stencils, washi tape, label maker.

idea
embelishments:  washi tape, label maker
other:  acrylic paint,  gesso, decopage, stencil
font:  fzm old typewriter

mr moustache...

my cute friend sherri is addicted to mustaches lately.  they are all the rage and she is taking full advantage.  she hosted a mustache atc swap and i used the little owl from this stamp of the week and cut some little mustaches using the silhouette.  i think he turned out kinda groovy.

figured i'd play along (a little late) with this week's friends with flair. and spread the word about the awesome sale they are doing this weekend.  a whole slew of new stamps and a TON marked down!  your crazy if you don't go get you some!  and your crazy if you don't go check out the other fwf posts.

have a good weekend!

mr moustache
stamps:  unity
cardstock: white, tangerine tango, basic black, stampin up pp
ink: tempting turquoise
tools:  silhouette

face the sunshine...

do you ever work on a project and you have something in your mind as to how it will turn out, but then it turns out a bit different? that is how this set of atcs worked out for me. it's the first time (i think) that i haven't made every one exactly the same. i got some cute 6x6 paper in an order from unity (love the freebies!) and i love the paper. so i used it on some of these. i gotta say, i may mix it up a little more often. i think they turned out pretty cute!
.

face the sunshine
stamps:  phyllis harris, susan weckesser, unity
cardstock: white, echo park pp, authentique pp
ink: onyx black, daffodil delight

filled with love...

and we'll just stick with a somewhat valentine's theme for today! i made these atcs for a pink and purple swap. i wanted to color in the jars, but didn't know what ink to use. so i used white paint. i love how it gives them a sorta chalkboardy look.

also it's friends with flair day, which i haven't played along with in a while.  so visit the new unity blog and see what the other unity peeps have created.  and while your at it, take advantage of the HUGE sale unity is having.  all weekend long!!

filled with love
stamps:  unity
cardstock: echo park, concord crush
ink: elegant eggplant craft, dusty concord, primrose petals
embellishments:  clear embossing powder, acrylic paint

girlfriends...

it's the middle of winter.  blah.  anyone who knows me knows i'm not a fan of winter.  and give me a scene like this any day.  sitting, laughing, chatting it up, preferably with a tasty umbrella drink in my hand with some girlfriends by a pool or beach.  

girlfriends
stamps:  art impressions
cardstock: my mind's eye, simple stories, authentique, lilybee designs
ink: onyx black, tumbled glass
embellishments:  prismacolor markers

hi there...

the title of this reminds me of the song "big time" by peter gabriel.  if you are under 30 you may not know it, so here's a refresher!  for those of us older, totally reminds me of high school!!  anyway, here's a set of atcs i made for a swap. theme was anything using unity stamps.  i think i have a few of those!

hi there
stamps:  unity
cardstock: white, bermuda bay
ink: bermuda bay, onyx black
embellishments:  washi tape
other: prismacolor markers

snowy...

here's a set of atcs i made for a paper piecing swap christy is hosting.  i cheated a little and used my silhouette to cut the circles.  because if anyone knows me, they know i hate cutting little things out!!  i know, i know...why did i join a paper piecing swap??  cause i'm silly!!

snowy
stamps:  stampin' up
cardstock: midnight muse, echo park pp
ink: lady bug, ripe persimmon, faded jeans, broken china, mustard seed, onyx black
embellishments:  book text

batty pumpkins...

fall is in the air. have you noticed?  it's getting down in the 30's at night and is warm and sunny during the day.   can't say that i'm excited for winter, but i do like fall!!  these are pumpkin atcs for a swap with a fall/halloween theme. love the little bats hanging from the tree!!

batty pumpkins
stamps:  unity, stampin up
cardstock: summer starfruit, tangerine tango, old olive, becky higgins pp
ink: tangerine tango, walnut stain, black soot, peeled paint
tools:  silhouette

starry tree...

i know it's not time for christmas yet, but i had to make a set of atcs with a christmas tree. i was playing with my silhouette and found this cute tree and wanted to use it. then i inked it up with the cute stars and added the banners too. love all things unity!! and it fits in with friends with flair. go check out the unity blog for the other fwf stuff.

starry tree
stamps:  unity, susan weckesser,
cardstock: crumb cake, gumball green, echo park pp
ink: pebble, peeled paint, broken china
embellishments: brad
tools:  silhouette

and while you are checking out fwf, don't forget the cute new phyllis harris releases which are all on sale!. and angela is finishing up the website changes so she is marking things down like a mad woman!! unity bargains galore!

snowman in a blizzard...

what do you see when a snowman is in a blizzard??  not much!!  that's the theme of the atcs i made for a snowman atc swap. isn't it hilarious? (sometimes i amuse myself a little too much!)  i was cutting out some cardstock while trying to think of what to do for the snowman swap i'm in.  i picked up a piece of paper and a scrap of orange fell on the white cardstock. that's when it hit me.  snowman in a blizzard!!

snowman in a blizzard
stamps:  ippity
cardstock: white, echo park pp, fancy pants pp
ink: soft sky

and it's october, my blog is going pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month!

greets pt 2...

did you know it's time again for the {ippity} fabulous feature? every wednesday! and this week i'm sharing a set of atcs i made using halloween greetings.  if you think it looks a little familiar, you are probably right.  here's the story.  i made this set of atcs in anticipation of using the project for the new release blog hop (here). but then i thought it would make a cute card, so i posted the card instead.  now i'm finally posting the atcs, which are 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches.

halloween greets
stamps:  ippity
cardstock: old olive, echo park, crystal wilkerson digi paper
ink: onyx black, gumball green, tangerine tango
embellishments: rhinestone
tools:  silhouette, prismacolor markers

create...

see, and you were worried that i forgot how to papercraft.  three posts in a row of cards!!  and TGIF!!!  on so many levels.  be sure to check out the unity blog for friends with flair.   awesome thing about fridays. so much inspiration going on! this set of atcs i made for a swap.  theme was anything unity!  so i used a few different unity stamps:  distressed dots, tiny flutters and the flower from imagine it set.

wonderful
stamps:  unity, christy tomlinson, donna downey
cardstock: crumb cake, soft sky
ink: crumb cake, burnt umber, ice blue chalk
tools: corner chomper

queenie...

haven't made a set of atcs in a while.  feel like i'm out of practice!!!  i hosted an atc swap incorporating a little mixed media into it.  it was a technique themed swap.  had to paint the background with a baby wipe.  sounds crazy, i know, but using a baby wipe as a paint brush is amazingly awesome!  i used one of my favorite stamps, ever.  although i haven't used it much.  it was in the may kotm from unity (who else!).

queenie

stamps:  unity

cardstock: watercolor paper

ink: onyx black, bubblegum

embellishments: glossy accents, rhinestones

and don't forget that it's friday! woot woot!  so check out the unity blog for friends with flair awesomeness.  and if you have been waiting for a special sale to buy some unity or {ippity} stamps, now's the time!

journey like no other...

some days do you ever feel like this? that you are on a journey like no other? good, bad, or indifferent, i guess every day is a journey like no other...

this is a set of atcs i made for a swap where we had to use an acrylic block for the background.  i have to say i like the effect!

thanks so much
stamps: unity
cardstock: white, soft sky, basic grey pp
ink: old paper, broken china, spun sugar
tools:  corner chomper

be bold...

well, it's another friday.  i've been dreading this friday, however, because i have to work tonight.  you can do anything for 12 hours.  right?   friday also brings friends with flair from the peeps at unity.  so that is a good thing!  check out the unity blog and visit the other fwf chickies.

this set of atcs was made for a swap i hosted.  we had to use book text to make flowers.  i am loving that lately.  and i'm also loving this set of donna downey stamps.  makes my heart happy.  and it happens to be on sale for the huge sale this weekend. some unity kits are on sale, and all {ippity} is 31%  off.   

be bold
stamps:  unity
cardstock: white, pool party, dictionary page
ink: bubble gum, shabby shutters
embellishments:  buttons
other:  acrylic paint, gelatos, silhouette

so after you are done checking out the fwf goodies, go shopping for some {ippity} goodies! pick me as your chick and shop away!!

just be.

i haven't made a lot of atcs in the past few months, but i do have a few swaps coming up.  so it's been nice working with the small little creations again!  i made this set of atcs that had to use distress inks.  i used watercolor paper and then embossed the images.  i colored the whole thing with the new distress markers from tim holtz.  then i spritzed them with water.  love that effect.

one thing about these markers.  i wasn't that impressed the first few times i used them.  maybe it was because i really didn't know how to use them or what, but the more i've played with them, the more i like them.  it's fun to color stamps with them and get a multicolored stamped image.  and making the background of these atcs was a breeze!!  i also love this saying.  makes me happy.

just be.

stamps: ippity, unity
cardstock: watercolor paper
ink: versamark, spun sugar, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, tumbled glass, milled lavender, worn lipstick
embellishments:  distress markers, clear embossing powder

new set...

i made this atc for a friend who had a new grandson earlier this year.  she's collecting the atcs and making a baby book.  what a cute idea!!  did a little paper piecing and added some bling. what babe doesn't like bling??

new set
stamps:  unity
cardstock: cherry cobbler, bo bunny pp, unknown pp
ink: onyx black
embellishments:  rhinestones