Inspiration

I found it!  The other night...while creating my Growing In Unity Blog Hop card....I found myself staring at the start of my deer & cart, and a bunch of trees.  I was wanting, basically needing to get this card created, as it was time sensitive.  When I get stuck, one of the things I will do, to unstick my creative block...is to hunt through my stash from the past of things I've made before.  I always keep one extra card, I sign and date them on the back (although recently, I quit dating them, but, after my discovery here today...I plan to start dating them again...)  I recalled making a card that I really REALLY enjoyed making...it was simple and if I remember right...it stretched me out of my comfort zone by starting to stamp ON patterned paper, making it interesting and fun.  (Once I started doing that, it's pretty common for me to do that, prior to it...I didn't understand the reason to stamp on something already all pretty and patterned...haha...what I didn't know then...)

Anyhow...I hunted for a time looking for my card that I wanted to use for inspiration....  Well, I never found it...and I knew I needed to get going on my blog hop card....  So, today, while rattling around in my place of business....tackling my list of things to do....I found myself procrastinating (which I'm doing while I'm writing this...)...(my list of things to do is not very fun) .... I peeked over to a little box of cards that I have brought into my work area from my home....and sitting on top of it was my card~!  What's funny, is, I didn't remember the layout as it turned out!  I thought the sun was on the other side.  I remembered the hills a little taller, and I thought I made this in the summer, but I see it was October 2010.  It's funny how inspiration came to me from a memory.  I did heat emboss though, (the little birds here)...and I think this was the start of me decorating the "insides".  I'll have to see from other "dated" cards to confirm that...where oh where...has the last 10 years gone?

At first I wasn't going to show you my "inside"....couple of things...I must have had a reason to bring an unfinished card to the factory....maybe a previous picture of something?  It isn't taped inside, so I need to do that yet....(10 years later!)  And second....there isn't any leaves on the 3rd tree.  I know the set has a tree that stamps this, because I have some of these "insides" in my craft room....I found those, 10 years later in the same pile next to my work area that I originally put them...go figure!  hahaha ... so why, I have this here, unfinished, is beyond my guess....I thought it was funny though...

 
I'll bet if I keep looking, I'll find more copies of this card here in the candy factory...but...if I kept looking...I'd never get back to my list of things "to do"...which is keeping my business running....oh procrastination at its finest!!! 

Til next time!  Toodles!

Trudi

Growing In Unity late July Blog Hop!

How fun to be participating in my VERY FIRST Blog Hop!!!!!  The theme was "anything goes" with your favorite Unity Stamps.  Each and every Unity stamp is a favorite for me, the quality and variety keeps me coming back for more, over and over and over again!

This week, I've been working on holiday planning in my business, so, I decided it was way past due to start designing my 2020 Christmas cards.  I usually work a year ahead, and have my neat little pile already done by this time...but...this has NOT been a typical year, at all...so, here you go...it's July, and I'm just getting to it.

The card I chose to do, didn't even remotely come close to how I planned or pictured it.  I found myself getting more and more sidetracked as I went along...so, I let myself just run with it.  And here is the result....

So if fussy cutting is your thing....this is the card for you!  When I purchased the background "Freshly Cut", I knew these would make adorable die cut trees for future cards.  I intentionally purchase patterned paper with trees just for that very reason...and I knew I could use this stamp for other seasons beyond winter...

My original idea was to create a simple card using "Deer Cart".  In fact, I was inspired to buy this set by a card I had seen shared on the Unity Show and Tell facebook page.  I am hoping to work with this set a little more, and come up a simple design still...it just wasn't going to happen with my first go at it...as I found myself deviating from that plan early on.....

My first deviating started when I decided to use the "Freshly Cut" background stamp....I wanted to stamp on a colored cardstock, but, I wanted it to be smooth....I kept eying my unused Gel Press...and thought it might be the time to take it for a test run.  My first stab at using one, was terribly messy and unfun to clean...that I never thought to try try again (I used acrylic ink on it...that was a huge mess)...(I guess for starters, I should view a YouTube vid or 2 before taking a stab at something...I would have been using my Gel Press a ton more....PLUS...I would have added to my Distress Oxide Inks a little faster than I've been...)

This time, I used my brayer along with my Distress Oxide inks.  I actually have two brayers, one for each color.  I need to get to a place where I don't have to be obsessed with using the same brayer for both inks...I'm not sure I need to clean over and over and over again...I don't want to ruin my ink pads!!!!

I brayered up....mostly the crushed olive-green...but added a little streak of the tea dye-tan to give it an interesting color....

My after result....I finished it up with a (light pressure) canvas background stamp using tea-dye Distressed Ink.  (Odd, I just noticed, both my Distress and Distress Oxide inks are the color tea-dye.  That was not intentional...this was done nights ago, and I'm just seeing the coincidence!

I stamped 2 of these cut 4" x 5-1/4" ..... in Moss Green pigment ink.  I have a ton of inks, so I wasn't choosy, I liked the color of the moss green, and the closest pigment ink pad I had by my fingertips is the one I used.  Pigment ink dries very very slowly, thank goodness, because it gave me time to sprinkle the trees while they were still wet with a "Heat and Stick" adhesive for my glitter.  I powdered the trees up, ran a heat gun over them, and while the trees were sticky still....sprinkled the glitter all over the trees.  I ran another bit of heat over the trees to set them.  This I did twice.  Once for the card background, and the other for me to fussy cut all the trees out, that I needed or wanted to use.  I decided to use most of them...but, that was NOT my first intent.  My first intent was just to use a couple...and probably in the future, one 4" x 5-1/4" glittery trees piece would be enough trees to satisfy 3-4 cards.  I was having fun with this, so I decided our deer was going through a forest....

My deer and cart were colored with alcohol markers.  I chose to use my Copics this time, they really are the superior alcohol markers for me....BUT...I have tried others, and have to say, I like SOME of the less costly alcohol markers out there.  Copics are expensive, and I keep adding to my collection here and there .... (I'm up to about 100)... I just find that using my less pricey ones, I tend to get a little more wild and crazy with, if they dry out, I'm really only out $ .50.  (I bought a set of 72 for about $30 on Amazon. 

The deer cart wasn't having it with my cost efficient markers...so, I used Copics, and know why they are so so quality.  :)  That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to endorse the cheaper ones.  It's a huge investment to build a Copic inventory, so if you just want to play around with alcohol markers, an inexpensive set is a good starters way to go.  (I never mix brands though...I'm afraid I'll ruin my Copics if I do...)

The rest is probably pretty self explanatory.  I hope to find some little poinsettias in place of the burgundy Christmas flowers for the future.  My business makes gift baskets, and we have 34 years worth of silk flowers in our inventory, I think somewhere, I might have little Christmas poinsettias, but, that's going to be a long search...so, I settled with my Primas.  I have had those bottles on the shelf for 20 years!  I was so afraid upon the time of purchase, I'd use them up fast!  (hahaha)....I agonized over the center of the flowers...glad I found little itty bitty gold eyelets in my stash.  I RARELY use eyelets anymore, I used to use them on everything in the past!  I think they are fun, and I see that there are some fun current companies selling really cool ones...

The Unity Stamp Kits Used:

https://www.unitystampco.com/freshly-cut/
https://www.unitystampco.com/deer-cart/
https://www.unitystampco.com/more-sparkle-less-stress/

So, there you have it!  I might pop back on here in the future with a different version of this card, so I hope you check back often, if you don't see a newer version...then you will see some other creation I impulsively jumped into....  I have a desk of "finish the piles" before I really should start something new, but, when the inspiration pops in...it's important to run with it!!!!

I hope you enjoyed your visit, Alaine is the next on the hop! 


1. Dawn https://fromtwinsburgwithlove.blogspot.com/...
3.Angela https://stampingbowd.blogspot.com/.../growing-in-unity...
4. Marica https://marciacreations.wordpress.com/...
5. Doreen https://whereisyourhappyplace.blogspot.com/...
6. Trude https://parentesfantom1.blogspot.com/...
7.Trudi https://thetrudiostudio.blogspot.com/...
8. Alaine https://www.lainiebugdesigns.com/....

A Little Christmas Chocolate....

I'm very much procrastinating in the chocolate factory.....and I have a pending holiday order from one of my major customers....she requested a sample a few weeks ago, and it got caught up in crazy...that I couldn't get to it until today.  Once secured, this will be a very sizable order, so very much worth my time...but...I just can't get my holiday MOJO going in my "day job" quite yet....I miss my staff....I miss the old days....just trying to figure our new normal...and looking forward to the future, when we can put all of this behind us. 

So...here's a little cyber chocolate.  Not unique to our company, I realize others make this...but, a customer request...just need to figure a unique packaging for her!

Peppermint Dark Chocolate Crunch

(Taste tested!)

Thinking Holidays!?

So, I'm thinking it might be time to design my holiday card(s)...I usually make my Christmas cards for the following year, during the week of Christmas, (or finish up in January)...that way, I'm still in the spirit, and not so rushed.  Well, (ahem)...this year hasn't been "typical".  It's been anything BUT that!  I have been in creative mode.  BUT...there is no rhyme or reason to any of it.  It's what impulsively "speaks to me"...is what I've been working on! 

I've purchased from some really cool companies, and I want it ALL ALL ALL!  This week, I'm ramping up for the Unity Stamps blog hop....which is coming up this weekend.  It will remain to be a mystery, if I do create with Christmas or the holidays in mind....or, if I find something in my inventory of wonderful stamps that screams....PICK ME PICK ME PICK ME!!!  So many ideas, so little time!!!  

In the meantime...I finished this card January 2018...and gave it out Christmas 2019.  I adored every minute of creating this one....I'm a HUGE fan of Unity Stamps "Angie Girls"....if I thought I'd ever get to using them, I'd order one of each Angie Girl.  (I'm working on it)  I tend to be a fairly slow crafter, but, that's just me...it would/could should be easy to streamline the process...and I could go faster...I even put tape on slow.  hahahaha  (We all get something out of our process...mine is to enjoy the process and not feel pressure...it's what keeps me relaxed)  Working ahead...takes a TON of stress out.....and if I don't start soon, I may be sending duplicate cards out next year.  I honestly don't remember who has received what, and pulling from my stash of the past...runs the risk of getting a duplicate!  

Stamps used:  
https://www.unitystampco.com/red-girl/
(random stampset (retired) from SU for inside
notebook background stamp and speckles stamp for diecut image behind Angie Girl for distress look

Trees: 

Thin metal die (I think it's sizzix?  If not, I just googled offerings...so many cool ones to choose from!!!!)
Card stock from my never ending stash:  SU Cranberry Crisp?  Don't recall the name, but, once again, so many cool lines to choose from out there in Card Stock land!

Patterned Paper:  Anything plaid spoke to me!!!  Glad I had available in my color scheme.  It's hours of perusing from my stash...so many options...and I still find the need to add to my designer paper!  I'll never use it all up!  EVER!  :)

Sorry, wasn't much help for the supplies used, except with this wonderfully fun Angie Girl!!!  I tend to find my "must" and fill in the blanks with what I already have...I literally have a craft store in my studio!!!  I run across super cool supplies I never remembered buying....

Stay tuned for what I end up making!!!!

 

Mystical Mermaid!

Hello fellow crafters in cyberland!  It's been awhile since I have worked on my blog...so long, that I am locked out of my blog....that being said, I wanted a clean fresh look anyhow, with a new name and such.  I'm a learn as I go kind of person, so bear with me!  I'm participating in a blog hop this coming weekend, so if you pop in this week, I'll be adding things daily until I have something up and running!  In the meantime...here is a link to my previous blog...

http://trudi-buttonsnbows.blogspot.com/


I'll be participating in a Unity Stamps blog hop, so it's fitting that I show the result of one of my favorite Unity Stamps kits.....I love anything mermaid, and immediately knew what I wanted to do once I bought this kit....

https://www.unitystampco.com/mystical-mermaid/

I'll be working on something new for the blog  hop....but in the meantime, check back daily...I'll be adding things as I go!