World Record INSPIRATIONAL Unity BLOG HOP!

From The Paper Freak

Welcome to the Unity World Record BLOG HOP! If you didn't start from the beginning, click the Inspirational Blog Hop graphic above to start at the Unity blog! You should have arrived here from Rona's blog, and doesn't she have a great project today?!?!?! I hope you're havin' fun!

Today, I'm sharing with you a card featuring a stamp from Unity's current Kit of the Month, Simple Life. I created my own patterned paper with a flower stamp. The focal image was colored with ZIG ColorTwin markers.

supplies ~ image: Unity (Simple Life set), cardstock: stash, flower stamp: Scrappy Cat "Sunny Days" set, brads: Making Memories


Last, but not least, we were all asked to share our favorite quote. Mine (currently, 'cuz inspiration doesn't sleep) is from Nelson Mandela:

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."



So true, and ample reason to live in the moment and really LIVE it while you're in it! I would love it if you left me a comment!

Your next hop is to the uber talented Linda over at i created this! Happy Hopping!

My first Unity Hip HOP Hangover

Have you been to the Unity website? If you've never been there, you should! There are lots of gorgeous stamps to choose from, and I've become an addict! Every Thursday they have a design team blog hop, then Friday they have ANOTHER hop featuring customers' work. Cool, huh?

Today is my first time do a HHH (Hip HOP Hangover)...so go easy on me, okay? =D



This card features a stamp from their March kit of the month. I decided to do a little paper piecing for the flower center and colored the flower petals & leaf with Yasutomo pearlescent watercolors. The second picture really captured the sparkle!

I've entered this card in a couple of challenges, too: The Pink Elephant (sketch) and Paper Garden Projects (theme: thank you).

Remember that TOMORROW is the big Unity World Record Inspirational Blog Hop with over 200 blogs for a gigantic blog hop. Get yerself a cuppa Joe and prepare to be inspired starting at 11 am Central time! If you'd like more information, just click the blinkie in the upper left corner of my blog.





supplies ~ Cardstock: pink from stash, SU! Chocolate Chip, papers: Basic Grey Sulty, stamp: Unity kit Simple Life, ribbon: American Crafts, ink: Ranger

Best wishes from Gruffie

I am so pleased with this card. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but the finished product came out beautifully! I'm sorry the second photo came out yucky. I was having a hard time capturing the shimmer of the cake, so I decided to just go with the best shot; you can see how beautiful Shimmerz are! This card is for the Viva la Verve week 3 challenge.

I colored the Gruffie with Prismas & OMS, then went over the cake with Angel Wings Shimmerz. I matted it and the sentiment on Chocolate Chip (thanks to Heather for giving it to me in a blog candy!). The background papers are all Basic Grey Sultry, and I finished the card with some scrummy velvet ribbon.

Thanks for a moment to peek over here! I have some more challenges I want to try to finish this week, so I hope I'll have a card for you tomorrow.

Oh, I almost forgot! I have a blog candy still open here for a Whimsy stamp, and I have a PIF here still open. You just need to comment on the post to get a chance at winning!

Good night!


supplies ~ papers: Basic Grey Sultry, cardstock: SU! Chocolate Chip, focal image: Stampabilities Gruffies Cake Walk, sentiment: Inkadinkado Chelsea Sentiments, Shimmerz: Angel Wings, velvet ribbon: American Crafts Boutique Blush

A visitor!

Boy, do I have a treat for you today! We had a visitor who decided to meander over to our house and linger for a while. He started out across the road from us, sauntered onto our property, then had a little siesta next to one of the trees downhill & behind him in these pictures. Once he got up, he came right up to the house, but something spooked him because he jogged around our house and went uphill from where we live. I got several shots of him, but only a few were really good ones.



This moose is obviously a bull since he's sprouting antlers. If you look closely, you can see the velvet on his single antler. From what I understand, the velvet has lots of blood vessels & nerves in it and supplies the antlers with nutrients to grow. In about April or May, the antlers will be done growing and the velvet will dry up, causing it to fall off. One other tidbit, antlers are bone and shed every year. Horns, on the other hand, are bone with a keratin sheath (like your fingernails) and are never shed. Betcha didn't know that! If you'd like to know more, go here.

Have a wonderful day! I'll be back with a card (I hope) tomorrow. I have just one more to go to finish the March Viva La Verve challenge! Ta ta for now!

Faith That Will Move Mountains

The scripture on this card has always been one of my favorites, and when I saw it at Unity Stamp Company's store, I knew I would have to buy it. There's something very reassuring and simple about this verse. The faith it refers to is not faith that I can move mountains, because I can never do that. It is only God who can work the miracles in our lives, but all we need is the tiniest bit of faith for Him to do just that. When I feel that I cannot possibly accomplish something, I only need to believe that HE can, and it will be done.

I made this card for this week's CPS challenge. It's clean and simple. I stamped my own background paper using one of the stamps from Unity's Gratitude = Joy set with Ranger ink. The scripture, Unity's Move Mountains stamp, was stamped in the same ink and matted.

supplies ~ stamps: Unity, ink: Ranger vintage photo distress ink, cardstock: DCWV & from my stash

Thanks for stopping to look!