Unity Challenge

2 days in a row of cards! Watch out crafting world... i'm coming back! Actually, this card was created YESTERDAY (which is really today, i'm preposting in case i just dont get a chance tomorrow). Which means i did 2 cards in one day! Of course i actually started the card i posted today yesterday. Are you confused yet? I am. So i'll stop trying to explain.

Before i go on to ramble about having 2 kids, i'll post my card and details so those that dont care dont have to read thru to the end. haha.



This card was created for this weeks Unity Challenge (which comes out every wednesday before the hip hop which if you've been reading my blog at ALL the last month, you'll know i've become addicted to the hip hop!) You can view the thread with the sketch and with other entries here

I used my Gratitude=Joy set that i WON at the hip hop 2 weeks ago. I felt it was appropriate since it's the last unity set i got plus i was lucky enough to get it for free. There are some great stamps in this set! So much you can create! But i was loving the bamboo and given that i wanted (and needed to for sake of time) make a simple and beautiful card, the "simplicity" sentiment in this set was perfect! I loved the bamboo image for just a simple but still beautiful look. I colored the stamp with markers so i could get the leaves green while the bamboo was brown (even though bamboo isnt brown... hehe).
I then layered a piece of vellum which i inked the edges of using my fav Chestnut Roan Cat's Eye Chalk ink. I stamped "simplicity" on top of the vellum.

Now - in case you dont already know this - working with vellum is different than working with paper. Vellum is not very porous which means inks dont readily absorb into it. And since it has a bit of a transparent look things underneath show thru (like my stamped image) however, glue will show thru as well. There are lots of ways to adhere vellum and most often i just use brads. But i wanted to keep this card über simple at least by sight. So i used Close to My Heart bonding glue. I used the glue along the entire outer edge of the vellum but was very careful to not let it come too far in. When doing this just try hard to keep the width of your glue the same all the way around. So at least if it shows thru, it looks uniform.

Other additions to my card included a piece of brown cardstock that i had used Stampin Up's scallop border punch. (bonus - this scrap came out of my use later drawer - you know, the one i've talked about before that i put extra stamped images or special cuts that i wasnt able to use, etc). I then ran the scrap thru my cuddlebug with the forest branches embossing folder to give it a little extra oompf. You may not notice it, but i let the piece be slightly larger than my card (but not so much it needs a bigger envie). I've been doing that a lot lately. It just adds another point of interest to me.

Other embellies on this card are just from "my collection" so i'm not even sure who they are by. I *think* the buttons are creative cafe while the organza ribbon came from Wilson's five and dime (seriously - they have a great ribbon section!

And that concludes my card!



And now for those wondering about the development of life with 2... it's going pretty well. My oldest has been driving me BONKERS! He's just trying to push buttons, see what he can get away with, etc. I think it has alot more to do with my mom (and dad part of the time) being here for 2.5 weeks than it does with the baby. He's still really good around him. But yesterday i had to pick him up early from preschool because of a potty incident. Which means i got a lot less done yesterday than i had planned. So we're hoping for a better day tomorrow! Wish me luck!

And if you're a bella gal - keep your eyes peeled! I got some new ones that i'm DYING to play with. I got 1 colored in, so making a card is only a step away. Hopefully i'll get her done tomorrow! :)