I Lava You

 Hi Artzy friends -

Today I have a new-to-me fun fold card called an Impossible Card.  Cindy demoed one on a recent live in the Dare 2B Artzy facebook group. You can also find tutorials on Splitcoast Stampers and YouTube if you're interested. They really are fun and easy to create!

This birthday card was created with brand new products from Dare 2B Artzy. Stamps and dies are from the Good Times Roll and Groovy Van sets. The patterned papers are from the Feelin' Groovy collection.

I also added a sentiment on the back, along with space to write a message and sign the card.

I love that the "I Lava You" and "Love" sentiments have dies to cut them out! 

The fun thing about this card is that it folds flat to fit into an A2 envelope, and "pops up" when the recipient removes it from the envelope! Such a fun surprise!

Do you like creating fun fold cards? What are some of your favorites?

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Growing in Unity Winners

 Hi stamping friends -

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my GIU posts last week! I appreciate each and every one!

The two winners of a $20 gift credit are Robin and Linda!

Please email Kelli@unitystampco.com to claim your gift credit within two weeks, and put "winner from Avra's GIU week" in the subject line. Congratulations!

I hope you will all subscribe to my blog so I can continue to share my creations with you!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Growing in Unity, Day 5

Happy Friday, friends!

Welcome to my 5th and final day as a Growing in Unity gal for 2023!

Today I have two cards to share using two more Unity sentiment kits.  One is from 2020 and is  birthday themed, called Aging Gorgeously. The second is brand new, and is a pet sympathy themed set. Unity has begun selling their sentiment kits in a new way. From now going forward, you can purchase the image or the sentiments individually, or you can purchase both together as a bundle. There will still be, as always, a brand new sentiment kit released every month.

Both of my cards were created with the emboss resist technique and ink blending.

For my first card I heat embossed the beautiful floral image in the Aging Gorgeously kit in white, on the edge of my card panel. I then ink blended a few different colors of Distress Oxide Inks over the card and wiped over the image with a cloth to clean off the ink and make it pop. I then heat embossed my sentiment over the top, making sure the ink was completely dry. The two techniques appear the same when completed. I adhered my panel to a piece of black cardstock, mounted it to my card base, and added some pretty bling! 

My second card features the Pet Sentiment bundle , comprised of the Love is a Four-Legged Word image (plus one sentiment,) and the Loved By a Dog sentiments (plus 2 small images).

I used the image and it's included sentiment for my card. I am not currently in need of a pet sympathy card and thought this card could be used for other occasions involving pets. But I have the sentiment portion of the bundle for the next time I am need of such a card. 

I again white heat embossed my image on my card before ink blending over it with Distress Oxide inks in various shades of blues. I the heat embossed my sentiment on a piece of vellum and added it to my card, along with some pretty embellishments. 

I hope you enjoyed my cards today, and all this week, using a wide variety of stamps from Unity Stamp Co! 

Don't forget to comment on this post, and each post this week, for a chance to win a $20 gift credit to Unity Stamp Co. I will choose two winners on Monday.

Thanks for visiting and commenting - it means a lot to me! 

Have a great day!

Avra

Good Times Roll

Hi Artzy friends -

Today I am sharing a slider card I created with the cute roller skate image from the new Dare 2B Artzy Good Times Roll stamps and dies.

I began by creating a mini slimline sized panel for my card front using the Slim Mini Flower Patch dies and backed it with a panel of Peace and Love paper from the new Feelin' Groovy collection. I then cut a slider opening with a die included in the Wavy Slimline Border dies set. 

I assembled my slider mechanism using some little MFT Spin and Slide Discs and foam tape.

I attached my colored and die cut roller skate to the front of my slider, as well as a flower and gold heat embossed sentiment (I love that a die is included to cut out this sentiment!) to my card front. 

I then attached the entire panel to some Groovy Blooms paper and adhered my card front to a mini slimline card base. It's so fun to slide the roller skate back and forth across my card!

You can see all of the newest  Dare 2B Artzy products here!

Thanks for visiting, and have a groovy day!

Avra

Growing in Unity, Day 4

Happy Thursday, friends!

Welcome to my 4th day as a Growing in Unity gal for 2023!

Today's card uses the spotlight stamping technique and features a large floral image from a Unity Sentiment kit called Every Single Day

I have always loved Unity's sentiment kits, most of which feature a large focal image (Some have multiple images.) and many sentiments, usually in a particular theme. There is a new sentiment kit released every month and I own many of them (and still have many on my wish list!) 

This kit includes sentiments that are a little more general, and along with the pretty floral image, can be used for just about any occasion.

For my card I began by stamping portions of the image in various positions on two card panels, creating an all over background. Using my Misti stamp positioned insured that my two panels were identical. 

I then colored just a portion of one of the panels with Copic markers, and die cut it with a rounded square die. I matted it with black cardstock cut just slightly larger than my colored image. I the matched up the colored image with the uncolored panel and popped it up with foam.

I then added a heat embossed sentiment from the kit and mounted my card front on black cardstock before adding it my A2 card base.

You can see Unity's huge collection of sentiment kits here. I am confident that you can find something that will fit your card making style and needs!

Don't forget to comment on this post, and each post this week, for a chance to win a $20 gift credit to Unity Stamp Co!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Growing in Unity, Day 3

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Welcome to my 3rd day as a Growing in Unity gal for 2023!

Here in central Ohio we've had some beautiful spring-like days in February, but we've also had some cold gray days and we know that winter is not over.

This sweet image, called Brandy & Emma Let It Snow,  portrays the feeling that winter can be beautiful and fun! 

The Brandy & Emma images, featuring this sweet little girl and her dog, are designed by artist Phyllis Harris, and they can be found here. 

I wanted to try out my new Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils, and thought they would be the perfect medium for this image. 

I added a little shine to my project by heat embossing my sentiment in silver, as well as the edges of my mat. I also added some shimmer spray to the background.

Here is my heat embossed mat which created a "frame" for my image.

I hope you enjoyed today's card. Check out Unity's selection of images and sentiments that you can use to create cards to brighten someone's day any day of the year!

Don't forget to comment on this post, and each post this week, for a chance to win a $20 gift credit to Unity Stamp Co!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Growing in Unity, Day 2

 Happy Tuesday, friends!

Welcome to my 2nd day as a Growing in Unity gal for 2023!

Today's card is a stand up easel card. I love easel cards because they're simple to make, fold flat to fit in an A2 envelope, but can make a big impact when you stand them up for display.

I colored a sweet Angie Girl image called Lexi Girl with Copic markers. Angie Girls are a very popular line of stamps from Unity Stamp Co. You can check out the entire collection here.

I matted my trimmed image on black cardstock and attached it to my easel card base. 

I attached a panel of patterned paper to the inside of my card. I then stamped my sentiment and mounted it on black cardstock, and adhered it to the inside of my card using foam tape to act as a ledge for my easel card to stand up.

I embellished my card front with some pretty gold pearls from Pinkfresh Studio.

I hope you enjoyed today's card, and check out Unity's  huge collection of Angie Girls.

All of Unity's stamps are "cook to order" meaning they are manufactured and packaged as orders are placed, so you never have to worry about an "out of stock" situation! 

Don't forget to comment on this post, and each post this week, for a chance to win a $20 gift credit to Unity Stamp Co!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

 

Growing in Unity, Day 1

Happy Monday, friends!

I'm excited to be able to share some of the cards that I have created with Unity Stamps this week!

Be sure to visit every day, and comment on each post, to be eligible to win a $20 gift credit to Unity Stamp Co. Two of you will be randomly drawn at the end of the week for this generous prize!

Unity Stamp Co is a family owned, US based company that manufactures high quality red rubber stamps in just about any design style you can imagine. Be sure to check them out if you haven't!

Today I am sharing a flat shaker card! This type of shaker card doesn't use any foam tape and is super simple to create!

My images, which I colored with Copic markers, are from the Sammy Girl kit. The sentiment is heat embossed with gold embossing powder. 

After coloring my image I cut an oval frame into an A2 sized piece of paper that looks like alcohol ink! So pretty and zero mess! 

All you need to create a flat shaker card pouch is any clear packaging you may have; no need to purchase acetate sheets. I taped my plastic to the back of my card panel on 3 sides, leaving the top open. I used scotch tape; you can use any tape you have - no one will see the back once you mount it to a card base.

Now it is sure simple to pour your shaker elements in through the open flap before you tape it closed. 

I added my sentiment and a few extra doodads right on top of the plastic and mounted my card front to a card base.

I hope you enjoyed my card today, and are inspired to try out a flat shaker card (also called an edge to edge shaker!) I'll be back tomorrow with another Unity Stamp Co. creation!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Feeling' Groovy Instagram Hop

 Hi Artzy friends -

Today I am excited to share a card created with products from a brand new collection from Dare 2B Artzy called Feelin' Groovy. You can see all of the products in this new collection here. I would also love for you to check out our Instagram hop where you can see all of the new products in action, as well as have a chance to win awesome prizes!

I created this colorful Tri Fold Accordion card using papers from the new Feelin' Groovy collection and images and sentiments from the new Groovy Van stamps and dies. 

I love when a set includes dies to cut out some of the sentiments!

If you were a child of the 60's or 70's this style and these colors probably bring back memories! I know it does for me! 

Thanks for visiting and have a groovy day!

Avra

Good Times

 Hi Artzy friends -

Today I am giving you a little peek at some cute images included in some of our new stamp sets.

These happy little flowers are from the new Good Times Roll and Groovy Van stamp and die sets. The "good times" sentiment is also from Groovy Van. I love when bold sentiments have coordinating dies to cut them out! 

My background die is called Wacky Box background die, and I cut it from shiny black cardstock. It almost looks like patent leather in real life! Isn't it groovy?! 

I hope you will check out all of the newest products at Dare 2B Artzy!

Thanks for visiting and have a groovy day!

Avra

 

Peek-a-Boo Card

 Hi Artzy friends -

Today I am sharing a card I made using a die cutting technique I learned from a video by Julie Ebersole. I don't believe she had a name for it, so I'm calling it a peek-a-boo card!

I used the Buzzy Beez stamp and dies sets to create this card, as well as paper from the All the Buzz collection. My inside sentiment is from the Honey Bears stamp set.

To create this type of card you need to have the coordinating die for the image that you're using as your focal point. I stamped the bee on the front of my card, die cut it out, and stamped it again, through the opening, onto the inside of my card. 

You can see here where I have the cutout bee shape on the front of my card, and the colored bee image is actually on the inside of my card.

I cut a mask of the bee image so I could stamp my other two images beside him on the inside. The honey pot and hive on the front were stamped, colored and die cut. 

I also added some shimmer to the bee's wings and some Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the honey drips.

I cut an A2 panel from my patterned paper and aligned cut outs of the bee as well as an opening for my sentiment, which I popped up. 

I've had this card template sitting on my desk for quite some time and now that I've completed the card I can't wait to try one again!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Hearts Shaker

 Hi Artzy friends -

Today I am sharing a mini slim shaker card that would be perfect for your Valentine in a few weeks!

The beautiful Slim Mini Heart Background die comes with the scalloped background die which I cut in red cardstock. I adhered two layers of the heart background together to make my shaker element a little more sturdy, and attached a piece of clear acetate to the back. I found the perfect little heart shapes in my stash to fill the inside of my shaker card!

I heat embossed the sentiment from the Well Wishes stamp set onto a piece of vellum die cut with the little scalloped rectangle from the Pop Up Feature die set.

I think this card would be perfect for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or just because! 

Join our challenge for the month of January! The theme is Winter Fun, and you'll have a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Dare 2B Artzy store!

Thanks for visiting, and have a great day!

Avra

Floating By

 Hi Artzy friends -

For me, January means the end of the holiday card making season, and time to start making birthday cards for the year. 

I hope this card puts a smile on the recipient's face, especially if they have a winter birthday!

This full front, or edge to edge shaker card is easy to create with any clear packaging you may have laying around. I made a pocket with a card panel that was foiled with the Make Waves Hot Foil Plate and a piece of clear plastic packaging, and filled the pocket with sequins and shaker bits before sealing up the pocket.

I then colored and die cut my jellyfish and other sea creatures from the Jellyfish stamps and dies sets. I added them to the front of my card, along with my sentiment from the Seahorses stamp set, which I stamped on a banner die from the Wavy Slimline Framelits dies.

I just love all the sparkle and shine and "fun factor" of this card!

Join us in the Dare 2B Artzy blog challenge this month with a Winter Fun card for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the store!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Happy New Year!

 Hi Artzy friends -

It's a new year, a new month, and a new Dare 2B Artzy challenge!

This month's challenge theme is Winter Fun and we have many winter themed stamps and dies to inspire you!

I used this adorable tobogganing snowmen image on my mini slimline card. Don't they look like they're having Winter Fun?! And they're also wishing you all a very happy 2023!

The Dare 2B Artzy products I used on this card are: Toboggan Fun stamps and dies, Just Chillin' stamps,  Slim Mini Wavy Layers dies, and papers from the Holiday Magic collection.

Be sure to link up your project on the challenge post on the  Dare 2B Artzy blog for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the store!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra