Fun Times!

I have tons of fun stuff to share today, but first and most important....HE'S HOME!!! And it's wonderful having him here. It's easy to forget how much joy and fun that DH brings to our daily lives. We have had a wonderful weekend just soaking in his presence back in our lives. I haven't taken a single photo and I know that I will regret that later, but for now I am just being selfish and wanting to enjoy the moment...not having to worry about focus and setting and what is a better photo.

He looks fantastic...he lost 30-40 lbs while he was gone which I was seriously worried about when he kept telling me how much weight he was losing because he was not a big guy before he left, but WOW! My husband is looking fit and hot!!! I guess that's what working out for 2 hours a day for 4 months will do! WOW!!! So today is shopping day because every piece of clothing that he owns is falling off his body or tied up by belts. I promise to get photos at some point this week to share!

And now onto Unity Stamp Co. happenings...there is tons of fun coming this week! There is a huge release coming this week of eleven new {Seriously Gorgeous} kits!!! I cannot wait for you all to see these...I LOVE THEM!!! I keep thinking that the Unity line can't get any better and then Angela and her artists Wow us again!!!

But there is going to be a huge release party Wednesday night over on the Splitcoast Forum.

You're Invited

What: Unity's Release Party

Why: Eleven New Kits

Where: SplitcoastStamper Unity Forum

When: Wednesday, June 25th

Time: 9-11 EST, 8-10 CST, 7-9 MST, 6-8 PST

I'll have more details tomorrow...just know, that you won't want to miss it!! A little hint **there are three sneak peeks out on 3 of the DT blogs today!**

Today is also my Monday Simply Scrapbook Challenge. Here is this week's sketch.

Here is the layout that I created from it:

I used a stamp kit that I haven't had much time to play with yet, Oh Happy Day!, and it was perfect for this outdoor themed layout. The butterflies, the polka-dots on the green square, and the Happiness sentiment are all from this kit...so cute and fun and I can't wait to play with it some more.

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Co. Oh Happy Day!

*Unity Stamp Co. Teatime Toile background

*Unity Stamp Co. Worn PolkaDot Alphabet

*K& Company Amy Butler papers

*Bazzill cardstock

*StazOn timber brown inkpad

*Making Memories embellishments

*Marvy Uchida Scallop punches

I'll be back tomorrow with more about the release party, but now I am off to go clothes shopping with DH!

smiles,

Christi

Something must be done...

...about the state of my house. I know that I am moving and that requires some bit of chaos, but in the last hour I have kicked, stumbled over, or knocked over at least 1/2 a dozen things. It is getting ridiculous, but rather than do something to take care of it right now, I decided that blogging would be a better use of my time. :o) The sacrifices that I make for you, my blog-readers.

But first some photos! I haven't shown any pics lately of Little Miss and I have had the camera out the last couple of days. She is at such a transition point right now...starting to walk and talk...changes absolutely every day.

Yesterday we went out and sat on a blanket in the front yard for a while. She loved to explore the sticks and pine cones, but hates getting dirt on her hands. I taught her how to dust them off and she thought that was the funnest game.

This is how we spend most of our awake time these days. She's still not walking although she did take three tiny steps today by herself for the first time. But she loves to go for a "walk"...she holds my fingers and cruises around the room for as long as I will let her before my back gives out from bending over. At this point, I am really hoping that she will hold off until Ben gets home Saturday and Jacob will be crushed if he misses her walking while he is at camp this week.

She is also becoming a very proficient box-taper. She spent about 1/2 an hour this afternoon taping up this box for me. Think I should hire her out?

She hasn't quite gotten the hang of the packing paper, but she thought it was pretty comfy for a chair.

And just for cuteness, she gave me the cheesey smile.

She is such a little sweetheart. She is getting where she mimics absolutely everything. She's talking too...probably about 7-10 words including "thank you"...love that. She says momma, but has NO IDEA what it means. Nana means photos...that's what she says when she wants to look at pictures. I guess we spent a bit too much time looking at Nana's photos before we went to Texas...LOL! She says "Dadda" when she is looking at his photo...it will be interesting if she correlates the two when he gets here (although he's lost so much weight, I might not recognise him.) She says, "ba-ba" (bye-bye) and backward waves when she does it. She says "again" when she wants us to turn the Elmo chair back on and "see" when she wants to see something.

This is the perfect time for Ben to be coming home and catching all these changes and the news in that area is that he is officially out of Iraq and on his way home!!! Yippee!!! I heard from him a couple of hours ago...he should be home Saturday morning. And Rita, this week we are all doing Shake Friday together on Saturday...it's been planned! :o)

I made this card yesterday to send to Jacob at camp. It started out as the scrapbook sketch from the post below (just in card form), but I quickly started rearranging the elements and this is what I ended up with. It may not look anything like the original sketch, but it was definitely inspired by it and because of that, I made it easily in 15 minutes. And that's good because that's about all the time that I had to spare to work on it.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Co. Lilypad Playland

*Unity Stamp Co. Small Elegance (journey)

*old CTMH stamp (boot)

*Scenic Route papers

*CTMH Cocoa inkpad

*brads

smiles,

Christi

Another Sketch to Share...

oops! I ran out of day yesterday before I ran out of things to do on my list. One of those things was to blog. Ben is coming home on Saturday *YAY* so I am on a mad-scramble trying to get everything done and have the house in some semblance of order when he arrives.

Here is yesterday's sketch for the Simply Scrapbook Challenge over on the SCS forum.

The title of this layout is Favorite Pastime and I am not sure if you can tell, but the photo is of Kat emptying all of my dvd's onto the floor. She loves this and does it every single day...she also does it with my cd's, the toys, whatever box I am packing, etc. She is a master unpacker...not exactly a good thing in my world right now as I am trying to get things packed, but maybe it will work for us on the other end of this move. LOL!

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Co. Dotty Alpha

*Unity Stamp Co. Oh Happy Day!

*Unity Stamp Co. Small Elegance (circle to the right of the photo)

*SEI paper (background)

*MME paper

*Scenic Route paper (graph)

*CTMH Peach Whip inkpad and Colorbox Graphite

*Buttons

*Making Memories flowers

*Martha Stewart Scallop punch

I am really behind in life right now and owe several of you return emails. I am not ignoring you, I promise. It is on my list of things to do today or tomorrow.

smiles,

Christi

An Inspirational Challenge...

Shannan hosts inspirational challenges every Friday over on the SCS forum. A week ago she posted this photo as inspiration and I looked at it all week long.

When I first started debating about how to interpret this gorgeous photo (I believe it's from Martha Stewart Living.com), I was thinking about why it appeals to me and decided that it was the colors and the warm glow of it. So I sat down planning to only use the colors.

I also knew that I wanted to use one of the new mini sets from Unity so I pulled this set, Batch of Bitty Fun out and started playing with it.

I quickly realized that I was going to end up using the inspiration photo much more literally than I had originally planned. I absolutely never would have come up with this design on my own. I stamped the banner end-to-end for the "porch support" and the paisleys and star flowers randomly for the "foliage."

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Batch of Bitty Fun kit

*Daisy D's paper (gold)

*Fresh Paint paper (turquoise/teal paper)

*Prima bitty flowers

*brads

*corner rounder

*StazOn Jet Black inkpad

Don't forget that the Random Special #3 ends tonight at midnight CST. It's a fantastic deal so I don't want you to miss out!

I hope that you are having a fun weekend. Jacob leaves for Scout camp in the morning. We have to leave at 5:30 am to get him on his van to the mountains where the scout camp is located. UGH...it's just not right to start the summer off with an alarm clock?!?

smiles,

Christi

I do have other Stamp Loves...

I know that the blog here lately has been really slanted towards my love of Unity Stamps, but this post today is to let you know that I do try to share my love of stamping among all stamps. ;o)

A couple of months ago, I ordered quite a few sets from Banana Frog. I love my new sets, esp. my Shimelle-designed ones, but I haven't had much of a chance to get them inky. That changed this past weekend!!

The photos on these two layouts are some more of Kara's fabulous photography from when we were home. I am also usually not into papers that are this bright, but I have fallen in love with this Mira line from K&Company...it's gorgeous!!!

For this layout, I used the TakeNote set. These stamps are clear acrylic so it is very easy to create a decorative edge like the one that I did here around the Kraft paper and have it lined up perfectly. I LOVE that about clear acrylic!!

Supplies used:

*Banana Frog Take Note set

*K&Company Mira papers

*StazOn Jet Black inkpad

*Kraft cardstock

*buttons

*Heidi Swapp Chipboard letters

Isn't this photo just the cutest? I tried to stay with a very simple design for this layout.

Look at this gorgeous journaling stamp that is in this Take Note set. I just added brads on the ends to give it a bit of dimension. I also stamped a detail line from Circus Stories around the outside edge of the whole layout just to give it a bit more dimension.

For the butterflies, I stamped the swirl of the bracket on an orange paper and then strategically punched using my butterfly punch.

Supplies used:

*Banana Frog Take Note set

*Banana Frog Circus Stories set

*K&Company Mira papers

*Martha Stewart butterfly punch

*StazOn JetBlack inkpad

*CTMH Autumn Terracotta inkpad

*Colorbox Chalk inkpad

*brads

Finally the card...I love this, but only because I love these stamps so much!!! Look at those cute stamps from Shimelle...the set is called Greenwich Park. Everytime I stamp that little deer, it just makes me happy!

I just hand-wrote the "thanks" sentiment into the stamped oval.

Supplies Used:

*Banana Frog Greenwich Park

*Banana Frog Take Note

*K&Company Mira Papers

*StazOn black inkpad

*Fiskars Threading Water border punch

*ribbon

*white cardstock

I hope that you have fun plans for today. It's Jacob's first official day with no school so we are going out to lunch to celebrate!

smiles,

Christi

Unity's Random Special #3...

Everyone loves a good deal, right? Well, Angela just posted this awesome one!!!!
smiles,
Christi

We may even be able to have this to you BY THE WEEKEND for your stamping enjoyment!

I have taken inventory of Unity's first month in business...THANK YOU EVERYONE for making it such a huge success!

However...We have some sad little stamps in the Unity House...They really are begging to be inked up and are feeling pretty ignored. I don't know WHY! They are SO CUTE!

So in celebration of Random Special #3 - you can choose 3 kits of the 6 listed below.

Doo Dads

Best of Friends

Little Labels 1

Big Shiny Flowers

Circle of Thanks

Amazing Me

The BEST PART you ask? The DEAL!!!! Brace yourself....
3 sets of your CHOICE from the list above for only $40.00 plus shipping - or ALL 6 for $80.00 plus shipping! Either way shipping is ONCE AGAIN only $5. {CANADA - $8 (due to the fact that on my last random special shipping was $22 to CANADA...nothing like shipping FREE STAMPS! }

HOW TO ORDER:
Email me: info@unitystampco.com
Subject: RANDOM SPECIAL #3
Let me know which 3 sets you would like
I will send you a PAYPAL Invoice ASAP.

BONUS!!!! First 20 orders gets a FREE Single - Move Mountains

This offer will end on Saturday midnight central time!

Simply Scrapbook Sketch Monday!!!

Good morning everyone! Wow! How is it Monday already?!?! Jacob was home sick all weekend so we didn't get much done. He was still running a low-grade fever this morning (VERY low), but with this being the last few days of school, so he decided to go on to school. He didn't want to miss out on all the fun! I just hope that he doesn't start feeling worse.

Today is the Simple Scrapbook Challenge over on the Unity forum at Splitcoaststampers. This is today's sketch...

I REALLY enjoyed putting this layout together. I am not sure if it was because of the sketch, the subject matter, or my new favorite color combination. But it all flew together so easily and I love the final layout...I love it when the creation process actually works like that! :o)

This layout features one of the photos that Kara took when we were home. If you click on Kara's name, you will be taken to her website and you can view this photo better to see what an amazing photo it is (it's on page 3 of the babies gallery.) The resizing of my layout on here caused a lot of loss on the detail of the photo. I love this photo and I am not sure why, but looking at it just pulls at my heartstrings...Kat's look is almost forlorn--I just want to give her a little hug. She is so serious so much of the time esp. around other people. Anyway, it is simply a fantastic photo!!!

There is tons of Unity Stamp Co. image-work on this layout. The main images are from the June Kit of the Month, Bliss & a Birdie. For that gorgeous oval frame, I colored it with my watercolor pencils and then just blended with water. The yellow background is created using one of the Unity backgrounds, Royal Chandalier.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Bliss & a Birdie (June KOM- circles, oval frame, bliss sentiment, birdie, frame detail on title)

*Unity Stamp Company Dotty alphabet (this I colored in with black marker)

*Unity Stamp Company Royal Chandalier background(pattern on yellow cardstock)

*Unity Stamp Company Handmade by: (journaling block)

*Prima flowers

*scalloped marvy uchida circle punches

*K&Company Fresh Paint paper from target (the teal)

*cardstock*StazOn JetBlack inkpad

*CTMH Ocean inkpad

*watercolor pencils (decorative detail on the oval frame)

smiles,

Christi

A Very Personal Project...

Every Thursday over on the Unity forum at Splitcoast, one of the design team members posts a project challenge for the week. The very talented Brooke Lien posted this weeks, a Days To Remember book. I already have one of these, but really loved hers and wanted to participate in the challenge. So I used her format...just changed up the theme of my book.

We have been chatting over there this week about dreams and goals for the 2nd half of the year and it got me to thinking that I needed to focus more on my dreams. When I unexpectedly got pregnant with Kat, I kind of lost focus on the goals that I was working towards then.

So the goal of this book is to refocus me. I am using the calendar pages that Brooke provided and everyday (starting in August so life will be settled again) I am holding myself accountable for doing something to further propel me towards my dreams/goals. Everyday I have to write something in my book that I have done that day to get closer to a dream. I turn 38 in August so the book is kind of a 2 year program of the things that I want to accomplish before my 40th birthday.

On these first two pages, I plan on laying out exactly what those goals/dreams are so that I can check them off as I accomplish them.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Beauty of Dreams Single (quote)

*Unity Stamp Company Bliss & A Birdie (little bird-June KOM)

*Unity Stamp Company Believe kit

*Unity Stamp Company Handmade By: (journaling block inside)

*Unity Stamp Company Small Elegance (swirls)

*Prima papers (cover)

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*ribbon

*Melissa Frances glitter

*Basic Grey papers (inside)

smiles,

Christi

Unity's Random Special...

In celebration of the Well Deserved "8" new Design Team Members we are offering a HUGE DEAL here at Unity!

Celebration RANDOM SPECIAL #2 "
Homemade By:
Magnificent Moment
Little Labels 2
Oh! What a Beautiful Morning!
Circle of Thanks
Optional HANDLE {c} Regular Price: $17.00 - RANDOM SPECIAL (optional add on) $12.00

THIS OFFER INCLUDES 56 Stamps!

17 Unity Cassette Mounted Red Rubber & 39 Un-Mounted Red Rubber Stamps!

Retail Price: $100.00 plus Shipping

RANDOM SPECIAL: $60.00 plus S/H ($5)

With OPTIONAL Handle: 72.00 plus S/H ($5)

FIRST 10 People to order will get a FREE Giggle Grove set as well!

Some of these kits are mounted on Unity's Cassettes. This is your chance to find out what all the BUZZ is about. With this special you will have the opportunity to purchase HANDLE {c} at a discounted rate. You will then see the quality as well as the simplicity of our stamp system. The handles are such an added bonus to the comfort of your craft!

REMINDER! AJ Otto is hosting a fun little RECIPE SWAP in the very near future! Here is your chance to participate using Unity's Recipe set!

ORDERING DETAILS: Email me at info@unitystampco.com.
In the Subject Line enter: RANDOM SPECIAL #2 or RANDOM SPECIAL #2 with HANDLE. I will then send your a PAYPAL invoice immediately, so please include the PAYPAL address that you would like me to send your invoice to.

OFFER ENDS SATURDAYat MIDNIGHT!

Okay girls, these are some of my favorite stamps...here's some links to artwork...

Beautiful Morning:
Fishing Layout
whole slew of projects
Nana & Girls

Circle of Thanks (I use this set constantly using the circles and sentiments as separate elements):
You're Appreciated Card
Giving Thanks Layout
Thank you Card
Layout that I used this stamp on my blog
Another layout featuring circle
Card featuring thanks sentiment

Homemade By (those recipe cards make great journaling blocks!!!):
Don't Cry Layout

Little Labels 2:
Mother's Day gift
Sketch Card for Nat'l Scrapbook Day

Congratulations girls!!!

card featuring June Kit of the Month: Bliss & a Birdie

It's a big day over at Unity Stamp Company. Angela was looking for one new DT member and ended up signing up 8 new girls. The response was overwhelming to the call and the talent immense, so she couldn't leave it at just one. I am so excited to welcome these girls. Several of them I know from other mb's and have loved their work for a long time. Other's I am just getting to know, BUT all of them have amazing talent. Go check out their blogs. They will all have new Unity projects up today!


Amber Hight


Ana Wohlfahrt


Heather Brown


Jennifer Buck


Lauren Meader


Maren Benedict


Natalie Dever


Patter Cross






There are also a couple of other things going on over at Unity Stamps. Angela has decided to run a flat $5 shipping on all packages all the time. She is also running another amazing random sale today... I will post more details about that as soon as I know them...
smiles,
christi

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Today is my mother's birthday.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy, MoM!!!

I am waiting right now for the packer's to come and analyze our packing needs for our move...something they never bring enough of, book boxes and picture boxes. We always tell them that they will need tons of these and they never believe us and they ALWAYS run out when they are packing us up. Maybe I will have better luck convincing them today.

So while I wait, I will blog and see if I can get this post written before they arrive. I have a couple more projects to share with you using this month's Kit of the Month, Bliss and a Birdie from Unity Stamp Company. The more that I use this set, the more that I love it. I think that the last day to order these will be the 9th and then they ship out on the 15th. I don't want you to miss out if you are debating it.

This is a layout that I am not sure that I actually would have ever done without the impetus of that little "Don't Cry" stamp, but I am glad that I have now. I think that this is one of those things that Kat will appreciate when she is all grown up...just a little story about her personality at this age.

The journaling says:

"The Story-- Your first time sitting in the little rocking chair that was mine when I was little. At first, you were okay with it- it was your size, but then you moved and it started rocking. Definitely NOT okay anymore. I don't think that I will have to worry about you being a risk-taker. :)"

The title, little bird, circle frame, and title frame are all from this kit. The journaling stamp is from the Recipe card kit.

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Co. June Kit of the Month- Bliss and a Birdie

*Unity Stamp Co. Handmade By kit

*Noteworthy 2 papers

*CTMH Amethyst and Sweet Leaf inkpads

*Buttons

*White cardstock

*Marvy Uchida Scallop circle punches

I also have a new card to share using this kit. I love this stamp because this type of card can be so hard to make, but this stamp is simple and elegant and just perfect. If you look really closely at the swirl below the sentiment, you will notice that there are 3 little birdies that coordinate with the bird stamp from this kit. Angela has promised to make this swirl as a large stamp on it's own. I cannot wait...just imagine that large stamped on the bottom of a layout...gorgeousness! But that means that you will want this kit so that you can have the coordinating bird stamp that's in here!

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Co. June Kit of the Month Bliss and a Birdie

*Fiskars Kimberly Poloson papers

*Lace trim

*buttons

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

smiles,

Christi

It's a Simple Scrapbook Sketch Day...

Good morning! Let's see if I can get this up early today.... Today is Simple Scrapbook Challenge day over on the Unity forum at Splitcoast so that means that I have a new sketch to share with you today.

This is the layout that was inspired by the sketch. These are some photos that my mom took on Kat's birthday of the two of us in our hats. Kat isn't too sure about me being in a hat so it didn't last too long. Hopefully, someday soon, I will be able to do wierd things like wear a hat or change my hairstyle and not have it totally scare her to death about this stranger coming at her. ;o)

Obviously since this was a Unity challenge, I used lots of Unity Stamps (not that doing so is any real hardship...lol!) One of my all-time favorite Unity stamps is this dandelion and I recently saw a piece where someone had added the white details to the tips of a dandelion so I just had to try this with my white sharpie. Isn't that the coolest effect? Love that look...oh, and good news for those of us that love this dandelion...it is coming out in one of the new Mini Mix-ups kits in a more cardmaker friendly size. I can't wait to get those...I am thinking that they should be up available on the website today.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company My Biggest Wish

*Unity Stamp Company Just Wish kit

*Unity Stamp Company Sentiments O' Simple kit

*Prima flowers and gems

*White poster sharpie

*Little Yellow Bicycle papers and die Cuts

*K&Company Fresh Paint paper

*Rhonna Farrer ribbon

*Marvy Uchida small circle scallop punch

smiles,

Christi

Lots to Share this Morning...

I know that I am not blogging as often as normal right now and unfortunately, I think that is going to be the norm until probably August when we should finally be settled and unpacked at our new home. I just have SO MUCH to do between now and then. Life is simply crazy right now and I know as we get closer and close to Ben being home and the move that it is going to get even more so. But I promise I will try to update as often as I can!

Speaking of Ben being home...we have a date!!! He will be home June 21st! That is the day after our anniversary (#16 this year), but it's also the day that Jacob comes home from Scout camp so it should be a fabulous day all the way around!!! So that puts us at less than three weeks til he is here...have I mentioned that I have so much to do?!?!? It's crazy, but it's a good crazy!

So today I have a bit of Unity Stamp Company sharing to do. Today is the announcement of our new Guest Designer for the month of June...Maren. She's been hanging out on the Splitcoast forum and in the DT area and I am just amazed at her talent. Go over and check out her blog...I promise you will love it.

I think that Angela has said that the release of the new Mini Mix-ups will be today. I cannot wait to get my hands on these fun little stamps!!!

But speaking of getting my hands on some stamps...I got a fun box in the mail yesterday that included the June Stamp Kit of the Month. These will be mailing out on June 15th and I promise you that you will not want to miss out on these cute, cute stamps...you can only get them through the kit club!! Here are a couple of quick cards that I put together last night. There will be more to come in the near future, I promise!

For this card, I used some digital papers that I had printed up a while ago called Canta by Jesse Edwards. This card is on it's way to someone special. :o) Both the frame and the sentiment are from the June Kit of the Month.

This card features some more digital papers, Spring Faire by Katie Pertiet. The fun images seemed to work perfectly with that Once upon a Time... sentiment. The sentiment comes as a corner, but I cut mine apart so that I can make it a straight sentiment like this if I wish. I also used a couple of those gorgeous frames from this kit.

For the sentiment frame, I added a bit of detail by putting a few white dots into it with my White Sharpie.

Finally, this is a card that I did using an inspirational challenge that Shannan posted on Friday.

This card uses the Vintage Accents kit from Unity. I was inspired by the umbrella shapes in the inspirational photo...

hmmmm, doesn't that look just heavenly?!? I am not a shorts/swimsuit kind of gal, but I think that I could make the exception for this.

smiles,

Christi