GIU winners

Thank you all for your kind comments during my Growing in Unity week.  Unity Stamp Company is so kind as to provide grab bags of 25 stamps to two random commenters each week.  I decided to add a third prize to the mix.  Congrats to these winner!

GlennisF and jennyoh3 win prize packs from Unity.

Becca Yahrling wins a prize from me.  

 

Please reach out to me (easiest for you on Facebook- I've tagged those I could) so I can get your mailing address and have the prizes in the mail ASAP.  

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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Unity Stamp Co Growing in Unity (GIU) Friday

Happy Friday!  I have one last project to share.   This one will go to a friend who has been having some life changes on top of the transition to working from home. 

I stamped Clara Girl and was lucky to find a tiny sentiment from Succulent Salutations that just barely fit on her laptop!  Do you see her cute slippers?  This girl understands daytime pajamas and nighttime pajamas, right?  :)  If you don't have Succulent Salutations, do take a look.  It is one of my most-used kits.  I think that's in part because the sentiments are compact so they fit on many cards.  I sometimes don't plan my whole design out and then find my sentiments don't quite fit.  Oops!    

After my stamping, I inked around her.  Then I attached the layer with foam tape, tied on a gold bow, and used some white and gold Nuvo drops for decoration.  I cannot recommend highly enough that you pre-make your dots.  I'd been avoiding this for ages and I finally saved the backing from some postage stamps to make some dots on.  Once they've dried for several days they really hold up so much better than when you put them directly on your project. No fear of them squishing onto the envelope this way.  I do recommend tweezers for placement, however. 

Remember to leave a comment on this post, and on every post this week.  Unity Stamp Company graciously provides a grab bag of 25 stamps to two random commenters this week and every GIU week!   I'll have a prize that I'll personally send out to someone who comments and answers the question at the bottom of the post. 

What will you do this weekend?  I think it's time for me to start mowing the grass for the season.  Usually I try to wait for April 1st and so if it's dry this weekend, it's time to start.   

I hope you are staying safe and well during this challenging time.


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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Unity Stamp Co Growing in Unity (GIU) Thursday

It's Thursday already and this week is surely flying by!

Can you spot the 4 Unity Stamp sets used in this card? 

Background: Barn Wall is a must-have background stamp.  I used a medium brown ink to stamp it and sponged on a lighter brown.
Main image: My Heart Trusts
Sentiment: Steps of Courage.  I was lucky enough to get this one in a grab bag ages ago!
Frame around sentiment: Sports Squares. Bonus points to you if you picked up on this one.  I used the outside of the Football stamp by covering the football image with scotch tape when I inked the stamp and then removing the tape before stamping on my project. 

Remember to leave a comment on this post, and on every post this week.  Unity Stamp Company graciously provides a grab bag of 25 stamps to two random commenters this week and every GIU week!   I'll have a prize that I'll personally send out to someone who comments and answers the question at the bottom of the post. 

A project-related question today: Should I have colored the girl's shirt? I hesitated a long time and left it monochromatic, but I'm wondering if you would have chosen differently. 

I hope you are staying safe and well during this challenging time.


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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Unity Stamp Co Growing in Unity (GIU) Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

This adorable Phyllis Harris girl gazing out a window reminds me of something going on in my neighborhood right now.  We're all placing stuffed animals in our front windows so that our neighbors with small children have something fun to look for when they go on neighborhood walks.  I think it originated from a children's book called "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" and it seems to be going viral on social media right now.  If you or your neighbors have small children, perhaps you could organize your neighbors to do the same!

Image: No Limit to Love
Sentiment: Fluttering Affection


Remember to leave a comment on this post, and on every post this week.  Unity Stamp Company graciously provides a grab bag of 25 stamps to two random commenters this week and every GIU week!   I'll have a prize that I'll personally send out to someone who comments and answers the question at the bottom of the post. 

What fun hobby have you rekindled since having more time at home?  For me, it's been picking up a physical book to read!     

I hope you are staying safe and well during this challenging time.


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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Unity Stamp Co Growing in Unity (GIU) Tuesday

Hello everyone!  I hope you are having a lovely Tuesday.  

I'm continuing with my theme of cards to send while we're staying close to home.  Many of us have recently made the transition to working from home, so this stapler set "Keeping it Together" seemed like a great set to use!  I'll send this to a coworker who I miss from my job. 

Can you guess what household item I used to make my background? 

I used Dylusions and Color Box Spritzers ink sprays to make my background. While I think ink sprays are a lot of fun, they often overpower the small canvas of an A2 card or at least I haven't figured out how to get less output.  So, I wanted to contain the spray to a smaller spot.  What was the mystery item?  No guesses?  Alright, I'll let you in on the trick.  I put an empty toilet paper cardboard roll on the cardstock and sprayed my ink down into the tube.  The best part was that I don't have to clean off a stencil; I can just pop it into the recycling.  If Americans' recent hoarding of TP is any indication, you all should have a few at your house too!  You might notice that the orange circle in the middle has a bit of a blue border.  I like the effect, but if you want to avoid it, either start with the lightest colors or have a tube per color. 

Remember to leave a comment on this post, and on every post this week.  Unity Stamp Company graciously provides a grab bag of 25 stamps to two random commenters this week and every GIU week!   I'll have a prize that I'll personally send out to someone who comments and answers the question at the bottom of the post. 

Have you been working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak?  My last normal day at work as a math coach and teacher was March 13th.  We are closed for at least four more weeks but online instruction will happen to keep kids learning while we can't be together.  I'm lucky, I guess, that my craft table can double as my teaching desk while I'm working from home!   

I hope you are staying safe and well during this challenging time.


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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Unity Stamp Co Growing in Unity (GIU) Monday

Hello everyone!  I am pleased to be your GIU gal for the week of March 30th.  I've been collecting Unity stamps for almost ten years now and they are by far my favorite of any manufacturers I've tried.  The red rubber is absolutely the best for stamping!

This week, my theme will be cards to send to friends and family during these times of people self-isolating.  Unity has tons of inspiring and uplifting sentiments that will work well for this time.  The set Faith has great scripture with a fun text style that can really shine on a project, even without a central image.

This card uses two fun ink techniques.  Give one a try; they are both fun for kids to try, too, if you need an art project to keep your children entertained if school is closed.  I think kids as little as 4 years old could do them with some assistance, but beware they do have a messy factor!  If you'll be worried that their fingers are ink stained for days, this may be a technique to skip until gloves are plentiful. 

The back panel is made by dripping a few drops of ink refill onto a smooth base of shaving cream, dragging the ink through the shaving cream to make a marble design (using a popsicle stick, fork, etc), and then pressing cardstock into the shaving cream (gently).  You'll then scrape the remaining shaving cream off of the card stock (a used-up store gift card works great) to reveal a pretty pattern.  You can make several sheets of cardstock on the same shaving cream.  And since we're all social distancing, no need to shave, am I right?  We might as well use that shaving cream for fun!  Bonus- if your shaving cream has a fragrance, so will your paper.

The front panel was a technique for kid's markers (water-based, not alcohol-based).  Find an acrylic or glass surface (I used a large stamping block) and scribble all over it with a couple of complementary colors.  Spritz lightly with water.  You can use another stamping block to press the colors together and get some interesting mixes and designs.  Then press your cardstock into the "watercolor" you've created.  You may need do it a few times to get the coverage you want.  I find it helpful to have a paper towel on hand to blot off excess water so your paper doesn't curl up too much.  I stamped the sentiment after the panel was dry so my ink wouldn't bleed. 

Remember to leave a comment on this post, and on every post this week.  Unity Stamp Company graciously provides a grab bag of 25 stamps to two random commenters this week and every GIU week!   I'll have a prize that I'll personally send out to someone who comments and answers the question at the bottom of the post. 

How have you been spending this time of social distancing or shelter-in-place restrictions?  Personally, I am planning to get married this summer and move from my home to my fiancé's home.  I've been off of work for the past two weeks while our school system transitions to this new phase of life, so I used my time to pack boxes and small furniture I could fit in my car to take it to my new place.  Half of my craft room is in each place, so making my GIU entries has been an exercise in creativity to use the items I have at home.  :) 

I hope you are staying safe and well during this challenging time.



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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Cling Stamp Storage using Unity Stamp Company Cases

Since about 2011, I've been an avid fan of Unity Stamp Company.  They make the best quality rubber stamps I've found yet.  Not only are they deeply etched, but they are generously sized and have a variety of beautiful designs. 

When I first started buying the stamps, I found Cling Storage Cards by Stamper's Best (now Deep Red Stamps) that were perfect for my needs.  They were rigid laminated sheets with three hole punches.  Stamps could cling to either side and the sheets slipped into binders easily.  I remember them being around a dollar a sheet.  Unfortunately, the company stopped producing them and I couldn't find a substitute.  Plus, my stamp collection was growing and I was having a hard time remembering where to return my stamps after I'd used some from several kits since the sheets were blank and I'd never made an index. 

I read online somewhere about using a laminator to make your own, and I tried that for a while, by stamping on cardboard cut from cereal boxes, sticking two sheets together, and running it through my laminator, but I was concerned that I might be degrading the cling foam on my stamps because I couldn't be sure that the lamination film I was using was safe.  I honestly haven't seen any evidence that the foam is degrading, but I wanted to protect my stamps just to be sure.

Unity Stamp Company sells their own storage cases.  Currently, they are $3.89 each.  I hesitated for a long while, not sure if I would like them or if I really wanted to reorganize my whole collection.  There's also something a bit scary about laying out the whole lot of your stamps and coming to terms with just how many you actually own!  (What's a girl to do when they keep having fantastic sales and releasing awesome new designs?)  And let's not even talk about the clear stamps and Stampin' Up stamps I never reach for any more...

I placed an order a few weeks ago for 20 cases, hoping that would contain all of my stamps.  Each case can hold stamps on both sides, so the equivalent of two full 8.5"x11" kits.  I started by sorting my stamps into rough themes.  I chose to keep each kit together instead of breaking apart images and sentiments because that works better for me to find what I want.  While I was working, I used Post-its to label the cases with their themes.  For now, these are the themes I have:
- Kit of the Month
- Sentiment Kits
- Phyllis Harris- Kids
- Phyllis Harris- Nature
- Tierra Jackson- Animals
- Angie Girls
- Masculine
- Love
- Vintage
- Food
- Household Objects
- School
- Borders/Backgrounds/Journaling
- Christmas
- Cute Animals
- Large Florals
- Grab Bags
Twenty cases would probably have been about right, but once I decided on themes, I didn't want to combine different themes in a single case, so I do have some extra room in some cases and some stamps that still need homes.  I ended up ordering seven more.

After I got the bulk of my stamps into cases, I wanted to somehow catalog them.  I'd seen suggestions to attach the packaging to the cases, but I didn't want to ruin the inserts if I was rough on my cases.  I also saw a suggestion to stamp each kit in a different color and to stamp grab bag items in black.  Genius!  I started inking up my stamps (while they were in the case where I knew they would fit) and then placed a sheet of card stock on top to stamp the images out.  While I was at it, I made two for each side of the case.  I'll keep one sheet inside the case and I'll keep the other in a binder of page protectors so I can flip through my stamps without dragging them all out.  I also used a coordinating pen to write the name of the kit.  Note- this is where I realized my colored inks are sadly in need of some TLC or replacement. 

Next, I got my Staz-on ink out and inked up the stamps once more.  This time, I stamped them onto a transparency.  I'm attaching this transparency to the outside of the case.  It will let me easily tell which stamps I need to grab and which stamps are missing if there are holes. 

When my cataloging is done, I'm going to be storing the cases in these magazine files that I got at Target years ago.  Each holds 4 cases comfortably so I can just tote the magazine file to my desk when I need it.  I'll make tags for each magazine file to indicate which themes are inside and label the cases with a more permanent solution than the Post-its. 

So, my organization project is well underway.  The stamping for cataloging is taking a LONG time.  One thing I'd do if I had the equipment would be to photocopy my colored reference sheet in black onto the transparency to save the Staz-on step.  Unfortunately, my printer is on the fritz and my transparencies are not compatible with printers or copiers, so I'm doing it the time consuming way but I do love the results!

Finished Product with Index Sheets Visible

Finished Product Closed

How do YOU store your cling stamps? 

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Proud Operation Write Home Alumni
Cards shipped to OWH in 2014: 21
Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 829 blank and 301 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695