Hi Everyone,
My name is Renee and I am one of the Growing in Unity girls for the week. I've been paper crafting for almost 20 years (I just gasped at that too). I started out with scrapbooks when I was pregnant with my oldest son, now almost 19 and have since switched almost exclusively to card making. I love the instant gratification cards bring.
As I said, I started nearly 20 years ago while pregnant with my first son and just a few short weeks ago my husband and I welcomed collective baby number 7! We are a big blended family and our kids range from almost 19 to 5 weeks old.
We endured a tragedy in 2013 when our 10 day old daughter Delaney passed away. Since then it has been my sole mission to spread joy and happiness. Although she did not pass away from cancer, I felt the people battling cancer were feeling the same helpless feelings my husband and I were while we watched our daughter struggle and fight. So, I've been sending cards of hope to cancer patients for the last 3 1/2 years, mostly anonymously, always full of love and hope. Unity has been a huge part of this because they carry such an amazing line of cancer stamps (so grateful for that, btw).
This week I want to focus on techniques and bright fun cards. I hope you enjoy my cards as much as I do. Today's technique is INK SMOOSHING. By pressing the distress ink pads down on a piece of acetate and spritzing the pigment with water and dabbing your paper into the ink pool, you can create some really interesting and beautiful designs, images and backgrounds.
My first card this week required me to step outside my crafty comfort zone, completely. I'm not usually a fan of ink smooshing because it delivers results that are less than ... controlled... and I'm a pretty clean and simple card maker. The background on this card is rainbow ink smooshing, what else would you think would be appropriate for this super cute Unicorn by Susan Weckesser?
This set is called Unicorns & Rainbows and comes with 6 red rubber stamps. I used three image stamps and the sentiment to create this card.
I paper pieced the cute unicorn and cloud onto the background, colored the rainbow with some fun copic markers and added some sparkle to the unicorn. How much fun is this card!
Be sure to leave a comment below for your change to win some fun stamps from Unity Stamp Company!
The products used to create this bright and cheery card are:
Unity Stamp Co Unicorns & Rainbows available here:
Unicorns & Rainbows
Ranger Distress Inks:
Candied Apple
Carved Pumpkin
Mustard Seed
Lucky Clover
Blueprint Sketch
Wilted Violet
Additional Products Used:
A Muse Studio Landscape die- cloud border
Mama Elephant Die- Park Ave. Frame
Copic Markers- Rainbow colors
PPP sequins
Tim Holtz water color paper
Spectrum noir sparkle overlay pen
AWESOME card! Ink smooshing is so much fun to see the results!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lagene, it is a technique I struggle with. I always want to control the color too much.
DeleteA lovely bright cheerful card, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen, I appreciate you stopping by!
DeleteBright and beautiful!! Love it!!
ReplyDeleteI swear the stamp set does all the work Crystal.
DeleteI love your card and need to try this technique!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris, it was a fun technique for this card, for sure.
DeleteWhat a cute card. So many times we create cards that I think are more appreciated by adults. I can see "children of all ages" having a smile on their faces when they receive this card.
ReplyDeleteI love making cards that will make people smile, big and small. Thanks for stopping by today.
DeleteHow adorable. I love how you colored him? her? So cute.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sharon
DeleteSo cute, Renee...nice to see you blogging again, and posting your beautiful cards.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joann, when I can fit it back into my life, I'd love to blog on a regular basis. It is fun to create and share
DeleteThanks Renee for sharing your story about Delany and your mission of spreading happiness to cancer patients. My daughter is a cancer survivor, so that means a lot. I really enjoyed this card... it is so bright and cheerful and happy! I am new to smooshing and paper piecing but will have to experiment a bit more.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is a hero in my eyes, Dorothy. Thank you for sharing that part of your life with me. I'd love to see the results of your experiments when you have time to try ink smooshing.
DeleteI appreciate your story. Thanks for sharing. My sympathy for your loss. I love smooshing also use cheap markers like crayola for this technique. Love that unicorn!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried with cheap markers but now I'm interested to see what I can do with those, and how much I can control the color. ;)
DeleteInteresting technique - love the way it turned out!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz. I am pretty sure even your little ones could do ink smooshing. Easy and fun!
DeleteThat's fabulous, Renee, so happy and cheerful! Susan's unicorn is so fun, and you've created the perfect background for it! It's a wonderful thing you do...sharing your cards with cancer patients. I'm so glad that Susan shared your post so that I could come see it! Thank you! :o)
ReplyDeleteThank you Nancy. I adore this stamp set and could never do it the justice it really deserves.
DeleteAmazing colorful card! I love the ink smooshing technique.
ReplyDeleteInk smooshing for the win!
DeleteMy grand-daughter would just melt when she saw this card if I made it for her! It's now on my list of cards of course. Great job!
ReplyDeleteIt was so fun to make. I completely encourage you making her one.
DeleteWhat an adorable and colorful card! I'm glad you stepped out of your comfort zone to bring us something new! TFS.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine. I found this one to be so fun... sometimes it is fun to let the image create the card it wants to be.
DeleteLove this. Ink smooshing is so much fun and adding paper piecing looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise, I found it to be fun but I had anxiety over controlling the color. Note to self: work on that!
DeleteLove this. Ink smooshing is so much fun and adding paper piecing looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThis is really precious! Gorgeous coloring!
ReplyDeleteBright and fun was the way to go with this one.
DeleteVery colorful. Sometimes it is a good thing to stretch ourselves outside our normal style.
ReplyDeletenew techniques are really fun to play with and when you can revisit one you don't use often and make something you like, that is a win in my book. So I figured this card was a winner
DeleteVery cute card! I can't say that I have ever tried ink smoothing. I usually like controlled crafting situations too LOL!
ReplyDeleteFYI, ink smooshing is easier to control than water color washes... and that is why I tried it. So, go for it.
DeleteLove all of the colors and cheerfulness.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim, this one was so much fun.
DeleteSorry for the loss of your daughter. I also make cards mostly and donate them for cancer patients, as I'm a cancer survivor also, and sadly that is what took my husband 2 years ago. I started doing those cards many years ago when my cousin had stage 4 breast cancer and there weren't any cards that seemed appropriate to stay in touch with her and encourage her in treatments. I also use them to stay in touch a little with older relatives I don't get to see often.
ReplyDeleteYour kindness took my breath away for a few moments... I wasn't sure what to even write back so I'll start with my first few thoughts. Thank God you are a survivor! I'm sorry your husband fought the battle of his life and didn't survive. Thank you for your sympathies. And God bless your continued card making and your ability to encourage others.
DeleteThanks Jean
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful thing to do! I love this card.
ReplyDeleteThanks Moongirl. I appreciate the comment.
DeleteSo cute. I love this stamp
ReplyDeleteMe too, it is so much fun. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteCute! I need to try smooshing!
ReplyDeleteI'd encourage this behavior. ;)
DeleteThis is so cute! What a wonderful idea to send cards to cancer patients! Your card is so cute! I had heard of the "ink smooshing" but I haven't tried it yet. I know what you mean about making clean and simple cards, I'm that way too!
ReplyDeleteI have trouble adding things to my cards, what do you do when you want to break out of the clean and simple rut?
DeleteVery cute....I don't make enough childrens cards....this one is so darn cute!!!
ReplyDeleteI have more trouble with masculine cards than children's or feminine cards. thoughts on encouraging more masculine layouts?
DeleteI totally get it! I'm not a mess maker either when I craft. Watching the unity videos has really made me step out of my comfort zone as well.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time letting go, for sure. But I'm working on it.
DeleteLove the different techniques. Super cute card.
DeleteYour passion is definitely shown through your beautiful craftsmanship! I have never tried smooshing or paper piecing but think I need to now :)
ReplyDeleteAwww. thanks AnneMarie. I really hope my love for card making and the smiles the cards make shows through.
DeleteLove how bright and cheery. I turned to inspirational stamping when my son passed. It was a great outlet for emotions and strength to grow
ReplyDeleteI am incredibly sorry for your loss Susan. It really changes you all the way to your soul. And it can swallow you alive if you aren't careful. So, for me, finding an outlet for the missing piece of my heart and the pain it causes has been exceptionally beneficial.
DeleteSuper cute card! Your background turned out beautifully!
ReplyDeletethank you. it was a exercise in not controlling all the things for me.
DeleteAdorable card! Love that rainbow colored background and adorable unicorn!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise.
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