GIU Day 4: TRY SOMETHING NEW

Welcome back Shannonites. I am pumped to TRY SOMETHING NEW today. Johnny Karate usually tries new things, like vegetables, but I wasn't willing to try a new food.  Instead I watched a  few videos on Youtube to come up with a new idea, and I really liked this video. Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to get you to try a new technique.

Here is my take.

My first step was to  emboss a piece of watercolor paper about 3/4 of the way down.  I used a paisley folder from Darice and a piece of 5"X 3.5" Canson watercolor paper. Note my ridiculously old Sizzix that I totally stole from my mom about 3 years ago.  It still works though!

Next I used about three colors of watercolor that were in my palette: two different blues and one purple. To start I wet the entire area so the watercolor I used would spread. I did more vibrant colors toward the top and faded them out using more water toward the bottom.

I then added some shimmery splatters using this metallic purple watercolor paint and this loose brush.  I think the splatters just add a little more texture and interest to this card.

Next I added a sentiment with Versafine ink in onyx black.  I used my MISTI to line up the sentiment exactly where I wanted it.  The MISTI has made my life so much easier; I must recommend every stamper get a stamping platform.

Also in the vein of trying something new, I used a kit I had not inked up yet. I have no idea how I waited this long to test her out, but how amazing is this planner girl?!?  Angie Blom really knows how to design a beautiful stamp. I water colored her with similar colors I used in the background.  Later, I fussy cut the image and popped her with pop dots.

For my final steps, I matted the background on some navy blue card-stock, tied some pale blue embroidery floss around the bottom, taping it in the back.  I added the popped image and then used double sided tape to attach my background to the purple card base.  

I hope with this project, I've inspired you to try something new.  Use Unity Design Team videos, Youtube, Instagram or Pinterest, and don't be afraid to try a different technique.  You'll never know how amazing you can be unless you get out of your comfort zone!

You can follow me on Instagram @shannon.edwards where I post all my little projects during the week.

Kits Used: 

Planner Girl: Loving Life

Abundant Blessings

Leave a comment below to get a chance to win a Unity grab bag with 25 glorious red rubber stamps.

GIU Day 3: KARATE CHOP SOMETHING

Hello my lovelies!  So glad you can join me as I take on the challenge of KARATE CHOPPING SOMETHING. 

I had to sharpen my karate paper chopping skills.  Check out these hand blades!

I'm going to be real with you right now when I tell you that I have too many scraps of paper.  My craft table scrap bin looks like this insanity:

Yes, I know. It's a sickness. ( I have two other scrap paper bins that are kind of sorted by color).  My problem is I never know how to use all these pretty little scraps.  I was pondering this issue while watching Property Brothers one day, and they were of course tiling a back splash in a kitchen with a Herringbone pattern!  Ding Ding Ding!!!! A light bulb moment hit me, and I knew I had to work that tiling idea into my scrappy card.

First I picked out 6 cool colors of paper.  They have different textures, shimmers, weights and patterns.  I wasn't concerned with anything other than I wanted them to be related by color.

Next I got to chopping.  I cut each pattern into 10 tiles that were .5" by 1" for a total of 60 tiles. It did not use up all my paper, but I did make a dent.  I tried using my sweet karate skills, but I relented and used my Fiskars chopper instead. 

There could be many right ways to make this tiled patterned paper, but this is how I did it.  I took a 3 3/4" x 5" white piece of paper and used double sided tape over the whole thing.  You could also run it through a Xyron sticker maker instead. I suppose you could use glue too, but I am too lazy for all of that.  I then started laying out my pattern.  I started in one corner and put three of the patterns going one direction and the other three going the other direction.  I think Jonathan and Drew would be proud of my handy work. 

Once I finished the pattern there were all kinds of pieces hanging off the sides.  So I trimmed them up, giving me this almost quilted looking background! I love the sparkly pieces the most :-).

Now to add some glorious UNITY!  I chose this duck from the kit Chillax Dude because he is so cool.  His sentiments are really funny too.  I watercolored him with some blues and that pop of orange.  

Finally, I matted my duck, put a strip of white with a sentiment from Planner Girl: Cold Outside, down and attached to my card. I took a tiny pen and made those little stitch dots to finish.  Bippity Boppity Boo, its done!

Well, my friends, I hope you enjoyed the KARATE CHOPPING of my scrap pile.  I challenge you to try this scrap-using technique or to come up with a new and innovative way to use up those little pieces of paper you can't just throw away.

You can follow me on Instagram @shannon.edwards where I post all my little projects during the week.

Kits used:

Chillax Dude

Planner Girl: Cold Outside

Comment below for a chance to win a Unity grab bag!

GIU Day 2: LEARN SOMETHING

Welcome back, Shannonians. Day 2 according to Johnny Karate's life lessons is LEARN SOMETHING! I'm so happy to share with you something I have learned this last year, and maybe you will learn from as well.  Unity continually inspires me to explore new techniques, from their Design Team videos to their Unity Show and Tell challenges.  I had never even tried watercoloring until this previous spring, but now it is my go-to for coloring images and backgrounds!

Just so you know, I am not claiming to be an expert on water coloring... far from it in fact.  However, I have watched a lot of videos and have picked up a few things to add to my CGBOT (Craft Geek Bag of Tricks).  So be kind as you see my process for water coloring this card!

First I started with stamping the image in Versafine Onyx Black Ink on Canson XL watercolor paper.  I added a skin tone for her from my Reeves watercolor set.  

Her skin turned out a little light after it dried, so I went back in and darkened some shadowy areas.  The great thing about Angie Blom stamps is that she makes it easy to see where shadows would be.  Look at those little lines on her hand add so much detail!

Next, I wanted to color some of those sweet flowers and vines. I thought it was easier to see what the hair was once the flowers were already colored.  

I decided to do hair next.  Coloring hair can make or break your image.  I am not a coloring genius, like some artists are, but I follow a lot on Instagram and Pinterest.  One of the techniques I picked up from their tutorials is to leave some negative space or light color to add shine and depth.  I started with a light gold wash over almost all.  Then when the hair looked as it was being tucked away or on the thinner parts of the waves, I went in and added shadow with some darker browns.  Leaving light spots is so hard for me to do, but I know that those light spots are what make a watercolor image look polished. 

We are not done yet.  I had already chosen my paper for matting and I knew I wanted her shirt and accessories to have some light teal.  

To make her pop off the page, I decided to give her a little shimmery shadow using some shimmer water colors I got from Michael's.  They were really cheap, and I don't even know the brand, but they had this lovely little purple color that I thought this girl needed.  She looks so ethereal. 

She still seemed a little plain, so I matted the girl off with some scrap paper I had lying around. Then flicked some teal and purple shimmer watercolors on top to add visual interest to the background. I also took some wilted violet and black soot distress oxide ink and distressed the edges of the card.

The amount of water I used for the background made it pucker a little, but once I matted it, I knew she would look fine.  So I matted the image in a purple scrap I had, added a little teal polka-dot ribbon, and a sentiment from a different kit that I loved.  I stamped the sentiment words in three different colors that reflected the colors I used in my painting. Glue, tape, attach and voila!

Kits used:

What Will Be Will Be

Feather Flight

You can follow me on Instagram @shannon.edwards where I post all my little projects during the week.

Thanks for sticking around and following my process.  I have many more things to learn and share with you this week.  I hope you will come back tomorrow to see how I KARATE CHOP something.  Also, remember to comment below to have a chance to win 25 beautiful red rubber stamps from Unity Stamp Company!

GIU Day 1: MAKE SOMETHING

Welcome to my first day as a Growing in Unity gal.  I'm so excited to be sharing some projects with you this week, in case you can't get enough of my incessant posting on the Show and Tell.  For those of you who have not seen my work, I hope you enjoy yourself.  For my #shanfans out there, (yes I just made that up) welcome and I look forward to getting to know you more this week as we comment together.


I have a method to my madness this week.  If you have seen and love the TV show Parks and Recreation, you will of course know who Johnny Karate is.  On his TV show he encourages the kids to do five things each day: make something, learn something, karate chop something, try something new, and be nice to someone.  So, this week we are going to do just that.  Day one, we are going to MAKE SOMETHING!

Today I am making something that I thought of because of Unity's "not a card" challenge.  So we are going to make some snarky lady magnets.

I bought these little mini canvases from a local craft store called Pat Catans, but I'm pretty sure Michael's and JoAnn Fabrics have them too.  I painted them with a little acrylic paint I had lying around, in pink, teal, light blue and yellow.

Then I stamped out my images and sentiments on layering weight #60 lb, white cardstock in Versamark onyx black ink.  I colored them with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut them as you will see.

Then I laid down a layer of matte Mod Podge, stuck down my lady and sentiment in a way I liked, and went over it with an additional two layers, drying in between.  I also did a tiny bit of distressing on each of the words which looks okay, but I think might be unnecessary as I look back on it.

After they dried, I used some self-adhesive magnetic strips to the back of the mini-canvas.  I added it to all four sides.  (Side note, the adhesive is not terribly strong, so hot gluing the magnets may make it sturdier.

When I got done with the ladies, they looked like they needed something. So I asked my good friend Laura Mooney if I should distress them.  She said, "The answer is you always distress."  Sage advice I'd say.  Look how the distressing made them pop!

Well, I hope you liked my sassy magnets.  I made them for some friends for Christmas.  They share my snarky sense of humor.  I hope this encourages you to MAKE SOMETHING too.  If you do, post it to the Unity Show and Tell, the best and most encouraging group of stampers you'll ever meet!  

If you want to CASE my magnets and need to know the kits used, I have links attached below. These ladies were created by the lovely artistas Joslyn Nielson and Lisa Arana.

She Used to Care

PMS Peggy

Be Fearless

No Regrets

You can follow me on Instagram @shannon.edwards where I post all my little projects during the week.

Make sure you leave a comment below to be entered in to win a fabulous 25 stamp grab bag from Unity Stamps!  They are so generous with their glorious red rubber.

Treat Yo Self

While I love making cards on the daily, I sometimes want to make something for myself.  I decided to make a mini 5X7 art journal that has all kinds of pretty images and inspiring sentiments that are really just for my enjoyment.  Some people use a big journal, but because I work primarily in cards, a 5X7 felt more comfortable to me.  I also use my art journal to try new techniques.

The picture below is my art journal page for the week.  I used so many stamps and techniques for this.  I'll post the stamps I used in the kits used section at the bottom.

I used to be very afraid of getting mess and distress-y, but not anymore.  It's my art journal, so if no one else likes it, who cares!?!?  It only has to make me feel something.

I started with some distress oxides and water color paper.  It started out with these four colors, but I added fossilized amber to the mix because it needed something.  The background smooshing, where I lay down color, spritz with water and plop my watercolor paper in it, was about four layers.  My first layer looked TERRIBLE, so I just kept building up layers.

Then came adding stamps. I used some stamps from my SMAK subscriptions!  I love that membership because it continually takes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to try new techniques!

Next, I wanted to add some paper piecing.  I LOVE paper piecing.  It is one of my favorite techniques because I get to use all my lovely scraps and papers.  I chose Lilli girl because she looks like me when I was in middle and high school.  I wore those overalls until the straps wore out.

Glue, pop dot, matte a sentiment, add some washi tape and... voila. An art journal page that speaks to me!

Make something just for you, today!  Treat Yo Self, and buy some Unity Stamps.  They really are the best, and I'm not being paid to say so. :-)

Kits used:

Lilli Girl

You Do This

Be Fearless

Feel and Give Love

As I See It