Saturday, March 29, 2014

Just Us Girls Wild Card Week!


Since we have five Friday's in March, this week's challenge is a Wild Card challenge with Just Us Girls! The challenge is to make a "Tall and Skinny" card.  Dimensions can be 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" or 3 1/2" x 6".  Or you could go all our and do a 3 1/2" x 8" card which will fit in a regular business sized envelope.


I decided to go with 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 and do it a little mixed media style!


Here are products that I used:



My black pen from Scarlet Lime and my White Signo pens are the ones that didn't make it in the picture.

I just love playing around with the sprays and adding stamps and stencils to the background. Well there you have it!

Be sure to swing on by the Just Us Girls blogs to check out what they cooked up!

 Marisa 






Thanks for stopping by!

Till later!

Maria




Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Technique Tuesday and a winner from the Mixed Media Blog hop!

Happy Tuesday!! Today I want to announce Friday's Winner from the Mixed Media Blog hop! It was super fun hoping and playing along!  Thanks to all who hopped and left wonderful comments, it means so much!  If you love mixed media come join us on our Facebook page: Mixed Up Media Chix.

And our winner is:

Scrapunzeli of Scrapclose2theheart

Please contact me with your mailing address so I can send out your prize!

Here is a tag I made this morning using the "ghosting" technique with the Dylusions Sprays from Dyan Reaveley and Ranger.


Here is a close up of the "ghosting" in the background of the tag:



"Ghosting" is created with the water based inks and sprays by adding water to it.  So for this tag I sprayed it with the sprays and let it dry.  I took the Tim Holtz tag stencil as shown and randomly placed it on the tag and use a spritzer of water and sprayed the stencil.  The water takes away some of the ink.

I created a quick slide show sharing my steps and products I used:





If you have any questions about the products I used please let me know!

 Thanks for stopping by today!


 Maria

Friday, March 21, 2014

Mixed Up Media Chix Birthday Blog Hop! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!


Today the Mixed Up Media Chix's are having a blog hop with a birthday theme, and it's also Unity FWF!  I picked a birthday theme because today is my little chickie's 8th Birthday!  I can't believe how fast time went by from them being new born twins to being 8 year old twins!

Here is my 2 page spread for this fun hop:


Close ups:




I used acrylic paints with a baby wipe in the background.  The number 8 on the right is a metal embellishment by Tim Holtz and I used alcohol inks on it.  The images of kids is from a stencil I used which is of a girl (the left one) so in the right one I didn't include the ponytail to make it look like a boy.  The "8" in the balloons are Tim Holtz rub ons.  I also used a few Unity Stamps in the background.

Be sure to visit all the girls on this hop for loads of inspiration:

Maria Levine  - You are here!
Laurie Finch
Tracy Easson
Julie Odil
Sally Lynn MacDonald
Francine Rossoni
Rebecca Daniels 

I am also giving away a prize pack to one lucky hopper!  So please go through the hop and check it all out.  I"ll announce on Monday!



Thanks for stopping by!  Till later!

Maria

Monday, March 17, 2014

Mixed Media Monday and WINNER for my GIU week!

Hi there!  Happy Monday!

Today I have a mixed media scrapbook page to share with you guys.



I created this page using a piece of my card making card stock Georgia Pacific White.  I "primed" it with gesso.  My background was created using Gelatos, many Unity Stamps and Archival Inks (Plum Deep Purple, Black, Manganese Blue, Monarch Orange).

Ok so now onto my winner of 2 Unity Itty Bitty's from my GIU week last week!  I have to say THANK YOU to all who stopped by and left wonderful comments!  All so encouraging and wonderful!  

No onto the winner.....

Julie Odil you win 2 Unity Itty Bitty's!  Email me your choice and mailing info!  Congrats!!!!


Thank you!!

Maria

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Time Out Challenges

There is a new challenge blog out there called TIME OUT Challenges!  I decided to play along with the first week and it's an Inspired by Words challenge.  This weeks inspiration is "Dancing in the Rain".

Here is a card I came up with using an itty bitty by Unity Stamp Co:


And here are the supplies I used:


The white card stock is Georgia Pacific White and the orange is SU's Peach Parfait.  The ribbon I had in my stash.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Just Us Girls Color Challenge!

It's Saturday and time for another Just Us Girls Color Challenge!!  If you are here to check out my Growing in Unity Week winner will announce that tomorrow so please come back for that!  I wanted to give everyone a chance to check out my creations for the week!

For this week's colors think Pool Party (Aqua), Bright Yellow and Spring Green.


Here is what I came up with using Unity Stamp Co. Stamps:


Here are the supplies I used:


I hope you will come join us and play along with this week's color challenge over at Just Us Girls!

Be sure to swing on by the Just Us Girls DT and see what they cooked up!


                                                                            Cheryl



Sue V.




Thanks for stopping by!

Maria


Just a reminder:  If you win Chic of the Week in any of our March  challenges, you are in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of May.

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS232. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.  We ♥ love hearing what you think of our challenges!

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, March 20th . The Linky Tools form will close at that time.  Our "Chic of the Week", will be announced the following Friday morning. Thanks for playing along. 

Friday, March 14, 2014

Growing in Unity Day 5

Welcome to Friends with Flair Friday and my Day 5 of Growing in Unity!!  Thanks to all who visited me all week and left such wonderful comments, they made my week!  I'm so glad I took time to be a GIU chickie this year!


Today I want to share with you some tags I made Mixed Media Style!  I love using the Dylusional sprays and have been using them a lot!  Here are the 3 tags I made:





I think these would be great added to card, scrapbook page or art journal page. Here are the products I used:




Thanks again for a wonderful week!

Swing on by tomorrow for a new Just Us Girls Challenge where I will use Unity so it will be sort of a Day 6 for GIU!  I will also announce the winner for the 2 itty bitty's this weekend!

Thanks so much!

Till later!
Maria

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Growing in Unity Day 4

Hey there!

Thank you all so very much for all the wonderful comments so far this year, it's been wonderful!  I also want to say thank you to all the girls who participate each week in this wonderful Unity sponsored customer program!

As you know I've loved Unity from the beginning and create with their stamps ALL the time!  So today I thought I do a little throwback.  You know how on FB you always see TBT, well here is my Unity TBT via a slide show!  The earlier cards and pages are from about 2007 I believe.  I also invite you to check out my other Unity videos I created in the past on my Youtube channel!


)


Stay tuned to tomorrow for a little Friends with Flair!

Maria

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Growing in Unity Day 3

It's Wednesday and my Day 3 of Growing in Unity!  I'm thrilled to be featured on the Unity Blog if you want to check it out.

Today I decided to make a mixed media canvas piece.  This piece is on canvas 6x12 canvas board.  I wanted to make something somewhat springtime and bright.


Here are products I used in creating this piece:



I also used Mod Podge Dimensional to get the shine and dimension on the flowers.


Thanks for stopping by today!

See you tomorrow!

Maria

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Growing in Unity Day 2

It's Day 2 of my Growing in Unity week!!  Today I have a layout to share with you.  I followed the  Unity {be inspired} Challenge.  I picked the scrapbook layout sketch:



Here is what I "loosely" came up with using the layout sketch:



Closeup:



Thanks for stopping by!  See you tomorrow!

Maria

Monday, March 10, 2014

Growing in Unity Day 1

Hey there!  So I finally took a week to be the Growing in Unity gal!  I've done it a couple of times a few years ago but since I started coordinating I always forgot to grab a week for myself.

As you probably already know I love Unity Stamp Co!  I have to say I love love coordinating this fabulous customer program for Unity.  The schedule for the year fills up super fast as soon as I say sign up!  Everyone LOVES it!  So thank you to Angela Magnuson for offering this week after week!

Today I wanted to share with you some "boxes" I made from repurposing food containers.

Here is one I made this weekend:


This is a smaller box that fits the Unity Itty Bitty's perfectly.  So this box contains many of my "Seasonal" Unity Itty Bitty's, like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This box was originally a box of Cocoa.

Here is another box made from the Trader Joe's K Cup box:




Box of these boxes are of course using my Unity Stamps as well as embellishments from Webster's Pages. 

Thanks for letting me pop on in here for a week of Growing In Unity!!  Please come join us on our FB page for inspiration and a chance to get in on the action.  If someone can't do their week I usually go out to the FB page asking for last minute fill ins.

Don't forget swing on by UNITY STAMP CO today as they have great sales each week and usually end on Monday night!

Till tomorrow!

Maria

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Just Us Girls Technique Week!

Welcome to this week's Just Us Girls Challenge

Sharyn is our hostess for this week's Technique Challenge!  This time we are doing a Weathered Wood background.  Here is a video, if you have not tried this before.


I went with the brown colors for my "wood".  Just decided to play around with this bingo stamp I had and then just thought what the heck I"ll add an owl.  Originally I was thinking the brown wood could be a "barn".  Anyhow here is what I came up with using Unity Stamp Co stamps:






Be sure to swing on by and visit the Just Us Girls DT:

Calypso - Feb Guest

Details to play along:
Just a reminder:  If you win Chic of the Week in any of our March  challenges, you are in the running to be chosen as our Guest Designer for the month of May.

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS231. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.  We ♥ love hearing what you think of our challenges!

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, March 13th . The Linky Tools form will close at that time.  Our "Chic of the Week", will be announced the following Friday morning. Thanks for playing along. 

Friday, March 7, 2014

Celebrating Friendship Blog Hop!



A stamping friend is celebrating her Blogoversary once again with a super fun blog hop!  I'm thrilled to be a part of this special occasion with a theme this year called "Celebrating Friendship".  And it's also Unity Friends with Flair Friday!  So let's got going!

Lot's a fabulous prizes are up for grabs as well if you go through the hop:
  1. 2 $10 gift certificates from Unity Stamp Company (donated by Unity!)
  2. 3 sets of winner's choosing from The Cutting Cafe (donated by Regina Easter)
  3. A ribbon bundle from 3 Girl JAM
  4. Timeless Twine -- Rainbow Party Pack (Donated by Timeless Twine)
  5. Close To My Heart Stamp Set
  6. Close To My Heart Stamp Set
  7. $15 Pinque Peacock gift certificate (donated by Jessica Shelton-Buffa)
  8. Embossing folders (2)
  9.  2 $25 Gift certificates for My Scrap Chick store (donated by My Scrap Chick)
  10. Websters' Pages 6x6 Sweet Notes pad, an embellishment set and a Websters Pages Stamp set, plus a
  11. Unity Cloud background stamp -- donated by Lucy Evans

Here is a card I made using the Unity Stamp Co Itty Bitty called Hello Foxy Friend.



Here a complete list of the blog participants:

  1. Julie - http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-second-blogoversary-blog-hop-its.html
  2.  Rebecca - http://www.bloomingpink.blogspot.com/
  3.  Brenda - http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-celebrating.html
  4.  Paula - http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/2014/03/happy-happy-blogoversary-julie.html
  5.  Kary - http://karyg.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-blog-hop.html
  6.  Erin & Ruth - http://celticcrafters.blogspot.com/
  7.  Miwa - http://miwannascrap.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-celebration-of.html
  8.  Angeline Choo - http://scrappyscrappy.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-blog-hop-friendship.html
  9.  Chris- http://thriftysisters-chris.blogspot.com/
  10.  Regina   http://reginaeaster.blogspot.com/2014/03/so-lucky-to-have-friend-like.html
  11.  Kathy - http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com/
  12.  Donna K http://createdbydonnak.blogspot.com/2014/02/julies-blogaversary-friendship-blog-hop.html
  13.  Gwen -  http://windchimesandlilacs.blogspot.com/
  14.  Rachel -  http://kitchentablescrapper.blogspot.com/
  15.  Polly - http://pazasproductions.blogspot.com/
  16.  Lucy http://littlescrapsoflucy.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversaryfriendship-hop.html
  17.  Corrie - http://corriescrafts.blogspot.com/
  18.  Mary - http://www.mkbugs.blogspot.com/
  19.  Maria - http://riacreations.blogspot.com - You are here!
  20.  Karen -http://karey2005.blogspot.com/2014/03/friendship-blog-hop.html- NEXT STOP!

Thanks for stopping by!

Maria



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