dahlhouse designs

[6.18.2017] Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day
We celebrated yesterday, so no chance of spoiling the card this year! 

I threw this card together super fast. Necessity is the mother of invention. Haha. I grabbed two fabulous sets from Unity Stamp Company – A Joyous Season (for the deer) and All About Dad (for the sentiment). I love that you can use a Christmas set for Father’s day. So cool. Unity is so versatile.

For the background, I used a woodgrain stencil, dabbed on some Distress Oxide Vintage Photo. I removed the stencil and then blended on some Distress Oxide Fossilized Amber. Last, I picked up some of the Vintage Photo with my aqua brush and threw some splatters at the card. Then, I just embossed the deer and sentiment, popped them up and because it was missing something, added a few enamel dots to balance everything out.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads. Especially mine. Love you.

 

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[6.7.2017] Unity Stamp Company Hop

Hello Friends…

Time for some more HOPPIN’ fun with the Unity design team.  If you haven’t been hopping along, all the action starts on the Unity blog.  There’s always fun stuff going on.

Oh boy, I have lots to share today. It’s a long post, with lots of photos and videos. I hope you’ll stick in until the end. Unity has so many new pretty things to share, I just couldn’t stop at one.

THIS! This kit is brilliant. I love those darling light bulbs. The stamp is just of the 4 bulbs in the center of the card, and that is where this background began. I stamped in the center and then around in a circular motion until all the space was filled with these darling bulbs. I’m using regular Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock for watercolor. Yes, it can be done, but it must be done with a light amount of water. Distress Inks in the markers or ink pads are perfect for this since they are so pigmented. After it had dried, I matted it with a bit of black and popped up that brilliant sentiment.

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Curious to see how I watercolored that background, I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

I have two cards to share with the brand new June Sentiment kit – She Never Says Never. I’m so excited about this one. Mainly for the background. I love that script background, it can be used for so many things. Here I’ve used it sparingly on just the edges of the background. Just a lovely touch. Then I blended some Distress Ink over the top and sprayed it all over with Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle to make it all shiny and pretty. I sure wish the camera could pick that shine up, but if you watch the video below, it captures that shine much better.

The girl was colored with Copic markers and popped up on the card. Ah, black hair. That stuff is difficult to capture in color. This was my first go and I’m pretty happy with it. I am in awe of those who color hair so well.

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

Here is lady number two… with brown hair. Much easier for me. She was also colored with Copics and I’m using up a bunch of scrap papers for this card.

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

 

I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but I love doing different backgrounds. I love all the different color mediums out there and I love to try them all. Last round was watercolor with spray inks, this time we have Gelatos and Distress Oxide inks. Unity has this amazing Mirror Image Stamping tool. Not only will mirror image your stamp and it can be used to create some amazing backgrounds, like these two cards. The rubber creates an amazing toothy surface that really grabs the ink and transfers it in a lovely way. So different from slippery craft mats, acrylic sheets or blocks.

For the pink background I used Gelatos and for the green, orange and blue background I used Distress Oxide inks. Both in the same method, but with slightly different results. Both quite lovely.

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

Thank you for sticking in until the end. I appreciate it so very much.

** COMMENT PRIZE **
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Don’t forget to leave a comment on each blog as you hop with us today.
Just click on the next pretty girl in line to continue on your way.




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Brilliant card


Shimmer Background card


Using Up Scraps card


Hummingbird Cards


[5.26.17] Unity Stamp Co meets the MISTI

What a fun day on the blog!!! I’m super excited to be a small part of this big, big hop. Unity Stamp Company is hopping with My Sweet Petunia (the maker of the amazing MISTI stamping tool). You really couldn’t get a better match in products. They were just meant to be used together. You should be arriving from Lee Ann Barrett’s blog, if not, you can start at the beginning with My Sweet Petunia. I have a couple of projects to share today, hope you enjoy my cards and a few quick videos too.

Wow, this background turned out so vibrant and gorgeous! I usually do a background one at a time per card. Well, I had this brilliant idea to create a watercolor background on a whole sheet of watercolor paper and then cut it up into a bunch of backgrounds. Duh, what took me so long to figure that out? I used them all up in this set of cards, so I need to do this again to have some on hand to play with.

It was super simple to do with 3 different spray inks per color set. The 3 colors just gives some depth and interest to the background. Lay out your large watercolor sheet, spray it generously with water and then spray randomly with your spray inks. Grab your water bottle again and spray until the colors start to move and mix. You don’t want to see any of the spray dots from the spray ink. Gently blot the edges as the water pools and dry with a heat tool if you are impatient like me. Otherwise, you can let it dry by itself.

Once it was dry, I die cut the big sheet into smaller rectangles and stamped some beautiful silhouette flowers on top. Added a sentiment and a bit of background stamping to create a simple, but gorgeous set of cards.

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

The Watercolor Background

Assembling the card using the MISTI

Ok, get this, Unity now has this amazing STAMPING TOOL! It is brilliant. With this tool, I was able to mirror image my sweet little flamingo so there are two. I can’t wait to play with this tool again as this was my first go around. I have a few tips… 1. Embossing is absolutely necessary. Well, I guess not absolutely necessary, but if you want a nice crisp image, it is best. You can try with ink, but really, it just worked so much better when embossed. 2. Stamp your mirrored image FIRST and then use your normal stamp to line up your second image. This is only necessary if you want them both on a single layer and not fussy cutting the images. 3. A MISTI makes this whole process so much easier, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. I’ll show you how to use the tool on it’s on in a future video.

After I stamped and embossed my little flamingos, I added a heart, colored with some Copic markers and embossed the sentiment in white on a strip of black cardstock. So super cute, right?

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

** COMMENT PRIZE **
Thank you for stopping by and don’t forget… everyone who leaves a comment on all the blogs in the hop will go into a drawing for 3 prize packs from Unity and winner’s choice of an Original or Mini MISTI. Please leave a comment by May 30th at noon central time to be eligible. Winners will be posted on both the Unity Stamp Company and the My Sweet Petunia blogs on May 31st.

I’m excited to send you on your way to the extremely talented Chris Dayton, I just know she has some amazing projects to share today. In case you get lost, here is the whole lineup of bloggers hopping today.

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Sympathy Card


Let’s Flamingle Card


[5.4.17] Unity Thursday BIRTHDAY Hop

Happy 9th Birthday Unity

Thanks for hopping with the Unity Design team today. Unity Stamp Co turns 9 this month and we are celebrating BIG TIME!!! Isn’t that exciting. If you haven’t been hopping along, all the action starts on the Unity blog.

I can’t believe Unity is NINE!!! I hope you’ll indulge me as I reminisce a bit (you are welcome to scroll on down to my projects).  I started my Unity journey with the June 2009 Kit of the Month (see below). I honestly can’t remember the exact date I found Unity, but it was probably a month or two before signing up for this kit. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive and when it did it was love at first sight and I was a gonner.

I was then asked to join the {ippity} design team, a sister company to Unity, in April 2010. Then, I eventually joined the Unity Design team in April 2011. So, these past 8 years with Unity have been AMAZING. They are my family and I absolutely love and adore EVERYONE involved. From those who work at Unity to the girls I have and had the pleasure to work alongside on the design team. It’s been a dream. Then, just last week, a HUGE dream came true. I met these amazing ladies.

{me, Angela, Whitney, Stephanie G}

YES, finally! I was able to hug them all!!! I cried… and laughed and hugged… a lot. It was the best night ever. I think Stephanie said it best — you just hope that when you meet “internet” friends that they are just as sweet and amazing as they seem to be online. In reality, these girls were and SO MUCH more. I only wish Angela and Whit weren’t so far now.

This lady and you all know who she is. Angela is EXACTLY who’d you think she would be. LOVING, genuine, INSPIRING, strong, beautiful and the kind of friend you never want to let go. I am so thankful to have her in my life. She has taught me MUCH and has always been so generous. She is an inspiration and someone I look up to and I can’t THANK HER enough for allowing me to be a small part of her business and for being my FRIEND. I love and adore you Angela. ❤️

Ok, ENOUGH sappiness. Haha. Onto the AMAZING stamp sets I have to share. I can’t wait, there are some stunning new stamps releasing this week.

Happy Snail Mail

This is the brand new May 2017 sentiment kit – Happy Snail Mail designed by me. Isn’t he cute? He is going to be super for just because cards, belated birthday (I had to include that because I’m always behind on sending cards) and so much more. He’s super as a line image or if you want to color him up. Just happiness all around.

I embossed the stamp & sentiment with white embossing powder. Layered some die cuts, added some washi, enamel dots and a little paper clip with a bow. It’s just adorable and I made this card for one of my most favorite people evah.

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I have a quick video to share my process on this card, you can watch it below or at YouTube.

There is You

Phyllis Harris images are just magical and so nostalgic. I absolutely adore this little girl day dreaming in a little field of flowers.

I started out with some simple and subtle patterned papers to layer some vellum over with the stamped image. I die cut the blue paper and placed it over the vellum to hide the glue and tied a bit of string. There is a hidden girl stamped on white paper under the vellum. It just helps her pop more so you can see all her lovely details.

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Curious to see how I made this card. I have a quick video that you can watch it here or at Youtube.

This beauty is currently not available for purchase. BUT, you can get her FREE with a $75+ purchase during the birthday sale. After the Birthday Sale ends, she will be added to the website eventually as a kit for purchase. She is quite lovely. I kept her as a black and white image and then at the last minute decided to color the flowers on the cake. I’m glad I did, they just add a bit more color to the whole card and pulls the pink out of the washi borders.

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I have a quick video for this card too.  You can watch it here or at Youtube.

** COMMENT PRIZE **
newhopprize
Don’t forget to leave a comment on each blog as you hop with us today.
Just click on the next pretty girl in line to continue on your way.




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Happy Mail card


There is You card


Sweet Celebrations card


[4.29.2017] Playing with Distress Oxide Inks

Hi lovelies.

I’m blogging on a Saturday. Shocker, I know!!! Don’t panic, it’s not the end of the days. Haha. I’ve been getting my craft on lately and I couldn’t wait to share my experience with the new Distress Oxide Inks. Eeeeks, these are pretty fantastic. They are the perfect match for my favorite stamps – Unity Stamp Co. I’m featuring this amazing mixed media stamp set today.

Beautiful Every Little Thing

Just look at that luscious color. The formula on this ink is opaque and creamy and so blendable. It does take a little a bit of practice and a slightly different technique then the regular Distress Inks. Nothing earth shattering different, but they do feel and move differently. I also took a HUGE drastic leap in a different direction with these. I bought the refill inkers rather than the stamp pads. MAINLY because I just don’t have the space to add all those stamp pads. Would I prefer them, probably, but my first experience using the refills instead of the stamp pads worked so well, I’m not mad at my choice. I have two videos to share my process for this card today. Super quick (less than 2 minutes each), easy to watch videos with a few tips and comments on my impressions.

Up first, we have the Distress Oxides themselves and the creation of the tag on watercolor paper. Like I mentioned, I used the refill inkers squeezed onto a craft mat and make-up sponges. You can get make-up sponges anywhere, even the dollar store. Who doesn’t love that? They worked well and I’ll keep them around to reuse until they start to fall apart and grab a new one. I found that if i bent them in half and used the larger area to blend, it all went much better. It will take some practice to get the right amount of ink to paper for the blending you want to achieve. I also want to try using them with the Distress Blender Tool next. I think it might be even better, but not sure how I will feel about all that ink on the mat and grabbing it with the Blender Tool but we shall see.

I had this beautiful tag and decided to turn it into a card. I love to do this with tags if I’m not going to attach it to a gift. This is my favorite layout to do so, quick and easy since I already did all the hard work with that tag. I needed a few more hearts for the tag, so thought I would share how I make my own DIY Enamel-like hearts. Super easy.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you have tried the Oxides, let me know what you think and if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer.

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