Monday, December 12, 2011

Growing In Unity Week! Day 1

Today is the first of many projects that will be posted featuring Unity Stamp Co.’s wonderful stamps! This week is special because there will be a Giveaway!!! From all of the comments on my Growing in Unity posts at the end of the week I will randomly pick one winner and that randomly picked winner has a choice of one Unity Stamp Co. kit from the following list:

Sending My Love

Bitty Backgrounds

Little Me

Bella Fiori

Homegrown

Hugs & Kittens

Handmade Holiday

Bella Trees

Imagine It

 

Yay!!! So here is project number one! jessica preaseau happy accident card 1

A simple card with a simple, yet not so simple sentiment. “Smile and forget Everything” is great advice for anyone! At least for a short amount of time, if we an somehow not worry, and just smile, things will seem so much more livable and enjoyable. I love this sentiment and the shabby way my inking smeared! I just smiled and thought it added to the distressing of the main embellishment :) The cardstock is DCWV, the Stamped edges of the layered sentiment was cut from my Silhouette, and the ribbons on the bottom are all May Arts. I used ribbon to make the flower accent and cut a butterfly from another ribbon to use as a center.

 

It was amazing the experience of being able to participate in the Growing In Unity program. I already have learned so much about myself and my crafting, from the email last week saying that this was my week, to today (and I’m sure beyond today) I have grown as a crafter and a person. I have grown as a crafter, because of the challenge of coming up with 7 projects to share with the world, in a week and also because of the challenge of not having any limitations on these projects. I’m so indecisive, looking through crates of papers, sets and sets of Unity stamps, the variety of inks, searching for inspiration from my supplies was something else! lol, I found out about myself that I have grown used to being given directions for projects… i.e. “I need a baby boy page, I need a wedding page with this color and that color in a modern style, or say… a birthday card needs to be made for an aunt, and I know the aunt likes purple and angels. Then I whip up the project with the “qualifications” and I’m happy with it! However, when left to my own devices, my own infinite choices… I tended to become paralyzed with the options, and felt that I would talk myself out of most ideas that I had! How silly is that?! I hope that I have made progress in getting over that, it may be a long road ahead of me to totally squash the voice inside me that says, “nope..that’s too boring, nope…that’s been done before, nope…those are obvious color choices, everyone uses that sentiment with that picture, etc, etc.” I am explaining all of this because I hope I’m not the only one out there and maybe we can find strength together in the fact that creating anything with such wonderful supplies as are available to us, whether they be similar or not to anyone else’s projects, is really an accomplishment in itself. A piece of my heart and time goes into every project, I do my best, and well… maybe it will inspire someone else out there… and that would make me smile!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Blessings and have a joyful, creative day!

10 comments:

  1. Jessica, It's great to "see" you on here. :) This card has so much character (such a unique color scheme!) and I really liked learning about what you learned through the program. I, too, am indecisive. I feel the most comfortable mimicking something I see in a magazine or online rather than being adventurous and coming up with it myself. I tend to play it safe. You've inspired me to try something new and express myself! I think I fear that what I create won't be "good enough," but is that what it's really about? It isn't about making things that look magazine-quality, but about making things that are a "piece of our heart," are you said it so perfectly. :)

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  2. Hi Christina! Thank you for stopping by, I'm so glad my post spoke to you, it really is what makes this all so much fun! Awesome to see you here too, my friend!I do think I am going to get back into blogging more, just for the same reasons you spoke of. I was to feel more comfortable with my own creations, whether or not they are magazine quality. What a great way to do it, post it for the world :)

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  3. Jessica,
    Great card. I've signed up to be a GUI girl next summer and I'm so looking forward to it, but now you have me thinking - will I be overwhelmed by not having any direction? I like to play along with a few challenges, and it is nice having some direction. I know for my Christmas cards this year, I was feeling so overwhelmed with all the different product and stamp sets I have, that instead I followed another crafter's lead, and used only one paper kit and it was actually alot of fun, limiting myself to just the papers in the kit ~ and I haven't done any stamping on those cards at all! Good luck this week, I look forward to seeing what you create.

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  4. Hi michib! Thank you for commenting on my blog. It is true, it can be overwhelming - especially with all the wonderful choices out there, but you can do it! Thank you for the vote of confidence too. I'm doing what I can to show how great their stamps are. :) This week I want to show how easy it is to make pretty things with their stamps and show off the quality of the images... Anyway, I'm a huge fan of kits as well! Glad you are getting your cards done!!

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  5. Hi Jessica, your card is fabby! I love the look of the smeared image and agree that it adds to the card's appeal! I completely understand everything you have said, too. I hear the voices of indecision all the time...LOL. I would gladly accept any strength you have to offer to help me get past this as I will offer any I can to you as well.
    :O)
    Jessica

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  6. What a fun card, love the saying, the sweet butterfly, and the fun flower! I too get caught up in 'what should I do????' when you're faced with so many choices! It's fun to have lots of options, but it is still hard to just pick one or two from a long list of fun choices. :)

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  7. What a sweet card. I really like the flower!

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  8. Sweet card! I love the color combination and the cute flower! Congrats on your GIU week... looking forward to seeing your creations!
    DeniseB

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  9. That IS great advice! Cute card- the butterfly in the flower is a fun touch! Congrats on kicking off your GIU week in a great way! I'm like you- I'm looking forward to my week to see how it stretches me. Congrats again!

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  10. How fabulous that your ribbon tied in all the colors on your card...love it! Woohoo! for your GIU week...it sure is fun and a great way to challenge yourself to be creative!

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