A big Thank You to everyone who spent their valuable time visiting my blog.  It was a fun week revisiting the past.  I'm not sure if it reinvigorated me to use up forgotten crafty items, or if I just feel old!  I am super grateful for each of your warm and supportive comments though!

I have randomly selected the following comments as the prize winner for some deeply etched red rubber stamps from Unity Stamp Co!

• PAT
• PHALINE HAYS

Congratulations!

Please send me a message with your name & address so I can forward on to Kelli @ unity!

Be sure to check out the rest of the years GIU blog posts.  I'm quite certain we all have lots of fun inspiration to look forward to!

Annie

GIU Day 5

Well, we made it to Friday!  WHEW… It’s been a roller coaster ride of fun.  For some of you, it may have left you feeling nauseated, others just with an urge for a concession stand hot dog.  Either way, I hope you got your money’s worth these past 5 days.

It took all week, but you and I found our way through the chaos that is my mind and the frenzied purchases I have made over the years. And today is really no exception. Vellum.  Yes, vellum.  The one supply we still take out every now and again and wonder how we are going to adhere it to our project without the adhesive showing. No matter the method, we always somehow feel unsatisfied. I chose using EYELETS another “postmodern” embellishment in my stash.  Not a go to fastener, but one that works perfectly for adhering that opaque paper that makes you scream when you try and emboss on it.  But, also the one supply that can bring elegance to your project.  Here’s my submission.  I’m using the vellum as a ground for the mason jar of flowers.  Hopefully it helps give some separation from the busy patterned paper.

Finally, some parting words that you can read when you are sitting on the pot after that concession stand hot dog you decided to buy.

Buttons, brads, eyelets, lace, felt, embossed paper, washi tape, thumb punches, they may have been purchased years ago, but they still can have relevance today.  We just need to dig them out of the bin they are hiding in and use them.  I’m not saying that you should dig those 4” stilettos out and wear them on your next trip to Target, but you could put them on to reach that box of paper flowers you have stashed in the back of your closet.  Rethink, repurpose, reuse. that’s the point here.  Don’t let those forgotten supplies sit idle. You loved them once, love them again now.

Supplies:

• Unity-Hello New Life
• Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink
• Paper Studio Vellumn
• Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens
• Paper Studio Eyelets
• Yellow & White Baker's twine
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Wld Honey

GIU day 4

You're back.  Wow. I didn't think many of you would stick around after that entire Mulberry incident. You must be super dedicated to win some deeply etched red rubber stamps!  I'm impressed.

All I can say is my Wednesday did what Wednesday's do. It came and went. Oh, and for the record, I'm not a fan of the term "Hump Day" either.  I raised boys.. my mind goes elsewhere when I hear that phrase. I mean, Wednesdays do have a way of "humping" you, but not in a pleasant way or in a manner that makes you excited for the weekend. It's just a day that reminds me of all those un-ticked to do items I still need to get done, before the real work of Saturday and Sunday begins. I try my best to leave at least Saturday available for some well deserved ME time.  But, it always ends up as WE time and this is why Karma and me have a gentlemen's understanding on my behavior. I never seem to carve out enough play time for myself. Hence the foul language and hoping people step on Legos on their urgent run to the bathroom, when they annoy me.

I'm rambling.. I'm sorry.

What does this have to do with anything card related? Nothing... just ramblings of a crazy lady here.  Wait.. wait.  Yes. I do have a point to make. You know Saturday is coming  & if you are like me, you don't have a ton of time to make a birthday card for your best friends' mother's sister's niece. Well, here's a simple card to make using your stash of horded CHIPBOARD alphabets and clear acetate embellishments.  The Unity collaboration with Brutus Monroe and his epic background stamps makes creating a card simple and fast! Don't have his background stamps, how about using some of that new patterned paper from Unity they just released?  Add some chipboard letters for dimension and a clean and simple card has been created.

Supplies:

• Unity- Floral Tapestry
• Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink
• Teal Glittered chipboard alphabet by American Crafts
• Acetate Heart by Heidi swap  (recycle plastic packaging by cutting out images with die cut)
• Dymo label maker
• Black & White baker's twine

If this posts hasn't made you run you off, then stay tuned for tomorrow and my last crafty adventure in digging waste deep in the stuff I had to have back in 2009!

p.s.  Have you entered to win some Unity stamps?

GIU Day 3

Wednesday seems like a good day to take you deep into your stash of supplies.

I have two words for you.  MULBERRY PAPER.  If you have to ask me what it is, then you are too young and I don't like you anymore.  I'm kidding.  I like you fine. But you have just made me feel real-real old.  All I'm going to say to you is... Handmade fibrous paper that everyone had to have, but no one could quite figure out how to use. I think the real purpose of this paper is for origami creations. But, us "crafters" just KNEW we could incorporate it into our projects.  Many a handy woman tried.  Some succeeded, but I was a total failure at it. Sadly, the frenzy fizzled faster than Milli Vanilli.  And if you don’t know that reference…..we are back to the part when I say I don’t like you.

If you still have no idea what I'm talking about.  Think about those 4" stilettos in the back of your closet that you bought for your cousins’ neighbor's sister's wedding. Adorable, but a total pain in the ass to wear and they hurt like hell. You put them on for pictures, then proceeded to make your feet dirty by going around barefoot at the reception. You've never put them on again, but because you spent good money on them, you can't part with them either.  That's the gist of Mulberry Paper.

I'm not claiming that I have been successful using Mulberry Paper this go around either.  But it does offer some texture and framing to these gorgeous flowers Lisa Arana created. For those who still have this supply in your stash, take it out and see what you can do with it!  If you are successful, I'll send you my stash of this odd supply for you to make more!

Supplies:

• Unity- Girl Truly 
• Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. 
• Unity- Sometimes I wonder 
• Paper Studio- Black cardstock
• White embossing powder
• Purple sequins
• Kuretake Gem Colors watercolor
• Lavender mulberry paper

GIU Day 2

Ok,  How'd Monday treat you?  You step on any Legos barefooted or get a paper cut yesterday? Swallow a bug?  No?  Ya didn't spill any coffee or ketchup on your new white shirt? Wow, you have Karma on your side then.  Don't tick her off, I hear she's been moody lately!  At the time of this writing. Karma and I have come to a bit of an understanding. She can kick me in the rear now and again but only when I think really bad thoughts about the people who really annoy me.  In exchange, I wont curse too much when I'm angry.  For the record, I've been getting kicked hard lately!  I'm peopled out and haven't had time to craft.

I digress...

I'm not sure about you but once my life with children transitioned into 4th gear, the idea of pocket page scrapbooking really caught my eye.  Buy the kits, print your pictures, add a little journaling, stick them in the page protectors and bam a completed album! It was advertised as "no muss, no fuss, instantaneous type of memory keeping."  Yeah.... No.  I bought the kits, organized the cards to an inch of their life and stalled out.  I have done maybe 6 pocket paged layouts in total. I gotta say, there wasn't enough hands on creativity in it for me. As I have described, I like collecting the supplies as much as I like using them.  So, now all those neatly organized cards just sit there idle.

But, wait.... We can bring new life to those cute PL kits and it makes a fast card too!  And, look I used some foiled card bases I bought on clearance for $2.99 from the Lob. It's a box that I justified buying by saying "the envelopes alone are worth $2.99".  You've made that purchase before I know you have... tell me I'm not the only one!

Anyway, the best part of Unity stamps is that there are always perfect images to "jeuge" up a premade card and make it extra special for the one you love. Doesn't have to be a Project Life Card.  Could be a post card,  or a simple greeting card you've been holding on to.  Maybe by adding a little Unity, you can turn it from MEH to Wow in an instant.

Supplies:

• Unity "Sending up something beautiful" 
• Unity "Love Runs Deep"
• Versafine Clair Nocture Ink
• White paper Doily
• Gold Sequins
• Pink & White Baker's twine
• Paper Studio Foiled box of pre-made cards- no longer available
  (but re-think the way you can use old stationary)

Bonus tip.  Look in your stash and see if you have any stationary note cards that you no longer use.  Those make great bases!  When I visit my local Goodwill, I always look at the stationary sets they have for sale.  As long as they don't smell musty, they can be less expensive than making or buying blank white card bases.  Something to think about anyway.

Remember- leave a comment or some love to be entered into the drawing at the end of the week for a Unity prize!

GIU Day 1

Happy Monday people!

As I mentioned in my opening post, this week is about using up your stash of stuff.  You may not be a seasoned crafter like me with a room full of crap.  (Uh, let rephrase that…a room full of precious supplies.)  But, even if you are new to paper crafting/card making, I'm sure you have a supply or tool in your horde that you quite haven't figure out what to make with it.

Today's submission is using those "old school" border punches. Back in the day, (insert old timey music) Fiskars Border punches were a frenzied item any good papercrafter HAD to have!


And we used them for a hot minute until the next "have to have" item came along. Before that were deco scissors. Any seasoned crafter had these in their stash at one point or another.  (I can say, I still have mine tucked away in a drawer somewhere!)




Now, a days it's thin border dies.

Well, just know they basically all do the same thing.  So, I encourage you to use which ever tool you have now and use it differently.  They really do more than just make borders for scrapbook pages!

SUPPLIES

• Unity- "....so glad you were born" 
• Marty Steward edge punch
• Black & White Baker's twine
• Silver Star Confetti
• Versafine Clair Nocturn Ink

Welcome Unies.

Well hello there Unies.  Welcome to my blog.

My name is Annie Sterner aka Daisydo.

My close friends call me Annie (insert adjective) Pants. My personal favorite is Annie "Snarky Pants". Sarcasm is my coping mechanism for dealing with my life! So, know that going in.  With some luck, you'll see a bit of that this week. As for you people, you can call me whatever you want as long as you stick around and see what’s instore over the next 5 days!

A little bit about me, I’ve been a paper crafter for almost 25 years!  I'm 49, so stop trying to do the math. I started off as a scrapbooker when my kids were little and sucking the soul out of my body by just trying to keep them alive.  I transitioned into a stamper once my life became consumed with being their personal chauffeur and life coach. With 4 of them, it's been a rather hectic 2 decades. I'll go back to scrapbooking once things calm down and I can document the moments of my life. I think that takes some reflection that I just don't have the mental energy to do right now.  Card making, for me is a perfect outlet for channeling my creative needs and it's a great way to share a bit of myself to those I like well enough to send a handmade card.  Through all my crafting moods, I can say paper and rubber stamps "Complete Me." Much more than my husband ever has!  I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
Seriously tho.... I'm not sure if it is it the smell of deeply etched red rubber that soothes my soul, or it's about the endless possibilities both paper and stamping offer that just scratches that itch. I don't question it, I just know that as I am starting to reclaim parts of my time back, crafting still consumes every free thought I have. The passion runs deep people. DEEP

Many may also know me as the keeper of the Squirrel of Justice (SOJ).

He keeps me motivated when I feel my mojo has left me.  I use him on the Unity Show &Tell to hopefully inspire others when you may need a kick in proverbial craft keister.  How can you not want to appease his need for cute projects?

As a returning GIU contributor, I hope to offer a little motivation and inspiration this week. My goal over the next 5 days is to show you ways to use up some of your old stash.  If you are like me, a scrapbooker at heart, you have a horde of things you are saving for that perfect project.  Well, I say- get it out now and use it! No time like the present people! Use that paper pad you have been saving because it's just to pretty to cut.  Break out that washi tape your yearning loins made you buy.  Use those random eyelets someone sent you. Life is short! Use up your good stuff. If for no other reason than to make room for the cute new stuff on the way next week!  I can't promise that each of the cards I have made this week l will be to your liking, but I submit them to you in an effort to have you rethink what you have in your stash and find new ways to use up your supplies!

As a reminder: Be sure to comment on each day's post and 2 winners will be randomly selected to win a Unity prize package!