Kindness Matters, it really does!

I finally got some time to sit down and get a bunch of crafting projects done! I've gotten quite a few cards done in the last few weeks between packing! It had been SO long since I had to unpack, I forgot how much work it takes! We've been working hard on going through all of our boxes and de-stashing some of our "baggage". It is amazing how much stuff we put in storage 2 1/2 years ago before we moved across country, that we now, after moving back across country and taking stuff out of storage, are finding that we never should have packed in the first place! A lot of it was stuff that we've been able to donate to our local homeless shelter, used book store and thrift stores. Mainly books and clothes, but a few household items as well. We are almost done unpacking!

My Hubby Hazen and I are big believers in KARMA. Anytime someone does something nice for me (us), I always make a card for them because I think that it's great someone took the time to do something for me (us) and it's the least I could do. I know that the universe will give back to them in time, but I like to show gratitude as well.

After just moving across country and being reunited with many of my missed stamp sets, I got the chance to use my Stampin' Up! Kindness Matters set and my large Stampin' Up! En Francais background stamp.

I made 2 of this card, one for my good crafting friend Mona. She is such a great friend, so kind, sweet and fun! She is always sending me crafting goodies, too! And we belong to a lot of the same crafting groups so we are always getting to share our craft projects, which is great! She makes some really cute things, I especially love all her ATC cards and her tags that she makes with die cuts. In one of our groups on Facebook she shares a ton of really cool crafting projects and tutorials that she finds on youtube, and lots of DIY video, too! She really does share some great stuff.

I could never thank her enough for everything she has done for me over the last 10 or so years I've known her, and she is such a great friend, making her a card for her recent crafting goody package is the least I could do.

The 2nd one I made is because our upstairs neighbors made us a welcome basket filled with all kinds of small household goodies, and they even put in some goodies for our fur-daughter doggy and our fur-daughter kitties. :) It was very "kind" of them to do so I made them this card, and we gave them a cake.

Here's a sneak peek, click below to see the rest.

I had a lot of fun making this card. I did some water coloring, which I haven't done in a really long time!

For this card I actually got to use all 5 stamps from the SU! Kindness Matters set, the last time I used this set (just over 2 1/2 years ago!) I only got to use one of the sentiment stamps from it for part of a project I was working on. I love how this one came out using all 5 stamps!

On the front of the card, I used the flourish swirly thing to make the light stamps on the Kraft cardstock. I did 3 rows diagonally on the top and the same on the bottom but with the stamp turned the opposite way.

For the middle portion of the card I started out by making the background for the butterfly image sheet. I used the SU! En Francais and SU! Chocolate Chip Ink. I did a double stamp. I stamped on one piece of cardstock and then quickly stamped again on this piece. I stamped the butterflies in Ranger Archival ink. I distressed the edges and then inked them with the SU! Bashful Blue.

I found one of my favorite Authentique 6x6 paper pads in a box from storage as well, and used that as the bottom background. I distressed it and inked the edges in SU! Bashful Blue. I used some brown cardstock (matching the background cardstock of the main focal image) with the Fiskars Threading Water border punch. I used some white thread (friendship bracelet thread) wrapped around the bottom and tied it in a knot.

After picking that paper I selected my coloring ink colors. I went with SU! Bashful Blue and SU! Pumpkin Pie. I used my aqua pen and some ink that was pushed onto the lid of the stamp pads. I was a bit heavy handed with the layering of the inks so that they stood out.

I made the Kindness Matters banner by stamping in SU! Chocolate Chip. I distressed the edges with my scissors (as I did with the rest of the card) and then inked the edges in SU! Chocolate Chip. I used a round metal tool and folded the left edge over it and put a brad through it. I attached it on the left side, then again close to the left side, and I slid my round metal tool under the cardstock to prop it up while I adhered the right side.

For the inside I went with SU! Pumpkin Pie for the lacy banner stamp and I used the Ranger Archival Ink for the Thanks stamp. I used the SU! Bashful Blue to ink the edges of the cardstock.

This was fun card to work on. I loved getting my hands dirty and inky for a change!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my card, be sure to come back soon. I'm trying hard to get the pics taken of all my latest projects, and get blog posts done, while still working on unpacking!

Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie