Tooty Fruity Unity challenge card

Hi all! I admit, I haven't been playing along at many challenges lately..... Things have been so busy and my mojo has been missing for awhile. It has been just a very tiring year. Too many stories to get into here, but it's been one of those years where it seems like there is more bad news every week! A wise friend told me (and he is right, I know!) that "This too shall pass." I am ready for it all to be passing now, LOL ;) If anything, though, I have learned to be more self-sufficient and I'm far more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. So, see there are those silver linings, even when it seems you never know what will happen tomorrow. Also, I have learned to live in the moment! Seeing so many struggle with their health, I have learned, we only have today, so it pays to be happy with your life, and those you have in it. Plenty of people in this world who will drag you down. Protect your heart, it's the only one you get! I know, enough "lessons" for the day, sorry I have learned SO MUCH this year!

BEFORE I FORGET!!! A reminder to enter in my blog candy giveaway! I am doing a drawing for a SMASH book on June 12, check it out! :)

I made another fun and bright card for summer today. I saw on my Spotted Canary friend Annette's blog that they were doing a "tooty fruity" challenge over at Unity Stamp Co. Now, I've never participated in a Unity challenge before, so this was fun! The only requirements that you incorporate fruit and only use Unity stamps. These stamps were from a retired Kit of the Month from 10/10. I used the apple on my teacher cards yesterday, that's what made me think of the challenge, actually!  I went into the Mojo Sketch Archives lookin' for a sketch and found this awesome one from Mojo 148, too cool, huh? You can see I flipped it horizontally. Those archives are a WONDERFUL inspirational source if you are "Layout-challenged" like me, obtw. I love the mojo sketches, because they are so unique with so many interesting shapes.

Now, I admit, I maybe went a WEE bit overboard with the patterned paper on this card, LOL. I was going for a "patchwork quilt" effect, and maybe it is a bit much, I don't know. In retrospect, I think I should have let the large plaid circle be a solid cardstock piece instead of the plaid.... That is probably the big change I'd make if I were going to remake the card (but that ain't happenin', sorry! ;) The cherry piece and strawberry piece are scraps from other patterned papers, and the plaid and the banner piece are the same piece of DP, just different sides of the paper. The polka dot is another scrap, have been raiding my scraps bin lately, I love to do that! All in all, a fun, summery card, just because. I hope you like it, it's a bit more vintage-y than my normal style and I feel the "quilt" effect was achieved. Have a wonderful day! I'm hoping to go work out and finish getting my kitchen cleaned, oh so very exciting, LOL. Have a great one!

-Noelle

supply list: stamps: Unity; patterned paper: Sassafrass Lass, The Girls Paperie, Oriental trading, Stampin' Up!; punches: EK Success; circle cutter: CM; bakers twine: Crate and Barrel; solid cardstock: Stampin' Up!

DUST IT OFF!: Raid your scraps bin for a fun mix of patterned papers!