playing with inlays...

Hello my wonderful friends!

It's time for another Unity hop!

(and sale!)

And today we are celebrating FRIENDS!
Love it!

If you are arriving here from Kary's blog you are right on track... if not, go ahead and start at the beginning by clicking HERE.. You don't want to miss any of the fabulous inspiration (or chances to win!)

So this ADORABLE guy is BRAND SPANKIN' NEW. 

Isn't he just the sweetest? Best part? Panda's are black and white… no need to color. Perfect for those who feel their skills in coloring are somewhat lacking. Or those who are simply lacking time to color. But wouldn't he/she also be super SWEET in a non-traditional color? Like... light turquoise or lavender for a baby card?  Or… hot pink for the bold at heart. Yes, please!

Speaking of new… sometimes we get so caught up in having the "latest and greatest" gadgets and gizmos for crafting that we neglect our old favorites. Now there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with trying new things and evolving as a crafter.. In fact, I am ALL for it! That's how you stay inspired and keep growing. However, sometimes it isn't that you need new tools, but rather, a fresh look at the old ones. 

I've seen this technique floating around, and I just hadn't had a chance to play with it yet...

It is actually SUPER easy.. All you need is a die cut machine, dies, and paper.

Step 1: Die cut your card front as well as a contrasting paper with the die of your choice. You are going to want to keep all the NEGATIVE parts of your card front, and the POSITIVE parts of the contrasting paper… Like you see above. (if you are an electronic die cutter… you can easily do this with that type of machine too!)

Step 2: Cover another piece of card stock (here I'm just using the card base) with adhesive. I use a tape runner just and keep my lines fairly close… If your die is really intricate or has lots of little pieces, you may want to use an adhesive sheet cut to size and stuck over your card stock. 

Step 3: Lay your card front down over the adhesive. 

Step 4: Lay your contrasting die cut right inside the hole.. it should fit together as easily as a puzzle! The end result is an INLAYED look. Super fun!

Now it's all ready to stamp your sentiment! I chose one from Build-a-Damask. 

I kept this design fairly simple because that card is part of a set that will be given to someone who LOVES simplicity. But you can get as crazy as you want…

(Build-a-Damask, 25 Days of Christmas)

Here I used multiple dies, multiple papers, and even have them overlapping!

I have been having tons of fun playing with this and exploring possibilities!  Try creating your own paper for the inlay using background stamps! Or inlay a large open shape that has a focal image stamped in it… Really, your imagination is the limit! 

Have fun!

Don't forget---
 Leave a comment on EACH blog in the hop (including the Unity blog) for your chance to win.  The winners will be announced Saturday night on the Unity blog.

Your next stop is Lisa!

Enjoy!