Christmas Cactus

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you are well and you are taking care of your mental health as well. I think it is true for most crafters that crafting is a great part of caring for ourselves.  

Today I have a Christmas card to share. I don’t think I will make my monthly goal but hope to make up for it next month.

I created an Ombré watercolor wash with my Daniel Smith paints.  I didn’t get it faded quite as well as I would have liked. (These paints are really rich and I am still getting used to them.). After it dried, I stamped over top with this awesome stamp and painted it in.  

Let me just tell you that I love this stamp from Technique Junkies.  This is a TRUE Christmas cactus, not like the ones I have. Mine (and almost everyone’s) are actually considered a Thanksgiving Cactus. The leaf segments have a different shape, but they are still lovely. Mine are actually just at the end of their second bloom cycle.  I also have an Easter Cactus, but I can never get them to rebloom. They are tricky!

I would love to enter the March Rudolph Days challenge.

Thank you for visiting! I am a bit busy trying to figure out the cyber schooling.  One of my kids is used to this format and will not need help. But, the other is going to need help adjusting (as will his teachers!) However, I do hope to be round visiting all your blogs soon!

Stay well and keep on stamping!

Christmas Card Goal to Date 2020: 15
Christmas cards completed: 14

Nautical Card Set

Hello!  I have a set of 3 cards that were easy to put together. The Mojo Monday sketch challenge this time is a special one that turns your 2 sheets of patterned paper into 3 cards.  The cut guide and sketches are here.  

I decided that I would use stamps from I Brake for Stamps By the Sea Rubber Sheet.  This is a really great set of stamps! These were made in a pretty straightforward way, the only one that requires some explanation is the fish.  I had some dendritic paintings in my stash. (This link shows an introduction to the kind of painting.)   I stamped the fish over top of this with Staz On ink and fussy cut him out.  I had used some lumiere paint that I thought looked shiny like scales.

Thank you for visiting today! Stay well and keep on stamping!

Rub-On Watercoloring - Handmade Card

Hello!  In my online stamping group, there is a challenge this week to try a technique called Rub-On Watercoloring.  This isn’t something I had tried before.  The video is here. 

If you aren’t sure if you want to watch the video, I will try to explain the process.  You stamp your image, and then use the clear index sheet from the stamp set to color your watercolor onto, then when you line it up, you can get the watercolor just in the right spot.  I used pink, peach, yellow for the flowers, and two colors of green for the leaves.

I also added some glitter glue to the centers, and I used a marker to fill in the berries.  This was really fun to try!  My stamp sets are both from Close to My Heart.  

I’d love to enter the Flower Challenge - Anything Goes and Double D Challenge - Spring.  

Thank you for visiting and keep on stamping!

A Card is a Paper Hug

I have seen it said that a card is like a paper hug.  Since we can’t hug anyone outside our households, I thought this “Hugs” sentiment would be perfect.  Let’s all send cards to people we temporarily cannot see.  

I am continuing to use bits and pieces from my half-done box.  This background was stamped with Hero Arts Leafy Vines background stamp on patterned paper. I clearly already had the idea to cut it up, as it was cut into 3 equal pieces.  So I mounted this on kraft.  

I also had this butterfly, cut and colored, from Gina K’s Whimsical Spring set (one of my oldest stamp sets, I am sure it must be retired) so I went to that stamp set to find my sentiment.  I used a scrap of Applemint green cardstock for the die cut, but it was too bright, so I used some Vintage Photo distress ink and sponged over it to tone it down.  

I would love to enter Hero Arts Stay Crafty Challenge - Encouragement, WordArtWednesday’s Anything Gos Challenge and Pixie’s Crafty Workshop’s Snippet Challenge.

Thank you for visiting today!  Stay well and keep on stamping!

Texas Bluebonnet Card

Hello!  Yesterday I was able to make another card using things in my “half-done” projects pile.  Again I left the sentiment off as I am not sure what I will use this card for.  (It is a dreary day here, and this was the best photo I could get.)

The main image is an ATC (artist trading card) I made LONG ago.  The background for the ATC is all stamped images in different colors. (I recall a challenge where you were to make a “master board” and then cut it up like patterned paper.)  The floral image is from a Gina K set and it is colored with pencils. I actually think that my son might have colored it and I fussy cut it out.  

Then, the background piece is done with the letterpress technique.  I know I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and some grey pigment ink that transferred when I put it through the die cutting machine.  Once I finally got this technique to work, I made a bunch of backgrounds. This might be the last one in my stash.  

A reader recently posted that they didn’t know what the technique I listed was.  I think the best thing to do if you don’t know a technique, is to search at Split Coast Stampers Tutorial section, or of course, you can search Pinterest.

I hope and pray you are all well.  Keep on creating!

Stamp Kissing with Textured Cardstock

Hello!  I am glad that other crafters are chiming in how hard it is to get your mojo going during turbulent times.  I have felt like that for a good week now.  I decided to keep pushing through my half done projects to make complete cards. I am hoping to get moving and just send out cards to all my family since no one is going to be visiting in the near future.  

So this stamped image was done with stamp kissing.  For quite a while, I have done stamp kissing, not with stamps, but with a piece of textured cardstock.  This technique is really wonderful because you can do the stamp kissing on any size stamp.  (ETA: If you don’t know what basic stamp kissing is, visit this tutorial on Split Coast Stampers.)

The background was made previously with brushos and a stencil.  I left the sentiment off for now.

Supplies:  I Brake for Stamps Fennel Silhouette Negative (or available in a set called Mostly Florals), Hero Arts Cornflower ink, Recollections stencil, Brusho Powder Colbalt blue. 

I’d love to enter SimonSaysStamp’s Monday Challenge Stencil Fun, Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting!  Keep on stamping!

Christmas Cardinal Handmade Card

I am having a hard time focusing. Maybe you are too?

 I was cleaning my craft desk yesterday and was thinking of the reports that all paper supplies and essentials are sold out.  I thought of the baby wipes and paper towels I usually use when crafting. I decided to cut some older towels into pieces to use instead, to do my part in decreasing the demand.  (And they are working well!)

I know all business, especially small businesses, are under extreme pressures.  Some of them that close do not know if they will be able to reopen.  I am not going to break the bank, but I am going to try to make a small stamp order.

So, I finally have a card to share with you!  Almost the entire card is made from bits and pieces from either my scrap box or half-done items box.  The cardinal was previously colored with colored pencils.

I’d love to enter Pixie’s Crafty Workshop’s Snippets challenge, WordArtWednesday’s Anything Goes challenge, SimonSaysStamp’s Monday Challenge Bit O Green, 

Thinking of you all during this difficult time.  If you are in an affected area, please flatten the curve by eliminating all non-essential errands.

Stamp on!

Christmas Card Goal to Date 2020: 15
Christmas cards completed: 13

Fashion Lady Mixed Media Card

Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well.  I know this is an uneasy time for many due to the Coronavirus.  It has come to my area and we are having some school closings for cleanings, and everyone is taking precautions.  

I did want to take just a second to urge you to get your information from a reputable source. I have seen email forwards, memes and videos that have half-truths that could be dangerous.  I want to do my part to protect the elderly and infirm as much as possible.  Both in my family and in yours.  

The one great thing is that crafting at home is as safe as ever! LOL!

Today, I finished up this card using a couple mediums and stamp sets.  It was fun to make.

First, I heat embossed the doily image with white powder on watercolor paper. I used Brusho Powders to create this bright background! (I liked it so much I almost didn’t use it on a card.)

Second, I heat embossed the fashion lady on grey cardstock.  I took some purple Perfect Pearls and added a bit of water to them to make a paint. I painted this on the flowers using a fine liner brush.  It looks so shiny in person!

Stamp sets used:

I Brake for Stamps Fashion Ladies Sheet And Baubles, Doily and Words Half Sheet

Save 10% on your order at I Brake for Stamps using my code SAVE10HEIDI 

Thanks for visiting!

Watercolor Stamped Scenes and a Worthy Card Drive

Hello! I hope you are having a nice start to your weekend!

Today I would like to promote a very worthy card drive and share some of the little paintings I have been doing as I follow along with the Stampendous Watercolor Friday Series.  

I think I told you before that I started out using some of the stamps I already have.  This farm set is very old, as is the background bandana stamp. Not a perfect painting, but I love this country look.  And watercoloring is forgiving.

Then I decided to purchase this scene builder set that is part of the watercolor class.  I have only had time to use the little sailboats so far, but there are many other little stamps that will create other kinds of scenes, and I hope to have time to play with those today.

This scene is from the class, and is very simple.  I decided to use the torn edges and an additional bird die cut to jazz it up.  I think this turned out nicely.  

I am sending these cards to Operation Safelight 2020.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share your creativity with women and men in a domestic violence shelter.  Carole asks for hand made cards, hand sewn makeup bags and money to sponsor spa bags to give to the people who need the services of the domestic violence shelter.  Such a wonderful cause!  Please check it out.  (Oh, there are prizes to be won too!)

So, these cards need appropriate sentiments (check the Operation Safelight blog post for guidelines).  The wise and wonderful sentiment is from Power Poppy, but I stamped inside all the cards I am sending with stamps from this set.  (This set is just retired, but if you are interested, check with your Close to My Heart consultant to see if they still have any around, often they will have some extras.)

Supplies:  Stampendous Scenic sampler, Bandanas Cling Background, On the Farm stamp sets, Close to My Heart Everyday Magic stamp set, Power Poppy Woodland Carpet stamp set, Versafine Black ink, Daniel Smith Essentials watercolor set, Bo Bunny Early Bird 6x6 paper pad, Carta Bella Ahoy There 6x6 paper pad

I would love to enter Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

Thank you for spending some time with me today! I hope you have time to leave a comment so I know you were here, and please consider subscribing.

Sailboats in Watercolor

I don’t know how many people have seen this but Stampendous is having a tutorial each week at YouTube on watercoloring.  They started out with in depth videos about the tools, and then in February started the project tutorials. They have so much information in the videos and I have learned a lot!

  They do have a line of stamps out for these projects, but I decided to buy (on sale) the Daniel Smith watercolor paints, and then start working with some stamps I already have.  

This is an OLD Stampendous stamp that I thought was a similar style.   I think this scene is awesome for masculine cards, so I decided to get ahead with a Father’s Day card.  

Supplies: Stampendous Cling Sailboat Bay stamp, Hero Arts Celebrate Everyday sentiment set, Versafine black ink, Daniel Smith watercolors, Canson Watercolor paper, other items from my stash.

I did pick up one of the stamp sets from the videos now, and will be working with it in the future.  I definitely need a lot of practice! What do you think about watercoloring?

I’d love to enter Retro Rubber’s Anything Goes Challenge (have to use an old stamp, this stamp is 5-10 years old)

Guitar Themed Teen Cards - Easy Beginner Project

Hello!  My son has just started getting into guitars and music and so I was excited to get this neat silhouette stamp set. I think he and his friends will enjoy cards made from this set.  

I also love that this is an easy stamping project: just cardstock, stamps and inks.  Sometimes simpler is better for teen cards. (And I also have read in some of the stamping forums that newer stampers would like to see some more beginner designs, and not always complicated cards.) I created my own patterned paper using the images and then added some great sentiments.  The white card does have an accent of a red guitar as the nod to “daring to be different.”

Stamps from I Brake for Stamps: Music Sheet, Baubles, Doily and Words Half sheet, Dare to Be Different (sentiment only), Old and New Half Sheet
Save 10% on your order at I Brake for Stamps using my coupons code SAVE10HEIDI 

Thank you for visiting today! I do hope you are doing well!