Stamp School 15: Colored Pencil and Triple Time Stamping Techniques!

Hi friends! Today I will share the techniques to make this card:

I will show you some colored pencil techniques and also show you how to cut your design (use whatever cutting tools you have) to make the layered panels. It’s a lot of fun! I am using Fall themed stamps from our sponsor ArtNeko. Mention thefrugalcrafter when you order to save 10% on any order or free shipping on orders over $50, you get whatever deal is better:)

Now on to the video!

Supplies:
1 sheet kraft cardstock
1/4 sheet of yellow, green and coral cardstock
Colored Pencils (I used Coloursoft by Derwent)
Stamps
Foil leaf charm
Wooden buttons and ribbon
Adhesive
Dies or stencils to trace for the shapes
Trimmer, scissors or craft knife.

Directions:
1. Stamp leaves on kraft panel and color with pencils.
2. Using nesting dies or a stencil cut the stamped panel in different sizes of the same shape as shown in the video.
3. Mat the die cut panels on green cardstock (or color of your choice.)
4. Reassemble the stack of panels and adhere to the card.
5. Embellish as desired.

I hope you try these techniques, you can use any shape to make your layers, circles and squares are simple but look terrific too! Til next time happy crafting!

 

 

My Mantel Decoration for Fall {It’s a Good Thing!}

Hi friends! I have to say I about fell out of my chair when Martha Stewart Crafts and Michaels Arts and Craft stores asked me to make a project with Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Décor Paint! Of course I said yes! The paint has a lovely matte finish and covers beautifully and it comes in 22 colors and I honestly do not think you could pick a bad color combo.

Since am cheap and did not want to buy any new decorations I painted some old junk I had lying around and made some 3-D “Barn Stars” from paper. Watch the video to see how I painted everything, made the stars and put it all together.

Video!

OK, here is my moment of honesty…I do not like waxing furniture. I know it is beautiful and give it a unique vintage luster but it takes time and elbow grease and I usually just settle for a matte sealer rather than go to the trouble of waxing. It does not look exactly like the waxed vintage furniture finish but it is good enough for this gal! I’m just putting that out there for the lazy crafters among us LOL! I want to thank Martha Stewart Crafts for sponsoring this video and encourage you to check out the new Vintage Décor Paint available at a Michaels store near you. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Ask a Crafter LIVE!

Hi friends! if you follow me on Facebook or subscribe to my YouTube channel you may have caught the live Q&A session on YouTube today, if not, here is the replay!

I think I will plan on doing a live Ask a Crafter every 2 weeks. We may have weeks where Kathy and Lorraine can be live in my craftroom with me but if not they can join me via google hangouts. I know not everyone will like this new format but it is the only way I can continue to do Ask a Crafter with my (and my busy guests) schedules. I also wanted to interact with the people watching so I took the questions live from the viewers in the YouTube chat box and because I was not hampered with long upload times (one of the reasons I had to shorten the Ask a Crafter show last year) we could go until we ran out of questions. The chat moved really fast and we might have missed one (We are not perfect) but we did out best and had a great time. People have commented so many times that they like to listen to Ask a Crafter when crafting or doing chores and I think this format is good for that. I hope you enjoy the friendly crafty chat! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Let’s paint those pumpkins! (Watercolor tutorial by YOUR request!)

Hi friends! Thanks for the feedback on the photos yesterday. I had a big response to paint the porcelain doll pumpkins so that is what we will do. Check out this photo, I went outside to snap a pic in the natural light and my curious chickens had to sneak a peek LOL! Another funy chicken thing, some of the hens have begun laying over the past month and we are never sure who leaves the eggs in the coop. We let the chickens out each afternoon to free-range figuring they are like our old ones who laid eggs in the morning, well my son spotted something white behind the wood splitter in the wood shed today and there were 10 eggs in pile! I don’t know when they were laid, do you think they are OK to eat? Is there a way to tell? I hate to waste them but I don’t want anyone to get sick either, silly chickens. 😛

Now on to the painting! I used my new Turner watercolors I got from Jerrys a couple weeks ago because I wanted to see how they worked after being dried in a palette and the paints were still semi moist and they preformed very well. I have to admit I was skeptical because the 18 set was on sale for under $30 but they are great, a solid value. I just wanted to let you know in case you were considering them. Disclosure: Jerry’s Artarama is a sponsor but they are not sponsoring this post. Now, let’s paint!

Video!

I hope you had fun with this. If you want orange or green pumpkins go for it! The drawing and painting skills are the same, just look for the value in the painting (the highlights and shading) and have fun with it! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Fall pics to paint!

Hi friends! Yesterday I went to the common ground fair and took some photos. Feel free to paint any of them! Let me know if you would like a tutorial on any of these pictures. Happy crafting!

Glitter and Stencils! You’ve Got Them so USE Them!

Hi friends! Today we are going to make this super sparkly glitter stenciled card!

It is super frugal too using supplies from out sponsor Papermart! Watch the video to see how.

Video!

Supplies:
Shipping tags
Glitter
Double sided tape or adhesive sheet
Stencil (mine was from Stencil Girl)
Washi Tape
Organza Ribbon
Tulle

Directions:
1. Cover tag with double-sided tape.
2. Coat stencil with embossing ink or glycerin.
3. Remove liner from tape and place stencil ink side down on the adhesive.
4. Carefully add glitter filling in the stencil holes with the colors you want.
5. Press glitter in to the stencil and shake off the excess then wipe off the excess with a baby wipe.
6. Remove the stencil and cover the rest of the adhesive with clear glitter. Tap off excess and burnish glitter in.
7. Hear with a heat tool (optional) to be sure the glitter is secure.
8. Finish by adding a washi tape border and ribbon/tulle.

Just make sure (and I can’t stress this enough) that you coat your stencil with glycerin or embossing ink before you place it on the adhesive. Think of all the stencils you have and the colors of glitter out there, the possibilities are endless! I think I need to use this technique on a scrapbook page. What project would YOU use it on? Let me know in the comments below and while you are there please share this post with your crafty friends on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

Stamp School 14: How to Make a Shaker Card {for Halloween!}

Hi Friends! The other day I shared a quick shaker card but tonight I am going to go a bit more in-depth for my stamp school friends!

Sorry if I still sound a bit stuffy, I’m not back to 100% yet and it is getting on my nerves, I like being productive darn it LOL! It was nice to chill out and make a relaxed card. I hope you enjoy tonight’s mellow tutorial.

Video!

Supplies:
Cardstock (purple and white)
Stamps from the Halloween Collection from Stampendous!
Ink: Black, lavender, purple
craft knife
ruler
Acetate or clear packaging
Foam Tape
double-sided tape
Ribbon
Embellishments and glue if desired

Directions for shaker card:
1. Stamp frame image on purple cardstock, tear away frame and cut out window. Save this center for the inside.
2. Place the frame on a folded card and trace the window. Stamp skeleton inside window and color the background orange.
3. Attach the acetate clear sheet over the backside of the frame to cover the hole you cut. Go around the opening with foam tape and fill with glitter, beads and sequins.
4. remove the liner from the foam tape and center the folded card over the frame so that the skeleton will show through the window.
5. Embellish as desired.

Tip! The dollar stores can be a treasure trove for embellishments, look at Halloween decorations, jewelry and party favors and see if you can repurpose them into card embellishments! Also look at your orange, purple, green and black supplies to see what you already have!

What kinds of cards and projects would YOU like to see me do in stamp school? Christmas cards? Scrapbook layouts? Let me know in the comments! Til next time happy crafting!

A Plane Painting for a Good Cause!

Hi friends! I forget how much I enjoy painting in oils. Where watercolor is immediate with oils you can ponder, rework and get an image just as you like.

I know this is a departure from my normal subject matter but when Steve at Woodworking for Mere Mortals told me about his charity Makers Care to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation I wanted to help out. Since airfare is the largest expense in granting kids wishes he came up with the idea of making planes for charity. For every plane made he will donate $5 to Makers Care and 100% of the money raised goes directly to the Make a Wish foundation. Now, here is my plane painting video!

Video:

Supplies (from our Sponsor Jerry’s Artarama):

• Surface: DaVinci Pro Panel Resist-Grip Coarse Textured Gesso Panel 16″x20
• SoHo Oil Paints: Cadmium Yellow Pale hue, Cadmium Red Deep Hue, Titanium White, Ivory Black
• 12 Shades of Grey Oil Set (I used the grayed yellow, blue/cold gray and orange)
• Hog Brushes (for blocking in color) I like the Winton brand but there are many good options at Jerry’s
• Black Swan Synthetic Sable brushes (all brushes I used are in the 15 brush set) for blending color and adding details and highlights without disturbing the other colors
• Oil Pastels (for sketching)
• Reference photo

I hope that inspired you to make a plane too, you can make an airplane out of anything you like, you can sculpt, woodwork, knit, paint or use your medium of choice. We are all creators, do what inspires you! Then submit a photo or video of your creation to Makers Care and Woodworking for mere mortals will donate $5, you can make a tax-deductible donation too if you like, every bit helps, big or small. Every day I thank my lucky stars that my children are healthy, I can’t imaging the struggles kids with cancer face. I am glad to help make a wish come true for them. I can’t wait to see what you make, let me know if you submit a plane so I can check it out and don’t be shy all ages and all levels of skill are welcome!

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you liked this tutorial and would like more oil painting tutorials please let me know in the comments. Also if you could share this post on Pinterest, Facebook, twitter and any other social media (handy sharing buttons below) to help spread the word about Makers Care I would be so grateful. Til next time happy crafting!

Make a Minecraft Shaker Card!

Hi friends! I always have a hard time thinking up gifts for teen boys but cash in a card is usually a safe bet, especially if the card reflects a favorite video game! The best part of this card is that it is simple and you can probably find the things you need to make it in your craft stash! Watch the video to see how easy it is!

Supplies:
Cardstock (one 5.5″x11″ piece folded in half and one 5.5″x5.5″ with a 3.5″ window cut out of the center
Green ink pads
Square stamps (foam, rubber or clear will work, mine are from Stampendous)
Happy birthday stamp
Black tape or paper
Duck tape or paper for inside pocket
Clear piece of plastic (mine was from an embossing folder package or use acetate)
Shaker
Card fill: sequins, beads, glitter, etc.
Double sided tape
Foam tape

The inside of the card has a pocket to hold cash or a gift card.

Feel free to adapt this idea to suit other themes as well! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!