Chicken Update, Azalea Tutorial & Watercolor Pencil Review!

Howdy friends! You were so sweet to ask after our sweet chicken Rosie, she is doing better, eating and drinking more (although not enough I feel like she can go outside) and today she started cooing (that sweet little chicken purr or trill sound they make) again. We gave her a warm bath this evening to clean her feathers, she did not have the strength to stand when she did her business so her tail-end needed some cleaning plus she was a bit exuberant with some yogurt today so she needed the works. She actually seemed to enjoy it then Lila held her in a towel for a bit before we finished with a blow dryer. This chicken is getting the spa treatment and I worry she may never want to back out to the coop! My husband is not keen in the idea of having an “inside” chicken though.

Today we are painting azaleas with watercolor pencils. I was at ACmoore with a rewards check burning a hole in my pocket and I saw a set of 36 watercolor pencils by the brand Fantasia on sale for $16 so I thought I would give them a try. See how they preformed in todays video!

Video!

I am glad I found these at this price, I think they would be a good set for a beginner. The downside is that 36 colors is the biggest set and to my knowledge you can’t get individual pencils if you use one up BUT if you use up this set you deserve a professional set because by golly you earned it! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found the review helpful and til next time happy crafting!

PS I know that we usually have Stamp School on Wednesdays but do to our chicken drama I have to skip this week but I have a fun Christmas stamping project coming to the blog Friday so you can get your stamping fix!

It Takes a Village…

Hi friends! It has been an interesting day here at the Weirich ranch. My hubby noticed that one of our hens was acting odd the last couple days. Standing in one spot, acting confused and last night she did not go into her coop. When I went to check their water this morning she was laying outside in the run looking lethargic. I tried to tempt her with warm oatmeal and yogurt but she was not interested so hubby and I brought her inside and attempted to water and feed her. Then the internet research began and we realized that she could have anything from chicken anorexia (really, it is a thing) to a parasite or she could be eggbound.  I also left a note on my Facebook page that I would not have a new Stamp School video uploaded tonight because I was busy with hen hospice and you guys had so many tips and suggestions, also than you for understanding, you guys are the best! I really expected that she would not make it through the day but we kept up with feeding water by eye dropper every 30 minutes and giving her yogurt and then, like a miracle she stood and drank from her cup on her own! We are keeping her inside the house tonight and she seems pretty content roosting on the edge of her box. I did not see any evidence of mites, worms or bound eggs so hopefully she just had a weird spell.

So you are probably wondering why I am telling you this? Well, just like it takes a village to diagnose our chickens it takes  a village to raise our handmade business. If you are just starting out selling your arts and crafts you are like a fledgling bird, you might not be sure who you can sell your products too or even how you will find the make your wares. It is so important at this stage that you ask for, and accept help for your support system; your spouse, friends and community. I’ll explain more in todays video!

So no excuses, okay? If you want more help running your handmade business I invite you to reach out to one of the gals in my support system, my friend (bestie!) Renae from Rich Mom Business, she has sponsored this video because she wants to see moms succeed and she also created a free course that will help you do just that, you can get the Free Handmade Training course here. Also, next week I will have a live Q&A with Renae so if you have any questions for her leave them in the comments below! You will be able to ask live too, it will be a lot of fun! The tentative date is 1pm ET Wednesday November 18th on YouTube.

I know what it is like to be at the bottom rung of the ladder. When I closed my art studio to stay home with my kids I wanted to start something but I felt lost. When I finally decided that I was worth it I reached out to my support system and they were happy to help me with the gift of time, exposure and feedback. YOU ARE WORTH IT TOO! 🙂 Craft fairs are a’coming, go get um! Good luck and til next time happy crafting!

Glass Bottles In Watercolor {LIVE Fridays!}

Hi friends! I will be hosting another live class on YouTube this Friday at 12:30 ET, this time we will paint this in watercolor!

Here is a pattern you can use if you don’t want to draw it:

You can get the reference photo by Anika Makay at Paint my Photo. You will be able to watch the show live, or the replay in the video player below BUT if you want to join the party you can take part in the live chat on the YouTube watch page. You can also ask questions ahead of time if you have some but can’t make it live.

Here is a full supply list:

• 140# watercolor paper (I am using a Strathmore 400 series block, 11″x15″)
• M Graham & Co Paint: Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Hookers Green, Lemon Yellow
• White watercolor/gouache for highlights (optional)
• 1″ & 1/2″ flat brushes, #3, #6, #12 round (or near those sizes, does not have to be exact)
• 2 buckets of water
• transfer paper (for transferring pattern if desired)
• paper towels
• painters tape and a board to tape your paper to (if not working on a block)
• pencil

Tip! If you plan to paint along live be sure to have your pattern transferred and your workspace set up before the show (12:30pm ET 11/13/15) but don’t worry, you can always watch the replay as many times as you need:) I am so excited to paint with you Friday! Happy crafting!

Review & Comparison of NEW Prima Oil Pastels!

Hi friends! This week I got my hands on new Prima watersoluble oil pastels! I wanted to give them a try and see if they are different that what I have on hand already.

I swatched them out along with some of the other similar products I had. Want to see the results? Watch the video!

Video

I really liked them and found them to be high quality. I also think they would be a welcome addition to your craft room if you did not already own a similar product. Below is a rundown of the products I compared and found to be similar along with price points. Keep in mind that you can find better prices online and with coupons, I did not pay retail for any of these LOL!

I compared the Prima pastels (retails for $20 for set of 24) to:

• Portfolio Water-soluble Oil Pastels (set of 24 retails for $10)
• Faber Castell Gelatos and Gel Sticks (Gelatos set of 15 for $25, sets of 4 for $10, gel sticks set of 12 for $13)
• Lyra Watercolor Crayons (set of 24 retails for $39)
• Caran D’ache Watercolor crayons (set of 30 retail $71)

The Prima water-soluble pastels are beautiful high quality pastels. You can get them on sale for $16.99 at Hallmark Scrapbook (affiliate link)

BUT…
I honestly do not see the need for these if you already have some of these other coloring media. They are good quality and fun to use but not that much different that what we already have. If you do not have any of the similar media they are a good buy. If there is a product you would like to see reviewed let me know in the comments below and I will see what I can do! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

FAST! Teen Bedroom Makeover in a Day!

Hi friends! I have been asked repeatedly to share the redo I did of my sons room a few weeks ago. I pulled this together while he was at school. If you put your mind to it you can get a lot done in a day!

He loved the way it turned out and 3 weeks later it is still clean! I hope you try some of these ideas in your home! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Let’s Crop! A Halloween Page Scrapped LIVE!

Hi friends! Today, with help from my niece Sarah, I did my first live tutorial on YouTube! Here is the 2 page layout we made!

DCF 1.0

DCF 1.0

I had a great time. I love how people could ask me questions as we cropped, in fact it was a lot like a real crop, sharing, chatting and laughing as we crafted! If you missed it live you can catch the replay here! It seems like a few minutes were cut off from the beginning of the show, not sure why, but the folk who were there live got to see, basically it was me matting the photos, no biggie.  Don’t worry, this will not replace the short edited videos, this is just something new I have added to the mix! I hope you enjoy AND you make something right along with me. Let’s make this like a real crop!

Video!

We are planning on doing a live watercolor class next Friday at 12:30-1:30pm Eastern Time if you want to pencil it in. I think that day and time will work well and if you can’t make it live you can always catch the replay:) Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Finally, the video I promised you months ago (of course that could apply to a lot of tutorials LOL!)

Hi friends! A couple of months ago I shared a faux mosaic gift box tutorial and I asked you if you wanted to see how I made the cards that went with it. Well, I just got around to editing that video!

Actually, I wanted to save it because I thought it would come in a bit more handy when you were getting ready to start making handmade holiday gifts. I like this as a gift because it is beautiful and useful and it might even inspire someone to take up a new hobby: cardmaking! Feel free to change-up the look by using the stamps and ink color you prefer!

Video!

Papermart supplies used in the card set:
Jewelry Tissue on a roll
Bulk envelopes
Baker’s Twine
Kraft Jewelry Box 5″x6″

Mosaic Box Tutorial: https://youtu.be/9sKKUCxoBUk

Other Supplies:
Cardstock: White and Kraft
Stamps and Ink: Altenew, Envelope stamp Stampin’ Up!
Buttons
Adhesive

DIY Stamp positioner: My friend Jody made me a stamp positioner tool that is perfect for layering up stamps. Here is what you will need to make it:
slim jewel dvd case (hub-less or with the hub removed)
craft foam
clear grid by little B (if you want it to be sticky and hold your paper in place or you can use grid paper)

Directions for DIY hinged stamp positioner:
1. Cut fun foam to fit jewel case.
2. Adhere grid to foam.
3. Stamp! You may not need the foam if using cling rubber stamps because they are thicker, you will need the foam for clear stamps though. Add more foam if needed!
All the supplies used in the stamp positioner can be found here.

If you missed the tutorial on the Mosaic Box you can see the full tutorial here.

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Sponsored by Papermart.

 

Stamp School! Playing with Punches & Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels!

Howdy friends! Today we are going to talk about the power of a paper punch! These are workhorses of any stampers studio and if you buy wisely you can end up with a ton of looks from just a few versatile punches.

I have to admit, I don’t have a ton of punches and the ones I use the most are basic: Circles, scalloped circles, flowers, tags and generic design elements like this mosaic punch (that I just got in the mail today and I think will b a new favorite-prepare to be sick of me using this LOL!) and labels.

Watch this video to learn more about punches and see how I made this card in real-time!

Supplies:

• Stamp set: Choose Happiness (Stampin Up)
• Color medium Prima water-soluble Oil Pastels(affiliate link)
• Mosaic Madness Punch
• Watercolor card or heavy cardstock card base
• Washi Tape and pattern paper scraps

Reasons why punches are handy:

1. All in one tool, no die cut machine to fuss with.
2. Quick, cute shape, no cutting!
3. Versatile: Google “punch art” to see really creative ideas of embellishments you can make with basic shapes, you will animals, Sesame Street characters, minions and more made from basic shape punches!
4. You can make use of small scraps of paper that otherwise might be thrown away.
5. Portability: It is easier to grab a few punches to take to a crop instead of a machine and dies.

Punch Tips!

1. Choose basic designs to start, a circle or oval will be more useful than a balloon shape BUT you can easily make a balloon from a circle or oval!
2. The more detailed the design (like a lacy corner) the more limited you will be with materials it will cut. Die cuts are generally better for really intricate designs.
3. If a punch sticks you can put it in the freezer and it will usually pop back. You can clean and sharpen punches by punching through aluminum foil and use WD40 or another light oil to lubricate them if they stick, just punch through scrap paper until no grease remains.
4. Make sure to buy the designs you will use the most from a quality brand but it is OK to get the $1 novelty ones you are only likely to use a few times too. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this project and if you have punches you give it a try! You can always trace stencils or use die cuts to get the look that I have here. The most important thing is to use what you have! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Funky & Fun Bracelet!

Hi friends! A couple of weeks ago I showed you some fun techniques with clear acrylic components. I showed you how to bend and drill holes in the plastic pieces and tonight I will show you how to tun those pieces into a sleek modern bracelet:

Watch the video to see how!

You will need:

• Clear acrylic shapes from Punch Place Plus
• Wire
• Beads
• Alcohol ink
• Jewelry hole punch
• Wire cutters
• Heat tool

If you want to learn more about working with acrylic pieces please check out my Crafting with Clear Acrylic Shapes 101 video! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!