A DIY Advent Calendar OR Card Display!

Hi friends! How are you going to display your Holiday cards this year? I designed this easy card display using a recycled slate roofing shingle and clothespins and you can make one too!

Watch the video to see how!

Tutorial sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry Take 10% off your mounted stamp order of $10 or more just use coupon code: PINS
Coupon expires, Monday, November 21, 2016

Supplies:
Stamp from Poinsettia Flourish Set
Green ink
Roofing slate (or a piece of plywood coated with chalkboard paint)
Twine/rope
Paper envelopes if making the advent calendar
Hot glue
Clothespins

Directions:
1. Stamp holly on clothespins with green ink.
2. Add twine hanger to slate shingle.
3. Glue clothespins to edges of slate.

Hang on the wall and enjoy! Remember; don’t use chalk markers on painted chalkboards. You can use this display year-round and the chalkboard is a fun touch anytime of year! Happy crafting!

A Coastal Watercolor & Winner Announced!

Hi friends! First today I want to announce the winner of the DIY Christmas Tree from Creativity Happens: mtmeade3 aka Reeah! You will get an email shortly from creativity Happens so you can claim your prize. Don’t worry if you did not win, you can use the coupon thefrugalcrafter for 20% off your purchase at Creativity Happens so it is a great time to start your holiday shopping!

Now, a watercolor from my trip! This is a beginner real-time tutorial so grab your brush and paint along with me!

This is a scene from Acadia National Park in Winter Harbor Maine at Schoodic point.
Supplies:
Watercolors (Mission gold perfect pan set)
Mimik #12 round brush
Neptune 1/4″ dagger brush
Fabriano Artistico 140# watercolor paper 9″x12″

Here is the reference photo:

Follow along and paint with me in real-time! You can do it! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Stamp School: Try This Plaster/Stone technique!

Hi freinds! This fun technique can be done with the supplies you have on hand!

And it’s another quick and fun technique that you can use on holiday cards! Watch the video to see how!

Sponsored by Art Neko  *Save 10% off your next order of any size or get free shipping on orders over $50 (whichever discount is greater you get!) just by mentioning thefrugalcrafter!
Supplies:
Stamps from Art eko, available individually or in a set: Large pinecone, Holly, Small Pinecone
Photo paper (any brand)
Water based markers (any brand)
Basic cardstock and patterned paper
Other embellishments: bakers twine, burlap, buttons
Stamp blocks or plastic

Directions:
1. Color a stamp block with light shades of marker, spritz with water and stamp directly on photo paper. Let dry.

2. Ink up rubber stamp using markers to color in specific colors and stamp over dry background.

3. Tear around images and mount of cards. Embellish as desired.

Ihope you give this a try with the supplies you have on hand, happy crafting!

Adult Coloring Book Giveaway!

Hi friends! Today I am giving away the new Make Your Own Mural coloring book from the Witty Gritty Paper Company! Click the link to see all of the lovely designs in this high quality coloring book and read on to see how you can win one!

My kids and I love this coloring book and the paper in this book is really lovely I tried it with several mediums to see what worked best:

The first panel was done in watercolor and watercolor marker but the water based media warped the paper. The second panel was done with alcohol markers which blended beautifully and looks super vibrant! The next panel was done with wax based colored pencils which also worked well, I tried blending them with solvent but it did not work as well due to the smoothness of the paper I think. The last panel was done with watercolor pencils and a waterbased blender pen which I probably liked the best. Since I did not want to waste my coloring test sheet I cut up the panels and made bookmarks because with 5 avid readers in the house they are always in demand!

After trimming the panels I adhered them to black cardstock, punched a hole and added a tassel for a fun and durable bookmark! It is a great way to use all of the beautiful pages you have colored! You can also hang them on the wall and create a mural for your friends and family to enjoy!

I love finding practical uses for my craft supplies and what better time to encourage others to be creative than with this beautiful coloring book and an inspiring assortment of coloring media. Here I placed a sheet of brown kraft paper on my coffee table and put crayons and colored pencils in glass flower “frogs” (you can find these at antique markets and they are wonderful for displaying pretty pens and things in but they are made to put at the bottom of a vase to keep flowers upright.) The kraft paper protects your table and gives people a place to test a color before using it in their book. You could also use white butcher paper. I love to put on a movie and sit around the coffee table and color!

This is a great activity for kids on thanksgiving. they can color and watch the parade While parents are busy getting dinner ready. The finished coloring sheets could be used as place mats too, if you laminate them with clear contact paper you could use them year after year! I think I would rather sit at the kids table this year LOL!

Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of this coloring book simply leave a comment on this blog post. I will randomly draw a winner in one week. Also I have a free shipping coupon code that you can use on anything at The Witty Gritty Paper Company: colormefrugal good through December 6th, 2016. In addition to this beautiful coloring book they carry note cards, mugs, art prints, gift tags, greeting cards, phone cases, desk accessories and more! Why not knock a few items off your holiday gift list and get free shipping too?

I hope you enjoyed these practical ways to use your adult coloring books. I want to thank The Witty Gritty Paper Co. for sponsoring this blog post and giveaway and til next time happy crafting!

Review: American Journey Watercolor Sticks

Today I am taking a look at the set of 24 American Journey Watercolor Sticks. They are watercolor pigment in a clear paraffin wax binder. I wanted to find out if they are more like a watercolor pan or a watercolor crayon.

For my test I am working on Strathmore Windpower paper. Watch the video to see how they perform!

Details:

The American Journey watercolor sticks are available in sets or open stock. The sets have a handy storage palette to keep them in. Open stock the sticks sell for $7.99 while a 12 color set in a palette goes for $59 bringing the per stick price to $5, a much better deal.

Pros:

• Price: They cost a bit more than Winsor & Newton watercolor sticks but are 2x as big. They are the same size as Daniel Smith but a bit cheaper
• Pigment info listed on sides of watercolor sticks, stable lightfast pigments are used. If you are picky about your pigments I suggest getting colors open stock.
• All usable product-you can save the shavings if you sharpen the crayons to use as watercolors. You can use all the product so no waste.
• Drawing with the crayons give you more of a “watercolor pencil” experience rather than a watercolor crayon experience
• Transparent (as long as the pigments used are) Most watercolor crayons are opaque and these are luminous and transparent, the reds are stunning and worth buying to supplement a watercolor crayon set that you might already have.

Cons:

• When used direct to paper from the stick (aka sketching and coloring) I don’t feel like you get as good color payoff as you would with a traditional watercolor crayon or water-soluble oil pastel. I don’t think this is a con for some people but if that is what you want with this product I think you will be disappointed. Also these American Journey sticks are more expensive than Caran D’Ache watercolor crayons which are better for a dry, direct to paper technique. It boils down to personal taste though.
• Not great for glazing as colors easily lift.

Bottom line:

I like this product for sketching and then picking up pigment with a wet brush for washes (like pan color) for use on white paper. They are different from a watercolor crayon because they are transparent. I think they are better for direct painting without a lot of glazes because they are very liftable. If I had to recommend one color I would try any of the reds and they really stand out as different from other similar products.

If you would like to try your hand at some mixed media watercolor & watercolor crayon techniques enroll in my Craftsy Class Mix it Up Mixed Media Step by Step! We go though watercolor washes, stenciling, drawing and painting with watercolor crayons as well as play with other mixed media techniques, it is a lot of fun and the folks at Craftsy make everything look so nice!

Any class that you purchase at craftsy through my special affiliate link helps me bring more free tutorials to you here on my blog and I think you for your support! Happy crafting!

Stamp School: Embossing on Dark Paper and Background Stamping!

Hi friends! I have a couple of fun techniques to share with you in this stamp school video!

Watch the video to see how to emboss on dark paper and stamp some layered backgrounds!

Tutorial sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry Take 10% off your mounted stamp order of $10 or more just use coupon code: TREES Coupon expires, Monday, November 14, 2016

Supplies:
Cream and Kraft Cardstock
Pigment ink
Dye ink (brown for tree trunk)
Embossing Powder
Peg Stamps: Embellished Holiday Wreath, Fruit Wreath
Other Stamps: Large backgrounds, trees
Ribbon
Punches (optional) photo corner and postage stamp
Scissors

Directions:
1. To create the card base fold a 8.5:x5.5″ panel of cream cardstock in half. Stamp 3 backgrounds in 3 colors of ink. Experiment with different patterns to create fun backgrounds!

2. Stamp or draw a tree on a 3.25″x4.5″ kraft panel. Dust this panel with cornstarch or baby powder (or make a sachet like I showed in the video!)

3. Stamp ornaments with pigment ink, sprinkle with embossing powder and heat with a heat tool.

4. Stamp postage element if desired and punch photo corners.

5. Assemble card.

I hope you try this technique, there is nothing quite like seeing embossing powder charge from a sugary coating to a raised glossy image. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Feeling Froggy?

Hi friends! Tonight I have a get well card I made for my nephew. It is a fun example of how you can use a Halloween stamp for another purpose.

This is an “old school Lindsay” video where we just make a card with no fancy editing LOL! Enjoy:)

Supplies:
Stamps: The set I had was from Inkadinkodo but I could not find them, these are similar though.
Patterned paper
Watercolor pencils: Spectrum Noir Aquablend
Blender pen: Stampin Up
Waterproof ink
White cardstock or watercolor paper
Blender pen (Stampin up)
Dies: Spellbinders

I hope you enjoyed this quick little project! Happy crafting!

Hot Wax=Fun Art!

Hi friends! This project was such a joy to create. I can’t remember the last time I just had fun exploring a new-to-me art form and I hope it inspires you to try it too! Today I am experimenting with Encaustic art which is painting with sticks of colored wax you melt. It is so fun and the texture you get is wonderful!

I have wanted to try this for a while but the cost of getting started was prohibitive, luckily I got all the supplies I needed to get up and running in this months Smart Art Box! Watch the video and see how this piece came together!

LOOK at what came in my Smart Art Box this month! Find out how YOU can get a box of premium art supplies delivered to your door every month. They also offer One Time Gift Boxes perfect for holiday gifts!

Supplies:
Surface: Ampersand Art Encaustic Board
Media: Encausticos Wax Pigment Sticks
Brushes: Hog angular 1/2″ a #4 round
Silicone Spatula
Coffee Mug Warmer & Aluminum foil for palette
Stamped tissue paper
*I also use oil pastels from a previous smart art box for more color options

Encaustic art directions:
1. Cover the coffee mug warmer with tin foil and melt your color on it.
2. Use a brush or silicone spatula to quickly transfer the melted wax to the painting board.
3. Clean the brush by “rinsing” it is clear wax medium and wiping it on a paper towel. The brushes you use for encaustic will need to be kept for encaustic as you will not be able to remove all of the wax.
4. Embed collage element on the painting using hot wax as a “glue” if desired.

Tip! A heat gun on low can be used to rework an area of a painting. Just make sure not to get it too close to the painting and use caution.

This is my favorite smart art box yet and I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Happy Crafting!

Sponsored by Smart Art

 

Tabletop Christmas Tree Kit Giveaway!

Hi friends! Today I have a fun DIY and exclusive giveaway for my blog readers! My grandmother had a ceramic tree that she would put out every year and I just loved it so I was so excited to find a seller on ETSY who makes the blank ceramic trees to decorate!

Creativity happens is also offering 20% off to all of my viewers with the coupon code thefrugalcrafter and just so you know the DIY Tree ships free! While you are at it check out the other fabulous gift ideas they have, from coffee mugs, ornaments, pet dishes and bakeware to beautiful glazed yarn bowls they will have the perfect gift for many on your holiday shopping list!

Let’s Paint a Ceramic Tree!

My DIY Ceramic Christmas Tree came smooth and ready to paint. Carefully unpack the tree and set aside the lamp part and the plastic bulbs. Protect your work surface with newspaper or a drop cloth. Gather your supplies. You will need:

• DIY Christmas Tree
• Acrylic paint (I used Turner Acryl Gouache in Red, Green, Gold, Pearl Green, Pearl White and Green Lame’)
• Paint brushes: 1″ flats for base coating, 2″ hog fans for dry brushing & 1/2″ hog for accenting with the glittery lame’ paint.
• Bucket of water for cleaning brushes and a rag for wiping them dry.
• Glue: Beacon 3-in-1

Step 1. Paint the base of the tree bright red and the tree dark green.

I recommend setting the painted ceramics on a piece of waxed paper to dry so they don’t stick.

Step 2. Use a clean fan brush to swipe gold paint on the red base, it will give it a festive, yet rustic look. Use a clean dry fan brush to dry-brush the pearl green paint on the tree branches. Don’t cover it completely, you want some of the darker green to show in the creases and shadows.

Step 3.  Repeat the dry-brushing on the tree branches with pearl white paint but do not cover all of the pearl green, you are applying less paint. Think of adding a bit of frost or snow to the tips of the evergreen boughs.

Step 4. Once the tree and base are dry insert the bulb into the tree base using the attached clip and place the green tree on top. I decided to glue the lightbulbs in on mine because I was afraid of them getting lost but you could also leave them loose and decorate it every year! For the above photo I turned on the tree and turned off the overhead lights, the photo does not do it justice, it is so pretty lit up!

Would you like to win one of these DIY Christmas Trees? Simply visit Creativity Happens ETSY store and let me know what item she sells that you think would make the most amazing holiday gift and let me know in the comments below. I will pick a winner on November 9th, Good luck! Oh! and if you want to take care of some of your Christmas shopping while you are there be sure to use the coupon code: thefrugalcrafter to save 20% on your order at Creativity Happens. It is so nice to check off a few people on the gift list! Hmmm, my sister would love one of those yarn bowls…

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!