Drab to FAB! Cool cards with old & recycled supplies!

Hi friends! Today we are going to raid the recycling bin and use up some older stash while making 3 cards!

I like to use patterned paper from themed paper stacks. They are a great value but I often end up with a couple stray papers I don’t like very much, namely the black and white papers. Today I’ll show you 3 ways to add color so they can go from drab to fab! Watch the video to see how!

Sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry. Get FREE USA (All 50 States, Puerto Rico & Guam) shipping on orders of $20+ throughout the month of March with coupon code: FRUGALFREESHIPPING  New to peg stamping? Become a Peg Stamp VIP here and you’ll get an instant coupon for 20% off Rubber Stamp Tapestry stamps plus the
deepest weekly discounts available! Coupon only applies to new customers.
You may only use one coupon code per transaction.

Supplies:

• Tree and bird stamps from the following sets I designed for Rubber Stamp Tapestry: Trees, Woodland Harvest and Woods in Winter
• Waterbased markers (ohuhu)
• Pigment powder (rose red, yellow, turquoise BRUSHO)
• Dye ink pads (TH Distress in peacock feathers, picked raspberry, mustard seed)
• Heat tool
• Versamark ink
• Clear embossing powder
• Colored wire
• Beads
• Eyelets *This set has a punch and setter so you don’t need a crop a dial but you will need a hammer and it is loud:)
• Hole punch/eyelet setter (Crop a dial)
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Heavyweight cardstock
• Black & White scrapbook paper, old music sheets or book pages
• thin cardboard like cracker boxes
• Bone folder
• Glue stick
• Spray bottle
• Waterbrush
• Clear stamp blocks

Directions:
1. Cut cardboard to 3 1/4″ x 4.1/2″ and cover with scrapbook paper using a glue stick to adhere.

2. Stamp trees and birds on the cardboard panels in clear ink and heat emboss with clear detail embossing powder.

3. Ink up the panels with ink pads, markers or Brusho as shown in the video and let air dry.

4. Punch holes along the edge of the panel, insert eyelets if desired and wrap with wire. You can string beads on the wire too if you like.

5. Use heavyweight white cardstock to make A2 card bases and adhere the decorated panels in the center of the folded card base with hot glue.

Do you have any older stash you want to use up? Try incorporating it in your next design. It feels so good to put older supplies to good use, you may even find some forgotten treasures in your stash! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Paint a Pineapple LIVE 12:30pm Today!

Edited to add the final painting from the live stream:) Have a great weekend and happy Easter!

Howdy friends! I have to admit my practise painting for today’s live stream is a hot mess. That’s OK though because I know where I went wrong, and continued to go wrong until I had the equivalent of compound interest of wrongness on my paper. It is just as valuable to know what not to do as it is to know the steps to do it right. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, am I right?

My painting went wrong when I decided to put in a background after painting my pineapple. It threw off all of my values (relative lightness and darkness of the subject.) I started painting with a white background in mind but then decided I wanted a colorful background so I spent the rest of the painting using mixed media techniques to try to pop the pineapple out of the background. Values are so important in any artwork. It is how we create depth and dominance in our focal areas. If you struggle differentiating tonal values my new Class Learn to Draw with Lindsay can help show you how to see your work in values and correct mistakes when they inevitably happen. We may not need the mixed media supplies in the live stream today but they are nice to have handy just in case. You can watch the live broadcast or the replay in the player below but if you want to chat live be sure to watch on the YouTube watch page at 12:30pm ET today (Friday 3/30/18.)

Supplies available at sponsor Jerry’s Artarama!  Use coupon code: frugal20FS49 for 20% off $49 + Free Shipping (Excludes: Sale, Super Sale, Egift Cards, Buy It Try It’s and Vendor restricted items. Look for the green coupon eligible icon on the product listing.

• Watercolors: QOR (High Chroma Set- Magenta, Quin gold), Turner (Pthalo Blue, Sap Green, Naples yellow)
• Strathmore Aquarius Watercolor Paper #80 synthetic blend smooth
• Brushes Creative Mark Mimik 3/4 faux kolinsky flat and faux squirrel rounds
• In the practise art I also used pastels and colored pencils, We may or may not need them in the live piece.
• Reference photo
• Printable pattern

Tomorrow is the last day to save 50% on my classes!

You can get Essential Tools & Techniques for Watercolor (Beginner), Texture Toolbox: Feathers & Fowl (Intermediate) or the NEW Learn the Draw with Lindsay beginner drawing class for 50% off (Regular $79, sale $39.50) use coupon code DRAWME if the discount doesn’t show up.

The students have been creating beautiful work in Learn to Draw with Lindsay, here are a couple of examples:

Magnolia drawing created by student Janine Hall

Portrait of a girl done by student Lori Ristau

I love hearing how happy my students are with the results they are achieving. Here is what a few of them had to say:

Hi Lindsay, what a great drawing course. I have been painting for 30 plus years, drawing was my weakest, until now. I’m starting to see things in shape, I think the most helpful is starting with a circle or shape then fill in with the shapes of whatever you are drawing. This has been the best money I have ever spent. What I love I can look at these lessons over & over until I get it!! ~Linda

Thanks for the tips. Gee, the way you’ve arranged all of this is just wonderful, Lindsay — never a problem viewing what you’re doing, your voice is crystal clear, the lesson projects are challenging because they teach new skills yet are simple enough for beginners, plus the Q&A and comments section is so helpful. It’s obvious you’ve worked hard on this setup and it’s absolutely perfect! LOVE your classes!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ~Kathleen L. Mechanic

Hi Lindsay! I’ve been enjoying your tutorials on YouTube for a couple of years and I just joined this art class today! Thank you so much for offering it to us! I have spent over 50 years telling myself that I can’t make art due to my lack of talent, but you have helped me to realize that I CAN make art that I enjoy viewing! All I have to do is follow your instructions! You are so fun to watch, and your instructions are easy to follow! I love your enthusiasm! You’re the best! Thanks for all you do for those of us who are aspiring to be better artists! ~Nancy Whitmore

Hi Lindsay, Great exercise! I am happily covered in graphite from head to toe but somehow that makes me feel more like a real artist! lol 🙂 I am grateful for this lesson as I have much to learn with values. Seeing things through your eyes and hearing how you explain things helps me learn new perspectives in art 🙂 I truly appreciate all your instruction 🙂 ~ A happy pupil, Pam Karasy 🙂

I am blown away by the excellence of your lessons! Things that I have struggled with are making more sense when I sketch along with you. So glad that I will be able to go back and reference your videos! ~Irene Addison

Don’t wait! The 50% off coupon DRAWME is only good in my online school through tomorrow. You can purchase a class now (on sale) and take as long as you need to complete it as you have lifetime access, in fact I sometimes add new goodies to class and you will have access to that as well! Learn more or enroll today! I hope to see you live at 12:30pm eastern time for a fun pineapple painting, til then happy crafting!

Freezer Paper T-Shirt Printing!

Hi friends! This project is super fun and easy and the results look so professional! Plus with school vacations rolling around it is a fun project you can do with your kids or grandkids. Even better,you probably have everything you need in your own home! In today’s video I’ll show you how to print on fabric using a homemade freezer paper stencil.

Supplies: *Affiliate links used

• Freezer paper
• Fabric paint OR Acrylic paint mixed with textile medium
• Paint brush 
• Iron
• White T Shirts or fabric to print on
• Xacto knife or die cut machine for cutting freezer paper

Directions
1. Cut stencil from freezer paper. Make sure when you design your stencil the shiny side of the paper is down.

2. Place stencil shiny side down on your T-shirt and press with an iron set to the hottest temperature for the fabric you are printing on. I recommend cotton. I usually buy multi packs of mens T-shirts for this.

3. Apply paint by stenciling with a stencil brush or kids chunky brush.

4. Let dry and peel off stencil!

I recommend watching this shirt alone the first time you launder it to make sure none of the paint comes off, it shouldn’t if you are using fabric paint but better safe than sorry. You can also turn the shirt inside out and press it after the paint is dry to heat set it just to be safe. I had several viewers from the UK say that they don’t sell freezer paper over there but I have also heard it called greeseproof paper. Basically it is a white paper with a plastic coating on one side. You may be able to get some from a local butcher. If anyone from the UK can comment with a source for this kind of freezer paper in the UK please leave a comment, thanks! Happy crafting!

 

 

 

Belated Birthday Card Idea, Giveaway & Blog Hop!

Edited to add winner: Congrats to Jean Marmo, the winner of the gift certificate!

Hi friends, today’s project is part of the TopFlight Stamps Blog hop! TopFlight stamps is one year old and they have a 1^st Birthday Special Discount through 3/31/18: 20% off all orders with coupon code BDAY20 (that is a better deal than the coupon I shared in the video but if you are checking this out after 3/31 you can use the video coupon:)

Topflight Stamps is a place you will find different and unique stamps from around the world. Today we have an AWESOME blog hop with some of the best paper crafters in the industry. Be sure to comment on this blog and all the blogs on the hop to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE a $50 store credit!!!  PLUS – each of the designers on this blog hop are giving away a $10 gift certificate to one of the commenters on their post. I will announce my winner here on Monday, April 2. The $50 Grand Prize winner will be announced on the Topflight Stamps Blog the same day.

Today I have a belated birthday card you can make in about 15 minutes using one of my favorite brands of stamps available at TopFlight stamps: Katzelcraft! I love the expressive characters in all of their stamp sets and every time I add a set to my collection I am thrilled at how well they go together! Watch the video to see how easily this card comes together!

Supplies:

• Katzelkraft Rats Stamps
• Katzelkraft Accessories Stamps
• Katzelkraft Cats Stamps
• Darkroom Door Frame Stamp

Other Supplies (Affiliate links used)

• Arteza Brush Pens
• Versafine Black ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Bristol board for stamping
• Other: Card base/cardstock

Now, be sure to check out all these blogs and comment for your chance to win the grand prize!!

• Topflight Stamps
• Donna Bowman 
• Lindsay Weirich – You are here
• Clare Messenger
• Julia Stainton
• Jenny Colacicco
• Veronica Zalis
• Tenia Nelson
• Lisa Hoel
• Teri Anderson
• Jenny Marples
• Nathalie Fournier
• Karen Bearse
• Kristina Song

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to TopFlight Stamps and leave comments on the other blogs too if you want to increase your chances and possibly take home the $50 grand prize gift certificate! Good luck and til next time happy crafting!

Sketchbook Sunday: Rainbow Roses!

Hello friends! Today in my sketchbook I decided to paint a rainbow rose!

This was a fun loose watercolor that I enhanced with Prismacolor colored pencils. Watch how it all came together in this weeks Sketchbook Sunday timelapse:

Supplies (Affiliate links used)

• Watercolors (Mission Gold)
• Colored Pencils (Prismacolor)
• Sketchbook (Fabrino Venice Book)
• Fountain pen (Jane Davenport Inkredible pen)
• Fountain pen safe india ink
• Brushes: Royal & Langnickel Menta vegan watercolor brushes *I just found these the other day at A.C. Moore, I have not seen them online yet.
• Reference photo

I also wanted to share this lesson I added in my Essential Tools and Techniques for Watercolor Class. If you purchased this class in the past you have access to it in now in the classroom. If you would like to enroll you can use coupon code DRAWME to save 50% on the class (Regular price $79, sale price $39.50 with coupon code DRAWME through 3/31/18)

The Hydrangea lesson is focusing on the skill of negative painting and I think it rounds out the Essential Tools and Techniques for Watercolor course very well. If you are new please make sure to do the lessons in order so you get the most from the class as the hydrangea lesson assumes you have already completed the previous lessons in the course. I can’t wait to see your work in the classroom!

You can also save 50% on my new Learn to Draw with Lindsay Class or Texture Toolbox Feathers & Fowl (and I am working on an extra goodie for students of that course too!)  but don’t wait if you want to save 50% as that deal is only good through 3/31/18. *Enter coupon code DRAWME if the discount isn’t shown.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks Sketchbook Sunday video, tell me, what are you working on in your sketchbook today? Let me know in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!

How’s Your Handwriting? Good enough for a card… it can be!

Hi friends! I am going to come clean with you and admit that I have lousy handwriting. It is a barely legible half cursive, half printed chicken scratch mess. Anyone reading a handwritten note from me would believe I was a doctor! (OK the only people who will get that joke will have to be old enough to remember when doctors wrote paper prescriptions I guess LOL!) The fact is I don’t take the time I should to write neatly and if  you think about writing as “drawing your letters” you can make them look a lot better!

In today’s video we are going to make a pretty stamped watercolor card with a hand written sentiment that will be pretty enough to impress your 3rd grade cursive teacher! Plus I’ll share my 5 tips for prettier handwriting!

Tutorial sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry! Get FREE USA (All 50 States, Puerto Rico & Guam) shipping on orders of $20+ throughout the month of March with Coupon Code: FRUGALFREESHIPPING New to peg stamping? Become a Peg Stamp VIP here you’ll get an instant coupon for 20% off Rubber Stamp Tapestry stamps plus the deepest weekly discounts available! Coupon only applies to new customers.

Supplies:

• Succulents UM Stamp Set (I designed this! Woohoo!)
• Black waterproof ink (Ranger Archival)

Other supplies (Affiliate links used)

• Black waterproof pen (I am using the Jane Davenport Inkcredible pen filled with fountain pen safe waterproof ink)
• Watercolor pencils (I used Spectrum AquaBlends because there are some pretty subtle colors)
• Watercolors: Prima Pastel Dreams
• Watercolor brushes
• Brush Markers (I used MozArt but any water based brush marker with a good tip should work fine)
• Watercolor paper (I used the smoother back side or Arteza watercolor paper)
• Kraft Cardstock
• Pattern Paper (American Crafts Dear Lizzy Serendipity 12×12 pad)

5 Tips to quickly make your handwriting look better (and these tips work because I have terrible handwriting!)

1. Make guide lines with pencil.
2. keep the vertical lines of the letters parallel to one another.
3. Try to keep an even space between letters.
4. Press on your pen more on the down strokes to make thicker lines and lift upon the upstrokes for thinner lines.
5. Make the letters look crisper by going over the letters with a fine black fountain pen. Add swirls, loops and flourishes to dress it up with the same black pen.

I also wanted to add some info on the wreath card that I was frustrated with in case anyone like it and wanted to try it. Let me know if you want a tutorial on this and I can do one. Basically I punched a circle and folded it in half a couple of times so it looked like a pie with 8 slices, traced the circle on paper and marked each fold. Then I stamped the jade succulent on every other mark. then I masked and filled in stamping with other succulents repeating them around the circle. It looked too cluttered to me so I scrapped the idea but it would be pretty if it was a bit more sparse I think.

I do think it looks better now that I have stepped away from it. I think when I am getting frustrated by a project I see it with “ugly eyes” and it often looks OK later. What do you think? I hope you try some handwriting on your next card and til next time happy crafting!

LIVE! Fun & Colorful Rainbow Lollipop in Watercolor! 12:30pm ET

Edited to add photo of the finished painting. Have a great weekend!

Hi friends! I got a lot of requests to paint a real-time lollypop after the sketchbook sunday time-lapse twisted lolly I painted a couple of weeks ago so I thought this fun jumbo one would be a fun subject! (Plus if I don’t paint it soon I fear my kids will make it disappear!) Here is the photo (BTW you can buy them at the Dollar Tree!)

You can watch the live show or replay in the player below but if you want to chat with fellow painters or ask me questions live be sure you tune in at 12:30pm ET on the YouTube watch page.

Supplies:

• Watercolors (Mission Gold pure pigment set)
• Paper Arches#140 CP watercolor paper
• Brushes: (creative mark mimik)
• Gel pen or white posca marker

One week left to save 50% on my new class Learn to Draw with Lindsay (Regular $79-sale $39.50) with coupon code DRAWME if the discounted price dosn’t show up automaticaly. (For The drawing class payment plan use coupon code DRAWMEX3, regular price is 3x $30/ price with coupon is 3x $15 with coupon DRAWMEX3)

I am been so heartened by the response to my course so far, the artwork students have shared in the classroom as blown me away! Here is a lovely comment I received the other day:

Hi Lindsay, what a great drawing course. I have been painting for 30 plus years, drawing was my weakest, until now. I’m starting to see things in shape, I think the most helpful is starting with a circle or shape then fill in with the shapes of whatever you are drawing. This has been the best money I have ever spent. What I love I can look at these lessons over & over until I get it!! ~Linda

If you would like to join the hundreds of students who are learning to draw with accuracy and confidence check out Learn to Draw with Lindsay to learn more or enroll today! If there was another class that caught your eye the coupon code DRAWME will take 50% off the one time payment as well but only until 3/31/18.

PS. I will be adding some bonus lessons in the watercolor classes soon! Keep an eye out for that!

PSS. To use the DRAWME coupon for any of the classes in my school simply click the orange “ADD Coupon” when you checkout:

I hope the little video isn’t silly but I don’t want anyone to miss out and sometimes it’s not obvious where the coupon goes:) Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to paint with you later! Happy crafting!

Review: Stampin Blends Markers

Hi friends! Today I have a very much requested review for Stampin Blends markers from Stampin’ Up! After posting this on YouTube last night several demonstrators let me know that they are only taking orders through Friday the 23rd (tomorrow) as they are almost sold out so they need to replenish their stock before they sell more. I wanted to put that info out there incase you were waiting on the review to order and you wanted to buy before sale-a-bration was over. I believe they will have them available to order again in a couple of months. Also I miss-spoke in the video, the markers are $4.50 each and not $4. Watch the video to see them in action.

Details:

• 27 colors total (a light and dark shade of the following colors: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, Rick Razzelberry and Smoky Slate as well as 3 single colors: Bronze, Ivory and a clear color lifter marker)
• Price: $4.50 per marker, no discounts for buying in a set
• Each marker features a brush nib and a bullet nib and printing on the barrel tells you which is which.
• These markers are available exclusively through your local Stampin Up demonstrator or from their website. This link will take you to my demo Wendy’s website.

Pros:

• The colors, as the name suggests, blend beautifully, mainly because the colors are picked out and designed to blend with each other. If you have never colored with alcohol markers before this will take out the guesswork and lessen the learning curve. Here is a demo of me using them.
• This set has a great range of colors with nothing superfluous, It could use a deep violet however if you glaze over rich razzleberry with the light Night of Navy I think it will do. I like how they picked a limited palette with plenty of color options to get you started.
• Since all of the markers are available individually you can replace a color as you use it up or build your collection a couple of markers at a time (and it is the same price per marker whether you buy in a set or singles.)
• Colors are easy to erase with the color lifter (and I am glad they called the clear marker a color lifter instead of the typical “clear blender” as it describes more accurately what this pen does)
• If you have CSS (Complete Set Syndrome-trust me it’s a thing LOL!) you only have 27 markers to collect as opposed to hundreds in other marker lines.

Cons:

• The nib is a felt/fiber type nib and not foam like copics so it is less springy and flexible.
• You can’t refill the marker or replace the nib.
• The caps might be a bit tough to snap on and off but they do stay on securely!

Bottom line: I think these markers are priced fairly for the quality. If you are just getting started and you want to take the guesswork out of coloring these are sure to please or if you are an avid user of SU! products these will match.

If you would like to learn more you can ask your Stampin Up Demonstrator for more info or visit my friend Wendy’s website and she’ll be happy to help you.Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

10 Tips for Using Cheap Watercolor Supplies PLUS 5 Reason Cheap Watercolors are Great!

Hi friends! Today I will share some tips and tricks to get the most of inexpensive student grade supplies. You can have fun while using up your student grade stash and learn a lot about watercolor technique too!

See my top 10 tips in action in the video and refer to the list below for a written tip sheet!

My top tips! (This article includes affiliate links)
1. Use student grade color straight from the tube instead of squeezing a bunch out to dry out in a palette. You will get the vibrant result you want without the struggle of rewetting less pigmented paints. Also, often when you let student watercolor dry in a palette the paint cracks and falls out therefore wasting it. Just put a drop of each color you need on a plate when you are ready to paint, you don’t need much and the leftovers can easily be rewet so there is no waste. *The watercolors I am using in today’s demonstration are JoiArt watercolors that are $14.99 for 25 tubes.

2. Practise your brush control. You can use any grade watercolor and paper to practise making thick and thin strokes and learn good brush control. Build your muscle memory with the cheap stuff.

3. Buy a brush once. If taken care of your watercolor brushes can last a lifetime as watercolor is such a gentle paint. It is better to learn with a decent brush because you will always have it. I think a soft and pointy #8 round is an ideal brush to start with. Here are my recommendations:

• Creative Mark Mimik
• Princeton Neptune
• Royal & Langnickel Zen (Many big-box craft stores sell these brushes for $4 each)
• *If you are using watercolor pans try the Royal & Langnickel Majestic

4. Don’t overmix. Many student paints don’t list the pigments used and many are already mixed colors, that’s why you often make mud when you try mixing these colors. You will probably need to use more colors than you would with professional quality paints.

5. Let the colors mix on the paper rather than mixing on the palette. This will keep you from over mixing and getting a chalky or muddy mess.

Paper tips! Cheap paper is less durable than artist grade paper. It is usually made of wood pulp and often it does not have enough sizing (the material that keeps the paint from feathering.) My favorite cheaper paper to use for practise is actually 100% cotton paper made by Aquabee, it comes in 6″x9″ sheets in #90 and #140 weights and you can get 50 sheet packs for $12-$18

6. Avoid excessive scrubbing or erasing on your watercolor paper to prevent pilling.

7. Work wet on dry. You can keep vibrant colors and crisp edges.

8. When doing a background wash on cheap cellulose paper wet a section at a time then add in your colors one at a time and let them mix on the paper. This prevents part of your paper drying out on you as you complete the wash and it keeps your paint from becoming muddy.

9. Use a dry “thirsty” brush to sop up puddles in a background wash. This allows you to soak up extra water and avoid ruffle edge blooms from appearing.

10. Don’t be afraid to mix your media! If you watercolor painting is lacking the “glow” you desire, add details and shading with wax or oil based colored pencils. This will give you the luminosity can can be hard to achieve sometimes with student grade supplies. You can use ANY brand pencils you have but Prismacolors have been pretty cheap lately and that is what I prefer.

Great things about student quality watercolors:
1. They lift well.
2. They are less likely to feather on cheap paper.
3. You get many colors in a set so you can see what you really use and then only purchase those colors in artist quality as you run out. It will save you money as you only rebuy what suits you.
4. You can paint without fear of wasting precious paint!
5. They are a great way to see if watercolor is for you without a big investment.

I hope this post helps you realize that you don’t have to be rich to get a lot of enjoyment from watercolor! Hmmm, maybe the term “starving artist” came because artists were broke after buying their supplies LOL! It dosn’t have to be that way, use what you have and put paint to paper. After all it’s using the supplies and not owning them that makes you an artist. Let me know what you think in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!