Howdy friends! I got an interesting suggestion for a painting from a viewer named Jenny Recently and since I had not painted anything like it I decided to give it a try!
She wanted me to paint a stack of rocks, also called a “cairn” which are used to mark trails for hikers and give directions. I learned all about them in Girl Scouts but sadly that was decades ago so I can’t elaborate LOL! I am lucky I never got lost in the woods hiking! Anyhow, I thought it would make a fine watercolor tutorial and I hope you do too!
Rocks are some of my favorite subjects to paint, I love the colors, texture and character they have. I think it’s cool that they have been here for millions of years and how unique and yet how common they are. What do you think? Is it crazy to paint a stack of rocks? Let me know in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!
Programming note: There will be no live show tomorrow.
Hi friends! Recently I have been getting a lot of questions from viewers about getting started in stamping and card making. I decided it was time to make an updated beginner’s guide to cardmaking so people could get started without much expense and confusion.
Often when we embrace a new hobby we get excited and overbuy or we invest in tools that don’t really suit the way we work. Today I have broken the supplies down to the bare minimum and most often used tools so you can have the greatest versatility of supplies that will earn their place in your craft room. I am often told by crafters that they had more fun and got more crafting done when all of their supplies fit in one tote. See what minimal supplies can create maximum impact in your card making in today’s video!
Here is a list of the 10 must-have card making supplies from the video:
Good heavy cardstock (white, cream, kraft- I like the Recollections heavyweight from Michael’s)
Scissors & paper trimmer. I recommend Cutterbee micro tip scissors from EK success. This is the newer version of the xacto trimmer I have, and this is the compact (safer) trimmer I showed, EK Success changed the name and color but I think it is the same thing.
Decorative paper (I recommend the 4.5”x6.5” mat stacks or 6”x6” pads for card making as the prints are smaller and you will have less waste.)
Sentiment stamps in a non-decorative font for occasions like happy birthday, thank you, congratulations etc.
Image stamps: Flowers, scenery, butterflies and other nonspecific images will work for most occasions. Ask yourself “how many ways can I use this?” before buying.
Water-based markers or watercolor pencils (Very versatile and small investment and the markers can double as ink pads and be used to write a sentiment if you have no stamp for it)
Embellishments: You can collect ephemera to decorate your cards like clothing tags, buttons, tickets, ribbons and trim, and other pretty packaging or you can buy embellishments that you like. Just make sure you don’t go overboard buying a certain type until you know your card making style. I love small wooden die cuts but rarely use stickers for instance. You can repurpose supplies from other crafts too!
I hope this video helps you start (or revive) your card making and stamping! If you find you would like some help selecting supplies or coming up with ideas check out Annies CardMaker Kit of the Month Club. Save 50% on your first kit (Regular price $19.99 a month) and receive a free tool kit just for trying it out. Use coupon code “FRUGAL”. Sometimes I find that when I go back to basics I feel much more creative and I wish I had this list when I started because I would have avoided purchasing so many things that didn’t suit my style or could never use up. I hope it helps you avoid those pitfalls. If you have any must have supplies or advice for beginners please leave it in the comments below. Happy crafting!
Hi friends! These cute felt ornaments do more than look good in the Christmas tree, they can also hold a treat! You can fill them with candy canes, lip balm, small jewelry and gifts or even gift cards. They can also be reused year after year!
If you are a teacher, scout leader, classroom volunteer, librarian, parent or grandparent this is the perfect wintertime craft to make with the children in your life. The supplies are easy to find and affordable and you might even have everything you need already. Watch the video to see how! Don’t forget to grab the free template below!
Supplies (affiliate links used)
Felt (I like the pre stiffened felt from Arteza, use coupon code FRUGAL10 for 10% off on their website, also available on amazon. I recommend checking prices before ordering:)
I miss the days when my children were really little. Their elementary school did “Polar Express Day” and parents would volunteer to run games and craft tables with the kids. The day would commence with the principal reading a wintry book to all of the k-3 kids, then the kids would travel around to classrooms to play games and do crafts and end with a viewing of the movie The Polar Express. There are many books that would be nice to feature with this craft if you have little ones in your life and I got some great suggestions from viewers:
and my favorite (actually I love all the books in this series and so did my kids…aww, miss those days!) Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. And there is The Bear Stays up for Christmas and actually if you have little kids on your Christmas list and you like to buy them books there is a Bear books boxed set, all of the bear books are so enjoyable, the words have a lovely rhyming cadence to read and the illustrations are beautifully done. I just loved these books so much when my kids were small.
If you have a girl or cub scout troop you could make the ornaments and then take them to a nursing or veterans home with a candy cane in them. The residents always enjoyed it when we brought the kids in to sing Christmas carols and you could hand out these treats and since they are reusable they can use them to gift to their loved ones too. Sometimes it is the smallest thing, in this case a felt mitten or stocking, that can make people feel appreciated and loved. Take care of yourself and each other and til next time happy crafting:)
Hi friends! The other day I was wandering through a big box craft store and saw a die cutting accessories that piqued my interest. It claimed that it would help intricate dies cut cleanly. I decided to give it a try because it if solved the issue that my 12-year-old Big Shot has with cutting theses kinds of dies it would be totally worth the price!
Today I am reviewing the Chrome Precision Base Plate from Sizzix. It is designed to apply a bit more pressure and bite to lacy intricate dies so you can cut them easily and cleanly with fewer passes in the die cutter. See how it works in the video below.
Supplies featured in the video (affiliate links used)
Big shot die cutter (this one is newer but mine has seen daily use for 12+ years so I can’t complain that things loosen up a bit over time)
pokey tool to help paper release from die or poke out little stubborn chads.
Things to consider before investing in a chrome precision base plate:
This works the same as the old precision base plate so you don’t need to replace it unless it is worn out/warped. The Chrome version purportedly never needs to be replaced.
Use this with the tabbed platform and not with the magnetic platform as I did because the pressure could break the magnets (advice from a viewer)
Once you use a die with this cutting plate you will need to continue to use it with this plate as it slightly dulls the blade so it will forever need the bite of the chrome plate to cut. This is not a big deal if you plan on keeping the die, but if you plan to sell it you might not want to use it with this plate. That said etched dies like these wafer thin dies cut more with pressure than sharpness so I don’t know if this is really a big concern. If you can’t get a die to cut properly in the first place it is a risk worth taking for me, but I would not cut dies on it that you don’t need to such as basic shapes.
I have also heard from a viewer that this can warp your dies but they will still cut fine. I did not have this problem but it might be because my machine is on the loose side.
For me the Sizzix Chrome Precision Base Plate was totally worth the money. I have shied away from using intricate dies after having such a hard time cutting the beautiful Cheery Lynn doily die I bought many years ago but now I can enjoy that die as well as others! Maybe it will be helpful to you as well. Happy crafting!
Howdy friends! After a couple of weeks with no Sketchbook Sunday video I have one! This is going to be a brief post as I was dozing off ready for bed and realized that I did not blog my SS post today!
I just finished up a watercolor class I was taking so I will now have more time for discretionary sketching and non work related art. I hope you enjoy this painting!
Hi friends! I spent the morning teaching a workshop making DIY kissing balls, it was so fun! I wish I took a photo because you would not believe how lovely all of the Christmas kissing balls looked hanging in the greenhouse as my beginner students put the finishing touches on them. Now I am enjoying a hot cup of tea before climbing into the attic to fetch our Christmas decorations. We decorated the porch last weekend when the weather was nice and it has been so cheerful to come home to. I enjoyed the decorations on my porch so much that I thought it would be fun to create cards inspired by them!
We still have a few finishing touches to add like icicle lights at the roof and greenery in the ice skates but all in all I really like it! We have a small ranch style home so I think it is enough to look nice, classic and cozy.
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Inspiration is all around you! If you feel a spark of creativity in your surroundings make a mental note and use it to fuel your next craft idea! Watch the video to see how I made my decor inspired cards!
This video is sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry Use coupon code: LINDSAY and receive 15% off your retail order of $10 or more of peg stamps, peg stamp sets, and unmounted stamps! Coupon expires a week from this video publication. Continue to receive great deals by becoming a PegStamp VIP here. As a PegStamp VIP
you’ll get a weekly deal via email plus links to fabulous tutorials by me, Lindsay the Frugal Crafter and other designers.
Have a look at other stamps you own and ask if that can be combined with peg stamps for new looks.
Draw a line or circle if needed to help you placing your images. You can erase it later with a soft white eraser after your stamping ink is dry.
Peg stamps are great for adding little touches to tags and envelopes so leave a few holiday themed stamps and ink pads out when you are addressing Christmas cards or wrapping gifts so you can make tags and envelopes extra special!
I hope you have something fun and crafty planned this weekend. I’d love to know what your favorite holiday decoration is, let me know in the comments below! My favorite decoration from my childhood was a scene of ice skaters on a pond from the 1970s. There were white plastic snowbanks surrounding a mylar mirror-like pond and the ice skaters were brightly colored clear plastic. I used to skate those around the plastic pond all season long. I wonder if my parents still have that old decoration in their basement LOL! I am sure it is worse for wear with all of the skating I made those figurines do! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
