Stamp School: Stamping on Embossing Folders & Giveaway!

Hi friends, this lesson will make your stamps and embossing folders way more useful! I am a bit of an embossing folder collector, I shudder to think at the amount of folders I have on my desk but these are tools we invest in and can use over and over. I mean, heck, why pay $1 for a pre embossed sheet of cardstock when we can buy an embossing folder for $4 and emboss until our hearts are content.  Oh! Before I forget be sure to leave a comment if you want a chance to win the rubber stamps I used from Art Neko, I will pick a winner in a week and this giveaway is open worldwide:)

Sometimes though, we want more than just a textured paper and many of these designs are pretty enough on their own to be the focal point if a card and that is what we will do today. We will make a card by stamping on top of an embossed image! 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:
Embossing Folder (Birch trees from Darice)
Dye ink in navy and green
Colored pencils
Leaf or branch dye cuts
White and green cardstock (green can be glittery!)
Christmas tree stamp
Season’s Greetings stamp

Directions:
1. Emboss paper then tape to secure it in the open embossing folder.
2. Stamp on paper while still in folder.
3. Ink paper to color the background, use a sponge blender if you don’t have a spongy inkpad.
4. Accent with colored pencils.
5. Remove paper from folder and use this beautiful image on a card!

I really love this technique and I hope you give it a try! You can use this with any embossing folder, just make sure you stamp on the debossed side (the side with the most flat area) and it will work. Remember that generic patterns will give you more of a designer paper look while folder with a defined motif (like the birch trees) will give you more of a finished scene. It literally adds more dimension to your stamp art! Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the stamps I used and til next time happy crafting!

Stamp Giveaway & Fall Card Coloring Tutorial!

Hi friends! I am so excited to offer another giveaway this week and it’s only Tuesday! I will be giving away the stamps I used to make this card and all you have to do to be entered in the drawing is to leave a comment. This is open worldwide! I will pick a winner and notify them via email in one week!

I used 6 stamps to create this image and I will teach you how to use masking to make your stamps more versatile. The wagon and pumpkins are separate stamps. Knowing this technique will allow you to fill this wagon with many other items so you can use it for more occasions. I bet you have stamps at home that would be more versatile if you tried masking. I will also show you how to color this scene.

Video!

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 (art neko) Fall Images
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
White Cardstock: Neenah Classic Crest
Kraft card base
Patterned paper (My Minds Eye)
Printed Ribbon (Offray)
Buttons
Alcohol Markers (Blick)
Colored Pencils: Spectrum Noir Color Blend
Glue: Beacon 3-in-1

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win. Also I’d love to know if you have a stamp you are going to try the masking technique with, let me know that in the comments too. You guys have really great ideas!

In case you missed it I am giving away a spot in Angela Fehr’s Creative Watercolor Course and offering a 51% discount on it, please check out yesterday’s post for more info:) Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

StampSchool: Colored Pencil Blending & Giveaway!

Hi friends! Today I will share some colored pencil blending techniques with you. I will also be giving away the stamp I used in today’s project. Just leave a comment below for a chance to win. I will contact the winner via email in one week:)

You can use any colored pencils you have for this but regular colored pencils will work much better than watercolor pencils because regular (wax) colored pencils are more opaque and will blend better in a dry fashion. I like to use colored pencils on colored paper because they show up well. Some people asked me about blending with solvents but I only do that on white paper because it makes my pencils more transparent.

Video!

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: (Dragonfly) (steampunk shown in video)
Kraft card stock
Black ink
Assorted pattered paper
Colored pencils (Spectrum Noir Colourblend)
Dragonfly brad (Eyelet Outlet)
Purple rhinestone

I am planning on a colored pencil drawing tutorial using these Colourblend pencils. I want to try them on several kinds of paper before I do a proper review of them but so far I like them! If you have a suggestion on what I should draw with the pencils let me know in the comments and be sure to leave a comment if you want a chance to win the dragonfly stamp I used today! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Stamp School: Photo Paper Ideas!

Hi friends! The other day I was testing out some new rubber stamps from ArtNeko and I like to use photo paper to test my stamps on because I have a lot of the smaller size paper leftover because my printer will no longer take it and also because it gives a really crisp impression. I liked the image so much that I decided to experiment and came up with these:

Watch the video to see how to do this technique!

Today I am using stamps from our sponsor ArtNeko!   *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:
Cardstock
Patterned paper
Dye ink
Fish rubber stamps (Art Neko)
Building stamp (ArtNeko-used with rainbow ink pad)
Fibers
Buttons
glue and double sided tape
Waterbased Markers in light colors

Directions:
1. Stamp image in brown dye ink on white photo paper.
2. Color with watercolor markers.
3. Adhere pattern papers to folded cardstock, than attach focal image.
4. Embellish with fibers and buttons.
5. Make envelope as shown in video.

Photo paper CAN be used for stamping, unlike glossy cardstock which dries slow photo paper dries instantly making it great for dye based markers and detailed stamps! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Stamp School: Colored Pencil Layering for Beginners!

Hi friends! Break out the colored pencils and get ready to feel like a kid again!

I left this tutorial in real-time because it is geared to beginners. I think it is helpful to see how long it takes to build up layers, how to hold the pencils and how much pressure to apply. If it is too slow for you simply play the video then click on the gear at the bottom of the player and you can play it faster, warning, it might make me sound like a deranged chipmunk but at least you can watch it in half the time!

The stamps I am using in today’s tutorial are from our sponsor ArtNeko! 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 (full set of all 50 states birds & flowers plus bonus images)
• OR the individual image is available for $5
• White cardstock
• Ribbon
• Die cuts or embellishments of your choice
• Colored pencils (Prismacolor colors I used listed below)
  pc 1015 deco blue
  pc 903 true blue
  pc901 indigo blue
  pc 917 sunburst yellow
  pc 914 cream
  pc 943 burnt ocher
  pc 946 dark brown
  pc 911 olive green
  pc 908 dark green
  pc 912 apple green
  pc 923 scarlet lake
  pc 924 crimson red
• Pencil sharpener
• Pattern paper
• A2 size card base in red

Feel free to use the paper and pencils you have on hand. Even Crayola. It is better to see if you enjoy using colored pencils before shelling out big bucks for a professional set. I love the burnishing technique (coloring firmly) but it might make people’s hands tired after a while. I want Stamp School to be about trying techniques and exploring media without busting the bank, and if you love the colored pencils, well, Christmas is right around the corner and there are many lovely brands to pick from! I hope you enjoyed this project and you give some of these techniques a try! Happy crafting!

 

 

Stamp School: Bargello Backgrounds!

Hi friends! Today I have a popular quilting technique that is just as lovely on a card:

The stamps I am using in today’s tutorial are from our sponsor ArtNeko! Save 10% off your next order of any size or get free shipping on orders over $50 (whichever discount is greater!) just by mentioning thefrugalcrafter!  This technique is done by gluing, cutting and rearranging strips of paper. It’s a great way to use all of those scraps left around the paper trimmer OR to finally use that gorgeous striped paper you have been hoarding forever…or is that just me? Watch the video to see how it’s done!

Supplies:
Pattern Paper strips or a stripe design
cardstock
Pearl paper (I got mine from The Paper Cut)
Stamp (ArtNeko)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Black embossing powder
Color mediums: watercolor markers, pearlescent watercolors, alcohol markers (pick your fave or try them all!)

I hope you try this technique, it is really fun to see your pattern build up. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Stamp School! A Tri-Fold Card with Bookmark Gift!

Hi Friends! Today we are going to make this pretty card featuring two of my favorite stamp sets from Art Neko! They are offering 10% off ANY order or free shipping on orders over $50 if you mention thefrugalcrafter when ordering.

I used the Framed Flowers ATC set and the Bookmarks and Sentiments set for this. I stamped on smooth (hot press) watercolor paper and colored the images in with watercolor markers but watercolor pencils and a fine brush would also look nice! Watch the video to see how I made it!

Video!

I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and you try something similar! Let me know what you think in the comments! Thanks to Art Neko for sponsoring today’s video and til next time happy crafting!

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!

 

 

Stamp School 13: Intro to Alcohol Markers!

Hi friends! Today we are going to look at a product that you may want to try for enhancing your stamped cards: Alcohol markers. These have been the darling of the stamp world for a few years because you can get a beautiful blended effect and also because you can spend a long time on an image to get it just perfect. Coloring is very relaxing. I have spent as much as an hour coloring a really detailed image with markers. Because of that I would tend to stamp out a few images and color them while I was watching TV I the evening or while my kids were coloring. Today we are going to color an easy design perfect for a Christmas card.

During the demo you will be able to see how the markers blend, how to fix mistakes and learn tips for getting good results from your markers. The stamps I am using are from our sponsor Art Neko, be sure to mention TheFrugalCrafter if you order to get 10% off your order or free shipping on orders over $50, whatever discount is greater!

Video!

Supplies

• Stamps: Star Sprinkling Angel, Snowflakes (some of these stamps are found in larger Christmas sets from ArtNeko, look at those before buying to see if you want the other stamps in the kits because it brings down the individual stamp price.)
• Dye ink: Memento
• Distress ink (Tumbled Glass, Vintage Photo, Wild Honey)
• Cardstock: Neenah (white) brown, maroon
• 6″ paper doily
• Distress ink in vintage photo, tumbled glass, wild honey
• Gelly Roll Stardust pen
• ribbon & buttons
• Alcohol based markers (Copic, Promarker, Sharpie, Bic Markit, Prismacolor, Spectrum Noir, Tria or others)
  * OR you can use watercolor markers but be sure to stamp with Archival ink so it does not smear. Also, if using watercolor markers you can’t go over the paper as much as we do with alcohol markers.

If you are thinking of trying alcohol ink markers I urge you to see if you can borrow some from a friend before deciding to invest. Also expect a learning curve. I have not used mine in a while and I was a bit out of practice. Also I am fond of quick projects so I don’t often reach for my markers but on the other hand there is something really relaxing about spending an hour coloring an image. One way to get started is to buy a 36 pack of Bic Markits or Sharpies then a few really light shades of some art markers so you can blend and get a range of shades. Below is a playlist of many alcohol marker techniques that you might find helpful:

I was not intending to cover alcohol ink markers in stamp school but so many of you asked me if I would so I hope that gave you a good foundation on them. So, what do you think? Do you use alcohol markers? What do you like about them? Do you have any tips for beginners? Leave that info in the comments below and help your fellow stampers out. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!