Little Stamps can make Big Flowers!

Want to make a big impact with your tiny peg stamps? Today I’ll show you how! Any flower peg stamps can be used for these techniques so raid your stash. Otherwise I’ll link the stamps (and options) I used below. This technique has many options for creating multi blossom flowers, trees and plants so brainstorm other ways to use this idea!

Watch the video to see how easy it is!

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.

Supplies:

• Falling Leaves unmounted stamp set
• Happy clear stamp set
• Beginner Flower form Flourish peg stamp set (Hydrangea)
• Posy Flower (main flower option for Lilac)
• Butterfly Bloom peg stamp set (Other good options for lilac-you can make the flowers from this stamp set and not need the other suggestions)
• Dream Flowers from Carolina Dreamin’ (lilac):
• Clover (for small individual blooms on Lilac)
• Dye based inks in shades of purple, green, violet and blue
• Watercolor markers
• Ink blending brushes
• Cardstock
• Embossing powder
• Pencil
• Double sided tape
• Tearing ruler (or normal ruler)
• Pattern paper if desired.

Directions:

1. Cut a sheet of heavy Kraft cardstock to 7”x10” and fold in half to make card. Save scraps to stamp on sentiment later. Cut 4.25”x5.5” white panel for stamping.
2. Draw stem and flower shapes lightly with pencil on white cardstock.
3. Fill in drawn shapes with lots of stamped flowers. Stamp a couple of times each time you ink up so you will get a variety of tones in the flower.
4. Stamp leaves around flowers.
5. Draw in stems and ink background if desired.
6. Stamp and emboss Happy Birthday sentiment, trim and assemble card.

Have a look at your small flower stamps and make some big ones! Happy crafting!

Fun gel printed card (useful for art journals too!)

Hi friends! Today we are going to make a snazzy layered gel print and turn it into this card!

Watch the video to see how!

This tutorial is sponsored by Top Flight Stamps! SAVE 10% off your next order with coupon code: thefrugalcrafter10 *USA orders of $50+ ship free!

Supplies:

• Little Kingdom Stamp set (Polkadodles)
• Textures Galore stamp set (Polkadoodles)
• Distress oxide ink pads
• Distress Oxide Sprays
• 8″x10″ gel plate
• Acrylic paint pens (bold)
• Acrylic paint pens (fine)
• Inktense pencils in blue and black
• Acrylic paint
• Brayer
• Alcohol ink
• Black pigment ink
• Black embossing powder
• White cardstock, masking tape, stencils
• The markers I used were by Arrtx

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. This card would be nice for a housewarming or a welcome to the neighborhood greeting. Or use these techniques to make a card for another occasion! Happy crafting!

Get Your Craft On With This Free Printable Card Kit!

Hi friends! You are probably not thinking about Christmas Cards yet but with the heat we have been having it is kinda nice to chill out in my cool craft room and create some! Plus it’s nice to have a few done ahead of time because it gets really busy once the holiday’s roll around!

This video is sponsored by craftsUprint! Snag the free printables for today’s project video here.
*Note, you can download this kit for free. You can also get a free printed version of the 7-page template at the link above. A $4.80 postage & handling fee will apply and they ship worldwide. The printed version will also come with a craft gift worth $4. If you have trouble downloading you can contact CraftsUprint support here.

Supplies:

• Free craft printable available here
• Adhesive (strong double-stick tape, foam tape, and glue stick)
• Ruler
• Bone folder, stylus or butter knife for scoring

If you enjoyed this tutorial please check out the other On the Shelf cards and other printables CraftsUprint has to offer. These affordable templates are fun, unique and are sure to brighten someone’s day! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

6 Ways to Use 1 Stamp!

Hi friends! Today I am going to show you 6 different techniques for using a word block stamp.

A word block is a text background stamp but you can use these technique with any background stamp you like! Watch the video to see how!

This tutorial is sponsored by Top Flight Stamps! SAVE 10% off your next order with coupon code: thefrugalcrafter10 *USA orders of $50+ ship free!

Supplies (sponsored & affiliate links used)

• Thank You Word Block Stamp
• Other word block stamps
• Ombre ink pads
• Prism Ink pads
• Ink blending foam
• Vesamark ink
• Clear Resist ink
• Clear embossing powder
• Black Memento ink
• 6″ brayer
• Eyelets & Eyelet setter/hole punch
• Glossy cardstock
• Chalks
• Applicators
• Cardstock, patterned paper and adhesive for assembly of cards
• Adhesive (double sided tape and foam squares)

It’s good to stretch those supplies and it’s fun to try and think of as many ways as you can to use a new product. It makes you feel great about the new thing you bought and it makes your old supplies more useful too. What technique that I shared today would you like to try first? Let me know in the comments! Happy crafting!

Cute & Sassy Cards with Questionable Embellishments (And what’s with the warning on the Distress Oxide Sprays?)

Hi friends! After spending all day cleaning, prepping and repainting out the main bathroom (A task I was sure would take 3 hours max, #OptimistProblems) I decided to create a mess, er, I mean batch of cards!

I had been looking forward to using my new Distress Oxide sprays since I bought a bunch at the Heirloom stamp show but I had so many viewers contact me concerned about a warning on the bottle:

When I got the first comment I didn’t think anything of it. There are gratuitoius warnings on all kinds of crafting products because companies want to save money on packaging and absolve themselves of any liability especially when their products are made in China. One big craft company even put the warnings on paper packs! After a few more comments and emails I started to take the threat a little more seriously after all Ranger makes their products in the USA so if they are putting this warning on their products knowing what exactly is going into them I started to get worried. I contacted my friend Rich (Aka The Spin Doctor on YouTube) who is a legit scientist what he thought. *I am hoping he will write a blog post on this and if he does I will link to it.  After sharing many scientific citations of the effects of spraying Ti01 (titanium dioxide which is the potentially questionable chemical in this spray) I asked him if it was safer than Bacon (cured meats are a class 2a carcinogen) and he said, yes, it is safer than bacon and alcohol. Essentially the danger could come with breathing in the vapor. The risk of this is low as it is a pump spray and the drop are heavy as opposed to a fine aerosol mist. Obviously, don’t spray it in your face and open a window and if any risk makes you uncomfortable don’t use it.  The product conforms to ASTM D-4236 which means that all of the potentially hazardous components of the art product have been clearly labeled on the product packaging. Since there is no CL label and it doesn’t even state what the potentially dangerous chemical is I take it to be safe and the label is only there to satisfy the CA Prop 65 labeling requirements or a potential threat. But, hey, I’m no scientist.  I feel comfortable using it and I just wanted to put out what I found for you to determine what you want to do. Ranger says “wear a mask” if you are uncomfortable but Tim Holtz did not wear one when demoing at Creativation so I think I’m OK without one. I think there needs to be some clarity on health warning on art materials. ASTM is the best system so far. I think companies fearful of lawsuits are over warning which is making most of us ignore all of them. What do you think?

OK, enough drama, let’s make cards!

This tutorial is sponsored by Top Flight Stamps! https://topflightstamps.com/ SAVE 10% off your next order with coupon code: thefrugalcrafter10 *USA orders of $50+ ship free!

Supplies from Top Flight Stamps:

• Little Birds Stamp Set (Katzelkraft)
• Relax Sentiments (Katzelkraft)

Other Supplies: (affiliate links used)

• White cardstock (Neenah classic crest #80 super smooth solar white)
• Black ink for stamping (alcohol marker compatible)
• Alcohol Markers studio 71 brush/chisel tip and Azure-bullet/chisel
• Distress Oxide Spray inks 
• Distress ink pads: brights and black 
• Embossing folder
• Corner rounder
• Makeup brushes for ink blending
• Gel crayons
• Shimmer spray *I also used a Dylusions white spray ink but I never had good luck with that color, try flicking on white paint if desired.

The general consensus on youtube was that the stickers were a bit much on these cards. Anyone else out there embellishment challenged? I think I need to start my design with embellishments in mind, otherwise, I get the dreaded “sticker sneeze” on my cards LOL! Ah well, no one ever rejected a card because of an ill-advised sticker. You do you and til next time happy crafting!

 

 

Fun 4th of July Card!

Hi friends! Celebrate the fourth of July with this classic Americana inspired card!

Watch the video to see how!

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.

Supplies:

• Flourish peg stamp set
• Happy Unmounted Stamp Set
• Let it Snow Unmounted Stamp Set
• *You also might like the Wrought Iron Planters Unmounted stamp set
• Dye ink pads (memento)
• American flag ribbon
• Spray ink
• Markers
• Fence stencil (optional)
• Rhinestones
• Cardstock in Red, kraft, white, blue and silver
• Adhesive: Hot glue and silicone mat and double stick tape

Directions:

1. Make a 5”x7” card base from kraft and layering panels in red, blue and silver. *Tip: Cut the centers out of the matting layers to use on inside of card.
2. Stamp the base of the snowglobe from the let it snow stamp set upside down to make a window box. Stamp again on a post-it note to make a mask. Apply the mask over the window box and stamp flowers and leaves.
3. Place a grid or fence stencil over the bottom of the card under the window box and cover the top of the card and spay ink over the stencil to create the fence.  Let dry.
4. Make buntings by cutting a 9” piece of ribbon and accordion fold it and gather it at the top and glue. (see video for demo)
5. Layer up stamped panels and mats on card base and adhere flag bunting and rhinestones to embellish.

I hope you make something inspired by this card. Happy crafting!

Father’s Day DNA Card!

Hi friends! Today I have a “punny” card that you can make for your dad this father’s day!

Here is the inside:

This card is easy to make and you probably have these simple supplies on hand.

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.

Supplies:

• Perfect Layering Circles Peg Stamp Set
• Mom & Dad Unmounted Stamp set
• Because of You Peg stamp set
• Dye ink pads (memento)
• Cream and Kraft Cardstock
• Small alphabet stamp set or computer and printer.

Note: This card fits a #10 business envelope.

Directions:

1. Make a 4 ¼” x 8 ½” card from cream cardstock. Cut a kraft panel to 4 ⅛” x 8 ⅜” and another cream panel to 4”x 8 ¼”.
2. Draw a straight line down the middle of the cream panel and two wavy lines to make a DNA strand. Stamp circles along the lines to create the “gene”. Draw lines from the center line to the outside dots to complete the element.
3. Using mini alphabet stamps or a computer and printer spell “Dad, thanks for the good genes” and cut them out, ink the edges and adhere to card. Stamp unmounted sentiment at the bottom.
4. Stamp happy fathers day inside the card and decorate with stamped circles.

I hope you make this card for your dad this Father’s day or help a child make one for their dad. Happy crafting!

PS Father’s Day is June 16th this year:)