I’m at it again! I’m obsessed with emboss-resist watercoloring right now. And I made this cute embossed watercolor card and I thought I’d share it with you! By the way, I shared this little tutorial first on Periscope. It’s so much fun to watch and interact live- you can ask questions and chat with everyone in real time. But if that’s not your thing, that’s OK- you can still watch archived ‘scopes on the website. So let’s get to it! […]
Mixed Media Fun: Shaving Cream Paint Demo
Hey Crafty Friends! Let’s have some messy fun today and create shaving cream paint! I know that usually it’s used with the kids for finger painting, but you can take it to a whole ‘nother level by using stencils and a heat gun to create layers of translucent color and freckled textures. I have this video for you- I was originally an hour-long Periscope. (By the way, you don’t need the Periscope app to watch anymore- you can see […]
Reverse Reveal Stencil Technique
Lately I’ve been the Queen of all Watercolor Crayons- I’ve been testing out Distress Crayons, Recollections, Faber Castell Gel Crayons, Target, Crayola, as well as a few “off” brands. As I was playing with them, I made a discovery- you can layer them and then REMOVE a layer to create a two-toned effect. I’m calling it the “Reverse Reveal” stencil technique because you REMOVE the color (reverse) to REVEAL the color underneath. You only need a few items: watercolor crayons […]
Make Distress Paints into MARKERS!
Hey Crafters! Whenever I’m at the craft store I’m always on the look out for new, or even new-to-me, products. About two weeks ago I was picking up some Montana markers at Michael’s and noticed they had empty acrylic paint markers! EMPTY PAINT MARKERS!!! I had never seen or heard of these before! Disclosure: some links below are affiliate shopping links for your convenience. The possibilities quickly flooded my crafty brain, but the first thought I had was of […]
Easy Quilled Shamrock Card for St. Patrick’s Day
I love quilling! The act of twirling little paper strips into something lovely is a bit magical for me. While I came up with the card idea a few years ago, I’ve now updated it to include a quick 2-minute video showing you how to make this cut quilled shamrock. And if you need a lucky clover, just add one more leaf and you are good to go! There are some handy links affiliate shopping links below for your convenience. […]
Using The PixScan Mat with the Silhouette Studio Software- LIVE DEMO
Last week I gave you an overview of the PixSxan Mat, showing you how it scanned & cut out shapes. Today I have a LIVE demo for you, via screen capture. This 8-minute demo is for folks who might want start scanning, but who may be intimidated- but I’ll walk you through it! In this video, I walk you through how to import your file, which icons to use, how to trace, and even adding an offset (border) around a stamped […]
Speed Color Using Zig Clean Color Real Brushes
Yesterday I reviewed the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers– and they really are like having the look of watercolor with the ease of a marker and the semi-permanence of dye, all in one! But I digress. I colored in this little froggy and wanted to show you how I did it. I used 5 markers and a spritz of water to get this look- and I think because you can lighten the colors with water, it’s a lot easier […]
Simon Says Stamp April 2015 Card Kit & Inspiration
Hey Crafty Friends! I’m finally back from an early spring’s worth of travel, and now I’m really enjoying getting back into the swing of things in the studio. First, I’m cracking open the Simon Says Stamp Card Kit for April 2015 and getting my creative juices flowing! This kit challenged me a bit- while I loved the stamp set, the bright neon colors (to me) didn’t gel well with the kraft and gold-foiled accent papers. So take a look at […]
Glue Resist Wall Art Featuring Faber-Castel Gel Crayons
Here’s a fun project that you can do with your kids or even for yourself! Make some wall art that speaks to you! You’ll need: canvas paper (it comes in pads and is very economical) or a stretched canvas if you prefer Gesso (read my primer on gesso if you are not sure what that is or why you should use it pencil white glue or gel-style glue. I found that the glitter glue from Elmer’s worked best. (affiliate link) Faber Castell […]
Start-To-Finish Watercolor Cards
Last week I posted showing you how to make watercolor paints using your Perfect Pearls to add shimmer. I was so smitten with the technique, I decided to put the camera on and show you how I made a pair in under five minutes! OK… it was actually 22 minutes in “real time.” But in this video I give you some tips, tricks, and links to other technique videos so you can do this yourself! In case you missed it, […]
Making Watercolor Paint from Perfect Pearls!
This post is a direct result of a question from a YouTube Subscriber. She asked, “Can you make watercolor paints from Perfect Pearls?” And while I pretty much knew the answer would be “why not?” I decided to dig a little deeper and see how different methods might turn out. NOTE: I’m only referring to Perfect Pearls in this situation, as Perfect Pearls by Ranger have a resin built-in that acts as a binder. If you are using a mica […]
CHA Show 2015: What’s New From Spellbinders
Spellbinders is again expanding their line of papercrafting into mixed media and home decor with new dies, embossing folders, and now…… rhinestones and trims! I was invited to the media breakfast and snapped these pics and video for you. I’m hoping we’ll get some of these goodies to review for you, too! I was invited to the media breakfast and snapped these pics and video for you. I’m hoping we’ll get some of these goodies to review for […]
Fiskars Tag Maker and Eyelet Setter
I am the undisputed queen of punches. (Paper punches, darlings. I’m a lover not a fighter.) And punches that make tags or labels hold a special place in my heart- so I was happy to try out the Fiskars Tag Maker and Eyelet Setter when Fiskars offered it to me to review. This unique tool features an innovative design that makes it easy to create tags in three quick, easy steps. Simply insert your paper into the large slot […]
Ranger Ink – Wendy Vecchi – New Archival Ink Colors
Hello crafters! Today I want to introduce to you the six newest colors from Ranger Ink designer, Wendy Vecchi, in her Archival Ink line. We have already done a full review of Archival Inks on Craft Test Dummies that you can see here. There are now 12 colors total in Wendy’s Archival ink line, and the ones I show you in the below video are her newest. If you enjoy this color palette, Wendy has also released embossing powders in […]
Simon Says Stamp Card Kit November 2014
Hey Crafty Friends! After missing a few months of the Simon Says Stamp Card Kit Club, I’m BACK! I really liked these fun, retro colors and I knew that the bunnies would be a big hit. By the way, I’ve decided I like Simon Says Stamp so much, I’ve become and affiliate partner and you can use THIS LINK to make buy! Thank you! Let’s take a peek inside! So yes- I really enjoyed making the tags! Of course, you could […]
Embossed Autumn Cards using Pan Pastels
Happy first day of Autumn! I’m not gonna lie, fall is my favorite. I like the cooler days, the crisp apples, and the happy advent of the mega crafting season! Today I have a flash-back card for you- one I did for CraftsUnleashed back in 2011. I’m reposting it because I still kinda like it. Is it me or is is the grungy, distressed look finally winding down? So I decided to take a fresh look at that embossing folder and try […]
Acrylic Block Stamped Backgrounds
The other day my new friend Linda posted some GORGEOUS cards- and they knocked my socks off! I got so smitten with the technique, I had to try it myself. And while I was on a roll, I had to make a video, too! Here are some of Linda’s cards…beautiful, right? I’m completely hooked! I challenge YOU to make a card and post it in the linky below. Let’s share the inspiration! And I’ll pick 3 folks at […]
Comparison of Colored Pencils and Paper When Blending with Gamsol
Earlier this week I shared an overview of Gamsol, an odorless mineral spirits used for dissolving the wax in colored pencils so that you could blend and shade them the same way you can with oil paints. Naturally, though, my curiosity got the better of me and I wondered if better (artist-grade) colored pencils really had an edge over cheaper, student-grade ones. And did the paper really matter? Well, I set out to answer those questions! I tried five […]
PRODUCT REVIEW: irRESISTIble Pico Embellishers
I love painting and drawing, so seeing a product that I could both paint and draw with, intrigued me. I was sent 10 of the 29 colors of Tsukineko‘s irRESISTible Pico Embellishers, to test out and do a product review. These are a resist, designed to work with their Texture Spray. It can be used with watercolor paints, and likely water based inks and sprays. I’m not familiar enough with alcohol based products to test them with this too. Description from website: […]
Scrapbook Soup 403-1; Making a Card Using Custom Stencils and Masks
You may remember that earlier this spring I visited the set of Scrapbook Soup and filmed two segments. If you follow along with me on Twitter or Facebook, you may know that last spring I was a guest on Scrapbook Soup for a few segments. I demonstrated how to use the Brother Scan N Cut to make stencils and masks with the rubber stamps you already have and then made a card. It’s an idea that I’ve shared on my […]
