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Friday, October 30, 2020

Well Owl Be! Hero Arts Countdown

*Compensated affiliate links used where possible at zero cost to you. No posts are ever sponsored or paid.*

Sneaky peeky time! :) 

I'm here with a quick preview of this month's Hero Arts Kit! It's a HOOT, if you know what I'm saying. There are a few very unique aspects to the stamps and dies that you'll love, and I'll be back on Monday with a video and all the details, as well as many more projects! Have a great weekend. 

Loveyameanitbye. 



CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

Thursday, October 29, 2020

I Dare You To Try Something New! + Giveaway

*Compensated affiliate links used where possible at zero cost to you. No posts are ever sponsored or paid.*

I've been trying a lot of new things lately - as well as some old things I'd forgotten about. It's making this insane year a little more interesting. 

One of the things that I've been challenging myself to do is work in the slimline format. I'm weird because I will literally try any technique or medium with glee, but changes in SIZE are hard for me. I'm just set in my design ways I guess! So this new slimline craze is good for me!

I started with dies, because they make using a different format SO much easier. I've had the pleasure of working with Cindy - the genius behind Dare2BArtzy for a while and so I got to see her new slimline dies when they went live and I flipped out. Everything she does is very unique and different - for example, her stamps and dies all coordinate with her paper, as you'll see below. She also has a lot of zentangle style artwork in her stamps, which you know I love.

So I'm pushing my size limits today with a super fun card for you and I will also have a giveaway! This is part of a blog hop with the MISTI and Dare2BArtzy teams - I'm just a guest. I can't wait to see what everyone does. 

I started with this magical snowflake slimline die - OH MY GOSH. I love this so much and my card is so simple - I can see making stacks of holiday cards in minutes. 

All that gorgeous color you see is a reflection off this amazing holographic paper! There are several patterns in this package, but I chose the swirl pattern because I thought it looked like the wind blowing the snowflakes around. SO fun and easy. It's hard to not just stare at this paper all day.

The die is sort of a twofer, because the little snowflakes on the card are actually from the same die - see the empty spaces above? I just used those. I thought it would look most dramatic on black, since the paper is so colorful. So I stamped the sentiment from this stamp set in white ink and embossed with white detailed embossing powder. Such a fun and simple card!



So here is everything I used today. Stay tuned below for tons more inspiration and more chances to win the prizes they are giving away today! Each company is doing a fun combo - you  can win a $20 gift card to the Dare2BArtzy store and also enjoy a 10% discount through November 9th with code FALL10. And, you can win a $20 gift card at the MISTI store and the same 10% discount with code FALL10 through November 9th!

Slimline Snowflake Dies
[ DR2 ]
Paisley Peacock Stamp Set - Dare 2b...
[ DR2 ]
Paisley Peacock Die - Dare 2b Artzy
[ DR2 ]
Simon Says Stamp Card Stock ASSORTED...
[ SSS ]
Simon Says Stamp Card Stock ASSORTED...
[ SSS ]
Retail Shop
[ MSP ]
Dare 2B Artzy
[ DR2 ]


Here's tons more inspiration for you. Good luck!



CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

Monday, October 19, 2020

Six Quick & Bold Holiday Cards!

*Compensated affiliate links used where possible at zero cost to you. No posts are ever sponsored or paid.*

I have some pretty things for you today - six different holiday cards with five simple ideas for repeatable or mass produced cards. One is a one-off for sure but the rest are so easy to duplicate without being boring. 

The first trick I'll just call Barely Stenciling. I like to do this with bold foreground images so that my "white space" is still super interesting. 

On this first card, I used the stunning stencil from the new kit + Powder Blue Ink & Life changing blender brushes - I used a very light touch, and tapped some of the ink off before blending for a very light blue background. Then I stamped the focal image in Blue Raspberry on top of that. I added the GORGEOUS Hanukkah sentiment from the same set in the kit as the focal image and added these white enamel dots. PS did you know that the USPS has a stamp that you can buy that covers the non-machinable cost for bulky or square/irregular size cards? It's true. It's on their website here.

I love all the blue possibilities with Hanukkah cards - and this stamp set imagery can be used for any holiday or all year cards. 


Now last week, my friend Kyra did the tutorial at Splitcoast and it's one of my faves, so I busted it out for a completely different looking holiday card - a warm, metallic look. I started with a piece of white cardstock that I embossed with this embossing folder. I smooshed Versamark all over it and then applied a few different colors of metallic Pan Pastel with Sofft tools. The snowflake die is also from the new kit, and the sentiment is from this beautiful sentiment set. I stamped it in Warm Cocoa to stay within my color scheme.


Now speaking of beautiful sentiments - this one is from that same set - and there are lots of other big, scripty and gorgeous greetings, but this one was so sweet and different I couldn't resist. Think how many quick cards you can make with this perfectly sized sentiment!! Over an inked or stenciled background, over loose watercolor, or in a clean and simple format with a little rainbow of cardstock down the side! I added these rainbow rhinestones and I just love it. Get this rainbow paper if you don't want to use cardstock strips - I just had this little stripe leftover in my UFO bin.


Okay this next one is the card that's a one off. I call this piece - Walter White's cabin. When I saw this beautiful little scene, my watercolors called. I stamped it in Fadeout ink and then used my Daniel Smith from my split group to paint it. As watercolor goes - it's actually pretty quick because of the simple lines in the mountains. The little cabin took a bit longer, but not much. This image has a little frame around it that gives me another idea I'll save for another day.


This next one is probably the quickest of them all. The background is actually this beautiful watercolor paper pack. Then I just stamped the tree and bird images from the same set as the cabin image and the beautiful sentiment that's included!


Finally - one of my oldest techniques I've learned - I don't know if there's a name for it - I just call it Frosted Stamping. I stamped the tree image from the kit in Powder blue with my MISTI - keeping it 1/8" away from the corner. I LOVE that it has a sentiment opening. Then I shifted it into the corner of the MISTI and stamped it in Gina's white ink on top. I stamped the sentiment into the opening in black.


October 2020 Kit & Release
[ GNK ]
Embossing Folder - Aztech Stars —...
[ BMR ]
PanPastel Artists’ Painting Pastels...
[ BLIC ]
PanPastel Sofft Tools - BLICK art...
[ BLIC ]
Doodlebug LILY WHITE Sprinkles...
[ SSS ]
JJs Rainbow Paper Pad
[ SSS ]
Lavinia Stamps Scene Scapes SEA...
[ SSS ]
Gem Stickers | 300 Count | Rainbow –...
[ HNB | SSS ]
daniel smith at Simon Says STAMP!
[ SSS ]
VersaMark | Watermark Stamp Pad
[ HNB | SSS ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- White...
[ GNK ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Powder...
[ GNK ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Warm...
[ GNK ]
Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink
[ INK ]
Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock
[ CTC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring...
[ SSS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets...
[ CHC ]
XL Stamp Storage Pockets
[ ELH ]
Mermaid tidy towel case and glue...
[ ETS ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies
[ ART ]


What a gorgeous release all around.

You can see the new kit and the rest of the release here. She has two exclusives for the holidays - some beautiful new glitter paper and slimline envelopes! These will be while supplies last. Click the images to see them in her store. Then one more super exciting product below!



Check out this Master Layouts Die 3 Set! This is a huge set of dies that works with the Wreath Builders and can be used to make panels and layers for regular card fronts! So fun. Love the pennants.




Loveyameanitbye.


CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

Friday, October 16, 2020

VIDEO: No Line Coloring Tips - Flamingo Friday

*Compensated affiliate links used where possible at zero cost to you. No posts are ever sponsored or paid.*

Hey friends! Happy Friday! I have a new no-line coloring video for you today, with my one, simple tip for no-line coloring florals. Easy peasy. This beautiful, detailed image would have been impossible for me without my alcohol fineliners - coupon code in the footer! The stamp set is this flamingo - and it's one in a series of beautiful botanical images. The sentiment is from the same set.



Here is the video - click here if you don't see a player below.


Flamingo Botanical 4x6 – The Rabbit...
[ THR ]
Graphit — Marker Universe
[ MRK ]
My Sweet Petunia
[ MSP ]
Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock
[ CTC ]
Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473
[ SSS ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for...
[ BRG ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring...
[ SSS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets...
[ CHC ]
XL Stamp Storage Pockets
[ ELH ]
Mermaid tidy towel case and glue...
[ ETS ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies
[ ART ]


Have a great weekend. Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE