You Can Do Anything!

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I'm not joking - I just heard a guy on a YouTube video very carefully explaining that "pasteurized" eggs and "pasture raised" eggs were not the same thing, and for just a minute, I questioned everything about my reality. 

I decided not to dwell on that though, and share a little art instead.

I hope you enjoy it, because for most of it, I was cracking myself up. And not in a pasteurized vs. pasture raised way, either.

First up, one of my long-favorite art subjects, the humble pear from this very arty and modern stamp set.

I'm not very good at painting, but I enjoy it immensely, and so I take a lot of painting classes. In many of these, I have painted pears. The reason for this is the pear is a simple shape that is easy to replicate for beginning painters, but also can have a lot of nuanced light, shadow and color for more advanced painters. Perfect for a class setting.

So I thought I'd get a little arty with this beautiful image. 

I stamped it on a piece of masking paper and cut out the center of the pear. Then I put acrylic paint dots all over the opening and scraped it with a credit card - so easy! I re-masked the pear and the stem and stamped the super graphic background from the set over it - when stamping a solid image like this over a mask, a tool like this really helps you not get a halo.

Now here's where I went super rogue. I LOVE the Forest Friends set where you could have animal heads poking out of a tree - adorable! But when I got the addition set, where it had the bodies  - OH YOU KNOW WHAT I DID. Did I cackle the whole time? PERHAPS. The sentiment is from this set. The stencils are the spots, the sunburst and the leaves. I love the opportunity to create surreal art. 

Forest Friends Additions [ GNK ] STAMPS- Forest Friends - Gina K Designs [ GNK ] STAMPS- Scripty Encouragement MINI -... [ GNK ] STENCIL- Sun Spots - Gina K Designs [ GNK ] STENCIL- Sunshine - Gina K Designs [ GNK ] STENCIL- Leafy - Gina K Designs [ GNK ] Sweet Sentiment Es-Press-o — Sweet... [ SWT ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #3... [ CTC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #1... [ CTC ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | SSS | ELH ] 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 ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | CST ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ] The Ink Stand White MINI is354 at... [ SSS ] The Ink Stand White RECTANGLE... [ SSS ] One Day at a Time [ GNK ]

Hope your week is shaping up well.

Loveyameanitbye.

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VIDEO: One Layer "Fusion" Backgrounds

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Hey friends! I hope you are following the #cardsforUkraine hashtag on Instagram - cardmakers are filling the internet with blue and yellow cards and sunflower cards and it's so uplifting and beautiful.

I'm back today with my video on the flower card in this post.

If you comment on YouTube on the videos in today's hop, you'll be entered to win one of two $25 gift certificates to Honey Bee!

Loveyameanitbye.

Like this post? Never miss a post by following me!

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Arkon Mounts - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

YAY - Maker Means Kit

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

YAY!!! It's here!!! The first Maker Means kit - and I designed the project! This is such a fun concept - they are curating kits with different crafty supplies you can purchase all in one spot, and step by step instructions to recreate it yourself! This is just the first in an exciting creative series.

These people are top quality human beings too, so I'm so honored that they asked me to help with this - just the most creative, sweet, funny people you'd ever want to meet. If you were at the last Creativation - you might have met some of the team.

Anyway - head over to Maker Means to see what this launch is all about, and have a great weekend. I know the world is heavy right now on all of. We sure could use a little yay. Loveyameanitbye.

Like this post? Never miss a post by following me!

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Arkon Mounts - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

No Line Pencil Coloring + One Layer "Fusion" Backgrounds

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

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Arkon Mounts - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

Happy Tuesday! I have some super fun stuff to show you today - AND you will get to see a video of some of it next week, so be patient! I have some cuteness for you in the meantime. 

First, the most ADORABLE mice on earth! And I will make this observation - a lot of times, mouse images are so tiny, they don't lend themselves to coloring techniques - and GREY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLORS - so in this set the mice are the perfect size - especially for pencil coloring. I used my Luminance pencils - and since colored pencils are one of the slower coloring methods, you also don't want your images too large. So these adorable little mice are JUST RIGHT. Next to mice, one of my very favorite things to color with pencils is terracotta. Terracotta pots are probably the things I have the most hours in on in coloring with pencils - it's something I've had around me all my life, so I am also very familiar with how light hits it and the colors you can see in it, so it's fun for me. So a mouse in a pot hits a very specific high point for me! I used three colors on the pot, blending them with each other in every section - the lightest color is what you see as the highlight. I also added a few little spots of turquoise here and there - look closely - that's a trick I use 100% of the time on terracotta. The mouse also used three greys and one bluish pink. I kept the lightest shades for his little snout, paws and the top of his ears. Before coloring the mouse, I outlined his nose, mouth and whiskers with a Copic multiliner. It's important to do it before you color, or they will get lost under these very opaque, creamy pencils.

The sentiment is from the same set and guess what - all the sentiments have dies! I love having dies for both the images and the sentiments - WINNING.

Such a cutie.

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Okay now I'm super excited about this next card because it's like a fusion card - a single layer but with all the things you normally see in a multi layer card. And you KNOW I love single layers.

So here we go.

First - let's talk about this sweet, paler than pale gingham paper. It's SO perfect for what I'm about to tell you about. If you start a stenciled card with this, you already have background interest. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.

Before stenciling, I used this leaf coverplate die to pierce a pattern into it. Look how much that adds!

Then I got to the stenciling.

Now I may have been under a rock, but I have never seen layering stencils like this that have the following:

• The name of the layer etched in - so, like small leaves, large leaves etc.
• The ENTIRE detail of the image etched in for each step - so while you are ink blending the leaves, you have an etched guide that tells you where the flowers are so you literally cannot make a mistake.
• The name of the stencil too which is super great when you are filing. (I do have other stencils that are etched with the name - my favorite!)

You will see this ALL in action in my video Monday, but let's just take a peek at the results, shall we?

The sentiment is from this set - and oh my goodness am I trying to live like it's spring - we are having our third freeze this week. We rarely even have one!

Sweet Spring Mice [ HNB ] Spring Leaves Cover Plate [ HNB ] Squeeze the Day [ HNB ] Floral Vase Stencil [ HNB ] Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored... [ BLIC ] Paper Pads – Honey Bee Stamps [ HNB ] Craft Perfect | Brown Kraft Card... [ HNB ] Dux Glass Inkwell Sharpeners | BLICK... [ BLIC ] Blick Artists' Gloves | BLICK Art... [ BLIC ] Coloring Glove - Anti-Smudge [ AMZUS ] Derwent Battery-Operated Eraser [ BLIC | AMZUS ] Ipoint Orbit Pencil Sharpener, Turquoise [ AMZUS | BLIC ] Global Art Classic Leather Pencil Cases [ BLIC | AMZUS ] Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers [ BLIC | JGG | AMZUS ] Sizzix BIG SHOT EXPRESS Gray and... [ SSS | ELH | BMS ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC | AMZUS ]

I hope you have a great week ahead! Loveyameanitbye.

Hello Friend: Colored Pencils on Black Cardstock

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

Y'all know I love my Luminance pencils. And I especially love them on black cardstock, because they are, well, luminous! I was talking to Lori about them yesterday, so I decided to get them out and bring little Clarence and his friend the bee to life!

I stamped him in white pigment ink on Pitch Black - I love the way I can either leave the white edge - like I did on parts of Clarence and the bee to show highlights, or cover them up, like I did at the bottom of the images to indicate shadows. 

Normally when I use these pencils, I put a white layer down first, but that isn't necessary - and I didn't do it here. This is just pure color on black!

I cut down a piece of dictionary page on the page that had squirrel words on it, and placed it on a white panel in sort of a polaroid orientation so that this looks like a little picture of friends! 

This is the most relaxing way to color for me - these creamy pencils and a good podcast. PS - have you watched the Puppet Master on Netflix? I watched this weekend while I was doing design work and holy moly is that an insane story! Definitely recommend. 

Hello Friend 3x4 – The Rabbit Hole... [ THR ] Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored... [ BLIC ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- White... [ GNK ] PS323 Hero Hues Premium Cardstock... [ HA ] Floral Glass Craft Mat — Glassboard... [ GLS ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #3... [ CTC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #1... [ CTC ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | SSS | ELH ] 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 ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | CST ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ]

I saw Clarence this weekend and have a suspicion there may be new babies on the way! Stay tuned! I also saw Tail, who is his normal bossy self.

I hope you have a great week! Loveyameanitbye.

Like this post? Never miss a post by following me!

CURRENT COUPON CODES
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15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Arkon Mounts - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE