It's 1976 All Over Again

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It's really truly the 70s in my brain today! We were watching one of our fave cooking shows and talking about what we brought for lunch in elementary school.

My husband is the oldest child, and I'm the youngest so it was very different. He had the cool Scooby Doo lunchbox, and I had a used lunchbox or two - rusty, but would probably fetch a pretty penny on Ebay today!

Snacking was a super foreign concept for both of us. My mom made us breakfast before school, we brought our lunch and then we ate dinner. There was truly nothing in between. I'm not sure when the whole snack thing started, but it was not in my childhood.

Anyway, what WAS ubiquitous in my childhood was the SMILEY. It was everywhere. And it was also something common for us to just draw and color in yellow. We had smiley buttons, smiley stickers, smiley patches for our denim workshirts and jeans. 

So this adorable smiley for Stamptember stole my heart.

I masked it and stamped it repeatedly and then shaded with OLO markers to make it look dimensional. I cut a part out of it, which you will see the result of on Friday.

So fun. 

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I'm not sure why I'm in a masking mood lately - I just am :)

Loveyameanitbye.

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Kid Art and some SOLID Computer advice

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I started my day by pouring several ounces of nitro cold brew and almond milk all over my wireless mouse. 

I quickly rinsed it off, but soon discovered that today was going to be hard. Really hard. It was like the right click was permanently depressed, so all sort of crazy thing were happening when I was trying to use my computer. I could have SWORN I had a backup mouse, but I did not. So Amazon same day it is! I ordered TWO sets of keyboard / mouse combos. I like this one because there's a keyboard skin that fits it - maybe someone should come up with a mouse skin for people like me - just sayin'. I will not repeat this day (said in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice) - so my advice to you today is to immediately order yourself a backup.

Mark my words - if you do not, you will find your coffee spilling into your mouse VERY soon. It's just how it works - I don't make the rules.

Then, I had to run some super boring errands - shipping things, getting gas, stopping by my mechanic to get the form to get my inspection done this week, and man I saw people doing some crazy things in that short half hour or so. A woman near an apartment complex acting really weird in some shrubbery and then a lady coming out of a greenbelt also acting really oddly. Is it a full moon? 

I'm glad to be back home with a working computer - sheesh. 

I have the CUTEST thing to show you today!!! A new stamp set that is designed by the son of my friend Heather. I'm DYING over how cute this is. After I got it, I immediately texted her and demanded that he make a Christmas set because I would LOVE this style of stamp for my holiday cards! THE SENTIMENTS, Y'ALL. SERIOUSLY. I kept it pretty simple and paired it with this oh-so-perfect-for-art-journaling background stamp and I colored the images with my brightest OLO markers. I cannot get over how cute these are. 

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If you say you've seen anything cuter than this child's artwork today, I'm going to have to question your reliability! 

I hope you enjoy this little bit of bright, happy innocence in your day. 

Loveyeameanitbye.

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Craft Roulette #127: Pretend Strips of Wintery Patterns!

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

I had a little Friday Night FUNN with Mary at Craft Roulette last week! That show is a blast. Challenges are my favorite way to create, which is why I love the daily Splitcoast challenges so much. There's no such thing as a creative rut if you have a challenge available.

So my parameters this time were super interesting:

• Pretend
• Paper Strips
• Colors of Winter
• Patterned Paper

I decided on books for the pretend element - because there's no escape like an escape into a book. I'm also pretending cats can read. Who am I to say they can't??

For the Paper Strips & Patterned Paper, I chose book pages. I cut them in strips and ink blended them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink before gluing them on my card base. On top of that I put this book die cut, cut from watercolor paper that I painted with Daniel Smith. The Colors of Winter were the blue watercolor, but also the Vintage Photo, because as I told Mary, Texas winter is BROWN. The little kitty is from this bundle, and I colored it with OLO Markers, brushing a bit of the Vintage Photo onto the book to make it match the background. The sentiment is actually a pre-printed die cut. I'm digging those!

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Here's the video:

Here are all the supplies I used:

Book Cover Die – WaffleFlower.com [ WFF ] A Little Help Combo – WaffleFlower.com [ WFF ] Essential Christmas Diecut - Black –... [ WFF ] Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor -... [ BLIC ] Ranger Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo [ BLIC ] Fabriano Artistico Enhanced... [ BLIC ] Floral Glass Craft Mat — Glassboard... [ GLS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | ELH ] Scor-Buddy Mini Scoring Board 9x7.5 -... [ ELH ] MIS-T Rulers [ MSP ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Understand Blue Bundles Specials for... [ CTC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ]

Want to see the amazing gallery of how people interpreted this challenge? You can see that HERE.

If you joined us - thank you! 

I hope your week is awesome. Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.

10% off anything at OLO MARKER
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 Lion!

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

Happy Monday! I went down a new rabbit hole this weekend with a new podcast and a new TV show. 

The new podcast is hosted by Donnie Wahlberg and the first case is the murder that inspired the Amityville Horror movie. I'm contractually obligated as a GenXer to be obsessed with the Amityville Horror so I tried it and it's great! He has a phenomenal voice that sort of adds suspense, and there's SO much detail in there that I bet you have not heard - I didn't! It's called Very Scary People. 

Then, because I am not much of a TV person, I did not know that People Magazine had a true crime show and it's pretty good! I went back and watched the Delphi episode and a few others and it was very well done. Too many ads, but a good show. 

Speaking of ads, you HAVE to watch this - it's hilarious and true.

I'm here today with the most ADORABLE little lion! I stamped the lion with white ink after using the most amazing embossing powder tool in the world - look how crisp my embossing is on that detailed stamp - ON WATERCOLOR PAPER. That tool is the bomb. 

I embossed it with detailed white embossing powder, and then sprinkled yellow, red and teal infusions over it and lightly misted it. While it was wet, I dabbed up some of the teal to make the background paler than the foreground. When it was dry, I used the middle stencil from this set and some Salvaged Patina Distress ink to make bubbles in the background. I added a tiny bit of shading around his face and under his mane for dimension with a brown colored pencil.

The sentiment is from the same set. How cute is he? He has a little flower power vibe that I am here for!

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No Lion [ THR ] Mid-Century Modern #2, 4 layers - 6x6... [ THR ] Paper Artsy GOLDEN SANDS Infusions... [ SSS ] Paper Artsy SUNSET BEACH Infusions... [ SSS ] Paper Artsy GREEN MAN Infusions... [ SSS ] Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SALVAGED... [ SSS | JGG ] Brutus Monroe ALABASTER Ultra Fine... [ SSS ] Cottontail Embossing Powder Tool –... [ THR ] Amazon.com : Stylist Sprayers Stylist... [ AMZUS ] Floral Glass Craft Mat — Glassboard... [ GLS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | ELH ] Scor-Buddy Mini Scoring Board 9x7.5 -... [ ELH ] MIS-T Rulers [ MSP ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Understand Blue Bundles Specials for... [ CTC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ]

I hope you had a great weekend and cooked something amazing. I made the bulgogi and ssamjang again! It's so addicting. Then I made okonomiyaki last night and used the ssamjang on those as well. For some reason the pancakes came out perfect this time - I must have changed the temperature just right. 

Have a great week!

Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.

10% off anything at OLO MARKER
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

You're a Little Nuts & I Love It! (Clarence Inspired)

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

It's squirrel Friday!!!

Well, honestly, every day of the week is squirrely here - I'm waiting for it to get light so I can go feed mine. 

But today is even SQUIRRELIER because sweet Mendi has come out with a stamp set inspired by my beloved CLARENCE! And it's RIDICULOUSLY cute. I mean seriously. Look at all these tiny squirrels! I used all but one of them on my card - he's going on another card. I stamped them all on a single card front and die cut them.

The expressions on their faces are so cute. 

I decided since everyone always colors them brown, I'd make a bright, colorful background for them instead and just shade them with a grey Graphit marker. The one top center reminds me soooo much of how mine stand when I'm about to toss a pecan. 

Anyway, what I did was cut three stencils with my Circle Infinity dies out of masking paper - you need three because that will keep you from contaminating your ink as you do the ombre blending, which will take six brushes. Thank goodness I keep collecting them. :)

I placed each squirrel on my pre-cut card panel where I wanted them. Then I put the stencil down and lightly traced it with a stylus around each squirrel. Next, I put a piece of Press 'n Seal down to pick up all the squirrels at once. Then, on to the ink blending on the card panel.

I went left to right in rainbow order, blending electropop inks, two circles at a time. When I was done, I put glue on all the upside down squirrels that were on my Press 'n Seal, and transferred them all at once to my colorful card front! 

How cheerful is this? I love it so much! The sentiments are from the same set.

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Here are all the supplies - come back for info about tonight's live!

Sunny Studio Squirrel Friends 4x6... [ SNN ] Sunny Studio Squirrel Friends Metal... [ SNN ] Graphit - Coupon Code Understandblue15 [ MRK ] DI199 Nesting Circle Infinity Dies... [ HA ] Electro Pop Ink Pads- Set of 8 - Gina... [ GNK ] Bee Creative | Easy Squeeze Precision... [ HNB | SSS ] Amazon.com : Avery 6465 Removable... [ AMZUS ] Kemper Double Ball Stylus Embossing... [ BLIC ] Hero Arts Tools INK BLENDING BRUSH... [ SSS ] Mega Value Glad Press'n Seal, All... [ AMZUS ] Sunny Studio Stamps - New Arrivals... [ SNN ] Floral Glass Craft Mat — Glassboard... [ GLS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | ELH ] Scor-Buddy Mini Scoring Board 9x7.5 -... [ ELH ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Understand Blue Bundles Specials for... [ CTC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ]

Tonight, I'll be joining sweet Mary again on Craft Roulette! This show is so much fun - if you haven't seen it, please join me - her community is filled with such sweet, funny and kind humans! The format of the show is so fun - I have no idea in advance of what my challenge will be, so I have to have my wits about me! Joining the challenge will give you the chance to earn prizes too! Hope to see you there - this is the link to view! Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.

10% off anything at OLO MARKER
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