VIDEO: Shadow Hacks Two Ways!

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

I have SUCH easy hacks for you for shadows and reflections. I always make ghastly shapes if I try to do them by hand so I thought I would share my go-to hacks today! These are so, so easy. 

If you like the paper I'm using in trick #1, you can get 15% off here with code Understandblue15.

These are the two looks you get. I used this beautiful background stamp with this sweet deer set. The ink is the water reactive Splash ink and then I used markers for the rest. What a sweet little scene these make together - these two stamps go together like peas and carrots! (Which, by the way - don't go together at all, and whoever came up with that saying was deranged. Maybe it was a baby.)

The video is now part of my Shadows & Reflections Master Class!

Here are all the supplies I used today.

CG700 Forest And Deer Bold Prints -... [ HA ] CM489 Love You Deerly - Hero Arts [ HA ] AF428 Splash Reactive Ink - Hero Arts [ HA ] X-Press It Transfer Paper — X-press It [ XPR ] Pentel Graph Gear 500 Pencil | BLICK... [ BLIC ] Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock [ CTC ] Marker Universe [ MRK ] Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473 [ SSS ] My Sweet Petunia [ MSP ] 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 ]

Last night I made one of my new faves - egg roll in a bowl! I saw the original recipe in a Whole 30 group I'm in, and I don't really like pork and made a few other tweaks, and it's delicious! I haven't tried it with her spicy mayo, but her original recipe is linked in my modified one so check it out! Here's my version. You can serve it with those wonton strips from the produce section if you miss that crunch of an actual egg roll but want fewer calories - that's what I did.

This card today is for my Virtual Stamp Night challenge at Splitcoast! Come join us for this fun, stress-free weekend of challenges and inspiration! 

Also - through tomorrow - there's a huge sale here on markers, with freebies and free shipping AND you can use my coupon code on top of that - Understandblue15 for an extra 15% off! Buy yourself a Christmas pressie.

And if you are a Pokemon GO player - happy community day! 

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

Sweet Treats + Falliday Fest Tutorial

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

Many years ago, in a galaxy far, far away - I used to go to Starbucks as soon as they opened - 5:30. I ordered the same drink every day and then headed to work. I loved those people that worked there - I didn't even have to tell them what I wanted - as soon as I pulled up, they knew.

I've been working from home for more than ten years, so that's a bit of a distant memory, but I do miss bringing them holiday gifts. Probably twelve years ago, I made 50 of today's project and brought them to my Starbucks and listened to them squeal at the cuteness! 

I learned this cute idea at a local crafty co-op (that I miss in the pandemic) back when they first opened. They didn't use nuggets - they used painted tongue depressors - so if you have food allergies like I do and these nuggets aren't an option - there are lots of things you can make that look similar.

This is for today's Falliday Fest tutorial blitz - so be sure you're playing along! We have challenges and 6 holiday tutorials for you.

I have a video for you on the process and some rambling about fast food workers!

Click HERE if you don't see a video player.

Graphit — Marker Universe [ MRK ] Amazon.com : Mailing Address Labels... [ AMZUS ] Amazon.com: Cooraby 6 Pairs Kids... [ AMZUS ] Amazon.com: Cooraby 6 Pairs Kids... [ AMZUS ] Amazon.com : Hershey's Assorted... [ AMZUS ] Cordless Glue Gun, Tacklife GGH01DC... [ AMZUK ] Amazon.com: Hestya 500 Pieces 0.5... [ AMZUS ]

Hope you have a fun weekend planned. 

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

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