The Mystery of the Furry Undercoat + New Aunt Farm Video

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One of the many harbingers of doom this year is small and furry and black, and you've seen her little butt in many a video and zoom this year - little Maddie Bat.

In very early August I noticed something horrifying about her.

her winter undercoat came in

In August. In Texas. This is a full two and a half months before it should come in, and it filled my bones with dread - because I know that means winter will come early and hard. 

The last thing I need right now is a harsh winter or damage to my plants I've lavished all my pandemic attention on for six months. 

But the fur don't lie - and she is as furry as little mammoth. Splotch got his too - but he has much thinner fur than her normally so it's not as noticeable. 

Today brings an unseasonable cool snap, which is welcome. It's cleared out the swarms of mosquitos that have been making it impossible to be outside. 

My mom got me this easel for my birthday, so no mosquitos means I can head outside to paint and enjoy a little nature.

So I'm bringing you a serene nature card today. If you're feeling stressed or taking in too much news - go outside and get yourself this view - it's great therapy!

I used this stunning background stamp over a Distress Oxide background and added this sentiment strip.

We have a new video from The Aunt Farm® for you today - it's my sister's roasted veggie salsa. Fire Aunt never makes a dish the same way twice, and so she's showing you how to take whatever leftover veggies you have and make a beautiful seasonal salsa with it. She's using a new to me herb that she's been raving about!

She also has a knack for finding cool tools for the kitchen, which you'll see. Supplies are listed under the video on YouTube. Enjoy this relaxing process and make some salsa this week!

Loveyameanitbye.

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Greetingless Cards

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Before I became a rabid cardmaker, I remember like it was yesterday standing in front of greeting card aisles in grocery stores or Walgreen's, trying to pick out Mother's Day or birthday cards. 

And even as a kid, I thought it was so stupid to have an overly effusive three paragraphs on a giant card with a horrid stock photo of a sunset. 

In my mind, I remember the 36,000 word soliloquies like this:

Dearest Sister: your graceful shins and flowing locks of ebony hair have enlivened the world more so than any other force on earth. When I think about the day of your birth, I think of thousands of flocks of bluebirds, swooping around, and creating small, perfumed breezes that settle into my soul like butter cookies from heaven. Therefore, on this hallowed day, I wish you all the blessings, sunshine, feathers, kittens and poetry that your angelic heart longs for, and that the memories of this day glow with the golden rays of this poetic solar descension pictured herein.

I mean, REALLY. They were HORRIBLE and simultaneously overly intimate and canned, which takes a very rare and unnecessary skill.

I still have a little PTSD from them, honestly. 

It's okay not to have an essay on a card. It's even okay not to have any words at all! Certainly better than heavenly butter cookies swooping into the recipient's eyeholes in metallic italics on cheap vellum. 

So to celebrate freedom from retail cards, today, I'm bringing you sentiment-free cards!

I have two cards from today's Dare to Get Dirty challenges and both were just perfect for leaving wordless. 

First up - this gorgeous Flower Child stamp, with its zentangle style was crying out for a little zentangle! So I doodled a frame and filled it in  around the image. I colored it with my new alcohol fineliners which I think I'm going to use daily. I cannot get over how awesome they are for little images. I mimicked the pattern of the little tendrils on the outside of my frame. So fun and crisp. 

Speaking of fun and crisp, these sweet, sweet Scandinavian dies cried out for aqua and red simplicity. 

I die cut them and then paper pieced them, offsetting the little Dala horse to give him a shadow. 

Peace, Love and Sushi Card Kit - Gina... [ GNK ] Nature Elements Die Set | Flower &... [ PNK ] Graphit — Marker Universe [ MRK ] My Sweet Petunia [ MSP ] Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock [ CTC ] Sakura CLASSIC WHITE Fine Line 05... [ SSS ] Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473 [ SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for... [ BRG ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] 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 ]

You never know what you're going to need to say to the person you're sending a card to, so leave yourself some wiggle room with greeting-less card designs! And whatever you do - don't support the soliloquy industry :).

Loveyameanitbye.

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Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE

Skipped Coloring Technique Video + GIveaway

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

What day is it??? OH YES - Friday. 

Not that it matters hahah.

But today matters because I have a fun new video for you on a crazy quick and easy coloring method for delicate die cuts - I call it Skipped Coloring. 

I am using this gorgeous layering die and Karin markers - I have a 15% off coupon for these in the very bottom of this post if you are interested.

This is such a great, easy technique if you don't feel like doing detailed coloring. I used this lovely layering die and Karin markers, and then this stamp set for the sentiment. 

Here is the video! 

Spring Flowers Die Cut Set | Die Cut... [ PNK ] Skiing by stamp set – Pinkfresh Studio [ PNK ] Skiing by die set – Pinkfresh Studio [ PNK ] Pinkfresh Studio Scripted Bold... [ PNK ] Karin Brushmarker Pro Mega Box 60... [ MRK ] Dove Cardstock - Concord & 9th [ C&9 ] My Sweet Petunia [ MSP ] Tsukineko VersaFine Clair NOCTURNE... [ SSS | ELH | BLIC ] Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock [ CTC ] Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473 [ SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for... [ BRG ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] 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 ]

We are having a fun blog hop today with the MISTI and Pinkfresh teams! See below for more inspiration and leave a comment for me to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate from both companies!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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
10% off sitewide at Arteza here with code Understandblue6 through 7.31.2020
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE