VIDEO: It is TOO easy being green + end of free refills!

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

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is also my sister's birthday, and since we are both very much nature lovers, I thought a GREEN card/video would be fun today. 

Since I'm using my OLO Marker prototypes, I wanted to let you know that the pre-order opportunity for free refills is ending! The pricing will increase after midnight on Sunday - so if you want these, your best deal ends at the end of the weekend. I'll have more info below the video about the markers.

I got a grouping of green prototypes, and I just HAPPENED to have purchased the perfect image to test them on - this startled frog stamp set haha. So cute. It's like this frog just woke up in 2020 after New Year's! I used just OLO markers and a white Posca pen here, as you'll see. 

Even the ducks look startled!

Here's the video - come back for more info about the end of the presale. And Happy Earth Day!

Pink Ink Designs Clear Stamp Set -... [ JGG ] OLO [ OLM ] COUPON UNDERSTANDBLUE [ GLS ] Uni Posca Paint Marker - White,... [ BLIC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #3... [ CTC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #1... [ CTC ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | ELH ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ] The Ink Stand White MINI is354 at... [ SSS ] The Ink Stand White RECTANGLE... [ SSS ]

Here is why the OLO marker pre-sale makes economic sense. Because of the technology inside the barrel, you are getting 2x the usable ink of a traditional alcohol marker. I acquired my marker collection over many years, and wish it had been half the expense for sure. But the most important thing is the way they work. So if you are interested, grab their current offer before the price goes up and enjoy! Oh, to be someone just now discovering alcohol markers! 

Go outside today and experience the greens of spring and appreciate the earth!

Loveyameanitbye.

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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

VIDEO: Magazine Collage + Crafty Destash Boxes + Cookie Recipe

*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

OLO Marker Preorder

Happy Easter, friends! It's quite gloomy here this weekend, so I thought I'd do some much neglected organizing of my pandemic stamp purchases, and it felt so good! I probably cleared out about half of what I've accumulated in the last two years, and now you can benefit from my brief flurry of organization. I have (so far) SIX more Crafty Destash boxes for sale. The proceeds from these boxes will go to the Gabby Petito Foundation and to DNA solves - my two favorite charities. For any Texans in the audience, if you are interested in justice-oriented charities, this is another group I've donated to this year - the people running this are friends, and the great people who I feel are responsible for the arrest of Carla Walker's killer after nearly 40 years. If you want to hear about that - it's the first case covered on this awesome podcast. If you win the opportunity to buy one of the boxes, feel free to specify which of these three you'd like me to donate to.

Anyway, if you want to go into the drawing to be able to buy one of these boxes, please fill out this form. Do not send payment until names have been drawn and you've been notified that you are a winner of the purchase opportunity. 

I thought I'd bring you a fun and easy technique for your Gel Press today. This is something I did last year and LOVED - we are all so used to doing magazine prints with faces, but oh my goodness collaging magazine TEXT is so much more fun! I do it in a piecemeal style you will find as fun as I did, I think. It makes SUPER interesting and complex prints! Here are three examples.

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Here is the short video. 

Here are all the supplies I used today - come back for my latest favorite cookie recipe!

TE Gel Printing Kit [ TE ] Speedball Soft Rubber Brayers | BLICK... [ BLIC ] Amazon.com : Eyelead Professional Air... [ AMZUS ] Elephant [ JGG ] Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint 1oz... [ JGG ] Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint 1oz... [ JGG ] Tangerine [ JGG ] Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint 1oz... [ JGG ] Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint 1oz... [ JGG ] Amazon.com : Hammermill 102467 Copy... [ AMZUS | AMZUS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | SSS | ELH | MFT ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer... [ AMZUS ]

I've un-dairied an AMAZING cookie recipe. Prior to this, my fave chocolate chip cookie was my brown butter fleur de sel cookies - but this one is incredible! It is similar in that it's a salted cookie, but the tahini adds a rich taste that is very faintly similar to peanut butter, but much more subtle. The texture is perfect too and I love them because they are not overly sweet!

Original recipe HERE from the New York Times - dairy free mods below.

• 4 ounces/113 grams unsalted butter at room temperature Miyoko’s vegan butter salted

• ½ cup/120 milliliters tahini, well stirred

• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 grams all-purpose flour, or matzo cake meal (See tip)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 ¾ cups/230 grams chocolate chips or chunks, bittersweet or semisweet Enjoy Life dairy free dark chocolate morsels 

•  Flaky salt, like fleur de sel or Maldon Maldon

PREPARATION

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, tahini and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and continue mixing at medium speed for another 5 minutes. I just used a hand mixer.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt into a large bowl and mix with a fork. Add flour mixture to butter mixture at low speed until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in chocolate chips. Dough will be soft, not stiff. Refrigerate at least 12 hours; this ensures tender cookies.

3. When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat. Use a large ice cream scoop or spoon to form dough into 12 to 18 balls.  

4. Place the cookies on the baking sheet at least 3 inches apart to allow them to spread. Bake 13 to 16 minutes until just golden brown around the edges but still pale in the middle to make thick, soft cookies. As cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle sparsely with salt. Let cool at least 20 minutes on a rack. I did half salted before baking, like my other cookies, and half using their instructions. I think it's better to salt before baking.

Hope you're having a relaxing Easter/Passover/Sunday! Loveyameanitbye.

VIDEO: DIY Wooly Mammoths - Working Large to Small Details

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

It's mammoth Monday! I'm so excited because I got my big box of the new, fabulous OLO markers! So I did a ton of coloring this weekend and I'll have several videos for you in the coming weeks. The ink flow is amazing. So much more like painting. 

Today's post is inspired by my friend Amanda Garrett, who cracked me up turning an elephant into a wooly mammoth a few months ago. Why didn't I think of that?? If you love marker coloring, give her a follow - she's a great colorist and a super creative scene builder. 

So I took the momma and baby elephant from this Mother's Day themed set and I used OLO markers for the base layers, and did the finishing furry and shading details with these pencils. It's a simple process, but as you'll see in the video, it might look crazy at first - the key to furry things is to stick with it and add layers. My favorite coloring cardstock for marker and pencil is this artist's choice.

The sentiment is from the same set. This is all part of this mom-themed and spring-themed release. It's MOMMOTH hahah.

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Here are the simple supplies I used today and the video is below.

NEW & EXCLUSIVE | Crafty Meraki [ CRF ] OLO Markers [ OLM ] Derwent Chromaflow Colored Pencil... [ BLIC ] Artist's Choice 110lb White Card... [ GNK ] 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 ]

Here's the video!

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

My favorite alcohol marker