It’s nearly Father’s Day, and I needed to make one more card for our favorite dad here. I wanted also to exercise my hand a bit and try to draw a design. That part took a whole day (baby steps guys, I don’t get to use it much!) but it was worth it. I filmed the process of turning my doodle into a folded card as well, so I have a video to share.
Disclaimer that I am a paid consultant for Brother, but all ideas and opinions are my own as always. For my full video tutorial, here is a link to my YouTube video
I absolutely love that I could turn this into a stencil or layer it in this way. I could resize this, cut it from other materials, so many options! Ah but the bottom line, I have the perfect Father’s Day card and it is simply cardstock and my own design. I love that!
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, and if you’re considering trying your hand at a design like mine I hope you do! No ScanNCut? Use decorative pen and hand-cut the outline is always an option. Perfectly smooth lines or handwriting not required- gotta love that.
Buttons make me so happy – always have enjoyed playing with them. It’s hard to see a rainbow and not smile. This week has been rough on so many, with so much tragedy. I can’t even believe it every time I think that has got to be it… there is more. Before I share my tutorial video I want to share a few thoughts on what inspired this therapeutic mixed media piece.
Originally I had a lengthy rant here about fear mongering, encouraging people to turn against each other, and hate filled speeches encouraging a divided nation. But I don’t want to add to that particularly gnarly fire.
Tearing at others does not build you up, and it definitely doesn’t help in the wake of tragedy. Deeply disturbed by both recent events in the country and so many of the the voices of “leadership” I knew I needed to get in the studio and recenter. Do something happy. Wonderful. Silly and small but that I could enjoy. Because I know one thing with absolute certainty:
Spreading love, happiness, kindness, smiles, and positivity is never a bad thing.
There will always be sick, twisted, even evil people in this world. I can’t stop that. But I can take every opportunity to make things better. To try and bring a smile to someone else or share a kind word. To fuel, feed, and embrace positivity and be more of what I want to see in this world. That, I can do. Maybe what I do is very small and doesn’t matter much, but those little things add up and the more of us who try to unite, build each other up, and be the positive change we want to see the better!
I share all of this because this is what inspired me to pull out almost EVERY 28 Lilac Lane bottle and kit. I pulled out every one available to me (except the browns) and spent a little time building myself back into a positive state of mind. If you’re wanting the how-to on a project like mine, you can view my YouTube video here.
I hope you enjoyed that tutorial – the process really is simple! PPA matte finish is a great adhesive choice. You can work with a specialty paste like the snowflake paste I used, or plain, or just glue! I also ended up sealing this project with glossy accents but that’s optional. I just wanted to make sure this rainbow that I created over a few hours this week lasts!
Looking for 28 Lilac Lane products? They’re available online and in local shops now. I used every single kit and bottle as I said before. If there’s a particular one you want pointed out I’m happy to do so. I have some affiliate links posted below if you want to shop the line as well.
I hope you liked my bit of rainbow and crafty happiness. It is going to hang here in the studio to remind me that in the darkest times, you can always look for the light. The rainbow. Seek the love.
I rearranged some things (slowly and over a number of days!) and wanted to share the results. I was able to get my grandpa’s rocking chair (he made it!) into the studio. On the chair are a quilt and pillow my grandma made along with a bear pillow that I fell in love with (Target).
I’ve always said that when it comes to your space, function should be #1, but a close second should be things you enjoy, treasures that make you happy. It’s a big reason why you’ll find random nonsense items in here – and I’d not have it any other way.
Of course that can also include things like awesome new Hero Arts stamps (see Hawaii one, below) that I’m finding ways of working with and testing out. This whole slow and steady thing sucks – not gonna pretend otherwise – but I’m making the most of it as best as I can, and remembering that this is all worth it.
Oh, and don’t worry. Studio is messy as ever even if I’m only crafting about 1/100th of my norm. I’ve not yet figured out how I’m managing to do that… guess I’m just creatively messy by nature and not even being one-armed can change that about me!
How are we approaching Father’s day already? The time I tell you is really flying by! Today I’m excited to share a card that features some new Close to My Heart stamps (find out more info at their website). Wait, not some. The ENTIRE STAMP SET! That’s right I went for it and used them all. This card didn’t need much embellishing either – but a few nautical accents from my embellishment line 28 Lilac Lane “At Sea” kit (available in stores now) and some twine were the perfect accents.
This card actually began as a watermark stamping idea… but I decided with the awesome urban papers (from CTMH) I could not just use up my stamps… but a good number of inks too! It’s easier to show – so here’s my YouTube video
I really love how this one turned out – now if I can only find a gift for the great dad that lives here in this house… hmmm.
I hope that I’ve inspired you today to use ALL THE STAMPS (yes, all caps) to create a card like mine. This one happens to be Father’s Day – but any theme would work! I love that instead of having to pick a favorite I was able to make this collage of fun. Until next time – I wish you very happy crafting!
A lot of you have asked me how I’m doing, and the truth is there really isn’t anything to update. There are a lot of limitations on me. And progress is about as slow as watching grass grow. This isn’t a scrape or a common cold. It’s a long. slow. months long. tedious as heck process. A tear in my right wrist is a tiny thing, with a very major impact. It’s not even something I can update you on regularly because this injury is that slow.
There have been some dark days. Some days I wanted to just eat junk food and stare at the TV, totally giving up on any positive anything. This is why I always have one small project that I can do every day. Some days the only thing I did was to water the lawn… and grow grass. Sounds silly, but the size of the project doesn’t matter. It’s the good habits and positive action big or small.
So, I’ve patched up the lawn dead spots with grass seed. I’ve cleared out a number of junk drawers and each day I do something. I have very limited use. I have a ton of restrictions. But I’m here. And I’m trying little things. Tiny habits. Microscopic good choices. And I’m doing it every day. I’m working in small batches and stuff shows up sporadically I know. It’s all about doing my best in this moment, no pressure.
Right now my 10 typing minutes are up for now, and it’s time for physical therapy exercises…
