Copic

Easter Wrap Up – Spring Cards Galore

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Sorry to be late posting to my blog this week but you know how people get busy and then time gets away! However, I didn’t want to let Easter get by without one last post of some really cute cards that made their way out of my mailbox and into the hands of some of my mini friends this week (**ALERT** I have heard reports that some have received theirs while others in the same households are still empty handed. That seems to be the way of the postal services these days. I hear their machines – both human and mechanical – are overworked and in under abundance).

I won’t give a lot of details for this week’s cards, mostly just pictures, but I did want to give a couple of little tips that I have found make my card assembly much easier.

Adding lettering to the front of a card using a word die looks really nice but can be a frustration when trying to line it up properly. I have found that cutting cardstock letters from the die then placing the negative of the word in the location I want it on my card makes this task an easy and frustration free endeavor. Run the letters through a Xyron 150 sticker maker, remove them from the backing, then place them back into the negative. Give the inserted letters a good rub to make sure they are fully adhered. Then, lift the negative away and your word will be aligned neatly on the front of your card.

My second tip is a perfect way to add artwork to an A2 card. Place the A2 card into the corner of your Misti. Add adhesive to the artwork and align it with the edges of the Misti. No more crooked card alignment.

When raising a panel on your cards for effect, how many 3D foam squares or strips is too much? some people place a sheet of foam over the entire back of their panel and others just make a rim around the four sides. I love using foam strips and have found that the 1/8-inch strips are perfect for this job. I surround the outer edges of my panel then make an X in through the center. Finally, fill in any large areas that might find themselves sinking if they become pressed in during the mailing process. Finally, if a card needs extra protection add a foam card cushion inside the envelope. This keeps the mail processing machinery from damaging your artwork or tearing the envelope open. But, be sure to add extra postage if you use one of these handy little pieces of foam because the extra depth will signal the USPS that your card is too thick for the minimum payment. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click the link for Card Cushions in the supplies list below for a visual.

And now for my last Easter cards of the season – Check the supply list if you are interested in any of the tools I used – And if you have questions about a specific card, please add a message below and I’ll be sure to respond.

  • TE – Oh Hoppy Day
  • MFT – Over the Moon for Ewe
  • TE – Cap It Off Alpha
  • TE – Iconic Wishes Sparrow
  • TE – Be Joyful Sentiments
  • TE – Bunch O’ Bunnies
  • Avery Elle – Sending Hugs

Supplies:

I do not receive compensation for listing the items I have used in this post; however, I like for you to be able to easily click links to order any items you might find interesting. When Possible I have included two links in case items are out of stock on one site.

Oh Hoppy Day Card:

Over the Moon For Ewe Card:

Cap It Off Alpha Card:

Iconic Wishes Sparrow Card:

Be Joyful Sentiments Card:

Bunch O’ Bunnies Card:

Sending Hugs Card:

Miscellaneous Tools Used:

** MFT Items that have been discontinued are often available from FranticStamper.com, Doodlebugswa.com, and Scrapbookpal.com. When possible I provide links to directly to MFT.

I am visible on Instagram (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and Facebook (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and I hope that you will scroll to the bottom of the page and click to subscribe.

Thanks for checking out my post. I hope you have had a nice Easter holiday and that you were able to share it with loved ones whether from a distance or fully vaccinated and in person. Please come back next week when I will have another new card to share with you.

Hello Spring – Hop To It!

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Spring has sprung! I know some people still have snow, but since spring begins March 1, I guess that makes my comment accurate. That and the fact that little green things are popping up in my flowerbed and all over town.

Wait, did I say spring begins March 1? Where in the world did I get that idea? Well, before you click the comment button to correct me, I want to clarify that the meteorological start to spring is March 1. The astronomical start is the date we are most familiar with and that is March 20.

I read that we are in for a slow start to severe weather season this year. That’s a positive for me because I love spring but truly dislike the tornadic events that come through Oklahoma this time of year. The negative part of that good news is that forecasters are also saying we could have an above-normal season of wicked weather in April and May.

In last week’s post I promised to bring a little spring to life. So, we are going to put the ideas of anything more than pleasant weather and bunnies on the back burner for now.

Speaking of bunnies, I have the  cutest new stencil from Taylored Expressions. The 6×6 Oh Hoppy Day stencil comes ready to put little bunny silhouettes all over your paper. Or, as in my case, they are ready to line up in a row across my card.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I have tried about every brand of white ink pad and have never been happy with the coverage I get. The ink is always blobby and blotchy and I end up using embossing powder instead. Truth be told, I usually end up ditching the white idea and just stamp with black ink.

That all changed when I purchased the Taylored Expressions Sugar Cube white pigment ink pad. This white ink stamps just as clearly and smoothly as any other color ink pad. I love it. To test it out, I stamped the Playful Plaid Background stamp onto several sheets of pastel green cardstock with the Sugar Cube ink. 

To get repeated and even coverage, I took the black foam sheet from my Misti and placed the red rubber stamp face up on the base of the stamping platform. I laid the first piece of cardstock on top of the clean stamp. Once I was confident I had the paper straight and aligned, I rolled a piece of purple tape and placed it on top of the cardstock then closed the Misti door (This held my paper in place so that I could ink, lift the paper, and reink my rubber stamp if I didn’t get good coverage the first time. (I am almost out of purple tape in the old style and I really don’t like the new style with the white pinwheels on it. It’s just not sticky enough. What do you use? Have you found the old style of purple tape available anywhere?)

I lifted the Misti door, added ink to the background stamp, then closed the door and rubbed a clean cloth over the top of the platform door to transfer the ink to my cardstock. Luckily the first application of ink gave me a uniform pattern. However, if I had needed to, I could have reinked the stamp, closed the door, and applied pressure to the lid again to transfer the ink to my perfectly aligned paper.

Before I removed the inked card, I made a note of the placement of the cardstock so that I could place my second, third, and fourth pieces of paper on the window in the same location and get uniform placement of the stamped image on each piece of paper. Every stamp I did turned out just as perfectly as the previous one.

Since my experiment had produced several sheets of beautifully stamped cardstock I decided it would provide the perfect base for my bunny card. I guess I should have made a plan in advance because once I looked at the stamped background I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to color over the white ink. 

That wasn’t actually a problem because I recalled a technique I had seen Taylor (of Taylored Expressions) demonstrate during February when she was coloring her shamrock cards. This was the perfect project to give it a try.

I placed a blob (a very technical term) of Nuvo Glimmer Paste on my palette and then placed a single drop of coral Copic ink refill (YR14 – Caramel) on top of the blob. I mixed the Nuvo Glimmer Paste with my spatula to create a very pale coral color. This was a perfect mix since I wanted to use greens and corals on my bunny card!

To spread the glimmer paste, I first taped the green cardstock to my work surface and then laid the stencil on top. I had a wooden bunny to add to my card so I aligned the stencil with four bunnies on the right, leaving enough space for the wooden bunny to be added later on the left side of the card.

If you are a very careful and slow worker you might go ahead and start applying the glimmer paste. However, I often (make that always) think I am going to be neat but later find that I have smeared ink or glue or some other application all over an otherwise perfect card. To keep this from happening I tore a strip of Post-It Removable Labeling Tape and placed it over the row of bunnies just above the set that I wished to apply to my card.

I then scooped the hand-colored Nuvo paste onto my spatula and scraped it across my stencil. I was very careful to rub the paste in only one direction and to smooth it level with the top of the stencil. After I had a smooth and even coat of the glimmer paste applied I gently removed the stencil. The cutest line of four bunnies was lined up and ready to dry.

While the bunnies dried I quickly headed to the kitchen sink where I rinsed my stencil, spatula, and palette. I will warn you not to let the glimmer paste dry on your stencil or tools because once it dries it’s solid. And, I mean solid. You can add liquid soap and run water over the stencil gently rubbing it with your fingers, but I found that my efficient kitchen spray nozzle was strong enough to remove all of the paste and glitter. I then used a paper towel to dry the stencil, palette, and my spatula.

Once my stencil and tools were clean and dry I returned to my work table and created a sentiment strip. I stamped several sentiments on coral cardstock using a VersaMark stamp pad. I used white embossing powder to make the sentiments stand out. I thought something “hoppy” would work well but after trying several options on my card I chose Hello, Spring.

By this time the glimmer paste had dried. I don’t know about you, but I love making mini slimline cards. They have a certain look I love and most of the cards I have made lately are this size (3 1/2 x 6). I thought the bunnies in a row would fit the mini slim format perfectly so I used the largest Taylored Expressions Stitched Mini Slim Stacklet to cut a slim rectangle. I then glued the wooden bunny to the face of my card, added a little pom pom bunny tail, and affixed the sentiment.

I chose a candy corn cardstock base but decided the color was a bit harsh for the pastel green and coral I had already used. Rather than use another color, I cut the largest Taylored Expressions Petite Scallop Mini Slim Stacklet to create a white border and I was really happy with the look I was getting. 

I used 3D foam strips to add the scalloped edges to the card base and my card was ready to be placed in the mailbox to spread a little Easter cheer.

This card was quick and really pretty simple. Not only does the wooden bunny stand out, I love the glittery row of bunnies I created with the self-colored glimmer paste. 

Next week I plan to stick with the Easter theme but want to move away from pastel colors and try something more on the bold side. If you want to make several similar cards you won’t want to miss next week’s post because I will be creating something that is easily duplicated. I hope you’ll click in to see it.

Supplies:

I do not receive compensation for listing the items I have used in this post; however, I like for you to be able to easily click links to order any items you might find interesting. When Possible I have included two links in case items are out of stock on one site.

As usual, I would love for you to share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you liked what you saw today and would like to be sure to catch all of my posts, scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to my blog via email. I also try to post regularly to Instagram (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and occasionally on Facebook (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess). 

If you have any suggestions for a replacement for my “old” style purple tape I would love to hear from you in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!

Where Have You Been?

Posted on by Lynn Hill

When we lived in Bartlesville I lost my wedding ring. I had no idea where it was. I searched and searched but finally gave up when I knew it was not to be found.

Fast forward five years. We were getting ready to move from our home and we wanted everything to be as good as possible for the new owners. We hired a plumber to come and replace the drain pipe in our bathroom because it was a slow drainer.

The pipe was replaced and water went down the drain quickly and smoothly and we were happy as could be. Actually, “happy as could be” was only a short-lived feeling because about two hours after the plumber left, my phone rang and he asked, “Do you happen to be missing a ring?”

The realization that my ring was probably in that pipe sent me shrieking over the phone lines. The plumber told me he was preparing to throw the old pipe in the trash pile when he turned it upside down to shake the water from it. As he tossed it to the pile he saw something fall from the pipe.

A quick search divulged a barely discernible wedding and engagement set lying in a pile of mush. The rings were solid black. But, when I described my rings to the plumber he told me, “What was lost is found!”

The solid black rings were barely recognizable and I was sure no amount of cleaning would repair them. After a couple of weeks I got a call from our jeweler who told me the rings were as shiny as if they were new.

Just like my rings, I was gone from this blog for a while. However, unlike my rings, I don’t have an amazing or fantastic story. About a year ago my site got corrupted and I was locked out of my website. I just didn’t find the time to fix it and figured I would eventually get back into a blog when I had time.

The Coronavirus quarantine has given many of us a LOT of time to do things we have been putting off or that needed a dedicated amount of time to accomplish. I have found the time to begin sorting pictures that go back 40+ years, I have visited with family members via Zoom and FaceTime, I have tried new recipes, and I have been given time to figure out how to get my website fixed. Actually, it gave me about 10 hours to work with my hosting company to get the problems worked out. As I told them, “I am a total idiot, uneducated to website programming/operation, and know NOTHING about what I’m doing.”

Thanks to their great work and my patience (I was on hold off and on for about 7 of those ten hours) I am ready to begin posting again!

My Favorite Things Stamps recently offered a free digital printable that could be used to create greeting cards for healthcare workers around the world. Making people feel good is one of my favorite things to do and I knew that healthcare workers would be feeling a lot of extra stress and pressure so this freebie created a perfect project for me.

I have recently been learning to use Copic alcohol markers and took the opportunity to use the freebie to create 20+ thank-you cards (I have actually made about 100 but only 20+ with this free digital stamp). Since I have a few friends and family members who are healthcare workers I sent them cards and then I creeped some of their Facebook pages to search for other healthcare workers I felt might need a boost in the morale side of life.

In addition to the free digital stamp, I used Small Sayings Volume 3 by Julie Ebersole, Essentials By Ellen; and Totally Random Sayings, Essentials By Ellen to create the Thanks sentiments on the cards.

I had not done much work with skin tones or hair color so by making many cards it enabled me to work on lots of skin tones and even some hair texture that I really enjoyed. I know I need more practice but for a novice I am pretty happy.

I have to give a shout out to Sandy Allnock at Art-Classes.com for the hair texture lesson. She is a great teacher and has a calm, positive voice. When she is instructing she doesn’t carry on about anything other than what you are learning. I like that style! If you are interested in learning how to draw, color, or paint you should check her out. She even has some Bible journaling classes.

The free doctor and nurse printable digital stamps by Birdie Brown (designed by Torico) are available until the end of April. After that you can buy the dies and stamps at MFTStamps. If you should decide to print some of these stamps to make cards be sure to credit #mftstamps in your social media as a thanks to them for the FREE stamps.

I have also been busy creating cards to put out for our grocery delivery people when they make a drop off. I am thankful they are willing to do my shopping while I try to stay home and away from the public.

I would love to hear about your interesting ways to acknowledge people who have been working hard to keep your world running during this pandemic. Just click in and comment.

Feel free to click any of the links I have provided for card-making products. I do not get paid in any way when you click my links, I just wanted to provide you an easy way to access some of the great products I like.

I promise not to wait a whole year before I post again.