Change your mood

 Hey they arsty peoples, Rita Barakat here! Today is a good day!

And if it's not find or create something lovely to look at. 

Something that can change your mood. 

Because time wasted is time spent brooding, worrying or miserable.

I created this cheery piece by stamping a heart and sentiment on burlap.

 The frame was wood and I painted it to match my piece.

So what will you do today? 

Find something lovely to look at?

Or create something that gives you a little peace?

Supplies: Paper -Susan K Weckesser Live, Love Create,

Susan K Weckesser/Unity Stamps- A little grunge Love stamp set

Insta-cute stamp set

Frame-ArtMinds

Felt Bird-Jolees Boutique

Faber Castell Stampers Big Brush pens

Paint- Tattered Angels Glaze & Silks

DCWV Burlap stack

Jute

Tough to make but so appreciated!

Hello this is Julie.

Do you struggle with Sympathy Cards....I do!

In fact, sometimes, despite my best intentions, they neither get made nor sent.

This past weekend after a conversation with a widowed friend about the loneliness of grief I thought long and hard about my feelings. Loss of family and friends is an experience we all face, often quite unexpectedly.

After my friend had gone I had to make two sympathy cards and so rather reluctantly I began.

Now Susan K. Weckesser is known for a whimsical and light style but it was in fact some remnant papers and her super Washi Tape Stamps for Unity that began a creating session.

Using Time To Create Handmade Embellishments meant I had my two cards done in a little time.

Why not, I thought, create some more cards to have on hand?

Inside this one it says "I'm thinking of You!

I don't like "With Sympathy", so instead I use words that will have meaning for the recipient and enable me to be personal in what I write.

If my card can reach out to a bereaved friend and let them know I care then perhaps the loneliness will be lessened a little. I know how I have appreciated the thoughtful gestures and kindness we have received over the last few years.

 

After all, a response that is heartfelt and real will always ease sadness, even if it is just a little.

Thoughtfully yours

Julie

Celebration of Simple - a Pinwheel Bouquet

Supply List

• Stamps - Celebration of Simple by Susan Weckesser (Unity Stamp Company)
• Cardstock - Neenah Solar White
• Copic Markers - Y02, R20, R29, BG45, YG06, BG10, YR04
• Sharpie - Laura Kelly
• Tsukineko Memento Inks - Tangelo, Bahama Blue, Lady Bug, Bamboo Leaves
• Pinwheel SVG - My Card Party 
• Bling - Bulk Bling from Want2Scrap
• Buttons - Buttons Galore & More
• Twine - Coats & Clark, The Twinery, My Mind's Eye, Doodlebug Design
• Adhesive - Glue Dots, AdTech Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Skewers (available at your local grocery)

Other - Silhouette Cameo, Pinwheel file available for download below.

Instructions

1. Cut 4 pinwheels. 
2. Stamp images and color. Add random doodles.
3. Place a large glue dot in the center of the pinwheel. Roll one of the blades of the pinwheel from the outer corner towards the center. Tip - use a fat sharpie and roll paper so that you don't crease the blades of the pinwheel.
4. Repeat with other corners, always heading in the same direction.
5. Prepare 8 buttons. Layer several colors of twine together. Use string to tie the twine to the button (with the knot at the back). Trim twine and fluff up. Add bulk bling with glue dots. Adhere button to the center with a generous dollop of hot glue.
6. Repeat with all pinwheels.
7. Add a large dollop of hot glue to the back of each pinwheel and press a skewer gently into the glue. Allow to cool. Add some more glue and add a button to the back. Note - you can trim the skewers to different lengths before or after. I like to leave the pointy end at the bottom, so they can be placed in the ground, or into styrofoam with ease.

Click here to download Pinwheel.

Celebrating the Simple Things...

Hello Everyone!  Lynne here today and I want to share with you a layout that I created after having two of my grandsons here with me for three amazing, wonderful, joyful weeks. 

As I have grown older and maybe a wee bit wiser I have come to realize that it really is those simple things that you are doing Right Now that will make the sweetest and longest-lasting memories.  So I created this layout to celebrate some of those little things that I hope my grandboys will remember fondly when I am long gone and they are much, much older!

Like a double scoop of ice cream and a HUGE piece of homemade beef jerky from the Bergen General Store all eaten by the river; Or a dip in Poppa's hot tub every morning after breakfast when the mountain air is still quite chilly.

I also wanted to show you how you can scrapbook a "boy page" using flowers and butterflies and sparkle and it is STILL a boy page!  Susan's paper line makes it easy to impart a bright and cheerful feel to the page without it being too "girly", and I balanced sparkly stickles with some pearlescent stickles to give the page a little more down to earth feel. 

So while you are spending time with your family this Summer take a mental note of some of those simple things you do together so you too can make a memory page for their future.

Cheers
Lynne Mizera
(and for more of my philosophy on life and grandchildren - visit my blog - Grin)
As well as Susan's paper I used the following stamp sets on this layout:
Celebration of Simple
Create Your Day
The Happy Homestead

Summer fun frame

Hey there crafty friends! Einat Kessler here with a fun and easy project you can create with your kids! A super easy frame for a summer fun photo!

These summer days are perfect for all kinds of water activities...the beach, the pool as long as it's cold and refreshing! This frame project is so easy you can create it with your kids.

Start by cutting a 5" X 7" chipboard square. Then create a frame by removing a 4" X 6" square from the middle. Color the frame with blue acrylic paint or distress ink.

Stamp the wonderful boat stamp from the Sail Away stamp set on Beautiful Daydreams paper and cut it out. Color the boat and the waves with coloring pencils. Adhere the boat to the bottom of the frame.

Cut the sun from the same paper and adhere it to the frame as well.

Then stamp the cute kite from Fly Away set twice. Cut both of them out. Color with coloring pencils. Adhere the kite to the frame. Add a string to the kite and tie around the frame. Then cut the small ribbons from the second stamps and add them on top of the string.

That's it..you're done! This project is really easy and could be a perfect project for children. You can create a set of a few frames for more summer fun photos!

Have fun creating!
Einat

Birds of a feather with Susan K Weckesser/Studio 12

 Hi everyone, Tracy here today to share a quick project using 

one of the stamp sets that Susan K Weckesser designed for Studio 12 over at Polkadoodles and is available in the UK, woohoo!

It`s a cutie.

I will apologise in advance as I don`t have any step by step pictures today, but this is super easy to recreate, promise.

 Just start with a quick layer of Gesso over an off cut of wood, leave to dry or if you are impatient like me ... then blast it with your heat tool.

 Get out your Pan Pastels in 2 colors and apply all over the block of wood, apply some white Pan Pastel next and finish with a little Black Pan Pastel around the edges.

 Time to ink up the stamp using an Archival ink pad and color with Watercolor paints. To add more definition I went around the outline with a black liner pen, adding a few doodles along the way.

 Stamp the little birdie a second time and cut out the wing to make it look more 3D.

 Next I stamped the sentiment onto card, chopped it up and applied a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink with a blending tool around the edges.

I fixed them in place with a hot glue gun and added a few more doodles.

Can you see the text on the left . . . I applied Pan Pastel to a script stamp that I won from  

Unity Stamp Co recently { woohoo}and  randomly stamped it over the block of wood.

To finish a touch of a Clear Embossing pad followed by some Cosmic Shimmer Embossing powder for a little touch of texture.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look.

Till next time

Happy Crafting

Tracy Easson

Susan K Weckesser Design Team Member

Little house card...

Hi every home you have been having a great few weeks since my last post.  I see lots  of great projects being posted here, very inspirational.  This week I am sharing with you a shaped card.  First I started off with the Live, Love, Create piece of paper and cut out the house from it.

I proceeded to doodle all over the image with a fine tip brown marker.  I am not usually a person who doodles but have been inspired by Susan to be free in my random doodling!  I out lined the house parts with a stitching, drew a few flowers and added a scallop to resemble roof tiles.

I then folded a piece of card stock over an made a crease in it.  I glue the house close to the folded edge and then cut around the picture to make a house shaped card.  I cut out the door way so someone could peek inside the house.....

I then cut some swirls from the pattern paper and attached it to the chimney for a homey effect.   

For the inside I cut out a flower from the Bouquet paper and pasted it inside.  I also doodled with the same pen and made stitching around everything and making some more flowers.  Inside I glued a sentiment down, it reads "celebrate home and family" 

Really a simple little card using a few pieces of paper and a pen!  I am starting to like this doodling thing!  I am trying not to be to caught up in everything being perfect....I must try it more!

Well that is it for this week, hope everyone is doing great...till next time...!

Jennifer