SO MANY CRAFTS, SO LITTLE TIME

 In addition to my passion for all things CRICUT I follow Kit and Clowder for alcohol ink coloring, Art Impressions for watercoloring, and have recently developed an obsession with HEARTFELT CREATIONS.

I came accross Heartfelt Creations a few years ago and practiced their techniques without actually using their products. Then I took a class from them at a local craft show and bought a few products, but mostly continued with just what I already owned. But now I am a full blown addict. I am grateful for this quarentine situation because it allows me time to play with all of my toys. But, as with all addictions, it really becomes overwhelmingly intrusive and compelling. I resent all interuptions to my PLAYTIME!

But enough talk- let me show you what I have been working on:

And now I am waiting for delivery of another multi-layered die set.

When my card class resumes I plan to have them make cards using these products and will take the pre-made flowers for them to use if they don't want to make their own.

The problem comes with mailing complex cards like these when you want to send them to someone!

Watercolor Wednesday on Thursday

 I was in too much pain from my foot injury to participate in Art Impressions Watercolor Wednesday yesterday so I did it today and made my result into a card in keeping to my vow to turn every successful practice embellishment into a card.

 

If you want to check out how well, or poorly, I did check out the video at

https://www.facebook.com/ArtImpressionsRubberStamps/videos/304637827469335/ 

But be careful or you too will get hooked !!!

HEARTFELT CREATIONS CARD

 I am so proud of this card. I have been practicing making Heartfelt Creations flowers from the Classic Petunia set. It is the only set I have so far due to the expense of the full sets. But I really love this line and will grow my stash slowly.

Over the past few days I have been practicing different configurations and colors so that, even with only one set, I am getting a variety of looks.

So, despite having a really sore foot that I had to medicate heavily, I was able to complete a card. It's a good thing that I was able to design a card box in Cricut Design Space because the three dimensional flowers will not fit in a regular envelope.

Christmas Humor

 I hope that whoever gets this Cristmas card from my latest Art Impressions effort has a sence of humor!

Labeling Copic Ciaos

 I received a great gift today, but first the back story.

     I have been taking alcoholin coloring classes fro Kit and Clowder for a couple of years. I started out using Spectrum Noir pens because they are more affordable than Copics. I like those just fine. Although I do wish they came with the brush tip. (You can buy those for the SNs but it would be expensive). I wanted to switch to Copics because it is easier to follow along with the lessons if you are using the same colors.                                                                                           

     As many of you already know, Copics are expensive! So I decided to buy the Ciaos. The problem is that the numbers are listed on the side of the pens rather than the end. This makes them hard to locate quickly. I tried to make my own lid labels but was not very successful. Plus, even had I been successful it would have taken a VERY long time to type them up and cut them out.

     So, the gift I got today was a download of a full set of lables sized to fit the Ciao lids. All I have to do now is print out the lables and stick them to the pens with small glue dots. 

This is going to take a while so I probably will not get anything else crafty done today. 

Making My Heartfelt Creations Flowers The Right Way !!!

     I fell in love with Heartfelt Creations a few years ago and tried to copy their techniques without actually using their products. I can't complain about my results. They were OK. But then I had an opportunity to take a live class with them at a craft show and , of course, became addicted.

     I bought a set of the small Petunia stamps and dies and the mold for shaping them. The mold is a lot easier on the fingers than shaping by hand. I recently bought the large Petunia stamp and die set and immediately made a card with them.

I think the card looks pretty.
But the flowers did not hold their original shape. I had made them pretty tight. As you can see, though, they are more flat than cupped as they should be.

I had to give this some thought because I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE they way the flowers look when Emma Lou makes them.

The only thing I did differently was that I used Art Glitter wet glue instead of the HOT GLUE.

I made another card a couple of days later using the hot glue on the flowers. 

BOY WHAT A DIFFERENCE !

These flowers, though only one layer thick, are hard as rocks and haven't lost any height even days later!

So often it is just a little thing that makes a BIG difference.

UPDATE ON THE COPIC PEN COLOR ISSUE (and honorable mention of the products and companies I support)

     As I noted in my last post, I have almost all of the Copic Ciao colors but still don't have some of the colors that Alyce Keegan(of KITAND CLOWDER) uses. So I did a little research and found that the Copic Sketch has many more colors than the Copic Ciao. While I would love to have every single color of Copics I have sadly had to come to the conclusion that I am not such an artist that I "NEED" to spend so much money on alcohol ink pens when I have so many other craft commitments.

     My first love is anything having to do with CRICUT ! I not only love using my CRICUT but also love teaching newbies to use theirs. I used to teach at Joann's and Michaels but found their systems awkward due to poor internet connection. I then began teaching in a consignment store but they had to close due to illness. And now, of course, the pandemic interferes.

    Watercoloring with ARTIMPRESSIONS is another addiction which is so rewarding, but also expensive as I feel I NEED every stamp they make! 

Oh, I forgot to mention my love of HEARTFELT CREATIONS  flower shaping tools!

    Over all, though, my PASSION is CARDMAKING ! All of the other ventures are in support of the card making.