National Scrapbooking Month – Happy Times Blog Hop

Welcome to our National Scrapbooking Month blog hop featuring the special paper packet, Happy Times.

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There are 30 participants for this bloghop and you should arrive from LelaThis is a big hop so if you can keep hopping to the next to make the loop. But just in case, if you get lost, you can always go to HERE to see the full list of participants.

These papers are gorgeous for any kind of papercraft projects. For this hop, I made tags and cards for Mother’s Day gifts 🙂

Happy Times Blog Hop: More Gift Ideas

I used the Packages, Boxes, & Tags stamp set to create these gift tags:

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Happy Times: Tag 2

And for these 2 mini cards, I used the sentiments and banner stamps from the May 2016 SOTM – Celebrate With Cakes:

Happy Times: Card 1

Happy Times: Card 2

You can get the exclusive Happy Times paper packet for FREE With a qualifying purchase of $60. This fun paper packet, which is available for one month only, features floral designs, gold foil details, and more! You can also purchase this exclusive paper packet at full retail for $14.95 with no purchase requirement. Get the coordinating D-size stamp set, My Acrylix® Happy Times, for $17.95. Together with the Happy Times paper packet, this stamp set will help keep your precious memories vivid and bright in the pages of your scrapbook.

Your next hop is Tracey to see what she has created for you. Thank You so much for hopping by my blog today and have an amazing weekend!


Additional supplies from CTMH:

  • Ranger Gold Embossing Powder
  • Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder
  • VersaMark Ink Pad
  • Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads: Black, Pamogranate
  • Craft Heater
  • Pixie Extra Thick Twine
  • Calypso Sequins Assortment
  • Watercolor Paper
  • Paintbrush Set
  • Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors
  • My Acrylix Blocks

I link up the projects at:

Color Dare #192–Happy Times Colors
Colormyheartcolordare.blogspot.com

Sparkle and Shine Challenge 29

Word Art Wednesday Challenge 228-229: Anything Goes/Family Friendly

Word Art Wednesday

Scrapping Everyday Miracles – May Sketch Challenge

Little Tangles Challenge 68 – Anything Goes

Mixed Media Tag: She

Mother’s Day is this weekend and one of my favorite Bible verses from Proverbs 31 is:

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31:25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And I found a stamp with this verse from Unity Stamp Company, She Is Without Fear.

I have been making tags for my tag ring that I started early year. On these tags have favorite quotes, encouraging words and Bible verses, too.

Today, I would love to share a tag for my tag ring 🙂 and it is a mixed media tag.

Mixed Media Tag: She

I use Canson Watercolor Papers 140 lbs for my tags.

For this tag background, I painted with some Gelatos. I speeded up the drying process using my Craft Heater. When it dried completely, I stamped the image from She Is Without Fear using Memento Black Ink Pad.

Then I added some butterflies from Splatters & Flutter from ARTPlorations using homemade modeling paste.

It is I call a clean and simple mixed media, if there is such thing… LOL! 😀

My tag is done and is on the ring with the others 🙂

Have you entered my giveaway? You can go HERE to enter!

Thank You for visiting today and I hope you enjoy it, too!


I link up my tag at:

Unity Stamp Co. Weekly Challenge: Itti Bitty Challenge

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Simon Says: Stencil It

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog

Word Art Wednesday Challenge 228-229: Anything Goes/Family Friendly

Word Art Wednesday

STAMPlorations May Mixed Media Challenge

Watercolored Tags: Hope and Strength

Today, I join the IO Stamps challenge on their blog this week – Splashes of Colors. I made two jumbo tags for my 2016 Word Tag Ring. My plan is to make a tag a week that has encouraging word every week. At the end of the year I will have 52 tags!

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I love these Big Butterfly cling stamp (L13416) and the Hope Blooms (B13311) cling stamp from Impression Obsession.

First, I stamped them using Memento Black Ink Pad and then colored the butterfly and background using Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors. For the background, I lightly color with the light blue, heat set it and then added more darker along the line of the butterfly to add some shadow.

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The second tag today I shared on my blog I created it using the Sketched Rose background cling stamp (CC187) and the Strength Hipe Blessings (C13254) cling stamp that also from Impression Obsession.

I stamped them with Memento Black Ink and colored the butterfly and background using Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors. I only use one color on those roses. The middle of the roses, I added more color.

They are one layer tag with stamping and watercoloring.

I also link up these tags at Challenge #221 – Anything Goes Two-Week Challenge.

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I hope you find some inspirations today! Have a blessed Tuesday!

Christmas Card Recycling Project Ideas

We got many Christmas cards every year and they are too beautiful to throw them away. Ours are just sitting in a box where I keep them every year. So, instead of just keeping them in the box or throwing them away, why don’t we recycle them into something pretty that we can share with others and/or we can use them as home decor?

Christmas Card Recycling Project Ideas

Searching through Pinterest world, I found these beautiful inspiration for us to recycle the Christmas cards. You also can do these projects together with your children for fun Winter/Christmas activity.

Here are the project ideas (click on the image or link to go to the original posts):

Crafty Sy: Christmas Cards Wreath

Crafty Sy: Christmas Cards Wreath

~ S.C.R.A.P ~ Scraps: Canning Jar Toppers

~ S.C.R.A.P ~ Scraps: Canning Jar Toppers

The Frugal Girls: Bookmarks from Christmas Cards

The Frugal Girls: Bookmarks from Christmas Cards

Stacy Makes Cents: Make Tags & Ornaments using Cookie Cutters

Stacy Makes Cents: Make Tags & Ornaments using Cookie Cutters

Maker Mama: Ornament Balls

Maker Mama: Ornament Balls

A Spoonful of Sugar Designs: Gift Tags

A Spoonful of Sugar Designs: Gift Tags

Better Homes and Gardens: Decorative Ways to Recycle Christmas Cards

Better Homes and Gardens: Decorative Ways to Recycle Christmas Cards

Here’s my recycled card I made couple weeks ago (original post here):

Merry & Bright: A Recycled Christmas Card by Helen Gullett | Blog at http://wp.me/p1DmW0-25K | #handmadecard #christmascard #diecutting #watercoloring #recycling #cardmaking #justnick #silhouettecameo

If you make cards out of your old Christmas cards, you can send your recycled cards to St. Jude Ranch, all year round. They need need not Christmas cards, but also all-occasions greeting cards, such as Birthday cards, Thank You cards, Holiday themes, etc. Please go here to read more detail of this program and how you dan donate your cards.

I hope you’ll also be inspired to create something new and pretty from your Christmas cards!

Have wonderful week and be blessed!

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Link Up at:

Inspire Me Monday – Week 208

First Mixed Media Project: Thank You Gift Tag

Mixed Media is something new that I discovered among papercrafters. It is a new technique that I would like to explore and learn.

According to Wikipedia, Mixed Media is a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media. In other word, mixed media is an art work that made by more than one medium.

But Mixed Media Artwork is not the same with Multimedia Art. For example, a work on canvas that combines paint, ink, and collage could properly be called a “mixed media art, but not multimedia art.

I watched some tutorials on YouTube and I think it is something that I will enjoy creating. In those videos, I found out two of the main supplies are Gesso and Modeling Paste. Honestly, I still do not know yet the different betweet them since I have not yet seen them or used them in any of my projects in the past. Next time I make a trip to a craft store, I will get them just  to make sure I know the different 🙂

But for a start, I found couple tutorial how to make homemade Gesso and Modeling Paste.

My first mixed media project: Thank You Gift Tag. More about it on my blog: http://helengullett.com/?p=7939 | #mixedmedia #stamplorations #artplorations #fabercastell #gelatos #ctmh #cansonwatercolorpaper #watercoloring #stamping #coloring #gifttag #thankyoutag #thanksgiving #handmadE #diy #coffeelovingpapercrafters #coffeelovingcardmakers #homemadegesso #homemademodelingpaste

I tried this tutorial to make the homemade modeling/texture paste that using baby powder and here’s the recipe:

  • 1 1/2 cup Baby powder (it makes the paste smells so good!)
  • 1/2 cup of White acrylic paint / white acrylic gesso (you can also use black or color gesso/paint)
  • 1/4 cup of Mod Podge (matte)

I used baby powder from Target brand and I ended up adding a little bit more acrylic paint to make it softer to mix. It was a bit hard to mix. She suggested to start with the liquid first, then the powder to avoid lump. And store the paste in air-tight container.

And I also followed this tutorial and recipe that using baking soda for my first homemade gesso:

 

  • 1/2 cup of Baking Soda
  • 3 tablespoon White Glue (I used Mod Podge)
  • 2 tablespoon White Paint

I ended up to add a little bit more paint to make more consistency like on the video. I think what make the difference is that the brand of supplies we use. So if you wanna try this, I would suggest to start with the recipe and see if you like the result, if not then you can add more of the ingredient to make it better consistent to meet your need.

My oldest daughter was at home for Thanksgiving break and she helped me with mixing them. We had fun doing it together and messy for sure 😀

The best way to store the oaste is in an air-tight container and according to them, one batch can last for 6-10 months.

My first mixed media project: Thank You Gift Tag. More about it on my blog: http://helengullett.com/?p=7939 | #mixedmedia #stamplorations #artplorations #fabercastell #gelatos #ctmh #cansonwatercolorpaper #watercoloring #stamping #coloring #gifttag #thankyoutag #thanksgiving #handmadE #diy #coffeelovingpapercrafters #coffeelovingcardmakers #homemadegesso #homemademodelingpaste

I did a test right away. So, I cut a tag out of Canson watercolor paper (140 lbs). To create the background, I added some Gelatos on it and blended them with my finger and then using baby wipe I blended them more to give the watercoloring look. I speeded the drying with Craft Heater.

When the background tag dry completely, I added the modeling paste on it using a palete knife over Retro Circles – ARTplorations Stencil. It took a while to dry.

My first mixed media project: Thank You Gift Tag. More about it on my blog: http://helengullett.com/?p=7939 | #mixedmedia #stamplorations #artplorations #fabercastell #gelatos #ctmh #cansonwatercolorpaper #watercoloring #stamping #coloring #gifttag #thankyoutag #thanksgiving #handmadE #diy #coffeelovingpapercrafters #coffeelovingcardmakers #homemadegesso #homemademodelingpaste

I stamped the stacking cups (Sketchy Coffee Cups – STAMPlorations) and sentiment (Literary Caffeine-anations – Big Grind by Becca Cruger, STAMPlorations) when the background completly dry.

My first mixed media project: Thank You Gift Tag. More about it on my blog: http://helengullett.com/?p=7939 | #mixedmedia #stamplorations #artplorations #fabercastell #gelatos #ctmh #cansonwatercolorpaper #watercoloring #stamping #coloring #gifttag #thankyoutag #thanksgiving #handmadE #diy #coffeelovingpapercrafters #coffeelovingcardmakers #homemadegesso #homemademodelingpaste

I colored and added some shadow to the cups using the Mix & Match Stamper’s Big Brushes. I love the finished tag and really enjoy the process of making it.

I still have a lot to learn but this is a fun technique, making pretty mess for sure.

This tag I link up at:

Thank You for visiting and have a FABULOUS THANKSGIVING EVE!