Santa is stuck! Oh my. Poor Santa. Or even worse, poor ME! What if he ate too many cookies and can’t make it down my chimney? Gasp! In today’s video, I’ll be sharing a little airbrushed background to add behind the scene….unfortunately it’s not a solution to helping him deliver gifts, but we gotta work with what we have, right? LOL!
Video
Watch the video below or click HERE to see it in HD on YouTube.
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
I don’t know if you have experienced the blessing of receiving a handmade card by a completely anonymous person. But I can tell you, a card arriving at a tender, emotional moment – handmade, so you know someone who you do not know has spent time and effort on your behalf – can make such a difference. This happened to me in 1996, I was showered with anonymous love in the form of cards and letters; I wasn’t able to locate any of them for thank-yous, which made it even MORE powerful to me. These were gifts of love given freely, with no payback, nothing expected in return, no way to even be acknowledged for their efforts. Selflessness at its best.
That’s what I’ll be asking of you in just a moment. But first…the background.
My friend Kimberly, who I met through Hero Arts, has begun an initiative born out of her own pain – but one that will bless so many people with broken hearts. You can read Kim’s whole story on the Give Forward page HERE – but the short version: She is raising money to give a comforting book to mothers who suffer the tragic loss of a child in miscarriage. She’ll provide these books for the doctors to distribute….and she’s collecting cards to give to each mom as well! Please visit and share the Give Forward page, and Fb page HERE to help spread the word!
Last night I broadcast live on Periscope while making cards for this beautiful cause, and Kim joined in to answer questions for viewers. You can catch the replay HERE for 24 hours, or on Katch HERE. We made an airbrush card last night with periscope-style hearts….
I had made a few of these before the broadcast….
And afterward made a few more with splishysplashy brusho. (Oh how I love this stuff.)
If you’re wondering what to write inside – keep it simple. Just let them know you’re thinking of them.
A few other suggestions:
These are my thoughts, after knowing the kinds of cards and questions from my days running OWH.
Beautiful, simple cards, can be so impactful. Your sweet handwritten message inside is the most powerful part!
Cheerful cards are fine, but not *overly* bubbly; remember the emotional state the recipients are in.
Generic Christian messages may be okay; but not knowing who they’re going to, keep it very simple, and no proselytizing.
Sentiments like “Thinking of you,” “Praying for you,” “Hugs,” or sympathy messages would be great.
Include a simple note – sign with just your first name and hometown.
I’d leave the backs blank, not adding a url or anything. It’s not the time to promote your blog or card business.
Send with an envelope, but don’t seal it. (They’ll want to make sure the message is appropriate for each recipient.) No return address.
The address to send them to is on the Giving page HERE.
There’s no end date at this time – refer to the Giving page for any updates if you stumble onto this post a long time in the future!
Supplies
The sentiment stamps are ones I picked up at Queens Ink when I taught there last year, they are perfect for cards like this! I looked them up on the Verses site for you. (No affiliate links are used.)
They Are Not Stars by Verses (QQ0821-F) (Link takes you to the whole category of quote stamps.)
Healing by Verses (GW0625-C) (Link takes you to the whole category of get well stamps.)
I’d like to challenge all of my readers to make cards—even one or two cards will make a difference to couples going through heartache! And in addition….please consider donating a dollar amount per card you make.
My giveaway is to Lasting Heats: I’ll send in 25 cards PLUS I’ll donate $1 per commenter committing to make at least one card to send in(up to $300). Deadline to comment is Saturday, but you can send the cards in anytime. I’m going on the honor system, so don’t go posting that you’ll do it and then bail! These families need your support, so please follow through….and share this post with your friends – let’s see how many people we can get involved!
My second card uses this sweet little halloween stamp set called Got Candy – I love non-scary cards for halloween! Even the ghosties here are just adorable. On Thursday I’ll have the video posted to show you how to color this one – including all the perfect Copic colors to use for pumpkins. If you “need” (ha) this stamp set, drop it in your cart today while you get the poinsettias so you’re ready to roll when the video lands in your inbox. That moon, which opens to reveal a surprise sentiment, is from THIS die set from last year. #justcallmeyourenabler LOL! #sorrynotsorry
My second card uses this sweet little halloween stamp set called Got Candy – I love non-scary cards for halloween! Even the ghosties here are just adorable. On Thursday I’ll have the video posted to show you how to color this one – including all the perfect Copic colors to use for pumpkins. If you “need” (ha) this stamp set, drop it in your cart today while you get the poinsettias so you’re ready to roll when the video lands in your inbox. That moon, which opens to reveal a surprise sentiment, is from THIS die set from last year. #justcallmeyourenabler LOL! #sorrynotsorry
Oh me oh my. I’ve been dying to share this Inside Outside Card with you but have been waiting for it to be back in stock. (I get so frustrated when I go to buy something and it’s all out!) That said – they might go fast after this video. Just saying!
There are a few stamps that lend themselves well to having something going on both inside and outside – those somethings that line up. And when I saw Make My Tail Wag from My Favorite Things, I just knew I had to create a scene that continued from the outside to the inside of a card! It’s all done on the 80# Neenah, too (available in a 25 pack or ream) – the 110 would have been too thick for the layers on the front. Watch the video below, or click HERE to watch in HD on YouTube.
So much FUN, don’t you think? It may have taken double the coloring time for this, but it’s totally worth the impact of that inside outside image. If you know of other stamp sets that would be perfect for this, let me know, I need to do it again! 🙂
I think the poor pup who’s lost his stick needs some new friends. Whatcha think?
How to align the stamping, inside and out
I didn’t film the stamping part – it took a bit to figure out using my MISTI – but basically I stamped the dog peeking over the fence for the inside first, and stamped one on tracing paper. I flipped it, then was able to line up the face for the other side. Does that make sense? If not I’ll try to do this with some other stamps sometime to show you the process. Way fun and easy once you get the hang of it!
SUPPLIES
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
My Favorite Things, You Make My Tail Wag —- no longer available
It’s Copic tutorial time again here on the ol’ blog…and today I’m mixing it up a bit. And I wish I could say I’m singing along while coloring birds and mice, but ya know…nobody needs to hear that!
This little House Mouse stamp is just the cuuuuuuuutest! It makes me want to go find a nice remote place to go out and sing a tune of my own. Really remote though. LOL! In today’s video I’ll show you how to get extra detail by mixing your coloring media…
Video
Watch the video below or click HERE to watch in HD on YouTube!
Fun, wasn’t that? I love that there are things like supersharp pencils that you can use to add in detail that gets lost as you color. Sometimes a pen works best, but Prismacolors can give you a softer look. It helps when you’re coloring birds or little mammals – a pen can make the detail a little TOO sharp.
But to get the pencil tip into nooks and crannies, it’s really sharp. As of 2018: I use the Quietsharp sharpener, not the one I had in college – they don’t make that one anymore.
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
Welcome to the best crafting holiday EVER! I’m especially excited because I’m helping some friends share their celebration: Ellen Hutson is launching a brand new line of exclusive products, and they’re designed by the ever so amazing Julie Ebersole!! I’m using an inlaid die cutting technique with the Home and Hearth dies to make my love card, which is what OWH is doing today for our bloghop. Click on the banner at the top of this post to go to the hop!
Inlaid die cutting
I was excited when I saw this die set, because *immediately* I knew I had to airbrush it. I just knew it! No idea how, and this card wasn’t what I saw in my head, but I just love how this one came out! (My “test” cards yesterday afternoon were bombs – I put a bunch of stars and hearts in the sky, and it looked like sneeze. And the globe had just been blobs – until I thought of the idea I show you in the video below!). And in the video I also walk you through the whole new line at EH!!
Video
If you can’t see the video below, click HERE to watch it on YT.
And one of the things that I love about the card besides the inlaid die cutting – the cool colors of the sky and earth vs the warm red and yellow in the houses! It just makes the whole card sing, don’t you think?
Inlaid die cutting is one of my favorite techniques lately…what’s yours?
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. If you choose to shop using my EH (Ellen Hutson) links, please accept cookies on that site in order to retain the link to my blog, or that compensation does not happen for me. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
