"Lazy" Ink-blending (Crafty Meraki Video Hop)

 

Today, I'm sharing some tips for 'lazy' ink blending - ways to do it  and when to use it. 

This video is part of a video hop to celebrate the latest Crafty Meraki release that's filled with lots of spring-themed stamps, dies and embellishments! Hop and comment for a chance to win!

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly from the comments left on each participating designer’s channel.  Winner will be announced on March 26th  on the Crafty Meraki Instagram page - instagram.com/Crafty_meraki 

For a chance to win:

1. Watch and like my video 
2. Subscribe to  Crafty Meraki - https://youtube.com/c/CraftyMeraki
3. Leave a comment on each stop on the Hop (more comments = more chances of winning) (list of videos in my video description on YouTube).

Open Internationally.

Giveaway accounts do not qualify.  Don’t subscribe to unsubscribe - that’s not cool! This giveaway is not sponsored, administered, or associated with YouTube.  By entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age, release YouTube of responsibility, and agree to their terms of use.

Poinsettia Joy Tag

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Lynn!

I chose this as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (black, gray, white, beige, green), Elements (Joy, flowers, bows, bird, cat, border, tone on tone background, scallop, hearts, banners)

INCLUDE: black, gray, white, green, Joy, white flower, green foliage, scallop, tone on tone background, border details

MODIFY: tag instead of layout, larger flower, 

EXCLUDE: bird, cat, banner tails

I've got products from 6 different companies on this tag, all playing very nicely together! 

I cut the Congrats Slimline Tag die which has stitched edges and a scallop edge on the bottom. I used my lazy ink-blending technique to create a gradient with Black Jack and Twilight Ink. I added interest with a dotted stencil.

I cut two poinsettias and layered them up, and used some mistletoe die cuts for pops of green.

I added tiny white hearts in the scallops at the bottom.

Studio Light Winter Video Hop

Today, I've got tons of ideas for making holiday gift tags and gift card wrappings, and lots of tips for getting more from both your specialty tag dies as well as other winter-themed dies. And if you don't have these dies, I've provided alternative ideas so you can get the look with what you already have.

Today's video is part of a hop to show off some of the newest release from Studio Light, so hop and comment for a chance to win a prize pack (one prize pack available on each stop of the hop, so the more you watch and comment on, the higher your chances of winning)! All comments must be left by November 19 and the winners will be announced on the Studio Light YouTube channel on November 22.

Start with my video here:

Rainbow Limes! (5K Together Video Hop)

Today my video combines two of my favourite things - LIMES and rainbows! 

I've been invited to celebrate with Erica and Maria as part of a video hop so be sure to watch how I was inspired by each of them and how I used two of my favourite direct-to-paper ink techniques. 

Then hop and comment for a chance to win! (details below)

Hop Details:

Comments must be left (on YouTube, not here) by June 23rd at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Winners will be announced on June 25th on both Erica’s and Maria’s YouTube channels.

Getting More from a Tag Die / Crafty Meraki First Anniversary Video Hop

 

Good morning! Today I'm excited to be part of Crafty Meraki's First Anniversary Video Hop! 

I made a unique layered tag/gift card holder/graduation card, and I used just one tag die to create these 3 different sizes - watch my video to find out how. And then hop along and comment for a chance to win $100 worth of Crafty Meraki products (all details are in the video description box on YouTube)!

AND don't forget - if you shop on the site, use code ARDYTH10 for 10% off your order!

12 Tags in less than 12 Minutes!

 

Like last year,  I made a quick video of highlights of how I made my 12 Tags of Christmas for 2020!

If you want details, please scroll back through my recent blog posts and you'll be able to find lots more information.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 12

It's Day 12 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: 12 Days of Christmas.

I had to think about this one a bit. I knew I couldn't fit all 12 days of gifts onto a tag, so I focused on "my true love gave to me".

I started with 2 panels I created during Day 2's video, with strips of coloured cardstock. From one I cut a tag, and from the other, I cut one of the Folk Hearts. I spritzed them both with shimmer spray. 

The heart fit perfectly, and added interest where the colours of the strips are different from the ones on the base. True love covered!

Then I simply stamped and die cut the gifts from the Bear Ware 5 set. 

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 11

It's Day 11 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: Deck the Halls.

I started by stamping Mondo Holly onto a 5.5x8.8 piece of white cardstock. I left the stamp on the door of the MISTI, and then I trimmed down the cardstock with the tag die and coloured it with Copic markers. I wanted to create a kind of stained glass look, so I coloured the leaves with a lighter green and then outlined each leaf section with a darker green. I chose a pale aqua for the background and coloured it with dots to create some subtle texture.

Then I fit the tag back into the piece of cardstock, and stamped the holly again, this time with Versafine Onyx ink. Then I embossed the outline with sparkly embossing powder.

To finish it off, I cut FA LA LA with the Tall N Skinny Alpha, from white cardstock, glued the letters on and then added Star Dust Stickles for sparkle.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 10

It's Day 10 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.

I chose to focus on "as for me and Grandpa, we BELIEVE", and used the new hot foil stamp on Holographic cardstock with Alcohol inks on it.

I wish I had a darker foil colour to get more of a contrast, but this gold sparkle was the best I had.

I started by blending alcohol ink onto a panel of Lawn Fawn Holographic cardstock. I trimmed it with the tag die and then foiled the sentiment onto it with my Gemini Foil Press.

I had to use the medium temperature and 30 seconds of heating time to get a good impression. 

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 9

It's Day 9 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: Holly Jolly Christmas. 

You know I love Catherine Pooler inks. They are truly my favourites for all their properties. But Catherine's rainbow is missing a couple of colours (in my humble opinion! lol!) So when Concord & 9th released their inks which are also foam ink pads, I added a few to my collection. Aqua Sky is one, and this tag shows how pretty it is.

I also used a couple of last year's sets (Retro Holiday Greetings and Holiday Characters) to create a little wreath of Holly. I coloured the holly with Copics and added Nuvo Crystal Glaze and Studio Katia Chunky Glitter to the berries.

Snowflake Gift Set

Head to the Birch Press Design blog today to see how I made this co-ordinating gift set!

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 8

It's Day 8 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

This tag is quick and easy to replicate. I stamped "Merry Christmas" from last year's Tis the Season in Cranberry Fizz ink onto a Desert Storm tag, and swinked some Enchanted Gold ink over for some shimmer.

Then I popped up two adorable snowmen from the new Made this for You set and added some Star Dust Stickles for sparkle.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 7

It's Day 7 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: A Marshmallow World.

I don't know this song very well, but the title makes me think of all the sweet treats we enjoy over the Holidays, so I combined images from Ginger House (doesn't the white embossing look just like white icing?) and a sentiment from Warmest Wishes (perfect set for tag making!) to make this card.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 6

It's Day 6 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: Home for the Holidays, and my tag is also for this week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper challenge.

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Gail (gl1253). 

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (red, white, green), shaker, snowglobe, snowflakes, house, plaid, sentiment strip

INCLUDE: snowglobe, plaid, house, 

MODIFY: faux shaker with holographic stars, snowflakes cut into base

EXCLUDE: red

SPIN: die cut letters for sentiments

For my background, I started by spritzing a white tag with Distress Resist Spray and letting it dry. I blended two colours of blue Catherine Pooler ink over top for a night sky, and then I ran it through my Gemini Junior with the Twirling Flurries cutting plate.

I stacked up 3 of the Shaker Globe die cuts and added a holographic circle frame left over from my Day 1 tag. I cut one of the inner circles with a Landscapes die to create my hill. 

My house is from the older set Hearth & Home, cut from Slate cardstock that had been stamped with one of the stamps from Plaid Maker. I created the snowy 'roof' by cutting another house from white cardstock and offsetting it behind the gray house.

I cut the stars from Hearth & Home from holographic cardstock and sprinkled them in the sky for a faux-shaker look.

My sentiment was die cut with the new Tall N Skinny Alpha dies.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 5

It's Day 5 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: White Christmas.

I chose the new Mini Snowflake Frame layer set and cut all 3 layers, leaving the solid pieces around the snowflake in the base layer to form my tag.

I stacked them up and glued them together, then spritzed them with shimmer spray. To add some frostiness to the edges, I added some liquid glue and sprinkled Tim Holtz Mica Flakes over top.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 4

It's Day 4 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is: Sleigh Ride

I created a more masculine tag with a simple winter scene created with images from the new Santa's List, and my favourite forest image from Lil' Squatch.

I did some simple masking and stamped the sleigh first, then the deer and finally the trees, on a Tag Trio tag cut from Desert Storm cardstock. I coloured everything with Copic markers. I blended some brown ink around the edges for a distressed look.

I wanted the sac of gifts to stand out more, so I stamped it again on white cardstock, shaded it to give the look of dimension and then fussy cut it and glued it in place.

My final touch was some Stickles for sparkle.

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of the annual 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is Here Comes Santa Claus.

This Santa from EBE Santa's List has his hands out and I combined him with a die from last year's Snow Buds, to let him juggle some sparkly snowballs! I positioned the snowball die so that the centre snowball was directly over the hole in my Tag Trio tag and then I filled in the other holes with Holographic cardstock from Lawn Fawn.

I spritzed  some Ranger Mica Spray in Brushed Pewter on my tag for a subtle snowy, shimmery background.

If you're looking for more tag inspiration, here's my 12 tags from last years 12 Tags of Christmas:

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 2

It's Day 2 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is The Little Drummer Boy - head to Ellen's blog to see how I made this fun tag/ornament!

Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 1

Welcome to the annual 12 Tags of Christmas event - this year we are using our favourite Christmas songs as inspiration. Be sure to go to the Ellen Hutson blog for all the details and daily inspiration from the Design Ambassadors!

Today's song inspiration is Silver Bells.

I focused on the 'Silver' and used two kinds of embossing on Lawn Fawn Holographic cardstock. The tag base (cut from EBE Tag Trios) is embossed with a Crafter's Companion folder and the circle top is heat embossed with Wow! Silver embossing powder.

But I didn't forget the 'Bells' either. This Jingle sentiment fits the bill and was embossed onto the same Holographic Cardstock with silver embossing powder.

SUPPLIES:

25 Days of Christmas Tags 2020 - BONUS Day 26!

Welcome to BONUS Day 26 of this year's 25 Days of Christmas Tags event. All the details can be found here on Tracey's blog.

Today's sponsor is MFT Stamps.

I used the new Peacock Pattern background stamp to create my sophisticated tag. I embossed it with Silver embossing powder onto Memory Box watercolor paper.

Then I sprinkled Tonic Nuvo Shimmer Powders (Catherine Wheel and Cherry Bomb) over top and spritzed it with water. The powders moved and separated into these colours, settling into the wells created by the embossing.

I added a (retired) Joy die cut that had been embossed with Platinum Sparkle embossing powder.