Every summer I try to enrich my life somehow. This summer, I'm choosing to watercolor daily, even if it's just something quick.
I wish I could keep up the habit to do something creative everyday year round, but I alway end up falling off the wagon when life gets busy. Really, taking time to be creative every day isn't that hard or taxing, but for some reason I get it in my head that it will be and so I end up not doing it. Maybe keeping these small (4"x6") will help...I guess only time will tell.
This is a fun craft to do with kids and is perfect for gift giving! You can personalize the colors and designs for each recipient and be as creative with it as you want to be.
On the ScanNCutDX, Click on “patterns,” then click on the word art icon. Select the design LO-AH06.
Resize it to 5” wide and click “set” to set it on the mat. Then press “ok.”
Place the Universal Pen Holder in the stand so that arrows on the stand and pen holder align. Uncap the black permanent marker and place it into the pen holder so that it’s touching the bottom of it. While holding down the stand, pull up the dial in the direction of the arrow from the initial position, slowly turn the dial to the left until the pen is firmly secured, and then lower the dial so that the teeth are engaged and the pen is held in place. Take the pen holder out of the stand and insert it into the ScanNCutDX.
Place a sheet of shrink plastic onto the standard cutting mat, adding washi tape to the sides if needed, and insert it into the machine. Select “draw” and “start” to begin drawing the design on the shrink plastic. When it’s finished cutting, unload the pen holder and remove the marker.
Connect the lines on the drawing as seen in the photo.
On the ScanNCutDX, press the “home” button, and then “ok.” Next, click on “scan” and “direct cut,” select what device you want to use, and then “start” to scan in the design.
After it’s scanned, crop the image if needed and click “preview,” and then “ok.”
If you desire a border around the design, click the outline icon and set the distance you want and then click “ok.”
Select “cut” and “start” to begin cutting out the design. Once it’s finished cutting, unload the mat and remove the cut design from the mat.
Using colored permanent markers color in the design.
Cut two holes in the cut-out…one on top, one on the bottom.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for shrinking the plastic.
Use a jump ring to add a key ring to the top of the heart. If desired, use jump rings to add beads and a tassel to the bottom of the heart.
Disclosure: Erin is a paid consultant and has received products from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely her own and based on her use of the products.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony😉.)
Earlier this year we were in Hawaii on vacation I had my iPad with me and I practiced my digital drawing and hand lettering on it using my Apple Pencil. Here’s a peek at one of the projects I made:
After returning home I was inspired to create some cards to send give to friends along with some treats we brought home and it dawned on me that I could turn some of my digital drawings and hand lettering into ScanNCut cut files thanks to ScanNCutCanvas. To download these free cut files click here.
From the free download, load “Card Front” onto your ScanNCut. Place one sheet of light blue-green 8.5’’x11’’ Cardstock onto a standard mat and load it into the the machine. Cut out 4 of “Card Front.”
2. From the free download, load “tropical leaves” and “aloha” onto your ScanNCut. Remove one side of the protective covering on the silicone stamp material and place it onto a standard mat and load it into the machine. Cut out each of the leaves and aloha out of the stamp material.
3. Decide which color ink to use for each leaf and then mount one leaf at a time onto the stamping block, pounce ink on it, and stamp it onto each of the card fronts. Repeat for each of the leaves. (Note: be sure to wipe off any excess ink from the stamp block so it doesn’t transfer onto the card.)
4. Sprinkle clear embossing powder over the leaves on the card front and tap off any extra powder. Use a heat gun to melt the embossing powder and allow the card front to cool. Repeat for all the card fronts.
5. Center mount each of the card fronts onto each of the white cards with adhesive.
6. Place “aloha” onto the stamping block, ink it with embossing ink and stamp it into the center of the card. Repeat for each card.
7. Sprinkle gold embossing powder over “aloha” and tap off any extra powder. Use a heat gun to melt the embossing powder and allow the card front to cool. Repeat for all the card fronts.
8. (Optional) If desired add faux stitch marks with a black pen around the edge of the front of the card. An embossing pen and gold embossing powder can also be used to give it some more shimmer.
I also whipped up some envelope liners too. The cut file is also included with the others.
Disclosure: Erin is a paid consultant and has received products from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely her own and based on her use of the products.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony).
Well, I cracked open the next month's mini art journal and got finished the first week and put together a quick flip through of it...including my trip to LACMA and a painting of my kitty.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony).
For 2017 I decided to try something a bit different for myself and work in smaller art journals every day. I did this so that I would get back in the habit of art journaling daily, which I got out of doing at the end of last year because I got so busy with work. By having it small (3.5" x 5.5") it's not too hard to squeeze something onto the page each day. Now of course some days I could actually complete the page, other days I barely got something on, but the the point of creating a habit was a great one.
Here's a bit more about the art journals I'm using and what I did in February:
Now I know you want to see more about the little journals I used. They are these Moleskine ones and they come in a set of 12, plus the box that keeps them all together...well, until I add my art to them and make them too big to stuff into the box!
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony).
