A Salute to Healthcare Workers👩‍⚕️

Hello friends!  I haven’t really mentioned too much about what’s going on in the world right now, and I know it has tremendously affected many people around me.  In the crafting community I sense changes as well in different ways.  I do hope that crafting can help either take your mind off the situation or at least help with making you ‘feel’ that creating from the heart, as we stay at home, is a fantastic way to contribute and help bring about smiles in many ways.

I would like to ask you if you want to respond about it:  Has crafting helped you during this time or has it made it difficult to concentrate?  I have found that taking TONS of classes have actually been my savior right now especially as I was taking that break I had. (Helps me to concentrate on something like a technique.)  I found MANY having classes (free or having group parties going on with crafters teaching and sharing).  Due to this pandemic, I know many people/companies in the crafting community have revved up their classes and challenges as well… along with giving out free digital images!

This brings us to my post for today….

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I have made several stacks of “thank you” cards geared towards our healthcare workers and it has been very rewarding for me to be able to color in all these images in my post today as a salute and honor to those that have been “on the front line” dealing day to day since the beginning of this pandemic.  My heart goes out to all in this uncertain time and although there are many horrible stories related to this, there are also some good ones too.  Let’s rise up.

Taylored Expressions put on a card drive to send cards to the healthcare workers and it ended today, so these cards have already been sent.

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For this particular stack of cards, I’ve made 6 of the pink and 6 of the green using this adorable MOKA Melissa Nurse free download from Taylored Expressions.  I’ve also used the Subway Tiles embossing folder for the background as well as white heat embossed the sentiments from the Life Saver Mini Strips stamp set and die cut them out with the clever Mini Strips Die.  I’ve used a heart die that came with an order I had and then I took some tiny images from other sets for the accents.

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I stamped a message on the inside of all of the cards from TE Big Thanks stamp set too.  (This set came for free with an order I placed.)

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Here’s another set of 20 cards I made for healthcare workers using the Freebie Healthcare Super Hero Coloring Pages.  (To print these out to fit over an A2 sized card base, I used my printer settings to print out 4 pages on one sheet.)

I layered them over some pink and red cardstock and then the base of the card is some A2 sized side folding blue cardstock.  The left over pieces from the pink and red cardstock strips were ran through and embossing folder and white white Ink was ran over it.

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Here’s a closer look at the individual sets.  I used a star die to cut out some stars with Glitter paper.   I also took some blue and pink glitter glue to create extra “dots” around them.  This was good practice for me to experiment with different skin tones too.

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I’ve used Copic markers to color all of these in with and then I took some gel pens to color in parts of the image as well as the outline in the sentiment too.

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I thought this was a fun one with all of them together and I like that they’re all wearing capes and masks too.  I had these finished up at the end of April, but just now getting all of these out where I wanted them to go.  I have a sister-in-law who’s teaming up with me to sew some masks and we’re going to deliver them with the cards to our local hospitals.

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One last and important card I made was specifically for my son who’s a postal carrier.  Of course I tried coloring it in with the same hair color he has too.  LOL!  After I made the batch of cards above, they came out with more superhero freebie downloads, so I grabbed the Mail Carrier Superhero Coloring Pages to make one for him too.  And this one is already on it’s way as well.  For the background, I used the Scene stencil for the clouds with blue distress ink.

I finished this one similar to the ones above.

The ONLY superhero I’m missing is one for my other son who’s a food service worker and I haven’t seen any of those images out yet.  Does anyone know where to find one?  I would love to make a “thank you” card for him as well.  I may just come up with my own version with what I already have…but have to think about how first.  LOL!

This particular song came to my mind and was something that I listened to while coloring….

It was somewhat catchy and upbeat I thought.  I always like to try and think of the positive ways that cards I make give a positive impact or inspiration somehow.  Could be wishful thinking, but it’s my hope anyway.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today to read my post!  I hope that you’ve been inspired in some way!  Have a beautiful weekend my friends!

Challenges:

  1.  Colour Crazy Craft – Anything Goes + hand colored image
  2. Love to Scrap – LTSCB133 – Anything Goes
  3. Love to Craft – LTCCB46 – Anything Goes
  4. Allsorts – Anything Goes
  5. Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2019 Anything Goes
  6. Not Just Cards – May Anything Goes
  7. Fab ‘N’ Funky – Hand Colored Image
  8. Aud Sentiments – #251 Anything Goes + sentiment

A Freebie for Whimsy Stamps Fans!

Hello friends!  I’m back to share with you a very special treat from Whimsy Stamps that they’d like to give to their loyal Whimsy Stamps fans!  If you are already a member of the Whimsy Stamps and Inspirations Facebook Group, then be on the look out for a post with a link on how you can grab it!  If you haven’t yet, why not join in the fun over there?!  There’s a ton of inspiration from the design team as well as lots of other opportunities to have some fun with ‘all things’ Whimsy Stamps!

I have used this special image to share some inspiration with you as I am a Whimsy Stamps fan myself!  🙂

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Isn’t this darling?!  Crissy Armstrong has created this adorable “Christmas Mouse” digital stamp as a special treat in appreciation for loyal fans of Whimsy Stamps!  How cool is that?!

I have colored up this cutie with Copic markers in the following colors: (Click on the underlined colors to purchase through Whimsy Stamps)

  1.  mouse body:  W9, W7, W5, W3  Ear/tummy/cheeks:  R20, R00, W3, W1, W0
  2. hat:  R59, R29, R27, R24 (same as ornament), YG67, YG63, YG61
  3. Shading/Ground:  C3, C1, E0000

I have also printed out this image an additional time to color up the ornament, fussy cut it out and then covered it with some Sparkle N Sprinkle Diamond Dust Glitter using the Nuvo Medium Glue Pen to adhere it.  I then popped it up over the original image with some foam tape for dimension.

I cut the image out with a stitched circle die and added a gold cardstock circle layer behind it.  I found some cool papers to represent the “night sky” that I was looking for.  (I think these are Stampin’ Up! papers.)  I’ve cut a piece out using the Whimsy Stamps Hand Stitched Nested Rectangles die and then I attached this piece to a white A2 sized top folding card base and off set it along the right side of my card.  I then cut a thin strip of that gold cardstock to place alongside of the papers.

The circle was attached to the card with part of it sticking off the right which I cut off to align with the card.  I thought this sentiment from the Whimsy Stamps Penguin Christmas Sentiments 1 digital set fit perfectly with this image.  I cut it out to form the banner, sponged some light grey ink over the edges and attached it to the top of the card.  Lastly, I’ve added some sequins with some Nuvo White Blizzard Glitter Drops in the center of each one.

Here’s a closer look at the design:

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Here you can see the glittery details of the ornament….love these type of ornaments on my Christmas tree!!  I’ve also colored the ornament cap with a gold gel pen and added some ‘dots’ with a white gel pen for his cheeks.  Looking at this, I’m thinking some glossy accents for his nose would be cute too, but didn’t do that for this one!

So hop on over the Whimsy Stamps and Inspirations Facebook Group right now to check out how to get your FREEBIE today!  I hope I’ve helped given you a little inspiration with it and I look forward to seeing what you do with yours!!

*Also, don’t forget that there is a brand new release starting today!  So go check that out in the Whimsy Stamps store too!  I’ll be back on Monday to share some inspiration using something from the new release!

Thanks for dropping in!  I’ll see you soon!

Challenges I’d like to enter this card for:

  1.  Watercooler Wednesday -“All About Holidays” WWC198WWC198 - Gail's All About Holidays Challenge
  2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
  3. 4 Crafty Chicks – “Crazy Egg” Anything Goes
  4. Jingle Belles – Christmas Cards

Happy World Card Making Day!

Hello friends!  Of course I can’t let this day go by without making a card for it, right?!

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I love Halloween and when I received this image, I thought it would be so fun to create a card with it for the occassion!  Keep reading below to see how YOU can get this image for FREE today!!  🙂

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This image is from the retired artist Kirsten Winkelbauer (for Whimsy Stamps) and she’s so cute and perfect for Halloween crafting!  I’ve colored her up with Copic markers and added a few details with my gel pens.  I’ve also put some loose glitter over the eyes and nose of the pumpkin on her hat.  I fussy cut her out and popped her up with foam squares over a  Kraft cardstock cut out stitched oval that was sponged with some black ink.  I’ve also cut around the sentiment (comes with the image) and sponged some more black ink around the edges and attached it to the oval panel.

For the card base, I used an A2 sized Kraft card base and then I took another piece of Kraft card stock and cut out a piece using the Whimsy Stamps Hand Stitched Nested dies that I’ve covered with a piece of Halloween paper from my stash and also sponged around the edges with some black ink.   I wrapped a piece of Halloween purple ribbon around it and attached it to the back and then adhered my card front to the card base.  I die cut a web twice with black card stock and glued it to the corners of the card front and then brushed over it with a clear glitter brush marker.

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Here’s a closer look at my coloring.  You can better see where I’ve added my gel pen dots and the glitter on my pumpkin.  Her green hair was so fun to color! 🙂

Now, if you would like to get this digital image set for FREE, then hop on over to the Whimsy Stamps Facebook Group and join to get yours including a blog hop and prizes to be won!!   You can also check out all the fun and details about today’s special event on the Whimsy Inspirations Blog too!  So be sure to stop by and join in the fun!  🙂

In addition to all of this, Whimsy Stamps is also celebrating the ENTIRE month for their 2nd annual “31 Nights of Halloween“!!  Be sure to catch all of those details by CLICKING HERE to enter for the grand prize give away along with other details for the rest of the month with lots of fun and inspiration! 🙂

Halloween 31 Nights blog banner 2018 whimsy stamps

Hope that you are taking the time to have fun and create a card today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!!  See you soon!

Challenges:

  1.  {Cupcake Inspirations} – CIC455 ‘Bump in the Night’CIC455LIttlemissmuffet
  2. Always Fun – Dies & Punches
  3. Creative With Stamps –  (CWS31) Halloween or LeavesCWS#31_HalloweenLeaves
  4. Artistic Inspirations – Anything Goes