VALENTINES DAY 2021

 VALENTINES DAY 2021

Happy Valentines Day! Its been an evolutional process regarding my feelings on Valentines Day. There were times I loved it, didn't, and so on. As a crafter this is one of the best holidays for cardmaking and the cutest treat boxes ever, but I really love the projects I get to work on with my son, Connor. He is 5 and on the spectrum but he really enjoys (Certain) elements of crafting. He's mostly a fan of mess. He loves ink, he loves paint, he loves all things he can smear, splash, fingerpaint and spread. He's a "sensory seeker" meaning he loves to be adventurous and he's very active so he doesn't sit still very long (much like your typical 5 year old) so we stuck to SIMPLE STAMPING this year.

We used the Oh Snap Stamp Set. 

Note: "Hi Valentine" stamp is from the January 2021 Paper Pumpkin Kit.

Connor is much more into crocodiles and the color green than he is into hearts and the colors red/ pink, so I figured this would be much more "preferred" to make valentines. If he's not a fan of the stamps I can't keep him at the table so as soon as he saw that crocodile we were good to go.

In terms of the color theme - very simple - with Granny Apple Green Card Bases and Ink (Card Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, score at 4 1/4") We also added some Garden Green and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.

All kids are different. My little guy finds comfort in height so (with supervision) he was allowed to sit and stamp on the Dining Room table. 

We brought a crocodile sticker to the table for inspiration...

He also wanted to bring a crocodile I had fussy cut and shaded with the Stampin' Blends (the more advanced crafting to come later in this post, stay tuned) and it was fun to see which one he picked because I colored each one differently. He liked the more complex shading better, who knew! You can see that croc sitting on the card base on the next picture.

QUICK TIP: If you are teaching a child to stamp and have one of these padded area play rugs, if you flip it over it basically becomes a giant foam mat for photopolymer stamps!

Connor had much more success stamping this way because we know the bigger stamps (3 inches or so) it can be easy to not press down hard enough for kiddos and then there can be frustration if the image isn't perfect. Connor struggles if the image isn't right so this was GREAT for him! I highly recommend it.

Now, this rug is new and that's why its so squeaky clean, haha! But if your kids like to stamp on the floor this could be great for them.

So that sums up the simple stamping part of this post. Scroll down if you are interested in experimental crocodile coloring with the Stampin' Blends. 

Connor does need a little assistance and he taps out after about 5 minutes which is why simple stamping is perfect for him. In the end, he was smiling so big and was so proud when the cards were finished. Dad got his card last night when he got home from work. He was very impressed! 

I snapped this picture of Connor and I right before bedtime. (It was a night stamp sesh)

EXPERIMENTAL CROCODILE COLORING WITH STAMPIN' BLENDS & TIPS! 

This is by no means a "professional" colorist tutorial. This is just me experimenting with the Stampin' Blends (alcohol markers). I keep it pretty simple but I wanted to experiment with the greens and yellows I had on hand and I also wanted to the show the difference of using 1 marker, 1 combo or if you start blending multiple shades - which is the pure fun of alcohol markers - because you can layer and layer & blend and blend - and never ruin the image or the paper.

Here's they turned out...

ONE STAMPIN' BLEND ONLY - Just Jade Light

1 STAMPIN' BLEND COMBO PACK - Bermuda Bay Light & Dark (Two markers)

THREE DIFFERENT SHADES (4 Markers: Granny Apple Green Combo, Daffodil Delight Light, Old Olive Dark)

THREE SHADES: 4 Markers: Old Olive Dark, Shaded Spruce Combo, Daffodil Delight Light

Note: Old Olive was my personal favorite for the crocodile but I use that combo so much that the markers don't have much left in them. I need to replace him. Connor's CLEAR and RUNAWAY FAVE was Granny Apple Green!

TIP: For anyone in a situation where you have to move around a lot throughout the day, Connor is very active and very mobile so we bounce from room to room all day. There's so much going on in a day that I may only get 15 minutes here and there to play, especially when it comes to the Blends. So I toss them in a basket with the stamped image and then just take the basket with me. When I get that quick break - usually when Connor is playing independently or during tablet time - I grab the basket and start coloring. I am someone who finds coloring very therapeutic. This is by far one of my favorite ways to bring stamped images to life.

The Color Chart - Having a quick reference guide of the greens/ yellows on hand is also helpful and makes this process a bit faster when I do get the time to play with Stampin' Blends!

And last but not least is the cautionary tale of fussy-cutting this super cute croc. If you have followed me on YouTube for any period of time then you know I actually enjoy fussy-cutting (most) of the time. However, this crocodile has a LOT of teeth and a LOT of spikes. I, of course, did not realize this until I started to cut and I was committed at that point so I kept cutting. Ultimately, it wasn't that bad and Connor played with the cut out crocodiles like toys. He carried them all over the house so they didn't quite make it their treat box destinations, but if you DO NOT ENJOY fussy-cutting then just stamp this guy where he can live happily ever after on a card-front or scrapbook page.

And that is it for experimental shading for now! I hope you have a video out for you soon showcasing these guys on some fun treat boxes. Until then, a very Happy Valentines Day to you and happy crafting. Here is a picture of the stamp set "Oh Snap." You can find product links for the simple cards we made below.

P.S. Connor is the boss of the craft room, craft table, makeshift craft spaces and dining room table. Gotta love it!

Product Links: 

Oh Snap Stamp Set (product link here): http://www.stampinup.com/products/oh-snap-photopolymer-stamp-set?demoid=2212777

Granny Apple Cardstock (8 1/2 x 11): http://www.stampinup.com/products/cardstock-8-1-2-x-11-granny-apple-green?demoid=2212777

Granny Apple Green Classic Stampin' Pad: http://www.stampinup.com/products/classic-stampin-pad-granny-apple-green?demoid=2212777 

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad: http://www.stampinup.com/products/classic-stampin-pad-garden-green?demoid=2212777

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink: http://www.stampinup.com/products/memento-ink-pad-tuxedo-black?demoid=2212777