Mr. Fix-It

 

Hi everyone, Naomi here!  Brrr, it's getting chilly at last here in MN.  The high was only about 30 yesterday and you can bet I had my coat and gloves on as I did my Saturday morning errands!  But today's card is still bright with fall colors, because I am still NOT ready to think about winter yet.  I actually made this card for my father in law, who is retired and loves to tinker and fix things around his home and ours.  The inside says, "Thanks for all you do!"  If you have someone in your life who likes to do that sort of thing, WHAT a blessing that person is!  I personally am all thumbs when it comes to home improvement!

This card was made with the Mr. Fix-It stamp set, which is just adorable and full of sentiments for all the handy guys in your life.  I also created a faux wood paneled piece in the background by taking a mustard colored piece of cardstock, scoring it every half inch, and then dragging a brown ink pad across it.  I like the mustard undertones for a warmer wood look.  Another good combo for this is light blue cardstock with a gray ink pad - then it looks like the weathered wood that you might find on houses by the seashore.

I colored the tools in with markers and sponged a little yellow inside the circle die on the focal image before removing the piece from the die.

I hope you enjoyed my project for today!  Don't forget to check out the store this week - we are running a 25% off sale on ALL DIES!  Such an incredible deal - check them out here!  Be sure to enter the coupon code BDAYDIES25 at checkout.

A little about me:

I live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota right now with my husband and our 14-year-old Beagle Zoe.  She makes us laugh every day, and we love her to pieces.  We are both elementary school teachers in the same district and get to work with some pretty amazing staff and students every day!

Outside of stamping, I enjoy gardening, working out, reading, writing, hiking, sightseeing, and getting together with friends over coffee or lunch.  But stamping is truly my passion, and the best way I know to relax after a long day!

I get a lot of my stamping inspiration from nature, and much of my work includes natural images, scenery and landscapes.  I love walking in the woods behind our house, spending time outside in the sunshine, and experiencing the peace and beauty of creation.  I am also inspired by so many of the other stamp artists on Splitcoaststampers.com - what an amazing, creative group of people!  I am humbled and inspired by their talent every day.

A fun fact about me that some people might not know is that I grew up for part of my childhood in Tanzania, East Africa.  My parents were missionaries for the Lutheran Church and I have incredibly fond memories of that time in my life.  I am forever grateful to them for exposing me to other cultures and for enrolling me in international schools where I could make friends from all over the world!

My advice for new stampers is to check out Youtube or Splitcoaststampers, and watch the video tutorials that are out there in abundance.  I have learned SO much from other stampers by seeing how they used different stamping techniques and the creative ways that they got the most out of their stamp sets.  I also would advise a new stamper to invest in stamps at first that are good for a multitude of occasions.  Floral and nature-themed stamp sets are perfect because they are great for birthday cards, sympathy cards, friendship and celebration cards - just about anything!  My first stamp purchases were unfortunately pretty specific to one occasion, so I didn't get much use out of them at first.

My favorite SNSS set so far is the set Faith.  It is full of comforting and uplifting sayings that remind people to put their faith in God at all times.  Good for many occasions - check it out here! 

Here are a few cards I have made in the past with that stamp set:

 

Watercolor with distress inks - this one also uses Nature Silhouettes.

Sponging, masking - the sentiment is heat embossed in yellow.

 Yes, that's a real mustard seed in the center of that brad!  :) 

Have a GREAT day, and thanks so much for stopping by!