The evolution of my YouTube channel is quite noticeable. I went from crocheting to now watercoloring, and in between various DIY crafts. I never claimed to be only a crocheter or only a crafter on my channel, I just let my creativity take me wherever it needs to go.

I only recently got into watercoloring. I dabbled in it in previous years, but quickly gave up. I always felt I was never any good with painting in general, whether watercolor, acrylic, or oil, but this time around something stuck. I can't seem to let a day go by without doing a little bit of watercoloring. And if I'm not physically watercoloring, I'm looking up new and better techniques. Bottom line is I love to watercolor!

Recently I posted a video to my channel which had viewers come along with me as I doodled. I used a mixture of watercolor and Copic pens. There was no planning prior to this video, I just let my creativity take me where it wanted to go.

I started off with handwriting the phrase, "Live Wild Flower Child". I absolutely love this phrase. I am also learning more and more about hand lettering, so this allowed me some more practice. I started off with pencil and then when I was happy with the placement and style of the letters, I went over it with a Copic pen.

I still need lots of practice with hand lettering, but that just means more fun and creativity to be had. After I got the lettering done, I went ahead and started putting down some color with the watercolors. I wanted this to be whimsical and carefree, so I just put down watercolor anywhere. It looks rather messy at first, but after it dries I go back with the Copic pen and start drawing in the details. 

And here is the final product. I ended up rounding the corners in the end as well. I think I'm going to give this to my sister-in-law. If anyone is a flower child living wild, it's her. 

Products:
*Strathmore STR-361-9 Watercolor Class (24 Pack), 9 by 12": http://amzn.to/2l8Tx51
*Artists Loft Fundamentals Watercolor Pan Set, 36 Colors: http://amzn.to/2l94gfB
*Heartybay 10Pieces Round Pointed Tip Nylon Hair Brush Set, Blue: http://amzn.to/2l97cIW
*Copic Markers 9-Piece Multiliner Inking Pen Set B-2, Black (MLB2): http://amzn.to/2l97OhI

As mentioned earlier in this post, I made a video of this whole process. You can check that video out here.

Comment down below and tell me what you've been working on. Are there any areas that you feel need improvement that you have been working on?

Working with Watercolors || Valentine's Day Greeting Cards

After making the birthday card for my mother using watercolor paints, I decided to continue to practice. I was happy with the end result, but I wasn't happy with the process, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that I just don't have enough or any experience with watercolor paints. In this post I'm going to present 3 more greeting cards that I made using watercolors. As I went on, you can see that my technique has indeed gotten better. Albeit I'm not an expert, but I definitely see some improvement.

I've been having so much fun using watercolor paints. It has opened up a new world for me. It has sparked some new creative ideas and I can't seem to stay out of my art room!

Here is the first card that I made for Valentine's Day:

As you can see the red and purple are very dark. I hadn't yet achieved the skill working with water. I still liked the way it turned out, but as I continue on, you can see that I get a little better with blending the colors.

To create this card I used the following products:
*Reeves 24-Pack Water Color Paint Set: http://amzn.to/2jOFktf
*Aleene’s Quicky Dry Tacky Glue: http://amzn.to/2iwGk4b
*Watercolor Paint Brushes: http://amzn.to/2jn2Pgu
*DCWV Glitter Cardstock 12 X 12” (closest I could find): http://amzn.to/2jVkgW7 
*Sequins: http://amzn.to/2kd1I0x
*Elmer's Dot Runner: http://amzn.to/2knKss4

You can also check out my video here.

The next card I created for Valentine's Day, I wanted to deviate from the traditional colors of red, pink, and white. And I used sequins. Lots of sequins. Now looking back, maybe too many sequins.

Again, a little heavy handed with the watercolor paints, but I had hope and continued on with my quest!

To create this card I used the following products:
*Reeves 24-Pack Water Color Paint Set: http://amzn.to/2jOFktf
*Aleene’s Quicky Dry Tacky Glue: http://amzn.to/2iwGk4b
*Watercolor Paint Brushes: http://amzn.to/2jn2Pgu
*Sequins: http://amzn.to/2kd1I0x
*Elmer's Dot Runner: http://amzn.to/2knKss4

You can also check out my video here.

Lastly I made this gem. Sorry for tooting my own horn, but I am in love with this card. I again deviated from the traditional Valentine's Day colors with these warm yellows and oranges. I was inspired by a vintage Valentine's Day card that I saw on Pinterest. I wanted to recreate it, but with my own twist. I also didn't have any specialized tools or stamps to work with. Everything was drawn out by hand. I am so proud of this card and the work I put into it. And glitter. As you could probably tell, I love shiny objects like glitter. I didn't go so overboard, though, as I did with the sequins in the previous card. This is what I came up with:

As you can see, the colors blended nicely and I think that has a lot to do with me getting a bit better with watercolor painting, and allowing water to be my friend not my enemy.

To create this card I used the following products:
*Strathmore STR-361-9 Watercolor Class (24 Pack), 9 by 12": http://amzn.to/2l8Tx51
*Artists Loft Fundamentals Watercolor Pan Set, 36 Colors: http://amzn.to/2l94gfB
*Heartybay 10Pieces Round Pointed Tip Nylon Hair Brush Set, Blue: http://amzn.to/2l97cIW
*JAM Paper Corner Punches - Rounded Corners: http://amzn.to/2l93FL3
*Copic Markers 9-Piece Multiliner Inking Pen Set B-2, Black (MLB2): http://amzn.to/2l97OhI
*Recollections Signature Glitter Caddy, Iridescent Shapes: https://www.michaels.com/recollection...
*Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents Precision Tip, 2-Ounce: http://amzn.to/2l8V6Qr
*DCWV Cardstock Stack, Match Makers Brights, 58 Sheets, 12 x 12 inches: http://amzn.to/2kEa57Q
*Aleene's Tacky Dot Roll-Small Dot Roll: http://amzn.to/2k7FZqc
*Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares: http://amzn.to/2k821cv

You can also check out my video here.

In the end, all that matters is the fun and love you put into your projects. I hope this gives motivation to others who feel they're not good with art. I was having a conversation the other day with a friend of mine who is taking an art class. She keeps sending me pictures of her projects/homework assignments and ending the message with, "I'm horrible!". I honestly thought she was doing a great job. There were some tips I offered, but I reminded her that some people are naturally gifted in the arts, while others have to practice. I'm one of those ones who need practice. So if you're ever thinking you can't paint, draw, etc., just remember practice makes perfect. And in all honesty, is art ever perfect?

Easy DIY Birthday Card Using Watercolors

It's been about a year since I last posted a blog. I've been very busy studying as a nursing student and I'm happy to say I've graduated! I will sit for the boards very soon, and I'm so very excited to get back to my creative side.

My mother's birthday is coming up, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to come back to my creative side and make her a birthday card. I absolutely love making greeting cards; being able to pull in each persons individuality and make it truly special. Since my mother loves green, I decided I wanted to incorporate that color. I had some watercolor paints lying around that I never used, because I've always felt incapable of painting. But I have to say this card came out looking quite nice. Just goes to show what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

Start off by taping down the watercolor paper. This will make things easier when you apply water. The water will cause the paper to warp, so having it taped down keeps it flat and easy to work with.

After your watercolor paper is taped down, go ahead and apply some water to the paper with your paint brush. Mix some water with the paint color of your choice. Note: that the less water you use, the darker the color and the more water you use the lighter the color. I find keeping the paints well mixed with water gives better results, but that's just my preference.

Since my mother's favorite color is green, I used two types of green, some blue and yellow. I honestly had no idea what I was doing at this point, I just made sure to have fun in the process and not get frustrated if what I envisioned in my head was not being translated on paper.

After I put down some color and got the affect that I was looking for, I went ahead and used my heat tool to dry it down. This is important especially for the next step. After it was dry, I went ahead and stamped, "Happy Birthday" and used embossing powder. If you don't dry completely, the embossing powder could stick in places you don't want.

 Use your heat tool to set the embossing powder. It's going to end up looking like this:

Next the fun really begins. I wanted to add some sparkle to this card, so I used this iridescent confetti and star glitter that I picked up at Michael's Craft Store.

 I went ahead and applied the confetti to areas of the card where I felt needed some sprucing up. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue to accomplish this. I put down some glue, and then just sprinkled the confetti on top. Using my fingers I set the confetti in place.

Next I applied the star glitter. I used a dotting tool with a little bit of glue on the end to help pick up the tiny stars. I just placed them all across my work.

When that was completed, I went ahead and got some green glitter card stock and cut it down to size to fit the front of a card. I placed some 3D adhesives to the back of my work and placed that on top of the card. This is the end result!

I just love this card so much. I think it looks magical! And I know my mother is going to love it just as much as I do. I'll be sure to list the supplies that I used down below. I also made a video tutorial on how I made this card. Please go ahead and check it out and subscribe to my youtube channel if you haven't :) See you in my next video!!

Check out my video:

S U P P L I E S 
*Reeves 24-Pack Water Color Paint Set: http://amzn.to/2jOFktf
*Aleene’s Quicky Dry Tacky Glue: http://amzn.to/2iwGk4b
*Watercolor Paint Brushes: http://amzn.to/2jn2Pgu
*DCWV Glitter Cardstock 12 X 12” (closest I could find): http://amzn.to/2jVkgW7
*Tsukineko VersaMark Dazzle Pigment Inkpad, Frost-Clear Shimmer: http://amzn.to/2j0V0cC
*Pop Dots Square Dual-Adhesives: http://amzn.to/2jOO7uW
*Scotch Blue Painters Tape: http://amzn.to/2jQS8Py
*Creatology Confetti Glitter at Michael’s Craft Store (could not find link)
*Detail Embossing Powder by Recollections (White): http://www.michaels.com/detail-embossing-powder-by-recollections-signature/M10263090.html?dwvar_M10263090_color=Silver#q=recollection+embossing+powder&start=8
*Recollections Signature Glitter Caddy, Metallic Shapes: http://www.michaels.com/recollections-signature-glitter-caddy-metallic-shapes/10403790.html#q=recollections+glitter+caddy&start=1