Rock painting for mental health

Hello! Hope you are keeping well - Sending out positive vibes to you all yay!

I want to share my love for painting rocks. It is something I've gotten into more recently and am absolutely hooked on! You can paint rocks anywhere and everywhere, as its such as easy and portable activity. All you need is some rocks and paint pens! Simples :-)

It has been proven that being creative can reduce anxiety and as I am a very anxious person, I was willing to let my creative juices flow for the sake of my mental wellbeing.

Rock painting is one of those very easy to pick up hobbies. It's something that I believe anyone can do, after a trip to the garden centre of course! I bought a very big bag of rocks from my local garden centre for a bargain price. Super chuffed. As for actually painting the rocks, paint pens are the best and most handy piece of equipment you'll need. You could also get some acrylic paints and brushes if you're feeling super artistic and more confident in your skills. Paint pens are simple to use and you can create some really awesome designs in minutes. I use Artistro paint pens, which you can order from Amazon. They have a whole range of colours and different sized pens. I also recommend buying some varnish so that you can hide your rocks outdoors.

You can get as creative as you like with your rocks. I tend do more simple designs, featuring positive and uplifting quotes. Rainbows seem to be a common theme in my rocks...hehe. If you want some inspiration, I totally recommend joining some groups on Facebook. There's Kindness Rocks Art UK and also Suicide Prevention Rocks. There may also be one for your local area, so definitely worth having a looksy! Everyone is so kind and supportive and it is a wonderful community to be a part of.

Another side to rock painting, is that it can get you out and about. I know lots of people who hide their painted rocks for others to find. I've got a few to varnish so I can take them on walks with me. I really struggle with leaving the house, so I am hoping this will be a good motivator.

This particular hobby has really helped with my mental health. Especially with my BPD and my moods. I find it super helpful to just sit and focus on a rock, put on my favourite tunes and paint away! It grounds me and helps me to express how I am feeling at that moment in time. I owe a big thank you to a local group, and in particular a lovely lady called Debbie, for introducing me to the hobby.

I 100% say that if you struggling with your mental health, then take up a new hobby or project. Creativity is wonderful.

Happy rock painting!

Hugs,

Charlotte xx

Cute Christmas cards using Sticker Kitten

Hello *waves* You are reading the first blog post on Charlotte's Crafty Corner!! How exciting...I am absolutely thrilled to be sharing my crafty adventures with you all. Rather than do an introductory welcome post, I thought I'd jump straight in at the deep end with some Christmas card makes. The festive holiday season is my favorite time of year and I really enjoy sending out handmade cards, as they have a more personal feel than shop bought ones.

If you're not sure where to start with card making, then I think a pack of ready designed toppers or ephemera are a great first step. You can combine them with patterned paper to create some really lovely cards. Crafting isn't complicated and the simplest of products can be used to make something magical.

Today, I am sharing three cute 'n' simple festive cards made with Sticker Kitten products. 100% recommend checking out their shop because they've got some lovely card making kits!

1. Penguins and Presents

Who doesn't love penguins?! For this card, I went with the slimline design, as I've seen alot of really lovely slim cards on Instagram and decided it was about time to have a go at my own. If you have some card blanks that are tall ish, you can just use a ruler and a craft knife to cut down the width and hey presto! you've got a slimline card ready to go.

Cut three squares into the front of the card. I used Crafters Companion square dies. I took a smaller square for the front, and then used a slightly bigger square to cut into patterned paper for the backgrounds. Grab your adorable penguins and stick them onto the inside of the sqaure cut outs. Then you can stick your bigger squares behind the cut outs. I've used three different papers but you could do all the same if you wish. I stuck a strip of white card the same size as the card front on the inside to hide the background sqaures when you open the card. For the middle square, I put a foam pad on the back of a tree, which I had decorated with some lights and a bauble from the ephemera.

To finish, take a sentiment and pop it on! Yay!

2. Gingerbread

Kraft card seemed like the best option for the gingerbread collection, they really pop with the white outline standing out. 

This is really simple to make, just take some red and white twine and create a little festive garland on the card with the gingerbread people! The sentiment is attached on with a foam pad but for the rest of the embellishments, I glued them on. You can lay them out however you want and put on as little or as much as you want. Easy to do but looks great.

3. Alpaca Wishes

Alpacas!!! Our of three sets I bought, my favourite is Alpaca Wishes for sure. The whole feel of the collection is warm and fuzzy.

So! To make this card, take some patterned paper and simply rip it up to make to mountains! I layered different sizes of ripped paper together and then popped on the ephemera. I've used the 'wishing you a cosy Christmas' sentiment along with two alpacas and popped in two potted plants but hid the pot bit to make grass tufts on the mountain hehe. The sentiment and snowflakes are attached with foam pads, whilst the alpacas, plants and garland are glued flat.

That's all three cards woohoo! If you feel inspired to buy some Sticker Kitten ephemera and get creating, let me know! You can find their products at https://www.stickerkitten.co.uk

This post is no way connected with Sticker Kitten, I just wanted to share some makes with their fabulous card making bits!

Lots of love,

Charlotte xx