Hey everyone! Happy Monday!
We're starting a brand new challenge at Inky Paws! So for the next 2 weeks, we want to see you use some cute animals on your projects! This is super easy with the huge variety of animal stamps that Newton's Nook offers! Any set you choose will have loads of cute animals for you to use!
I have been dealing with some pretty painful carpal tunnel the last couple of weeks...a lovely side affect of my pregnancy...but the pain and numbness in my hands has made crafting and coloring really hard.
So I decided to do something that wouldn't require a lot of pressure and would still give me nice shading on my image. I pulled out my Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils! I haven't played with those in so long and I realized how much I missed them after making this card. The stamp set I used was Newton's Donut. He just looked like he was playing with a donut shaped floaty. So I tried to create a pool type scene.
I die cut my patterned paper with the Flags and Frames die set, then used the rectangle die in that set to cut a corner piece out of blue cardstock. The edges were inked up to give it a little dimension and then I used a white gel pen to add some water wave type detail.
I stamped a simple sentiment from Newton's Summer Vacation. It seemed so perfect and honestly, I really wish I was joining Newton in that pool right now :)
Scattered a few black enamel dots around the sentiment and the card was done!
I can't wait to see what you come up with for this fun challenge!!
Thanks for visiting! <3
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Hello and Happy Monday!
Just swinging in to share a little reminder about our current Inky Paws Challenge at Newton's Nook! You have until Friday to create something Tropical using your NND stamps!
I couldn't wait to get my hands on the latest NND release! That stencil! ~swoon~
For my card, I started with a different layout in mind, which is why I created a background with Distress Oxide inks, putting blue in the middle and yellow on the edges. But as I was assembling everything together, I didn't like covering up all that gorgeous blue! So I put the image to the side instead.
But back to that background! I started by blending on some Distress Oxide inks for a great tropical combo. Then took the Tropical Leaves Stencil and added Cracked Pistachio and Faded Jeans to get a 2 tone pattern. I was hoping the ink would stay wet long enough for me to add some embossing powder, but some it dried by the time I finished. So I placed my stencil back over the design and used a mini blending tool to add some Versamark.
Once the Versamark was added, I covered the leaves with a sticky embossing powder. You want to heat that just to melted, not any longer or it won't be sticky anymore. Then I coated the whole thing in some clear rock glitter!! I used my finger to rub the glitter into the sticky embossing powder really well and then I always go back over everything with my heat gun just to be sure it's all set. Now the background is bright, colorful, and sparkly!!
I colored up an image from Aloha Newton with my pencils, fussy cut her out and layered her onto a little beach scene oval. Paired her with a fun sentiment from MFT Stamps and that was it!
I hope you will join us this week before the challenge ends!!
Thanks for visiting! <3
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Hello and Happy Monday!
We're starting another 2 week challenge today at Inky Paws and it's something I dream off often. We want to see your Tropical Themed cards!
I was in the mood for some watercoloring. I love this medium but I do struggle with it a lot still and the only way to get better is to play with it! To start, I did a washy sunset background with some Gansai Tambi watercolors. There are 2 layers to the background to get the colors nice and vibrant. Once it was completely dry, I went back over it with just some light streaks to mimic clouds and haze in the sky. Then set that aside to dry while I worked on my image.
I chose a couple images from the Aloha Newton set for my card today. First up was the sweet little kitty in the bed of flowers. I wanted to do a no-lines watercolor so I stamped everything is Antique Linen distress ink before working on getting it all painted.
The palm trees are from another image in that set with Newton swinging in the hammock, but I just trimmed out the trees from that image so I had just an individual palm tree.
My shading's not perfect...and the painting is a little rough. But overall, I think it's an adorable card and a scene that makes me wish I was someplace tropical right now :)
Be sure to check out the rest of the Inspiration Teams creations, they've done an amazing job with this theme! Then crack open your Newton's Nook products and join in the fun!
Thanks for visiting! <3
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Happy Friday!
Woohoo!! The weekend is finally here! We may just get to go pick some blueberries this weekend. Not sure yet, but I can hope. There's nothing better than fresh picked blueberries, and I know it's something that Matthew loves since he used to work on his grandpas blueberry farm - the best one in Michigan!
But this post isn't about blueberries...it's about strawberries! The next best fruit to have straight from the field, something I used to pick at my own home :)
Sami Stamps has a summer sweet release today that you don't want to miss! We also start our new challenge for the month with the theme of Anything Goes!
For my first card, I used the adorable image Strawberry Nap.
Of course, I colored the sweet kitty like my baby girl, Cloud. She's been feeling a little under the weather lately...something's wrong with her tail so we've been going easy around her, and giving her extra special care. Still makes me feel helpless that I can't do more to make her feel better...so I incorporate her into my cards :)
I've colored everything up with my ShinHan and Copic markers and layered the image onto some light summery papers. I kind of wish that the polka dot panel under my image was a little bit wider...but I didn't plan properly and it was already cut..so I went with it anyhow.
I stamped the sentiment onto a fun Spellbinders banner that my perfect husband bought me for my birthday, they are seriously the perfect banners for everything! I've used them on almost every one of my cards this week..lol! A few rhinestones and some ribbon flags finish of this sweet card.
I'd like to enter this Kitty card into the following challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards #70-Polka Dots
Creative Fingers #44-Anything Goes/Cute
Let's Craft and Create #95-Ribbon or Twine
This next card features the Two Strawberries image and came together in the blink of an eye!
I cut out the checkerboard background with my Silhouette and fell in love with it! Probably one of my favorite backgrounds at the moment and will probably be using it a lot!
The rest of the card is pretty simple because I didn't want to take too much away from the fun background with the big juicy strawberries in the middle. Just a simple die cut banner (again from my birthday gift :) ) and some gold thread wound behind the strawberries to give some extra sparkle.
Pretty simple, but I absolutely adore this card!!
I'd like to enter this Strawberry card into the following challenges:
The Crazy Challenge #176-Die Cuts and/or Punches
Ladybug Crafts-Clean and Simple
Less is More #182-Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp-Anything Goes
So that's it from me! Be sure to stop by Sami Stamps to see the rest of the design teams creations with this amazing release! Then pull out your own Sami Stamps images and join in our Anything Goes challenge!!
Thanks for taking the time to visit!! I truly appreciate that you are here! <3
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Happy Thursday!
I'm noticing a theme with my cards lately...3 of the last 4 have been based around sunshine and smiles :) And that's okay! Not sure what has brought that kick on, but it makes me smile so I'll just keep rolling with it!
Our new challenge starting today at Meljen's Designs is Button It Up! I really wanted to step out of my normal comfort zone with the buttons and try something new. While I browsed around the Meljen's store to find an image to use, several ideas popped into my head with other images. But they weren't quite hitting that "challenging" zone. Until I found this sweet Smile Flowers image. I knew it would be perfect!
So I printed it out and colored it all up with my pencils. What you can't see is the middles of the flowers spell out SMILE but I sifted through my small button collection and found appropriate sizes to cover them up! Ok, not super challenging like I made it sound...I know. I just didn't want to scatter the buttons in the corners like I normally do...wanted to do something different :)
Since I really loved the smile sentiment in the flowers, I still wanted to use that somehow. So I found a different image from Meljen's - Smile Bug - and printed that on some patterned paper to go below the flowers. I added the "just because" with a Hero Arts stamp and Wink of Stella to all the flowers and buggies :)
I really love how it turned out. Very light and summery. Be sure to stop by the Meljen's Design Team Challenge Blog, check the rest of the DT's amazing creations, and then join in the fun!!!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Color Me Creative #95-Friends
Penny's Paper-Crafty #184-Buttons, Butterflies, or Bows
Seize the Sketch #23
Word Art Wednesday #139-Anything Goes
Thanks for visiting! <3
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Happy Monday!
I just have to say, I am loving this summer weather! It's actually more like fall, but it's fabulous! I love seeing the sun shine without the blazing heat :)
So I had to go with a sun on my card for this weeks challenge at Digi Makeover. The challenge is Sunny Days, which can be really anything summer.
I'm really happy with how this card turned out. Even though it is simple layers, it still looks so nice and clean. I used the awesome images from Jen's Sunshine and colored them all in with my pencils. The papers are from the Little Darlings Summer Sorbet paper pack and were perfect for this card.
I hope you will join us this week! You could win some very sweet Paper Makeup images! Also, be sure to stop by and say hello to our newest team member, Hermien!! We're so glad to have her with us!
Have a fabulous day!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Deconstructed Sketch #112
Pollycraft Challenges #4-Fun in the Sun
V's Sweet Idea #14-Something Twine
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Hello!!! I hope everyone is having a fabulous day so far! It's amazingly a chilly 59 degrees here in Montreal! Quite the turn around from last weeks 100 that's for sure...but I love it :)
Just a little reminder, I'm having a birthday giveaway for the next week! Be sure to stop by and enter here: Birthday Giveaway
So, who is with me in loving all the Saturated Canary rubber stamps available now?? I don't have too many of them, but trust me, I'm working on it :) I was finally able to get my hands on Gardener Gayle and I absolutely love her!
I had started working on this card this past weekend when our power went out. So I tried to keep the card over all simple without too much fuss, mostly since I couldn't use the computer/Silhouette. But I still love the layout and the way it all came together.
I used my new First Edition papers from the spring drop line. They just seemed so perfect to use with Gayle, all flowery and garden colored. I inked up all the edges in a light green and then added a double layer of ribbon behind the image.
The final details were some little paint dots and a sweet stamped sentiment.
Thanks for stopping by today!!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Catered Crop-Summer Lovin
Color Me Creative #73-Anything Goes
The Crazy Challenge #150-Summertime
Creative Creations #15-Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations #224-Bingo (Ribbon, Stamped Image, Flowers)
Divas by Design-Anything Goes
Nutcrafters #48-Summer Sunshine Fun
The Paper Shelter #122-Anything Goes
The Squirrel and the Fox #48-Use Something Spooled
That Craft Place-It's a Girl Thing
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Happy Tuesday everyone!! Cloudy and cold here this morning...kind of strange since I thought this week we were supposed to scorch :) Oh well, I'll gladly take the cold!
We're starting a new challenge today at Tuesday Throwdown and it's Fantasy! We have the perfect sponsor for this challenge as well, The Paper Shelter! I can't help thinking of fairy tales, pixie dust, and all things fantasy when I look at their images. They provided our design team with some super sweet ones to use, and I just loved it!
I actually made 2 cards with this image. The first card I loved, but wasn't completely wild about...so I tried again :) I used the Enchanted Ocean image and just cropped off the little scuba dude. It's such a dreamy image...I love that! I looked up a few water coloring techniques to try and really make it stand out. Most of what I found was for Copic markers, but since I don't have any, I tried to do my best with my pencils. I think the sun streaks turned out awesome! Perfect to go along with this image.
I added some white gel pen dots to all the highlight areas, and some glitter to her bubbles. The sentiment is from Create with TLC and I strung some die cut starfish on twine below it. The final touch was some purple liquid pearls around the scallop frame! Totally love it!
Be sure to stop by and see the rest of the design teams creations, they are fabulous. Then join in the fun with your fantasy creation!!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday #210
There She Goes #212-Anything Goes
Timeless Tuesday #225-Scallops
Thanks for stopping by!
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Good morning! We're starting a new challenge today at Digi Makeover and it's an easy one-Anything Goes! You can make whatever you wish!
Father's day is coming up soon and I haven't started on any cards...these last few weeks my motivation to craft has been pretty slim. But I browsed through the stamps available at Paper Makeup and found this sweet monster image and just loved it, so I went with that.
Stuck with a black and white theme. It felt more suited to the image than trying to throw a bunch of color in there. I tried to add a little bow to my baby monster but getting a bow that small to look good was just too hard...so I left it off. I used Me and Pops from Paper Makeup and added a few square brads behind the image that I have had for...oh...7 years...lol :)
Stop by and join in the fun this week!
Entering this card into the following challenges:
Card Mania #21-Spots and Stripes
Cupcake Crafts #244-Boys
Digi Darla #64-Father's Day
Word Art Wednesday #81-Anything Goes
We decided that since camping isn't possible for us right now, we were going to make smores on the porch! I saw this idea someplace on Pinterest and finally got the chance to try it out.
The little terracotta pot wrapped in tin foil worked perfectly and we enjoyed some nice warm and gooey smores last night after supper :) Just like camping!
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Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was fabulous! We were able to hang out with some friends on Saturday and play some games together. It was quite a blast!
Today we are starting a new challenge at Digi Makeover and it's the Great Outdoors! When I started making my card the weather was gorgeous. Bright and sunny with a slight breeze. Made me totally think of having a picnic! Now though...it's freezing with talks of snow...not so much picnic weather anymore...but I still love my card :)
My plan was to make up the front of my card to look like a picnic basket and then add a sweet little image to the middle of it. But the basket turned out so stinkin cute that I didn't want to cover it up!
So instead I added my image to the inside.
For the front, I took a bunch of 1/2 inch strips and wove them together to form the basket. All of the edges are inked with some brown ink to give them dimension. I punched a border into the red gingham paper and added that to make the top of the basket. Then placed a few brads at the base of the handles.
When you open the card, the image sort of pops up at you on the left side. I used the sweet image Picnic Duo and colored them in with my pencils.
Then printed off a sentiment from the Freckled Lemonade set and framed it in a scallop circle.
I hope you will join us this week for our Great Outdoors challenge!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Happy Tuesday!
Today starts a new challenge at Tuesday Throwdown! This week our challenge is "Tropical Paradise!" I can feel the warm sun on my face, the sand in my toes, and the waves crashing on the shore! Ugh...I need a tropical vacation :)
So here is my card for this week:
Isn't that a fabulous image!? Our wonderful sponsor this week is Meljen's Designs and they always have adorable images! I've used Scuba Bear for my card, colored him in with my colored pencils with a few tiny blue dots on the bubbles.
The frames are cut from the Lacy Labels cartridge. When I cut the main frame out, as I was looking at it, an idea popped into my head. The wavy outline reminded me of shells, so I decided to try drawing in little clam shells with pearls in the centers. I busted out my new copics sketch set that has several really light shades of pink and started drawing. It took some practice, but I absolutely love it! It really helps give it that tropical feel. On the orange frame, I added some white paint dots and then sprinkled some tiny beads over top so they had a bubble/shimmer look.
Then I just cut some flags and added some stitching around a few things. Typed up and printed off the sentiment, then cut it into a tag shape, added an eyelet and tied some cord around one of the loops in the shell frame.
There aren't many details to the card, but I wanted the focus to be the image and it's frame. Here's a closer look:
This card is entered in the following challenges:
Friday Mashup #68-It's a Summer Sketch
The Crazy Challenge #125-Under the Sea
Cupcake Craft #202-The Ocean
The Pink Elephant #158-Summer
Sassy Studio #134-Hit the Beach
Pattie's Creations #48-Summertime
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to play along with us this week at Tuesday Throwdown. And you still have a few days left to submit your information for our DT call!
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Aaahhh...rain! Not that it cleared the stickyness out of the air, but I no longer feel like I'm going to melt into a pile on the floor just by sitting at my computer :) I will enjoy it while it's here, and I think my kitties are happy for the relief too.
So I'm back today with our new challenge at Tuesday Throwdown!! This week we are challenging you to use a clear element on your creation! This could be a very fun challenge! I ran into a snag when coming up with my card plan because originally I didn't think I had anything clear to use. But as I searched, and dug, and poured things out of drawers, magically I found some!! Woohoo!
I used the clear element as my card base and built on top of it. Our fabulous sponsor this week is Inked Treasures. They have provided the team with some absolutely adorable images to use that are perfect for summer projects! I have used Beach Bella, isn't she just darling? I colored her in with my colored pencils and added some glossy accents to her stylin sun glasses. Then mounted her on a die cut scallop frame with purple paint dot accents around the outside.
I cut out 2 layers for the star, glued them together and inked the edges in purple. Then I cut out 3 circles in the transparency, lined them up with the star and punched holes in them all to represent a button. Strung some thin purple ribbon through the holes and cut some small tails. Then inked around the edges of my printed sentiment and stuck it all down!
I wanted a little more stability at the top of the card so I cut a 1 inch strip and scallop cut one side. Then scored it down the middle and straddled it over the top fold. Added another strip of ribbon and some clear gems and that was it!
I hope you will join us this week! Be sure to swing by Tuesday Throwdown and check out all the other wonderful creations the Design Team has come up with!
We are also having a Design Team call until July 29th so be sure to check out all the information for that in the DT Post.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Well...now even the crickets are bored :)
I promise I will be back soon! Invites are almost done and then I can resume my card obsession!
But since it is Tuesday, that means a new challenge over at Tuesday Throwdown! Woot woot! This week we are challenging you to use hot colors. What are hot colors to you? I think of the brights-orange, yellow, red. But as you can see from some of the fabulous creations by the design team, bright pinks and greens are also in that mix.
So here is my "Hot Colors" card! As I flipped through my cricut cartridges to find a good image to use, the watermelon on the Cheerful Seasons cartridge just really stuck in my mind. So I went with that. I cut out a scalloped edge for the orange panel, and printed the sentiment to fit.
The red panel behind the watermelon is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder. I used my new Spellbinders Ovals for the frame around the watermelon. Then added some glossy accents to make the watermelon shine and look all yummy :)
Pretty simple card.
Be sure to stop by and play along this week! We have a great prize to give away from Crop Stop who carries all sorts of wonderful crafting supplies! You don't want to miss it!
We are also having a design team call until July 29! If you are interested in being on our design team, be sure to check out the post for all the details!
Until later, thanks for stopping by!!
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Whoa...it's like crickets around here! I can explain though :) I have been spending a lot of time working on this wedding invitation order that has to get out in the mail in the next 2 weeks. So...cards have not been a high priority for me, thus no blog posts :(
But I am back today with a quick post for our new Tuesday Throwdown challenge!! This week is Anything Goes and our fabulous sponsor is Robyn's Fetish!
As I scanned through her images, one really caught my eye as being perfect for summer.
I loved the summery look of this image! I can just imagine the cute little bear looking up at the clouds and making shapes out of them :) The image is It's a Beary Nice Day, and I've colored it in with my colored pencils.
The scallop frame is cut from the Lacy Labels cartridge and I've inked all the edges with an orange color.
The sentiment is a recent one from Create with TLC. I thought it was perfect for the image :)
And then! My favorite part! Check out the oval!! I got my first ever Spellbinders Nestabilities in the mail last week!!!! Oh *happy dance*! So of course I had to bust them open and use one on this card :) I have been dreaming of having those forever and when I found a 50% off sale in the states, I begged some family to go out and purchase me a few :)
I finished off the card with some cord strung behind the image and wrapped around the flagged panel. Then I made a few little bees with some heart punches and black paint :) Added some glitter glue to all the wings and it was done!
This card is entered in the following challenges:
Crafts 4 Eternity #78-Bear Necessities
Totally Paper Crafts-Use a Digital Image
Digi Design-Summertime
One Stitch at a Time #120-Use a Digital Image
Paper Pretties-Summer Fun
Timeless Tuesday #176-Summer Theme
Be sure to join in the fun at Tuesday Throwdown this week! We'd love to have you!
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Happy Thursday!
I'm going to share 2 cards with you today.
Seems I'm in a simple card phase right now...haven't been doing a lot of elaborate cards this week...
This first card came to mind when I was scanning my challenge list and saw a photo inspiration at Stamptacular Sunday of a beautiful beach!
The image is Cali Girl from Saturated Canary! I was able to snag her at a great price when Krista was having her "moving shop" sale! She seemed perfect for this card :)
Everything on this card is cut with my cricut!! First time I've done that in quite awhile. The palm trees and Paradise sentiment are from the Life is a Beach cartridge, the starfish are from the Create-a-Critter cartridge, the waves are a cut file from Bird's Cards, and the hibiscus is from the Hibiscus font!! Oh and the frame around miss Cali is from the Lacy Labels cartridge.
I used my colored pencils and added detailing to the palm trees and the star fish...they were pretty flat without it :) I colored in my image with my pencils as well. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not very good at skin yet...I keep practicing but can't seem to get it right...and trying to get a tanned skin color is even harder...but I did the best I could and I think it turned out pretty good :)
I used my white gel pen and added some small details around the hibiscus and the waves. Then added some gold paint dots in the corners!
This card is entered in the following challenges:
Stamptacular Sunday #166-Photo Inspiration
Alota Rubber #84-Sketch
The Pink Elephant #151-Vibrant Colors
Raise the Bar #107-Hello Summer
The Squirrel and the Fox #19-Winter or Summer
My next card is super simple...but it came together really quick!
I've had this birdhouse image in my folder forever (can't remember where I got it from), and I just love it but never used it! So with "new home" coming up on my rotation of topics, I decided to finally use this image!
It's colored with my pencils. I colored them all in brown first and then went over the brown lightly with a blue on the 2 houses on the left. I think it gave them a cool warn look. All the papers are from my scrap stash..I just LOVE using up those pieces...my stash of them is getting a little out of control :)
Not many details to this card..like I said...simple! :)
This card is entered in the following challenges:
Try Stampin on Tuesday #69-Sketch
Digital Tuesday #163-Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter #67-Going Dotty
Pixie Dust Studio #130-3 or More Patterned Papers
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