Mama Elephant – Special Delivery

Hi again! Today I have another fun Mama Elephant card featuring some goodies that I recently picked up from Doodlebugs but are from older releases. First up was this adorable Little Agenda Airplane set. I started with just these cute parachuters but the airplanes and combining them is going to be so much fun!

I started by stamping a bundle of images and just had relaxing fun watercoloring them with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. I used the coordinating dies to cut everything out and went back to my stash to decide on a background for my cute critters.

I came across the Postage Frame dies and realized I hadn’t used them yet, also how cute would they be with these floating packages and letters! So I cut the main die from kraft cardstock not realizing it cuts a frame and the center pops out. I took the opportunity to ink the edges on the inside piece with white pigment ink to make it stand out from the frame a little. Then I used my images as a guide for where to stamp my sentiment.

Once that was stamped, I added foam tape to the frame and insert and popped them up on a white card base. I added the clouds and falling letters with liquid glue and popped the other images up on foam squares.

For finishing touches I added black glaze pen to the critter eyes and white gel pen highlights to various parts of the images. I added glossy accents to the critter noses and postage on the packages and envelopes.

I’ve been making a big push to create extra “just because” cards to send when the moment strikes me. It seems that I have those moments when I have no appropriate cards available or time to make one. So, I guess that’s a goal now this year to make sure I have them around anytime.

Products used:
Mama Elephant Little Agenda Airplanes stamps and dies
Mama Elephant Postage Frame dies
Glossy accents
Foam tape and squares

I get all of my Mama Elephant goodies at Doodlebugs. Click HERE to get a 15% off coupon for your purchase.

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

Pink & Main – Make A Wish

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today is like my Friday since I’m on vacation the rest of the week from my day job so I’m extra chipper! I’m over on the Pink & Main blog sharing a glittery fun birthday card with you featuring the new Make A Wish stamp and die set.

I started by playing around with the fabulous ice cream cone pieces and my dye inks. I used Lawn Fawn pizza crust for the cone which I think is perfect and then Pink & Main construction, dress shop and night sky. I stamped the detail layer with watermark & embossing ink and heat embossed them with icicle embossing powder. Isn’t the sparkly tops on the ice cream cones so fun!?! Next, I used EZ Squeeze liquid glue to adhere the ice cream to the cones and set them aside.

For my background panel, I chose the next-to-largest Wide Stitched Arches die and cut it from river walk cardstock. I splattered it with pearl watercolor and let it dry. Knowing the main colors I was working with, I went digging in my patterned paper and chose the light pink stripes from the year round dots & stripes paper pad for my card front.

After adhering the pink background to a card base, I popped the wide arch panel up with foam tape. Then I added the ice cream cones with foam squares. *Note that I added double foam squares where they hang over the arches so they still lay nice and flat.*

Finally I stamped a sentiment from the Make A Wish stamp set with lakeside ink and die cut it out. Next, I added Touch of Gloss to the flame and sprinkled lemonade super fine glitter on it to give the candle flame a little extra. Once that was dry, I added foam squares to the back and popped it up on the ice cream cones.

Products used today:
Make a Wish stamps and dies
Wide Stitched Arches dies
Year Round Dots & Stripes paper pad
River Walk cardstock
Premium Dye Ink – construction, dress shop, night sky and lakeside
Watermark & Embossing Ink
Magic Anti-static Brush
Icicle embossing powder
EZ Squeeze liquid glue
Touch of Gloss
Super Fine Glitter – lemonade
Foam tape and squares
LH Colors watercolor – pearl

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

Ellen Hutson – Sweet Spring Set of 4

Welcome everyone! I’m so glad you’re here! Today I’m playing with goodies from Ellen Hutson and a couple of MFT Stamps background stamps. I was inspired by Therese Calvird from the Ellen Hutson design team. Click HERE to see the card she shared that got my wheels turning.

Now, I don’t have the new skinny stripes background stamp from Ellen Hutson, or the background die but her background and use of that sweet bunny had me thinking. I do have a diagonal skinny stripe background from MFT Stamps and was able to stamp, rotate and stamp again to create my orange and green backgrounds. While I was digging for that stamp I found the sweet plaid background that I bought last year and love so much, so I couldn’t resist inking it up a couple of time too.

Then I proceeded to stamp a ton of images from Sweet Spring and color everything with my copic markers. I started with the bunny and a bundle of carrots like Therese’s card. Who could resist!?!

The second element I loved about her card was the speech bubble sentiment. It’s playful and lends itself to being more versatile outside of the Easter holiday. So I pulled out a couple of Ellen Hutson products to make my own.

The sentiments come from Small Sayings stamps, and the speech bubbles are from Heart Eyes stamps and dies which released in January.

Keeping with the sweet spring feel but not necessarily Easter, I put that cute fox in a flower pot surrounded by flower filled pots as well. Can’t you just see him popping up out of nowhere saying hello? I just love it!

All of the images have similar finishing touches with white gel pen accents, black glaze pen to open eyes and little bits of glossy accents on parts of the images like these flower centers.

This card is definitely more of an Easter feel but it’s so sweet that I just couldn’t resist. I love the bunny ears to dress up the critters and having him pop out of the egg was too cute!

I chose another generic sentiment for the front but will probably stamp something from the fun Ears to You stamp set on the inside before I mail it out.

Last but not least, these sweet chicks! They’re so fun walking in a line with the babies not following directions. The speech bubble and hearts both came from Heart Eyes. I seriously love this one!

I forgot to mention also, I trimmed the stamped backgrounds down to 4×5.25 inches and popped them up with foam tape for added dimension. If you’ve followed me for even just a minute, you know I love dimension on everything!

One more look at all four cards that I created using Ellen Hutson Sweet Spring and MFT Stamps backgrounds, inspired by Therese Calvird.

Products used today:
EBE Sweet Spring stamps and dies
EBE Heart Eyes stamps and dies
EBE Small Sayings stamps
MFT Stamps Diagonal Stripes stamp
MFT Stamps All Lined Up Diagonally stamp
Foam squares
Foam tape
White gel pen
Black glaze pen
Glossy accents

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

Mama Elephant – Rain or Shine Circle Shaped Card

Hi crafty friends! While I was waiting for the new Mama Elephant release to drop, I pulled out last year’s spring cuties to play with. First, I made a fun circle shaped card using their genius Combo Circle dies.

I started by stamping my images on Bristol smooth cardstock and watercolored them with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. Then I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.

Pulling from my desire for sunshine and spring I used the Combo Circle dies to cut yellow and pink scallops, plus a white scene panel. I glued the scallops together, cut another scallop from white cardstock and scored it about an inch from one side. I glued this flap to the colored scallops to create my card base.

I blended tattered rose distress oxide ink in the center of the white circle and flicked pearl watercolor on the panel too. While that was drying I glued my turtle to the puddle and added foam squares to the back of my images.

When the panel was dry, I used my images as a guide where I could stamp my sentiment. Once that was stamped I adhered the images and stamped a few extra water splashes and drops. Finally, I added my scene panel to the card base with liquid glue. This helps so I have a moment to make sure it’s centered.

For finishing touches I just added glossy accents to the bunny’s nose and turtle’s shell. Then I added black glaze pen to their eyes to help them pop and shine too.

Products used:
Mama Elephant Combo Circle dies
Mama Elephant Flower Shower stamps and dies
Foam squares
Bearly Art liquid glue
Distress Oxide – tattered rose
Sakura Gelly Roll black glaze pen
LH Colors pearl watercolor

I order all of my Zig markers and Mama Elephant from Doodlebugs. Click HERE for a link to get 15% off your purchase.

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

Newton’s Nook – March Release Day 4

As we wind down an awesome reveal week, I hope you’re ready to shop! But first, let’s take a look at one more fun stamp and die set being added to the collection tomorrow.

Fabulous Fungus stamps and dies

These super fun mushrooms and even funnier sentiments are sure to give you a giggle. I certainly did! When I saw all of them I knew they needed a gnome to hang in the garden with them.

I chose the sweet image from Gnome Garden with the little guy sitting on a mushroom plus a bundle of different images from the new Fabulous Fungus set and colored everything with my copic markers. I used coordinating dies from both sets to cut everything out.

I die cut a white panel using the largest Frames & Flags die and combined it with the hills & grass stencil to give my panel some scenery. Using my images as a guide, I stamped a sentiment from Fabulous Fungus in the sky. Then I grabbed a cloud stamp from Newton’s Birthday Balloons and stamped some of those to fill the sky subtly.

I adhered the images with a combination of foam squares and liquid glue. Then I popped the scene panel up on a piece of flower patterned paper from the Spring Blooms paper pad. I adhered the whole thing to a white card base and added glossy accents around various parts of images for finishing touches.

Would you like to win the “Fabulous Fungus” Stamp Set? This stamp set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!

Here’s how to win: Comment on the NND blog and Design Team blogs (see list below)! Thewinner will be chosen at random from the collective reveal posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday March 23rd at 9pm ET to comment — winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, March 24th.

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton’s Nook Designs
Donna Idlet
Ellen Haxelmans
Tina Herbeck
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Zsofia Molnar
Maria Russell
Farhana Sarker
Tatiana Trafimovich
Amanda Wilcox

Pink & Main – Sweetest Birthday Wishes

Hey friends! I’m over on the Pink & Main blog today with some sweet birthday wishes and a fun technique to try.

I started my card with a design idea in my head so I stamped a bunch of images from Sweet Birthday which happens to be the stamp and die of the month for March! You can get a super deal on this set if you sign up before the end of the month. After coloring the images with copic markers, I used the coordinating dies to cut them all out. I used EZ Squeeze liquid glue to adhere the party hats to a couple of the images missing one and set them aside to dry.

Next, I took a white panel and the new Fireworks embossing folder. I used a brayer roller with construction ink on the flat side of the embossing folder. Next, I placed the white panel on the other side and closed the folder. After running it through my die cut machine with the embossing folder sandwich, I had this awesome panel where the raised, embossed areas are white but the panel is orange. Isn’t that so cool!?! It’s really fun to play around with.

I adhered the embossed panel to a white card base and popped my images up with foam squares across the center of the card front. Then I stamped and heat embossed a sentiment from the set and cut it out with a sentiment strip from Sunny Greetings and popped it up too.

For finishing touches I added black glaze pen to all the eyes and stardust Stickles to the top of the party hats. Then I used Touch of Gloss on things like cherries, cheeks and the balloon.

I hope you’ll try this fun background technique. It gives your embossing folders a new lease on life, which is awesome because they are a craft tool that is less expensive and fun to create with!

Products used:
Sweet Birthday stamps and dies (Stamp and Die of the Month)
Fireworks embossing folder
Touch of Gloss
Magic Anti Static Brush
Ink – embossing and construction
Embossing Powder – icicle
EZ Squeeze liquid glue
Stickles – stardust
Brayer roller
Foam squares

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

Newton’s Nook – March Release Day 3

Welcome back friends! For day 3 of the Newton’s Nook March release reveals we’re adding another gorgeous set to the oval card front series. I love these and always enjoy settling in to color them.

Spring Blooms Oval stamps (coordinates with Oval Frames dies)

For my card today, I stamped the image on watercolor paper in brown ink and used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers to watercolor everything.

A small tip I find easier when using these dies with the oval or circle card front series, I cut the scalloped shape out and then stamp on that. Otherwise, I tend to stamp too close to the edge of my paper to allow for die cutting after.

To continue with the watercolor vibe, I inked up the new Quatrefoil stencil with dusty concord distress oxide ink and spritzed it with water. After blotting it dry I flicked watered down antique linen distress oxide ink on the panel for extra distressing.

I adhered the background panel to a card base and popped the image oval up with foam tape. Then I cut another, smaller oval in the same die set and stamped my sentiment on that. I watercolored a light blue edge before popping it up with foam squares as well.

Would you like to win the “Spring Blooms Oval” Stamp Set? This stamp set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton’s Nook Designs
Donna Idlet
Ellen Haxelmans
Tina Herbeck
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Zsofia Molnar
Maria Russell
Farhana Sarker
Tatiana Trafimovich
Amanda Wilcox

Newton’s Nook – March Release Day 2

Let’s keep things going with a fabulous day 2 of reveals for the Newton’s Nook March release! Today we have two stamp and die sets that are adorable together or on their own.

Newton’s Umbrella stamps and dies

Rainy Day Doxie stamps and dies

Like I said above, I think these images are really adorable and my first thought was that they would be too cute on a card together. So that’s what I did!

I stamped and colored both main images, plus the puddle and raindrops, and colored it all with my copic markers. I used the coordinating dies to cut it all out.

Next, I cut a slimline panel to ink up for my background. Today I chose tumbled glass and salvaged patina distress oxide inks. I spritzed the background with water and blotted it dry before flicking pearl watercolor all over the panel.

While that was drying, I cut a 3.5×8.5 strip of yellow cardstock to adhere to my slimline card base. Then, I stamped my sentiment on the background panel and popped it up on the card base with foam tape.

I added the puddle with liquid glue and popped all the other images up with foam squares. For finishing touches I added glossy accents to all things water, plus critter noses and toe beans, and parts of the umbrellas.

Would you like to win the “Newton’s Umbrella” Stamp Set or the “Rainy Day Doxie” Stamp Set? We will choose ONE lucky winner for each stamp set!

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton’s Nook Designs
Donna Idlet
Ellen Haxelmans
Tina Herbeck
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Zsofia Molnar
Maria Russell
Farhana Sarker
Tatiana Trafimovich
Amanda Wilcox

Newton’s Nook – March Release Day 1

Hey friends! I’m very happy to be back with another Newton’s Nook release week! It’s day 1 and we’ve got a bunch of fun products to reveal today. Let’s jump in.

Spring Haul stamps and dies

Spring Garden Line and Quatrefoil stencils

Spring Blooms paper pad

Isn’t this an amazingly awesome way to kick off the week!?!?! So many fabulous products and we’re just getting started! Here are a couple of simple cards I created using just the paper pad and new stencil.

I couldn’t resist trying the Garden Line stencil with glitz gel and making sparkly flowers! Aren’t they beautiful!?!

Then I created this super simple circle shaped card using one of the designs in the paper pad. When you’re in a crunch and need something quick but beautiful…I got you! This is fantastic!

Next, I have a card to share featuring Spring Haul, which I absolutely LOVED sitting and coloring. These images are so sweet and would be amazing in a million different color ways.

I kept the colors soft because my brain is really ready for light and happy after feeling dark and dreary from the weather. The gingham paper is from the new paper pad and I’m obsessed. It’s so perfect!

I feel like this truck belongs backed up in a farmer’s market to sell all its gorgeous blooms. Don’t you? The smaller images in the set make it really easy and fun to create little scenes too.

For finishing touches I added glossy accents to the taillights and stardust Stickles to all the things with wings. You know I can’t resist shine and shimmer.

Would you like to win the “Spring Haul” Stamp Set? This stamp set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton’s Nook Designs
Donna Idlet
Ellen Haxelmans
Tina Herbeck
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Zsofia Molnar
Maria Russell
Farhana Sarker
Tatiana Trafimovich
Amanda Wilcox

Ellen Hutson – Good Luck Bear

Happy Friday everyone! It’s a big weekend at our house. Our daughter has state championships for dance today and tomorrow. Which brings us to a two-day #tagtimesaturdays starting today and then another one tomorrow. Then I’ll take a break and be back again in the fall with more fun inspiration.

State works differently than regular competitions so there is no gift table and nothing to be sent back to her. So, instead I made this fun bear and coordinating tag for good luck and popped it in her suitcase before she left last night.

Ellen Hutson has this adorable line of stamps and dies that originated with All Inside. It’s a sweet bear, some small images and wonderful sentiments. Then they created a stitching die of bear because he’s just so perfect! I have made so many of these bears in a variety of color schemes, holding different things over the years. They never get old and are so fun to give.

Today I went with a white bear, brown nose and green accents for good luck! The die set comes with one to cut eyes but I really prefer using the flat back beads instead. These are from Trinity Stamps.

For my tags, I cut the square version in the Farmhouse Tags die set from green and white cardstock, then the banner tag in the same set from darker green cardstock. I cut the hole reinforcer for the top tag and glued it in place before stamping my sentiments and bear. I simply drew the ampersand with a black pen and we will write our message on the white tag hidden behind.

For added fun, I glued a mini green heart on his bum too! This was the smallest heart included in the All Inside die set. It makes me giggle but I do this most of the time when I create these fun bears.

Products used today:
All Inside stamps and dies
Farmhouse Tags dies
Bear Hugs dies
Felt – winter white and espresso, green was scrap from my stash
Liquid glue
Trinity Stamps Essential Embellishments Bundle

I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!