Hello friends and happy Monday!  I am excited to be sharing my card for the Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge today.  I frequently hear from friends and fellow stampers that they aren't creative enough to design something on their own, or that they don't know what colors to use.  They feel frustrated before they even begin because they don't know where to begin.  I understand!  Yes, I've been there too!  That's the concept behind a card challenge.  It can help to inspire you and get the creative juices flowing by giving you a place to start.  Challenge #115 by Newton's Nook is a theme challenge.  Let the image below be your inspiration for creating a card (or scrapbook page) and see where this challenge takes you!  

Here is the card I created inspired by the image above.  I went with the theme of hearts:

*A full list of supplies (with shopping links) is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  Using a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of designer paper with a red heart pattern, I adhered this patterned paper directly to the card base.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I cut a medium sized rectangle from red cardstock.  I adhere this directly to the center of the card.  I die cut a large heart from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and stamped small hearts in red ink around the heart.  I also stamped the "thank you" sentiment in red ink. 

I stamped the flowers from the Newton's Nook Designs Peony Blooms stamp set in Memento Tuxedo black ink on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I colored in the flowers with Copic markers and used the coordinating Peony Blooms dies to cut them out.  I adhered the flowers to the bottom portion of the heart with foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle. 

In this close-up photo of the peonies, you can see the sparkle from the Wink of Stella:

Will this theme inspire YOU to create?  Are you ready to get your paws inky with us and play along for a chance to win?!  We will randomly select one linked entry to receive a $20 store credit to the Newton's Nook Designs online shop! 
We will also highlight our favorites from each challenge the following Monday, so that all entries have a chance to be featured on the Newton's Nook Designs blog.

Please make sure you review the challenge rules page before you link up your project!  
Deadline to enter is Friday, January 31, at midnight CST.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see your creations there!

If I had to pick my absolute favorite color, this card is it!  Call it what you want - fuschia, raspberry, magenta, or simply berry, this reddish pinky-purple color is gorgeous and rich.  I have it in cardstock, ink, ribbon and even cardigans, lipstick and velvet wedge heels!  P.S. - those heels are to die for!  Literally.  I tripped one day into the street on my way to work and it was not pretty. . . Anywho, today's card features the "Sending Bunches" digital stamp set from RG Avenue.  If you would like to learn more about digital stamps, please read this post where I talk in detail about what they are and how to use them.  

*Full supply list (with shopping links) is located at the end of this post.

This A2 sized card is made from Raspberry cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I cut the first layer from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I stamped some splotches of raspberry ink directly onto the scalloped white cardstock.  Because the "Sending Bunches" stamp set is a digital stamp set, I printed the file from my computer onto Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I colored in the images with Copic markers and then used my Scan & Cut 2 electronic cutting machine to cut the images out for me.   I added the sentiment in the lower right corner using Tombow adhesive.  I added the large balloon and two sets of flowers to the left center size of the card using foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of Dazzling Pat to the flowers and balloon for added sparkle. 

Look at that sparkle!

I hope you are loving this color as much as I do!  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

I have been experimenting a lot with watercolor recently.  Last September I took two classes on watercoloring at the Scrapbook Expo in Ontario, California, and I was able to experiment with a variety of different mediums used for watercoloring.  We learned about the Kuretake Gansai Watercolor Palette, Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens, Zig Watercolor Clean Brushes and Tim Holtz Distress Crayons.  These were great classes for me because I was able to discover certain mediums that I liked (Zig and Spectrum Noir) and others that I didn't thoroughly enjoy (Distress Crayons).  For today's "blue-tiful" floral card, I used the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens.  These Sparkle pens are just like the Wink of Stella pens that we all love, except in color! 

*A full list of supplies (with shopping links) can be found at the end of this post.

The base of this slimline card measures 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" inches.  The base is made from Blue Raspberry cardstock.  I cut a 8 1/4" x 3 1/4" piece of Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock to mount onto the blue base.  I stamped the sentiment in blue ink in the upper right hand corner of this white cardstock before adhering it to the card base.  I stamped the large flower from the Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers stamp set in Versamark ink.  I heat embossed the image with white embossing powder.  I die cut the flowers using the Beautiful Flowers die.  I colored the large flower with Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens in blues and green.  Once the image dried, I adhered it to the slimline card using foam adhesive.  I also punched some extra leaves out of blue and green sparkle paper, that I tucked behind the main image for added sparkle

I hope you have enjoyed today's card.  Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello friends and happy Thursday!  It is release week at Whimsy Stamps and today I'm sharing two cards featuring the new Layering Peruvian Lilies stamp set.  I have always particularly loved layering stamp sets because they add such depth and dimension to an image and all you need are a few different colored inks to achieve the desired look.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I cut the largest rectangle from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using Versafine Clair Purple Delight ink, I stamped the sentiment in the upper right hand corner.  I stamped the first outline layer of the leaves directly onto the white cardstock in Versamark Clair Green Oasis ink.   I stamped the second layer, or the filler, of the leaves in Versafine Spanish Moss ink.  On a separate sheet of white cardstock, I stamped the layering lilies in three inks:  Purple Delight, Charming Pink and Blushing Bride. I then fussy cut each of the lilies by hand. I adhered the handcut lilies over the leaves using foam adhesive for added height and dimension.  Lastly I added a couple of randomly placed pink rhinestones for added sparkle.

I have created a second card to share with you today because I love seeing all the different ways you can use one single stamp set:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut the branch frame die from Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink in the upper right corner and heat embossed it using white embossing powder.  Again, on a separate sheet of white cardstock, I stamped the layering lilies in the same ink colors used previously.  I also stamped the leaves on a separate sheet of white cardstock.  I fussy cut both the leaves and the lilies and adhered them to the card using foam adhesive. I added a few randomly placed clear rhinestones for added sparkle.

Here is the Layered Peruvian Lilies stamp set:

Thanks for visiting and happy creating!

Hello crafty readers and happy Friday!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday spent with family and friends, and I hope you are now beginning to look forward to the start of a new year.   Today I'm delighted to be a guest designer again with the Coffee Loving Cardmakers.  I'm also sharing my first ever creations using some of the beautiful digital stamps from Graciellie Designs, and, my-oh-my these stamps are simply stunning!  I initially purchased just four digital stamps (two of which I'm sharing with you today), but after working with these two, I know I'll be ordering more!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from kraft cardstock.  Using the Scalloped Stitched Nesting dies from Gina Marie Designs, I cut the first layer from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.   I printed out the coffee mug from the Fresh Start digital stamp set on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored it with my Copic markers (colors seen below). I fussy cut the image and adhered the mug to the card using foam adhesive.  I placed some linen thread around the mug before adhering the white scalloped layer to the kraft card base.  The sentiment is from the "Words to Live By: Kindness" stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  I stamped the sentiment in indigo ink in the upper right corner.  I added a layer of Clear Wink of Stella to the flowers and mug for added sparkle.  Lastly, I added a few turquoise rhinestones around the card for more dimension.

Here is the second card I created using the Christmas Cheer digital stamp set by Graciellie Designs:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using the Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies by Gina Marie Designs, I cut a piece of indigo cardstock. I then cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of white cardstock to layer over the indigo scalloped piece.  Using the Kindness Counts stamp set by Papertrey Ink, I stamped the sentiment in indigo ink in the upper right corner. I printed the image from the Christmas Cheer stamp set onto Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored it using my Copic markers (see colors below).  I then fussy cut the image and added it to the card using foam adhesive.  I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle.  Lastly, I added a couple turquoise rhinestones randomly on the card for added dimension.

Here are the Copic markers I used to color both of these images:

I am still in awe of how gorgeous the stamps by Graciellie Designs are and I hope you will try them too!
Thanks again to Amy and Chaitali for having me guest design these past two weeks with the Coffee Loving Cardmakers.  I'm happy to have some new coffee loving friends!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.  If you were brave enough to venture out in the madness that is Black Friday, I hope you survived and spent the weekend recovering!  That scene is most definitely not for me!  Today I am sharing a card that didn't quite go as planned, but I like how it turned out just the same.  RG Avenue released both of these beautiful sets "Boho Strings" and "Song Lyrics" last month and as usual, I'm a little late to the game. . . What I really wanted to achieve was a Christmas themed card with the guitar and flowers.  However, my flower selection (mums, I believe) and color choice completely say "FALL!"  So. . .  fall it is.  Technically winter doesn't start until December 21st, so it's all good!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Rich Cherry sugar stock.  Using the Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies from Gina Marie Designs, I cut the first layer from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I stamped four different song lyrics on the card in Rich Cherry sugar cube ink.  I heat embossed the guitar on Sweet Cane sugar stock in gold embossing powder and fussy cut it out.  I colored the flowers in Copic markers and fed it through my Scan and Cut to cut the bouquet for me.  I adhered the flowers over the guitar and adhered both to the card with 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle.

Here are the "Song Lyrics" and "Boho Strings" stamp sets I used to make today's card:

The flowers are from the Bold Bouquet digital stamp set.  If you missed my recent post talking about digital stamps, please read here. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderfully creative day!

Hi friends!  Happy Friday!  I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead.  Today I'd like to talk about digital stamping.  While digital stamps are not new to the market, they seem to be increasing in popularity.  Ever since I began designing cards recently for RG Avenue (who uses a LOT of digital images!) I have become a lot more adept at using this type of stamp and I have come to really like them.  While I still have a lot to learn about manipulating the images, today we can talk about some of the basics of digital stamping.

Digital stamps, also known as “digi stamps" are simply high-resolution digital images.  The most significant difference between a digital stamp and a traditional stamp is that there is NO physical stamp.  A digital stamp is just the image or images.  Think of it kind of like computer clip art.  These digital images can be color or black and white.  They are downloaded onto a computer where they can be manipulated - resized or altered before being printed.

Below is an example of a digital stamp.  No, you cannot tell the difference simply by looking at this image if this is a digital stamp or a physical stamp.  This particular stamp set is called "Bold Bouquet" from RG Avenue.  This stamp, like many others from RG Avenue, comes in both options - digital or physical.

One of the benefits of using digital stamps is that you don't need anything special!  As long as you have access to a computer and a printer you have the two most important pieces.  Any inkjet printer will work fine; you don’t need expensive, fancy equipment.  But, if you do own a laserjet printer, this will work too. 

Typically after you purchase a digital stamp you will receive an email with the digital file.  Most digital stamps will come in .PNG, .JPG, .CSV  or .PDF files.  Some digital stamps might be provided in .ZIP files, so you will need to know how to unzip a file.  Save the digital stamp file to your computer’s hard drive with an easily identifiable name (trust me, this helps to find it later)!   Open up the saved file using either a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, or a photo editing program such as Photoshop Elements, LightRoom or a free website such as PicMonkey or GIMP.  You can either print the image(s) out directly, or manipulate the image(s) before you print them out.  You can add digital image to cards, scrapbooks, home decor and so much more!

• Cost effective - on average digital stamps are less expensive than traditional stamps
  
• More space -  digital stamps are stored right on a computer and do not take up physical space
• Immediate downloads - Unlike purchasing a physical stamp where it can take anywhere between 2 and 10 days to ship out in the mail, digital stamps are available for immediate download because the file is sent directly to your email upon purchasing
• The ability to change the size/shape - with some slight editing, you can alter the size/color of your stamps to better fit your needs
• E-Cutting machines - whether you have a Cricut or Scan & Cut, or any other electronic cutting machine, digital stamps don't need dies because most can be scanned through an e-cutting machine
• No deterioration - unlike rubber which can dry up, or photopolymer which can stain, digital stamps do not lose their quality over time
• Environmentally friendly -  for those concerned about waste, digital stamps use less resources
  

• 3D images - You cannot "stamp" the images on wood/plastic/clay or other 3D type materials.  Any product that cannot be run through a printer presents a challenge.  It will be difficult to use digital stamps on fabric, very thick or very thin paper and cardstock, large pieces of paper, pre-formed boxes and many other items.  With a little creativity ingenuity (and lots of time and patience) you might be able to find a way to work around this issue
  
• Masking - unless you alter the stamp digital before printing, you cannot mask a stamp after the fact
• Heat embossing - Because the ink is already printed on paper, you can't stamp with a Versamark pad to heat emboss the image.  The workaround is to trace the image with a Versamark pen, but this result isn't nearly so precise and well defined
• Computer knowledge - it does take a small amount of familiarity and learning to work with digital stamps
• Licensing - Licensing arrangements can be confusing, so you need to read the terms and conditions for each image you purchase as sellers have different terms you must follow to avoid copyright issues (for instance - sharing with your friends is frowned upon!)
  

Technically you can print on any type of paper that will go through your printer, but you will want to use specific paper designed for your coloring medium.  If you are going to color your image with watercolor, you will want to be sure to run a sheet of watercolor paper (like Strathmore) through your printer to print the image on.  If you would like to color your image with alcohol ink markers (Copic/Spectrum Noir, etc) or colored pencils (Prismacolor, etc) you will want to use a good carstock like Neenah Solar White or Strathmore Bristol smooth.

Many stamp companies are now offering digital alternatives to traditional/regular stamps.  Along with RG Avenue, I highly recommend you check out Di's Digi Stamps or Power Poppy.  Their images are simply stunning!  The style of digital stamps can vary greatly. There are simple, almost cartoon-like images that are the easiest to design and color in. That doesn’t mean, however, that digital stamps can’t have more quality. Details such as lines on an animal to indicate fur are brilliant – as a crafter, you will color over it like normal, but the design will have more depth and a designer quality.

A simple Google search will yield many results for "FREE digital stamps!"  I've provided a few links below for you to access courtesy of Papercraft UK magazine.  You can click on the link and then download these FREE digital stamps.  Try them and see if YOU like digital stamping!

If you are interested, really creative, and have a bit of artistic flair, you could make your own digital stamps! If you are good at drawing, all you need to do is sketch out a design in pencil that you can imagine someone coloring. Once you’ve done that and are happy with the design, simply go over the drawing with a black felt or fineline pen and scan it into your computer. Save it as a file and ta-da – you’ve created a digital stamp! If you’re savvy with a computer, you can then manipulate your drawing to make it crisp and perfect – and also alter the file type to offer crafters more possibilities. Share them on a craft blog or simple with your fellow creatives.  Open an Etsy store and sell your designs like Magengo!

Now I will share the two cards I created for today using digital files from RG Avenue:

The purple arrows in the image below shows the two stamps I used to create the card you see (above).  I printed out the entire sheet of flowers and colored the images with my Copic markers.  I ran the sheet back through my Scan & Cut to cut the flowers out.  *Note: If you don't have an e-cutting machine, yes, you could fussy cut the images out yourself.  Then I proceeded to finish the card as I normally would by adding cardstock, a sentiment stamp, some plaid paper and rhinestones.

For the second card, I used a digital stamp set from RG Avenue called "Fall Vibes:"

I hope this post has helped to answer some of the questions you might have about digital stamping. I'm still a beginner myself, but I'm happy to try and help if you have any additional questions.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

You guuuysssss, I am overexcited to share today's card with you!  I think I made my very favorite Christmas card last weekend!  During the holidays, I have always decorated the living room of our house in silver, blues and white.  Every year I find these beautiful blue dyed poinsettia's at my local Agway store and it would just help complete the room.  No, don't worry, I haven't started decorating yet -  I'm a wait until after Thanksgiving girl!  But, that color scheme inspired me to create a card using the Altenew Poinsettia & Pine stamp set, and I think it came out simply gorgeous.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Blueberry Bushel cardstock.  I cut a piece of 5 1/4" x 4" gold foil paper and adhered it to the base of the card at an angle.  The gold foil paper is key in making this card sparkle with a touch of elegance.  I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and stamped the berries, branches and leaves in Blueberry Bushel and Marina Mist inks.  I heat embossed the sentiment in the lower right corner using gold embossing powder.  On a scrap piece each of Blueberry Bushel and Marina Mist cardstock I stamped the large poinsettia in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in white embossing powder.  Using the coordinating dies, I die cut the poinsettia and adhered it to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive.  I also stamped the pine cone in Versamark ink on kraft cardstock and die cut it out adhering it behind the poinsettias.  Lastly, I added some blue rhinestones around the card for added sparkle. 

Here is the Altenew Poinsettia & Pine stamp set (with coordinating dies) that I used to create today's card:

And, just in case you like things a little more traditional, I also made the same card in red, green and pink.  This one is equally as pretty too, but, the blue is still my favorite!

I hope you have enjoyed today's cards.  Do you prefer one color over the other?
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello friends! Today I'm delighted to share with you a new RG Avenue release called Sending Bunches.  I am SOOOooo in love with the beauty of this stamp set!  First, I think hot air balloons in and of themselves are a sight to behold, and then you add a bouquet of flowers in lieu of a basket and oh my pretty!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Rich Cherry cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I die cut a piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock for the first matted layer.  As the Sending Bunches stamp set is a digital stamp, I printed out the images on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored them with my Copic markers.  As always, I add highlights to the colored images with a white gel pen.  I used my Scan & Cut machine to cut the images and began adhering them to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I also popped up the sentiment.  Lastly, I added a double coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers and balloons for added sparkle. 

Thank you for visiting!  I hope you have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello friends and happy Thursday!  Yay, it's actually my Friday because I'm taking off for a few days to visit a friend in LA and go to the Scrapbook Expo show in Ontario, California with her.  Since I've been working so many of these shows recently, I'm so excited to be attending one FOR FUN!  I'm even signed up to take two classes on watercoloring.  I'm excited to learn different ways to watercolor because it's not something I'm comfortable doing at the moment.  Be sure to follow along on my Instastories as I share a behind-the-scenes look at my weekend adventures!  

Before I leave, I'll share a few cheerful and uplifting cards with you today featuring the Very Sweet stamp set from RG Avenue.  I'll be taking a few days off while I enjoy this mini vacation and will see you back here when I return on Wednesday, October 23rd. 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of blue gingham from the Sunny Studio Classic Gingham paper pack to mount directly to the card base.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Dies, I die cut the white piece from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Because this Very Sweet stamp set was a digital stamp, I printed off the images on Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored the images using Copic alcohol ink markers.  I added small highlights to the images using a white gel pen.  I splattered the white paper with Sour Pineapple Sugar Drops.  I adhered the images and sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle.

Here is the Very Sweet stamp set from RG Avenue that I used to create these cards:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of yellow gingham from the Sunny Studio Classic Gingham paper pack to mount directly to the card base.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Circle Dies, I die cut the white piece from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Because this Very Sweet stamp set was a digital stamp, I printed off the images on Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored the images using Copic alcohol ink markers.  I added small highlights to the images using a white gel pen.  I stamped the "hello" sentiment (from the "Yay Greetings" stamp set) in Black Taffy ink.  I adhered the images and sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle.

Thank you for visiting and see you next week!