Deck The Halls With Inky Paws Blog Hop

Hello there, I am delighted to be taking part in the Newton's Nook Designs Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Blog Hop today. You should have arrived here from the fabulous Yoonsun, but if you get lost along the way, I have the full list of participants below.

 

 

For my projects today, I am using the super cute Naughty or Mice stamp set and coordinating dies. I thought I would create some tags for today as I will be in need of some Christmas ones soon! ;)

 

I started off by die cutting three tags from Lana paper (similar to Yupo). I then cut another six from white cardstock. Taking three of them, I die cut snowy hills for my mice to sit on. I took the three tags from Lana paper and added drops of Copic Various Ink (the refills) on to them. I added a little Alcohol Ink Blending Solution and then using a marker spritzer, moved the ink around by pushing air on to them. These pieces were then set aside to dry.

 

 

I took three of the mice from the Naughty or Mice set and stamped these on to white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. They were then coloured using Copic Markers (colours used listed below). I then die cut them using the coordinating dies. To add interest, I used a white gel pen to add details to the mice, as well as clear Wink of Stella for some added sparkle.

 

 

I took two of the sentiments from the set and stamped these on to black cardstock using Versamark Ink. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. These were then cut in to strips. To assemble the tags, I took the alcohol inked pieces and added these to the white cardstock tags (for extra stability). I then added the snow banks on top with tape runner. The mice and sentiment pieces were added with foam tape. To finish off, I added a few Sparkling Clear sequins.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

COPIC MARKER REFILLS: Blue Tag - B04, B00, B0000. Purple Tag - BV11, BV000. Pink/Red Tag - R83, R81, R20, V000.

 

COPIC MARKERS: Mice - N5, N3, N2, N1, N0, R00, R000. Blue Tag - B04, B02, B01, B00, B000. BG23, BG11, BG10. Purple Tag - BV13, BV11, BV01, BV000, V15, V12, V000. Pink/Red Tag - R37, R83, R81, R20, E59, E57, E55.

 

BLOG HOP:

Here is the list of everyone participating in the hop today:

Newton's Nook Designs
Amy Tsuruta
Kay Miller
Yoonsun Hur
Michelle Short - you are here!
Nina-Marie Trapani
Amanda Bodine
Holly Endress
Ellen Haxelmans
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Juliana Michaels
Naki Rager
Maria Russell
Jennifer Timko
Tatiana Trafimovich

 

 

GIVEAWAY:

Newton's Nook Designs will be choosing two lucky winners to win $20 store credit for Newton's Nook Designs online shop! To enter, just leave a comment on all of the blogs participating in the hop. Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the hop. The more you comment, the better the chances of winning! You have until Sunday, December 10th at 9pm EST to comment. The winners will be announced on the NND blog on Monday, December 11th.

Newton's Nook Designs is also releasing a new exclusive Peppermint Die Set today. This fun new die set will only be available in the Newton's Nook Designs shop and you can get it for free this week with a $50 purchase. Offer is valid until Friday, December 15th, or while supplies last. The new die set is also available to purchase for $8.99.

 

The next person on the hop is the amazing Nina-Marie Trapani. Thank you so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great time on the rest of the hop and have a fabulous day!

May Your Holidays Sparkle | Deck The Halls With Inky Paws

Hello there, today I have the absolute pleasure of guest designing for Newton's Nook Designs as part of their Deck the Halls with Inky Paws week.

 

 

Today I am sharing two cards using the stunning Snowfall stencil along with the fabulous Sentiments of the Season stamp set.

 

I started off by taking two sheets of watercolour cardstock and running these through my die cutting machine with the Snowfall stencil to emboss the design on to the cardstock. Keeping the stencil in place, I then blended over Distress Inks on to the panel. For the first card I used Peacock Feathers, Broken China and Chipped Sapphire and for the second, I used Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold and Picked Raspberry.

 

 

Using a palette knife, I then applied a layer of Cosmic Shimmer Frosty Dawn Sparkle Paste on to the inked panels. I took the stencil off and set them aside to dry (and cleaned my stencil!). Once dry, I adhered the panels flat on to A2 white card bases using ATG.

 

 

I took one of the sentiments from the Sentiments of The Season stamp set and stamped this on to black cardstock twice using Versamark Ink. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. They were then cut out using a stitched rectangle die.

 

 

The sentiment pieces were added to the cards using foam tape. As you can see, really simple cards but I love the sparkle on those snowflakes and the sentiment works perfectly with them. Sadly my camera/photography skills do not do the sparkle justice but it's gorgeous in real life! Make sure to check out the sentiment set as it has loads of gorgeous sentiments in it.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

For more inspiration using Newton's Nook Designs products, do head over to the Blog. If you missed the other guest designers this week you can also check them out over there. I'll see you tomorrow for the Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Blog Hop. Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you have  a great day!

Hero Arts December 2017 My Monthly Hero Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello there, today we are celebrating the release of the December 2017 My Monthly Hero Kit from Hero Arts. It is called Magical Nights and it is really unique to the crafting world, I think. The kit consists of a gorgeous stamp set, dies, stencil and inks, plus some embellishments.

 

If you are following along in the hop, you should have arrived here from the fabulous May but if you get lost along the way, I have the full list of participants below. Now I have to be 100% honest here, I have not done this kit justice at all. I really love the images in the stamp set but honestly, after not crafting for almost seven weeks, I think my mojo is still stiuck in my sick bed, so I do apologise for that.

 

My first card uses the fabulous stencil from the kit. I absolutely adore it! I took the stencil and ran it through my die cutting machine to emboss it on to a piece of white cardstock. I then took Worn Lipstick and Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and blended these over the panel. I misted it lightly with water and then splattered over a solution of water and Perfect Pearls for some added shimmer.

 

 

The panel was adhered to a 5.25" x 3.75" white card base with tape runner. I die cut a Nesting Hearts Die from vellum and added this to the card, applying adhesive only to the middle. I then took the 'happy birthday' sentiment from the Make A Wish stamp set (a fabulous add-on this month) and stamped this using Versamark Ink on to black cardstock. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. I cut this in to a strip and cut ribbon ends on to it. This was added to the middle of the heart with foam tape. To finish off, I added Ombre Purple sequins.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

My next card uses the gorgeous Mandala Bold Prints, which is an add-on this month. It is so pretty!

 

 

I started off by stamping this on to a panel of watercolour paper using Versamark Ink. I then applied white embossing powder and heat set. I took Lemon Yellow, Dandelion, Tangerine and Strawberry inks and blended these on. I then sprayed over a liberal amount of Perfect Pearls and set aside to dry. Sadly you cannot see the shimmer in the photos but in real-life it is really pretty. 

 

 

Once dry, the piece was cut down to a square and added to a 4.5" x 4.5" black card base with foam sheet. I took the 'may all your dreams come true' sentiment from the Make A Wish stamp set and stamped this on to a piece of black cardstock. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. I cut this out using a Circle Infinity Die. This was then added to the centre of the card using foam tape.

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

THE KIT:

 

The December MMH kit contains the wonderful 6" x 8" stamp set, 12 coordinating frame cuts, 1 fancy window die, 5 ink cubes (these are exclusive colours, only available in this kit), a 5.25" x 6.5" stencil and an assortment of glitter stickers.

 

That is an amazing $80 worth of products for only $34.99 (approx. £28.00 depending on exchange rate). Remember, the kits are exclusive to the Hero Arts shop and limited in quantities. They do often sell out quickly. To prevent missing a kit, you can subscribe here (your subscription will start with the January kit). International subscribers get a reduced shipping rate too.

 

There are lots of fabulous add-on products that you can purchase this month too. You can purchase these along with your MMH kit in the Hero Arts shop, but you can also purchase these from your favourite Hero Arts retailer. Here is a look at them all:
 

BLOG HOP:

Here is the full list of participants in the hop today:

Hero Arts Blog

Yana Smakula

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Wanda Guess

Lydia Fiedler

Amy Tsuruta

Janette Kausen

May Park

Michelle Short - you are here!

Clare Prezzia

Libby Hickson

Ilina Crouse
Kelly Latevola

GIVEAWAY:

Hero Arts are giving away one kit as a prize to one lucky blog hop reader. they will be selected from the comments across all of the blogs in the hop. The giveaway closes Sunday, December 10th at 11.59pm EST and the winner will be announced the following week (if the winner has already purchased the kit, they will be reimbursed for it). Good luck!

 

Next on the hop is the fabulous Clare. Thank you so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great time on the rest of the hop and a fabulous day!

The Flower Challenge | For You Tag

Hello there, today I am delighted to be Guest Designing for The Flower Challenge. This month's challenge is Anything But A Card. I decided to create a tag for the challenge as I love creating them. I had originally thought of creating a Christmas tag but I absolutely love the mini floral images from Clearly Besotted and they are the perfect size for tags.

 

I started off by cutting a tag using the scallop top tag from the Clearly Besotted Tag Along Die Collection. I stamped the sunflowers from the Floral Fancy set on to this using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. I then stamped the sentiment (from the same set) on to the top left hand corner. The whole tag was then coloured using Copic Markers. I added some colourless blender dots on to the background to give it some texture.

 

 

I also added some glitter dots on the centres of the sunflowers using the Chocolate Copic Spica pen. I added some Doodlebug twine through the top and then finish off with a few Ice Cube Jewels from Lucy's Cards.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

COPIC MARKERS - Flowers: YR24, YR23, Y17, Y15, Y11, Y00, E79, E77, E74, E71. Leaves and stems - YG67, YG63, YG61. Background - B93, B91, B00, B000, 0.

 

The current challenge closes on the 25th December so you have lots of time to enter. For more details on the challenge, please head over to The Flower Challenge Blog. Thanks so much for visiting me today. See you later for the Hero Arts MMH Blog Hop :)

Happy Winter

Hello there, today I have a card to share using the beautiful new Far Away Forest Collage die from the latest Simon Says Stamp DieCember release. It will make wonderful backdrops for critters and such but I thought it would look beautiful on it's own for a winter card too.

 

I started off by taking a piece of white cardstock and die cutting the die from it. I then took a piece of watercolour paper and blended over Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. I concentrated the colour towards the bottom of the piece blending in to white at the top. I then covered the entire piece with Cosmic Shimmer Frosty Dawn Sparkle Texture Paste and set it aside to dry.

 

 

Once dry, I added this to an A2 white card base with tape runner and then added the die cut layer on top with foam tape. I took the 'happy winter' sentiment from the An Arctic Christmas stamp set and stamped this on to black cardstock with Versamark Ink. I then applied white embossing powder, heat set and cut in to a strip. This was added to the card with foam tape. To finish off, I added a few Moonshine sequins.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

Although my camera doesn't like it, I love that sparkle from the paste, and the die is gorgeous. I can't wait to use it again with some woodland critters! You can find the rest of the DieCember release here. Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great rest of the weekend!

You Are My Oasis

Hello there, today I am over on the Hero Arts Blog sharing a look at the new My Monthly Hero kit which will be released on Monday. The kit is called magical nights. I have used the main stamp set on my card today and created a sunset.

 

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

I love how well the Bold Inks from Hero Arts blend, they created a beautiful sunset here using one of the Hearts Infinity Dies to create a mask. I also used the stencil in the kit to create an embossed and inked background for my card base. For more details, please head over to the Hero Arts Blog. Thanks so much for visiting me today, I hope you have a great weekend!

VIDEO | Clearly Besotted December 2017 Release Preview

Hello there, today I have the new release from Clearly Besotted to share with you. All of the stamps shown are available to purchase today at 10 am GMT. Clearly Besotted do florals so well and these ones do not disappoint. Oh, and if you love puppies, you'll love the two new mini sets as well! :)

 

 

You can purchase the new stamps from the Clearly Besotted shop and also from Simon Says Stamp. The links to the individual sets will be shared once they are available. Here is a look at the sets:

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I shared in the video. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store.
 

Like I mention in the video, I hope to be back soon to share some samples with you. Unfortunately after being ill and taking some time out, I am playing major catch up now! In the mean time, please head over to see my teamies Stephanie, Debby and Keren. Thanks so much for popping by today, I really do appreciate it.

Penguin Birthday

Hello there, I am back today to share my second post for Whimsy Stamps as a Guest Designer. My card today uses the adorable Penguin Birthday set. I often feel that penguins get neglected throughout the year, at other times than Christmas, so I thought I would use this penguin for a birthday card!

 

I started off by taking a panel of white cardstock that was cut using a SSS Stitched Rectangle die. I then stamped the Penguin Birthday image on top using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I also stamped the 'happy birthday' sentiment from the Everyday Mini Sentiments set. The whole panel was then coloured using Copic Markers (the colours I used are listed below the supplies section). It is difficult to see on camera but I added colourless blender dots to the background, to help with the celebration feel to the card!

 

 

I adhered the image panel to a white A2 card base with foam tape. Then to finish off, I added clear Wink of Stella to the ribbon on the present, purple spots on the hat and on the balloon. I also added a coating of Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the balloon.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

COPIC MARKERS: Penguin - BV 29, BV25, BV23, E51, E50, YR27, YR24. Hat & present - V17, V15, V12, R85, R83, R81. Balloon - V17, V15, V12. Ground - W5, W3, W2, W1, W0. Background - BG01, BG000, BG0000, 0.

 

For more inspiration using Whimsy Stamps products, please visit their blog. A big thank you goes to Denise, Deb and their team for having me guest with them this month. Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great day!

Penguin Loves Bunny

Hello there, today I have the pleasure of guest designing for Whimsy Stamps. Their sets are wonderful, especially if you like colouring like I do. They are just so cute! My card today uses the Penguin Loves Bunny stamp set.

 

I started off by stamping the image on to white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. The image was coloured using Copic Markers (the colours I used are listed below the supplies section) and then I fussy cut it out using scissors. I took a piece of white cardstock and cut this using a Creative Dies Stitched & Pierced Nesting Square Die. I then took the Blush Heidi Swapp Color Shine spray and spritzed this on to the middle of the panel. The piece was then set aside to dry.

 

 

Once dry, I took the 'hugs' sentiment from the Everyday Mini Sentiments set and stamped this using Archival ink (I use a DIY pad and ink it with the Black Soot re-inker. This is a darker black than the normal Jet Black one). I adhered this panel to a white 4.75" x 4.75" card base with foam tape. The image was then added on top with thin foam squares.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

COPIC MARKERS: Penguin - BV29, BV25, BV23, E51, E50, R000, YR27, YR24. Bunny - E59, E57, E55, R02, R20, R00.

 

Unfortunately, the shimmer does not show up well in the photos but in real-life, the Color Shine has a lovely shimmer to it. Thanks so much for stopping by today, I really appreciate it. For more inspiration using Whimsy Stamps products, please visit their blog. Have a great day!

Captain America

Hello there, this is one of my scheduled posts while I am taking some time off. It was my nephew's birthday this week, he is a big fan of super heroes, so I decided to theme his card around Captain America's shield.

 

 

I started off by cutting lots of circles for the shield using the Hero Arts Circle Infinity Dies. I wanted to inlay the design so I first cut a large circle from red cardstock. I then cut this using a smaller circle die to create a frame. I die cut a white circle which would fit inside and repeated the steps to create a frame and then another red circle frame inside. The middle piece is a blue circle which I cut a Nestabilities star from. I then cut the star from white so that I could inlay them together. I went around the edges of the shapes with Distress Ink and an ink blending tool to create a bit of depth. It doesn't look like much in the photos but it does make a difference in real-life!

 

 

I took the seven number from the PTI Block Alphabet Numbers Die Collection and cut this five times from black cardstock. I took a white 5.5" x 5.5" square card base and adhered the shield pieces to it using tape runner. I then added the seven on to the star using liquid glue. I took the sentiment from the YNS Tag Banner Sentiments set and stamped this on to black cardstock with Versamark Ink. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. This was cut in to a strip and added to the card with foam tape. I then took the letters for my nephew's name from the Doodlebug Teensy Type Stickers set, added foam tape on to the back and added these to the card also.

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly sent to me to use.
 

 

It was a lot of fun creating this card. I really like trying to tailor the cards I make for my niece and nephews to their interests. Last year I made my nephew a Lego card, so I am hoping he will like this Captain America one! Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you are well and have a fabulous rest of the day!

VIDEO | Warmest Wishes - MFT Video Guest Designer

Hello there, today I have the absolute pleasure of guest designing over on the My Favourite Things You Tube Channel. If you have been following me for a while, you will know how much I love MFT products. Today I am creating a simple scene using some of their newest products.

 

How amazing is the new Drifts and Hills Stencil? For years I have been die cutting them from mask paper to ink, and now I don't have to! I love it! I thought I would try something a little different and use lilac for the sky instead of blues. I also wanted to create a bit of interest on my card so I used the popped up inlay technique to create a focal point. The new Snow Globe Die-Namics were perfect for this.

 

 

The critters in the Polar pals stamp set are so cute, I had trouble deciding which one to use but went with the seal for my card today. He is adorable! I also used the new Snow Globe Sentiments set for the greeting. To finish off, I added a few Sparkling Clear Confetti and clear Wink of Stella to the scarf and earmuffs.

VIDEO:

You can see how I made the card in the video here:

 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the card. Affiliate links may be used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store.
 

 

COPIC MARKERS: Seal - W7, W5, W3, W2, W1, W0. Scarf & earmuffs - BV11, BV01, BV000.

 

I cannot wait to use some of the other critters in the Polar Pals set, especially the penguin! Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great day!

Be Back Soon!

Hello there, I wanted to pop in today to let you know that it has sadly become necessary for me to take some time off from crafting, blogging and making videos.

 

Unfortunately I have been suffering with some health issues lately and they have got to the point that I need some medical intervention. I will be having a procedure next week that will hopefully help with some the symptoms I have been having.

 

Hopefully I won't need too much time off and will be back soon. My Design Teams have been so kind in giving me some time off, for which I am incredibly grateful. I do have a few scheduled posts coming up, so I hope you will come back to see those! See you soon! :)