Friday, December 28, 2018

Ombre Valentine Peacock {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I have a cute card to share with you today featuring Avery Elle's Peacock stamp set and the Tons of Hearts Frame Elle-ments die.


I die cut a white panel of card stock using the Tons of Hearts Frame Elle-ments die.  In the center, I stamped and heat embossed the Peacock and the sentiment with Veramark ink and embossed the images using Avery Elle's fine-detail embossing powder in Rose Gold.


I colored the Peacock in shades of pink and red with Copic markers and adhered the frame panel to an ink-blended piece of card stock.  I love how the background colors peek through the heart openings!

Supplies:

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Stuck on You Video {Avery Elle}

Hello friends!


I am on the Avery Elle blog this week with a card and video to share with you today featuring the Stuck on You clear stamps and coordinating Elle-ments dies.  I also incorporated the Tons of Hearts Frame Elle-ments die for a fun background technique using Embossing Paste and Avery Elle's Liquid Watercolors.  I hope you'll take a peek to see how it all came together! 








Supplies:


Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Friday, December 7, 2018

Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Hop!


Hello friends, 

I am back with Newton's Nook Designs today celebrating the "Deck the Halls with Inky Paws" Blog Hop! 

I have another card to share featuring The Nutcracker Squeak stamp set.  This time, I am focusing on the adorable ballerina and Nutcracker prince mice. 


I used Distress Oxide inks to create the background and spattered it with water lifting the excess ink with a paper towel.  I adhered several tiny sequins to the background to mimic the look of snowflakes softly falling onto the scene below.  I stamped and colored the images with Copic markers and arranged them onto a snow drift of glitter cardstock that I free-hand cut with scissors. I added clear glitter Stickles to the ballerina tutus to add some additional sparkle. My final step was to stamp the sentiment with black ink.



Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Exclusive! 
Newton's Nook Designs is also releasing a NEW mini 2x3 stamp set today called Ginger Snap!! This fun new stamp set will only be available at Newton's Nook Designs online shop and you can get it for FREE this week with a $30 purchase! Offer is valid until Friday, December 14, 2018 or while supplies last. This new stamp set is also available for purchase for $4.99.




Enter to Win! Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Hop Prizes! 
We will be choosing two lucky winners to win a $25 store credit for Newton's Nook Designs online shop! To enter, just leave comments on the Design Team Member and Guest blogs (see list below)! Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the blog hop. 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 Sunday, December 9th at 9 pm EST to comment -- winners will be announced on the NND blog on Monday, December 10th.

Big thanks to Jen and Jeff from Newton's Nook for inviting me to join in the fun!  

Happy hopping and good luck!
Katie

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Week {Newton's Nook Designs}


Hello friends!

I am so excited to be a featured guest for Newton's Nook Designs Deck the Halls with Inky Paws week!  I have a card to share with you today feature The Nutcracker Squeak stamp set and Holiday Greetings Die Set



I stamped the adorable mice from The Nutcracker Squeak onto white card stock using a Copic friendly ink and colored the images using Copic Markers.  I adhered the mice to a panel of Ranger Watercolor card stock that I had blended with Festive Berries Distress Oxide and spattered with water and white spray ink. 



I die cut the sentiment words from white glitter card stock and adhered the die cut words to the top center of the card.  I just adore these charming mice getting ready to battle or give a gift to the mouse king!

That's all for me today, but be sure to stop by the Newton's Nook blog for special guest inspiration all this week!  I will be back with Newton's Nook on Friday for a special blog hop that you won't want to miss!

Until then, thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Party Fox {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

I'm on the Avery Elle blog this week with a card to share with you today featuring a pair of foxes and they're ready to party! 



I stamped the foxes and some of the party accessories with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed them with Clear Embossing powder. I colored the images with Copic markers and die cut the images using the coordinating Party Foxes Elle-ments dies.



I pulled out some older stamp sets and dies to create a background and sentiment for the Party Foxes. I die cut Aqua cardstock using the Chevron Mat Elle-ments die and adhered it to a white notecard.
I die cut white card stock with the Starburst Elle-ments die and added some Distress Oxide Ink in Mustard Seed. I affixed the foxes to the Starburst die cut and adhered it to the Chevron mat.  For the sentiment, I pulled out the Banner Bits stamp set and coordinating Elle-ments die. I stamped the banner outline and sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed the banner with Clear Embossing powder.


I hope this card and the Party Foxes make your day a little more festive and fun!  
Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Supplies

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Three Hearts Die Inspiration {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Stopping in today to share a card idea featuring Avery Elle's new Three Hearts Die.  I just adore the latest addition to the Three Shape series of dies. It's perfect for Valentines Day!  Supply list and links are below.


I positioned the die onto an A2 panel of white card stock and die cut the trio of hearts a few times.  I adhered the die cut panel on top of a panel of watercolor card stock colored with Distress Oxide inks and sprayed with water.


Inside the hearts I tucked the pair of cacti from the Stuck on You stamp set.  I added some of the tiny sentiments from this set inside the heart shapes.  They fit perfectly and remind me of conversation hearts!  I trimmed the panel and adhered it to a red A2 note card.

Supplies

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie



Thursday, November 8, 2018

Avery Elle Winter 2018 Release Blog Hop!


Hello friends!

Welcome to Avery Elle's Winter 2018 Release Blog Hop!  Today I will be sharing with you a pair of cards that I made using the Embellished Heart Elle-Ments die. 


These cards were so simple to make.  First I die cut the Embellish Heart Elle-Ments die slightly off the edge of an A2-size card panel. Next, I cut strips of card stock to go behind the heart shapes.  The skinny stripe strips are 1/4" wide and the wider stripe strips are 1/2" wide. 


I adhered the card stock strips to an A2 white notecard and trimmed off any excess.  I attached the heart die cut panel using foam tape.  For the sentiment, I die cut the words from black card stock and covered the letters with Glossy Accents before adhering them to the card.  As a finishing touch, I added some clear sequins.  

I love the scallop detail on the Embellished Heart die, and this card would be so simple to replicate for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday.  I bent up the scallop border on one of my cards so you can see the difference even that small step makes in the look of the die.  All items are available for purchase in the Avery Elle shop right now!

Supplies:

To celebrate our Winter 2018 Release Blog Hop, Avery Elle is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to one random winner.  To enter just comment on any of the design team's posts and/or on the Avery Elle Blog:




You have until midnight Sunday, November 11 to enter.  The winner will be announced on the Avery Elle Blog on Monday, November 12.  

Good luck and Happy Hopping! 
Katie

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Oodles of Avery Elle Holiday Inspiration!

Hello friends,

I am a bit behind in sharing some of my latest Avery Elle projects here on my blog, so I am going to stuff this post FULL of cards and ideas. Hope you don't mind. ;)

First up is a card I am sharing today on the Avery Elle blog featuring the Christmas Magic stamp set. I love the adorable snowman and unicorn and had so much fun creating a glittery backdrop for their winter adventures. I blended a piece of water color card stock with Distress Oxide ink and spattered it with water to lift the ink in spots.  I used a white gel pen to make some of the dots larger and more defined.



I stamped the images from the Christmas Magic stamp set and colored them with Copic markers.  I die cut the images using the coordinating Christmas Magic Elle-ments die.  I die cut the sentiment from glitter card stock and the snow drift from glitter fun foam.  Finally, I adhered the images to the card, popping up the snowman and unicorn with some foam tape.


Supplies

For my next card, I have a trick to share with you on how I add dimension behind even the most intricate share dies.


I wanted to add some dimension to the outside layer of the Let It Snow Elle-ments die, but all those snowflake openings would be challenging to work around with straight strips of foam tape. The solution comes from that staple of kid crafting- Fun Foam! Adhesive backed foam sheets can be found in the kid's activities area of craft stores or online.



I die cut the Let It Snow Elle-ments dies from a piece of pink adhesive-backed fun foam.  I used some Mono Liquid Glue to adhere the glitter die cut to the non-adhesive side of the fun foam.  Using liquid glue allowed me to shift and alight the die cuts so that they stacked and aligned perfectly.



I created the scene inside the snow globe using the adorable critters and sentiment from Merry Little Christmas.  I blended an inky background with Distress Oxide inks and stamped the sentiment with black ink. I removed the adhesive backing and affixed the foam backed frame to the note card.  Inside the frame, I added the mouse, deer, gift on top of the glittery oval die-cut and snow flakes from the Let It Snow Elle-ments die. The pink fun foam also adds a pretty pink accent when viewing the card from an angle.



Supplies:

Next is a card using the Polar Peek a Boo Pals stamp set and the Three Stars Elle-ments die.  The Polar Peek-A-Boo Pals set is just adorable!!  It features animals that are in their element in the colder wintery months, and it's among my favorite from the Fall Release!

I stamped and colored the animals using Copic markers and created a glitter shaker background for the Pals. I die cut the Three Star Elle-ments die from a panel of white card stock and stamped the sentiment in black ink.  Behind each star, I blended Distress Oxide ink in red, yellow and green and added a pinch of glitter before sealing up the shaker with acetate and foam tape. I tucked each of the Polar Peek-A-Boo Pals inside each star and adhered a few flat star sequins as a finishing touch.


Supplies:


Finally I have a video to share with you today featuring the Merry Merry clear stamp set and the Gift Box Card Holder Elle-ments die.  With a teen and tween in the house, gift cards (and just plain cash) are a popular item on our family's wish list. 


The Merry Merry stamp set and Gift Box Card Holder die make it easy to create a fun and festive way to package and present gift cards.  I die cut the Gift Box outer box and insert from red glitter card stock and used the Wonky Square Frames and Wonky 3D Bow to trim the box to look like Santa's suit. 


I hope you'll take a peek at the video to see how it came together! Don't forget to like and subscribe to Avery Elle's You Tube channel


Supplies:

Whoa!  That was a lot and brings me to the end of my Avery Elle Holiday projects.  I'll be back next week with a fun card using some of Avery Elle's new Valentine's Day stamps and dies.  I can't wait to share! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 
Katie

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Snow Tags {Avery Elle}

Hello friends!

I am on the Avery Elle blog today with a fun idea for a holiday card using the new Snow Tags stamp set and coordinating Elle-ments dies. Like the name suggests, Snow Tags is fantastic for making tags, but they work equally well on cards! 


First I stamped the snowflake tags onto white card stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed the images using Avery Elle's Rose Gold Embossing Powder.  I die cut the tags using the coordinating Elle-ments dies and cut out the center using a 1.25" circle punch. In the center of each snowflake, I added two of the Polar Peek-a-Boo Pals- colored with Copic Markers and die cut with the coordinating Elle-ments dies.


For the card background, I blended three shades of Distress Oxides (Worn Lipstick, Tattered Rose, and Spun Sugar) onto a panel of watercolor card stock.  I spattered some water onto the blended panel to lift the ink and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment with Rose Gold Embossing ink.

Supplies: 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Katie

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Avery Elle Fall + Winter 2018 Blog Hop!



Hello friends!

Welcome to Avery Elle's Fall and Winter 2018 Release Party and blog hop!! I am so excited about the latest round of stamps and dies debuting this month!  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, and I can't wait to share more ideas with you in the coming weeks!!! 

Today, I am sharing a card featuring the new Fireside stamp set. 


I stamped the fireplace, wreath and garland and colored in the images with Copic markers. I adhered the images to a gray notecard and framed the images with the Postage Stamp Elle-ments die.


Next I decorated the fireplace by glueing small sequins to the garland and wreath. I stamped and die cut the stockings.  I covered them with glue and sprinkled them with coarse glitter. 



My final step was to stamp the sentiment in black in beneath the fireplace hearth. I love this cozy little scene. 


All the new stamps and dies are available in the Avery Elle shop now! 


Supplies: 

Now you can't have a Blog Hop without a prize and to celebrate the Fall and Winter Release Blog Hop, Avery Elle is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to one random winner.  To enter to win just comment on this post and the posts of the other designers participating in today's hop. 



You have until midnight Sunday, August 12 to enter.  The winner will be announced on the Avery Elle Blog on Monday, August 13.  All products are available for purchase in the Avery Elle store right now!!
Happy Hopping!  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Katie

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Big Birthday Shaker Card + Video {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Katie here with a card and a video to share with you today featuring Avery Elle's Big Birthday Clear Stamps and the Focal Point Stripes Elle-ments die.


I used wire snips to separate the inner stripes of the Focal Point Stripes die from the outer rectangle and die cut a card panel using the stripes portion of the die to create a shaker window.  I stamped the sentiment at the top of the card and added lots of Avery Elle's Coarse Glitter and other shiny things to the shaker pocket.

A few yellow sequins transformed the stripes into birthday candles and a bit of Hemp Twine adds a finishing touch.


I hope you'll take a peek at my video to see how it all came together.   Don't forget to subscribe to Avery Elle's You Tube channel!

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Blooming Thank You Card {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Just popping in with a card and technique to share with you today featuring Avery Elle's Blooming stamp set.  The Blooming stamp set features a beautiful and versatile floral frame that can be customized any way you like from the colors to the sentiment inside the frame.

For my card today, I thought I would share with you an easy technique for adding details to watercolor images using colored pencils.  I love the look of watercolors on stamped images, but being a novice, sometimes I find it a bit challenging to get the brush or the paint to create the effect I want- especially when it comes to adding details to small images!  Colored pencils are a great solution and allow me to add fine details while still blending beautifully with a watercolor base.


My first step, since I am attemping a "no line" watercolor look, is to stamp the image using a light ink that is compatible with a water color technique.  Here I used Distress Ink in Antique Linen.


Next I added a wash of watercolor to the frame using Avery Elle's Liquid Watercolors in Cherry, Fizz, Mimosa, Lemon Grass and Celery.  I started with the greenery before moving to the florals.  Be sure to allow time for the watercolors to dry before switching colors - especially on adjoining images, otherwise the colors will bleed together.

Once the paint has dried completely, I added some details and shading using Prismacolor pencils.  I am still learning, so I focused mainly on the centers of the flowers, shading beneath the petals, and adding veins to the flowers and leaves.  I colored over the pencil lines with a colorless blender pencil to soften some of the lines and blend out the shading.


To finish the card, I stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with Avery Elle's  Rich Gold Embossing Powder.  I die cut the frame and adhered it to a card base that I covered with the Chevron Mat Elle-ments die cut. A few flat sequins add a finishing touch. 

 
Supplies:

I hope you'll consider giving this technique a try next time you watercolor! 

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Sending Happy Fuchsia Thoughts {Avery Elle}

Katie - Fuchsia Stamps

Hello friends,

Katie here to share a card featuring the beautiful Fuchsia stamp set and coordinating Elle-ments dies.  Fuchsias are among my favorite summer flowers, and I thought I would try my hand at a little no-line watercoloring.


I stamped the two of the floral clusters onto a panel of watercolor cardstock with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I watercolored the images using Avery Elle's liquid watercolors and then added some shading and detail using Prismacolor colored pencils.

I die-cut the images using the coordinating Elle-ments dies and arranged them onto a white card stock panel cut with the Hatch Mat Elle-ments die.


I stamped the sentiment at an angle with gray ink and added some clear flat sequins as a finishing touch.

Supplies

I really love how these flowers look with the soft watercolors and the colored pencil details.  
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Sweetest Birthday Wishes {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

I have the sweetest birthday card to share with you today featuring Avery Elle's Sweetest stamp set!


First I inked a panel of watercolor card stock and spritzed it with water.  Once dry, I stamped the sentiment from Sweetest stamp set in black ink and framed it with the Oval Burst Elle-ments die.


I stamped the two ice cream cone images onto white card stock, colored them with Copic markers, stamped the adorable expressions onto the ice cream, and die cut them with coordinating Sweetest Elle-ments dies. I adhered the cones to the card and added a few clear sequins as a finishing touch. 

Supplies:

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Peek-A-Boo Pals Birthday Shaker Card {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Just popping in today to share a colorful birthday shaker card to share with you today featuring Avery Elle's Peek-A-Boo Pals stamp set and the Focal Point Stripes Elle-ments die.


First I die cut the Focal Points Stripe die from watercolor card stock.  I removed each strip and added color using Distress Oxide inks.  I spritzed the inked stripes with water and allowed them to dry. Next I stamped the sentiments from Peek-A-Boo Pals onto two of the stripes.  The stripes coordinate perfectly with the sentiments in Peek-A-Boo Pals.


I assembled the shaker element, adding some Avery Elle Coarse Glitter and clear star sequins before sealing it closed with foam tape.  I stamped the elephant and panda from Peek-A-Boo pals and colored them with Copic markers.  I nested the animals along to bottom edge of the shaker window and adhered their paws to the card with foam tape.

Supplies

Be sure to check out the Avery Elle blog this week for even more inspiration featuring the Peek-A-Boo Pals stamp set!

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Floating Wishes {Avery Elle}

Hello friends!

I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend!  I wanted to stop in today to share a card using Avery Elle's new Floating Wishes stamp set.  I love these floaty, scripty sentiments and the shaped balloon images are super sweet. The sentiments have you covered with everything from hello to thanks and big celebrations!


I used the 'celebrate' sentiment in place of a balloon string and adhered the heart balloon to the top.  I added a couple more balloons to a blended ink background and finished the card with a few pink and yellow sequins.


Well that's it for me today, but be sure to float by the Avery Elle Design blog this week for even more inspiration using the Floating Wishes stamp set. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Katie

Supplies