Chinese New Year Card 2016 with Free Digital Stamp

Hello crafty friends! Today I have a video and a freebie for you. I always like to make a Chinese New Year Card for a friend of mine and this year I thought it would be fun to illustrate a little something especially for the occasion and offer it to you free for printing on your own projects. If you don't need a Chinese New Year Card you can just use the cute little monkey head separately of course by trimming the picture. You can check out the video tutorial and then keep scrolling to download the digital stamp. 

To get the image simply right click and save the picture. The file size should be big enough for most projects. You can then copy it into a word document, resize it and add an additional sentiment if you want before printing. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you. If you're interested in seeing more of my digital stamps you can check out my other digital stamps in my Etsy shop or other printables on my freebie page. 

Puppy Valentine featuring Newton's Nook Designs Darling Duos

Hello crafty friends! Today I'm up on the Newton's Nook blog with this card and a video tutorial. If you're feeling inspired by the new Valentine release be sure to join the current Newton's Nook Inky Paws challenge with the love theme.

Ink Smooshing for Bright Bold Pops of Color

Hello crafty friends! Today I whipped up a quick card for a two challenges. Over in the Stamp Junkies Facebook group there was a challenge to make a card with pink, orange, turquoise and white. I decided to use an old favorite technique to add some quick bold color. I did some ink smooshing with acrylic blocks. If you're not sure what I'm talking about I'm sharing an older video with the technique. I love my flower shaped blocks because they are comfortable to grip and make a great shape for this technique. Once I had some great bold color I decided to tie in the Lawnscaping challenge to use watercolor. I used my Distress Inks to watercolor the little cup and then fussy cut it out for a quick and simple card. 

Mint Monday My Deer

Hello crafty friends! Today I have my latest Mint Monday video to share with you. I used the Mint Owl Studio My Deer stamp set for this card and I've got lots of tips in the video below.

Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels vs Faber Castell Gelatos for Stamping

Hello crafty friends! Today I have a video comparing the Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels to the Faber Castell Gelatos for stamping. There are lots of awesome techniques you can do with these products and this is by now means a comprehensive comparison but I wanted to share how you can stamp with them and create some really cool blended effects on solid stamps. Check out the video below for all the details. 

I am including a picture of my stamped samples below so you can make your own judgement. I am really in love with how beautifully the Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels stamp on watercolor paper. They are so vibrant and blend very nicely. I believe watercolor paper is important to success with this technique and I used Canson 140lb cold pressed but of course you can try whatever you have. If there are any other comparisons between the two products you would like to see a video for please let me know. 

January Inky Paws Challenge: Love Theme

Be sure to check out the latest Newton's Nook Inky Paws challenge for your chance to win a Newton's Nook gift card. It has a love theme which is perfect for Valentine's Day and has a fun inspiration picture if you want a little more guidance. I decided to stick to just the theme and chose to have some bright colors pop off black. Can't wait to see what you make!

Retirement Card with Newton's Nook Designs

Hello crafty friends! Today I'm up over at the Newton's Nook Designs blog sharing this retirement card. My aunt specifically requested a black and gold retirement card similar to the cards I had recently made with gilding flakes. I decided to mix it up a bit and use glitter embossing powder. Check out the video below for a tutorial.

Mint Monday Bunny Valentine Card

Hello crafty friends! It's time for another Mint Monday over at the Mint Owl Studio channel. Check out the video to see the whole card and a tutorial.

Elephant Hello for Create a Smile Guest Designer Call

Hello crafty friends! Today I'm sharing a last minute entry into the Create a Smile guest designer call. I started with the Tiny Sentiments dies and cut a bunch out of vellum and then a single one out of black. By attaching the adhesive before I die cut I saved myself a lot of time. I added these onto some Create a Smile papers from the Snow Dance kit.

Next I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers to color the elephant from Poppin Over. Finally I finished it off with some of the awesome enamel shapes. I love the variety and value of the enamel shape packs. Be sure to follow the link to check out the Guest Designer call and all the wonderful inspiration over on the blog.

Newton's Nook Designs January Release Darling Duos

Hello crafty friends! Today I am sharing the Newton's Nook Designs January Release. This set is called Darling Duos and there is a heart die set that can stand alone of coordinate called Darling Hearts. I am absolutely in love with this release. Check out the video below for more and keep reading to find out how to win this set!

While cutting and gluing this many hearts can be a little time consuming the die cutting goes super quick because you can stack several layers of tissue paper to cut with one pass of the machine. The coloring on this card was done with Prismacolor Pencils.

Would you like to win “Darling Duos”?
This 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)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release 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, January 14th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, January 15th. 

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

Newton's Nook Designs

Lydia Evans

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Newton's Nook Designs January Release Hoppy Days

Hello crafty friends! Today I am sharing the Newton's Nook Designs January Release. The first stamp set of the release is called Hoppy Days! I am absolutely in love with this release. Newton's Nook makes so of my favorite Valentine stamps and this year is no exception. But the best part is that they are very versatile and work for cards all year long.   Keep reading to find out how to win this set!

Would you like to win “Hoppy Days”?
This 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)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release 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, January 14th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, January 15th. 

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

Newton's Nook Designs

Lydia Evans

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Mint Monday: I Moose You

Hello crafty friends! Today I'm here with my first video for Mint Mondays for Mint Owl Studio. Be sure to subscribe to my channel and the Mint Owl Studio channel so you never miss a tutorial. Check out the video for details on this card.

I used the brand new I Moose You stamp set and the Chocolate Truffle sequin mix.

Stencil Girl Guest Designer

So excited to finally share with you that I am a guest designer for StencilGirl. I love stencils of all kinds but they have an amazing selection and some truly unique designs. Check out their post for the full card and video!