Hap-pig Birthday Card by July Guest Designer Rachel Alvarado

Hello crafty friends!  It's Rachel here and I'm back this week to share a fun slimline birthday card with you featuring some adorable little birthday pigs!

 For this one layer card, I combined both the Oink Stamp Set along with the birthday hat from the Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set.  I absolutely love these sweet little pigs!  My 8 year-old daughter is obsessed with pigs, so I created this card for her upcoming birthday.

I first trimmed a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb Card Stock to 3.5" x 8.5".  I also trimmed a piece of basic white card stock to the same size and quickly stamped a rough draft/template of my card.  I used this template along with my MISTI when stamping my final design.  I masked my images as I went so that the pigs appeared behind the hats as well as some pigs in front of and/or behind each other.  I don' t always create one-layer cards but I find that the fussy cutting is actually relaxing for me, so on some nights when I'm watching tv with my husband, I stamp all of my images onto a piece of Gina K Designs Masking Magic Sheets and cut away lol.

Once I was done stamping and all of my images were covered, I then blended the background with Peacock Feathers, Salvaged Patina, and Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide Inks.  I splattered this area with both watered down white acrylic paint as well as diluted Peacock Feathers Distress Ink for added interest.  Once dry, I then trimmed my piece down to 3.25" x 8.25" and layered it with pieces of teal and white card stock.

Copic Colors Used: (Pigs: E0000, E000, E00, E11, E13; Hooves: E25, E29; Purples: V20, V22, V25, V28; Teals: G000, BG11, BG34, BG49; Ears: RV00, R81, R85).

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!  If you liked this card and want more inspiration, feel free to check out my Instagram feed.  Wishing you all a wonderful day!

- Rachel

Paw-Some Shaker Birthday Cards by June Guest Designer Amy Tollner

Today we have our first post by our June Guest Designer, Amy Tollner! Amy has been an active participant in our Inky Paws Challenges for sometime and we have been admiring her creations! We are excited to have her as our guest this month and can't wait to to share what she creates! Check back each Monday to see them! Keep reading to find out more about her today and to check out her first project below.

Hi everyone! My name is Amy Tollner and I live in upstate New York with my husband, fur babies, and a turtle. I am an X-ray technologist and work three 12 hour days, which I love, because it gives me time to craft and volunteer for our local animal shelter. I have been making cards for about 5 years now. I really enjoy coloring stamped images with Copic markers, and I love using glitter and glossy accents for finishing touches on my projects! I am very honored and beyond excited to be the Guest Designer for Newton's Nook Designs this month. They are my favorite company and I love creating with their awesome products! Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!

@amy.tollner - instagram

Hi everyone! For my first post I created two shaker cards because I couldn’t decide on just one!

I started by blending Distress Oxide Ink backgrounds. For the first card I used Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, and Blueprint Sketch. On the second card I used Squeezed Lemonade and Picked Raspberry. They blend together very well to make that pretty orangey-coral color.

I then used the postage stamp die from the Framework Die Set, and the scalloped edge die from the Frames & Flags Die Set to cut out my backgrounds. After that, I used gorgeous glitter paste with one of my favorite stencils, the Confetti Stencil, to finish off my background pieces.  

I love using the Framework Die Set pictured below to make a shaker card.  It’s just the right size to see the beautiful background you created and still add a fun shaker element to your card!  I added Distress Oxide Ink to the frames of each shaker. 

For the sentiment I used black pigment ink and clear heat embossed over it for a shiny look!  I attached my sentiment piece with liquid glue, patted down the acetate with a dryer sheet to help with static, and used two layers of foam tape to attach the shaker frames.  

For this card I used the Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set and the coordinating Die Set and colored it with Copic markers.

The Copic colors I used for the gifts, hat and collar are:

• RV10, RV23, RV14
• BG11, BG23, BG13, BG15
• BV31, BV02, BV04
• YG00, YG03, YG06
• B000, B01, B02, B04

For the pup and bone I used:

• E41, E51, E53, E23, E25, E29
• W0, W1

For this card I used the Newton Loves Cake Stamp Set and Puppy Playtime Stamp Set and die sets. I used the sentiment from the Paw-some Birthday stamp set and colored the images with Copic markers.  

The Copic colors I used for the cupcake and hats are:

• Y0000, Y000, Y00, Y02
• RV0000, RV000, RV00, RV02
• V0000, V000, V01, V04
• BG0000, BG00, BG01

For Newton:

• YR0000, YR000, YR20, and YR31 for his stripes
• Ears – R20, R32, R43
• Nose – R32

For Pup:

• E50, E51, E53, E11
• Muzzle – E41, E42, E53
• Spots – E13, E15, E25
• Nose – R11, E93, R20

I finished off both cards with a  glitter pen and glossy accents for some sparkle and shine! I hope you all enjoyed my post today. I can't wait to share another card with you next week! Thank you so much and I hope you all have a fun and creative week!

-Amy

Paw-some Birthday Card by May Guest Designer Anika Mercier

Hi Everyone,

I'm always in need of birthday cards which also means I'm always on the hunt for great stamps to create birthday cards. So, when I saw Paw-some Birthday stamp set I knew I had to snatch it up. I love how cute the little dog is and how he's leaning on the pile of presents trying to get the bone - really adorable! 

Background 

For my background, I knew I wanted to use the fantastic Balloon Stencil since it adds so much fun to any birthday card. I started by inking the background panel with Distress Oxide inks in a circle pattern. I used Abandoned Coral for the center of the panel and then added Carved Pumpkin and finished with Squeezed Lemonade along the outer edges. Next, I taped the Balloon Stencil on top of the inked background and pulled out my Moonstone Nuvo Glimmer Paste to add sparkle and shine to the balloons. I loved how bright and happy they turned out! 

Coloring 

To color the image I used a combination of Zig and Arteza watercolor makers. I colored the pup with two shades of brown makers and used water to soften the coloring and add dimension. For the gifts, I used two shades of orange, one yellow, one green, and a gray maker and I skipped the water so the colors would stay bold and bright. 

Sentiment and Assembly 

I white heat embossed the super cute sentiment from the stamp set on to some orange cardstock and then adhered it to yellow cardstock so the sentiment really pops. Next, I die cut the image with the coordinating dies and placed the pup so it would appear he was standing on the sentiment banners. Lastly, I adhered the design panel to a white card base. 

Quick Tip: 

When you layer images, sentiments, etc. on glitter paste it's always best to use a liquid adhesive as it absorbed into the spaces between the glitter and makes for a better bond.  

I hope you enjoyed this card! We'd love to see your creations using Newton's Nook products so be sure to tag #newtonsnookdesigns on Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by the Newton's Nook Blog!

- Anika 

I'd love to connect with you! Please come find me at my blog colorandink.com or follow me on Instagram at colorandinkdesigns

Paw-some Birthday card by Jennifer Jackson

Paw-some Birthday!

Hello! Jen here today with another fun birthday card using our Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set! I never have enough birthday cards when I need them so I decided to create a couple of extras using this new stamp set. For this card I colored the pup to look like a chocolate lab and then used fun primary colors for the stack of gifts using copic markers. I also colored the birthday hat to match. I cut out the images using the coordinating Paw-some Birthday Die Set. I love how this color combo looks and it will work great for a masculine birthday too!

For the card I used our new Balloons Stencil and used a blend of yellow and orange ink to create a fun balloon background. I layered the pup over the background, adhering him with foam tape. Then I added a stripe of teal and white striped washi up one side. To finish the card I added the sentiment, also from the Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set onto a green banner that was cut out using our Frames & Flags Die Set.

I know this card will come in handy for the next time I need a birthday card!

Have a great Friday!

March Reveals - Day 1 -Newton's Birthday Trio & Paw-some Birthday Stamp Sets + New Ballon Stencil!

This is our second post today! To see an adorable card by our Guest Designer, Jane Clark, scroll down or click here. 

Today is our first reveal day for our March Release! This month we have some awesome new Spring and Birthday themed products! We're starting things out today with TWO new birthday theme sets: Newton's Birthday Trio and  Paw-some Birthday! We also have the new Balloons Stencil revealed today! We are having a giveaway today too, so make sure you read all the way to the bottom of this post to see how to win!

Balloons Stencil

Create fabulous birthday backgrounds with this awesome balloon stencil! This stencil features a mixture of balloons in various sizes floating up, up and away! This stencil is perfect creating backgrounds to help celebrate birthdays, parties, anniversaries and more!

• Our premium custom stencils can be used with your favorite spray mists, inks, embossing pastes, chalks, paints, and more to add pattern and texture to your paper crafting projects.
• Includes one 6 x 6 stencil 
• Available for purchase in our online shop starting Friday, March 15

Newton's Birthday Trio

Send Happy Birthday wishes with Newton and his friends on this cute 3x4 stamp set! This set features one large image of three kitties ready to party with a birthday hat, noisemaker and gift. The thought bubbles above their heads each contain a word of the message and a little birdie helps too!

Here's some info on the Newton's Birthday Trio stamp set:

• 3 x 4 photopolymer stamp set 
• Includes 1 image
• Coordinating Newton's Birthday Trio purr-fect die set (sold separately) includes 1 die
• Available for purchase in our online shop starting Friday, March 15th

Paw-some Birthday 

This fun 3x4 stamp set is perfect for sending Paw-some Birthday wishes! This set includes an image of a dog reaching up for the dog bone on top of a huge stack of birthday gifts! Use the added birthday hat to dress up the pup more for a fun birthday greeting! Perfect for dog lovers!

Here's some info on the Paw-some Birthday stamp set:

• 3 x 4 photopolymer stamp set 
• Includes 4 stamps: 2 images and 1 sentiment
• Coordinating Paw-some Birthday purr-fect die set (sold separately) includes 3 dies
• Available for purchase in our online shop starting Friday, March 15th

Get inspired with Birthday fun by our Design Team!

Check out all the awesome projects below from our Design Team below! Then, make sure to click through to all their blogs for details on their cards - you will find a few extra cards on some of the DT blogs and you might even find a fun video or two along the way! Make sure to comment on all the blogs for a chance to win! Details on the giveaway are at the bottom of today's post.

Samantha created this adorable birthday card using our new Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set! She colored the pup and a rainbow stack of gifts, adding sparkle and glitter to them! Then she added them onto her card over a yellow rounded square (a peek of a die set we will be revealing tomorrow). She also added in textured balloons using our new Balloons Stencil with embossing paste!

This card by Amanda is perfect for a birthday celebration! She used those cute kitties from the new Newton's Birthday Trio Stamp Set. She colored the cats and added pops of bright blue and yellow to them. She added them to her card over a window that was cut out using a new die set that will be revealed tomorrow. She added some lovely green balloons into the background using the new Balloons Stencil.

The rainbow of colors on this card by Andrea are so vibrant! She used the dog and gift image from the new Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set, coloring the gifts in all the rainbow colors. She cut the dog image out using the coordinating die set and layered it onto her card over a white panel that was trimmed along one side using our Sky Borders Die Set. She also added some a rainbow of balloons along the side using our new Balloons Stencil with different colored distress inks. 

Zsofia created this fun birthday scene using the kitty image from the new Newton's Birthday Trio Stamp Set. She colored the cats and added pops of bright blue and green to the accessories. For her card she created a gorgeous balloon sky using the new Balloons Stencil with several ink colors. She also added some grass along the bottom using our Land Borders Die Set and the scallop edged panel was cut out using our Frames & Flags Die Set. 

The colors on this card by Holly are so bright and cheerful! For her card she featured the image from the new Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set. She colored the dog and gifts with copics and added fun details with a white gel pen. She also used our Frames & Flags Die Set to cut the rounded rectangle and the yellow and white flags that she added. 

Larissa created this adorable little square kitty card, perfect for a birthday! She used the kitty image from the new Newton's Birthday Trio Stamp Set and colored the kitties in neutral tones with fun texture to them!  She added fun blue and red accents and created a fun mini square card for them (using a die set that will be revealed tomorrow). 

Maria created this cheerful Birthday card featuring the image from the new Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set. She colored the image with copics and added fun details with a white gel pen. Then she used the coordinating die set to cut the image out. For her card she masked the word "birthday" off from the sentiment and instead added it in big letters across the bottom using our Essential Alphabet Die Set!

Tatiana created this charming Birthday card! She used the kitty image from the new Newton's Birthday Trio Stamp Set, adding fun stripes and shading to them! Then she used the coordinating die set to cut them out and added them to her card over a fun round window. She also used our new Balloons Stencil with white texture paste to add the balloons behind them. 

This lovely birthday card was created by Naki. Isn't it so cute how she colored the dog from the new Paw-some Birthday Stamp Set in multiple colors? For her card she used the new Balloons Stencil to add some glittery blue balloons behind the dog and presents too! So adorable! 

Would you like to win the “Newton's Birthday Trio” or the "Paw-some Birthday" Stamp Set?We will choose ONE lucky winner for each stamp set! !

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 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 14th at 9pm EST to comment -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, March 15th.

Note for Google+ users: Blogger no longer supports commenting with G+ accounts. If you have selected a G+ profile in the past you will appear as an unknown author until you login to Blogger and supply a new display name and avatar. You may do this by going to your Blogger account and going to Settings/User Settings. Once there you can  select "Blogger" as your profile and edit it. Information on these changes to blogger can be found this article. 

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

Newton's Nook Designs

Amanda Bodine

Holly Endress

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Zsofia Molnar

Naki Rager

Maria Russell

Andrea Shell

Tatiana Trafimovich