Sunday, August 16, 2020

Release Day for Sweet November Stamps

 Today's the digital release of the marvelous Madame Mirlande by Sweet November Stamps! I couldn't resist coloring up a couple versions with alcohol markers. You can get this image starting today at midnight EST!


I added two of the sweet kitties from the newsletter digital freebie this month and tried my hand at making more of a light-hearted, thinking of you type card.  -I just love Mirlande's sweet face! 
If you love those kitties and are not yet signed up for the newsletter, no worries, you can purchase them in the shop here. 

I use Microsoft word to resize and/or crop my images, usually setting up my images on a quarter page  size (5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches). Then I save in my computer by designer, and have a backup on jump drive. I can fit up to 4 images on a full page, and they can all be different images. 

What a great time to try your hand at digital image "stamping" as Sweet November has a sweet selection, including some fun freebies!

Thank you Sweet November Stamps for asking me to be a Guest Designer for this release! I had such a fun time with these images!  XX

Monday, May 25, 2020

I PLANE like you; with Newton's Nook Designs

For the last week of my guest designer series, I'm flying in with Winston Takes Flight stamp set, making a fun Father's day card with a hidden sentiment. Additional sentiments on the card come from Papa Bear stamp set.






















Interest is added by stenciling white pigment ink clouds onto the blue cover panel. After die cutting the slider track and plane banner into the sky panel, it is easy to stamp the banner outline and sentiment through it onto the card base. The image is colored with Copic markers, and Glossy accents on Winston's goggles adds an amusing touch.
This plane is the perfect size to hide the banner sentiment, giving Dad a fun surprise note!



It has been my absolute pleasure to play with Newton's Nook Designs' sweet images, and I hope I am able to inspire you to play also!

Thanks for having me and Happy Crafting!!

Monday, May 18, 2020

Find Your Happy Place with Newton's Nook

Here's my nod to NND's mascot, Newton, at home enjoying his happy place. I also think this would be a great card to send to loved ones as a gentle reminder they are in our thoughts and if they had to change up their routine, home is a good place to be.


This cute stamp set is called Newton's Birdhouse. I wanted a clean and simple card without too much white space so the perfect compliment is adding a background with the purr-fect stencil Tumbling Hearts. I used Distress Oxides in Tattered Rose and (Worn Lipstick) but then switched to Aged Mahogany.
Besides making "Newton", I had a play at coloring up other types of kitties too! All cards are all colored the same, except for Newton's has red accents.


Here's the Copic marker colors I used: Orange Newton: YR27, YR23, Y21. Black and white kitty: W7, W5, W3, W00. Black & Orange Calico Tabby: W5, W3, W00, Y21, YR23, E51. Siamese Kitty: W7, W5, W3, E42, E40. The ears on all are E04, RV32. Wooden Birdhouse: E37, E35, 355, Y21. Blue birds: BG75, BG53, G000, Y21. Red accents:R59, R46, R17                      Crafty Hugs!!





Monday, May 11, 2020

Birthday Slimline card With Newton's Nook

I am loving the look of slimline cards so I had to make some birthday cards featuring the Birthday Bash stamp set!


The card stock base starts from an 8 x 9 inch paper with the center folded at 4 inches on the 8-inch edge. This size is perfect to fit into a standard business-sized envelope.  The top panel is about 1/4 inch smaller than the front of the card stock base.



I'm stamping my scenes and masking images to make the background wall. This confetti wall is made by sponging die ink all over and then again through the confetti stencil. (For more dimensional flooring, first draw the horizon line of the floor where it is meeting the wall. Then draw the wooden floor using a ruler by making a starting point higher than the actual horizon/floor line, and start drawing the planking right below that horizon line, down to the edge of the card panel. Each line of planking is made by lining up the dot at the starting point above the horizon/floor line and fanning out your ruler along the bottom edge of the card front. Then color in to resemble wooden panels.)
 Images are colored with Copic markers. Grey Copic shadows around images and sparkle pen are added for dimension. Finally, black pen is used around the outside edge of the cover panel before it is adhered to the card base.   Crafty Hugs!!


Monday, May 4, 2020

3-D Fawn box for Mom with Newton's Nook Designs

Here's a non-typical card that makes such a cute scene. It's perfect for that special "mom" in your life. I plan to send one to my good friend from high school, eons ago, and the other to my daughter-in-law.
I'm using the sweet images and sentiments from the Deer Friends stamp set; making 2 cards, one in a no-lines version. A couple personal tips for no-line coloring; start coloring with a shade lighter in case changes need to be made,   color a shade or two darker than normal for the darkest areas to differentiate the shadowy parts,  and there are no lines-relax it's okay to not be perfect!!  I used the same Copic marker colors on both versions. The white spots are drawn in with a Signo white pen after coloring, and I just noticed I have not drawn them in on the no-lines version. This stamp set also has a coordinating die set for cutting out images, but I just used my scissors.
   However, I am using a metal die set to cut the box elements and it will fit into an A2-sized envelope. This card can be made without a die if you want to do a little bit of measuring, cutting and scoring. I'll explain that process below.

Here are some dimensions and instructions if you are cutting the box pieces by hand, making this same size card (3 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches finished size). The thing about making this without a die, the height can be changed and be as tall 4 inches and still fit in a standard A2-sized envelope. Just change all the height measurements listed below to be as tall as the finished card size you want! -so change all the 2 3/4 inch measurements to your desired height!
  This may seem a little daunting, but really, give it a try!

Outside shadow box panel:  2 3/4 x 11. Cut one. Lightly score long rectangle at 3 1/4,   5 3/8,  8 11/16,  10 3/4. This last score is only 1/4 inch from the edge of the strip. Burnish this score line and bend it forward so the tab is facing up. Place double-sided tape onto this edge you are seeing. (Don't stick box together yet though!!)
   Next, cut out the front opening from the large rectangle panel that is on the opposite end of the strip, making sure to leave at least a 1/4 border thickness for the front edges of this front card panel. It can be a rectangle, or any shape and a metal die can be used. (If you are looking at my pictures as a guide, I have done just the opposite large rectangle than I show as my card front, but either side will work in the end. For these written instructions, cutting the end large rectangle as the front of the box is easier to explain.)

Side panels are decorative and optional and can be cut to go either on the outside or inside of the box and these need to be at most 2 3/4 x 2. If these are going inside the card, they need to be adhered now, prior to placing the land strips.  If you want side panels the same size as the sides of the card, like I did, the final card will fold up better if you cut just a tiny bit off the width, so it is just short of the corner bends so it folds up without binding. A back panel where a note can be added to the outside of the card needs to be at most 2 3/4 x 3 1/4 and can be adhered at the end of the card making, along with the side panels if they are going onto the outside of the card. My paper is patterned only on one side so I cut side pieces for the inside to show the same print on them.

Inside strips: As many (land) strips as you want can be placed inside the card. These inside strips measure 3 3/4 inches long with a score line in 1/4 inch from each end to make a tab for the adhesive. Put adhesive tape on the outer edge of each tab on the side facing up. Keep the paper cover over the adhesive for now.
   These strips can be cut as hills, mountains, waves -anything you want!  When making these, it is easiest to see items placed inside the box if the highest part of the (hill) strip is offset with the panel in front of it, and the front strips are not as tall as the back strips.

   Remove cover paper from the double sided adhesive only on the right side of these inside strips. Depending upon how may strips you are placing inside your box helps determine where to put them. I used 3 strips; 2 land and 1 mountain. Start with the front strip. Fold the right adhesive tab to the back of the strip and place this tab onto the right-side rectangle; closer to the front. Now flip it to the right, out of the way. Take 2nd land strip and adhere the right side tab of it onto the side panel of the box; more toward the middle of this rectangle. Make sure it sits a little higher than the front strip, but still keeping parallel with the bottom of the card. Then flip it out of the way.  Lastly do the same with the 3rd strip. On my box card, this is the mountains and I knew I wanted it fairly close to the back of the card.
  Now that the land strips are all adhered onto the smaller, right-side rectangle, fold all the strips back in toward the card and remove the protective paper from the left side adhesive. Keep the back rectangle -which is the back of the card, and the right side of the card-where all the pieces are now adhered, flat on the table and fold the left half of the card onto the right.    WALL-LA!   Happy Dance!        Now take the paper backing off the adhesive placed on the tab of the 11-inch strip and close up the box. Open 3-D box and then push it closed to the opposite side. Fold back and forth a few times to get things moving good and burnish any folds as needed.
  Now you can place all the embellishment pieces onto the card!
I adhered one deer on the very front of the card, and placed the sun on the very back of the card,  and one deer on each  land strip, giving it the most dimension.
 Thanks for sticking it out with me! There are a lot of videos out there, but this card is really not as terrible as it sounds, and the outcome is fantastic!! Let me know if you try it out!


One last thing before I go, here's a short video clip of some fun cards I had made a while back featuring the Touchdown Tails stamp set Newton's Nook Retirement items are at discounted prices so grab your favorites before it is too late!
A fun note about this set is our two rival football teams are the University of Montana-Grizzlies and the Montana State University-Bobcats!! As you can see this set has a bear and a kitty, as well as a referee bulldog and cheering bunny-Perfect for Montana Football cards!! Even if you're not from Montana, these critters are so cute for any football-type, or birthday, card you want to make for THAT person in your life!                      Crafty Hugs!!
                                          

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Inky Paws Challenge #122 Newton's Nook Designs

There is still one week remaining in the current challenge which closes at midnight CST- Friday  May 8th. Make any paper craft item you want using the colors listed and an image from Newton's Nook Designs.
Check out the rules page and pick up a free image if you need one to play along!
Several of the favorites, and the random winner to receive $20 store credit, will be posted on the blog the following Monday after challenge closes.


Here's my take with Copic markers: R35, R22, R21; BG34, YG41; and cool greys & Signo white Uni-ball pen for the kitty. The accents on the page were also colored with markers. Three of each diecut image was layered up to add more interest. For the camera, I swiped the mint color all along the bottom of one of the pieces, turned it so the color was now at the top and glued it under the 2nd camera diecut. Now you can easily see the mint peeking through! Then I lined it up with the picture frame, drew a pencil line on the bottom side-edge, where I wanted it to be cut. Cut it, glued the 3rd camera diecut onto the top and it pushed up perfectly against the picture frame!

Which card do you like more, I couldn't decide between a coral or white background?


Hope to see you in the challenge room!      Crafty hugs!

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Exciting news and short bio!

Exciting news for me! I am May 2020's Guest Designer for Newton's Nook Designs blog and stamp store!! I am so honored and excited for this privilege, and each Monday in May I'll have a post to inspire you on their blog, my personal blog (Paper-Crafting Nean) and have a short picture snippet on my Instagram (jeanneanmarshall).
Cardmaking became my crafting priority when I discovered alcohol markers, and that has since been my most common medium. I'm always up for a new medium or technique though!
I am a dental assistant/lab technician by trade, living in a small, rural Northern Montana town.
I'm looking forward to meeting new card-making friends, and hopefully can inspire you to get crafty during these unique times we are having.                 
Sending crafty Hugs!! Jeannean