Newton's Nook Designs' Inky Paws Challenge #37 ~ Cozy Plaids

Hello!  Today it is my turn to be featured on the Newton's Nook Blog - yaay!  I decided to play along with the current Inky paws Challenge - Cozy Plaids since I missed the deadline in my medicated state.

I REALLY LOVE plaids!  In fact, I have so many styles it took FOR-EV-VER to decide on one to use because I had already decided on the layout and that I wanted to make a masculine holiday card using the Splendid Stags die set and wanted to make sure the buck stood out.  So I settled on a subtle plaid and here is the final result:

I am pretty happy with it.  I decided to dress up the Handsome Hunter cardstock a bit so I stamped some snowflakes from NND's 'Fox Hollow' set (which I also LOVE), which is where the sentiment came from as well.

Hope you will play along with our Inky Paws Plaid challenge too - the deadline isn't until this Friday, November 4th at midnight CST.  You have a chance of winning a $10 credit to the Newton's Nook Designs Store and Jen will give away TWO store credits if there are more than 15 participants and at the time I am typing this up there are already 15 so yours could be the one to put them above the requirement! WOO HOO!  You MUST use a Newton's Nook Designs image though - don't have one yet?  Jen has some digital freebies you can print out and use HERE.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you had a safe & happy Halloween!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs Sponsors the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge!

Hello!  I am so excited that Newton's Nook Designs is sponsoring this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge!  Here is there pretty picture and color combination we had to work with:

I know the easy route would have been to make a Halloween card, but I wanted to challenge myself to make something a little bit different, so I decided to use NND's Prehistoric Pals set, which I purchased ages ago (har har har) and show it a little love and make a birthday card for my nephew:

A whole lotta fussy cutting going on on this card, though the background is a stitched die from Lawn Fawn and the present and birthday hat are from NND's Fetching Friendship set.

So, what does this color combination inspire YOU to create?  I hope you will play along with this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #376, because NEWTON'S NOOK DESIGNS IS THE SPONSOR!!  WOO HOO!!  So play along for a chance to win some NND goodness!  Can't wait to see what you create!  And thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs' Inky Paws Challenge #35 - Lace and/or Burlap

Hello everyone!  It is time for a new challenge over at Newton's Nook Designs!  This time Jen is challenging us to use lace and/or burlap on a project using Newton's Nook Designs' products:

I am not much of a frilly, lacy person, so I went with burlap and made this masculine birthday card using NND's Splendid Stags die set and a birthday sentiment from the newly released 'Raccoon Rascals' along with some paper by My Mind's Eye:

Cutting burlap is tricky, all the little threads want to come unwoven!  LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hope you will play along too because the Challenge winner will receive a $10 store credit to our online store and a Inky Paws Challenge Top Pick Badge to add to your blog! If we get more than 15 participants, we will choose two winners so be sure to tell your friends to play along! 

You have TWO WEEKS to play along - Deadline to enter is Friday, September 9th, 2016 at Midnight CST. The winners will be announced on the NND blog.  Good luck!  And have a great weekend!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs' May Release ~ Day 2

Welcome back to the second day of Newton's Nook Designs' May Release!  Today Jen is releasing a cool versatile stamp set with some cool patterns and designs as well as TWO dies that complement it.  Introducing 'Adventure Awaits':

And the purr-fectly complementary die set 'Points & Plumes':

AND the purr-fectly complementary die set 'Splendid Stags':

(I personally LOVE these!)

For some reason, my romantic nature won over my sense of adventure and I was channeling Valentine's Day with this set:

I had fun die cutting all the different styles of arrows (so many different styles in the stamp images too!) creating this background design.  

The stag dies took me in two directions.  First to Father's Day with this rustic woodgrain card (LOVE woodgrain - the sentiments are from NND's Winston's BBQ BTW):

And then to Christmas:

(Okay, okay, truth be told, my mind went to Christmas first - I saw that silhouette and instantly envisions putting a red rhinestone on that nose!  But Father's Day is more seasonal at the moment, so I uploaded that one first).  Seriously though, how EASY would it be to crank out a BUNCH of these in a short period of time when you are wicked busy with holiday goings on?  The wreath is from 'Happy Little Thoughts' which was revealed yesterday and the 'Merry' sentiment is from the whimsical 'Holiday Wishes' NND stamp set.  I can't wait to play with this design in other color combinations... thought I do love my woodgrain.  ;)

Would you like to win a 'Adventure Awaits' stamp set?
This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!

Here's how to win:

Comment on the NND blog and the Designs Team and Guest blogs (see list below)!  The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blogs' release posts.  Make sure you check out each of the 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, May 19th at 9 pm CDT to comment -- the winner will be announced on the blog post on Friday, May 20th.  

Check out all these awesome Design Team & Guest 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
Naki Rager - Guest Designer

Jess is the next stop on our release hop; I am sure she has created something spectacular for you to see!  Enjoy!  And thanks for stopping by!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Sports Enthusiast Birthday Card with Newton's Nook Designs

Hello everyone!  Today it is my turn once again to be featured on the Newton's Nook Designs' Blog - yaay!

I decided to use the opportunity to make a card for my BIL who loves sports using NND's Touchdown Tails set:

I used some referee looking stripes from an 8"x8" stack from a 'CHAMPS' American Crafts (I think) which I thought would pair purr-fectly with the bull dog ref's uniform, and added some sentiments from the set using my Pennant punch from Stampin' Up!  

Hope he likes it - hope you like it too!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs' January Release ~ Day 2

Welcome back to the second day of Newton's Nook Designs' January release!  Today's set features some cute snuggling pets along with some fancy hearts and sentiments perfect for a variety of occasions.  Introducing 'Darling Duos':

And there are Purr-fectly matching DIES for this set too!  SQUEEEEE!

 

Don't you just LOVE the stitching on the heart?!!  I sure do!

Since Jen included dogs with this set (THANK YOU JEN!!)  I just HAD to use them in my card:

Since our furbaby Ty gives his Daddy cards on holidays (oh come on, you know you do it too!) I decided to make a card for him to give his Poppa for Valentine's Day.  I selected a more masculine color palette and created the background using the heart with the paw print (LOVE THAT IMAGE JEN!) and the petite solid heart stamps in the set.  I cut the stitched heart shape out using the set's dies and then stamped the image of the doggie duo on it and colored it in with Copic markers.  I added the 'DAD' from NND's 'Winston's BBQ' set to the 'you & me' sentiment from this set to personalize it for my husband.  I could tell Ty knew the card was for him to give his Daddy because he stayed very close to me as I worked on the project and was extremely attentive when I snapped the photo... or maybe he just wanted the treats?...

What do you think?  ;)

Would you like to win a 'Darling Duos' stamp set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!!

 Here's how to win:

 Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blogs' release posts. Make sure you check out each of the 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 9 pm CDT to comment -- the winner will be announced on the blog post on Friday, January 15th. 

Check out all these awesome Design Team & Guest 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

Jess Gerstner is the next stop on the hop, I am sure she has created something spectacular for you to see!  Enjoy!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs' July Release ~ Final Day

Welcome back for the third and final day of Newton's Nook Designs' July Release!  Jen created a cool nautical set, complete with Purr-fect DIES, allow me to introduce 'Message in a Bottle' (Tell me I am not the only one with that song by The Police playing over and over in my head now please?) : 

And you just KNOW those bottle shaped dies can be used for hundreds of different images too as well, right?  Fill 'em up with anything!  I found this cool map patterned paper which inspired me to make a masculine card using the ship & scroll images:

At first it felt weird not coloring the objects in, but upon reconsideration, I like the simplicity of this card (as will most of the men in my life who could be the recipients!)  What do you think?

Would you like to win 'Message in a Bottle' stamp set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner!!

 Here's how to win:

 Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blogs' release posts. Make sure you 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, July 16th at 9 pm CDT to comment -- the winner will be announced on the blog post on Friday, July 17th. Check out all these awesome Design Team & Guest Blogs below to enter:

Lydia Evans
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Crafty Math-Chick (<-- you are here!)
Jess Gerstner
Stephanie Muzzulin
Danielle Pandeline
Nina-Marie Trapani
Kimberly Rendino
Yukari Yoshioka

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jess Gerstner is next on the hop, I am sure she has created something spectacular for you to see!  Enjoy!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Healing Thoughts Recessed card

Hello!  Lately I have WAAAAY too many friends hurting themselves or getting sick (I need my friends to stay healthy and stop hurting themselves already!  Poor things!!) so I have quite a few 'get well soon' cards to make.  This one I made for a friend I originally met on youtube, and got to know a little better on FB, for her hubby that had a horrific accident (he is going to be fine, but he is pretty banged up and broken for a while until he heals).  I got the idea for it from Stamp TV's October Release Party Challenge - to make a recessed card.  Haven't made one of those in a while.  

The teddy bear isn't too childish for a grown man, is it?  I used the teddy bear image from 'Under the Weather' by Gina K. Designs and paired it with the above sentiment, which I thought was more appropriate for someone who was not sick per se, but healing... a lot...  I colored the bear with my Copics (E59, 57, 55) and paper pieced his paw pads & bandages using some papers from Gina's 'Poolside' collection.  In retrospect, I wish I had used teenie wooden buttons instead of the black rhinestones, more masculine.

Additional Challenges:

Creative Knockouts Challenge: animal friends, 
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge 76: for the boys, and

Kitty Bee Designs Aloha Friday Challenge #34: dies or punches (I used a die to cut out the recessed window)

Thank you for taking the time to look at my card!  Have a great evening!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Newton's Nook Designs August Release - Day 2

Welcome back for Day 2 of Newton's Nook Designs' August Release.  Today Jen has 'Simply Sentimental' - a versatile sentiment set for you:

Even though this set coordinates with SO many of Jen's adorable NND sets, I really wanted to try to create a card that focused on the sentiments themselves and let them shine.  So first I created this brad-laden masculine birthday card (I got through those quickly in my family!) using some Making Memories papers that remind me of men's shirts:

Additional Challenges for which I am submitting this card:

Perfectly Rustics Challenge #29: Masculine, 

Milk Coffee Challenge: Add Stripes, 

DRS Designs Challenge #135: Birthdays, 

Wags 'n Whiskers Challenge #135: Birthdays, and 

Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday.

I was ready to stop there but wanted to give you guys more, and I was in a colorful mood so I created this card:

These fun rainbow stripes were also from the DCWV Flower Shower mat stack I used for paper piecing my 'hanging Around' critters yesterday.  I created the boxes by punching a 1/4" square from a scrap of vellum (so I could see through it to line it up with the different occasion choices) and tracing the edges inside the negative part that remained.  At first I was going to check off 'birthday' but then I thought 'You know, if I leave it blank I can wait until I need it and just check off the appropriate occasion....'  Isn't that a cool idea?!!  I am going to make a BUNCh of these with different patterned papers and just check off the occasions as they arise!  LOL!

Additional Challenge for which I am submitting this card:

Milk Coffee Challenge: Add stripes.

Then I wanted to get a little playful with this set.  So I created this last card which I have entitled "Happy Around You" (hopefully you will 'get' the title when you see the card...):

I used a ruler and found the center of the 4.25" x 4.25" card and placed a 1/2" circle that I punched from a Post It notes in the center.  I used another post it to cover the half of the card I was not stamping on so the tail on the 'y' wouldn't continue to the other side.  Then I just kept stamping 'happy' in a spectrum of rainbow colors, moving the post it each time, and when I was finished I removed the post its and inked up the 'you' in the set, punched it out with the same 1/2" circle punched and popped it up in the middle.  Cute huh?  I like it!

Additional Challenges for which I am submitting this card:

Country View Challenge for August: Word Play (I call this one 'Happy Around You'),  

Art Impressions Challenge: Show Off Your Sentiment, and 
Cute Card Thursday Challenge 334: CAS.

Would you like to win 'Simply Sentimental'?
This set will be given away to TWO lucky winners!!

Here's how to win:

Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)!  Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs' release posts.  Make sure you 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 Tuesday, August 19th at 9 pm Central Daylight Time to comment -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Wednesday, August 20th.

Check out all these awesome Design Team & Guest Blogs below to enter:

Newton's Nook Designs
Taheerah Atchia
Lydia Brooke
Larissa Heskett
Samantha Mann
Crafty Math-Chick
Shellye McDaniel
Jess Moyer
Stephanie Muzzulin
Danielle Pandeline
Tessa Wise

Chitra Nair (Guest Designer)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope at least one of my cards has inspired you to see the versatility of this pretty sentiment set.  Shellye is next on the hop list, I am sure she has created something fabulous for you to see!  Happy hopping!

~ Crafty Math Chick

Waltzingmousestamps Pajama Party!

(Before I get to the pajama party festivities please let me know if you are interested in helping out little Taco Papacito - see this post here - he still needs a foster home or a forever home and I have heard from several stamping companies kind enough to donate supplies for a fundraising blog hop to help cover his eye surgery - thank you!!)

Today I am playing along with Waltzingmouse Stamps' Pajama Party Challenges (which has been challenging to do with my mind on poor little Taco, so if you think this work is not quite my best, you will know why.)  I used my new 'Ocean Bound' set on three of these cards, which I was lucky enough to win as blog candy (Thanks Claire & Lynn!!).  The first challenge we were asked to 'tie a knot' so I used some thick, rough twine and created this card:

 (please click on the photo for clearer resolution).  It is based on this week's 'Seize the Sketch'... sketch

I used a Fiskars wave border punch to create the 'ocean' (stamping the ship underneath first) and added a tag next to the knot.  Clap clap - challenge 1 complete!
     Challenge 2 was called 'Get Nauty' - anything nautical themed (so I technical could have entered all three of my creations thus far) but you got extra bonus points if you made something 3D, so I scoured my pantry for lifesavers to play off of the 'You're a lifesaver' sentiment but found none (EH! - HEY), so instead I used my MFT lollipop die cut and some Fancy Pants paper from their 'Down By The Shore" to create this little thank you treat with a Tootsie lollipop inside:

I fussy cut the cut lifesaver out and tucked the sentiment underneath and added a little crab eyelet from my stash (GASP - how cute would these be with Lifesaver Lollipops?!!  I wonder if they still make them...).  Challenge 2 - clap clap complete!
     Challenge 3 was a coloring combination based on this picture:

I chose to focus on one of the cute seashorse images from the set to create my own background paper:

The chain links were created with an EK Success edger punch I got on clearance at JoAnn's years ago - cool isn't it?  And I stamped off the ship image twice with Pcific Point ink to give it a subtle effect behind the 'Bon Voyage' sentiment.
     So, those are my first three cards.  There are two more challenges I hope to be able to play along with before the Pajama Party ends - hope you will play along too!  Thanks for stopping by!
~ Crafty Math Chick

  

More VSN Cards

Hello Friends & Followers!  I am happy to report we weathered the storm just fine - we did lose power briefly but not long enough for the sump pump in the basement to shut down (thank heavens!) - so thank you all for your thoughts & prayers and I hope you were as lucky as well.  


Today I continue with more 'made in 45 minutes or less' VSN cards.  The first was for a challenge that required us to use wood, woodgrain, images of objects made of wood, etc.  I knew it was the perfect challenge to break in my new stamps from The Craft's Meow by Jenny Suchins called 'Owl Be Thinking of You' so I decide to use The Craft's Meow's August Sketch for the challenge as well:

(please click on the photo for clearer resolution).  I used Martha Stewart punches to create the grass and the 'sun' which has a bright yellow button twined with Twinery twine at it's center and background stamp from PTI to create the woodgrain looking DP in the background.  The tree and cutie pie owls are colored with Copic markers.  


My second card was for a VSN challenge that required us to use (1) something with a bandana print, and (2) paper piecing.  I borrowed  this week's Sketch Saturday Sketch 170 to create this card:

(Please click on photo for clearer resolution).  I obviously used bandana print ribbon and paper pieced some denim patterned paper onto the overalls of the cute little boy from My Favorite Things' 'Dog-Gone Cute' and attached little silver domes as the snaps after coloring him and his canine companion with Copic markers.  For a little balance I stamped the images and sentiment at 2:00 and 8:00 from MFT's 'You Had Me at Woof!".  This card also fulfills the following additional challenges:

• Sugar Creek Hollow - Make It Masculine, and 
• Stamps R Us Challenge - Anything Goes.

It feel so good to be creating again, thank you all so much for stopping by to see my creations.  I just might have a second post for you later today... if not, there should be one on Monday since Monday night is the upload deadline for VSN on SCS.  Happy Sunday Everyone!
~Crafty Math Chick

TSG is Out of this World!

Surprise!  Second post from me today!  I knew when I saw Sketch 68 from Sunday Sketch & Stamp:

that I wanted to flip it and use There She Goes Clear Stamps' 'Out of this World' set and turn the big pink circle into a Saturn using a big yellow circle, and two wide oval Nestabilities dies placed off center from one another.  This was the final result:

(Please click on the photo for a clearer image)  I had so much fun coloring this cute little guy with Copic markers - the moon is more vibrant too, but it is muted a bit by the vellum (had to think of something to use for that part of the sketch).  Some of the stars are images from the set, others are holographic sequins.  In addition to Sunday Sketch & Stamp, this card also fulfills the requirements of the following challenges:

• Paper Playtime Challenge 53 - Anything Goes, and
• Spoonful of Sugar Challenge 162 - Happy Birthday!

Psst!  How would you like to win The Ultimate Twine Bundle - full spools of all 14 colors of the yummy Twinery twine?  Check out the Twinery's Anniversary Day 5 Celebration for the details HERE!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog again and seeing my creations!  I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend!
~Crafty Math Chick

Wilson Designs Chocolate & Navy Duet

Hello friends and followers, happy June!  Today I have two cards for your viewing pleasure, both created for Off the Wall Craftiness Challenge 54 using the Wilson Designs' Nautic-COOL set and the colors chocolate, navy and white based on this inspirational picture:

The first card is based on Sketch Saturday's Sketch from Week 157:

I used Brilliant Blue cardstock, embossed in my Cuttlebug using the D'Vine swirls EF to give the appearance of water, and Chocolate Chip cardstock, embossed using the Distressed Stripes EF, and some strategically placed twine.  The image panel and the little life preserver (isn't it adorable?) are popped up using dimensionals.  This card also fulfills the requirements of the following additional challenges:

• Cards for Men Challenge 11 - no patterned paper,
• Ribbon Carousel Challenge 5 - anything goes with ribbon or twine,
• Fussy & Fancy Friday Challenge - to make a card for a man or a boy, and
• Catered Crop Follow the Recipe Challenge 13 - I used the following ingredients from the original recipe in my card: 

1. colors - blue & white
2. stamps - sailboats
3. coloring mediums - stamping ink
4. embellishments - twine

My second card is based on Verve's Mojo Monday Sketch 193:

I decided to go with the round version of the sketch, since it reminded me of that cute little life preserver and created this card:

I cut out the little life preserver, punched a hole in the middle using a 1/4" circle punch, and threaded some thick jute twine through it.   Just as with my first card, this card also fulfills the following additional challenges:

• Cards for Men Challenge 11 - no patterned paper,
• Ribbon Carousel Challenge 5 - anything goes with ribbon or twine, 
• Fussy & Fancy Friday Challenge - to make a card for a man or a boy, and
• Catered Crop Follow the Recipe Challenge 13 - I used the following ingredients from the original recipe in my card: 
1. colors - blue & white
2. stamps - sailboats
3. coloring mediums - stamping ink
4. embellishments - twine

So, which is your favorite?  I actually think I prefer the first one.  

Thank you all for the fun challenges and for taking the time to stop by my blog and see my creations.  I hope you have a fabulous weekend!
~Crafty Math Chick

Taylored Expressions May Blog Hop

Welcome to your next stop on Taylored Expressions' May Hop.  You should have arrived here from Amber's Blog, if you didn't, you will want to return to the beginning at Taylor's blog so you don't miss any TE 'Masculine' goodness (that was this month's theme). 

Masculine cards are actually one of my favorite kinds to make, not quite as much as dogs of course, but I do enjoy them.  And the set I am showcasing today, Taylored Expressions' 'Boys Will be Boys' is one of my top Go-To masculine sets for manly card.  Here are two new creations for your viewing pleasure today:

For this card I embossed a sheet of thin aluminum to resemble that texture you see in the construction environment and used some nailhead brads to complete the look.  This card also fulfills the requirements of Pixie Dust Studio's Challenge 74 - to make it shiny and incorporate metal into your project. 

For my second card, I went clean and simple:

I found this cool paper by Making Memories that reminded me of the texture and pattern of a male's shirt so I used that and added some buttons to continue the appearance.  Since I don't need that many Father's Day cards, these babies are both going to Operation Write Home so that some of our active duty service members can send them home to their families.

Since I like this set SO much, I wanted to post some cards I made about a year ago using this same set - I thought of simply recreating them, but figured my followers might like to see something new, but for those of  you who might have missed them, here are some more great things you can do with 'Boys Will Be Boys'.

First, you can distress some newspaper and ink up some crimped kraft cardstock for a cool newsie effect:

And you can flock the 'green' on the gold course for a nice bit of added texture as well, and punch a circle, emboss it with a dots EF and sponge it a bit for a 'par-fect' golf scene, complete with golf ball:

Thanks for hopping by!  Make sure to make your way to Wendy's Blog, she next on the hop.  I am sure she has a treat for you.  Enjoy!
~Crafty Math Chick