Newton's Nook - Right as Rain

Watercolored Birdhouses with Newton’s Nook

Hello! Birdhouses make for a cheerful and inviting focal point in card designs. For this card, I used a Newton’s Nook stamp set and brought the stamped images to life with watercoloring. A scalloped die-cut background adds a playful touch, and I stamped the sentiment on a cloud for easy placement. Let’s take a closer look at how this colorful card came together!

- Create an A2-size card base from white cardstock.
- Cut a scallop background from patterned paper. (I used a die in the Mama Elephant Basic Set.) Adhere to base.
- Stamp Birdhouse Greetings birdhouses with VersaFine ink on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set.
- Watercolor the images—I used Tombow markers and Derwent Inktense pencils. You can read more about watercoloring stamped images here. Once dry, I added depth and detail with colored pencils. I don’t often get the chance to experiment with different coloring mediums, but when I do, it’s always an enjoyable creative process!
- Cut the images with the coordinating dies.
- Stamp Birdhouse Greetings sentiment on to white cardstock and cut with a die in the On Cloud Nine set. Cut an additional cloud with a die in the same set.
- Add birdhouses to card background with foam adhesive and the clouds with dot adhesive.

Hello Card with Stenciled Rainbow Birdhouses

Hello! Sometimes, a simple design with a pop of color is all you need to make a cheerful card! Today, I’m sharing a quick and easy hello card featuring a row of stenciled birdhouses inked in a vibrant rainbow of colors. To keep things simple, I used a stamped and die-cut “Hello” sentiment—an effortless way to add dimension to an otherwise single-layer card.

- Add Mowed Lawn ink to the base of a white cardstock panel to create the grass. I used vellum to mask the sky and create the straight line.
- Mask the grass and ink the birdhouse posts with the Newton’s Nook Birdhouse Line Stencil. The stencil includes three rows with etching to aid with alignment.
- Move the stencil and ink the birdhouses. Move the stencil again to ink the birds and birdhouse openings.
- Trim stencil panel and add to a black cardstock base.
- Stamp the I’ve Got You Covered sentiment and cut with the coordinating die. Add to card with foam adhesive.

Mixed Media Birthday Card | Newton’s Nook

Hello! Birthdays are all about fun, friends, and of course—presents! Today, I am sharing a card featuring an adorable Newton’s Nook stamped image featuring two playful cats, a happy pup, and a stack of brightly colored packages. To add to the celebration, I created a cheerful balloon-filled background with a stencil.

- Ink Bristol cardstock with a light ink color – I used Tumbled Glass Oxide. Add balloons through the Bokeh Balloons stencil. I used darker inks at the top and lighter towards the bottom.
- Stamp the Sky High Celebrations sentiment in black ink on the stenciled panel. Cut panel with A2-size Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle die and add to a card base.
- Stamp Sky High Celebrations image with VersaFine ink on Cold Pressed Watercolor paper and heat set. Color with medium of choice. I used Zig and Tombow markers: Zig Dark Gray 95, Zig Orange 70, Zig Mustard 67, Zig Sand 601, Tombow Purple 665, Zig May Green 47, Zig Persian Blue 32, Zig Yellow 50, Tombow N15 Black, Tombow Burnt Sienna 947, Zig Medium Beige 76, Zig Geranium Red 29, and Tombow Dusty Rose 772.
- Add additional color with Derwent Inktense pencils: Poppy Red, Neutral Gray, Yellow.
- When dry, cut image with the coordinating die set.
- Add image to card base with foam adhesive.

Note: The Sky High Celebrations stamp set and coordinating die set can be purchased directly from Newton’s Nook and Frantic Stamper.

I shared another birthday card HERE that showcases the other image on the Sky High Celebrations set.

Purr-fect Handmade Cat Cards

Hello! Cats have a timeless charm that makes them the purr-fect subject for handmade cards. Whether playful or cozy, feline friends bring personality and warmth to your designs. These cards make wonderful choices for occasions like birthdays, Halloween, thank-yous, or just-because moments. Join me as I share a roundup of cat-themed creations from my blog archive. Click on the card image to be taken to the original post for additional details.

These two birthday cards feature stamped and watercolored cats, complemented by die-cut elements for a fun and whimsical celebration.

This larger birthday card showcases a die-cut cat wearing sunglasses with a “Happy Birthday” message, making it the perfect statement piece for any cat lover.

This “just because” card features a delightful small watercolored scene of cats, created with the Art Impressions Matchbox series.

These Halloween cards feature cats in their spooky best—one with die-cut elements to create a playful cat and pumpkin scene, and the other showcasing a watercolored cat ready for the season.

These two stamped and watercolored cat cards feature playful scenes, both created using Newton’s Nook stamps, known for their charming cat imagery. One captures a relaxed beach scene, while the other sets the stage in a cozy library.

There’s something irresistibly charming about cats on cards. They bring a playful and timeless appeal to any design! I hope this roundup has inspired you to use cats as a theme in your own creations. While putting this roundup together, I realized that many of my cat cards feature stamped images that I’ve colored. I own several silhouette cat dies and have used them on a number of cards (although none are included in this roundup). While silhouettes create a bold and classic design, most cats aren’t a solid color, so stamping and coloring allow for more variety and detail. Do you have favorite cat stamps or dies? Is there a cat-themed set on your wish list?

Newton’s Nook Christmas Nap

Hello! Today, I am sharing a holiday card featuring the Newton’s Nook Christmas Nap stamp set with coordinating die. Picture a watercolored Christmas scene featuring a lovable dog and a cozy cat nestled in a chair.

- Cut an A2-size rectangle of Light Brown Woodgrain cardstock and add to card base.
- Stamp the Christmas Nap image with Versafine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper and heat set. Color the image with watercoloring mediums of choice (I used Distress Ink, and Zig and Tombow markers). Once dry, cut the image with the die in the coordinating set. Simon Says has the stamp, and both the stamp and die are available directly from Newton’s Nook and Frantic Stamper. (Check out my “Resources for Watercoloring Stamped Images” HERE.)
- Stamp the Christmas Nap sentiment in VersaFine ink on Fern cardstock and clear heat-emboss it.
- Use the 3 3/4″ x 5″ Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Rectangle die to cut the sentiment panel on the bottom edge. Trim at top so that the panel is 1 3/4″ tall.
- Cut a 3 3/4″ x 5″ Snowdrift cardstock panel with the Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Rectangle die. Dry-emboss with the Taylored Expressions Bead Board embossing folder (now retired).
- Attach the sentiment panel to the dry-embossed panel and add the assembly to the card base.
- Add the watercolored scene with foam adhesive.