Heart Bouquet

Here's another play with Concord & 9th's Everyday Bouquet Turnabout stamps.

supplies: white, petunia, and Surf Blue card, vellum, Everyday Bouquet Turnabout stamp set, Altenew Mountain Mist, Bamboo, Pink Diamond, and Limestone mini inks, Simon's Small Doily and (retired) Lots of Hearts die and sentiment from (retired) Butterly Friends, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle, adhesive foam squares to pop up heart

The delicate details of the stamps look nice in pastels, I think.  After I'd chosen my ink colors and stamped the design, I tried to find some cardstock to match them.  I really wanted to bring in the grey, but nothing was right until I tried using vellum, and that worked for me.  Here's a closer shot for you to see better.  I also like that the details of the vellum heart pick up on the hemstitched border, and how it adds a frilly look without detracting from the stamped design.

As always, thanks for stopping by today.

Everyday Bouquet Thanks

I tried my hardest to resist, but in the end I caved and got myself the Concord & 9th Everyday Bouquet Turnabout kit.  I stamped the bouquet out 4 times to try different color combinations, and I'm sharing 2 Thank You cards today.

First up, a feminine version.

supplies: white, petunia, Lavender and Green Apple card, Everyday Bouquet Turnabout stamps, Altenew inks (Pink Diamond, Lavender Fields, Bamboo, and Parrot), Winnie & Walter Audrey cutaway scalloped rectangle, Sunny Studio Fancy Frames Circle and a Simon heart die, leaf sprigs from Bouquet Turnabout die set

I bought this kit mainly for the dainty images in this stamp set, but to have some dies to go along with them, plus the jig to align everything included in the kit was a win-win!

Here's another using distress oxide inks and one of the dies; it may be a good option for sending to a guy.

supplies: white, Soft Navy, and Green Apple card, Everyday Bouquet Turnabout stamps and die, twisted citron, cracked pistachio, salty ocean, and blueprint sketch distress oxide inks

After stamping my bouquet, I used the thanks die included in this set to cut out my sentiment, then trimmed the panel and lined it with first navy and and then green.

Using the jig included in the kit makes a real difference - saved time and enabled an easier application of these stamps to make the design, allowing for the joy of playing with different colors!  And I am really impressed with how nicely the oxide inks stamp; no blotching like the regular distress inks would sometimes do.......

A Spray of Roses

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Since I had my Rose Flurries out last week, I decided to play some more with them.  Unlike most of the cards I've made before with these, I popped up all of the layers, so this is really dimensional!

supplies: white and 4 shades of Bazzill yellow card (Pollen, African Daisy,  Bazzill Yellow, and Mexican Poppy), and 2 shades of Simon green (Green Apple and Green Leaf), Altenew Rose Flurries dies, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die, adhesive foam strips

I put the darkest shade on the bottom layer and lightened each succeeding layer.  After moving them around to find a pleasing arrangement I glued them down to a panel of white with a tiny stitched border, and then framed that with the lightest of the yellows.  I decided against a sentiment for now - a tiny banner can easily be inserted when I need it.

This design would work for so many occasions - birthdays, thinking of you, an anniversary, maybe even a wedding. 

Simon Says........Black, White, and One Other Color

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our challenge this week is to make something using black, white, and one other color of your choice!  The team is playing with Avery Elle products.

supplies: white and black card, dps from Gina K Designs Petite Patterns, Doodlebug Floral Graph Rainbow Petite Prints, and the large dot from a retired MME paper pad, Avery Elle Hand Drawn Florals and Loads of Wishes stamp sets, Nuvo Irish Clover markers to color, Simon's Scallop Stitches die

Way back when there was a weekly challenge called the Play Date Cafe and my favorite challenges there were called "Black, White, and a Splash".  I always loved the ones that asked for a splash of lime - I think all the colors pop in that combination.  So of course, that was my first choice for this week's card.

That was so much fun that I used the same elements and made a 2nd card, this time with yellow.

supplies: white and black card, dps from Gina K Designs Petite Patterns, a retired Doodlebug woodgrain, and Lawn Fawn (Let's Polka heart print), Avery Elle Hand Drawn Florals and Loads of Wishes stamps, Nuvo Sunshine marker to color, Simon's Scallop Stitches die, and a Tim Holtz Garden Greens die

This time I used the largest and the smallest of the flowers and a sketch that I've used many times.  I was lazy this time and stamped my flowers on a yellow heart print design paper, adding a tiny bit of shading with a marker.  And I used die-cut leaves to mimic the vining design in the paper.  

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Sending Hugs

Here's a card that I made for Valentine's Day.

supplies; white and Ripe Raspberry card stock, dps from MFT Dots & Stripes Sorbet and Farm Fresh Gingham paper pads, MFT All Occasion Sentiments, Your Next Stamp Mini Heart Ink Splatter, Ripe Raspberry ink, Simon's Small Heart Doily and (retired) Large Heart Doily dies, adhesive foam squares

I cut the Heart doilies from patterned and solid paper, then pieced the gingham and dots back onto the solid.  I love these little heart splatters - they are just the right size to work with everything!  

Beautiful Day

This card resulted from a conversation with my friend about whether or not the Hemstitch dies were large enough to thread ribbon or floss through.  I can verify that floss is a big yes - we'll reserve judgement on ribbon until I can try that another time.

supplies: white, various brick red and green card stock, Simon Beautiful Day sentiment, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle and Altenew Rose Flurries dies, WeRMemoryKeepers Sew Easy red floss, adhesive strips

I die-cut a medium Hemstitch rectangle from a slightly smaller than A2 size card panel, after having made certain that my stamped sentiment would fit inside.  After stamping it, I did my stitching, securing the floss ends inside with a piece of tape, then constructed my Rose Flurries flowers and leaves, popping up a couple of the flower layers, and arranged them around the sentiment.  

I was also trying to decide if I really "need" the new Garden Picks dies, since I already own these Rose Flurries dies.  For now (and I may eat my words) I think I'm content with what I have.  

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Pink Poseys

Here's another creation using some of Tammy Tutterow's dies from Crafter's Edge.

supplies: kraft and cream cardstock, lots of pink and green prints from Doodlebug and Sunny Studios paper pads, Vintage Photo distress ink, Tammy's Posey Basket, Posey Flowers Sets 1, 2, and 3, small yellow buttons, natural twine

The Basket die set cuts several pieces so that you can weave your basket.  I die-cut the pieces from kraft and then sponged each of the edges with distress ink to make them show up a bit better.  There are 2 long handles on this basket - for this card they provided a base to attach my flowers, so you don't see much of them.   The little tag and heart are also part of this die set.  I made this into a card by attaching a traced basket shape to the back of my woven basket, scoring the back about 3/4" down from the top and then gluing that section only to the back of my woven basket.  

I filled my basket with some 2- and 3-layer die-cut flowers, mixing up the tiny patterns, and adding little yellow buttons into their centers.  The finished card measures about 4 1/4" wide by 5 3/4" tall, so it will need its own envelope.  But if you bring the flowers down more over the basket, I think you could adjust this design to fit into an A2 envelope.

What a fun project this was to pull together!  These dies are designed primarily for use with fabric or felt, but as you can see, they translate nicely for paper, too.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Simon Says..........Interactive Card

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our theme this week is Interactive Card, and we are showcasing Lawn Fawn products.  I jumped at the chance to get myself some Woodland Critter Huggers, and make some Valentine cards for my Grands!  I love all the different ways you can use this die set!

supplies: cream, pale gold, kraft, Burnt Orange, Cotton Candy, Green Leaf, Green Apple, and Dark Chocolate card, Lawn Fawn Woodland Critter Huggers dies, adhesive foam strips to pop up feet, glue dots to secure hearts

I cut an extra body for each critter, scored it about 3/4" from the top, and glued it onto a finished body in order to make these into little cards, about 4 3/4" tallest at most.  They easily fit into an A2 envelope.  Here are some pictures of them standing up:

These were truly a joy to play with!  

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

For You

Another die set I've had on my wishlist forever is the Stitched Blooms set.  I finally treated myself and here is my first play with them.  I used some tiny print Doodlebug papers; I love the vibrancy of these colors!

supplies: white and Audrey Blue card, aqua, purple, periwinkle, green, and a tiny bit of yellow dps from Doodlebug Dot-Grid-Daisy-Stripe, Floral Graph, and Gingham Linen pads, MFT Stitched Blooms, and Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle dies, Tammy Tutterow Tiny Sentiments

Thanks for dropping by - have a good one!

February Large Die of the Month!

I've been honored to receive a surprise once a month lately from Spellbinders - this month I got the Large Die of the Month, and had a ball with it!

supplies: white, Green Apple, Soft Navy, Island Blue and an unknown aqua card stock, February Large Die of the Month set, Hemstitch Rectangle die

The butterfly is made of 4 different dies, all designed to work together.  The set also includes lots of different flowers and leaves and the Bonjour sentiment you see here!

Here's just the butterfly in a warmer color scheme.  Every butterfly needs a Flower Garden!

supplies: white, Doll Pink, a softer pink, and Orange Peel card, a Doodlebug coral dp, February Large die of the Month butterfly, Flower Garden cover plate dies, Tammy Tutterow Tiny Sentiment, adhesive foam strips to lift garden panel

I used orange and 2 shades of pink on this one, and a subtle coral print underneath the cover die.

Next I brought back the big sentiment and added some of the little flowers.

supplies: white and black card, dps from MFT Black & White Stripes and Sunny Studio Gingham (reverse), pearls for flower centers 

These colorful flowers have a little mesh design in them, just enough not to overpower their diminutive size.  The sentiment was cut twice and layered.  

When these dies first arrived, I tried some different color combinations; here's a shot of them.

supplies: black, Sunshine, Orange Peel, Burnt Orange, and Lipstick Red cardstock, various combinations of the butterfly dies

From the top, I used all 4 of the layers, then skipped the top layer in the middle,  and at the bottom, skipped one of the middle layers.  As you can see, no matter how many layers you put together, they all turn out nice.

Wouldn't it be fun to make a variety of these in different colors and make a mobile?  They are symmetrical, so you can cover the reverse in any or all of those layers, too, and with all the layers, they are really sturdy!

You can see everything in the set HERE, plus more ideas to use it.  Thank you, Team Spellbinders, for allowing me to play with this month's fun set!

Pastel Valentine

It's February!  This is the month that I usually decide that I can't stand winter another minute.  Fortunately it is saved by Valentine's Day!  Here's a Valentine card that promises spring is coming......

supplies: white and orchid pink card, Concord & 9th Wreath Turnabout stamp, pastel Altenew mini ink cubes, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle dies, Simon's Small Heart Doily die and sentiment from Only Have Eyes for You (retired)

I have wanted this Hemstitch die for quite awhile, and finally was able to snag one - it does NOT disappoint - love the sweet effect it gives!

Simon Says.......Anything Goes!

Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week our theme is the ever-popular Anything Goes, and we are highlighting Impression Obsession products.  They have a large cling line of rubber stamps called Cover a Card that is a lovely variety of backgrounds, 5 3/4 " square, so that you can turn them for any orientation.  I have a couple of them that I think are indispensable - I used both of them and made 2 cards this week.

supplies: white, light kraft, and Cotton Candy card stock, Impression Obsession Wooden Plank, Tammy Tutterow Dear Ruby script background cling, Hero Arts Wet Cement ink, Simon's Chisolm Wreath and Scripty Big Hugs dies, and Floral Bliss stamps, Zig markers and water to color

This background is Wooden Plank.  For this card, I stamped it horizontally to resemble shiplap, then lightly overstamped a script background.  I also used my scoreboard and stylus to add some dimension along the board lines. The little sprigs in this stamp set looked like pussy willows to me, so I used soft spring colors throughout my design.

Next up, I used my Painted Stripes background, in slightly bolder colors.

supplies: white, Mint, and an unknown (Hero Arts?) dark aqua card stock, Impression Obsession Painted Stripes background cling, cracked pistachio and broken china distress oxide inks, Altenew Fantasy Floral dies, Simon Stitched Circle die and Big Scripty Greetings sentiment, Doodlebug Tiny Heart sprinkles

I LOVE the way the painted stripes stamp, just like brush strokes, and decided to make them into a plaid.  I masked the stamp each time to alternate my 2 colors, then turned the stamp 90 degrees to stamp it again to make the plaid.  

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Tammy's Poseys

I am beyond thrilled that Tammy Tutterow is starting up a new design team to showcase her newest venture with Crafter's Edge!  I received her products today and couldn't wait to dive in and play!  Her products with Crafter's Edge are made mainly to work with fabric, felt, wool, etc, which jives nicely with my quilting background.  But being away from home right now I used what I have here, which is paper, and made a card using just one of her TEN new die sets.  I love how it turned out!

supplies: white card, dps from Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes paper pad, Crafter's Edge Posey Flowers Set 1, Tim Holtz Doily embossing folder, Doodlebug Spring sprinkles for flower centers, Tammy's From Hand and Heart Etched Metal Embellishment, natural twine

The dies cut like a dream - in fact they can cut through up to 6 layers at one time, (perfect for quilt appliques) and they work in most standard die-cutting machines.

Tammy also has several variations of these darling etched metal embellishments, and this one worked perfectly for my design!  Here's a closer look at it - it's about 3/4 " wide by 1" long.  There are 5 different designs of the metal tags.

I'm really looking forward to playing with more of Tammy's products - hope you'll give them a closer look, too!

Butterflies in the Garden

Here's a card to negate the frigid temps that the midwest will be experiencing in the next few days........hang on, every day brings us closer to spring......

supplies: white card, Wplus9 Tossed Floral Background cover die, Spellbinders Layered Butterflies, Altenew mini ink cubes, Avery Elle Loads of Wishes sentiment, Doodlebug Tiny Heart sprinkles

I glued my garden cover plate directly to my card base, then stamped and fussy-cut the butterflies and sentiment and added them, popping up the butterflies.

Hope your week's off to a great start!