Happy Birthday

 The little sprigs that are included in the Pink Fresh Tape washi rolls can be very useful.  Here I mixed 3 of them with some gold leaf sprigs and a floral embossing folder to make a birthday card.

supplies: white and gold mirror cardstock, Hydrangea and Rose washi tape, Hero Arts Envelope Accessories leaf die, Simon Picnic Floral embossing folder and sentiment from It's Your Birthday, Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder

This particular washi tape has fine gold foiled details, so I like to add more gold to my design when I use it.

And let's not forget the lovely effect that an embossing folder adds!  At least for me, it is the perfect finishing touch!

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you have a great weekend!

Favorite March Cards

 Here are the cards I liked the most this month.

Looks like spring is on the way!!

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

Welcome to a new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

It's the end of the month, so our theme for you this week is Anything Goes, and the team is featuring Memory Box products.  I chose a favorite cover die and made 2 cards with it today.

supplies: kraft, Audrey Blue, Green Leaf, and white cardstock, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, Simon Layered Chickadee die and sentiment from Beautiful Butterflies, Pink Fresh Studio Curvy Leaves die

Here's a 2nd card, making leaves the sole theme.

supplies: white cardstock, a mottled green page from an old Basic Grey paper pad, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, Hero Arts leafy branch die, Honey Bee Bitty Buzzwords sentiment die

I thought the little leafy branch was a perfect match for the pinpoint ones in the background.  I recently did a clean-out and organization of my 6" paper pads, throwing away anything I didn't think I'd ever use, and keeping papers that appealed to me still.  Basic Grey always had a nice mix of patterned and solid papers in their pads.  I used a green marbled one for my little background behind the leaf dies, and also for my sentiment.

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

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

A Pink Bouquet

I've been enjoying playing with my Joyful Bouquet suite of products!  Here's another card using the biggest image.

supplies: white cardstock, pink dp from Doodlebug My Happy Place pad, Pink Fresh Studio Joyful Bouquet stamp, stencils, and matching die, Altenew Cherry Blossom, Enchanted Garden, and Green Meadows mini ink cubes for stenciling, blending brushes, Fancy Oval Frame die, Perfect Sentiments hot foil plate and matching die, gold glimmer foil, adhesive foam squares

HERE are some other cards I've made with Joyful Bouquet products.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Stampendous Spring Quick Cards

Did you know that Stampendous products can now be found at Spellbinders?  They have a new Spring release right now, and among them are some pre-printed images (Hope of Spring) and backgrounds (Joy of Spring) that are wonderful to have when you need to make a card in a hurry!  The images are in a package of 4 8 1/2 X 11 sheets, 2 of each design, and the same goes for the backgrounds.

Here are some cards I made with them.

supplies: lavender and white cardstock, Stampendous Hope of Spring hummingbird images and sentiment, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder, foam squares

Aren't they lovely?  These are just 2 of the images that you just cut out, and the sentiment is from the same set.  I just popped them above an embossed background.  My Mom loved hummingbirds, so this makes me think of her.

On my second card, I used another of the images, and a panel of one of the backgrounds.

supplies: white cardstock, Joy of Spring Background, Hope of Spring image and sentiment, foam squares, moonlight sequins

This one is a gorgeous shade of blue.  All I did was cut out the image, pop it up over a colorful background, and add a trimmed sentiment from the same set, along with some clear sequins in the flower centers for sparkle.

And my 3rd card, another sweet bird!

supplies: mauve and brown cardstock, Joy of Spring Background, Hope of Spring image and sentiment, Spellbinders Flower Frenzy embossing folder

This time I used the other, more neutral background design.

These were really fun to work with - the images are beautifully colored and detailed, and the backgrounds work well with them.  If you're interested in seeing similar Stampendous Quick Card products, look HERE.  I hope you'll give them a try!

Simon Says........Spring/Easter!

Welcome to a new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

Spring or Easter is our theme this week, and the team is featuring Spellbinders or Stampendous products.  I chose my current favorite Spellbinders embossing folder for today's card.

supplies: white and green cardstock, Spellbinders Flower Frenzy 3D embossing folder, Simon's Spring Blessings die, pastel markers,  Altenew enamel hearts

These 3D embossing folders raise the design up so that it is not hard at all to color in the details with alcohol markers.  I used the same markers to color my sentiment die, too.

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

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

Happy Spring!

Today is the first day of spring!  Here's a shaker card to celebrate!

supplies: white cardstock, a scrap of acetate, Lawn Fawn Floral Wreath die, alcohol markers to color, circle die, Simon Detail Ringlets cover plate, a scalloped die,  Disco Ball sequin mix, foam adhesive strips, sentiment from Newton's Nook Woodland Spring set

I added some of the same sequins to the centers of the largest flowers in the wreaths, too.  

Let's hope that we can get some warmer temps soon!

Simon April Card Kit

 Today's cards feature the stamp set and a printed paper from the Simon Says Stamp April Card Kit.

supplies: white and Slate cardstock, poppies and sentiment from Poppy Perfection stamp set, dp from Moda Scrap Spring Poppies paper pad

I stamped, colored, and fussy-cut most of the single poppies in the stamp set.  I made them pink, just to be different, and because I have pink ones in my garden each year.  After arranging them, I cut one of the sentiments so that it would fit in the space that was left on my white panel.  

Next I used more of the design papers with a favorite sketch for my 2nd card.

supplies: white cardstock, dp from Moda Scrap Spring Poppies paper pad, poppies and sentiment from Poppy Perfection stamp set, colored with the colored pencils from this kit, adhesive foam to lift flowers

And one more, using one of the Tim Holtz Transparent Layers.  These are really lovely designs!

supplies: ginko leaf print from Moda Scrap Spring Poppies paper pad, gold foil cardstock, one of the Tim Holtz Transparent Layers, Simon Happy Birthday dies, Folk Edge frame die

Here's a look at the compete kit.  I was glad to find the Reverse Tweezers and a clear Storage Envelope, - there are always some fun extras in these kits!  

Mini Brushstroke Flowers

 I was intrigued by the new Mini Brushstroke Flowers from Tim Holtz; I love that he's giving us such pretty flowers to play with, and in a nice variety of sizes.  These are aptly named as they are definitely mini!  I made 2 cards: first I cut them out of white and watercolored them with distress inks before assembling.  

supplies: white cardstock, a floral patterned paper, Mini Brushstroke Flowers, worn lipstick and mowed lawn distress inks and water, Spellbinders Picoh Petite Ovals die, sentiment from (retired) Tammy Tutterow Tiny Sentiments, Doodlebug heart sprinkles

Next I cut them using colored cardstock.

supplies: cream cardstock, various blues,purples, greens, and yellows from Memory Box 6" paper pads, Mini Brushstroke Flowers dies, Spellbinders Hello Friend Sentiments hot foil plate,  gold foil, Wonderful Script Sentiment die

This time I cut all of the other flowers and leaves from 2 shades of each color, and then made a small and a larger arrangement with them before adding them to my card, along with my foiled sentiment.

These are pretty easy to construct because of the little guidelines incised into them, but they are small.  I was ready for a break when I'd finished this last card!

Thanks for coming by!

Simon Says.......Recycle!

Welcome to this week's new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

This week we want you to use something that you have Recycled when you create!  The team is featuring Impression Obsession products, but you can use anything you'd like.  These Hollyhocks dies are an old favorite of mine, and I was delighted to be able to use them again!

supplies: white card base, an old file folder, Impression Obsession Hollyhocks dies, sentiment from Simon's Orchid Rose Bouquet

My background is an old file folder - I thought these bright stripes made a nice backing for the hollyhocks in silhouette.

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

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

Joyful Bouquet

 I finally got the last piece of a suite of products called Joyful Bouquet!  I started with the washi tape and the matching dies first, then the stamp set, and just now the matching layering stencils!  Here are some cards using the stencils.

supplies: white cardstock, PinkFresh Studio Joyful Bouquet stamp, layering stencils, and matching die, Altenew mini ink cubes, Simon Small Blending Brushes, PTI Border Bling: Dainty Deliveries Frame die, Birch Press Design Sugar Script Sentiments foiling plate and die set, gold foil     

I think this is a darling bouquet image!  A good size, too.  The set also includes 6 small floral images.  So I stamped and stencilled them, and then did a 2nd batch using only the stencils to see the differences.

As you can see, when you don't stamp, you lose a few details, but I still think they're pretty.  Here are 2 more cards using these once I die-cut them.

supplies: white and yellow cardstock, PinkFresh Studio Joyful Bouquet floral sprigs stamps, stencils, and matching die, Rise & Shine yellows, Heather and Violet purples, and Lime and Fresh Leaf green inks, blending brushes, Simon Blossom Fields embossing folder, Spellbinders Picot Edge Oval die, Mama Elephant Paola's Wishes sentiment

supplies: white cardstock, Impression Obsession Painted Stripes cling stamp, Firefly ink, PinkFresh Studio Joyful Bouquet Floral sprigs stencils and matching die, Mama Elephant Paola's Wishes sentiment, yellow enamel dots

Thanks for stopping by - hope your day is going well!

Floral Harmony

 I am in love with this beautiful Simon Says Stamp embossing folder called Floral Harmony that I recently brought home!  Here are 2 cards.

supplies: white cardstock, Floral Harmony embossing folder and cutting dies set, Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend markers, Clearly Besotted Sweet Little Sentiments stamp

This one uses the 3 floral dies that are included in the set.  The embossing folder is so pretty that it really doesn't need a thing.  Next I just embossed it on colored cardstock and then swiped it with white pigment ink; no dies this time.

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, Floral Harmony folder, white pigment ink, Avery Elle Loads of Wishes stamp

I didn't want to cover up a single inch of these, so I chose sentiments on the small side.  As you can see, you can spend as much or as little time on this - the results are spectacular either way!

Thanks for visiting me today - have a lovely day!

Simon Says........Tags!

Welcome to the new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

 Our theme this week is Tags, and the team is featuring Tim Holtz products.  I went shabby-chic this week for my tag.

supplies: Ranger #8 Craft Tag as my base, a variety of patterned paper scraps, Metallic Confections foil/kraft cardstock, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Botanical Layers ephemera, a Clippings sticker, Floral Frame Impresslits die/embossing folder, lace, and a seam binding bow dyed with Spun Sugar distress ink

I'm sure that most of these patterned papers came from Simon Card Kits down through the years and by now are retired.  I just went through my collection with a pink and cream color scheme in mind and pulled things I thought would work, then pieced them onto my tag base and started adding embellishments - it was fun, and I'm pleased with my results.

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

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

Butterfly Birthday

 I really liked the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February card kit!  Here is my first card using it.

supplies: white cardstock, Hero Arts MMH Feb kit: layering stencils and die, variety of Pink Fresh Studio and Altenew mini ink cubes, Mama Elephant Paola's Wishes sentiment, enamel dots

The kit sold out, of course, but it consists of 4 layering stencils, and an oval die that cuts out the center of the design, and leaves areas around the edges so that the butterflies and flowers can be semi-popped up - a fun effect!

This will make a great design for lots of occasions, and I want to try it cut from an ink-blended panel with no stencilling - maybe in a metallic?  

Thanks for visiting!