Merry Stitchmas

 The Merry Stitchmas collection launches today at Spellbinders!  It's a collection of dies that can be stitched.  I chose the Sparkling Mandala set to play with.

supplies: white cardstock, watercolor distress cardstock, Sparkling Mandala and sentiment from All is Calm dies, distress oxide inks, white embroidery thread, pearls

I first made a galaxy background using oxide inks, then cut out the detailed mandala only in 2 places.  After stitching with 3 strands of white floss, I mounted it onto a white slimline cardbase, which allowed more of the details to show through, then added my sentiment and some pearls., 2 large ones in the centers of the flakes, and some smaller ones scattered.

I love how this turned out! The stitching adds some texture without being too bulky.

This die set also includes an outline die so that you can cut and stitch snowflakes which could then be made into ornaments.  They make a nice size at 3" wide.  Here are 3 which I stitched and plan to use this Christmas - just have to add some thread as a hanger, and finish the back with an unstitched die.  On these, I did some outline stitching around each area.  The bottom right one uses silver metallic thread; the other 2 are embroidery floss.

These would also be fun to string together to make a snowflake banner.

So pleased that Spellbinders allowed me to play with this gorgeous die!  Thank you for stopping by!

Just for Fun

 I really like the mini slimline dies that I got earlier this year from Spellbinders, and wanted to play with them again.  I pulled out an old Taylored Expressions Wildflower Bouquet cling stamp and mixed them for today's card.

supplies: white and Surf Blue cardstock, Taylored Expressions retired Wildflower Bouquet cling, Pink Fresh Perfect Sentiments and Small Butterflies stamps and dies, Spellbinders Mini Slimline Dies

I like this size card; I start with a 6" square for my base, fold it at 3" and then use these dies for matting.  This little canning jar is on the small side for an A2 card, but is perfect for this size.  Same goes for the Small Butterflies - just the right diminutive size for popping almost anywhere!

Hope you're enjoying your day - thanks for coming buy for a visit!

Wreath Season!

 It's almost offically fall, and I couldn't wait to play with some new Greetery goodies, mixed with lots of other supplies for the season..

First I pulled out a favorite woodblock background stamp and added a wreath consisting of layering dies.  It's a shame that this text background has been retired, but that won't stop me from using it every year - it's becoming a tradition now; it isn't fall until I use it!

supplies: cream, 3 kraft colors, and Orange Peel card, Stampendous (retired) Autumn Words,  Hero Arts Latte ink, The Greetery Rustic Wreath Base die,  Rustic Wreath Twigs dies, Fit to be Tied bow die, one of the Mighty Oak twig dies, and Spellbinders Welcome Fall (berries) dies, carved pumpkin distress ink and a red marker

After constructing my wreath using 3 colors of kraft card, I decided to decorate it with bittersweet berries.  The berries from Welcome Fall are the perfect size - I cut them from card that had been colored with carved pumpkin distress ink, and added a little red circle to each, then glued them onto a branch from the Mighty Oak Botanicuts set, and inserted them randomly around my wreath.  Then I just added a bow and popped it above the text background.  

My next card is a little fussier, and it uses the stamped version of the Rustic Wreath die.

supplies: cream and kraft card, The Greetery Tartan Builder Diagonal stencils, Rustic Wreath stamps and die, leaves from Honey Bee Fall Bouquets, berries from Spellbinders Welcome Fall, and twig and acorn from the Greetery Mighty Oak, distress inks in fossilized amber, carved pumpkin, festive berries, fired brick, aged mahogany, tea dye, and vintage photo, sentiment from Sunny Studio Autumn Greetings

I first stamped and cut out the wreath, then went hunting in my stash for autumn dies to adorn it with.  They were all cut from cream cardstock and colored with distress inks.  I used some of the same inks to stencil my plaid background.  Since it's so busy, I reinserted the center of the wreath so that I could stamp my sentiment there, and then popped it above the card base.

Hope your day is a great one!

Simon Says.......Lots of Layers

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

This week our theme is "Lots of Layers", and the team is highlighting Penny Black goodies. I used an old favorite set of nesting dies and ended up with 7 layers!

supplies: white cardstock, plaid patterned paper, Penny Black Stitched Stackers dies, Simon Blooming Meadow stamps and matching dies, PinkFresh Studio Perfect Sentiments stamp and matching die, enamel hearts, adhesive foam squares

I cut 2 sizes of the stitched stackers, matting each in a plaid paper. Then I stamped my flowers and leaves, pulling the colors from the plaid, and cut them out to make 2 arrangements.  After planning my placement, I popped up the smallest rectangle and added a spray of flowers on top, along with a sentiment, and a smaller spray underneath it.

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!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

 

A Rainbow Wreath

 I had pulled out this retired Pink Fresh Studio Leafy Wreath die, intending to cut it from some cardstock that I had colored with fall colors.  Then I saw this sheet of patterned paper that came in a Simon Card Kit and thought I'd try cutting it to make a rainbow wreath.  I love how it turned out!

supplies: white cardstock, rainbow dp from Whimsy Stamps Rainbow paper pad, Pink Fresh Studio (retired)  Leafy Wreath die and Perfect Sentiments stamps and die

I cut the wreath out of the center of an A2 panel, then used the remainder to frame my white panel.  It's such a shame that this die has been retired, as it has great dimenstion with the parts that you can pop up!  Irregardless, this idea would work with any wreath die.

I'll be entering my card into the Pink Fresh Studio September 2021 Challenge, all about leaves and greenery.

Thanks for stopping by - hope this brightened your day!

Pink Coneflower

 It took me awhile, but I was finally able to snag these gorgeous Coneflower layering dies, and I'm in love!  For this card I inked one in traditional pink and added some gingham.

supplies: white, black, and kraft cardstock, Sunny Studio Classic Gingham patterned paper, Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers Coneflower dies and stamped sentiment from Bitty Buzzwords, Altenew Cherry Blossom and Fresh Leaf inks, Sunny Studio Fancy Frame Circle die, Simon Big Scripty Hugs die

Thanks for your visit - hope your day is a lovely one!

Harvest Wreath Cards - a Whole Bunch of Them!

 I'm a big fan of Concord & 9th's Turnabout stamp sets, so when I first spied this new one recently, it went right into my shopping cart.  It's called Harvest Wreath, and it has two different wreaths, plus lots of fun sentiments included - great value!  I also invested in the matching dies for it, something I don't always do, but I liked the stitching details on them.  

I made 7 cards for today, and I still have more panels of each wreath, so you'll be seeing more of these down the road.  These were all stamped using oxide inks, with the aid of a Turnabout Jig, which makes these stamps so easy to use.

supplies: cream and Audrey Blue card, Harvest Wreath images and sentiment and matching stitched rectangle die, Peacock Feathers, Mustard Seed, Fired Brick, and Vintage Photo oxide inks

I need some male birthday cards in October - I was thinking about that when I made my next one.  I stamped my panel, then cut it in half and used it to frame my sentiment.

supplies: kraft and cream card, Harvest Wreath stamps, Fired Brick, Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed, and Vintage Photo oxide inks, sentiment from Simon Sunflower Garden stamp set

Bringing in the turquoise again:

supplies: cream and Audrey Blue card, Harvest Wreath images and sentiment and stitched circle die, Peacock Feathers, Vintage Photo, Ripe Persimmon, and Mustard Seed oxide inks, Simon Stitched Rectangle die

All of the above cards used the turnabout stamps that make a solid wreath, no "air space" in the center.  For my final 2 cards, I switched over to the other turnabout, which makes a more traditional circle wreath.  On these, I also switched from cream card to white.  For this first one I thought I'd fussy-cut the wreath out and lift it above a subtle patterned background.

white card, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Fall patterned paper, Harvest Wreath turnabout stamps, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Vintage Photo and Ripe Persimmon oxide inks, a retired Simon Autumn Blessings sentiment, embossed in white, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die, twine, orange sprinkle, adhesive foam to lift wreath

And finally, I stamped the wreath and added some of the leaf dies included in the matching set, along with some extra stamped dots and tiny sprinkles.

supplies: white, kraft, Audrey Blue, Sunflower, Orange Peel, and dark brown card, Harvest Wreath images and sentiment and leaf dies, Peacock Feathers, Vintage Photo, Ripe Persimmon, and Mustard Seed oxide inks, Penny Black Stitched Stacker die, tiny sprinkles

For my final 2 cards, I went back to the first wreath and tried some new colors......these are not necessarily fall hues.  I used some more of the sentiments in the set, cutting them out with one of the matching dies, and stamping them with one of the same oxide inks, edging the square in the same color, also.

supplies: white and Doll Pink card, Harvest Wreath Turnabout image, sentiment, and stitched square die, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Ripe Persimmon, and Mustard Seed oxide inks, a Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die, adhesive foam squares to lift up sentiment

supplies: white and Orange Peel card, Harvest Wreath images and sentiment and stitched square die, Kitsch Flamingo, Carved Pumpkin, Dusty Concord, and Vintage Photo oxide inks, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die, adhesive foam squares

Thanks so much for hanging in with me today.  Fall is my favorite time of year, and I go a little off the charts sometimes, especially when a wreath is involved!  At the very least, I hope I've inspired you to try a turnabout set - they are really fun to play with, and as you can see, half the fun is coming up with different color combinations.

Simon Says......Sparkle & Shine

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we want you to make your creations "Sparkle and Shine"!  The team is playing with Gina K. goodies.

I have a 2-fer for you this week, using some glitzy foil!

supplies: kraft, Audrey Blue, Orange Peel, and an aqua wood plank design paper, vellum, Deco Foil Endless Leaves clear toner sheet, Gina K. Dazzling Orange fancy foil and sentiment from Autumn Wreath Builder, laminator, Tim Holtz Funky Wreath die, oval die, small maple leaf die, twine

The clear patterned leaf sheet has toner printed on it, which reacts with heat when foiled.  I foiled the clear toner sheet and attached it to the plank background, then added a wreath, leaves, and a sentiment on vellum to it. 

Did you know that you can get double usage from these foils once they are peeled away from their first use?  Just lay them over a black toner sheet cut to the same size, run it through the laminator a 2nd time, and you get the negative print with black highlights!  And in this case, you get a great view of this fantastic foil!

supplies: black and Orange Peel cardstock, Endless Leaves clear toner sheet and Dazzling Orange foil, heat activated Toner sheet,  Gina K. Autumn Wreath Builder sentiment and dotted circle,  rectangle and circle dies, adhesive foam squares to lift center panel.

I cut a rectangle out of the full foiled sheet, then matted it in black and raised it above the larger panel, making sure the pattern continued.  Then I just matted a circle 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!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

Together is the Best

 Hello!  Today I have some cards made with the Spellbinders September Card Kit of the Month.  

This kit contains everything you'll need to make lots of cards: A2 card blanks and envelopes, a die set, a stamp set, a 6" pad of patterned papers, die-cuts, chipboard frames, puffy stickers, even adhesive and foam squares!  All you need is ink!  This one had lots of gold highlights in it, which I used liberally!  I tried to use a little bit of everything, and I used ONLY the supplies in the kit.  Here are my cards separately.

This first one features the telephone die-set in this kit - the details are amazing!  I just added a gold heart and a sentiment from the puffy stickers.

My 2nd card uses one of the frames, plus 2 die-cuts and a stamped sentiment.

I loved this floral patterned paper, and matched up some more die-cuts with it for my 3rd card.  I made a little dangling garland of hearts.

This kit will be available all this month through Sept. 24.  It is available only as a subscription, but you can cancel and rejoin at any time, if you like.  All details can be found HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Note Card set

I really enjoyed working with my new goodies from The Greetery, so today's post features a set of cards that use the same elements, just changing up the colors and backgrounds.

A simple process: stamp the floral spray and cut it out.  Trim white cardstock to 3 3/4" x 5" , then stamp your sentiment and emboss/use cover die for detail.  Mat that panel on a colored cardstock to match the flowers, then attach to a card base and add your flowers.

Here are the cards separately:

supplies: white and Sunshine card, The Greetery Floral Delicacy and Opposites Attract stamp sets, Golden Sunset and Spring Bouquet greens mini ink cubes, an old Darice dotty embossing folder

Next I used a cover plate for my background and stamped part of my sentiment in one of the colored inks. 

supplies: white and Lavender cardstock, The Greetery Floral Delicacy and Opposites Attract stamp sets, Enchanted Garden and Spring Bouquet greens mini ink cubes,  Simon Detail Ringlet die

For this next one, I decided to try a 3D embossing folder.  I was a bit worried that it might distort the stamped sentiment a bit, since it's more dimensional than a "regular" folder, but I was wrong - all good!

supplies: white and Doll Pink card, The Greetery Floral Delicacy and Opposites Attract stamp sets, Altenew Spring Bouquet mini ink cubes, Simon Blossom Field embossing folder

And finally, a blue version.

supplies: white and Azure card, The Greetery Floral Delicacy and Opposites Attract stamp sets, Altenew Deep Blue Seas and Spring Bouquet greens mini ink cubes, Sunny Studio Quilted Hearts embossing folder

Enjoy your Sunday - thanks so much for stopping by!

Floral Delicacy Birthday card

 I couldn't resist Betsy's latest release which included this sweet floral spray called Floral Delicacy.  I used it to make a birthday card.

supplies: white and peach cardstock, The Greetery Floral Delicacy clear stamps, Altenew Tea Party and Spring Bouquet greens mini ink cubes, The Greetery Opposites Attract sentiment stamps, Sunny Studio Lattice Frilly Frame die, Doodlebug tiny heart sprinkles

I adore these multi-step sets that, when paired with inks in shades of a color, make creating a card pure joy!  I paired these florals today with another Greetery sentiment set that mixes bold words with dainty handwriting.

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your weekend!

STAMPtember Blog Party!!

I'm excited today to be participating in a STAMPtember Blog Party!  This is NOT a hop, just a blog celebration of friends who are excited to show off the new STAMPtember goodies that were released yesterday HERE.  Each of us will have a promotional banner to share with our followers - we want you to have fun and see all the different promotions available throughout the party!  Mine is at the top of this post - a Warm Hugs wood mount stamp, free with any purchase of $30 or more, now through tonight at midnight!  Just use the code VSX9A98.   

Everything starts at the Simon Says Stamp Blog. Visit there every day, as throughout all of September we will be celebrating with exclusive collaborations, contests, prizes, promotions and lots of surprises!!  

I was sent this new Christmas sentiment set called Ornamental Christmas, and for today I made a Christmas tag, pairing one of the sentiments with some older Simon dies.

supplies: white, green, and Schoolhouse Red card, patterned papers for background and top and bottom of tag, sentiment from Simon Ornamental Christmas clear stamp set, Lil Gnome and Christmas Foliage dies, tag die, baker's twine

I also had 2 cards using this set on my blog yesterday as part of the Wednesday challenge - they are HERE if you want to see some more ideas for this stamp set.  And don't forget our STAMPtember Gallery for lots of examples using all of the new goodies.

Thanks for coming by today.  If you haven't already, head over to the Simon Says Stamp Blog to see a complete list of others participating in today's party.  And don't forget to take note of all the promotions you'll find as you visit each one.  Enjoy!

Simon Says..........Stamp It!

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, and welcome to STAMPtember!!!

STAMPtember is a very special month on the Simon Says Stamp calendar, so of course, to kick it all off, we are showcasing some of the new goodies from this year's release.  I was sent a sentiment stamp set, and I have 2 cards today using it.  It's called Ornamental Christmas and contains sentiments in lots of different sizes and orientations.

supplies: white cardstock, oxide inks in prize ribbon, mermaid lagoon, and wilted violet, a snowflake embossing folder, NEW Ornamental Christmas sentiment, Eliza snowflake die, white pearls

I blended my background using oxide inks, splattered it with white paint, then trimmed it and ran it through a favorite snowflake embossing folder.  That panel was affixed to my white card base on which I had stamped my sentiment in prize ribbon oxide ink, and then I added the big snowflake.

My second card uses another of the sentiment stamps in this new set.

supplies: Schoolhouse Red, green, and white cardstock, a red striped patterned paper, NEW Ornamental Christmas sentiment, lipstick red ink, Christmas Foliage and Stitched Rectangle dies

This vertical sentiment is probably meant for inside a card, but I chose to put it front and center on this one.

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!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!