The Little Things

This summer I've been enjoying what appears to be a bumper crop of cherries, and they have been delicious!  The other day I remembered this amazing Sunny Studios clear stamp set that I had missed when it first came out.  It arrived earlier this week, and here's my first play with it.

supplies: white card, red gingham dp from Sunny Studios Classic Gingham paper pack and Berry Bliss clear stamp set,  Hero Arts inks in reds (Pale Tomato and Red Royal),  greens (Green Hills and Grass), and Latte, Simon's Beautiful Ride sentiment and Scallop Stitches die, MFT's Stitched Mini Scallop Square die, adhesive foam squares 

Of course I had to pair the stamped image with their red gingham - this card makes me happy!  Hope it does the same for you!

Coincidentally, Sunny Studios has some new delights just out - gorgeous new paper pads in jewel tones and some fun stamps and dies, too - check them out HERE!

Simon Says........Fun in the Sun

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

Our theme this week is Fun in the Sun, and my teamies and I are playing with Mama Elephant goodies!  Summer is the time for picnics and being outside, so I chose this cute picnic set.

supplies: white card and Bristol paper, Mama Elephant Picnic with Friends, Zig markers and water to color, mowed lawn and broken china distress inks for background

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!

Don't forget about our ongoing Kid's Challenge this month. All details can be found HERE. 

Playing with Plaid

I was in the mood to make my own plaid.

supplies: white card stock, Tammy Tutterow Mad for Plaid stencils and Tiny Sentiments stamp, Winnie & Walter Scenery: Stripes (stamped stitched line), Simon's Beautiful Day butterflies and Stitched Rectangle dies, worn lipstick and squeezed lemonade distress oxide inks, VersaFine Onyx Black ink

After using Tammy's stencil to sponge my background, I stamped the stitched lines to add a diagonal.  I used the same inks to watercolor my butterflies.

Thanks for stopping by - hope your week is off to a great start!

A Rainbow Hello

I give all the credit for this card to my friend Mary Anne.  We were discussing these Sunny Studios paper pads, and she had the idea to use them on a large sentiment die like this one.

supplies: white card, Winnie & Walter In a Word Hello cutaway, Avery Elle Simply Said Hello stamped sentiment, Tammy Tutterow Bitty Posies flower and leaf dies, MFT Wonky Rectangle die, Sunny Studio Rainbow Bright and Classic Gingham paper pads, Doodlebug sprinkles for flower centers

LOVE these bright happy colors!

Thanks for stopping by!

And one more time........

and we'll call it done for this year's Hollyhock studies.......

supplies: white card stock, Bristol paper, dps from Echo Park Bundle of Joy Dots & Stripes, Penny Black Hollyhocks wood stamp, Spectrum Aqua markers and water,  Wplus9 Hello die, PTI mix and mat die

A pretty simple design, I'll skip the explanations this time.  Thanks for stopping by!

Simon Says Stamp...........Red, White, and Blue

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

Our theme this week is Red, White, and/or Blue, in honor of our country's birthday today!  My teamies and I are playing with Simon Says Stamp exclusive goodies.

supplies: white and Soft Navy card stock, Simon's Brush Stroke Messages and Seeing Stars stamp sets, Lipstick Red and Navy inks, retired Fireworks stencil from Simon's July 2016 Card Kit, Nuvo Pure Platinum embellishment mousse and glitter, Impression Obsession Stars and Stripes cling stamp

I trimmed a piece of white cardstock and stamped my sentiment using red and navy inks, and then did the same with my brush-stroke stripes and stars.  Then I used my stencil to add some fireworks.  After spreading platinum mousse through the stencil I removed it and added some glitter for some sparkle.

Here's one more card, just for fun - I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and thought I'd see if I could make it work, using Simon's Scallop Stitches.  I paired it with a teddy from my collection.

supplies: Lipstick Red, white, and Soft Navy card stock, the largest Simon's Scallop Stitches and heart dies from (retired) Heart Flowers

Now it's your turn!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

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

Before I go, I have a reminder for you. First we are in the midst of our month-long Kid's Challenge.

It's open to young people between 2 and 16; here's your chance to let your kids' artwork shine!

Hot, hot, HOT!

Still at it with my hollyhock kick, this time reflecting our current weather.

supplies: white card, watercolor paper, Impression Obsession Hollyhock dies, picked raspberry, carved pumpkin, ripe persimmon, and mustard seed distress inks, blending tool, water, Simon's 4 Seasons stamp and die, Lawn Fawn Quilted Backdrop cover plate

This time I started with a panel and sponged on what I think of as summer colors, splattering water and ink before drying.  I also used some of my previously cut flower dies and sponged some of the same inks on them to color.  When my background was dry I die-cut it with the coverplate.  You may be able to see a slight shadow effect from the flowers that I stamped first with the same inks before gluing on my flower die-cuts.  The stamping didn't show up well enough to stand alone, so I added the dies slightly offset.  

Summertime

I have a thing for hollyhocks.  They were in my Grandfather's garden, so they're sentimental to me, doubly so because I can't seem to get them to look good in my garden.  So every time I see them in stamps or dies, I jump; at least I can make them grow on a card!  Here's this year's version using my hollyhock dies - oh, if I had a garden that looked like this!

supplies: white card stock, watercolor paper for hollyhocks, MFT Tiny Checks and Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes design papers, Impression Obsession Hollyhock dies, Spectrum Aqua markers and water, PTI fence and clouds, (probably retired by now), sentiment from Tim Holtz Ideaology Small Talk, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

I first cut and watercolored my flowers, and then gave some thought to my background.  I considered a watercolor wash, but you know me and my gingham.......What's prettier than a picket fence around a garden, so that divided my "sky" and ground.  I couldn't find a sentiment that would work, so I turned to my Small Talk stickers, and they were the perfect solution.

Watch out, I may not be done - I have some hollyhock stamps that I haven't inked up in awhile.........

Simon's Summer Vacation Kid's Challenge

Today Simon Says Stamp is launching a month-long kid's challenge!  We do this every year, but this year we're a month earlier than in past years.

Our theme is:

ANYTHING GOES WITH SPARKLE

It is time for all you crafters to let your children loose in your crafty corners for a few hours. Just close your eyes and set them free to explore their creativity. Adults are allowed to help just a little bit if necessary, but we really want the children to 'DO IT' themselves as much as possible.
You can enter as many times as you like, just remember to add your link into the inlinkz system at the post at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   If you have several entries on the same post add ?1. ?2, ?3 etc at the end of the url and they will be accepted into the system.

The Design Team all love this challenge and are ready and waiting to pop over to your blog to see your creations!

This challenge is open to all children aged between 2 and 16 inclusive

We have not 1, not 2 but  3 surprise parcels of crafty goodies, hand picked by Simon. All winners are chosen at random, Good Luck to all!

If you share your creation on instagram, please add this hashtag so that we can find you: #ssskidschallenge

This challenge will remain open until 6pm EST on 29th July. The winners will be drawn at random as soon as possible after the challenge closes.

THIS CHALLENGE IS FOR CHILDREN ONLY.
Please Note: creations submitted by anyone over the age of 16 will be deleted.

More Brushed Blossoms

Still playing with the Brushed Blossom set - this time I used the stamps to make a background for a birthday card:

supplies: white, Pool, and aqua glitter card stock, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom stamp set, Altenew inks: Rose Petal, Cherry Blossom, Shades of Purple, and Volcano Lake mini inks, Simon's Happy Birthday Circle die, adhesive foam squares

I stamped a trimmed panel with the flowers, and filled in open spaces with the 3 dots stamp in the package.  I was looking for a color to match the leaves, and happened across this previously cut Happy Birthday die, which works exactly with that color, and the glitter also pops from the stamping.  Then I decided to cut out a central circle and pop the panel above my card base, with a pool insert inside the circle. And I added a flower to the center of that circle.

Enjoy your weekend!

Blossom with Stripes

Today I'm playing with my new stamps and matching die again, and was taken with a card from Concord & 9th on their website.  That version had stamped stripes running horizontally and orange flowers.  Here's my version.

supplies: white and charcoal card stock, MFT striped patterned paper, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom and matching die, Altenew and VersaMark ink, white embossing powder, acetate, adhesive foam squares

I love black and bright yellow combinations, so after I decided to use the black and white stripe for my background, I chose yellows for my stamped flowers.  I sized the striped background to A2, then cut out 2 of the sprigs using the die.  On a white card base I used the striped panel to help me position where to stamp the flowers and leaves.  I knew that I wanted to lift the striped panel above the stamped card base, but it wasn't until near the end that I decided to also add the die-cut outline in charcoal; I think it gives the stamped image more definition.  Then in order to hold that outline into my striped panel, I lined it on the back with pieces of acetate to give me something to glue the outline to.  Then I just added my sentiment from the stamp set panel and popped it above the card base.  

I love how it turned out! 

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

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

Our theme this week is the ever-popular Anything Goes and my teamies and I are showcasing Wplus9 products.  Today I have a delicate pastel card and one that is much bolder in color.

When I found out we were highlighting Wplus9, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this lovely cover die:

supplies: white and Green Apple card stock, Echo Park Dots & Stripes Gingham dp, Wplus9 Tossed Floral Background cover die and flowers and leaves from You = Kind stamp set, Simon's Expressions for You stamp and die set and Stitched Circle die

This die-cut has the loveliest details - see the little tulips and forget-me-not clusters?  And I added these 5-petal flowers stamped in purples because there were similar flowers in the cover die also.

As much as I love all of Dawn's beautiful flowers, I still have a soft spot in my heart for her Quilt Prints stamp set from 2010.  I have used it many times, but never in patriotic colors, and since the 4th of July is coming up, that's what I decided to do this time.  We all have picnics on the 4th, so here's a picnic quilt for the occasion!

supplies: white, Simon's Navy and Schoolhouse Red card stock, Wplus9's Quilt Prints stamp set, Hero Arts Celebrate Everyday sentiment, Hero Arts Red Royal, Navy, and Soft Granite inks, herringbone embossing folder for the "quilting"

I stamped the "stitching" in grey ink, then used the patterned pieces to add red and navy details.  Everything is in the set except the diamond with a heart in it.  As I often like to do, I embossed the stamped panel to give it a dimpled feel before I "bound" it in red.  And I used the same inks to stamp my sentiment banner.  

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!

CASEing Debby

Here's a card I made that CASEs one of my Simon Says Stamp teamies,  Debby Yates.....she has a wonderful talent for mixing design papers with a stamped image. I CASE'd THIS CARD of hers from last week.

supplies: black, white, Simon's Sunshine, Island Blue, and Green Apple card stock, dps from Sunny Studio Rainbow Bright and Doodlebug Sweet Summer (stripes and sweet life strip) pads, Simon's Summer Flowers stamps And Four Seasons die,  Nuvo markers (Irish Clover, Rosy Pinks, and Sunshine Yellows) to color

I CASEd her sketch and use of coordinating plaid, dots, and stripes, and changed up my stamped image to a summer flower.  Thank you, Debby, for your wonderful inspiration!  For more of her beautiful designs, visit her blog, A Scrapjourney.

Hope you're enjoying a lovely summer day!

Inlaid Blossoms

I just received a set of Concord & 9th stamps and a coordinating die, and had a play with them.

supplies: white, Dark Chocolate, Audrey Blue, and Green Apple card stock, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom sentiment stamp and matching Blossom die

I chose a deep Chocolate for my background, accented with white, to go along with my aqua flowers.  And I used the stamens from the stamp set to add a little detail to the large flowers.  Hopefully I'll be able to play with the layering stamp set next.

Hope your week is off to a great start!