My August Favorites

Here are my personal favorite cards from August.

Lots of die-cutting and a transition to fall colors.

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

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

It's Anything Goes week, and we are highlighting Tim Holtz goodies!  We'd love to see you using them, too, but you can use anything  you'd like, as long as you follow the theme. 

I saw these lace frames being used at the Simon Monday challenge earlier this year, and wanted to play with them too.  These frames do NOT disappoint!  There are 6 different ones in the package, in 3 sizes, and the lace details are subtle and perfect to build on.  Nice and substantial, too. 

supplies: white cardstock, Tim Holtz Idealogy Lace Baseboard Frame, Flourish embossing folder, twisted citron, cracked pistachio, evergreen bough, salty ocean, and blueprint sketch distress oxide inks, Perfect Pearls powder, Small Talk stickers, Butterfly adornment, Memory Box Daisy Silhouette dies, mustard seed and mowed lawn distress inks, natural twine

I used one of the smallest frames for this one and mounted it onto an embossed panel that was sponged with lots of oxide inks, then wiped with perfect pearls.  Then I just embellished my frame with a bouquet of daisies, a metal butterfly and sentiment stickers.  

I used a medium-size frame for my 2nd card. 

supplies: white and Fog cardstock, Tim Holtz Idealogy Lace Baseboard Frame, Funky Florals 1 and Funky Foliage dies, distress inks to color, sentiment from Simon's Leafy Frames, Doodlebug Tiny Heart sprinkles, glue dots and adhesive foam squares

 I just die-cut lots of flowers and leaves from Tim's Funky Florals and Foliage sets, sponged them with distress inks, and then arranged them around part of my frame.  

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

Grateful

Helllo!  The temperatures here are decidedly cooler, and I'm loving it!  I'm getting that autumn itch.  I have 2 cards today.

First, I decided to pull out a turnabout stamp.  It's not particularly for the fall, but done in autumn colors, it works just fine.

supplies: white and Orange Peel cardstock, woodplank dp from SN@P Wood & Notebook Basics pad, Concord & 9th Lovely Blossoms, turnabout jig, Chamomile, Marigold, Firebrick, and Espresso mini ink cubes, (retired) Neat & Tangled Maple Thanks Leaf die, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die, Taylored Expressions Grateful script die, adhesive foam squares

I stamped my turnabout panel using 4 fall ink colors and trimmed it with some wonky stitches.  Then I cut out the maple leaf, and added a sentiment across the opening.  Then I lifted the panel above a wood plank printed paper.

Here's another version of this design, much simpler this time.

supplies: cream cardstock and a Doodlebug plank patterned paper, Simon Autumn Blessings die, (retired) Neat & Tangled Maple die, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder, adhesive foam squares

This card is A2 width, but a little shorter in length, almost more of a square.  I centered the leaf die on a scrap of cream cardstock, cut it out, then embossed it before lifting it above the plank background.

It's too bad that this maple leaf die is discontinued, but Simon has one a bit larger that would work just as well, I think, and it has the added benefit of stitching outside the shape.  Also, although it's currently sold out, this Thankful Leaves outline die would be nice, too.  It all depends on how big your sentiment is......

Thanks for coming by

Simon's September Card Kit

My Card Kit  arrived yesterday - here's a card I made with the contents.

supplies: Audrey Blue cardstock, Bristol paper, Look for the Rainbows stamps, Zig markers and water, Shimelle enamel heart, adhesive foam squares

Starting with an A2 piece of Bristol paper, I stamped, watercolored, and fussy-cut the edges, then popped those panels above the Audrey Blue card front.  To finish, I added the sparkly enamel heart to pick up on the small sentiment.  

This kit is packed with fun goodies!  I'm especially happy to have received the metallic cardstock - can't wait to play with that next!

A Jar for Fall

Hi!  I'm still playing with my new Mason Jar stamps.  I decided to fill this one with flowers in fall colors.

supplies: white and Orange Peel cardstock, The Greetery Just Mason Around and floral spray from Fleur Impressions, mini inks in yellows, golds, and oranges, and blues for the jar, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle die, adhesive foam squares

I think this little flower sprig is really pretty, so I stamped and cut it out in 5 different autumnal shades and popped them in a bluish jar.  The whole little bouquet is lifted up above the card base this time, and I just added a die-cut hemstitch frame to set it off. 

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your weekend!

One for Summer and One for Fall

Hello crafters!  I finally brought home the Just Mason Around stamp set from the Greetery!  Here's my first play with it.

supplies: white and Mint cardstock, Just Mason Around and Fleur Impressions stamp sets, Floral pinks and Green Meadow mini inks, Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Lattice die

I'm thrilled with the results of the 3-step stamping on both the jar and the flowers - I need to buy stock in Betsy's company!

When I was taking my picture I noticed that I liked the idea of a woodgrain background, so my next card brought that into the mix, and I switched the colors to autumnal ones.

supplies: white, kraft, and various oranges, yellows/golds, and greens cardstock, a Doodlebug yellow gingham dp,  Just Mason Around set, Sweet Dreams mini inks, Spellbinders April Small D-o-M, leaves from Tim Holtz Funky Foliage dies, Tim Holtz Lumber embossing folder, swiped with a dark brown ink

The other neat thing about these canning jars is that you can use the "Fresh for You" on them as your sentiment, which I've done on both of these cards.  If necessary, a small banner or tag can be added when it's ready to be used.  

Thanks for stopping by today!  Am I the only one who's getting excited for fall?  I even heard a rumor that that most famous coffee flavor should be making its appearance at the end of this month! Whoo-hoo!!

Simon Says...........Clean and Simple

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

Our theme this week is Clean and Simple, and the team is playing with CAS-ual Fridays products.  We'd love to see you using them, too, but you can use anything  you'd like, as long as you follow the theme. 

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, CAS-ual Fridays Peaceful Garden clear stamp set, Simon's Audrey Blue, Hydrangea, Jelly Bean, and Green Apple inks, sequins to match

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

Please don't forget about our Kids' Challenge going on all month.  The theme is Anything Goes with Sparkle, and it's open to kids 16 years and under.  HERE are all the details.

Washi on Shiplap, plus 1

Hi fellow crafters!  We all have situations when we don't have much time to make a card, and need something we can grab and adapt.  I think I found the solution in this roll of washi tape that has several large florals and lots of tiny ones.

supplies: white cardstock, Pink Fresh Studio Painted Florals Washi and matching Floral Elements dies, MFT Watercolor Wash dp in peach, Impression Obsession Wooden Plank cling, stamped in a pale peach, sentiment from Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom, peach ribbon, adhesive foam squares to lift wreath

There's also a large bouquet of flowers that fills an A2 size card front nicely.  I like the pink watercolor wash behind it.  Here I just applied it to white cardstock, then trimmed it out with a border die.

supplies: white cardstock, Painted Florals Washi, sentiment from Simon Beautiful Flowers, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die

I am very pleased with the quality and ease of use of this washi - it has a nice matte finish, not shiny as I had imagined it might have been.  I believe, but haven't tried yet, that you can even stamp and emboss right on top of it!  This will be wonderful for quick cards!  The washi also includes a tiny border 5 1/2" long, and lots of tiny floral sprays that can be layered together. And for those of you who want to choose your own colors for these motifs, there's a lovely stamp set that is available, called Floral Elements, which also works perfectly with the dies.  Pink Fresh has thought of all the possibilities!

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your weekend!

Simon Says...........Midsummer Blues

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

This week our theme is Midsummer Blues, and we are featuring Avery Elle products.  If you have any of their products, we'd love you to use them, too, but it isn't a requirement to enter our challenge.  Just go with the blue theme.

supplies: white and Cornflower cardstock, Avery Elle Layered Rose stamp set, Altenew Lapis Lazuli and Green Valley mini inks, sentiment from Simon's Delicate Flowers, Sunny Studio Quilted Hearts embossing folder, Lawn Fawn Stitched Scallop Border die, Doodlebug heart sprinkles

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

Please don't forget about our Kids' Challenge going on all month.  The theme is Anything Goes with Sparkle, and it's open to kids 16 years and under.  HERE are all the details.

For Someone Special

Here's a card made for a very special lady celebrating her birthday today.  I used her favorite colors.

supplies: white, purple, and black cardstock, various Doodlebug patterned papers in bright pinks and purples, Spellbinders April Small Die of the Month, sentiment from Simon's Delicate Flowers, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die

Thanks for dropping by!

Simon Says.........Add a Die Cut

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

Our theme this week is "Add a Die Cut" and who better to showcase than Memory Box?  We'd love to see you using them, too, but you can use anything  you'd like, as long as you follow the theme. 

I chose these sweet Daisy Silhouette dies to use this week

supplies: white and Cornflower cardstock, Memory Box Daisy Silhouette, colored with Zig markers, sentiment from Simon's Sketch Lotus Flowers, oval die and faded jeans and blueprint sketch distress inks, blue gingham ribbon, glue dots

I think gingham and daisies are a perfect match, so I chose some blue ribbon and matched my inks to that.  I pulled up the petals of the daisies, securing them to the card with some glue dots.

And in keeping with my gingham theme, here's another, in happy yellows.

supplies: white, black, desert storm, and front and reverse of a patterned paper from Sunny Studios Classic Gingham pad, Memory Box Daisy Silhouette, mowed lawn distress ink, Paper Smooches Fab Frames, and Simon's Smile Circle dies, Doodlebug sprinkles

It just seemed natural to pair a sunny yellow gingham and it's reverse with my daisies.  To make the flowers stand out better I chose kraft as my card base.  And the perfect sentiment with these happy elements is "smile", don't you agree?

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

Bloooooooooo!

Many of you probably don't know that my husband and I are long-time followers of drum and bugle corps, known as DCI.  Drum Corps are made up of young people, musicians and color guard, who are 21 years old and younger, and their seasons are roughly from April to early August.  We are fortunate to have a corps that calls our hometown its hometown, the Canton Bluecoats.  This year their show is featuring music from the Beatles and as of this writing they are in first place in the rankings, and will hopefully cement that over the next few days as they compete in the Finals in Indianapolis this weekend.

Their music is uplifting and their costumes are bright and happy.  I tried to capture that in my card today, after seeing the Bluecoats perform here last night.  Here's my love letter to them.

The musicians are dressed in various bright blue prints, and the color guard in shades of yellow, gold, orange.  The conductors and a few of the color guard wear various black and white prints throughout the show.

Here's a closer shot to show you that I used some glitter paper here and there across my card (on a few flowers) to capture the sparkle that those uniforms give off under the stadium lights!

If you're interested, here are a few links to get to know our Bluecoats better:

on Instagram

their website

and some YouTube videos

If you're ever able to catch ANY drum corps show, I'd highly recommend it!  And if you hear the crowd yelling "Blooooooooo", you'll know the Blucoats are part of the show!  

Thanks for indulging me today!

Coffee & Cream

Hi!  Here's a unique backstory for the making of my card today.  Last Saturday night,  I woke up about 3 am with a headache.  Thank goodness I don't get migraines, and these headaches I've had all my life have lessened as I get older, but this one was bad enough to wake me up.  So I took a caffeine pill, and it took awhile before it kicked in.  In the meantime, you know how your thoughts are in the wee hours - I went from caffeine to coffee, and then I had the idea to use these beautiful cafe au lait colors for a card.  When I got up the next morning, I decided to recreate a design I've done before using them.  Here it is.

supplies: cream cardstock, various browns/tans and a green from Doodlebug Rainbow paper pads: ginghams, florals, stripes, dots, MFT Stitched Blooms dies, sentiment from Hero Arts Hello Sunshine Daisies, stamped in vintage photo distress ink, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle die, ancient My Mind's Eye enamel dots

Brown flowers wouldn't usually be my first choice, but I do like how this turned out, with all the little patterns mixing in that 1 color - what do you think?  Thanks for visiting today!

SubLIME

Hi crafters!  There's just something about lime that I love, so today I decided to pull out a beautiful floral spray and try and do a card in mostly lime.

supplies: Bristol paper, black and Green Leaf cardstock, a dotty paper from BoBunny, Simon's Beautiful Flowers image and sentiment, embossed in white, Tonic Irish Clover markers, white pearls

This year I even found some lime zinnias for my garden, and I've been enjoying mixing them with all the other colors!

It's a beautiful day today - think I'll go spend some time outside, maybe pick a bouquet!  

Simon's Summer Vacation Kid's Challenge!

I wanted to make sure that you knew that Simon Says Stamp is launching a month-long Kid's Challenge!  We do this every year to give our young designers out there the spotlight.

The theme is Anything Goes with SPARKLE.  It's open to all children between the ages of 2 and 16.  You are allowed to help them a little bit, if necessary, but we really want them to create something all by themselves.

We have THREE grab bags of craftiness as prizes for 3 random winners.  The challenge will remain open until 6 P.M. August 29th, and the random winners will be announced soon after the challenge closes. 

This challenge is open for CHILDREN ONLY, and any entry from anyone over the age of 16 will be deleted.  Please make sure to add the child's age along with his/her name when you post your entry.

Have fun!

Heart of Flowers

Here's a simple little card that uses an older Simon die.  Since it's summer, I colored the flowers in all different colors, like you'd see in a garden at this time of year.

supplies: white cardstock, watercolor paper, Simon's Heart of Roses die, Penny Black sentiment from Peaceful Time, Zig markers (light pink, pink, yellow, bright yellow, english lavender, violet, and light green), MFT Stitched Mini Scallop Square die, clear sequins for some sparkle, adhesive foam squares to pop up panel

This works for so many occasions.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

My July Faves

Here are my favorite projects from last month.

Thanks for stopping by.