My January Favorites

Here are my favorite cards from this first month of 2020.

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

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

As always on the last challenge of each month, our theme is Anything Goes!  The team is playing with Brutus Monroe goodies.  This is a new-to-me company, and I was delighted to see that it's based in my old hometown, Pittsburgh, PA!  I chose 2 of their products to play with today.

First up, a card using a stencil.

supplies: white cardstock, Brutus Monroe Lace stencil, picked raspberry, candied apple mustard, persimmon, lucky clover, mermaid lagoon, blueprint sketch, wilted violet distress oxide inks, Simon's Stitched Circle and Stitched Rectangle dies, and (retired) Summer Garden sentiment, enamel heart

I secured the stencil to my cardstock, then masked it in quarters to apply the distress oxide inks in rainbow colors, then trimmed it out and added my sentiment inside a circle in the center.

I love design papers with planking, so I also chose this lovely floral plank paper pad.  The papers are nice and thick, single-sided, and have a very slight gloss to them.

supplies: dusty aqua and burgundy cardstock, Brutus Monroe Rustic Florals paper

pad, Simon's Thanks Scallop Border die, burgundy embroidery floss, organza ribbon, enamel dot 

This paper does all the work when you want a quick card - here I simply added a scalloped sentiment panel, some stitching, an organza bow and an enamel dot.

I loved these papers so much that I made 2 more cards with them - I'll post them soon.

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!

More Antique Roses

Here's another card using Altenew's Antique Roses layered stamps and matching masking stencils.  It's for a cousin celebrating her birthday this month.

supplies: peach and white cardstock, Altenew Antique Roses layered stamps, matching masking stencils, Tea Party and Green Fields mini inks, Simon Beautiful Day sentiment, Sunny Studios Frilly Frames Lattice die, Doodlebug Tiny Heart sprinkles

Altenew does an amazing job making these layered stamp sets - the detail is beautiful, the next best thing to having a real flower in your hands!  And what a great idea to add these masking stencils to the sets.  If you want a nice flat card for mailing, they'll make your job so much easier!

Thanks for stopping in!

For You

Happy Thursday, crafters!

Today's card is a Valentine that I CASEd from Sally - I love how she used this lovely floral die and made her heart a lacy one!

supplies: white and Cotton Candy pink cardstock, Spellbinders scallop heart (yes, the ancient one!), Simon Flower Cluster die, Tammy Tutterow sentiment, adhesive foam

I trimmed out my pink and white card panels.  Then I cut my heart into the white one, and die-cut 2 of the flower clusters.  These were trimmed just a tiny bit in order to make them fill the opening. They were secured around the edges.  Then I stamped my sentiment, and lifted that panel above the pink one with lots of foam adhesive.

Thank you, Sally, I love your design!

Simon Says.......Besotted with Our Pets

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

The theme this week is Besotted with Our Pets, and the team is showcasing Clearly Besotted goodies!  I come from an animal-loving family, especially my youngest sister........as a child, she had pets ranging from mice to a turtle, 5 baby raccoons, a porcupine named Barney, a squirrel, and as an adult, fish, doves, ferrets, a hedgehog, and always a dog or 2.  We all thought she'd become a veterinarian, but she's a fitting model and a musician!

I've had dogs during most of my life: our Dad's hunting beagles, and dachshunds, then a lab mix when our boys were with us, so I chose this darling Puppy Love set.  Who can resist a puppy?  I couldn't decide which of these I liked best, so I used all 3 of them.

supplies: white and kraft cardstock, Clearly Besotted Puppy Love, Cookies & Cream markers to color, Simon's Stitched Circle and MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle dies, adhesive foam to pop up puppy inside circle

I'm no colorist, but I think you can still see how adorable these puppies are - the sentiment and the paw print are also part of the set, along with more sentiments, a ball, and a bone.

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!

A Bouquet of Hearts for Valentine's Day

Here's a Valentine for our Granddaughter, using a real mix of dies.  Isn't it nice when all these different things play together so nicely?

supplies: white and hot pink cardstock, Spellbinders flower wrap from January 2019 Large Die of the Month: Cherish, Hemstitch Rectangle die, Impression Obsession Heart Stems die, leaf sprigs from Hero Arts January 2020 card kit, MFT (retired) Spring Wreath bow die and Blueprints 20 scallop rectangle die, markers to color hearts and stems

Because everything is so small, it was a bit fiddly to put everything together, but patience won the day.  I'm very pleased with how this turned out!  I think I'll make my Mom one of these, too.

Thanks for stopping in - hope you're having a productive day! 

Florals and Stripes

Here's a card that I had made for this week's Simon Wednesday challenge that didn't make it to that post.  I was in the mood for a mix of blue, yellow, and spring green.

supplies: white, yellows, Green Leaf, Cornflower Blue and some lighter blue cardstock, Altenew Fantasy Floral (blues) and Garden Picks (yellows) dies, Watercolor Stripes stencil, blending brush and lime mini ink cube, and Simon's Painted Hugs die

I used 3 shades of blues for the large flowers, and constructed one from dark to light and the other from light to dark, just to see the difference. 

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your weekend!

Hero Arts January Card Kit

I was one of the lucky ones to get Hero Arts MMH Card Kit for this month, and I'm besotted!  Here is my first play with it, and once I got started, it was hard to stop, so I have 3 cards using it today.

supplies: white, Audrey Blue, Surf Blue, Lavender, Green Leaf cardstock, Hero Arts (retired) Earth designer paper, January My Monthly Hero kit: (Sending Love Mail sentiment, Boutique Accessories and Envelope Accessories dies), wilted violet, blueprint sketch, and peacock feathers distress ink, a green marker, Sunny Studio Quilted Hearts embossing folder, twine

I used Jennifer McGuire's tip to cut the flowers from colored cardstock, and add details with ink, so I chose 3 colors and green, and cut out the flowers and leaves.  After inking the details and allowing the ink to dry, I popped up some of the details in the flowers, then arranged them in my paper cone, which was cut from some long retired Hero Arts text printed paper.

I haven't had any dies like these florals before, and they were fun to work with!  I love their dimension!  There's also a little envelope die in this set - here's another card using it, filled with sweet pink roses.  I think it's the perfect size!

supplies: white, black, cream,  Cotton Candy, and Green Leaf cardstock, January My Monthly Hero kit: (Sending Love Mail sentiment, Boutique Accessories and  Envelope Accessories dies),  worn lipstick, mustard seed, and mowed lawn distress inks, Lawn Fawn Quilted Backdrop die, pink satin ribbon from kit

The flowers were cut from Cotton Candy cardstock, then detailed with distress inks.  There's a nice variety of sentiments in the stamp set that covers almost any occasion, and I haven't even used the text and adorable little stamp images yet.  I'm so glad that Hero Arts gave us the fishtail banner in the dies, too - I know these will get used alot!

And one more, in more earthy colors, also bringing in one of the butterfly dies in the kit.

supplies: cream, Schoolhouse Red, Green Leaf, and Desert Storm cardstock, an unknown text dp, Hero Arts January Card Kit: (Sending Love Mail sentiment, Boutique Accessories and Envelope Accessories dies), MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die, twine

This time the flowers and leaves were left untouched after cutting them from colored cardstock, but I did use some mustard seed distress oxide ink on the butterfly, which I cut from white cardstock.  The sentiment is another one from the stamp set in the kit.

I hope Hero Arts continues with dies like these - once you get the hang of them, they make a fast card!  Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your day.

Simon Says..........Use a Stencil

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

This week we want you to Use a Stencil; the team is playing with beautiful Altenew products!

Last year, Altenew brought out mask stencils to match some of their floral stamp sets.  For my first card I used a stencil along with it's matching stamps to make a one-layer design.

supplies: white and rose cardstock, Altenew Antique Roses clear stamp set and matching mask stencil, mini inks in Cherry Blossom and Green Meadows, sentiment from Simon Big Scripty Greetings

This is a beautiful stamp set, and easy to line up!  I first stamped the large rose, followed by the smaller one and then the leaves, using the masks for the flowers.  I found that the masks work best when they are placed just inside the stamped image, not right on the edge.  There will be a tiny gap between the images, but it can be filled in with some of the lightest ink and a damp paint brush.

For my 2nd card I used a stencil as my background for an arrangement of layered floral dies in pastel colors.  I love the combination of florals and stripes!

supplies: white, black, 2 shades of pink, 2 shades of lavender, 2 shades of blue, Green Apple and Green Leaf cardstock, Altenew Layered Rose dies, Simon's (retired) Dots & Lines stencil, lime mini cube ink, sentiment from Simon Sending Happy Thoughts

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!

Some Embossed Valentines

When I saw this gorgeous embossing folder, I knew I had to have it!  It came earlier this week, and here are 3 cards I made with it.  These new super-thick 3D folders make beautiful impressions!

supplies: white and a white-core pink cardstock, Memory Box Open Studio Heart Bouquet 3D embossing folder, Spellbinders Scalloped Heart die, sentiment from (retired) Simon Just a Love Note

I embossed regular heavy white cardstock first, then did the same to a white-core pink cardstock which I first cut into this scalloped heart shape, then sanded to bring out the details.  This is so pretty that I didn't want to cover up any part of it, so I chose this teensy sentiment from a retired Simon Valentine set.

Next I used a glimmer cardstock.

supplies: white and DCWV Shimmer Pastel cardstock, Memory Box Open Studio Heart Bouquet 3D embossing folder, MFT (retired) Blueprints 20 stitched banner, Spellbinders Tammy Tutterow (retired) Sew Tiny Sentiments, Altenew Cotton Candy mini ink cube from Four Scoops set

And card number 3:

supplies: white, black, and a darker pink shimmer cardstock, Heart Bouquet 3D embossing folder, Spellbinders (retired) scallop heart die, Simon's Love 2 die, stamped sentiment from a retired Winnie & Walter Big Bold stamp set, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die, Rainbow heart sprinkle, adhesive foam 

This time I cut the heart from a trimmed panel, edged it, added my sentiments and then lifted it above a portion of the design embossed on shimmer card.

Hope you're having a good Sunday - thanks for stopping by!

Hey Bestie release!

Simon Says Stamp is unveiling a new release called Hey Bestie!

I made 2 cards using the Big Ampersand dies that I was sent.

I think this one would make a good Valentine for my husband.

supplies: white, Black, and Schoolhouse Red cardstock, MFT Black and White Stripes patterned paper, Big Ampersand die, Heart Parade die, sentiment from (retired) Just a Love Note

Here's a more feminine version:

supplies: white, medium pink,and Cotton Candy card, patterned paper froma  Carta Bella paper pad, Simon Big Ampersand die and stamped sentiments from Beautiful Flowers, Penny Black Stitched Stackers border die, adhesive foam to pop up ampersand

Be sure to visit THIS PAGE to see all the products in this release - there are 27 new things, including some dies to make your own envelopes!  And for ideas on how to use them, I hope you'll visit our Gallery HERE.

Simon Says..........Fun with Florals!

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

This week our theme is Fun With Florals, and the team is showcasing products by Paper Rose. I chose a floral cover plate and made 2 cards today.

supplies: white cardstock, Paper Rose Rose Frame Background die, Nuvo markers in Flamingo Pinks and Emerald Seas, Simon Painted Hello die, adhesive foam strips to lift panel and sentiment above card base

After cutting the die, I colored the leaves and flowers before popping out the negative details, then lifted the panel above my card base.  I used the same pink markers to color my sentiment with a slight ombre look.  The adhesive foam strips are nice and skinny, perfect to use along the frame and also the sentiment.

Here's another version.

supplies: white, pale yellow and Simon Lavender cardstock, Paper Rose Rose Frame Background die, colored with Zig markers and water, sentiment from Simon Leafy Frames, a Martha Stewart punched butterfly

I cut the frame 3 times, used 1 of them as a mask to watercolor in the details, then glued them all together and added them to the colored panel.  I thought the little butterfly was a fun addition!

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!

A Blue Birthday Card

This one's for our daughter-in-law.  As I said in an earlier post, these soft blues seem right for this time of year. 

supplies: white, black, and Surf Blue cardstock, Altenew Build a Rose stamps and matching dies, Deep Blue Seas and Green Meadows mini ink cubes, Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Lattice dies, Simon's It's Your Birthday sentiment, adhesive foam strips

I love the shadows that appear from the lattice when you pop it up!  This die set was designed beautifully, giving us a solid strip to attach adhesive to.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Winter

I really liked the snowflakes in this month's Simon Card Kit, (which  is now sold out), so I made another card, mixing in some other Simon products.

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, silver glitter paper, Silver Sparkle Yupo paper, Stonewashed alcohol and Tranquil alcohol pearl inks, Snowflake Builder, Lots of Snowflakes, and sentiment from (retired) An Arctic Christmas,  Mini Snowflake Mandala die, Ranger silver embossing powder

There was  a bottle of Stonewashed alcohol ink in my card kit, so I pulled out some Ranger silver Yupo paper and dropped it on, along with an alcohol pearl ink.  After drying I trimmed it, applied it to a white panel, and then overstamped and silver heat embossed various snowflakes, leaving space for the die-cut from the kit.  I didn't want a large sentiment, so this one fit the bill perfectly!

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Greetings

I got my Simon Says Stamp January 2020 Card Kit last week - what beautiful contents!  Here's my first card, using one of the designer papers, the die, and a sentiment and banner from the stamp set.

supplies: Sea Glass cardstock, silver glitter paper, Kaisercraft paper, Snowflake Mandala die, Snowflake Builder sentiment and banner, Ranger Super Fine Detail silver embossing powder

I simply cut a panel of the designer paper, bordered it with a strip of silver glitter paper, and added 2 snowflake dies, one in white, one in silver glitter, and a greetings banner embossed in silver.

I had to take a closer photo to show the beautiful silver foiling on the paper.

And a final shot to show the glimmer.

I can't wait to play next with the Snowflake Builder stamp set - what a fun concept!

Be sure to visit our Gallery to see lots more card ideas using this kit!

Simon Says.........Something New

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

Happy New Year!  As always, our theme for this first challenge of the year is Something New - use a new product you may have just received, or make a card for a new baby, a new home, a new job.......you get the picture!  The team is highlighting Whimsy Stamps this week.  This company chose the right name - their stamps are ALL darling!  It may be a bit early for a spring card, but I couldn't resist this stamp!

supplies: Bristol paper, Surf Blue cardstock, Whimsy Stamps Baby Chick Totem, Zig markers and water, Simon's 4 Seasons Sayings, Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Lattice die

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!