My Favorite Cards from July

Here are  my favorite cards this month.

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

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

It's Anything Goes week, and the team is playing with Concord & 9th goodies!  I chose a turnabout set with a coffee theme and made 2 cards this week.

supplies: white, kraft, and Lipstick Red cardstock, Concord & 9th Coffee Blend Turnabout stamps, Coffee Break, Tide Blue, and Heart Beat inks, adhesive foam

This stamp set has everything you'll need to make coffee-themed cards - besides the turnabout stamp, there are several sentiments, this large mug, and several other coffee cups, even some coffee beans!

supplies: kraft and Audrey Blue cardstock, Concord & 9th Coffee Blend Turnabout stamp set, Coffee Break and Sweet Dreams mini inks, MFT Mini Stitched Square die, a Doodlebug heart sprinkle, adhesive foam

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!

Garden Goodness

Here are 2 more cards using my new goodies from The Greetery.  What could be happier than daisies and wrens?

supplies: white cardstock, The Greetery Sprinkled with Kindess watering can and sentiment stamps and die, Budding Beauties Summer daisies stamps and die, Wren stamp and die, Altenew Green Meadows, Coffee Break, and Warm Sunshine inks, tumbled glass distress ink, white ink, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die

These sweet wrens are perfectly sized to go with this watering can!

Next I reverted to my favorite blue and stamped some hydrangeas.

supplies: white and Cornflower cardstock, The Greetery Sprinkle Kindness stamps and die, Budding Beauties Summer hydrangea and die, Petite Eucalyptus stamps and dies, Glacier Caves, Lapis Lazuli, Green Valley, Green Meadows and Rock Collection mini inks, Sunny Studios Quilted Hearts embossing folder, (retired) Winnie & Walter Audrey cutaways rectangle die

This one is a CASE of a card by Dawn McVey - I liked her idea of an embossed background.

We just planted 2 blue hydrangea bushes this year - one has blossoms in mostly blues and purples, the other has a mix of blue through pink!  The cut blossoms last a long time, and intensify in color over time!

Thanks for stopping by - have a good week!

Remember the Now

A quick share of a card I made using Tim Holtz goodies.  This heat has me in the mood for some cool pastel colors.

supplies: kraft, Mint, Cotton Candy, and white cardstock, vellum, Tim Holtz Funky Wreath and Wildflower Stems 1 dies, a pink and a green marker, Botanical 3D embossing folder, sticker sentiment from Small Talk pad, twine

The background is embossed on vellum, which was placed over my pink card base, and then I added the die-cut elements.

I hope you're having a relaxing weekend - thanks for stopping by!  

Simon's August Card Kit: Picnic Parade

I have 2 cards today using supplies in the new August Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp.

For the first, I used just the papers and 1 of the stickers.

supplies: white cardstock, patterned papers from Doodlebug Bar-B-Cute pad, Bar-B-Cute sticker, Simon Stitched Circle die

I had a sketch in mind that uses 3 different patterned panels and some of the stripes on the reverse of 1 of the papers.  So I just chose a sticker (there are SO many fun ones!), placed it on a circle die-cut, then chose and trimmed my patterned panels and stripes and added the sticker circle. 

For my 2nd card, I used the large stamp set in the kit, plus a few of my own supplies.

supplies: white cardstock, Bar-B-Cute blue dotty dp, sun, rays, cloud, and sentiment from Hello Sunshine, mustard seed distress ink and oxide ink, a heart from Ant Picnic Parade sprinkle set, my own sunray stencil and a wonky rectangle die

I stamped the circle and sun rays, then the sentiment, and trimmed out my panel.  I clear embossed the smallest cloud on patterned paper, cut it out and added it to the panel, which had been centered on a stencilled sunray design.

Here's the whole kit, perfect for summer!  I'm especially loving the slimline envelopes!

Brown-eyed Susans and Julia Child!

The latest release from the Greetery is a home run!  I chose several of the new multi-step stamp sets and matching dies and will be sharing some cards using them going forward.  Here's my first one.

supplies: white and Sea Glass cardstock, The Greetery Sprinkle Kindness watering can stamps and matching die, Budding Beauties Summer flower stamps and matching die, Altenew mini inks, Paper Smooches Fab Frames die, adhesive foam 

I stamped the watering can in Sea Shore inks with final details in Silver Stone, and made the daisies into Black-eyed Susans, since they're blooming now in our garden.  I arranged everything on top of a Fancy Frame, then used some Press 'n' Seal to hold them still while I attached some foam squares on the reverse.  Then I placed the panel on my card base.

This pale aqua and yellow combination makes me feel cooler just looking at it.  

While we're in a yellow-flower mood, here's a picture of just one sprig of Julia Child roses that I rescued yesterday from the Japanese beetles.

If that doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will!  Thanks for stopping by!

Simon Says..........Reach for the Stars

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

This week our theme is "Reach for the Stars", and the team is playing with Simon exclusive products.

My mind jumped right to a galaxy card when I saw this challenge.

supplies: midnight blue cardstock, watercolor paper, distress oxide inks and water, Simon's Seeing Stars stamp set, Ranger Super Fine Detail silver embossing powder, silver sequins

This would make a great anniversary card, wouldn't it?   Back when my husband and I were dating in college, my roommates would accuse me of "seeing stars" when I'd get back from seeing him!

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!

Hibiscus Garden

Playing today with another set of dies that hasn't seen much use: Altenew's Hibiscus Garden.

supplies: white, 2 greens, 2 roses, burgundy and yellow cardstock, Hibiscus Garden dies, MFT (retired) hello die

This is a HUGE set, including stacking parts for 4 flowers and 4 leaves.  Today I used 2 of the leaves, and just 1 of the flowers.  

It's been a hot, humid summer here, so naturally my mind went to a tropical theme for today - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?  I googled hibiscus to get an idea for colors and found one that had several colors in each bloom, shades of  yellow and pink with a burgundy center.  So I chose my cardstock colors to match it as best I could, and then mixed them all up, making only the very center and the stamens the same for each.  And I used the same burgundy of the flower centers for my sentiment.

Do you like your summers hot and steamy, or are you like me.......a little heat goes a long way?  I'd be in heaven if the temps stayed in the lower 80's, instead of the 90's like we've had this year.

Thanks for coming by!

Another Wreath???

After playing earlier this week with the smallest stamps of the Floral Elements set, I decided to make another card with the big wreath also in the set.

supplies: white and lavender cardstock, PinkFresh Studio Floral Elements wreath and matching die, Paper Smooches Fab Frames, sentiment from Simon's Beautiful Butterflies, adhesive foam strips to lift frame and wreath 

In the past few years I've been putting purples, blues, and aquas together - it's a pleasing combination to me.  And I love the pretty font of this sentiment - I think it goes nicely with the image!

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your day!

Simon Says.......For a Child

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

This week our theme is "For a Child", and the team is playing with Honey Bee products.  I found this adorable Build-a-Bot stamp set.

supplies: white and black cardstock, confetti and striped dps from Doodlebug paper pads, Honey Bee Build-a-Bot clear stamps, (retired) Simon sentiment from Cupcake Party, Zig markers, sequins and adhesive foam

There are what seems like a million little parts in this set so that you can build a robot, or 2 or 3 or 4, exactly the way you want to!  And there's a matching die set, if you like. 

I plan to pass this set on to my Grands - I think they'll have a blast with 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!

3 Wreath Cards

I've been trying to use supplies that have seen little action, and came across this PinkFresh Studio Floral Elements clear set.  It's a big one, with a lovely floral wreath (HERE is a card using it) as the main element, but there are also 11 much smaller floral stamps in this set.  I decided to stamp and color up most of them and see what I could do with them as a starting point.

Turns out I like them to dress up wreath dies.  Here are my results.

supplies: white, black and green cardstock,  MFT (retired) Spring Wreath die, Floral Elements and matching dies, Memory Box Big and Little Words, Tim Holtz (retired) Doily embossing folder

It's such a shame that this doily embossing folder has been discontinued - I love the subtle effect it has to make a lovely frame around something on the smaller side like this wreath die. BUT, if you have a doily die, you could emboss it for the same effect!

I always like a wreath against planking, so that's where card #2 went.

supplies: white and kraft cardstock, Craft Consortium Wood Textures plank dp, Tim Holtz Funky Wreath die, Floral Elements and matching dies, Memory Box Big and Little Words 

This grapevine wreath cut from kraft and the planked background gives this a bit of a masculine look.

This last card is definitely not masculine!

supplies: white, dark green, and pink cardstock, Sunny Studio Eyelet Frilly Frame cover dies, Tim Holtz Funky Wreath, MFT (retired) bow die from Spring Wreath set, Floral Elements and matching dies, Memory Box Big and Little Words

The wreath I used on this one is from the same Tim Holtz Funky Wreath set, except it has leaves, so I cut it in green again.  And I added a little die-cut bow to the mix on this one.

I had a fun couple of days putting these together - do you have a favorite?

A Gatefold Card

I don't think I've ever done a gatefold card!  I saw THIS purple one by Christy on IG and thought it would be something fun to try.  I pretty much CASEd Christy's layout using my own supplies and colors.

supplies: white, coral, and Green Leaf cardstock, Altenew Flower Arrangement layered stamps, Altenew mini inks in warm colors and green, Gina K Wreath Builder sentiment (outside), circle and banner dies, Simon's Hello Darling sentiment (inside)

Here it is opened fully.

I'm prepping now for the bunch of birthdays coming up in August in my family!!

Thanks for stopping in!

A Turnabout Birthday Card

I have several birthdays this month, and since it's so hot lately, I chose some cool colors to make this card.

supplies: white, Audrey Blue and Peacock Teal cardstock, gingham from Sunny Studio Gingham Pastels dp, Concord & 9th Blooms Turnabout stamps and Turnabout Jig, Altenew Sweet Dreams and Green Meadows mini inks, Impression Obsession Greeting Top Edgers sentiment die, Simon Leanna and (retired) Chrissy butterfly dies,

I think this Blooms set may be my favorite of the Turnabout sets - it's a little more detailed than others, in that you stamp flowers first and then change stamps and add the leaves.  

Thanks for coming by today!

Simon Says.........Moving Parts!

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

Our theme this week is Moving Parts, and the team is playing with Lawn Fawn products!  I made a slider card  with a shaker element using these darling Spring Fling papers and 2 stitched flower die sets.

supplies:white cardstock, Lawn Fawn Spring Fling design papers, Stitched Flower Frame and Outside in Stitched Flower dies, slider dies, Simon Smile Circle die, Hero Arts Nesting Rectangle die, Simon You stamp set, enamel hearts, pink ribbon, yellow sequin mix

You simply pull the ribbon upwards to reveal the hidden sentiment underneath!  I wanted a sentiment on the front of the card, but couldn't find anything I liked until I remembered this Smile Circle die - and it fits into the center of the flower like they were made for each other!  Don't you love it when that happens?

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 Masculine Card

It's always difficult for me to make a masculine birthday card, but I'm liking how this one turned out!  Love these colors together, and I think they'd please a guy, too!

supplies: kraft, Green Apple, Green Leaf, Surf Blue, Audrey Blue, and Dark Chocolate cardstock, Outline Clustered Leaves, Top Edger die, a leafy vines embossing folder

I slotted 2 green cardstock panels together and die-cut the leafy branch, then again in all the other colors.  Then I just pieced everything back together again, embossed the whole thing in a leafy folder, then mounted the trimmed panel on a kraft card base and added my sentiment.

Thanks so much for stopping by today - be safe!

Slimlines are FUN!!

I made one of these slimline cards this past week, and really enjoyed it, so here's another one.  It's a CASE of a card I made back in 2015.  This one is all die-cuts, with only a small stamped sentiment.

supplies: white card base, kraft, Green Leaf, Sea Glass, Audrey Blue, and Peacock Teal cardstock, Wplus9 (retired) Folk Art Florals birds and leaves dies, Hand Lettered Hello die and stamped sentiment, Paper Smooches (retired) Bird House dies, Doodlebug Heart Sprinkles, natural twine

Here's a little closer shot:

Five years ago my eyes and fingers worked a whole lot better!  This was fiddly this time around, but I still enjoyed the process and the results!

Slimlines measure 3 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" long, if you'd like to try one of these, too.  They're  just different enough to be fun!  They fit into a #10 business envelope with room to spare, but Simon is bringing out some darling ones in colors, too, and I hear that dies for these skinny cards are on the way soon, too!  I hope you'll give this new trend a try!