My Favorite Cards from 2021

Every year at the end of December I choose my favorite cards that I've made throughout the year.  I tried to choose just 1 card for each month, but there were a couple instances where I couldn't decide, so the total this year is 14.

If you want details on any of these, just click on it, and you'll be taken back to its original blog post.

This was the year for slimline cards and layering stencils and 3D embossing folders, all wonderful additions to our craft! Nowadays there is almost always a die used somewhere on my cards.  But, as you can clearly see, I'm still a flower girl.

Since it's "the thing" at this time of year on Instagram, I also posted a Best Nine there of the top 9 of my cards that you liked the most, based on likes.   I found it very interesting that only 2 cards ended up on both lists: the pink Sending Smiles embossed card, and the Bittersweet Wreath card.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today - I'm wishing us all a creative - and healthy - 2022!  

My Little Chickadee

 I scooped up the bird dies from the latest Simon Says Stamp release and here is my last card of the year.  I was tickled to get this chickadee, as we recently installed a small bird feeder just outside my Mom's kitchen window and she has been enjoying seeing these frequent visitors every morning when she eats breakfast.  So this will go to her.

supplies: white, black, and Cornflower Blue card, Simon Layered Chickadee die, Snowflake Visions embossing folder, Script Thanks dies, Spellbinders branch die, white pigment ink

I cut the bird and branch from white and then colored the parts with my markers before assembling, leaving a small white area on the branch to simulate snow.  I embossed the snowflakes and then rubbed on some white pigment ink to help bring out the details. Our Christmas tree was the perfect place to stage this card.  

Chickadees have always been a favorite of mine, so I'm so pleased to have this new die.  Of course, he's so cute and pudgy that you could color him any color that pleases you and he'll still bring a smile!

Edited to add: Simon Says Stamp is offering a 20% discount on their own exclusive dies!  Use code DMR943 through the end of the year!  

Thanks for visiting today!

A Birthday Mini Slimline

 I was immediately drawn to this Mini Slimline Lattice die from the latest DieCember release - I thought it would make a lovely background for all my flowers!  Today's card mixes it with some washi flowers.

supplies: white and Mint card, Mini Slimline Lattice die, Pink Fresh Studio English Garden washi tape and Perfect Sentiments foiling plate and matching die, gold glimmer foil, heart sprinkles

We're not even out of December yet, and I'm looking forward to warmer months!  Besides the lack of sunshine around here, the other thing that gets to me during the winter is the lack of green!  So I did my best today to remedy that with this pretty mint green background!  My card measures 3 1/2" x 6 1/2", a nice size, in my opinion.  

Thanks for coming by!

Merry Christmas!

 One more Christmas card for this year - and I'll use it to wish each of you a blessed holiday - Merry Christmas!.

 

Simon Says........Party Time!

Welcome to our final challenge of 2021 at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge blog!

This week's challenge will last 2 weeks - the team is wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Thanks for joining us each week and we hope to see you again in 2022!

Party Time!  is the theme for this week, and the team is featuring exclusive products from Simon Says Stamp.  

supplies: white, Polished Gold mirror card, vellum, a rainbow stripe from Sunny Studio, Simon's Slimline Confetti stencil, Happy Everything dies, and an Extra Large Christmas sentiment strip, Deco Foil Transfer Gel, stencil tool, and Rainbow Shattered Glass foil, laminator

I applied transfer gel through the stencil to a trimmed white panel, let it dry, then added a rainbow foil and ran it through my laminator.  At the same time, I put some gold foil over the sentiment strip.  Then I just matted the foiled panel in gold and a rainbow stripe, added it to my card base, and attached my sentiments. 

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!

 

Eyelet Lace Frame

 Spellbinders is releasing a new Becca Feeken collection called Garden Shutters today.  I fell in love with this beautiful large Eyelet Lace Frame, and I have 3 cards for you.  This die set has 7 separate dies to make a large 5" X 7" card.

First, I used pink and added some washi tape flowers and a foiled sentiment to adorn it.

supplies: white and Cotton Candy card, rose gold metallic kraft card, Eyelet Lace Frame dies, washi tape flowers, a foiled birthday sentiment that came with my glimmer machine, rose gold glimmer foil, Hero Arts leaf die, adhesive foam squares

For my 2nd card, I cut from yellow and added some daisies.

supplies: white and yellow card, Spellbinders Eyelet Lace Frame dies, Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems 1 dies, Simon reverse sentiment strip, yellow enamel dots

And my last card.

supplies: white, black, and Cotton Candy card, Eyelet Lace Frame dies, butterflies from December 2021 Card Kit of the Month, Simon retired Beautiful Day sentiment

Isn't that eyelet gorgeous?!  I used just 4 of the dies to make my card front and lined it with pale pink.  There's a natural place for a sentiment.  

You could also use these dies to make an actual frame to show off a prized photo of someone special - so many options!

Many thanks to Spellbinders for sharing this lovely set with me!  I know it will become a classic!

Simon's January Card Kit

 I love the elements in the new January Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp!  This stamp set is really darling, with 4 different snowmen and 3 sizes of pine trees to stamp!  I chose my favorite snowman and pine tree and one of the patterned papers to put my first card together.

supplies: white cardstock, Warmest Wishes clear stamp set, paper from La-La-Land Crafts Starry Night paper pad, adhesive foam squares

Instead of cutting out everything like I usually do, I took the time to compose my little snow scene first, using masking.  Then I just had to cut around the tops of the trees and the snowman.  That panel was then lifted above the patterned paper birch trees and snowflake background.  I love woodland scenes! 

Next I couldn't wait to try out the snowflake stencil and the new Glitz Glitter Gel in Seafoam.

supplies: white, Audrey Blue, and silver glitter card, Scattered Snowflake stencil, Seafoam Glitz Glitter Gel, Hero Arts (retired) snowflake die, small circle die, JOY from Simon's Ornamental Christmas, embossed in white

The glitter gel spreads like "butta" and really didn't take too long to dry, so that I could trim it to fit inside my A2 card.  Then I just popped on a silvery snowflake and a tiny sentiment in its center; so easy to do, but so striking!

Here's the kit in its entirety - you also get a snowflake embossing folder in this kit!

If you're a snowflake/snowman fan, then this kit is for you!

Hero Arts Neighborhood Houses

 I've always been drawn to little things, so when I saw these newly released Hero Arts house dies, I jumped right in!

Since it's Christmas, I used them first for a Christmas card.

supplies: white, Schoolhouse Red and Surf Blue card, Hero Arts Neighborhood Houses dies, sentiment from a retired Wild Rose Studio snowman clear stamp set, glue pen, Simon Unicorn Confetti glitter, adhesive foam to pop up white areas

A really simple design: I cut out the houses and one of the trees twice, then attached them to a torn piece of white card on which I'd stamped my sentiment in red.  Then I used my glue pen to add some glitz to the rooftops, along the ground, and as falling snow.  That whole panel was then popped above the blue background.  That teensy bird is part of the set, so I cut him from red and perched him on the sentiment.

Next, I decided to use just one of the houses and the pine tree to make a little ornament on a card.

supplies: metallic gold, white, green, and Lipstick Red card, MFT starry patterned paper, Hero Arts Neighborhood Houses dies, markers to color, Impression Obsession Pine Branch die, circle die, a snowflake embossing folder, sentiment from Simon's Tiny Words Christmas, ornament cap die from Spellbinders, gingham ribbon

I cut out a circle and a partial circle from the starry paper and a bit of white cardstock, then added my little grouping of the house amidst the pines and stamped a tiny sentiment. 

I've been taking advantage of our Christmas tree as a prop for my Christmas card pictures.  These last 2 were taken on my phone in portrait mode, the first with the tree unlit and the 2nd with it lit.

In my opinion, these little houses are a perfect size, and you'll be seeing them in other seasons, too!  Thanks for stopping by today!  

To the Moon release!!

 The newest release from Simon Says Stamp is now live - it's called To the Moon. It was designed with Valentines Day in mind, but there is so much more; it's one of my favorite releases all year!

My favorites?  There are 2 darling bird dies: Layered Birdie and Layered Chickadee, and some beautiful flowers: Peony and Leaves die, the Beautiful Bouquet clear stamp set, and the Peonies and Leaves stencil. The collection is well-rounded - lots of dies, stamps, stencils, sentiment strips, Suzy's coloring cards, sequins, and even some hot foil plates - 45 new products in all!

You can see the whole collection HERE, and for lots of ideas on how to use these new goodies, be sure to visit our Gallery devoted to the new goodies HERE.  Enjoy!

Simon Says......Bling it On!

It's Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

"Bling it On!" is our theme this week, and the team is featuring Stamping Bella products.  I couldn't resist their Santamingo cling stamp - it was perfect for adding some tiny gems as my bling!

supplies: white card, Sunny Studio Holiday Cheer and Classic Gingham patterned papers, Stamping Bella Santamingo cling stamp, markers to color, Simon (retired) Presents and Ornaments sentiment, Memory Box Open Studio Fairy Jewels, MFT Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle die

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!

Woodland Christmas cards

Every year I make at least a couple Christmas cards with a woodland theme, using for the most part the same dies from year to year.  Here are this year's cards, adding in the Darling Deer dies I got at the end of last year.  This year I used patterned papers for my backgrounds.

supplies: white, green, kraft, Schoolhouse Red card, a dotty patterned paper, Tim Holtz Tree Line and Darling Deer dies, Impression Obsession Birch Tree dies (includes cardinal), sentiment from The Craft's Meow Christmas Lanterns

supplies: white, kraft, green, and Schoolhouse Red card, snowy tree patterned paper, Tim Holtz Woodlands and Darling Deer die, cardinal from IO Birch Tree dies, retired sentiment

I love the pop of red that the cardinals add, so I used red ink for my sentiments to echo that.

How are your Christmas preparations going?  Time is flying!

Sending Christmas Joy

 I bought this die late last year and used it mininally, so this year I have more time to play with all the options it presents!  I've got 3 versions for you today.

supplies: Schoolhouse Red card, candy cane patterned paper, My Favorite Things Sending Christmas Joy die, and Christmas Cardinals stamp, adhesive foam squares 

For this card, I cut the words from red card, then used the negative die-cut to glue them into place over my patterned paper.  Then I just lifted the bird above the card.

For these next two, the die was cut from patterned paper, then attached to a solid backing before I added my embellishments.

supplies: Green Leaf card, glitter card in 2 greens, red, and gold, a Christmas tree dp, MFT Sending Christmas Joy die and a long retired Simon Christmas Tree die and star die, adhesive foam squares

supplies: Lipstick Red and kraft card, reindeer patterned paper, MFT Sending Christmas Joy and Simon Retro Deer die, a tiny red pearl for his nose, adhesive foam squares

As I said, the options are endless for embellishing these simple cards - holly, snowmen, santas, snowflakes!  And the bonus is that I got to use some of my patterned papers!

Happy Friday!  How are you coming with your Christmas cards?

Simon Says........Cold as Ice!

Welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

Our theme this week is "Cold as Ice!", and the team is featuring products from Stampendous.  Here's my card. I fell in love with these darling little birds, and I used silver embossing and glitter to get my icy feel.

supplies: white and Lipstick Red card, Stampendous Heavenly Birds cling stamp, silver embossing powder, glue pen and Prisma glitter, adhesive foam to lift central oval

I stamped the image twice, embossing first in silver, and then again with black ink.  I applied blue ink around the edges of the silver embossed panel and trimmed it, and colored, glittered, and trimmed out the oval from the other panel.  I added glitter with a glue pen to the hats and anywhere there was snow in the image, along with the large diamond star on the silver embossed panel.  I also embossed my sentiment in silver and attached it to the oval before popping it above the silver-embossing.

Between the silver embossing and the glitter, it puts on quite a shimmer show from across the room; sorry I wasn't able to capture that in my photos.

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!