Mint Wishes

The sold-out Simon Ltd Edition Holiday Card Kit arrived today, and in between bagging leaves, I dove right into it!  I got it mostly for the pretty patterned papers, and they did not disappoint; I almost don't want to cut into them, so I used them minimally for my first card.

supplies: mint, green, and silver glitter card stock, vellum, pattern plank and mint stripe from Kaisercraft Mint Wishes paper pad, Simon's More Spring Flowers and Yuletide Holiday clear stamps,  Hero Arts Charcoal ink for sentiment, Tim Holtz Mini Holiday Greens, clear sequins

I tried a white on white embossed rose, but in the end, I watercolored that one lightly in Cracked Pistachio distress ink, and added a white-embossed vellum one on top to make it paler.

Here's one more, again using the gorgeous papers, and adding the Joy die from the kit, and my own silver snowflakes and sequins.

The "Merry Christmas" strips are from one of the papers that has 5 or 6 different stripes on it - I just cut it apart and used it to separate the other papers a bit.

Love this kit!!

You Take the Cake!

Got my Simon December Card Kit yesterday, and had some fun today playing only with the papers.  This kit is a collaboration with Doodlebug, who makes the CUTEST papers!

supplies: red and kraft card stock, Tonic Tropical Tide glitter card stock,  Doodlebug Milk & Cookies design papers,  Milk & Cookies sprinkle (gingerbread boy), MFT Mini Stitched Scallop Square dies

The reverse of one of the papers includes 5 stand-alone motifs - I chose this plum pudding one, and continually framed it with the other papers in the pad.  On that same sheet is an area with little sentiment strips - I framed this one with some of the candy-stripe paper in the kit.

The kit is sold out, of course, but you can still get the papers and sprinkles, if you like.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend - it's raining and dreary here, so I'll be in the craft room!

Flowers and Birds

I received my Simon November Card Kit, and dove right in - what gorgeous components!!

Here are my first 2 cards, concentrating this time on the patterned papers and coordinating stickers.

supplies: Fog card stock, papers and stickers from Pebbles Heart of Home Collection, Darice gold leaves, my own white string, adhesive foam squares

I used a sketch and the heart paper, a bird sticker, and my sentiment is also from another of the design papers.  I popped up the beautiful bird sticker - easy to do because it's made from heavy cardstock, added the leaves and string, and done!

Here's another - I love to mix gingham and florals!

supplies: white and Slate card stock, papers and stickers from Pebbles Heart of Home Collection, sentiment made using Simon's Kind Flowers stamps and coordinating Kind Bold Outline die, Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Scallop Border die, adhesive foam squares

And I have hardly touched the gorgeous oversized stamp set - there'll be more where these came from!  Here's the Card Kit.  Be sure to visit Simon's Gallery for more samples using this kit!

A Grateful Heart

Here's another card using the Brushstrokes Messages stamp set from Simon's October Card Kit.  This time I used fall colors.

supplies: white cardstock, brush strokes and heart from Simon's Brush Stroke Messages clear stamp set, Simon's Fresh Fruit ink cubes and VersaFine Onyx black ink, sentiment from a (retired) Hero Arts September 2016 card kit, gold glitter hearts

I used just one of the brush stroke stamps repeatedly, using fall colored ink, shortening the strokes as I went upwards.  I stamped the sentiment, then added a heart from the set stamped to give a feel of falling leaves, and a bit of glitz with the heart stickers to finish.

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

Simon's October Card Kit: Brushstroke Messages

We've been on our annual September getaway these last few weeks, and returned to find my Simon Says Stamp Card Kit for October waiting for me!  It's always hard to get started creating after a layoff, so I decided to dive right in using this kit.  Here's my first card using it:

supplies: Simon's Brushstroke Messages Card Kit for October, which included Soft Navy cardstock, My Mind's Eye Blush paper pad, Simon's Spiral Flower die, Brushstroke Messages clear stamps, Simon's Steel Navy embossing powder

I used one of the foiled patterned papers for my background, and stamped the sentiment with Versamark and the new Steel Navy embossing powder.  I die-cut 3 of the Spiral Flowers from pink, white, and navy and mixed and matched the frame and inner parts of them, and added some leaves fussy-cut from another of the patterned papers.  Then the panel was added to a Soft Navy card base.  Everything was in the kit except the center dots of my flowers.

It looks like the kit sold out, but I've listed as many of the elements that I could up there under supplies.  Here's what the kit looks like - it has some beautiful My Mind's Eye foiled copper patterned papers, and a fabulous new stamp set that includes lots of brush strokes!  Can't wait to play with them next!

Simon's September Card Kit "Best Birthday"

Little heart shakers???  YES, please!  And what could be a better match than scrumptious girly Doodlebug Fairy Tale papers!  Here's the Simon Says Stamp Card Kit for September:

I made a card using the papers and extras, no stamping this time, and packed it full of hearts!

supplies: white card base, custom papers inspired by the Doodlebug Fairy Tale collection, custom sprinkles inspired by the same, heart shaker tag and shaker, my own mix of sequins for inside, my own Doodlebug cupcake twine

One of the papers in this collection is made up of lots of different stripes, so I sliced off a few of them for the bottom of my tag.  I used another of the papers, pink hearts, for my scalloped background, and its reverse, heart stripes, for inside the shaker.  These tiny shakers couldn't be easier to put together - the shaped shakers have adhesive all ready to go on them!

For anyone with daughters or granddaughters, this kit is a must!  Don't wait too long!

Simon Says..........Use Patterned Paper

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

Our challenge this week is to use patterned paper, and the Design Team are playing with my favorite paper maker, Doodlebug!  They make the most adorable papers, all scaled down in their 6" pads for us cardmakers!

My first card uses a favorite stamp from Wplus9, called Doodle Buds!  What a perfect match for today's challenge - Doodle Buds stamped on Doodlebug papers!

supplies: white card base, patterned papers from these Doodlebug 6" pads: Hello Sunshine, Dot-Grid-Daisy-Stripe Rainbow Petite Prints, Gingham Rainbow Petite Prints, and Kraft in Color, Wplus9 Doodle Bud stamp set, Simon Scallop Stitches die, assorted enamel dots

I started by choosing the floral panel and then found other papers to pull the colors from it.  These flowers and leaf stamps are perfect for this, as they're not to small to cut apart the individual parts and piece them back together again.  After everything was assembled, I stamped a few of the squiggles and added some enamel dots.

My next card uses a patchwork background technique that my friend Mary Anne taught me years ago, and materials from a Simon Card Kit from February this year:

supplies: white cardstock, Doodlebug Cream & Sugar paper pad, sentiments from Simon's Coffee & Tea set, Stitched Rectangle and Stitched Circle dies, Doodlebug Latte Love shape sprinkles

Here's a little tip to help you curve a straight sentiment: use the negative circle die-cut (the panel with the circular hole) as a guide to stick your sentiment stamp onto your Misti or stamping block.

Now it's your turn - I can't wait to see what you create!  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!

And just a reminder to check out the Simon Says Stamp store for a fun holiday sale on our own Simon brand products!

One more Wedding Card

I've seen several people use metallic/pearlescent watercolors on black cardstock, and I wanted to throw my hat in the ring, too.  The main floral image from Simon's Floral Bliss stamp set is the perfect vehicle to try this technique.

supplies: black cardstock, platinum glitter paper from DCWV Glitzy cardstock stack, pink dp from Echo Park's Wedding Bliss collection, Simon's Floral Bliss stamps, embossed in Ranger Liquid Platinum powder, and painted in with Yasutomo Pearlescent watercolors, clear sequins in centers of large roses

I also stamped and platinum embossed one of the single flowers in the stamp set on 2 pink slices of paper, to pull all the glitz all the way across the card, and added 3 clear sparkly sequins for a tiny bit more.  These watercolors are lovely against black - I only wish I could capture how pretty they really are, but I have a dreary day here, so I had to wing it!  If you want to see more examples of this technique, be sure to visit Simon's June 2017 Card Kit Gallery HERE, and look for Amy's and Nichol's gorgeous cards.

June Card Kit

Here's a 2nd card using the Simon June Card Kit.

supplies: black cardstock, my own vellum, Simon's Floral Bliss, Zig markers, 2 of the design papers from Echo Park Wedding Bliss collection

I white embossed the pretty floral onto a strip of vellum, colored it with Zig markers, turned it over, then wrapped it around a panel of script dp.  That was framed with black strips and striped paper, and the sentiment was added to finish.

Here's the Card Kit:

It's still available, but don't wait too long - I'm positive it will be another sell out!

Soft Wedding Card

I think the Simon June Card Kit is one of the prettiest in awhile - of course, I'm a flower girl, so I may be a bit biased!  Mine arrived this afternoon, and here is my first card using the supplies in the kit (plus my own pale pink pearls and 2 tiny strips of a mocha paper).

supplies: Simon's Floral Bliss clear stamp set, stamped in Hero Arts Latte ink, dps from Echo Park Wedding Bliss collection, plus dark brown strips: Hero Arts mocha layering paper, pale pink pearls

I used a big polka dot paper, plus a pink stripe and soft beige and pink solids from the dps included.  I love this soft beige and pale pink combo, and florals, dots and stripes always work together.......

Here's a picture of everything in the kit:

Can you see that there are TWO full-size ink pads in this kit, a sample of Daniel Smith watercolors, and a gorgeous ivory metallic envelope, not to mention those beautiful patterned papers!  Run to Simon Says Stamp before this kit sells out!!

Simon's May Kit - Animation

My Simon Card Kit arrived this afternoon, and I had a play with the animation stamps and grid line acetate paper in it that makes the stamps appear to move.  The stamp set this month is exclusive to this kit only.

supplies: Doll Pink cardstock card base, white cardstock to stamp on, butterfly dp from Illustrated Faith Basic collection, butterfly stamp from Uchi's Designs Animation clear stamp set and grid line acetate paper, sentiment from acetate Happy Things sheet, glossy accents to secure it to card, My Favorite Things Peek-a-Boo Window die as frame (not in kit)

When the grid paper is used in conjunction with the stamps, and one slides over the other, it appears that the images are moving!  So by pulling and pushing the stamped butterflies back and forth, they appear to be fluttering!

Here's all that is in this month's kit - there's even a set of Crayola markers to use to color the 2 Suzy watercolor cards, and a fun ready-to-use animated gift card slider!

Wild Cuddly Critters

My Simon Says Stamp April Card Kit arrived yesterday; sadly it's already sold out.  But I had fun making some tags using the included action wobblers and the adorable critters in the stamp set.  These will go to our 3 grandchildren - they are still young enough that I think they'll like playing with the wobblers, and they can perhaps hang the tags on a doorknob or drawer pull.......

supplies: white cardstock, Simon's Wild Cuddly Critters stamps, Zig markers to color, #5 kraft tags, dps from Lawn Fawn's Perfectly Plaid Rainbow pad, action wobblers, my own twine/ribbon and googly eyes

There is also a set of Simon cube inks in the kit that are such fun colors!  I've already made a card using them, but that will be shared down the road a bit........

Here's all that was included in the card kit:

The kits have been selling out quickly each month, so if you want to be assured not to miss any of the upcoming ones, go HERE to automatically subscribe.  You'll save yourself $5.00 each month, and will never have to worry about missing another kit!

Happy Easter

I received my Simon March Card Kit over the weekend, and here's a card using it:

supplies: white and Bright Yellow cardstock, Echo Park Celebrate Easter dps, Simon's Some Bunny stamp set and Oval of Flowers stencil, Tonic Nuvo Aquamarine Mousse, Zig markers and water to color chick, my own yellow sequins

I knew I wanted to use the stencil and some of the new mousse, and when I saw the daisy print paper in the paper pack, I decided to use aqua and yellow as my colors.  Everything fell into line nicely after that decision was made.  The mousse is creamy and easy to us and dries to a lovely pearlescent glimmer.  Everything cleans up with water, too!

The Card Kit sold out almost immediately, but the stamp set and this mousse color are available at this writing.  Don't forget that you can subscribe to Simon's Card Kits at a savings of $5.00 a month and never miss another one!

Thanks for stopping by

Simon's February Card Kit

Here's a card using the Simon Says Stamp February Card Kit!

supplies: surf blue, white, and doll pink cardstock, dps from Doodlebug Cream & Sugar  and (teal print from) Dot Grid Daisy paper pads, Simon's Coffee and Tea stamp set,  aqua marker, Simon's Stitched Rectangle and Stitched Circle dies and Die-Namics Blueprints 20 banner die

This stamp set has some really fun sentiments, and the kit includes adorable embellishments, especially this Coffee Love die, and some Doodlebug Latte Love epoxy stickers - can't wait to play with them next!

SSS January 2017 Card Kit

My Simon January Card Kit arrived yesterday, and I'm thrilled with these shades of blue and the delicate snowflake stamps in this kit!  Here's my first card using the supplies in the kit.  I envisioned sparkly silver flakes against a beautiful clear blue sky:

supplies: white cardstock, cornflower blue vellum, silver sequins, and Frozen Fractals stamp set from kit, silver embossing powder, Cornflower ink

I cut a panel of the darker of the luscious vellum/parchment papers, stamped the snowflakes randomly across the surface, then heat embossed them in silver.  I secured that panel onto my white card base using glossy accents under the center of each snowflake, then used cornflower ink and silver embossing to stamp my sentiment on a die-cut stitched scalloped square.

As you can see, also in the kit are a selection of pretty small-scale design papers, along with a sheet of Cornflower Blue cardstock - I have been waiting YEARS for this country blue shade to appear again, and I mustn't be the only one, as it is out of stock for now.  The other fun plus in this kit is a Lawn Fawn Shammy stamp cleaner cloth!  It sure beats the old washcloth I've been using, that leaves lint behind on my stamps.

As always, if you're liking what you see, don't wait to long to order your own kit!