Color Throwdown

I just love the colors this week at the Color Throwdown!  I was inspired to pull out some new-to-me dies and create with them!

supplies: white cardstock, picked raspberry, spiced marmalade, and shabby shutters distress inks, sponging tool, Simon's Single Roses and Painted Hugs dies, sequins to match

Here's our darling inspiration:

From Places Abroad: Thailand

Altenew has a monthly challenge called From Places Abroad, and this month our destination is Thailand!  Here's my entry:

supplies: white and gold glitter cardstock, unknown lattice diecut from a friend, Altenew Painted Flowers, Altenew Shades of Purple and Glacier Caves and Hero Arts Tide Pool and Splash inks, discontinued Simon sentiment, Ranger super fine detail gold embossing powder

Here's our inspiration. 

It's always fun to see how everyone interprets these prompts - be sure to visit!

Simon Says Stamp New Release: My Favorite!

Simon has a new release, debuting today, called My Favorite!

Here's a card I made using a new stamp set called Beautiful Ride.

supplies: white cardstock, Simon Beautiful Ride stamp set, mowed lawn, mustard seed, and mermaid lagoon distress inks, Simon Stitched Rectangle die, Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares

When I first saw this stamp set, it brought back memories of my parents wintering in Florida.  Daddy always made sure he had a bicycle at whatever house they would rent, and he loved putting their little dachshund into the basket each day for a ride around the neighborhood.  It was a great ice-breaker with all the neighbors each year!

This fun stamp set has all kinds of "little things" to put into your bicycle basket, and I know you'll make it your own.  My bicycle was fussy-cut, but there's a matching die set, or, if you'd like, a set that includes both the stamps and dies.  I used the smooshing method to add some color to my background.

This is a small release, but there's something for everyone!  Head on over to the Simon Store to see everything!

Simon Says.........Make it Girlie

It's Wednesday and that means a new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our challenge this week is "Make it Girlie", and my teammates and I are using Hero Arts products.  I made 2 very different cards today:

supplies: cream, kraft, and 2 Doodlebug pinks cardstock, Hero Arts Classic Tea Rose, picked raspberry and mowed lawn distress markers, Molotow masking fluid, Memory Box Pinpoint Rectangle Layers dies, Old Letter Writing, tea dye distress ink, Hello Stamp & Cut die, Heart Accent Pearl, natural twine, lace

I inked the flower stamp using distress markers, then stamped it onto a panel and lightly brushed it with a damp brush to spread the color out.  After it was dry, I used masking fluid to cover the flower before overstamping the script background, and sponging on a little more tea dye distress ink around the flower.  The masking fluid was then rubbed off, and I trimmed the panel with a pinpoint die, framed it in a skinny kraft frame, then again in a Doodlebug pink.  Since the challenge this week is "girly", I went all the way and used some old lace trim to frame the panel one more time, then added my triple-cut sentiment, a twine bow and a Hero Arts heart pearl.  

After all the layers and detail on the above card, I wanted to make a much simpler design for my second card.

supplies: white, periwinkle, and dark aqua cardstock, Bold Floral Stencil, blueprint sketch, mermaid lagoon, and lucky clover distress inks, Happy Stamp & Cut set, Lawn Fawn Stitched Scalloped Borders die, Winnie & Walter Audrey's Cutaways scallopped frame die, Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear sequins

For this card I inked directly onto the stencil using distress inks, then spritzed it lightly before "stamping" it onto white card.  I trimmed the panel, adhered it to a periwinkle card base, then added my sentiment and sequins.

Now it's your turn!  I can't wait to see what you make!  We have a $50.00 gift voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store for one lucky random winner of our challenge!

A Little Birdie.....

Here's a last-minute entry to the current Share Joy challenge. I used the sketch only.  One of my favorite things about springtime is the pretty greens of the newly emerging leaves, so I started with that and everything followed.

supplies: kraft, red, 2 blues and Hero Arts Grass cardstock, and MFT Farm Fresh Gingham, Taylored Expressions woodgrain cardstock, sponged with ground espresso distress ink to bring out the woodgrain,  and their Leafy Vines embossing folder, Paper Smooches Birdhouse dies, Lil Inker Stitched Tag, May Arts natural twine

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello Sunshine

It is a beautiful day here today, so I thought I'd post a card full of sunshine that was recently sent off to a friend.

supplies: white, black,  and yellow cardstock, black dotty dp, Simon Floral Bookmarking flowers and leaves,  Altenew Warm Sunshine and Simon Jelly Bean inks, Painted Hello and Stitched Rectangle die, Winnie & Walter Audrey Cutaways scalloped die

I love this time of year when things begin popping out of the ground!  It's that sunshine that makes it happen!

Hello Hollyhocks

Just sharing another watercolored flower die.  These were actually colored with pinks, but they're showing up as more peachy on my monitor.....whatever, I'm still having fun with them!

supplies: white, black, and Green Apple cardstock, watercolor paper, Impression Obsession Hollyhock dies, Spectrum Aqua markers, water, Hero Arts Hello Stamp & Cut, Tim Holtz Bricked embossing folder, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

If you missed my first watercolor use of this die earlier this week, you can see it here.

And Virginia's View is having a Link-Up Party, so I'm linking this card there.  She's asking for any kind of friendship card: hello, miss you, etc.

Charmed Heart

I just ordered one of the new die sets from Simon's latest Stitched Plush Spring release, and I have a heart to share with you today!

supplies: Simon Plush Charmed Heart dies, Taylored Expressions Marshmallow, Avocado, Cherry Blossom, Orchid, and PTI Harvest Gold felts, DMC embroidery flosses, thin silk ribbon, polyester stuffing

This heart die has everything you need to make lots of stuffed hearts.  Besides the flowers that you see today, there are also a small star, heart, ruffled flower, and a scalloped die.  What do I do with this, you say?  These hearts could be Christmas ornaments, gift attachments, and if you add something scented inside, like potpourri or an oil, they could be attached to lingerie hangers to prettify your closet!  Or you could sew a pin on the back and wear it on a coat.   Add a magnet to the back and put it on your fridge!  And you don't have to use felt - use paper and put it on the front of a card.  I'm sure you can think of some other fun uses for it!

When I decided to add the little ribbon bow, I discovered that you could use ribbon for your stitching on these dies, an idea that I will be trying next.  I know I'll be making lots of these now and way into the future!  Thanks for stopping by!

Simon Says........Let's Do the Polka!

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog!

We are playing with Lawn Fawn products this week, and our theme is Let's Do the Polka: make something using dots/

Dots have always been a favorite motif of mine, so I decided to make a set of birthday cards, using some common supplies on all of them: Let's Polka 12" paper pack, Sophie's Sentiments, and Stitched Scalloped Borders.  I did 4 monochromatic cards using each of 4 colors, and a 5th card using all of the 4 colors.

additional supplies: a Prima Flower

additional supplies: Simon's Leanna Butterfly and a sequin to match

additional supplies: Lawn Fawn Scripty Hugs die, enamel dots

     

Additional supplies: Lawn Fawn Our Friendship Grows flower

Additional supplies: Lil' Inker Perky Posies dies and sequins to match

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!

Watercolored Hollyhocks

It may be a bit early for hollyhocks, but maybe this will help chase the last of winter away!

supplies: Sea Glass card base, watercolor paper, Impression Obsession Hollyhocks die, Spectrum Aqua markers and water, Simon's (retired) Summer Garden sentiment, Winnie & Walter Audrey Cutaways

I recently got a birthday card from my sweet friend Mary Anne, and she featured a watercolored flower die on that card - so the seed was planted.  But it wasn't until I saw this card by Reni that I knew which die I wanted to play with.  So I cut out a bunch of these dies this weekend and had a fun afternoon watercoloring them!  This won't be the last you'll see of these......

Hope you're off to a good start for the week!  

For our Grandson

Just sharing.......

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, white and silver glitter cardstock, Simon's Birthday Circle dies, Hero Arts Upper Case Alphabet die, Simon's Sparkle & Shine sentiment stamp, Martha Stewart confetti, enamel dots

Our oldest grandson turns 7 this month, and he's past the baby stuff, I think, so I made him a shaker card with "grown-up" elements this year!  Personalizing it was my husband's idea.......

Welcome Spring

Skidding in with a last-minute entry to Winnie & Walter's Share the Love challenge.  They had a week of collaboration with PinkFresh Studio.  I remembered I had some design papers from Pink Fresh, and was motivated by Vanessa's card on Day 2.  Here's my entry:

supplies: Simon's Sea Glass and Surf Blue and white cardstock, PinkFresh Studio dp from their Christmas release paper pad, Winnie & Walter Spring cutaway from their Big, Bold Seasons, set, and "welcome" from the coordinating Big, Bold Seasons stamp set, a K&Company sticker, blue rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by today!  

HE will Sustain You

Here's a card I made for this week's Share Joy challenge.

supplies: white and Doodlebug blue cardstock, amuse blue gingham, Taylored Expressions Uplifting Watercolor Panel, Spectrum Aqua markers and water, Simon Moonshine sequins

I adore gingham, so that's where I started, and then framed up one of the lovely Uplifting panels, using the same colors as are in our inspiration photo this week.

This is a wonderful scripture to me......and I believe it wholeheartedly!  

Share the Love week

I'm hopping in at the last minute with a card for Winnie & Walter's Share the Love Week.  I was enthralled with Lea's shaker card on Day 5, and here's my version of it:

supplies: white card base, dp from My Favorite Things Lucky Prints, Doodlebug pink cardstock, Simon Green Apple cardstock, silver glitter cardstock, Winnie & Walter Happiest of Holidays and Big Bold Seasons cutaway, DieNamics Spring Wreath, Memory Box Fancy Blossoms, Pretty Pink Posh Cornflower and Sparkling Clear and Simon pink flower sequins

I've always had a crush on anything that had to do with birds.  These adorable images are actually from a Holiday set, but they work just as well for any season.

Hope you're having a great weekend!