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

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

Our theme this week is Anything Goes and my teamies and I are showcasing Wplus9 goodies.  

I have 2 cards, both using flowers in the colors of the season.

supplies: Bristol paper and Audrey Blue card stock, Wplus9 Beautiful Bouquets Mums and Hand Lettered Thanks stamps, Spectrum Aqua markers and water, Simon's Thanks and Stitched Rectangle dies

When I think of mums, I think of those in autumn colors of golds, burgundies, and rusts, and colored these with that in mind.  Dawn of Wplus9 makes it so easy to make a card with her Beautiful Bouquets stamps - I just trimmed a piece of Bristol, stamped and watercolored the image, and added a few splatters and my sentiment. 

This next one features an older stamp, but one I still enjoy playing with, because it's one of those multi-stamp sets where you can overstamp to give a little more detail:

supplies: Simon Cream and Orange Peel card stock, Wplus9 Watercolored Anemones, Altenew Warm and Cozy inks, Hero Arts Green Hills and Grass inks, Simon's Thanks Scallop Border die

I stamped the sprays and flowers, cut them out, and then trimmed the lower one to fit under and around the scalloped panel.

Now it's your turn!  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!

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!

My Favorite Time of Year

Can you stand one more card for fall?

supplies: white and kraft card stock, Memory Box Grove Branch die, Simon Says Stamp Stitched Maple Trio dies, The Craft's Meow Speaking of Fall sentiment, distress inks

A simple design - I just masked the card edges, sponged on peacock feathers and salty ocean distress inks, then die-cut my branch and leaves (which were sponged with fall distress ink colors) and arranged them above my stamped sentiment.

This is the best of fall for me - the crisp blue skies and the dazzling colors of the leaves.

Our fall this year is not going according to plan - hardly any color and certainly not any crisp temperatures either.  Guess I'll have to look forward to next year!

Fall

We are having a not very pretty fall here - it's been too warm for this time of year and everything is still green.  So I thought I'd play with one of Tammy Tutterow's clings and make my own fall.  Put on your sunglasses - this is a bright one!

supplies: white, Dark Chocolate, and watercolor paper, Tammy's Fall for You cling stamp, Hero Arts (retired) Maple Leaf cling stamp, various fall distress inks and lots of water, Spectrum Aqua markers, Simon's Stitched Maple Trio dies

I started with a piece of watercolor paper, and stamped the big maple leaf all across it in varying shades of distress inks, spritzing with lots of water.  Then I used the puddles of those same inks to splatter more color.  When dry, I overstamped the Fall for You and colored the details with my markers, then framed it in chocolate and added it to an oversize card base (5 1/4" X 4 3/4").  After die-cutting the small stitched leaves, I used the same distress inks to color them, then added them to my card.

Hope you're enjoying your day - thanks for coming by!

Simon Says..............Photo Inspiration

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

This week we have a photo inspiration board for you, put together by Jenn:

And the DT are playing with Paper Smooches products.

I concentrated on three of these colors, and played with a cute birch tree die.

supplies: white, kraft, gold, Burnt Orange and Dark Chocolate card stock, Paper Smooches Birch Trees dies, Impression Obsession Autumn Leaves die, Simon's Trick or Treat bats, Hero Arts (retired) Halloween sentiments, Simon's Stitched Circle die

Now it's your turn - how will you be inspired?  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!

Pumpkin Spice and You

I recently received some new goodies, and today was my day to play with them.

supplies: Surf Blue and cream cardstock, lots of fall design papers, Newton's Nook Fall-ing for You, Hero Arts Coffee Cup dies, My Favorite Things Stitched Tag die, Technique Tuesday Hugs die, Impression Obsession leaf die, Simon's Stitched Rectangle die, natural twine

I thought this sentiment summed up pretty well what fall means to me, and it was fun to pair it with the coffee cup.  I love all the fall coffee flavors that pop up each season!

Hope your weekend is turning out to be a great one!  And I wanted to make sure you've seen the upcoming November Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp - I think it may be their best one yet!  I am absolutely certain it will be a sell-out, if for no other reason than the big 6 x 8 Kind Flowers stamp set in it will sell separately for what a card kit subscription will cost you; it's like getting the gorgeous papers and everything else in the kit for free!  Run, don't walk, and order yours today! HERE's the video that shows everything in the kit.  And be sure to visit the Gallery to see some cards using it.

Here's a peek:

Five for Friday!

It's Five for Friday at Tammy Tutterow's blog, and I decided to use her heart and flowers dies to make a fall heart card.

supplies: ivory and kraft cardstock, patterned papers from Doodlebug's Flea Market and a retired blue dot, Tammy's Prim Heart and Bitty Posies dies, Tim Holtz Wish sentiment, My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 stitched rectangle die, adhesive foam squares to pop up heart

Here's a closer pic so that you can read the sentiment better, since it's a tiny one:

I hope you'll visit Tammy's Blog to see what my talented sisters have done this time!

New Holiday Release at Simon Says Stamp - Making Spirits Bright!!

I'm pleased to share some cards that I made using the die that I received for this new Making Spirits Bright holiday release - it's called Pine Needle Wreath!  I have 2 cards - one in traditional Christmas colors, and the 2nd in a more modern lime and pink.

supplies: white, green, and Simon's Schoolhouse Red card stock, Pine Needle Wreath, Hero Arts Joy die, red pearls

I used Jennifer McGuire's layered die technique for this one, cutting the die 4 times from green card stock and layering it, using the negative of the die-cut to position the pine branches.

The next one is a more traditional use of the die, just cutting it from white cardstock, and aligning it over a lime one to let the branches show through.

supplies: pink, white, and Simon's Green Apple card stock, My Favorite Things Merry & Bright Plaid design paper, Simon's Pine Needle Wreath and Merry & Bright clear stamp sentiment, Altenew Puffy Heart ink, Lawn Fawn Stitched Scallop  Border die, bow die from MFT (retired) Spring Wreath, pink pearls

Be sure to visit the Simon Says Stamp store to see the rest of this newest release for the Holidays!

Simon Says............Thinking of You

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

Our theme this time is "Thinking of You"; the design team are playing with Memory Box products.  We'd love to see you using your Memory Box products, but it's not a requirement to enter the challenge.

Here's my first card, using this sweet little lacy butterfly duo:

supplies: white and pool card stock, design papers from Pebbles Garden Party (floral, pink grid, and aqua gingham), Memory Box Calais Butterflies, Simon Expressions for You die and stamp set and Stitched Rectangle die, pink and aqua pearls

I first cut out my stitched rectangle, then die-cut the butterfly duo twice from that, and inlaid the butterflies back in.  I purposely cut the butterflies to hang out over the stitched panel just a bit.  Separately I die-cut the butterflies again from design papers, and separated out the larger butterfly to pop above my card surface.

Next, a card with flowers and an embossed doily:

supplies: white, Simon's Green Leaf, Doodlebug Cupcake cardstock, pink plaid from Doodlebug Gingham/Linen Rainbow petite prints pad, Memory Box Bella Bouquet, Sizzix/Tim Holtz Doily embossing folder, MFT Blueprints 20 scalloped rectangle die, and (retired) bow die from their Spring Wreath die set, (retired) The Craft's Meow sentiment from Potted Garden, adhesive foam squares

A hint about mixing stamping and dry-embossing - stamp first, then emboss over that - as you can see, the embossing doesn't mar the sentiment done this way, but it would be almost impossible to get a good impression if you tried to stamp over an embossed surface.....

Now it's your turn!  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!

For World Card Making Day!

I always try to make time for making some cards on every World Card Making Day - I love the thought that so many of us are doing the same thing all over the world!  I have 3 cards for you, all of them for fall birthdays.

I'm first playing with a new wreath die I just received this week.  Here are my first cards using it.

supplies: Simon Orange Peel  and a cream recycled cardstock, Poppy Stamps Leafy Wreath Collage die, distress inks, PTI Birthday die, remainder of stamped sentiment from Winnie & Walter Big, Bold & Happy clear stamps

I simply cut the die from a recycled panel, then popped it over another panel that I had sponged with distress inks.  

My 2nd card took a little more work:

supplies: white and Simon's Burnt Orange card stock, Poppy Stamps Leafy Wreath Collage, distress inks, sentiment from Simon's Birthday Flowers, natural twine bow

For this one I first sponged 3 different panels with distress inks, in pink, gold, and orange mixes, then cut out the leaves from each one.  Then I used one of the negative die-cut wreaths and temporarily positioned it over a white panel as a mask, then carefully glued a variety of the die-cut leaves through the mask.  I was using Jennifer McGuire's Layered Die Cuts technique HERE.  When everything was secure, I lifted off the mask, stamped a sentiment using 3 inks, and secured it to my card backing, adding a twine bow and topping that with another of the leaves.

And here's one more, using some beautiful rose dies in autumn colors.

supplies: cream, yellow, Simon's Lipstick Red and Orange Peel card stock, My Favorite Things Dots & Stripes Fresh dp, Altenew Fantasy Florals dies, My Favorite Things All Occasion sentiment

I used Michelle's idea to cut the leaves from the backing and allow a printed paper to show through for them.  

Thanks for stopping by today - hope you have a lovely weekend!

Simon Says...........Christmas of Joy

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

Our theme this week is Christmas, and my teamies and I are playing with Penny Black products.  I have always been partial to their beautiful bird stamps, and so I decided to use 2 older ones for my post today, and coincidentally, both cards also use one of my favorite sentiment words, "Joy"!

supplies: white and Schoolhouse Red cardstock, Penny Black Nature's Best cling stamp and Joy to the World die, alcohol markers to color, red pearls

My 2nd card features a collage-style wood stamp, another style of stamp that Penny Black does very well:

supplies: ivory, green, and copper glitter card stock, and a panel of patterned paper for my stash, old paper distress ink, Penny Black Song of Joy wood stamp, Zig markers to color, copper watercolor paint for hanging star, tiny gold sequin for center of star, Wplus9 Hand Lettered Holiday die, adhesive foam to pop up star

I stamped and embossed the image on ivory cardstock, then used my Zig markers to color in the greenery, bird, and berries.  Next I sponged the panel with old paper distress ink before framing it in a green card stock, and mounting that onto my patterned panel.  I separately stamped the star/ornament and watercolored it with a copper pearlescent paint to match the sentiment that was die-cut from copper glitter paper, and popped that above the card, adding a teensy sequin to its center for more sparkle.  I chose "Joy" because the name of the stamp is "Song of Joy".

Now it's your turn!  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!

Last of the Roses.......

As I said earlier, we've been away for a few weeks, to Maine and Nova Scotia, trying to find some fall weather.  We were unsuccessful,  but enjoyed the change of beautiful scenery and wonderful fresh seafood!  Our daughter-in-law wondered if we would turn into lobsters, we ate so much of it!

As I always do after taking that much time off, I have a hard time getting back into creating.  So for these first few days I've been using materials that are no-brainers, and practically make a card themselves, like these amazing Altenew floral dies.  I paired them with some Doodlebug cardstock to allow me to use 3 shades of this corally pink, and made the leaves a darker green than I usually use.....I like the results!

supplies: ivory cardstock, Altenew Fantasy Florals dies, 3 different corals/pinks and a yellow from Doodlebug Rainbow Textured cardstock collection and an unknown dark green for the leaves, sentiment from Hero Arts Hello Sunshine Daisies, Winnie & Walter Audrey's Cutaways stitched scalloped rectangle die, Doodlebug enamel hearts sprinkles

This time I used some thin foam adhesive to separate the 3 layers of the roses from each other, and after arranging them I just added a sweet sentiment and some hearts that match perfectly in color, thanks to them both being Doodlebug products!  I was trying to recreate our knockout Rainbow roses, which are still blooming.

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!