For You, with Love

Here's another card from the Simon August Card Kit, this time featuring the pretty Modern Rose Blooms cling and another of the floral stamps from Mandy's Flowers.  Since my last card was soft pastels, I went a little brighter with this one.

supplies: white, pale gold, and black card stock, Modern Rose Blooms cling, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder, picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks, round sponging tool, Mandy's Flowers, alcohol markers to color, Doodlebug Tiny Hearts, Simon's Stitched Rectangle and Stitched Circle dies

I had first white embossed the Modern Rose onto a pale gold cardstock, but didn't like the results, so I sponged on some distress inks, then went with those colors to color my flower pot.

Here's all that you get in the Card Kit:

There are matching dies coming soon, if that's something you'd be interested in.  

Simon's August Card Kit

I know I've said this many times, but this may be my favorite Simon Card Kit EVER!  The amazing stamp sets, lovely papers, and those teeny hearts - swoooooon!  Here's my first play (it won't be the last)!

supplies: white and Cotton Candy card stock, Simon's Mandy's Flowers clear stamp set, Tonic Nuvo markers to color, Bo Bunny Early Bird patterned paper, twine, Doodlebug Tiny Hearts sprinkles, Simon's Scallop Stitches and my own oval dies

After stamping the flower jar image and cutting it into an oval shape, I pierced each side of the top of the jar with a needle and threaded the twine through, then tied it into a bow and topped it with one of the adorable tiny hearts.  The rest of the card was just a matter of layering the gorgeous elements together.

This kit is really an amazing value - it is less than the price of the 2 stamp sets in it!  And it's even better if you buy it at the subscription price!!  I know this set will be a much-loved classic!

Hugs and Prayers

I needed a card for a friend, and remembered this beauty by Debbie Olson.  So I CASEd her sketch, changing up my sentiment and flowers, using some of my favorites.

supplies: white and Audrey Blue card stock, Impression Obsession Wooden Plank cling background stamp, VersaMark and white embossing powder, Altenew Painted Flowers, Rose Petal mini inks, Hero Arts Green Hills and Grass inks, Hero Arts Prayers sentiments, Audrey Blue ink

It's a gorgeous summer day here; the humidity is at bay for awhile!  Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Simon Says........Use a Die or Punch

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

This week we'd like you to use a die or a punch in your creation.  My teamies and I are using products from Birch Press Design.  You don't have to use them, but we'd love to see them if you have them.

I chose their pretty Just Because die and paired it with a Lawn Fawn cover die and a Simon flower bouquet:

supplies: black, white, and Audrey Blue card stock, Birch Press Design Sugar Script Just Because die, Simon's Center Cut Flowers cling stamp, Nuvo markers: Aquamarine, Sunshine Yellow, and Irish Clover, Lawn Fawn Quilted Backdrop cover die, adhesive foam squares to pop bouquet above card

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Don't forget about our ongoing Kid's Challenge this month. All details can be found HERE. 

Plaid Thanks

Thank you cards are always high on the list of needed cards - here's one made of lots of dies and a stamped background:

supplies: white, rose, yellow and Green Apple card, Concord & 9th Plaid Background clear stamps, Simon's Hollyhock and Green Apple inks, a green Zig marker to color in the diagonal stripes, Simon's Single Roses leaf and Thanks dies, Lil Inker Perky Posies flower dies, Winnie & Walter Noelle scalloped rectangle die, adhesive pearls for flower centers, adhesive foam to raise top panel

Hope your week is off to a great start - I'm hoping for a break from the heat and humidity!

The Little Things

This summer I've been enjoying what appears to be a bumper crop of cherries, and they have been delicious!  The other day I remembered this amazing Sunny Studio clear stamp set that I had missed when it first came out.  It arrived earlier this week, and here's my first play with it.

supplies: white card, red gingham dp from Sunny Studio Classic Gingham paper pack and Berry Bliss clear stamp set,  Hero Arts inks in reds (Pale Tomato and Red Royal),  greens (Green Hills and Grass), and Latte, Simon's Beautiful Ride sentiment and Scallop Stitches die, MFT's Stitched Mini Scallop Square die, adhesive foam squares 

Of course I had to pair the stamped image with their red gingham - this card makes me happy!  Hope it does the same for you!

Coincidentally, Sunny Studios has some new delights just out - gorgeous new paper pads in jewel tones and some fun stamps and dies, too - check them out HERE!

Simon Says........Fun in the Sun

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

Our theme this week is Fun in the Sun, and my teamies and I are playing with Mama Elephant goodies!  Summer is the time for picnics and being outside, so I chose this cute picnic set.

supplies: white card and Bristol paper, Mama Elephant Picnic with Friends, Zig markers and water to color, mowed lawn and broken china distress inks for background

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Don't forget about our ongoing Kid's Challenge this month. All details can be found HERE. 

Playing with Plaid

I was in the mood to make my own plaid.

supplies: white card stock, Tammy Tutterow Mad for Plaid stencils and Tiny Sentiments stamp, Winnie & Walter Scenery: Stripes (stamped stitched line), Simon's Beautiful Day butterflies and Stitched Rectangle dies, worn lipstick and squeezed lemonade distress oxide inks, VersaFine Onyx Black ink

After using Tammy's stencil to sponge my background, I stamped the stitched lines to add a diagonal.  I used the same inks to watercolor my butterflies.

Thanks for stopping by - hope your week is off to a great start!

A Rainbow Hello

I give all the credit for this card to my friend Mary Anne.  We were discussing these Sunny Studio paper pads, and she had the idea to use them on a large sentiment die like this one.

supplies: white card, Winnie & Walter In a Word Hello cutaway, Avery Elle Simply Said Hello stamped sentiment, Tammy Tutterow Bitty Posies flower and leaf dies, MFT Wonky Rectangle die, Sunny Studio Rainbow Bright and Classic Gingham paper pads, Doodlebug sprinkles for flower centers

LOVE these bright happy colors!

Thanks for stopping by!

And one more time........

and we'll call it done for this year's Hollyhock studies.......

supplies: white card stock, Bristol paper, dps from Echo Park Bundle of Joy Dots & Stripes, Penny Black Hollyhocks wood stamp, Spectrum Aqua markers and water,  Wplus9 Hello die, PTI mix and mat die

A pretty simple design, I'll skip the explanations this time.  Thanks for stopping by!

Simon Says Stamp...........Red, White, and Blue

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

Our theme this week is Red, White, and/or Blue, in honor of our country's birthday today!  My teamies and I are playing with Simon Says Stamp exclusive goodies.

supplies: white and Soft Navy card stock, Simon's Brush Stroke Messages and Seeing Stars stamp sets, Lipstick Red and Navy inks, retired Fireworks stencil from Simon's July 2016 Card Kit, Nuvo Pure Platinum embellishment mousse and glitter, Impression Obsession Stars and Stripes cling stamp

I trimmed a piece of white cardstock and stamped my sentiment using red and navy inks, and then did the same with my brush-stroke stripes and stars.  Then I used my stencil to add some fireworks.  After spreading platinum mousse through the stencil I removed it and added some glitter for some sparkle.

Here's one more card, just for fun - I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and thought I'd see if I could make it work, using Simon's Scallop Stitches.  I paired it with a teddy from my collection.

supplies: Lipstick Red, white, and Soft Navy card stock, the largest Simon's Scallop Stitches and heart dies from (retired) Heart Flowers

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!

Before I go, I have a reminder for you. First we are in the midst of our month-long Kid's Challenge.

It's open to young people between 2 and 16; here's your chance to let your kids' artwork shine!

Hot, hot, HOT!

Still at it with my hollyhock kick, this time reflecting our current weather.

supplies: white card, watercolor paper, Impression Obsession Hollyhock dies, picked raspberry, carved pumpkin, ripe persimmon, and mustard seed distress inks, blending tool, water, Simon's 4 Seasons stamp and die, Lawn Fawn Quilted Backdrop cover plate

This time I started with a panel and sponged on what I think of as summer colors, splattering water and ink before drying.  I also used some of my previously cut flower dies and sponged some of the same inks on them to color.  When my background was dry I die-cut it with the coverplate.  You may be able to see a slight shadow effect from the flowers that I stamped first with the same inks before gluing on my flower die-cuts.  The stamping didn't show up well enough to stand alone, so I added the dies slightly offset.  

Summertime

I have a thing for hollyhocks.  They were in my Grandfather's garden, so they're sentimental to me, doubly so because I can't seem to get them to look good in my garden.  So every time I see them in stamps or dies, I jump; at least I can make them grow on a card!  Here's this year's version using my hollyhock dies - oh, if I had a garden that looked like this!

supplies: white card stock, watercolor paper for hollyhocks, MFT Tiny Checks and Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes design papers, Impression Obsession Hollyhock dies, Spectrum Aqua markers and water, PTI fence and clouds, (probably retired by now), sentiment from Tim Holtz Ideaology Small Talk, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

I first cut and watercolored my flowers, and then gave some thought to my background.  I considered a watercolor wash, but you know me and my gingham.......What's prettier than a picket fence around a garden, so that divided my "sky" and ground.  I couldn't find a sentiment that would work, so I turned to my Small Talk stickers, and they were the perfect solution.

Watch out, I may not be done - I have some hollyhock stamps that I haven't inked up in awhile.........

Simon's Summer Vacation Kid's Challenge

Today Simon Says Stamp is launching a month-long kid's challenge!  We do this every year, but this year we're a month earlier than in past years.

Our theme is:

ANYTHING GOES WITH SPARKLE

It is time for all you crafters to let your children loose in your crafty corners for a few hours. Just close your eyes and set them free to explore their creativity. Adults are allowed to help just a little bit if necessary, but we really want the children to 'DO IT' themselves as much as possible.
You can enter as many times as you like, just remember to add your link into the inlinkz system at the post at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   If you have several entries on the same post add ?1. ?2, ?3 etc at the end of the url and they will be accepted into the system.

The Design Team all love this challenge and are ready and waiting to pop over to your blog to see your creations!

This challenge is open to all children aged between 2 and 16 inclusive

We have not 1, not 2 but  3 surprise parcels of crafty goodies, hand picked by Simon. All winners are chosen at random, Good Luck to all!

If you share your creation on instagram, please add this hashtag so that we can find you: #ssskidschallenge

This challenge will remain open until 6pm EST on 29th July. The winners will be drawn at random as soon as possible after the challenge closes.

THIS CHALLENGE IS FOR CHILDREN ONLY.
Please Note: creations submitted by anyone over the age of 16 will be deleted.