For a Special Lady

......who had a birthday recently and loves pink.

supplies: white, black, shades of pinky coral and green cardstock, Altenew Layered Rose dies, Avery Elle Loads of Wishes sentiment, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder

It's been a good while since I've played with these layering dies - I love how they look when finished!  I used Press 'n' Seal to hold my arrangement together and get everything placed just where I wanted it.

Happy Weekend!

Bottled Up

A quick share of some more Greetery stamps.

supplies: white cardstock, Doodlebug gingham and SN@P Basics plank dps, The Greetery Bottled Up and Winter Budding Beauties layering stamp sets, Altenew Green Meadows and Red Sunset mini ink cubes

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Wonderland

I wanted to play with some more new Greetery goodies, so I made a winter card!

supplies: white and Peacock Teal cardstock, The Greetery Winter Sketches and Robin and Wren layering stamp sets, Altenew mini ink cubes, Simon's 4 Seasons die and (retired) Hand Lettered Winter Wishes snowflake, stamped sentiment from Winnie & Walter Big Bold Seasons, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die, evergreen bough distress ink

I love these stamp sets that stamp layers to give detail - both the branch and the bird are that kind.   I also love how nicely all of these stamps play together - it's fun to mix up new and old!

How are your Christmas preparations going?  I think I'm ready!

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

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

Our theme this week (and for 2 weeks until the New Year!) is Party Time, and we are playing with our very own Simon Exclusive products.

With the timing, my mind jumped to a Happy New Year's card - here's what I came up with this week.

supplies: white, black, and gold metallic cardstock, Simon's Stitched Alphabet, Holiday Hellos, Your Next Stamp Mini Star Splatter, Liquid Platinum embossing powder, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangles die, star sequins, adhesive foam strips

I first stamped my "party" letters, then masked them and overstamped the star confetti, embossing it in liquid platinum.  The letters were colored in in black, the panel was trimmed using a stitching die, and I spaced out Happy, New, and Year over the letters.  For more glitz, I mounted the panel on gold metallic cardstock.  The small words were raised over the letters and I added a couple gold star sequins.

Here's another angle to see more of the gold embossing.

And a closer shot so that you can see the little words.

 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!  

We'll be taking a break from challenges until 2020 arrives - enjoy your holidays and see you back here then!

One Last Christmas Card

This one uses one of my new Greetery goodies with some oldies but goodies.....

supplies: Schoolhouse Red and white cardstock, red and white gingham dp, PTI Birch Frame Mix & Mat die, The Greetery Winter Budding Beauties stamp and matching die, Altenew Green Meadows mini inks, Simon Merry die (retired), bow from Pink Fresh Studio, (retired) Tim Holtz birch embossing folder

I just have a few more cards to address and mail today, and I'm calling this year a wrap for Christmas cards!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great week!

Merry Bear

Here's one more card using the Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-on dies that I used for the most recent Simon Wednesday challenge.  I made a more feminine card this time, a little girl bear bearing Christmas treats, and changed up the colors to some pastels.

supplies: white, Cotton Candy, Green Apple, kraft, tan, medium pink, and dark brown cardstock, a pink gingham and a swirled blue cardstock, Lawn Fawn Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-On dies, Simon's (retired) Presents and Ornaments sentiment, white pom pom

The little dies in the Add-On set are darling - holly leaves and berries, a mug of hot chocolate, complete with a dollop of cream, a gingerbread man!  This was like playing with paper dolls!

Love You More Release!

Simon Says Stamp has a new release, and they're calling it Love You More!

I was sent these You are Loved dies.  I went clean and simple with this one and let the dies shine.

supplies:white and Tim Holtz pink Metallic Kraft cardstock, new You Are Loved dies, Simon Mini Heart and heart Highlight Frames dies, Paper Smooches Fab Frames die, unknown heart embossing folder

Be sure to visit THIS PAGE to see all the wonderful products in this release - there are 28 new things!  And for ideas on how to use them, I hope you'll visit our Gallery HERE.

Simon Says.......Interactive Christmas

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we're asking you to make something for Christmas that is interactive.  The team is playing with Lawn Fawn goodies!  

I pulled out my Woodland Critter Huggers that I bought earlier this year, added the Winter Add-Ons, and made 2 cards.  Today's post is pretty photo-heavy, but I wanted you to see the possibilities with these fun dies!

First up, a slider card and a fox.  Here it is as it will look coming out of the envelope.

When his arms open, up he's holding a Joy banner.

And when you pull the tab upwards, he slides up to reveal a hidden message.

supplies: white, cream, Dark Chocolate, Burnt Orange, kraft, Schoolhouse Red,  Cotton Candy, Surf Blue, and Audrey Blue cardstock, a tiny blue plaid dp for his scarf and hat, wood plank dp as background, Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-Ons dies, MFT Blueprint 20 banner and letters from Hero Arts Alphabet Uppercase dies, sentiment from Simon's Holiday Greetings Mix 1, Lipstick Red ink, MFT Slider Surprise dies, Lawn Fawn twine, white pom pom

My 2nd card is more traditional.  This time I made a deer holding a wreath.

And when his arms open wide, there's a tiny message inside.

supplies: white, kraft, cream, Dark Chocolate, Green Leaf, and Lipstick Red cardstock, a snowflake dp from a past cardkit, Sunny Studio Classic Gingham dp, front and reverse, Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-Ons dies, PTI Mix and Mat die (birch frame), PinkFresh Studio wreath, Hero Arts metallic dots as berries, Simon's Tiny Words Christmas sentiments, Lipstick Red ink, white embossing powder, white pom pom

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!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

A New Venture for Tammy!

Hello friends!

Tammy Tutterow is debuting a line of dies and stamps from Maker's Movement!  I was thrilled to receive them, and will be sharing with you as I play with them.  Today I have some cards and tags using some of her new designs.

supplies: black and pink cardstock, dps from Carta Bella Botanical Garden paper pad, Tammy's Nested Square Tags, sentiment from her new Sweet Petite Sentiments clear stamps, my own green leafy ribbon and a paper rose

Do you have lots of 6" paper pads like I do?  These nesting dies are perfect to use a couple of coordinating papers and make a super simple tag for any occasion.  I thought this one would work for a wedding or shower.  In order to separate the patterns a bit, I cut each tag a 2nd time from a solid cardstock, then trimmed the printed one just a tad on the sides so that the solid would "frame" it and let each pretty pattern show up better.  

Next up is a birthday tag.

supplies: Lipstick Red, Green Leaf, Sunshine, Orange Peel, and Burnt Orange cardstock,  a plaid and a neutral design paper, Tammy's Nested Round Top Tags, her Petite Posy dies, and a sentiment from Sweet Petite Sentiments, enamel dots 

Here I used the largest and smallest of the nested dies, first cutting out the large one from a plaid patterned paper, and then from that I cut out the small one.  I also cut a 2nd large tag as a lining (and a place to adhere my heart).  I glued that to the back of the large plaid tag.   I added flowers on both tags, stamped my sentiment on the smaller one, and added the heart (which comes in the tag set) to the backing for the large tag.  These poseys and the prim heart are Tammy's signature designs, and happen to be favorite motifs of mine, too!  I just used one of the poseys and 1 leaf, but the Posey set contains 20 different pieces!

If you're wondering about size, the largest of each set are about 2 3/4 inches wide by 4 3/8" long, a perfect size as a stand-alone, or to mount onto a card front.

Next I have a baby card using a darling stamp set.  Again I mixed it with some patterned paper.

supplies: white, Mint and Cotton Candy cardstock, floral patterned paper, Tammy's Little Feet stamps (onesie and sentiment), tiny pink buttons

This is a sketch that I've used before.  I love that the sentiment is part solid and part outline, so that the colors you use can be brought in there, too.  

And one more.

supplies: white cardstock, dps from Doodlebug, Sweet Petite Sentiments stamps and matching dies, a heart embossing folder

These dies consist of an oval that will hold any of Tammy's Sweet Petite Sentiments, and a larger scalloped oval to frame it, plus a selection of 3 posies and some leaves.  

Be sure to check out Tammy's entire release - I know you'll find something there that appeals to you! Thanks for coming by today!

Some New Dies

I recently treated myself to some new goodies from The Greetery.  Today I'm playing with Betsy's Pine Bough dies, and I'm in love!  Here are my first 2 cards.  The first is a bit more elegant.

supplies: Desert Storm, Green Apple, Green Leaf, gold mirror, and 2 other kraft cardstock, Pine Bough dies, MFT Joy die, bow from PinkFresh Studio Bow die, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die, glue pen and glitter

My second card has a country feel to it.

supplies: 2 shades of kraft, Peacock Teal and a darker green, Schoolhouse Red cardstock, a plank dp, Pine Bough dies, Tim Holtz Holiday Words and Funky Festive berries, clear rock candy distress stickles and clear rock candy distress glitter, bow made from crinkle paper

These dies are so realistic - Betsy used several layers for both the pine and the cones.  I'm sure you'll be seeing lots more of them from me!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Christmas Wreaths

Today I have 2 Christmas cards that share a common element, a multi-stamped wreath.  It was stamped in different colors, and then I varied my backgrounds for each one.

The wreath is a Stampin Up one called Wondrous Wreath. It's retired, but really any stamped or die-cut wreath of your choice would work with all of these designs.

supplies: Audrey Blue, white, and a coral/pink cardstock, Hero Arts Woodgrain cardstock, Stampin Up Wondrous Wreath and bow, Tim Holtz Holiday Words die, PTI Mix & Mat die (birch tree frame), adhesive foam to pop up wreath

I like the little bit of texture that the woodgrain cardstock has!

supplies: white, gumdrop and Lipstick Red cardstock, plank background from packaging, Wondrous Wreath and bow, Simon's retired Merry & Bright die, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle die

That Hemstitch die has turned out to be one of my go-to elements this year; it adds such a nice touch.

As always, thanks for stopping by - hope your Christmas preparations are going well!

Simon Says.......Traditional Christmas

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week our theme is Traditional Christmas, and the team is highlighting Tim Holtz goodies!  

I paired some Funky dies with a Simon sentiment and a lovely cling background.

supplies: cream, Schoolhouse Red, Green Leaf, kraft, yellow, brown, various other green cardstock, Tim Holtz Funky Festive dies, Simon's Rejoice die, Impression Obsession Joy to the World cling stamp, antique linen distress ink

These pieces are on the small side for these old eyes, so it took me a little bit to piece some of the elements, but I love the results. Using Press 'n Seal really helped me to make my arrangement, too.

My next card is a bit more whimsical.

supplies: kraft, Peacock Teal, Schoolhouse Red, and gold foil cardstock, Tim Holtz Gingham Layering Stencil, festive berries distress ink, Mini Holiday Greens and  Holiday Words dies, twine, jingle bells

I used Tim's new Gingham stencil, and added a touch of peacock instead of the more usual green.

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!  

Tweet Holidays Cards

Happy new week, everyone!  I have 5 Christmas cards today, all using the same Tweet Holidays images.  At this time of year, when I need so many cards, I've taken to making multiple variations of a card.  So I stamped these birds, colored them either as robins or bluebirds, and then built a card around them.

supplies: white, Audrey Blue, and Peacock Teal cardstock, MFT Tweet Holidays birds, PTI Mix & Mat frame die, Wplus9 Woodland Wreath and Hand Lettered Merry die, stamped sentiment from Simon Merry & Bright, Audrey Blue ink, Nuvo Creative pens to color images

This next one is a CASE of a card by Karolyn Loncon.  I love her idea of adding them to an ornament!

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, Tweet Holidays birds and holly, sentiment from (retired) Simon Yuletide Holiday, Audrey Blue ink, Stitched Circle die. red and white twine, Nuvo Creative pens

In my next examples, I colored my birds to be bluebirds.  The first one uses the littlest bird in the set, and I think this one is my favorite card.

supplies: white and Surf Blue cardstock, a bit of snowflake dp, Tweet Holidays bird and holly, Echo Park Snow Flurry embossing folder, PinkFresh Studio Adore Alpha dies, Wplus9 Hand Lettered Holiday sentiment, Nuvo Creative pens to color

supplies: white, Lipstick Red and Schoolhouse Red cardstock,  Tweet Holidays birds and holly leaves, the same Snow Flurry embossing folder, Hero Arts Merry Stamp & Die set stamped sentiment and die, Nuvo Creative pens

white and Cornflower Blue cardstock, Tweet Holidays birds, holly, and sentiment stamps, a holly embossing folder, Nuvo Creative pens 

There are matching dies for the Tweet Holidays set, if you'd like.

Thanks for sticking with me today - how goes your card making for the holidays?  I think I'm ready!

It's DieCember!

Simon's annual DieCember event is now live!

I received a die set called Art Supplies, and here's how I used them.

supplies: white, black, Surf blue, teal, Green Apple, and silver metallic cardstock, Avery Elle Brushed and Simon Crafty Friend stamps, Art Supplies dies, distress inks, Zig markers

I stamped my background in distress ink colors that appealed to me, then cut out the watercolor set, brush, and scissors.  I used my Zig markers to color the individual pans in the watercolor set.

Be sure to visit THIS PAGE to see all the wonderful products in this release - there are 34 new products, plus some enamel pins!  And for ideas on how to use them, I hope you'll visit our Gallery HERE.