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.

More Brushed Blossoms

Still playing with the Brushed Blossom set - this time I used the stamps to make a background for a birthday card:

supplies: white, Pool, and aqua glitter card stock, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom stamp set, Altenew inks: Rose Petal, Cherry Blossom, Shades of Purple, and Volcano Lake mini inks, Simon's Happy Birthday Circle die, adhesive foam squares

I stamped a trimmed panel with the flowers, and filled in open spaces with the 3 dots stamp in the package.  I was looking for a color to match the leaves, and happened across this previously cut Happy Birthday die, which works exactly with that color, and the glitter also pops from the stamping.  Then I decided to cut out a central circle and pop the panel above my card base, with a pool insert inside the circle. And I added a flower to the center of that circle.

Enjoy your weekend!

Blossom with Stripes

Today I'm playing with my new stamps and matching die again, and was taken with a card from Concord & 9th on their website.  That version had stamped stripes running horizontally and orange flowers.  Here's my version.

supplies: white and charcoal card stock, MFT striped patterned paper, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom and matching die, Altenew and VersaMark ink, white embossing powder, acetate, adhesive foam squares

I love black and bright yellow combinations, so after I decided to use the black and white stripe for my background, I chose yellows for my stamped flowers.  I sized the striped background to A2, then cut out 2 of the sprigs using the die.  On a white card base I used the striped panel to help me position where to stamp the flowers and leaves.  I knew that I wanted to lift the striped panel above the stamped card base, but it wasn't until near the end that I decided to also add the die-cut outline in charcoal; I think it gives the stamped image more definition.  Then in order to hold that outline into my striped panel, I lined it on the back with pieces of acetate to give me something to glue the outline to.  Then I just added my sentiment from the stamp set panel and popped it above the card base.  

I love how it turned out! 

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

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

Our theme this week is the ever-popular Anything Goes and my teamies and I are showcasing Wplus9 products.  Today I have a delicate pastel card and one that is much bolder in color.

When I found out we were highlighting Wplus9, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this lovely cover die:

supplies: white and Green Apple card stock, Echo Park Dots & Stripes Gingham dp, Wplus9 Tossed Floral Background cover die and flowers and leaves from You = Kind stamp set, Simon's Expressions for You stamp and die set and Stitched Circle die

This die-cut has the loveliest details - see the little tulips and forget-me-not clusters?  And I added these 5-petal flowers stamped in purples because there were similar flowers in the cover die also.

As much as I love all of Dawn's beautiful flowers, I still have a soft spot in my heart for her Quilt Prints stamp set from 2010.  I have used it many times, but never in patriotic colors, and since the 4th of July is coming up, that's what I decided to do this time.  We all have picnics on the 4th, so here's a picnic quilt for the occasion!

supplies: white, Simon's Navy and Schoolhouse Red card stock, Wplus9's Quilt Prints stamp set, Hero Arts Celebrate Everyday sentiment, Hero Arts Red Royal, Navy, and Soft Granite inks, herringbone embossing folder for the "quilting"

I stamped the "stitching" in grey ink, then used the patterned pieces to add red and navy details.  Everything is in the set except the diamond with a heart in it.  As I often like to do, I embossed the stamped panel to give it a dimpled feel before I "bound" it in red.  And I used the same inks to stamp my sentiment banner.  

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!

CASEing Debby

Here's a card I made that CASEs one of my Simon Says Stamp teamies,  Debby Yates.....she has a wonderful talent for mixing design papers with a stamped image. I CASE'd THIS CARD of hers from last week.

supplies: black, white, Simon's Sunshine, Island Blue, and Green Apple card stock, dps from Sunny Studio Rainbow Bright and Doodlebug Sweet Summer (stripes and sweet life strip) pads, Simon's Summer Flowers stamps And Four Seasons die,  Nuvo markers (Irish Clover, Rosy Pinks, and Sunshine Yellows) to color

I CASEd her sketch and use of coordinating plaid, dots, and stripes, and changed up my stamped image to a summer flower.  Thank you, Debby, for your wonderful inspiration!  For more of her beautiful designs, visit her blog, A Scrapjourney.

Hope you're enjoying a lovely summer day!

Inlaid Blossoms

I just received a set of Concord & 9th stamps and a coordinating die, and had a play with them.

supplies: white, Dark Chocolate, Audrey Blue, and Green Apple card stock, Concord & 9th Brushed Blossom sentiment stamp and matching Blossom die

I chose a deep Chocolate for my background, accented with white, to go along with my aqua flowers.  And I used the stamens from the stamp set to add a little detail to the large flowers.  Hopefully I'll be able to play with the layering stamp set next.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

One Cool Pineapple!

Here's another card from the Simon Says Stamp July Card Kit: Cool Summer.  The heart sunglasses just crack me up!

supplies: white cardstock, Simon's One Cool Pineapple clear stamp set and sunglasses and heart stickers from sticker pack, MFT Wonky Rectangle die and Radiating Rays stencil, squeezed lemonade and fossilized amber distress oxide inks applied with a blending brush

I grinned all the way through making this!  And I definitely liked applying the oxides with the blending brush, which I think came in a past month's card kit......I plan to get myself a few more of them.

Flowers & Stripes

I've been wanting to play with this color combination for awhile, and today's the day!

supplies: white and black card stock, Impression Obsession Painted Stripes cling stamp, Wplus9 You Equals Kind clear stamps, Simon's inks: Teeny Bikini, Rosie Cheeks, Duckling, Melon, JellyBean, and Green Apple, Altenew Flower Arrangement die, Stitched Rectangles die, sequins to match

This IO cling combines brush strokes into a striped background, but inking it in different colors like this, it would have been more efficient to use just a brush stroke stamp, as I masked and stamped each color separately.  I do love these colors together, though.  After I had inked my background, I used the same colors to make my flowers, adding a black dotted center to them to balance out my black sentiment die.  

We've had all kinds of weather here today - torrential downpours followed by sunshine followed by clouds. Hope you're enjoying your day whether you're in or out!

Into the Woods

I was in the mood for using some cute critters, and I dug out a couple Avery Elle stamp sets and combined them with a sentiment from Simon.

supplies: white card stock, Bristol paper, Avery Elle Woodland Wonders and Kitsch Christmas clear sets, Simon's Birthday Flowers sentiment, Zig markers and water to color, peacock feathers, broken china, and mowed lawn distress inks

I've always been drawn to little fawns, and this one shouldn't be confined just to Christmas. This card takes me back to Disney's Bambi; I recently shared some excerpts on You Tube from it with my Grands and we were all enchanted with it!

Weekend!  Enjoy yours!

Simon's July Card Kit!

Mine arrived yesterday, and still in the tropical mood from yesterday's release at Simon, I made an easy card using some elements from this fun kit called Cool Summer.

supplies: white and Doll Pink card stock, flamingo stamp and (partial) sentiment from Simon's One Cool Pineapple clear stamps, Flamingo die, pink glitter paper, dp from Carta Bella Summer Splash papers, Simon's Summer Gold sequin mix, and  flamingo sequins, probably from Pretty Pink Posh

Did you know that the fun flamingo die fits the stamped version perfectly?  I simply stamped it on Doll Pink card, and then cut it out with the die.  Love the bold font of the sentiments in this set; here I fussy-cut part of one of them, abbreviating the full sentiment.  Everything on my card except for the bright pink sequins is in this kit.

Considering that this new stamp set is a larger than usual one, the value of this kit is pretty amazing versus what you'd pay separately for the elements inside it!

Simon Says..........Bright and Cheerful

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

Our theme this week is Bright and Cheerful, and we're highlighting Hero Arts products!  One of the best things Hero Arts did was to introduce Color Layering stamps.  I have several of them, and I'm glad to see that they continue to add new sets with each release.  

First up, what's more bright and cheerful than a butterfly?!

supplies: white card, Hero Arts Color Layering Swallowtail, VersaFine Onyx Black and various Altenew inks, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die

I imagined these flowers to be zinnias and stamped them in shades of pink.  This set has 3 layers for the butterfly and the flower, and I used my Misti to line them up.

Next up,  another color-layering set:

supplies: white and Audrey Blue card stock, Hero Arts Color Layering Flamingo stamps and matching die, Simon's Tropical Leaves and sentiment from It's Your Birthday, Altenew ink cubes (Tea Party, Sweet Dreams, Sea Shore, and Green Meadows), a woodblock party hat stamp, adhesive foam strips

I've had this flamingo set for awhile and I don't think I'll ever tire of playing with it - it always makes me smile!  This time I added a party hat to the mix and made a summer birthday 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!

And just a reminder to visit HERE to see Simon's newest release, Good Vibes.  If you'd like to see the card I made with my new die, please scroll down 1 post, or click HERE.

A New Simon Release: Good Vibes!

Simon has a new release debuting today, called Good Vibes!  I was lucky enough to have been sent this really fun set of dies, called Perforated Flaps.  There are 3 sizes, and for this card, I used the smallest one.  This is how the card will appear when you take it out of its envelope.

  Look closely.......

The new dies cut 3 different sizes of a 3-sided window, leaving the top attached to be folded up for a surprise underneath.  I used the smallest flap, cut from my stamped and colored flower panel. Then the panel was popped above my card base on which I had stamped my sentiment.  I also added a small vellum panel with a sentiment to the "door".

Here's one more look at the card with the flap closed.  All my supplies are listed below this picture.

supplies: white card, vellum, Simon's Perforated Flaps die, Even More Spring Flowers flower and leaves, Sea You Soon sentiment (under flap), and Stitched Rectangle die, sentiment on vellum from Technique Tuesday Agapanthus, masking paper, Zig markers and water to color, Doodlebug Sprinkles, adhesive foam strips to lift top panel above card base

Be sure to visit THIS PAGE to see the rest of the new release.  I have my eye on the Hibiscus Frame, Everett Letters, and the Classic Bicycle dies.  What are your favorites?

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll visit again later this morning for my regular Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog post.