Simon Says... it's a blog hop!

Welcome to the Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® Wednesday Challenge group blog hop! :)

A bit about STAMPtember®:

Simon Says Stamp was founded in 2002 with an interest in exclusively selling rubber stamps. It didn't take long until we realized we couldn't stop there. During the past 11 years we celebrate rubber stamping in it's full glory by giving access to people around the world to a one-stop shop. Rubber stamps still remain the heart of our business, and we are celebrating by hosting a STAMPtember® event intended to inspire, educate, and celebrate the greatness of rubber stamping. Part of the enticement of rubber stamping is that stamps can be used in creating or complimenting ANYTHING! from stamping dates on bank documents and postage parcels in the early 18th century, rubber stamping has dramatically expanded to include card making, life documenting, art journaling, scrapbooking, mixed media, and many forms of altering and expressing art!

To celebrate the 4th annual Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® event, we're 'hopping' along and sharing some great projects featuring the new STAMPtember® product releases, YAY! This is one of the BIGGEST releases Simon has had to date, and features new stamp sets, dies, flair, and stencils... AMAZING stuff! Check out the releases RIGHT HERE!

My favorite products of the release are all the incredible dies... which, on their own are already very versatile and can be used any number of ways. But so many of Simon's dies are really unique! A lot of them coordinate with stencils and stamp sets... furthering their value and your creativity!

We're SO excited that you're here to celebrate with us and hop along in this special challenge group hop! :) Once you're done 'hopping' please be sure to head over to our Wednesday Challenge group blog found RIGHT HERE, and participate in this week's challenge: Celebrate STAMPtember® by using any Simon Says Stamp product on your project. As always, Simon Says Stamp will be randomly giving away a $50 voucher to one lucky participant to spend at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp superstore!

So now, on to my card:

I used the super-fun BIG HELLO craft die, and diecut several strips of card stock all at once. Then I adhered them evenly spaced onto my card base with pop dots. The sentiment is from the new WHIMSICAL FLOWERS stamp set, and I LOVE how fine the font is! I used VersaFine ink in Onyx Black, which is fab for fine-line/detailed images. Overall, I wanted to keep the card simple and bold, just like the die... SO many possibilities with this one! :)

Thanks so much for visiting my blog on the hop! Your next stop is the sweet Laura Sterckx! You'll find her blog, 'Making Cards Is Fun' right HERE. :)

The hop began at the newly designed official Simon Says Stamp blog, so if you encounter any broken links while 'hoppin,' you can head back there for a full list of participants and stops. The Simon blog has a new address and an amazing new look, with all the great inspiration you've come to love and expect from Simon Says Stamp! :)

Don't forget to click below to play along in the challenge once you're done 'hopping' and officially inspired! :)

2013 hero hostess blog hop!

Howdy, stampers! It's the final day of the 2013 Hero Hostess Blog Hop featuring fabulous stamps from the new release!

You should've arrived from the Hero Arts Blog, Day 5 post, found HERE, where you can also find a master link list of all the stops on today's hoppin' route. If you haven't seen the hop from the beginning (it originally began on Monday), then by all means, go HERE! You don't want to miss a single day! If you happen to come across any broken links during today's hop festivities, please be sure to report the broken link(s) to blog@heroarts.com and thank you in advance. :)

Also... there will be prizes! YESSSSSSS! :D Hero Arts will be awarding prizes from randomly drawn comments. For a chance to win, simply comment on ANY of the stops along the hop on ANY day, including each day’s starting post at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning! And, I will have my own little give-away at the end of my post, so stay tuned for that as well! ;)

I had a LOT of fun with these new stamps! Hero knocked it out of the park again. It's amazing how they outdo themselves every year! First up is the fun SO KIND stamp set:

I went for a vivid, playful feel here. Lots of Hero's mid-tone inks and just some random stamping. A bold, heat-embossed sentiment and a sprinkling of gemstones finishes it off.

For this card, I just had fun layering the different diamond images to get interesting looks. I also played up the lined triangle images by using the new PINSTRIPE BACKGROUND CLING. This background is a MUST HAVE for your stamping arsenal! Also, this card (and the rest from here on) features a sentiment from the amazing THANKS A BUNCH clear set. It's my pick for MUST HAVE sentiment set from the new release. So many great sizes, fonts, and phrases makes it an incredible value, and one that will have a permanent spot on my craft desk!

Up next is a card using the lovely LOOPED FLOWER PATTERN BACKGROUND CLING. Another really versatile image:

Here, I stamped (and heat embossed) it at an angle for something different... dress it up with some gemstones, and it makes for a very elegant 'Thank You' card.

And finally, I used the ETCHED DAISY stamp and made a couple quick cards for a set:

Very basic stamping here, but basic doesn't have to be boring. :) Add a punched border or fun window pane technique, along with some Crystal Stickles in the flower centers, and you have a quick and easy coordinated set!

I love this daisy stamp... so much so, that I accidentally bought TWO of them, HAHA! So, as part of my give-away, I will include this new Etched Daisy, along with a few other Hero goodies to one randomly-drawn commenter. Don't forget that your comment already puts you in Hero Arts' big drawing, too! YAY for lots of chances to win goodies! Heehee... :D (Winner will be announced next Tuesday, the 22nd.)

That's it from me today... whew! Now it's time to head on over to the fabulous Heather Doran at Stamping and Stitching... she's going to amaze you, for sure! :)

Thanks so much for joining me today, and thank you to Hero Arts for allowing me to be a part of this amazing hop. ♥ See you again soon!

simon says... put a stamp on it, and a blog hop!

Hiya, peeps! Welcome to another stop on the Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember™ blog hop! We've put a special spin on the usual Wednesday challenge day by having a blog hop to help celebrate STAMPtember™! You should've arrived here by way of the wonderful Lin (LOVED her card!) but if not, you can go HERE to start the hop from the beginning and make your way through. You certainly won't want to miss any of the fab creations by the rest of Simon Says challenge blog design team! :)

And now, a bit about STAMPtember™...

Simon Says was founded in 2002 with an interest in exclusively selling rubber stamps. It didn’t take long until we realized we couldn’t stop there. Over the past 10 years we celebrate rubber stamping in its full glory by giving access to people around the world to a one stop shop. Rubber stamps still remain the heart of our business and we are celebrating by hosting a STAMPtember ™ event intended to inspire, educate, and celebrate the greatness of rubber stamping. Part of the enticement of rubber stamping is that stamps can be used in creating or complementing ANYTHING! From stamping dates on bank documents and postage parcels in the early 18th century, rubber stamping has dramatically expanded to include card making,scrapbooking, mixed media and many forms of altering and expressing art.

Sooo, here we are, helping to kick off the festivities with a Design Team Blog Hop! Please be sure to hop to my teammates' blogs... each of them has a special handmade work of art to share with you, and there are PRIZES along the way! Then, get creating and enter the "Put a STAMP On It!" challenge! Just use a STAMP on your project, upload it to the Simon Says challenge blog, and you could be the lucky winner of our GRAND PRIZE $100 Simon Shopping Spree! But more on that in a bit... ;)

First, on to my card. :D The theme for this week's challenge is of course, "Put a STAMP On It!"... but the design team also decided to include washi tape on our projects as well. Using washi on your project isn't mandatory of course, but if you have it, we'd love to see it! Personally, I have yet to use washi tape until now (*gasp* I KNOW!), so here's my first go at it:

I set out to use the tape in such a way that it wouldn't necessarily look like washi... so first, I put strips of tape down on white card stock, careful to match up the lines of the pattern. Then I diecut the frame with some Spellbinders dies. Diecutting washi-covered card stock works beautifully, and the frame has this cool, smooth, almost plastic-y finish from the tape! I also used a strip of tape down the side of my card for a cohesive look. And of course I used stamps! ;)

I stamped the Hero Arts flowers in a visual triangle to highlight my framed sentiment. I also used some steel gray misting spray (I masked what was to be my sentiment area first) to help 'ground' the frame, and add some excitement to the clean, modern-looking design. Wish you could see the shimmer in real life... and I must say, I do love how this card turned out! What do you think? :)

Now, guess what?? Heidi and everyone at Simon has generously supplied me with a $25 gift voucher to give away right here on my blog!

All you have to do is leave me a comment below, leave a comment at each team member's blog in the hop, and then create something for STAMPtember™... be sure to "Put a STAMP On It!" (no digis, please), as stamps are the whole reason we're celebrating! ;) Upload your project HERE before next Wednesday, and you'll be in ANOTHER drawing for the $100 dollar voucher GRAND PRIZE from the Simon Says challenge blog! Wow, gotta love that Heidi and the entire Simon Says team!

I'll use random.org for the drawing, and announce the winner next Wednesday. Good luck to everyone! :D

And now, without further ado, the next stop on the hop is the wonderful Lorraine...

..I know she has something incredible to show you! ;) If at any time you lose your way, just head back HERE to the beginning of the hop where all the team members' blogs are listed.

Thanks for stopping by! Have fun on the hop and I'll see you soon! :)

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

hero arts 2012 catalog blog hop - day 3!

Hello, stampy friends! Welcome to another stop on the week-long Hero Arts 2012 catalog blog hop with the Hero Hostesses! Yesterday, we left off with Lin's four gorgeous creations, and today, you should've arrived via the Hero Club Blog. If not, or if you happen to discover any broken links, you can always find the master link list for the hop HERE. Also, please be sure to report any broken links to Tami by clicking HERE. Thanks!

And don't forget..! Hero Arts will be awarding prizes from randomly drawn comments! For a chance to win, simply comment on any of the stops along the hop on any day, including each day’s starting post at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning!

I really had a lot of fun playing with some of the new Hero Arts stamps, so let's get to it! Here's a card done with the new Sending You Love label set and the beautiful Paper Art Cling stamp:


Label/frame images are some of my favorites for making quick and easy sentiment focal points on cards. I stamped the flowers with white pigment ink, and then accented them with Ranger's Enamel Accents. A little Copic coloring, some bling, and you have a card that's simple, but still elegant.

And here's another one made with the fabulous Untitled Love Cling set:


I love the bold blocked images in this set! There are so many opportunities for fun techniques when using images like these. Here, I used Distress inks first to get my background, and then clear embossed the image over that. I then used a black marker to color in the un-embossed areas, while wiping the excess away with a cloth. A black mat and ribbon, and the result is simple, but still striking.

Thanks so much for joining me today, and thanks to Hero Arts for inviting me to play along! Your next stop is Arlene's blog, and I know she has something amazing to show you! Have fun hopping!

"Hugs and Kisses"
stamps: Hero Arts CL588 & CG198
inks: Colorbox Frost White pigment & Versafine Onyx Black
paper" Stampin' Up! Pretty In Pink & Georgia Pacific white
misc: Copics R85 & R81, Ranger's black Enamel Accents, Hero Arts pink gemstones, & pop dots

"Thanks"
stamps: Hero Arts AC004
inks: Ranger's Distress Broken China & Crushed Olive, Stampin' Up! Basic Black marker
paper: Georgia Pacific white & Stampin' Up! Basic Black
misc: Ranger's clear detail embossing powder, May Arts black silk ribbon, Hero Arts pearls, & pop dots

something exciting

Hello, friends! It's Monday, and like I said, I have some fun news! Although you probably already know by now... ;)

I was asked if I wanted to participate again this year, and of course I said, "YES!" It's so humbling to be asked, and such a thrill to join my fabulous fellow Hostesses in these hops. :) Inspiration awaits, so click the banner above to be taken to the Hero Arts blog for the beginning of the hop, and I'll be seeing you later this week! ;)

2011 Hero Hostess Blog Hop!

Hi, there! Welcome to the next stop on the 2011 Hero Hostess Blog Hop! Weren't Lin's creations amazing?! These hops are just so much fun because there's always a ton of great inspiration to be had, all at once. It's like, inspiration overload... I love it! :D

Here's my card for today... I got to play with the new 2011 Poly Clear set CL488 Congrats (click to see larger):


This is a great set... three really beautiful frames, and a handful of frequently-used sentiments to go inside them! I chose this text frame, and stamped it several times: once on the white card base, once on the shimmery green card stock, and then twice more on white card stock scraps. I cut two parts out from the stamped white pieces (text oval and "Thank You" strip), and colored them with Prismacolor pencils and set them aside. I also cut into the image on the green card stock, so the final image would be half on the white, and half on the green, for interest.

Then I stamped the Stripes Pattern on to the shimmery green card stock, and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Once the green panel and image were matched up with/adhered to the white base and image, a swirl of black rhinestones accentuate the swirl pattern on the side of the label image. They also provide contrast to the straight lines in the text and background. Then the colored text oval and sentiment strip were layered with pop dots. Finally, a bright yellow flower tops it off. :)

I'm SO very grateful to Hero for including me in this hop... can't ever say enough about that company! And I'm so grateful to my fellow Hostesses as well... such sweet and inspiring ladies! ♥ And speaking of the other Hostesses, it's time that I direct you onward to fellow Hostess, Suzanne Czosek's blog. I'm excited to see what's she's put together... nothing short of brilliant, I'm sure! ;) Don't forget - if you find a broken link along the way, you can always go back to the Hero Arts Blog (or www.heroarts.com/blogs/club) for the master list of blog links. Also, please email Tami at tami@heroarts.com and provide the blog address that has the bad link so it can be fixed. Thanks!

AND... don't forget to leave a comment, because every comment left along the hop gives you a chance to win new Hero Arts 2011 stamps! But how about ANOTHER give-away... right here on my blog? ;) That's right! I'm feeling particularly blessed these days, and wanted to pay it forward by offering these two fabulous, brand new stamps sets - one of them a new 2011 set! - to a special ink-loving home:

Sweet Wonderful You and Musical Clef
Photo credit: ©Hero Arts

Just leave one comment per person, please, :) and a way for me to get a hold of you. Anyone is eligible. I'll draw a winner this weekend, once the hop has concluded. Good luck!

Thanks for "hopping" by today!

*** Commenting for this post now closed. Thanks!***

SUPPLIES:
stamps: Hero Arts CL488 and CG118
inks: VersaMark and Memories black
paper: shimmery green from Jo Ann's and white is Georgia Pacific
misc: Ranger clear detail embossing powder, Prismacolor pencils & Gamsol, Prima black swirl rhinestones & yellow flower, Hero black Gemstones (flower center), fine-tipped scissors, and pop dots.

guess what?

Hi, there! I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, and that your 2011 is off to a fabulous start! I must say, mine's certainly starting off pretty well... :D

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you Monday! ;)

Hero Arts 2010 catalog Blog Hop!

Hello there, and welcome to another stop on the first ever Hero Arts Blog Hop! :D I'm beyond humbled and honored to have been invited to participate... what an exciting way to preview of some of Hero's new stamps from the 2010 catalog! I can't even begin to express how much fun it was playing with these new stamps... can you say "IN SERIOUS LOVE"?!

Anyway, no need to hold things up with my babbling, how about a card or two? ;)

This one features the new "Silhouette Bells" CLiNG stamp, along with a sentiment from the new "Truly Appreciated" Poly Clear set (click pic to see detail). Silhouette stamps are always fun because there are a lot of different techniques you can do with them! I just kept things basic here, however, and let the image speak for itself by simply embossing it on black card stock with white embossing powder. The sentiments from the new Poly Clear set are great, too! They're a bit larger in size, so they fill a card nicely. Matching Gemstones, a butterfly punch, and some ribbon finish it off.


This next card features an amazing new CLiNG background stamp called "Heart Flourishes" (click pic to see detail). I absolutely adore Hero Arts' CLiNG stamps... very eco- and storage-friendly! Even more so when it comes to these large background images. This one is BEAUTIFUL - such fun to color! I stamped it on a kraft notecard with VersaMark, and then embossed with some Chestnut embossing powder. A few shades of Prismacolor pencils and voilá... instant depth and vibrancy! Again with a bit of ribbon, but this time a button and some pearls also help complete the card. :)

And now, without further ado, I want to direct you to your next stop on the hop, the ever-AMAZING Robyn Werlich and her blog: be creative everyday. Have no doubt - she will knock your stampin'-lovin' socks off! :D If by some unfortunate chance you happen to lose your way along the hop, just go back to the Hero Arts Blog for a listing of all the participating bloggers to help you get back on track. Also, be sure to check here for a store near you that's participating in the festivities as well! Lots of local scrap/stamp stores are having make-n-takes featuring the new 2010 stamps... get those fingers inky trying out the new images just like the rest of us, and visit one near you - PRONTO! :D

Well, only one week left until Christmas! Are you ready? I have a bit more wrapping and baking to do, but only about an evening's worth... then I'm going to do nothing else but relax and enjoy the rest of the holiday season, no matter what. ;) We're scheduled for snow the next two days, can you believe it?! Our first Christmas here in southern Nashville could very well be a white Christmas... how fun would that be?! :D I must admit, I miss the gorgeous snow of our former hometown, Denver, Colorado.

Thank you so very much for stopping by today. I hope you're as excited about the new 2010 Hero Arts stamps as I am, and that I get to see you again soon!

"Just Saying Hello" Supplies: all stamps Hero Arts (2010 'Silhouette Bells' and 2010 'Truly Appreciated'), black, white, and turquoise card stocks are SU, SU white pigment ink and embossing powder, Memories black ink, Martha Stewart punch, Offray ribbon, Hero Arts Gemstones, and popdots.

"In My Heart" Supplies: all stamps Hero Arts (2010 'Heart Flourishes' and sentiment from CL272 'All Occasion Messages'), Hero Arts 'Blush' and 'kraft' notecards, VersaMark ink and American Crafts embossing powder, Prismacolor pencils, Making Memories button, May Arts ribbon, Hero Arts Pearls, and popdots.

guess what?!

*wink*

One week and counting... TGIF everyone! :)

I ♥ Hero Arts! blog hop

Happy Friday! And welcome to another stop on the the "I ♥ Hero Arts!" blog hop, hosted by the ever-so sweet Ashley! If you read my blog at all, you'll know that I'm probably one of Hero Arts' biggest fans. They make the most awesome stamps, employ the most incredible people, and provide the BEST stamping inspiration anywhere. What's not to love?! :)

Here's my card... unfortunately, it wasn't created exclusively for the hop. I was planning on having some time to stamp this week, but something extremely pressing came up and I just wasn't able to get into my stamp room. BUT, I really wanted to play along, and since one of the requirements for the card was that it be a thank you card, I was lucky that I had this one from an April pub sitting in my drafts folder, waiting to be posted! :) Not only that, but one of the other requirements was that we use one of our favorite Hero Arts stamps on the card, and whaddya know... this card uses images from my absolute FAVORITE Hero set of all time - the 4x12 Flower Blossom Border set:



That set is an absolute flower-lover's DREAM. It has a 12 inch border image for backgrounds and/or scrapbook pages, several different types and sizes of flowers... I honestly find myself reaching for it ALL. THE TIME. (In fact, scroll down to my previous card posted, and you'll see I used a flower from the set on it, too!) This card also employs one of my very favorite techniques - partially cutting around a stamped image to create interest. The flower image was stamped with Memories black ink, colored with Copics, and then I used a T-square to help cut the white panel up to the flower's edge. I then used my micro-tipped scissors to cut out around the flower itself. It's a great technique that doesn't require any fancy tools to create a lot of impact. :)

And finally, the last two requirements of the hop were:

A. Tell us your Hero Arts story. How did you get started using Hero Arts products?
and
B. Hero Arts is full of great people. Tell us why you are thankful for Hero Arts!

As for my story, I'm sure it's much like many others out there: I started out as a scrapbooker first and eventually started stamping. At the time, I didn't have any independently-owned stamp/scrapbook stores close by, and had to shop at my local major craft chain. ;) There, I always found myself drawn to (and of course buying!) Hero Arts stamps. I don't know, something about their style just spoke to me. And once I started using them, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the stamps. So I became a loyal follower. It always amazes me how they have managed to stay on top of trends, create a wide variety of images, and appeal to so many different types of stampers on so many levels... not an easy feat!

As for why I'm thankful for them, there's probably too many reasons to count! I'm grateful that they're such a customer-driven company and are always looking for ways to improve (as if they really need to). I'm grateful that they care so much about the environment. I'm grateful that they employ the most generous staff who continuously amaze and inspire us with their creations. I could go on, but they're just such a fabulous company, it's difficult to reign it in. LOL Seriously, stamping has become my therapy... and if it hadn't been for their images catching my eye, and their quality and commitment to customer service keeping me loyal, I'm not sure where I'd be with this hobby. Their stamps and ideas thoroughly INSPIRE me... make me want to drop everything and STAMP! That's the thing I'm most grateful for. I ♥ HERO ARTS! :)

Thanks for stopping by and for reading... enjoy the rest of the hop and have a fabulous weekend! :)


SUPPLIES: Hero Arts stamps (Cl223 and CL175), Memories black ink, Colorbox Primary chalk ink queue, Copics, and Hero Arts pearls

Cards For Heroes Memorial Day blog hop!

Hey, there! Welcome to another stop on the Cards For Heroes Memorial Day blog hop! :) If you happen to be stopping by randomly, be sure to go HERE to start at the 'top of the hop'. There are SO many wonderful creations to see... you won't want to miss a single one! :)

Cards For Heroes is a wonderful, WONDERFUL organization that sends handmade cards to our troops overseas... either as a thank you to them for their amazing dedication and sacrifice, or as blanks for them to send to their own families and loved ones. Check out the Cards For Heroes homepage HERE to find out how YOU can get involved, either through card making or monetary donations to go toward shipping.

Not many people know this about me (probably because it was so long ago), but my Dad was in the military... the Air Force, to be exact. He was an expert avionics communication technician stationed in the Philippines. Basically, he built and/or fixed the radios and communication equipment on the fighter planes. So any efforts to support our nation's military definitely touches my heart personally. :)

And just to let you know how much of a difference CFH is making in the lives of our soldiers, just check out THIS PAGE... emails and notes of gratitude from soldiers for all that CFH has done and meant to them and their families. I dare you to read a few and not get teary-eyed. ;)

Anyhoo, here's my card (click to see larger):



The star was stitched using one of those shaped plastic canvases (thanks, Cindi!) found in the needlepoint section of your local craft store. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes... and they're super cheap! Like maybe a buck or less? After using the template to pierce my design, I just used plain ol' embroidery floss to stitch the stars. The rest is pretty simple... a nice sentiment and some heat embossed stars that were cut out and pop dotted randomly. I hope it brings a smile to a soldier's face! :)

WE LOVE YOU, TROOPS! Thank you for all that you do for us, every single day. HOOAH! :)

And now, on to the next stop in the blog hop:

Diary of a Crazy Redhead!

She's a fantastic writer! You'll be sure to enjoy reading her posts and seeing her creations. :)

Thanks to you all for stopping by! I hope you were inspired to do something to show your support for our troops. Make a card or make a donation... either one will mean more than you could ever know. :)

Have a beautiful, blessed Memorial Day!

SUPPLIES: Hero Arts kraft note card, SU! card stock, VersaMagic chalk ink, SU! white pigment ink, DMC floss, needlepoint star template, Hero Arts sentiment (CL286) and heat embossed stars (CL318), and pop dots

mid-week enabling, a blog hop, and some questions answered

Howdy! How about a little enabling to help us get over the weekly hump? ;) My Sentiments Exactly always has "Thrifty Thrusdays"... an opportunity to buy some of their wonderful stamps at an AMAZING discount. (We're talking high quality, photopolymer stamps sets for about 75% off!) Since I get the emails for TT a day early, I thought I'd start sharing them with you guys as a mid-week pick-me-up! :) See this week's Thrifty Thursday deal HERE. You're welcome. ;)

Also, who's signing up for the CFH Blog Hop?



I'm going to participate... how about you? I love CFH - what a great way to do a little something for those who do A LOT for us. :)

One other little tid-bit... I had a couple questions about this card HERE and wanted to answer them. :)

Here's one from Shelly:



Yep! Just a simple black Zig Milleneum pen and my metal ruler, girl... voila. Doodled border. :)

And then one from Jill W:



Hey, Jill! :) Those clouds are actually a brand new Hero Arts stamp released just this spring! You can get it HERE, at one of my favorite online stamp stores. Julie's customer service is some of the very best out there, no doubt about it. ;) Enjoy!

Hope that answers your questions! And thank you for all of your lovely comments, ladies. Inky hugs! :)

Tomorrow, I'll post my card from last week's Hero Arts "Dots" Challenge... see ya then! :)