simon says... emboss it

Hi, friends! It's hump day again, and a new challenge is up on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week the theme is Embossing! Heat or dry, or both! You choose. :) The DT also used Cuttlebug/Provocraft and/or Sizzix products on our embossed creations. If you have any items from these lines in your stash, we'd love to see you use them along with us! But they're not a required part of the challenge.

Anyway, here's my card:

I must say, it really does look better in person. LOL It looks like lace and is actually embossed vellum, fussy cut, and overlaid on to a black card base. I thought that this BEATNIK BOUQUET embossing folder was just sooo pretty, and would make for a very elegant card is embossed on THIS vellum (the heavy weight allows it to emboss with minimal tearing). I think where I goofed was fussy cutting too close to the embossed edges.. should've left a bit more of a border, I think. Plus, I just couldn't get it to photograph decently at all! Oh well... you get the idea, right? :) The banner was also embossed. I used THIS stencil from the September '13 card kit, ran it through with an embossing mat, cut it out, and stamped the sentiment from THIS Simon Exclusive set, which I thought fit pretty well with the shape of the stencil!

Whew! OK, so now it's your turn: upload your embossed (whether heat or dry) creation HERE by 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 18th), and you'll be included in a random drawing for a very generous gift voucher to use at Simon Says Stamp!

Thanks for reading today! I'm sorry I didn't get that card kit project posted last Thursday... after my post, my husband's work schedule for the rest of the week completely changed, which of course threw MY schedule totally off. Between my daughter's birthday and our 20th anniversary, plus trying to get the new school year planned and organized, him adding to the chaos by rearranging his work hours at the last minute certainly did not help. LOL Long story short, I am catching up. :)

See you soon! ♥

simon says... anything goes

Another Wednesday, another challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog. :)

This week, the theme is Anything Goes! Always a fan favorite. And another favorite is the product line we used - Simon Says Stamp Exclusives! This could be the stamps or the dies... just show us you Simon Exclusives. If you don't have any in your stash, don't fret... you can still play along in the challenge. :)

I used both on my card:

I used the HAPPY stamp set, and the HOLIDAY SHAPES dies. Tried my best to line everything up perfectly straight, but I can see now that my old eyes deceived me and I was NOT successful. LOL Anyway, The pink card stock is from HERO ARTS and so is THE INK. I'm sorry the stars look so blurry (I had lights coming from both sides, so it caused a double shadow), but they were diecut and then covered with a little dab of Glossy Accents and dipped in sparkly, black glitter. THIS ONE would work extremely well.

Here's a TIP: The best method I've found for glitter clean up is a good ol' disposable lint roller... just a cheap one, say, from the dollar store! Roll it all over your work surface, your clothes, anywhere, and then tear off the sheet and throw it away. Super quick and easy. :)

So now it's your turn! Upload your project HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 7th), and you'll be included in the random voucher drawing!

Don't forget to stop by HERE to see what the rest of the DT did for this challenge... such amazingly talented ladies!

ALSO, the Simon Says Stamp Store blog has a new home and a new look, just like the Wednesday challenge blog - click HERE or the badge below to check it out:

And enter your email below here to be sure you'll receive the updates... with inspiration and prizes galore, you won't want to miss any of it! ;)

Enter your email address:





Delivered by FeedBurner

(This FeedBurner form is to subscribe to the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog ONLY.)

Whew... that's it from me today. Thanks for reading... see you soon!

simon says... take a picture!

Hi, friends! Back with another card for the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog...

..where your participation could randomly win you a very generous gift voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp super store! :D

This week's theme: Take a Picture. So fun and trendy! Here's my card:

I used several patterns from the MAMA-RAZZI2 6x6 paper pack by Bo Bunny. I even cut up some filmstrip edges off one of the papers to create a fun border on the main panel. The sentiment is from the MANY BIRTHDAY MESSAGES set by Hero Arts... I thought the classic font was a perfect match for the retro feel of the camera image. I also stamped the rays image from Tim Holtz's PSYCHEDELIC GRUNGE stamp set on to kraft with a tone-on-tone ink, then die cut it to mimic flash rays. This could be a "Birthday" card or some sort of "Congratulations" card, but I definitely think it has a masculine feel... what do you think? :)

And now it's your turn: create your photograph/camera/film related project, and upload it HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 29th) to be entered into the drawing for that amazing voucher!

And please head on over HERE to see how my insanely creative teammies have interpreted this challenge... sure to inspire! :)

Thanks for reading today. I'm still struggling with my sinus infection... started another round of stronger antibiotics this week. I'm hoping to finally be back to good health in no time. See you then with another card from the Simon Says Stamp card kit! :)

simon says... anything goes!

Hi, friends! It's Wednesday... time for another Simon Says Stamp challenge! :)

This week's theme: Anything Goes! Always a favorite. :) And the featured product line this week is Impression Obsession... also a favorite! I LOVE their large background stamps that can cover an entire card front, no matter the orientation. If you have any Impression Obsession in your stash, we'd love to see it used on your creations, too! But if not, it's not a requirement for the challenge. :) Here's my card that features the trendy HERRINGBONE PATTERN:

I know, not the most creative use of the image. ;) But with all that gold embossing (I used Ranger's SUPERFINE DETAIL GOLD embossing powder), it's pretty shiny in real life, so I decided to keep it simple. 

 

The faux wax seal-type embellishment in the flower center was created by first punching out a circle of card stock, pressing it into my VersaMark pad, and then heat embossing several layers of Ranger's REGULAR GOLD embossing powder (melt the EP.. quickly dip back into the EP.. heat it again.. repeat). Then, after about the fifth layer of EP, and while the melted powder was still molten, I used the end of a medallion-border stamp from THIS SET (by Hero Arts) to stamp in the center. Leave it for a minute or two for the EP to set, et voilà... a faux wax seal. :)  

 

This card was inspired by my hubby's grandparents, who are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in a couple months! I know it's the 50th that's considered the 'golden anniversary', but did you know that the official gift list only goes up to the 60th?! What do you get the couple that has been married for SEVENTY YEARS?? My hubby and I will celebrate our 20th this year, and I'm pretty sure that's gotta qualify him for some kind of sainthood, let alone another 50! LOL ;) Wow... that's just amazing to me...!!

 

Anyway, ramblings aside... now it's your turn! Upload your project HERE before next Wednesday (May 1st) at 8am EST US, and you could win a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

 

 

And don't forget to check out what the rest of my amazing teammates did for this challenge... just click HERE!

 

That's it for me... thanks for reading, and I will see you soon! :)

 

 

simon says... something new

Hi, peeps! Hope your 2013 is off to a great start! :) Time for a new Simon Says Stamp challenge...

..and as always, a generous gift voucher is up for grabs, just for playing along!

The theme this week is Something New, to coincide with the new year! :) So maybe a "New Job", "New Home", "New Baby" card... OR, a card with something new used on it! Mine kinda qualifies on both accounts:

I used a set that I bought recently but haven't inked up yet (so it was new to me).. the Damask Doilies set from Wplus9. So pretty and versatile! And I used the "Congratulations" sentiment on it, so I'm thinking it could be a, "Congratulations.. on your NEW job!" Or, "Congratulations.. on your NEW home!" card... whaddya think? ;)

Anyway, I used Hero's Punch chalk ink to ink up the largest doily, stamped off on a piece of scrap paper first, and then stamped on my panel with the ink that was left to get a lighter shade of the same color (generation stamping). I then inked and stamped a smaller doily on top of the larger one without stamping off first. I love how it almost looks like the doilies were made so that they could be used overlapped like this! The center is finished off with a gem-embellished button. Yes, I realize that this card is frighteningly similar to my last card... I think my mojo packed up and left with the Christmas holiday, haha!

So, make your Something New project, link it up HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 9th), and you could win that awesome voucher to spend at the store!

And don't forget to check out what the rest of the DT has made for the challenge... just go HERE!

That's it from me today.. thanks for reading! See you soon. :)

simon says... eerie inspiration!

Hi, friends! Back again, with a card for the new Simon Says Stamp challenge!

 

And this one is based on a cool inspiration board, created by none other than my fellow teammie, the fabulous Joy Taylor! Take a look... it's all things eerie and spooky - so many colors and  images... something for everyone:

 

 

Now, I can count on one hand the number of Halloween cards I've ever made... actually, I can count on two fingers the number of Halloween cards I've made. LOL I don't know why. It's not that I mind the holiday all that much, I just don't make/send out cards for it. But, to each his own, right? ;)

 

So instead of a Halloween-themed card, I just made a fun, "any time" card, taking my inspiration from the two center photos on the inspiration board above:

I used the colors from the photo of candies (purple, lime, orange, and black... or as close as I could get), and I also liked the photo next to it, with the arrangement of different sized rosettes, layered over one another... so that's what I did here! :) I used a stamp from the new Simon Says Stamp exclusive "For the Record" stamp set for the sentiment, and let me tell you... those stamps are AH-MAZING. Firm but flexible, take ink like a dream, and stamp super crisp. I was VERY impressed, but not surprised. ;) I can't wait to buy all more of them! ;D

And now, you know the drill... let Joy's awesome collage inspire your project in some way, and then link it up HERE before 8am EST next Wednesday (10-24), and you could win one of these:

...a very generous gift voucher to use at Simon Says Stamp! Just in time to get those holiday projects underway, too. ;)

And of course, don't forget to go HERE to see what the rest of my talented teammates did for this challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and reading today... I hope you were inspired! See you soon. :)

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

a card a day in may - 5/14: CONGRATULATIONS

Hey, peeps! Here we are... another week, and another A Card A Day In May post. This is just one of TWO special cards I get to share (the other one, meant for yesterday's post, will be put up tomorrow). It's a card for the lovely Jennifer McGuire! She finally had her precious baby girl yesterday (Mother's Day, of all days!), and everyone over at A Blog Named Hero got together to make cards to congratulate her. :) Here's mine:


I knew I wanted to use her favorite color, Pool, so I used the lightest shade in the Pool Layering Papers multi-pack. The Lattice background was heat embossed, and the hearts symbolize mama (red) and baby (pink). :) I'm so happy for her and her family... congratulations again, Jen! xo

Time to hop on over to A Blog Named Hero to see the cards from the rest of the DT! And then I'll see you back here tomorrow... thanks for looking!

SUPPLIES
paper: Hero Arts Mixed Layering Papers (Pool & Blush) and Georgia Pacific (white)
stamps: Hero Arts/Studio Calico #331065 and CL342
inks: Colorbox (Frost White) and Memories (black)
other: white embossing powder, Corner Chomper, Cricut Expression, Cricut 'Plantin Schoolbook' cartridge (for the hearts), and pop dots