simon says... make your own background

Hi, friends.. it's Wednesday! And this week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is Make Your Own Background!

So put away that patterned paper, and create your own! :) This week's product focus was stencils.. aaaaalll the rage right now. So here's my card, using a stencil, some ink, and a sponge to create my background:

I used Simon's Exclusive BLOCKED CIRCLES stencil with a couple Distress Inks (FESTIVE BERRIES and TUMBLED GLASS) and slightly shifted the stencil between color applications to get that great pattern. I accented it with a circle stamp from Simon's Exclusive LOTS OF DOTS set. The sentiment is from the Simon Exclusive HAPPY EVERY DAY set as well. I pretty much love how this came out.. it was SO quick to do. Plus, imagine the color combinations you could do with this! What do you think? :)

So now you're up! Link your custom-made background project HERE no later than 8am next Wednesday (the 11th), and you'll be included in the random drawing for a very generous prize voucher to spend at Simon!

And have you heard? Simon Says Stamp just introduced their very own line of inks and card stocks! Super quality, gorgeous colors... head HERE to check 'em out!

That's all from me.. thank you for peekin'. See you soon! :)

simon says... anything goes

Are you ready? :)

This week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is Anything Goes! And the product line we all used was none other than Simon's Exclusives! If you have any Simon Says Stamp goodies in your stash, we'd love it if you showed us, but it's not a requirement of the challenge.

So, on to my card for the week:

I like to stamp sentiments "collage style" and make them the focal point of my design. With clear stamps like these, it's easy to just stick them all over one large acrylic block and stamp all at once! I used words from several different sets here... mostly from the BABY and SO BEAUTIFUL sets, but also from HANDWRITTEN GREETINGS and the THANKS sets as well. Inks are all Hero Arts - SOFT POOL, FRESH PEACH, and CHARCOAL. The card base is Hero Arts, too.

So now you're up! Link your Anything Goes project HERE, by 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 6th), and you'll be entered into the random drawing for an amazing gift voucher to spend at Simon!

Also! Be sure to check out Simon's BRAND NEW BLOG, right HERE!

It's bigger and better than ever! :)

Thanks for reading today.. see you soon... xo

wishing you... a happy world cardmaking day! :)

Hi, friends.. happy World Cardmaking Day! :) I hope you are celebrating today by gettin' crafty! I had a few minutes myself, so I popped into my craft room and played with more of my Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® 2013 exclusive goodies:

I ♥ the TINY COIN ENVELOPE die! I have no idea when I'll actually use it to put a coin inside, heehee.. but it's sooo cute and makes such a fun embellishment. :) (For size reference, this card is 4.25 inches square.) I put the heart (cut from the HOLIDAY SHAPES die) on with a pop dot and tucked the flap under to close the envie so it can open and close... you could put a small stamped sentiment inside.. wouldn't that be fun! This sentiment is from the SKETCHY BANNER GREETINGS (stamped with THIS ink).....

...and finishes off inside, with another diecut heart. :)

I hope you have a wonderful, productive day, and a great weekend! Thanks so much for reading. ♥

even more simon STAPtember® exclusives.. feather dies and an alpha

Hello, once again! Lots of posts from me lately, I know. I'm just having SO much fun with these STAMPtember® goodies! :)

This one features the trendy FEATHERS dies and SIMPLE LETTER OUTLINES alpha, both STAMPtember® '13 releases. The rest of the sentiment is from THIS set here (also a Simon exclusive), and I used card stock from the September '13 card kit and twine from the October '13 card kit. I love this color combination! May just get me out of my 'pool & red' rut. LOL :)

Hope you're having a fab weekend.. thanks for stopping by! :)

use those scraps.. and a simon exclusive

Howdy, peeps! I have another card today, a simple one that features a scrap from an older project, and a new Simon Exclusive STAMPtember® die! :)

Remember THIS card? I saved the butterfly masks and used one as an embellishment here! :) The sentiment panel was made using the smaller of the new Simon BRACKET DIES (here, the scalloped one)... just cut on both top and bottom of my paper strip. The sentiment is from THIS new Simon Exclusive set, and the card base is the awesome WOODGRAIN card stock. Easy peasy! :)

Thanks for reading... TGIF! xo

more simon says stamp STAMPtember® exclusives.. whimsical flowers

Howdy again! Back with another card featuring some of the STAMPtember® exclusives... this time, the Whimsical Flowers set! :)

These bold, graphic flowers are so fun! I first stamped the solid flower image in the set three times with Hero Art's Fresh Peach ink, masking the center flower. Then I stamped the patterned flower on top of each one with Hero's Raspberry Jam, carefully lining them up. Love these colors together and how the peach shows through! I finished them off by stamping the outline and centers with black ink, fussy cutting the edge, and mounting it on to my card base with pop dots. The sentiment is heat embossed with a super-fine detail embossing powder. I promise the white panel is straight and evenly matted in person... the angle of the photo makes it look like it's not. :)

Don't forget you can go HERE to see all of the brand new STAMPtember® releases in one place... stay tuned, because I have more projects to share using STAMPtember® '13 goodies! ;)

Thanks for stopping by today! xo

simon says stamp october '13 card kit cards

Howdy, friends! I've got a couple cards from the Simon Says Stamp October '13 card kit for ya tonight.

I was supposed to post this first one last week and totally spaced it. LOL So here it is, with a bonus card to make up for it... :)

I'm in love the with the lined script sentiments in this stamp set! They stretch the full length of a card base. Here, I just stamped it and then fussy cut under it for interest. I also used some of the patterned papers and sequins from the kit.. the sequins are so LUSH! Very opaque, creamy colors with an almost pearlescent look to them. Not your typical "arts-n-crafts" sequins! ;) I just put some gemstones in the centers.

This one is pretty self explanatory.. it took me maybe five minutes to make. :) It would be great to make a set of these as a gift! Just use a different patterned paper background on each one. I thought about adding some enamel dots or something, but chose to leave it as-is. But I did give the li'l birdie an "eye" with my Unibal Signo. :)

There are still some kits left! RUN, and get yours HERE... it's sure to sell out!

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow with another Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge post! xo

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! :)

super-sized sunday with the simon says september '13 card kit

Howdy, peeps! Do you like my tongue twister blog post title? :) Finally gotten around to photographing some of the cards I've made with the Simon Says Stamp September '13 card kit, and thought I'd put a bunch into one big blog post for ya.. especially since these all have the same color palette. So, get ready!

The first card is a remake of one I made when I first got the kit, but forgot to photograph before sending it off to someone:

I used the stencil in the kit to carefully cut out a mask from some Eclipse masking paper with my craft knife (as long as your blade is brand-new-sharp and you don't put too much pressure on the stencil as you drag your knife along, you won't cut into the stencil at all). I then used the Colorbox Frost White ink in the kit and sponged it over the mask. Remove the mask, and stamp the sentiment in the resisted area. :)

My next card uses some of the patterned paper, as well as the Studio Calico wood veneers in the kit:

I again used the stencil to cut out a banner, but this time from some of the kraft card stock. I then heat embossed the sentiment before adhering it with pop dots. I also punched out some squares from some of the chalkboard-looking patterned paper as mats for my veneer shapes. :)

And finally:

A real quick and easy one! Just some simple stamping with some Hero Arts inks: Black, Wet Cement, and Soft Sand. They go perfectly with the kraft card stock. :)

Alrighty, that's it from me today.. whew! See you again soon with something from the NEW October '13 card kit! Thanks for reading! :)

hello... :)

Hi, friends! Just a quick Simon Says Stamp July 2013 card kit share today... :)

This is such a fun kit... what am I saying, they're all fun. LOL But this one is super festive. I *love* the stamp set in this one, which you can get by itself HERE. I used all Hero Arts inks to match the colors in the kit (RED ROYAL and BUTTER BAR and TIDE POOL) and stamped the dotted line in a fun, random pattern for the background... totally happy with how it came out. The stickers ("Hello") are also from the kit, found separately HERE.

Thanks for reading! 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... summer fruits

Hey, friends! I'm back with another Simon Says Stamp challenge post. :)

As always, if you play along, you'll be included in the random drawing for a very generous gift voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp store! 

This week's theme is Summer Fruits... YUM. :) And the product line the DT used was American Crafts. If you have AC in your stash, we'd love to see you use it along with us, but it's not a requirement for the challenge. 

So anyway, my card for you this week:

The one fruit I always look forward to in the summer time is the strawberries! So I fussy cut one from one of the papers in the NEOPOLITAN 6x6 paper pad to use as an embellishment. Also, who doesn't love a juicy watermelon in the summer time? ;) The red and green papers seemed like the perfect 'melon' colors, so I used them, too. The 'Always' is of course the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive On The Edge die seen HERE, and the 'So Sweet' stickers are from the June '13 card kit seen HERE. Then I used a BORDER PUNCH, and a few PEARLS, and it's ready to go. :)

Time to get creative! Link up your Summer Fruits themed project HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 26th), and you'll be eligible for that random voucher drawing!

And don't forget to swing by HERE to see what my incredible teammates did for this challenge... mouth-watering! :)

Thank you so much for reading.. I hope you have a lovely day. :) See you soon...

simon says stamp april '13 card kit - amazing birthday!

Hi, friends! I finally have a card from the Simon Says Stamp April '13 card kit to show you! :)

A bit of a confession... I've never really been into card kits. I was always afraid that I wouldn't totally love/use enough of the kit contents to justify the cost... after all, it is someone else who's selecting the contents for you. ;) HOWEVER, the Simon kits really are amazing... and each kit is better than the last! So, I decided to jump on board... better late than never, hee. :)

As for my card, I decided to play along with the most recent sketch challenge going on over at SplitCoast Stampers. Here's the sketch (the challenge thread can be found HERE):

And here's my card using the kit (I changed the orientation from landscape to portrait):

I instantly fell in love with the colors and patterns in this kit - so fresh and springy and trendy. STUNNING stamp set, too! Holy cow... I can tell this one will definitely be a staple on my craft desk! The kit is of course sold out at this point, but if you follow my link above to the stamp set, you'll find the other goodies that came in the kit that you can still purchase separately. And make sure you go HERE and get signed up for the monthly kits. May's kit is also now sold out, but if you hurry, you can get in on the June kit! It really is an amazing value and as a recent card kit convert, I promise you won't regret it! ;)

Thanks for popping in and for your lovely comments. See you tomorrow with a new Simon Says Stamp challenge post! :) 

simon says... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hi, friends! it's Wednesday again (and APRIL... seriously, how is this happening?!) and that means there's another weekly challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog!

But this isn't the usual... it's a very special week because it's the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog's 4th birthday! :D And we're celebrating with a HUUUGE prize give-away for this week's challenge! Heidi and everyone at Simon has so generously offered up not one, but THREE fab prizes:

PRIZE #1
Not $50, but $100 to spend in the Simon Says Stamp Superstore!

PRIZE #2
Friendship Circles stamps AND die

 

 PRIZE #3

Fit To Be Square stamps AND die

Simply Amazing. I can't imagine that there's anyone out there who has yet to participate in any of the Simon Says Stamp weekly challenges, but if not, this MUST be your week to start! :)

So, obviously the theme this week is Birthdays. And the product line we all used was none other than the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive stamps and dies! If you have any Simon Exclusives in your stash, please celebrate with us by using them in your creations this week! If not, no worries... it's not mandatory for participation. :)

And now for my card...

Since my husband's job relocated us half way across the country and away from our families almost 6 years ago, we don't get to celebrate with them in person on their special days as we'd like. But, we certainly celebrate in spirit, and that's what inspired this card. :) The BANNER SAYINGS stamp set has this perfect sentiment for those long-distance birthday wishes. I paired it with the ALWAYS on the Edge wafer die, and it's a match made in cardmaking heaven. I wanted the card to have a edgier, more masculine feel, so I went with black, white, and KRAFT. The background is the Hero Arts NUMBER PATTERN cling stamp, and was softly stamped with Hero Arts WHITE DYE ink. I chose dye instead of pigment because I wanted the background to be subtle, and not compete with the "Always" diecut popped up over the top of it.

So now it's your turn! Upload your festive, celebratory birthday project HERE before 8am EST US on Wednesday (the 10th), and you'll be entered into the random drawing for one of the incredible prizes shown above! And pleasepleaseplease go HERE to see what my fellow teamies have done with other Simon Says Stamp Exclusives... you will be blown away!

 

Thanks so much for reading, and for your wonderful comments. :) See you soon!

simon says... anything goes!

Good morning, friends! It's Simon Says Stamp challenge time! :)

The theme this week? Anything Goes! Always a big hit. :) As well, the DT used Tim Holtz goodies on our creations. So if you have any Tim Holtz products (who doesn't?!), then please show us - we'd love to see you use them, too! But if not, it's aaallllll right... you can still participate in the challenge! :)

Anyway, on to my card:

I used some of my favorite Distress Ink colors (Broken China, Chipped Sapphire, and Peeled  Paint), and randomly smooshed (totally a word) the ink pads directly on to my Craft Sheet. I then misted them with water, and placed a piece of glossy card stock glossy side down on to the pooled ink. Lift up, and you have this gorgeous marble effect! I gave it a quick blast with my heat tool (shorten drying time) and matted it on to Chipped Sapphire-inked card stock. I used the dotted image from the Psychedelic Grunge stamp set and stamped with plain ol' water, resulting in this cool bleached look. My fave Distress Ink technique ever. I use it a lot. :) The sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp exclusive set HERE, and was heat embossed. Because of the organic feel of the main panel, I decided to leave some of the stray EP instead of brushing it all away... and I love how it looks! A sprinkling of sparkly gemstones (found HERE and HERE) in graduating sizes mimics the dots in the image.

And now it's your turn! Create a project (anything goes, remember!) and link it up HERE before 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 6th), and you'll be in the drawing for an amazingly generous gift voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!

And please be sure to go HERE to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with Timmy's products! :)

Thank you for reading... be back soon!

it's a lovefest over at splitcoast stampers

Hello, friends! I have a special post for you today. Splitcoast Stampers is currently having an event called LoveFest (from Feb. 14-28), and as a participating member company of Splitcoast, today is Simon Says Stamp's day to celebrate!

We get to host a challenge, and our theme for the challenge is Die Crazy, and here's my card:

I used Simon's Delicate Dahlia die, which is just so intricate, I absolutely love it. I cut it out of red card stock. The Sakura Quickie glue pen works perfectly for adhering this detailed of a diecut. I accented the dahlias with an image from Hero Arts' Many Dots clear stamp set, and the sentiment is from the new Thanks a Bunch sentiment set. If you look closely, you can see the striped background, stamped with the new Pinstripe cling stamp and tone-on-tone ink (Hero Arts Soft Sand shadow ink). A sprinkling of red pearls, and it's ready to go! :)

So what are you going to make? :) Head on over to Splitcoast, and check out the main LoveFest thread HERE, which lists all of the challenges. To play along in Simon's challenge, create your project using at least one die, upload to the Splitcoast gallery, and tag it with the keyword LOVEFEST2013E. Then, post to THIS thread and include the link to your card in the gallery. You have until noon central time on Feb. 28 to enter, and of course, there will be prizes! Two randomly drawn winners will each receive a $25 gift certificate!

Hope to see you over there... thanks for reading! :)