Simon says... Christmas/Happy Holiday

Hiya, friends! Are you ready? :)

This week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is Christmas/Happy Holiday. Perfect timing, as I bet many are already working on their seasonal cards, yes?  :)

Here's mine:

This Hero Arts POINSETTIA image is one of my all-time favorites. It's perfect! I stamped it with RED ROYAL ink, fussy cut it out, and added some STARDUST glitter to the center with Glossy Accents. The background is an image from the Hero Arts POINSETTIA & BERRIES set, stamped with Hero's white dye ink for a subtle look. The sentiment is also from Hero's MIRACLE OF THE HOLIDAY clear set stamped with CUP O' JOE ink... even the card base is GRENADINE Layering Paper! :)

Now it's your turn... upload your holiday project HERE by 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 23rd), and you'll have a chance to win a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

Only five entries per person, and only new creations accepted.. no backlinking, please. :) Be sure to head HERE to see the creations from the rest of the DT, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by today... see you soon! xx

simon says... use a stamp

That's right, peeps! :)

This week's Wednesday Challenge theme is to Use A Stamp... red rubber, photo polymer, whatever you like, as long as it's not digital. :) The product lines the DT used this week were Clearly Besotted and Neat & Tangled. If you have either of these fab stamp lines in your stash, please use them in your creations along with us! But it's not requirement of the challenge. :)

So now for my card:

This is one of those cards that I think looks better in person, LOL. It's probably because I couldn't get the background to show up very well... NOT a great photographer, here. ;) But I just loved this hydrangea image from Clearly Besotted's JUST FABULOUS set. There's even a matching die set! I didn't use them here.. instead, I chose to fussy cut everything, but left it slightly connected to the "frame" for interest. The vase was heat embossed (with THIS ink and THIS EP), and the flower was stamped with THIS ink and THIS ink. I used THIS white dye ink to stamp the background inside the frame:

I used the fine-line image in the set to do the background, which really adds a lot, I think! :)

Ok, so now it's your turn! Upload your stamped project HERE by 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 16th), and you'll have a random shot at a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp, provided by the very sweet Heidi and her gang!

Thanks for reading today... see you soon! xx

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. ♥

simon says... go dotty

Hi, Friends! Get ready to play! :)

This week's theme is Going Dotty! The DT all used either Saturated Canary or Basic Grey on our projects. So if you have either product line in your stash, please use it along with us! But it's not a requirement of the challenge if you don't. :)

As for my card...

..I used the Basic Grey HIPSTER 6x6 paper pad. I punched out a few circles and embellished them with some dot stamps from THIS awesome Simon exclusive set (inks used are HERE and HERE), as well as some enamel dots. The sentiment is from THIS Hero Arts set. Love the warm and cozy feel of this paper collection... perfect for fall. :)

Speaking of fall, how in the world is it October already?? :P

Anyway, it's now your turn to get dotty! :) Link up your creations HERE before 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 9th), and you'll be entered into the random drawing for a VERY generous gift voucher from Heidi and the gang to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

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

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... anything goes

Hello, again.. are you ready? :)

There's a new challenge over at the Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week's theme is Anything Goes. And the team all used Art Impressions on our projects. They have some really fun images.. will definitely bring a smile to you and your recipient's faces! If you have Art Impressions in your stash, use it along with us! But if not, no big twig.. it's not a requirement. :)

Here's my card:

See what I mean? How adorable is that?! I busted out the trusty PRISMACOLOR pencils with which to color this sweet SANTA & PENGUINS image. I know my coloring isn't the best - not my thing usually.. but it's good to be challenged, and I'm happy with how it came out. :) The sentiment is from THIS Hero Arts set, and it's on a panel that's been embossed with the Cuttlebug SWISS DOTS embossing folder to mimic snow. And I know I've been using this color combo a lot lately.. I just love it, though. ♥

Alrighty, it's your turn! Upload your project HERE before 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 2nd), and you'll be included in the random drawing for that amazing gift voucher to use at Simon Says Stamp!

Not only that, but Art Impressions is also sponsoring our challenge this week by offering up this FAB selection of products for one lucky winner, valued at over $100!

So there's TWO ways to win this week! And that's not all... swing by their Facebook page HERE, "like" their page, and leave a comment on their Facebook wall telling them 'Simon Says Stamp sent ya' and you'll be entered into a completely separate contest to win a selection of Art Impressions holiday stamps! WOW...

Lookie! You could win my Santa & Penguins stamp! :D Click the photo above, or click HERE to be taken to the Art Impression's Facebook page. This contest also ends at the same time as the weekly challenge ends, so don't wait! :)

Lastly, don't forget to stop by the challenge blog HERE to see what my amazing teammates did using their Art Impressions stamps...SO much fun. 

Whew! Thanks for reading today. See you sooner than soon! ;)

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! :)

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... animal antics

Howdy, peeps! Have you heard?! :)

Yep - the annual STAMPtember® event is underway! :)

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 its full glory by giving people around the world access 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.

Be sure to join everyone over at the Official Simon Says Stamp Blog every day for new product reveals, inspirational ideas, blog hops, prizes... it's just a big ol' party, and you will NOT want to miss it! ;)

Now, on to today's post:

That's right! A new challenge is up over at the Wednesday Challenge Blog...

..and the theme is Animal Antics. The product line we on the DT used features some of the cutest animal images in the stamp arena - Lawn Fawn! Some of us also used products from The Craft's Meow. If you have either Lawn Fawn or The Craft's Meow in your stash, we'd love to see you use them along with us! But it's not mandatory for the challenge. :)

Anyway, on to my card:

Aren't these little guys adorable? :) Every image, including the sentiment, is from the Critters in the Snow set. I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink (the best for coloring with Copics),and then colored the penguins with Copics C5 (body - a few layers of this one was needed to get a deep enough color.. but don't go too dark, or you'll lose the other black-stamped details, such as his eyes and tail) and YR68 (feet). I also used the BG10 to give the snow depth and definition (using a cool aqua in select areas helps to make your white elements look 'whiter', and acts as a shadow). I also stamped the snowflakes in the background with some white dye ink, for a subtle look.

And now it's your turn! Upload your Animal Antics-themed project HERE no later than 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 11th), and you'll be included in the random drawing for a super-generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

That's it from me today. I know I said I had a card from the September card kit to show you, but someone needed it and I mailed it before remembering to take a picture first... oops. LOL I'll have another one for you tomorrow. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading! :)