Simon Says Stamp Sending Cheer Day 2 Blog Hop!

 Hello, hello!!  I'm so excited to be participating in the Simon Says Stamp Sending Cheer day 2 blog hop!   You should have arrived here from Kim Hamilton's blog.  Head to the Simon Says Stamp blog to get the complete list of blogs on the hop.  And since this is a blog hop there are prizes to be won!!  Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.   Simon Says Stamp also has an opportunity to receive a free stamp set (see graphic) with any purchase from the Sending Cheer release.  This offer ends on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.   The complete Sending Cheer release can be found here.  (Compensated affiliate link.  Using my link allows me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.)

Isn't that little hedgehog just the cutest thing, ever?  Today I have several cards to share so let's get started.

First up is a card that I made using the new Simple Trees die set and a sentiment from the Christmas Ornaments set.  I will be sharing a card made with that set at the end of this post.  I used patterned paper from the Simple Stories Vintage Old Fashioned Christmas 6x paper pad.  The paper is thin so I did die cut multiple trees and adhered them together to give them a little more weight.  The little bows and stars were die cut from a matte gold cardstock.   I used my favorite Sparkler Scalloped Frames rectangle dies to die cut the background and adhered it to a dark green cardstock base.  The trees were adhered with a combination of glue and various heights of foam squares.  I finished with the sentiment. 

For this card I used more Simple Stories Vintage Old Fashioned Christmas and used the Wild Berry Vines embossing folder.  I put the paper in on the debossed side instead of the embossed side, but I actually ended up liking how this looked!  I finished with one of the extra trees I had from making the first card and sentiments from the CZ Design Christmastime EZ Strips.  

This card uses the Christmas Ornaments stamp set.  Layering up the ornaments is so simple as Simon Says Stamp has numbered all the layers on the stamp set.  I did do a test run of the ornaments just so I could make sure I got everything correct.  I used the Sparkler Scallop Frames dies, again, and stamped two of the ornaments on the panel.  I stamped the third ornament on white cardstock, trimmed it out and adhered it with thin foam squares.  The fussy cutting was quite easy, but I will be getting the matching dies to make it even more so! I used a multi-liner pen and a ruler to draw in the ornament strings and then finished with the sentiment that I stamped on white cardstock, die cut and popped up.  

Well, that is it for me.  The final stop on the hop is Nora Noll.  You can find the complete release right here.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

I'm So Grateful...

 Hello!   Well, it has been a while, again, since I last posted.  This seems to be my pattern:  Post several cards then disappear for a week or so.  Don't think the pattern will change anytime soon, either.   It isn't that I'm not making things because I am.  I just can't share what I have made yet.  But I'm here today with a "I just want to make something" card.  I will be sending this one off to Color Hues (yellow and black), Freshly Made Sketches and Just Us Girls (moodboard).   So, let's see what I made.

I had been going through some cards that I had made a long time ago and came across a card that I had made using this pretty Memory Box die set called Cottage Flower Stem.  I decided that I need to find that die set and make another card with it.  And here it is, lol!  I die cut just the flower from yellow cardstock and the flower with stem from white cardstock.  I did add a little bit of distress oxide ink in yellow to the flower center and to the bottom layer to provide a little contrast.  For the FMS portion of the card I die cut a piece of patterned paper from the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Indigo Garden using a small rectangle die.  I created the flower and then adhered that to the white flower stem.  The rectangles were layered on a white cardstock panel and then I added the flower.  I thought about having the leaves be black, but decided against that as I felt I had enough black already.  I did add some pale yellow sequins, tho.  Finished with the sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Thanks, Mom stamp set. I thought about creating a card for JUGs using lots of flowers, but decided that this single yellow flower worked for the challenge.   Let me know what you think.

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

JUGs challenge #774 - Word Week - Fruit

 Hello, hello!  I'm back for week 2 of my guest designer turn at Just Us Girls!  This week is word week and the word is fruit!   I must admit I wasn't even sure that I had anything in my stash that would work, but thankfully I remember a Simon Says Stamp stamp and die set that I have that features lemons.  Let's have a look at what I made.

I stamped all the lemon images in the stamp set in VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink, applied clear embossing powder, heat set and then watercolored them with just two Tonic Studio Aqua Flow pens:  yellow and dark green.  The same was done for the butterfly.   Once dry I die cut all the images.  The stamp set happened to be part of a card kit that I had purchased and so I used some of the patterned paper from the kit.  The paper is from Simple Stories, but unfortunately I don't know which paper line.  I die cut the paper, arranged my lemons and then stamped the sentiment from the kit.   The panel was added to a white cardstock base and then I attached the butterfly.  I'm super happy with how this card turned out. 

I hope to see you playing along with this week's challenge.  All the information can be found on the JUGs blog.   Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Let's Celebrate You!

 Hello!  I'm popping in with a pretty and romantic looking card that I created for Freshly Made Sketches and JUGs challenges.   Let's have a look at what I created.

Lately, Simple Stories has had several paper collections that I have really, really liked and so I have picked up a couple of them.  The most recent is the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Spring Garden.  I got the 6x8 paper pad and a pack of ephemera because the pieces in it are just so beautitful!  I used both to create my card today.   Another thing I have been into lately is adding texture to my cards.   Like alot of papercrafters I have more than several embossing folders, but I don't often use them.  They are perfect for adding texture and so I used the Simon Says Stamp Blossom Field embossing folder to emboss the pink gingham paper I chose from the pad.  I added more texture by applying Glossy Accents in certain spots on the flowers, butterfly and bees and then covering the Glossy Accents with Distress Rock Candy glitter.   The glitter is very subtle, but pretty.

In this photo you can see the Rock Candy glitter a little bit better.  I adhered the background with double sided tape and then added the flowers, butterfly and bees with different heights of foam squares.  I finished with a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Sweet Birthday stamp set.  

That's it for me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

a valentine...

 Hey there!  Popping in to share a card that I made for the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  I have something that I'm working on, but took a little time out to make a quick card using bits and pieces from the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Love Stories suite of products.  Take a look.

The current card kit from Simon Says Stamp features patterned paper and ephemera from this line from Simple Stories and I just fell in love (ha ha!) with it.  So I ordered the 6x8 patterned paper pad and both packs of ephemera.   I used ephemera pieces from both packs along with the patterned paper.  Who doesn't love polka dots!   Putting the card together was quick and easy.  I added some Hero Arts Lacquer in clear sparkle to the hearts.  It is rather thick and so ended up causing one heart to curl up a bit and the lacquer on the other two hearts to crack.  I'm okay with it though as it add a little texture and character, I think.

 

That's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Simon Says Stamp July Release!

 Hello everyone!  Did you see?  The July release from Simon Says Stamp is now available.  You can find the Dream Big release here.  Simon was so kind and sent me the beautiful Fab Floral Plate to create with.  I made two cards that I'm sharing in this blog post.  (A list of affiliate linked products is at the end of this blog post.  Using my links allows me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.)  Here is my first card:

The first card shows the die as it was intended to be used.  I die cut it from some of the Simple Stories patterned paper from the July Simon Says Stamp July card kit and white cardstock.  I adhered them together and then added the piece to the front of a white cardstock base.  I saved all the little petals that were die cut from the patterned paper so I could use some on my second card.  I then die cut the SSS Etched Berry Branch from a buffalo check and light greenish patterned paper that is also from the card kit and layered the two.  They were adhered to the card front.  I stamped a sentiment from the You Shine stamp set in VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, trimmed it down and adhered to the card.  I thought the front looked a little plain so I added Trinity Stamps Rainbow Reflections jewels to the card.   The sparkle is so pretty in real life.

For this card I wanted to go a little bit outside the box and so I decided to use those leftover petals to create some flowers.  I die cut part of the main die from scrap white cardstock to use to help me get the right spacing for the petals.  The flower stems were die cut using the Simon Says Stamp Etched Layered Daisy Stem dies.  The stems were cut from the patterned paper from the July card kit.   I will admit it took me awhile to get the layout of the flowers the way I wanted it to.  At first I only had the two taller stems, but after I stamped the sentiment from the You Shine stamp set I got the idea to just use a few of the petals.  I think it worked fairly well.  The flower centers were die cut with a small circle die from black paper, adhered to the flowers and then covered with Nuvo crystal drops in Morning Dew.  I really like the whimsical look of my little flowers. 

Affiliate linked supply list:

Spellbinders Platinum 6

Simon Says Stamp Fab Floral Plate

Simon Says Stamp Etched Layered Daisy Stem dies

Simon Says Stamp Etched Berry Branch die

Simon Says Stamp You Shine stamp set

Bearly Art Glue

Trinity Stamps Rainbow Reflection jewels

Simple Stories Vintage Lemon Twist 6x8 paper pad

VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink

Nuvo Crystal Drops Morning Dew

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the new Simon Says Stamp release!

sending big hugs....

Hey there.... the weekend is winding to a close and it was a beautiful one here in Western Washington!!  YAY!!  I'm hoping the week ahead is just as nice.   Here with a card I made using the current My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge sketch (MFTWSC68).  

For my card I used some 6x6 papers from the Simple Stories Fabulous pad.  This is the first time I have used any papers from Simple Stories and I must say that they are rather cute!  It's funny because I used to be so afraid of using patterned paper, but then a friend I made through the Hero Arts Flickr group expressed such admiration for my skill with patterned papers that my confidence grew tremendously and now I thoroughly enjoy combining different papers on my cards.  It also helps that all these pads are coordinated to begin with... hee hee!!  Anywhoo... the only stamping on the card is the sentiment which is from the MFT set Big Greetings. All the dies used on the card are from MFT, as well.  They recently released their Fishtail Flag Stax dies and when I saw then I just had to get them!   I used the 2nd to smallest fishtail flag die to create my little flag.  The felt rose was created using their Rolled Rose die and the leaves with their newly released Royal Leaves die set and some MFT Sour Apple felt... yummy!!!   I added a little buttoned embellished with some twine to finish things off.

Thanks for stopping by... wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Bazzill teal & cream; PP:  Simple Stories; Stamps:  MFT; Dies:  MFT; Punch:  EKSuccess; Button:  PTI; Twine:  May Arts; Ink:  Tuxedo Black & Ranger Old Paper