Simon Says Stamp You Are My Favorite Release!

 Hello everyone!  I'm back to share three projects I made with the lovely Timeless Blossoms stamp set from the new Simon Says Stamp release called You Are My Favorite.  Simon was so kind and sent me this pretty stamp set to create with!  Let's have a look at what I made.

The Timeless Blossoms stamp set has lot of great sentiments including the Happy Mother's Day sentiment.  With Mother's Day just around the corner I thought it appropriate to make Mother's Day cards.  I used the color combo from Color Hues to stamp my floral heart.  I used two Pinkfresh Studio inks:  Soft Lilac and Ocean Breeze.  The floral heart is comprised of three separate stamps.  The first stamp are the leaves, the second has the lily like flower and roses and the final layer has more roses.  After stamping the first layer using the Ocean Breeze ink I stamped the second layer 6 times with the Soft Lilac in order to get the darker lilac color I wanted.  The third layer was stamped twice with the Soft Lilac.   I die cut the panel and then adhered it to another larger panel of light gray cardstock.  I adhered a twine bow and the sentiment over the top of it.  The tiny sequins are light aqua in color. 

The Timeless Blossoms stamp set also includes a small swag image, as well as one single rose with leaves.  I used those two sets of stamps for the second Mother's Day card.  This time I went with a peach and coral color combo and a pale green for the leaves.   To get the swags stamped equal distance apart I stamped the first layer and then rotated my cardstock 180 degrees and stamped the layer again.  Then I stamped the second layer, rotated the cardstock and stamped the second layer.  Did that one more time for the final layer.  Then I positioned and stamped the single rose and leaves in the same way.  I die cut the panel with a Simon Says Stamp A2 frames die to create the frame and then with a smaller die from the same set to create the interior panel.   I stamped the sentiment in light gray ink and then adhered the panel inside the frame using foam tape.  I finished with tiny clear sequins.

For my final project I decided to create a little decor piece.   I started by stamping the floral heart 

Using a yellow, lilac and olive green color scheme.  Since the image is heart shaped, I wanted to see if it would fit inside of this pretty scalloped edge heart die, I have from another Simon Says Stamp stamp and die set I have called Happy Hello.  I was so excited to see that it was a pretty perfect fit!   I painted a Tim Holtz frame with white paint and added polka dot patterned paper to the back before adhering it to the frame.  The heart was popped up in the center using foam squares.  I then stamped the two little roses and leaves and fussy cut them out.  The sentiment is a from a Simon Says Stamp set that is 10 years old!  I rediscovered it as I was going through my stash looking for the right sentiment.  I think the sentiment is just perfect for this piece!  I stamped it in gray ink, die cut it with the matching die and popped it up with foam squares.   The little corner flowers were also popped up.  I just love how this turned out.   I'm going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge of blooming blooms.

Well, that is it for me.  Don't forget to check out the new Simon Says Stamp release.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Blog Post

 Hello, hello!  I'm popping in to let you know that I have post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek of what I created. 

I hope you will head over to the blog to check out what I made.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Wildflowers...

 Hello!  Popping in with a card for a couple of challenges:  Color Throwdown and the Flower Challenge.  I think the colors are very spring like.  Let's have a look at what I made.

I have had multiple products from the Waffle Flower Postage Collage line, but haven't really used many of them.  So, when I saw the new CTD colors I decided to remedy that situation and pulled out the Postage Collage Wildflower stencil set and got to work.  Full disclosure I did have to stencil the panel twice because when I was stamping all the little icons I messed up.  That panel didn't go to waste, though.  I simply adhered it behind the second one.   I used Pinkfresh Studio inks in Lemon Whip, Sweet Mustard, Coral Reef and Passion Fruit for the flowers.  The leaves and stems were stenciled using Memento Pistachio ink.  I die cut the panel with the A2 Postage Collage die and then adhered it to a white cardstock base.   The sentiment is from the WF Small Sentiments Bloom stamp set.  

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

just because...

 Hello, hello!  I'm popping in with a card for Freshly Made Sketches and Color Hues.  Let's have a look at what I made.

Do you ever come up with your idea for a card and then can't find one of the items you need to complete said idea?  Happens to me all the time, lol!  Such was the case with this card.  I couldn't find my set of MFT fishtail flag banner dies.  In the process of looking for them and for another product I came across the Simon Says Stamp Happy Hello suite of products.  The Happy Hello die set had the other die I needed for another project, but as I was looking at everything I realized that the funky flowers in the Happy Hello stamp set would be perfect to use for my card!  I stamped the stems in MFT Tropical Teal and the flowers in PFS Clementine and then die cut them with the matching die.  I used a smaller fishtail flag banner die for the banner element and layered on the flowers.    I wrapped some bright orange twine around the top and tied a bow.  The sentiment is also from Happy Hello.  I stamped it in the Tropical Teal and then die cut it with a label die.  I had this light gray cardstock panel that I had used to figure out how many shims I needed to emboss a die into cardstock.  Because it is a technique I don't do that often I forget what my embossing "sandwich" needs to be. I used a Birch Press Design layering die for the embossing.  The embossing is subtle, but I think adds a nice touch.  Anyway, adhered the panel to a white cardstock base, added the banner with thin foam squares and then the sentiment.   Simple, but I love those boldly colored funky flowers!

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

Birch Press Design

 Hey friends!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek at what I created.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day. 

Having Fun With 49 and Market...

 Hey friends!  I'm popping in with two projects that I made with some newly purchased products from 49 and Market.  I will be posting one project to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (birthday) and the other project will be heading over to the Paper Players (travel) and Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (tag it).   So, let's get to it!

My first project is a birthday card that I made using laser cuts from the 49 and Market Starlight Dreams collection.  When I purchased the Starlight Dreams laser cuts I didn't think I would need the patterned paper pack, but now I have decided that I do need it, lol!  I'm not really into celestial motifs, but I couldn't resist the gorgeous designs in the laser cut pack.   For this card I used a set of angel wings, a floral piece, some feathers and butterflies.  For the background I used a light blue cardstock that I embossed with a layering die from Birch Press Design.  The sentiment was hot foiled and is also from Birch Press Design.    Pretty quick to put together once I figured out what pieces I wanted to use and the arrangement. 

This next project is a tag that I created for the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge and the Paper Players using another new line from 49 and Market called Wanderlust Explorer.  What sold me on this collection was the ability to make masculine projects like birthday cards.    I used a few Tim Holtz Idea-ology products with this tag.  Namely, a #8 thick board tag, a thick board scalloped trim, a window frame base board and crackle paste.  I trimmed out some of the patterned paper to fit the tag and adhered it with collage medium.   I covered the scalloped trim and part of the window frame with crackle paste and let it dry.  Once dry I applied paint in a soft teal and orange wiping some of the paint off.  I trimmed down the scalloped piece and then applied collage medium to the trim and window to seal them.  Ground Espresso distress crayon was added to all the pieces I picked out, as well as the tag and then I got to layering everything.   I used glue and thin foam squares to add my pieces.  I finished with the little sentiment that is also from Tim Holtz.   I love how it turned out.  I was, again, inspired by the super talented Emma Williams who is a member of the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge design team.  

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

Bunny Kisses...

 Hello, hello!  Popping in with a sweet Easter card that I created for Color Throwdown and Just Us Girls.   The challenge at JUGs is to use a die, but no flower dies.  Let's have a look.

Even though Easter isn't until April 20th I realized the other day that I need to hop to it and get a few more cards made.  I remembered the super cute Bunny Kisses stamp and die set from Simon Says Stamp that was released last year and thought it would be perfect with the CTD colors.   I love how the two bunnies look just like candy stamped in yellow and lavendar.  I did some direct to paper inking with mint ink and then die cut the little hearts and leafy stems from the cardstock.   The sentiment was stamped in black and die cut with the matching sentiment die.   Layered everything up and I was done.  I think this will be going to my great niece who lives in California.   

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

today calls...

 Hello!  Can't believe that March is almost over!  Time sure is whipping by, isn't it?  Got some new products from Pinkfresh Studio and I just had to make a card with them.  This one will be going to Just Us Girls (stenciling), Color Throwdown, Pinkfresh Studio April challenge (flowers) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   Let's have a look.

I started with a background created with the Interlaced Diamonds die.  I die cut it three times and layered them together.  This was added to a light gray cardstock base.  Another new purchase was the Playful Petals suite of products.  I stamped the flower in black and then stenciled the flowers using several shades of blue PFS inks.   One of the things I liked about this set of products is that there is a separate die that die cuts the three main flowers.  I stamped only the two largest, stenciled them and then die cut to pop up on the main image.  Two shades of PFS green inks were used for the leaves and the little stems.  Die cut the piece and layered it on the card front.  The two large flowers were popped up with thin foam squares.  A little green twine bow was added and then the sentiment was layered on top.  Thought about adding some gems but decided against it.  

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

Birch Press Design Post

 Hello!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the BPD blog today.  Here is a little peek of what I created.

Hope you will head over to the blog.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

Empty Grave...

 Hello!  I'm back with another card!  And apparently, I am in my "green phase", lol.  That's okay with me because green is my favorite color!   This card is for Just Us Girls and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  JUGs design team member Lisa picked a super pretty mood board for this week's challenge, and I just had to play along!

Last year the Greetery released the incredibly clever Ribbon Frame die and stencil set.  I really wanted it and unfortunately so did alot of people!  I had hoped to make a few Christmas cards with it but wasn't able to get my hands on the set until after Christmas.  I thought it perfect to use to make an Easter card.  All the products except the rectangle die are from the Greetery.  I die cut the frame and stenciled it with Bundled Sage distress oxide ink.  I cut additional frames and layered them with the stenciled on.  All my little spring bits are from the Greetery Curio: Spring Findings die set.    All the little pieces were inked with distress oxide inks, as well.  (Spun Sugar, Vintage Photo and Bundled Sage) I adhered all the pieces together and while they dried, I stamped and die cut the sentiment.  Additional layers were also die cut and adhered together.  I die cut the white cardstock panel and then inked up the edges using the ink left on the blending brush. Adhered everything and I was done.  I really love how this turned out.  I think I will be giving this one to my mom for Easter.

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

well wishes...

 Hello, hello!  Popping in with a card for a few challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches, Color Throwdown and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (stenciling).    Let's have a look at what I made.

First things first, I will state the obvious that my flower is green.  I hadn't intended for the flower to be green, but in my zeal to get my card done I stenciled my brick background with Uncharted Mariner distress oxide ink.  My intention had been to stencil using a darker green and then use a light green and blue for the flower.  Oh well, I actually like how things turned out... happy mistake!   For the flower I used what green distress oxide ink was on my blending brush and then used Mowed Lawn distress ink for the stem.  I stamped the sentiment, adhered the stem and flower and finished with some light blue and green sequins.  Super quick and super simple!  The die and sentiment are from Simon Says Stamp and the stencil is from My Favorite Things.

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

SSS Rain or Shine Release

 Hello friends!  Simon Says Stamp has a brand new release out today called Rain or Shine!  We definitely have the rain part going on here in the Pacific Northwest.  Hopefully the shine part will show up soon, lol!  Simon Says Stamp was so kind and sent me the sweet Farm Life stamp set to create with.  Let's have a look at what I made.

For this card I did a little masking something I don't often do even though it really isn't that hard.  I determined what I needed to stamp first, created my masks and got to work.  Once I was done, I colored the images with Copic markers.  After stamping the sentiment I used a very light blue Copic marker to add just a hint of blue sky behind my little scene.  I die cut the panel with a rectangle die, added the twine and bow and then adhered to my card base.

I couldn't resist making this card with the sweet momma duck and her little ducklings.  I arranged all the ducks on my kraft panel and then stamped them.  I then added in all the little tufts of grass around them, as well as the sentiment.  Then I colored them very simply with PrismaColor pencils.  I die cut the panel and then added the little twine bow at the top of the panel.    I'm going to add this to the current Color Hues challenge of lemon and lime.  

That's it for me.  Please check out the new release.  It is loaded with lots of fun new products!

grateful in green...

 Hello friends!  Popping in to share a card that I made for the current Just Us Girls challenge and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to be inspired by green, as well as the Pinkfresh Studio March challenge.  PFS has gone to an anything goes challenge, but they do have additional inspiration.  I didn't use the inspiration.   Let's have a look at what I made.

I recently purchased the PFS Grateful Greenery stamp and die set and I was determined to use it as soon as I could.  When I saw that the challenge at JUGs was the word green, I immediately grabbed them and got to work.   I stamped the graceful branch with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and did some simple Copic coloring using two shades of light green.  I then pulled out my pack of 49 and Market Kaleidoscope papers and found one that toned well with the Copic colors.  I die cut that with a PFS Nested Rectangles:  Postage Edge die.  I found some light green cardstock that also toned well with the patterned paper and die cut that with the largest Postage Edge die.   I then pulled out another PFS die set called Curvy Leaves and die cut more of the patterned paper and vellum.  Then I got to layering all the elements as you see.  I finished off the card with the green bow, sentiment and tiny drops of Morning Dew Nuvo drops.    I love the bright and fresh greens that I used.

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

Posting on the BPD blog

 Hello!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek of my card.

Hope you will head over to the blog to see what I made.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

a nordic bunny...

 Hello!  I'm popping in to share a card I made for a few challenges:  Color Throwdown, Seize the Birthday and Poppystamps.  I don't often participate in the Poppystamps challenge, but the challenge this month is cute critters and a few months ago I purchased the super cute Nordic Winter Rabbit.  I have been wanting to make something with the dies and the Poppystamps challenge was the perfect vehicle.  The CTD combo was perfect, too!   Let's have a look.

For my bunny I went with a combination of solid cardstock and a bit of patterned paper.  The patterned paper is from the Memory Box Poinsettia Plaid 6x6 pad.   I used the same patterned paper for the circle that the bunny is sitting on.  That was die cut with the Poppystamp Scallop Pinpoint Rings set.  The main body of the bunny was die cut from kraft, as was the outer scalloped ring.  I used my favorite light blue cardstock to die cut the main parts of the bunny's sweater and hat.  I also used the light blue to die cut the background using the Scandinavian Snowflake background die.  I layered that on my white cardstock base, centered my circle element and then finished with my little nordic bunny and a Memory Box preprinted happy birthday label.   

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

wishing you lots of happy...

 Hello!  Spring is on the way and today I have a very spring like card to share with you!  I will be sending this card off to the following challenges:  Color Hues (white and green), Just Us Girls (dies/birthday), and Inkspirational (CAS).   Let's have a look at what I made.

At some point in the last several months I purchased the super sweet Chickadee Gathering embossing folder and die set from Simon Says Stamp, got it home and then promptly forgot about it.   It was sitting in a storage container on my desk waiting to be found and thankfully that happened as I was looking for just the right product to use for the Color Hues challenge!   I die cut some green patterned paper from 49 and Market with the chickadee dies, placed the cuts in the embossing folder and embossed them.  I then die cut a white panel of cardstock and embossed it with the folder.  I added two shades of green ink to my little chickadees and then adhered them to the embossed panel with thin foam squares.  The sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp EZ Strips Happy Birthday stamp and die set.  I adhered the sentiments with thin foam squares, as well, and then added tiny green gems to finish things off.

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

Easter Wishes...

 Hello!  Happy last day of February!  Look at me... posting three times in the last two days!  What is going on???   Guess the crafting bug got ahold of me, lol.  Today I have a very simple design that I'm sending off to the Sunday Stamps challenge (closes in mere hours, yikes!), Freshly Made Sketches and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  Let's have a look.

The Sunday Stamps challenge features a gorgeous color palette designed to get us thinking spring!  The more I looked at the colors the more I wanted to create something that reminded me of the forsythia that grew beside the front porch of the house I grew up in.   It wasn't until I was older that I learned the name of those flowers, but I always loved seeing the bright yellow blooms that started appearing in the spring.  I thought the Birch Press Design Budding Twigs Contour Layers die set was perfect to create my budding forsythia.  There are two sizes in the die set and I went with the smaller of the two.  I used my favorite yellow cardstock (Lemon Tart from PTI) and my favorite dark brown cardstock (Dark Chocolate from PTI) to die cut my pieces.  There are three layers to each twig.  Two of the layers create the little buds.  I left the top bud layer the Lemon Tart color and the bottom layer was inked up with a dark yellow ink to create the contrast.  The pieces were adhered together and set aside to dry.   For the background I blended Speckled Egg distress oxide ink onto white heavy stock cardstock.  Heavy stock is super smooth and perfect for blending.  I arranged the twigs per the FMS sketch and then stamped the sentiments (from the new SSS Bunny Blessings stamp set).   Thought about adding something else, but decided I really liked the simplicity of the design.

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

Simon Says Stamp Favorite Things Release!

(To see my Birch Press Design post click here. Thanks!)

Hey friends!  I'm popping in to share two projects I made with the most adorable stamp set from the new Simon Says Stamp Favorite Things release.  Simon was so kind and sent me the Bunny Blessings stamp set to work with!  Let's have a look at what I created.

First up is this little decor piece that I made.   How cute is that little bunny and the carrot house?  I stamped the images using VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink on watercolor cardstock, let the images dry and then watercolored them with my Jane Davenport watercolors.   After they were dry I trimmed them out with my scissors.   While the images were drying I worked on the frame.  I painted the frame with some yellow acrylic paint and let it dry.  The yellow was a little too bright for me so I dry brushed on some white acrylic paint to knock the color back a bit.   I then grabbed another piece of watercolor cardstock and did a simple color wash of bright green and bright blue to create the grass and sky.  I placed the piece while it was still wet inside a paper towel and placed something on top so that the piece would dry relatively flat.   When I removed the panel from the paper towel some of the blue in the sky was removed.  I love how it sort of makes it look like there are clouds!  I adhered my background to the backing panel that comes with the frame using collage medium.  Once it was dry I adhered the frame also using collage medium.   I glued the carrot house in place and then added the bunny and eggs using foam square on the eggs and sticky board on the bunny.   I finished with the green bow in the corner.  Still haven't decided if I will put a sentiment on it or just leave it as is.  Going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

How cute are these little chicks?  I stamped the image in VersaFine Clair Nocturne and watercolored the chicks with Jane Davenport watercolors.  Once everything was dry, I added the simple wash of the bright green and bright blue.   I used the same drying technique on this panel that I used above to remove some of the blue from the sky.  I stamped the sentiment and then die cut down the panel using a Simon Says Stamp rectangle die.  Some yellow gingham paper was die cut with a large rectangle die from the same SSS set and adhered to a cardstock base.  I did add some hints of glitter to the bellies of the chicks and to the eggs.  I attached the panel to the card base using foam tape.  Simple, but I love how this turned out. 

If you want to see the entire Favorite Things release you can click here.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Post

 Hey everyone!  I'm popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog.  

I hope you will head over to the Birch Press Design blog to see the full card.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

birthday flowers

 Hello!  I'm back with a card that I made for Color Throwdown and the Paper Players.  Let's have a look at what I created. 

I'm still in birthday card mode so I made another one, lol!  For this one I used the Pinkfresh Studio Beautiful Blooms stamps and dies.  I stamped the images on watercolor cardstock with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and then applied clear embossing powder.  The images were heat set and then I did very simple watercoloring using a Tonic Studio Aqua Flow pen in Aqua Splash (teal) and then Jane Davenport watercolors in pink and green.  I die cut the images with the matching dies and arranged them on white cardstock that I die cut with the Pinkfresh Studio Dotted Fancy Frames die.   I went with a patterned paper background that had all the colors from the ColorThrowdown palette in it.  I really like how it looks.  I finished with a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp EZ Strips Birthday stamp set.  Will be adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

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