simon says stamp friendly frolic new release!

Hey everyone!  I'm popping in with a couple of cards that I made using one of the items from the Simon Says Stamp Friendly Frolic new release that is now available exclusively at Simon Says Stamp.  The set I'm using is called School Bus Messages.  There is a matching die available, too.   For my first card I did some watercoloring to create a fun back to school card.  I stamped the bus on watercolor paper with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then watercolored it with my ZIG Clean Color Real Brush makers.  After I finished with the bus I did some simple watercoloring to create a background scene for my bus.  Once the bus was dry I trimmed it out and popped it up on the dry watercolored background.   The sentiment was then stamped using the Nocturne ink.  I'm going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

For the second card I created a clean and simple design that could be used to celebrate a child's first field trip.  I stamped the bus four times using the following VersaFine CLAIR colors Twilight, Golden Meadow, Tulip Red and Green Oasis on white cardstock.   I then trimmed out all the buses and arranged them on a trimmed down piece of white cardstock.  In order to make the buses fit better I did trim off the mirrors.  Once I had a good arrangement I adhered all the buses with foam tape.  I then settled on a sentiment that I embossed in white on black cardstock, trimmed out and adhered as you see.  I love the fun graphic look of this design.  I think it would be fun to create this same card using cardstock in the primary colors of yellow, blue, red and green.  Going to add this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge.

Hope you have a wonderful day and don't forget to check out the new Friendly Frolic release at Simon Says Stamp.  There are tons of fun new products!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, SSS fog; PTI kraft and black; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Inks:  VersaFine CLAIR, VersaMark watermark ink; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts white; Watercolor:  ZIG Clean Color Real Brush markers 

smile...

Hello!!   A new sketch is up on the MFT challenge blog and I found some time to make a card using it along with the current colors for the MFT color challenge.  I will also be adding this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of put a sentiment on it.   I still had the July MFT card kit and I wanted to make another card before I put things away.  This time I used the lovely script smile die from the kit long with the one of the large flowers and the leaves stamps and dies.  I stamped the flower using the coral color and the leaves using colors close to the Spearmint and Green Eyed Monster colors.  The smile was die cut from cardstock in a color as close as I could get to blueberry.  I did die cut the word three times and then adhered them together.  I used the soft gray cardstock to break things up a bit.  The strip and the rounded rectangle were die cut using the MFT Inside Out Stitched Rectangle dies.  After I layered everything up per the sketch I stamped the sentiment on vellum using watermark ink, heat set it with white embossing powder and then die cut it with the banner die (the free with $60 die set).  A panel of white cardstock was die cut, the rounded rectangle adhered to that and then everything was adhered to a coral cardstock base.  I love it when I can "kill two birds with one stone"!   I think I will also add this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge.  ETA:  Today is the last day of MFT's Camp Create, part 2.  I have not had time to do any of the other "crafts", but since my card has lots of die cutting on it I will be adding it to today's "craft" of die cutting.  Adding this to the current Dies R Us challenge of anything goes.

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white and vellum, Ranger woodgrain, MFT Coral Crush, SSS fog, blue; Stamps:  MFT; Dies:  MFT and AJVD; Inks:  Stampin Up!, Hero Arts and VersaMark; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts

thankful for you...

Hello!!  Hope your week is going well.  Things are hot, hot, hot here in Western Washington and along with all that heat we are unfortunately getting smoke from the wildfires burning in British Columbia, Canada our neighbor to the north!   Given the heat and the smoky air staying inside seems like a good thing right now.  So... I made a card!  When I saw the color combo at Color Throwdown I thought of my very neglected Sheltering Tree stamp set from Stampin Up!  I pulled it out and did a little stamping!  I used Stampin Up! Crumb Cake for the tree trunk and the swing and Stampin Up! Gumball Green for the grass and the tree.  After the stamping was done I trimmed down the panel and wrapped it with some light brown twine.  A panel of Crumb Cake cardstock was adhered to a card base and then the stamped panel adhered.  I finished things off by stamping the sentiment on vellum with watermark ink and heat embossing in white.  Die cut the sentiment with an MFT Fishtail Flag Stax die and adhered it to the panel.    I like the simple, rustic look of this card.   I have played along with Word Art Wednesday in a long time and since their challenge is always anything goes I think I will added there, as well.  It also works for the new CTS layout so I will post it there, too.

Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  White, SU! Crumb Cake, PTI vellum; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Inks:  Stampin Up! and VersaMark; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts; Twine:  Recollections

bursting with joy...

Hello!!!  Well... the week is winding down and we have had a really wet one here in the Pacific Northwest!!  But I'm okay with that... we need the rain!!  I'm popping in with a card that I made for the current Essentials by Ellen pin-sights challenge.  I will also be posting it to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes and to Word Art Wednesday which is also anything goes.   The inspiration board for the EE challenge is gorgeous... full of all kinds of fall loveliness.  I decided to focus on the flower arrangements in the center of the board.  I pulled out my Mondo Peony stamp set and did some watercoloring with my ZIGs. I stamped the flower and leaves on watercolor cardstock using watermark ink, applied white embossing powder and then heat set.   I used an orange for the flower and a dark green for the leaves.  Some yellow was scribbled on to a piece of watercolor cardstock and then blended out with clean water.  Once the flower and leaves were dry I trimmed them out since I don't own the matching dies (yet!).  I arranged the pieces on the dry panel so I could figure out where to stamp the sentiment (from the EE set Lovely).  I trimmed the panel down, stamped the sentiment using Onyx Black ink and then adhered the flower the leaves.  Don't know if peonies come in orange, but that is the great thing about card making... you can make flowers any color you want!!

Hope you have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, Ranger watercolor cardstock; Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen; Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black; Watercolor medium:  ZIG clean color markers; VersaMark watermark ink; Filigree white embossing powder

a couple of cards to share...

Hey friends!!  Wow... we are having some seriously gorgeous weather here in western Washington!  So happy that my boys are on spring break during this good weather!!   Given that it is spring break I have been on a break of sorts from crafting, but after we got home from an outing today I whipped up a little card for a few challenges.  I'm also going to share a card that I made a few days ago when I had a bit of time.   I will be posting the first card to the following challenges:  Color Throwdown, CAS(E) this Sketch and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is celebrating its 7th birthday... YAY!  The challenge this week is quite appropriately to create a birthday card.   I combined some stamps from Concord & 9th (Eat Cake & Celebrate) and Reverse Confetti (Color Me Happy) to make this card.  The brushstroke image is from the Color Me Happy set and was stamped using yellow, orange and red inks.  I then stamped the candles image from Eat Cake & Celebrate in black ink over the brushstroke images.  The happy birthday was die cut using a die from the Eat Cake & Celebrate die set and then stamped with the companion sentiment using aqua ink.  That was then popped up with foam dimensionals.  I added a few enamel dots to finish things off.

The second card is for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  I used two different sets (Walk by Faith and Butterfly Dreams) and some fun Reverse Confetti quick card panels (Hoppin' Dots).   I cut the striped teal panel on the diagonal and then adhered that to the yellow polka dot panel.  A circle was die cut using an A Jillian Vance Design polka dot circle die and then stamped with the sentiment from Walk by Faith in black ink.  The butterflies were die cut using the companion dies to the Butterfly Dreams set and then stamped with teal and yellow inks.  Enamel dots were added to the bodies and then they were adhered to the panel.  I die cut a leaf image using another RC confetti cut die (Petals 'n Posies) and then stamped it with the matching image in yellow ink and adhered it to the card as a frame to the circle.  Adhered the panel to a simple white card base.  I really like how this card turned out.  I will also be posting this one to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge.  ETA:  Sweet Lilian from the Leaf Studio stopped by my blog and encouraged me to enter a brand new challenge called Creative with Stamps.  The first challenge is butterflies so I will be entering this card with them.  Thanks for letting me know about your challenge, Lilian!!

Thanks for stopping by today....


Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, Simon Says Stamp fog; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti and Concord & 9th; Dies:  Reverse Confetti, Concord & 9th and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up!, Hero Arts and Memento; Enamel Dots:  My Mind's Eye

one of a kind...

Hey friends!!  We are having some seriously nice weather here in the PNW!  I'm popping in with a card that I made for some challenges.  I recently got the new Reverse Confetti stamp set Butterfly Dreams and the matching dies so I teamed it up with the RC Color Me Happy set to create my card.  The colors are from the current Color Throwdown and the layout is based on the current one from CAS(E) this Sketch.  I'm also going to post this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.   I know there are already a ton of entries... but you can't win unless you play, lol!   Super simple design.  I stamped the brushstroke image in SU!'s Kiwi Kiss on a white panel that I die cut using my AJVD Polka Dot Rectangle Backdrop die and then added some Ranger Diamond Stickles for some sparkle.  The bottom half was partially embossed using my Swiss Dot folder.  Die cut the butterfly and then stamped it using SU!''s Take with Teal ink.  Some Diamond Stickles was also brushed on the butterfly and once dry I attached it to the a SSS Fog cardstock base.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!  Decided to add this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge, as well.

Thanks for stopping by today...


Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, SSS fog; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up!; Ranger Diamond Stickles
 

you mean...

Hey friends!! It has stopped raining... for now...  and its back!! I think I spoke too soon, lol!!  Stopping in with a quick post.  Made a card the other day for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch For You To Try.  I'm also posting this to the current Word Art Wednesday as well.  A few months back I purchased the Reverse Confetti stamp set My World and the Confetti Cut Globe die.  I seriously wanted to make something with both, but could never seem to find the right project. Finally was able to with the January SFYTT.  I used some papers from the BasicGrey Shine On 6x6 pad.  This is another one of those "wasn't sure I liked it until the next day" kinda cards.  I think it was the mix of patterned papers I used, but in the end I do like how it turned out.  One thing I shouldn't have done, though... stamped the sentiment on the zig zag patterned paper... you can't really see it! Not sure why I thought it would show up, lol!!  I have provided a close up so you can see it better.  The Confetti Cut globe is so cool and glad I finally got a chance to use it! 

Thanks for stopping by today...

 

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white; PTI kraft; BasicGrey Shine On pp; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

you're the friend...

Hey!!  Been getting more crafty time lately and so I'm taking advantage of it to participate in some more challenges.  Today's card is for the current MFT Wednesday sketch challenge, the Essentials by Ellen Mix It Up challenge (mixing Essentials by Ellen products with MFT!) and the current ColourQ challenge.  The horizontal stripes in the sketch made me think of the MFT Stitched Fishtail Flag Stax dies and so I used the smallest die to cut my banners.  Since they were too long for the card base I experimented with cutting them down and not messing up the stitching.  Once I got my experiment banner cut to the right length I finished up the rest of them.  The Essentials by Ellen portion of the Mix It Up challenge comes in the form of the EE Bold Blooms stamps and dies.  The flower was die cut and stamped with corresponding image using Melon Mambo ink.  The leaves were die cut and then stamped using the Pool Party ink.  After figuring out the arrangement for the banners I stamped one with the sentiment from the MFT set Delicate Pretty Poppies and then adhered them down.  The flower and leaves were layered on and then a few Pretty Pink Posh sparkly clear sequins were added.   Going to add this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, SU! Blushing Bride, white; Stamps:  My Favorite Things and Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  My Favorite Things and Essentials by Ellen; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Melon Mambo and Pool Party; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh

teachers...

Hey friends!!  The weekend is over and my boys will have their first full week of school... I'm sure they are really looking forward to that, lol!!   Have a card to share that I made today using one of my favorite Verve sets, Teachers Count and the matching Apples dies.   The card layout is based on the Viva La Verve week 2 sketch.   I used some lovely papers from the Webster's Pages Family Traditions line.  I will also be posting this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge celebrating their 200th challenge, to the current Simon Says Stamp challenge:  use a stamp and to the Verve Diva Inspiration challenge:  Autumn Lovelies .  I die cut the main panel using my AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop die set... absolutely love that set of dies!!  Spellbinders dies were used to cut the circle, square and long rectangle.  The apples were die cut and stamped with the outline using medium brown ink.  The solid apples were inked up with Stampin Up! Groovy Guava and then rolled in Ruby Red ink to get the color I wanted... really like how they turned out!  Stamped the sentiment on the square and then layered everything up.  Finished things off by adding a little gingham heart to the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstosck:  PTI kraft; Patterned paper:  Webster's Pages; Stamps: Verve; Dies:  Verve, Spellbinders and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up! and Memento

how r u...

Hey friends!!  Well the boys made it through the first few days of school.  It was a bit of a rocky start for my 11th grader.  His classes kept getting changed and he was pulled out of a class that he really wanted to be in, but thankfully they were able to re-arrange his schedule and he is back in the class he had been pulled out of... all's well that ends well!   Things went better for my 3rd grader (yes... I have one in high school and one is elementary school!) even though he doesn't have any of his friends in his class.  Anywhoo... I had some time this afternoon and made a card for a few challenges:  ColourQ, Freshly Made Sketches, Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (stamp and die/punch) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (use a stamp).  Pulled out a couple of favorite Stampin Up! set (Kinda Eclectic and Four Feathers) to create my card.  I stamped the sun image from Kinda Eclectic in PTI's Lavender Moon on a piece of white cardstock that I die cut with the largest die in the AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop die set.  The feathers were stamped in Bravo Burgundy (SU!) and Pansy Purple (Close to My Heart) and die cut with the matching SU! Feathers Framelits dies.  After adhering the feather together and attaching them to the main panel.  I brought in the yellow color with some baker's twine tied in a bow and attached to the feathers.  The sentiment from Altenew Label Love was stamped in black, trimmed out and popped up on the panel.  Easy peasy... lemon squeasy!  Realized that this will also work for the current Word Art Wednesday challenge... they are celebrating their 200th challenge with lots of prizes.  Make sure you check it out!

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white, Simon Says Stamp fog; Stamps:  Stampin Up! and Altenew; Dies:  Stampin Up! and A Jillian Vance Design; My Mind's Eye baker's twine; Inks:  Stampin Up!, Close to My Heart, PTI and Memento

shine...

Hey friends!!  Popping in with a card that I made for several challenges:  Sweet Sunday Sketch, ColourQ and Word Art Wednesday.  When I saw the Sweet Sunday Sketch for this week I immediately knew I wanted to use the Reverse Confetti set "God is Good".   I teamed it up with another Reverse Confetti set, Petals 'n Posies to create my card.  I die cut my panel using the Polka Dot Backdrop die set from A Jillian Vance Design and stamped it with the largest sentiment in the set.  The flowers and leaves were die cut and then stamped using Stampin Up! Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder and Rich Razzleberry.  I cut leave leaf image in half and then arranged the pieces on my panel, adhered them in place and then added the flowers.  Clear Wink of Stella was added to the "shine" and "Him", but you can't really see it.  Some clear Pretty Pink Posh sequins finished things off.

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white, Simon Says Stamp Fog, Stamps:  Reverse Confetti, Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design, Inks:  Stampin Up! and Memento; Pretty Pink Posh sequins, Clear Wink of Stella

this hope...

Hello friends!!   Popping with a card I made using the 4th sketch for the June Viva La Verve challenge and the current color palette from ColourQ.    I will also be posting this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge and the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  I'm trying to use more of my huge stash of 6x6 paper pads and so I hunted around and found the My Mind's Eye Moments pad that contained pretty much all the colors in the ColourQ palette.  I did another very literal interpretation of this VLV sketch.  Sometimes I like to take a bit of license with a sketch, but this sketch was one I just felt like playing it safe with.  I used the Verve set Strong Anchor and the company die set.  The anchor was stamped using Stampin Up! Soft Sky and the sentiment was stamped using Stampin Up! Marina Mist.   The pale blue cardstock is Simon Says Stamp Sea Glass the closest cardstock color I had to Soft Sky.  We continue to have nice sunny weather so I was able to take my photo outside.  I did have to act quick, though because I has gotten rather windy!  I have never played along with The Challenge and since the theme this time is nautical I thought I would post this card there, as well.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today...

 

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white; Simon Says Stamp Sea Glass; Stamps:  Verve; Dies:  Verve and Spellbinders; Inks:  Stampin Up!; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye

 

 

have a lovely day...

Hey friends!!   Wow... we are having some spectacular weather right now and it looks like it will extend into the weekend!!  Love having this lovely weather!  But to be honest it has put me in a bit of a creative slump (I want to be outside!!)!   I'm hoping that all the lovely happy mail today  will help me out of it.  So I busted out some of my new things and made this little card.   The layout is based on the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the colors are from the current Color Throwdown challenge.  I'm also going to post this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (anything goes) and Word Art Wednesday (anything goes).   Most of the happy mail I received came from Simon Says Stamp and I used the lovely stamp and die set called "Lovely Spring".  I followed the FMS layout pretty closely except I decided to use the wreath image instead of a square.  After die cutting the wreath I placed it on my cardstock piece so I could position the sentiment properly.  After stamping the sentiment I placed the piece in a woodgrain embossing folder and did some partial embossing.  Layered up all the little die cuts and I was done.  Simple, but rather sweet I think.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white, Simon Says Stamp fog; Stamps and dies:  Simon Says Stamp; Inks:  Stampin Up!; Yellow sequin; woodgrain embossing folder
 

let your faith...

Hey friends!!  Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone here in the US!  Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.  My niece is here visiting from California and I should get to see her tomorrow!!  YAY!!!  I received some happy mail today in the form of some yummy new Reverse Confetti stamp sets and a die.  I have been waiting on them as I really wanted to use one of the sets to make a card for the May Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  I'm also posting this to the current Word Art Wednesday challenge (anything goes - family friendly... I think this is a pretty family friendly sentiment!).  The set I was waiting on is the newly released set called God is Good.  When I saw God is Good and the beautiful sentiments in the set I just had to have it.   In addition to my Reverse Confetti "happy mail" I also got some lovely new Stampin Up! products and I used one of the paper stacks I got for my card.  The banners and the main panels were die cut using the RC Confetti Cuts Tag Me and Love Notes.  After trimming down the two little banners and adhering them to the card front.  I added a little button and twine embellishment.   I used the sentiment "Let your faith be bigger than your fear" and stamped it in VersaFine black on the white panel.  I don't know about you, but there are times when I need to let my faith be bigger than my fear and will admit that it can be hard to do that because I think it is in our nature to worry.   But once I let go of the fear and just let God handle things everything works out so much better!!

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white, Simon Says Stamp grey; Patterned paper:  Stampin Up!; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; PTI pink button; white twine