Elegant Blossom Branch

I have used two new Simon Says Stamp dies, one a beautiful flower die set, from their STAMPtember® release, to make a birthday card...

I die cut the flower and stem/leaves from white cardstock, and brushed on the colored inks.  I die cut the frames, and chose to spread the same ink from the flowers over the inside frame, and the outside panel of the card.  I used a sentiment stamp from a previous release, and adhered the flowers to the panel as the last step.  The white frame was the only frame layered.  Here's a close up...

In addition to this wonderful release, there are so many wonderful collaboratstive stamp/die sets being released daily over at the Simon website...I hope you're having fun with STAMPtember®...I know I am!!  Hope you have a fantastic week!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Just Because

I have made a card with the beautiful Simon Says Stamp Fancy Just Because die and Tiny Tufts embossing folder, from the new STAMPtember® release!...

This is a simply made card, but I think it's wonderful how a pretty die, embossing folder, and piece of patterned paper, can make for a pretty card!  I used a piece of vellum behind the die cut sentiment, to give it a bit of "separate" from the background.  I popped up the embossed panel on a piece of the patterned paper, and made an envelope for the card, as it wound up being a bit bigger than an A2...5 3/4"x4 1/2".  I could have made it standard size, but I just really liked the border of the patterned paper being a bit bigger.  Here's a pic with the envelope...

Here's a closeup...

Such great fun!!  Hope you're having fun with the first days of STAMPtember®!!  There will be something new every day, over at Simon, hope you will check it out!!  I'll have more tomorrow!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

STAMPtember® Party!

I am so thrilled and excited to be a part of today's Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® Party, celebrating the wonderful STAMPtember® release!  STAMPtember® began 15 years ago, yes, this is YEAR 15 of STAMPtember®!!  STAMPtember® is a month long celebration of all things stamping!  There are amazing  new stamps, dies, stencils, embossing folders, and, well...all things stamping, in this release! There will also be daily releases from other amazing stamp companies, who have collaborated with Simon for this month long celebration!   I hope you will check out the Simon website and keep a lookout throughout the month of September, for new releases!!  

I have made a couple cards to share for this celebration, using a beautiful new flower die set, a background die, and background stamp...

I die cut the flowers from white cardstock and colored the petals and centers with markers.  I adhered them to a panel with the Just Because background stamped on it.  I thought the sentiment on the background was perfect, so I decided to tape off the words surrounding the "Just Because" and stamp that sentiment in black.  I took me retaping it a few times, to get the desired depth of black that I wanted, but I love how it turned out!  I then adhered the flowers to the panel and popped up the panel on the card,  Here's a close up...

I love the versatility of these flowers!  I chose to change the whole look of my flower for the second card...to a daisy!

For this card, I did use a little very light gray marker for the center of the white daisy, and used the stem from the die set, coloring it green.  I used the new Double Plaid Cover die for the background, die cut in two shades of gray cardstock, along with an older sentiment that I thought fit perfectly in the space between the flower and stem.  Here's a close up...

You can find a list party goers over at the Simon Blog...it's a big party, with lots of inspiration!  Don't forget about the offer in the banner... free Prism Pawsitively Dazzling Gems with any purchase!  PLEASE NOTE: the offer in my post is only one of many offers at today's party!  This part of the party is like a scavenger hunt, as you will have to visit other blogs to "find" other offers!  FUN!!   The offer is good until the end of the day on September 3rd, or until supplies last, so don't wait!  Simply follow the directions in the banner at the top of this post, to get your gems!

Thanks so much for being a part of today's party and stopping by my blog!!  Hugs!!  Lisa

STAMPtember® Release!

The Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® release is OUT, today!! September 1st marks the first day of the annual month long celebration of all things stamping, over at Simon, and this is the 15th year!!

I have made a card to start of the celebration, with one of the beautiful new stamp/die sets...

I stamped, die cut, colored, layered, and adhered the pretty flowers to the gray panel that I embossed with a piece of burlap.  I added a couple of the sentiments from the set, and added some white dots for some finish. Because I had wanted to keep the total line of flowers on the card, the card is a bit longer than an A2, so I made an envelope for the card with my envelope maker.  Here's a close up...

There is going to be a HUGE party tomorrow, over at the Simon Blog, to get the month long celebration started, so be sure to check it out!  There will be lots of surprises, as well as some wonderful inspiration from some amazing artists!

Thanks for stopping by!! Hugs!! Lisa

Cosmos Duo

I have made a card using a beautiful Simon Says Stamp die, from their Cheering for You release...

I have used the Cosmos Duo die set, brushed on a couple purple inks on the flowers, and a couple greens on the stem.  I stamped the background stamp through a torn piece of paper, to give it a small oval stamp on the cardstock.  I stamped a sentiment  and adhered the flowers.  The drops are Nuvo in pale periwinkle, but not certain they are still available.  Here's a close up...

Tomorrow is the start of a new month, and the start of Simon Says Stamp's month long celebration of all things stamping...STAMPtember®...their 15TH YEAR of celebrating STAMPtember®!!  Hope you will join in the fun throughout the month, with exclusive new products, along with surprise stamp/die sets from lots of companies in the stamping community!  It is guaranteed to be ALOT of FUN!!  

Thank you so much for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Monstera Leaves

I have made a couple cards with the beautiful Simon Says Stamp Monstera stencil set, from their Cheering for You release...

I have two amazing, plant loving daughters, and when I saw this stencil set, I knew I had to try my hand at this beautiful leaf!  I used a bunch of different greens to make this leaf(listed below), then added a die cut and layered, stamped and embossed sentiment.  I also added a few glossy accent dots.  Here's a close up...

After showing it to my daughter, she challenged me to make a Monstera Albo...where half the leaf is white.  The one that I made on this card,  looked lighter and a bit different, as I used embossing paste to make the white side white...

The embossing paste DID make the greens look lighter(plus all that I accidentally wiped off while handling it while it was drying!), so I accordingly, used a lighter to darker shade of already blended cardstock, for the background.  I cut out the leaf, which I had originally put the paste onto gray cardstock, but got ink on, so I cut the leaf out and off the gray paper.  I am hoping that Simon comes out with a die for this beauty...I absolutely love this leaf!  Here's a close up of the second card,...

These may be two cards, but I'm pretty sure these will not be the last two that I make with these stencils...such great fun!!

Thank you for stopping by, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Glittery Birthday!

Just a quick post, to show you a card that I made for my glitter-loving grandson, for his birthday!...

I used  Simon Says Stamp glitter cardstock adhered together on a piece of paper, then die cut with the Birthday Confetti die!  I embossed the panel with a fun embossing folder, and popped up the panel on the card.  Here's a close up...

Hope you are staying cool...super hot here, in Virginia!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Tuscan Olive Branch

I have made a card with the beautiful Simon Says Stamp Tuscan Olive Branch die set, from the Cheering for you release!...

I had finished, and photographed the card I had made, and when getting it ready to post last night, I decided I didn't like it...it needed something.  This was the original card...

I thought it was cool to emboss a frame on the card, and the vellum sentiment was layered with a gray die cut background, to match the card panel.  It just began to look, to me, kind of boring.  What I thought would look better, would be to put an ACTUAL white frame around the branch, AND put a white background behind the vellum die cut sentiment!  Ah....yes...happiness!  

Here's a close up...

It's just a note to you...you may like a card when you finish it, but then, later, change your mind.  What I so much love about cardmaking, though, is that you CAN change what you don't like about your card!  Two changes made me very happy...OLIVE IT!!  Hope you are having a great day!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Pointelle Rings

I have made a couple cards with the pretty Simon Says Stamp Pointelle Rings die set, from the Cheering for You release!...

I die cut the largest ring a couple times, and then, my thought was to use colored floss...20 different colors, and make different colored flowers all around the ring.  I then adhered a stamped circle to the back and then to a pink panel that I had used the die plate.  I die cut a circle out of the top white panel, and also used the tin die plate.  I popped the panel on the card.  Here's a close up...

The second card...simply three of the small rings, done as daisies...

I die cut, and removed all the dots from the rings.  I added layered the center pieces,  colored and popped up.  I used a black background for the "flowers", and popped up the panels on the top and bottom of the flowers, adding a sentiment from another Simon stamp set.  I added some enamel dots in between the flowers for some interest, and fill in so they didn't look lonely.   Here's a close up...

Okay...lots of fun!  Hope you are having a great weekend!  It's Simon Says Stamp's STAMPtember® one week from tomorrow, the FIFTEENTH STAMPtember®!!  I can't wait, and I hope you will check it out..a month long celebration over at Simon Says Stamp, for all things stamping!!  

Thank you, so much, for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Butterfly Burst

I have made a card with the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp embossing folder, Butterfly Burst, from the new Simon September Card Kit, Chunky Thankful Greetings...

I used the technique of using the debossed images of the embossed paper/cardstock, for your card.  I chose a piece of patterned paper that had multiple colors on it, embossed it, and then rubbed a black ink pad all over the flat surface of the paper, not the side with the butterflies raised on the paper.  Rubbing the black ink shows off the colorful, embossed butterflies!  I added an older Simon sentiment, stamped with versamark and black embossed for some "shiny"!  I raised the panel on the card...here's a close up...

Had so much fun...love when all the butterflies really "pop" off the card with the black!!  Hope you have been having a great start to your week...August is FLYING by...STAMPtember® is coming, this will be the 15th year that Simon will be celebrating all things stamping in the month of September...hope you will  join in the fun that's coming!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wavy Rays

I have made a card with the one of the cool new Simon Says Stamp stencils, from the Cheering for You release!...

I chose to use three shades of orange, and turned the stencil each time and with each orange ink I used to brush on the stencil.  I thought all the rays in different colors and shapes, looked so cool.  I opted to use the Simon sentiment die, "You brighten my day", as it seemed like a kind of perfect word for the bright orange colors!  Here's a close up...

Hope you are having a great week...YOU brighten my day!!

Thank you so much for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Daisy Bundle

I have had the Pretty Pink Posh Daisies stamp/die set for a while, and finally made time to make a couple  daisy cards with this pretty set!...

Simply made, I stamped, die cut, and colored with markers.  I layered then popped up the flowers on the square card panel and added the perfect sentiment(to me)...one that perfectly went over the stems of the flowers, and fit the sunshine filled daisies!  I added some tonic drops, and popped up the panel on a square card.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I used the biggest of the single flower heads and a couple of  the leaves from the stamp/die set...

I opted to adhere this flower on a piece of medium gray,textured cardstock.  I added a sentiment that fit the space perfectly(that's something I love to do, along with just a wonderful sentiment!).  I added three enamel accents dots...and popped up the panel on the card.  Simply done, and made me happy!  Here's a close up...

Daisies make me SO happy....and happy I finally got to play, if even only for a short time, with this lovely set!  Hope you have a great weekend!  

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

French Garden Black Eyed Susan

I have made a card with the beautiful new Tim Holtz French Garden Stamps with Simon Says Stamp Dies Bundle, from the Cheering for You release!...

I simply made this card, I love simplicity.  I stamped, die cut, and colored the flower.  I then layered it a few times.  I tore the center from a piece of card sized paper, and put that over the panel I wanted to stamp, so only a portion of the panel was stamped.  I used Simon Fog ink, a light colored gray for the background, then stamped a Simon sentiment that had a great message, as well as a great fit to the leaf of the flower!  I LOVE when things work out that way!  I popped the panel up on a card, and that was it!  No bling or dots on this one.  Here's a close up...

Hope you have been having a great week...if not, hang in there...it will be okay!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Embroidery Flowers

I have made two cards with the beautiful new Tim Holtz Embroidery Stamps with Simon Says Stamp Dies Bundle set, from the new Cheering for You release!...

These stamps are SO pretty, and make for some pretty flower filled cards! The dies are just as important to the beauty of this set, though! The dies have some amazing detail cuts and make for some beautifully cut out flowers/leaves!   I stamped and die cut two of the three stamps, and colored with markers.  I die cut two more of each, and layered.  I used sentiments from two different Simon stamp sets, and stamped them on textured Bazzill paper. 

The first one, not sure if it's a daisy, but I MADE it into a daisy.  Here's a close up...

And the second one, much like the first, except for the flowers and sentiment...

I used a white gel pen for this one, to not only fill in the flower's centers, but to give some dimension to the stamen on the flowers.  Not sure if you can see it really well, but here's a close up...

 I used my envelope maker to make envelopes for both cards, as they are 7"x4 1/4".

Happy August, hope your month is off to a great start!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa