Butterflies and Rainbows

I used the leftover piece of rainbow patterned paper from my daughter's birthday card(couldn't waste a beautiful piece of colored rainbows!!), and combined it with some pretty stamped and die cut butterflies from the Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Day stamp/die set...

I thought it would be nice to be able to see the rainbows, so I stamped the butterflies with versa mark and white embossed.  I die cut and adhered them to the rainbow paper.  I added a partial panel on top and bottom of the butterflies, with a TINY piece of black cardstock peeking over the edge.  I added a Simon birthday sentiment, and popped up the panel on either side of the butterflies.  I brushed the butterflies with a Wink of Stella glitter pen.  I added a bunch of Tonic Jewel drops all around the butterflies in all the rainbow colors.  Here's a close up...

Love when a little piece of leftover patterned paper can inspire an entire card...such lovely fun!!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Happy 29th, Hannah!!

It was my beautiful daughter, Hannah's, birthday last week.  She turned 29!  She LOVES unicorns, so I knew exactly what card I was going to make for her...

I used the My Favorite Things Magical Unicorns stamp/die set along with a couple discontinued die sets😞, also by My Favorite Things...the Happy Birthday and Big Numbers dies.  I stamped the sentiment after die cutting the "happy 29" on the top panel, then layered the sentiment and the numbers below the top panel a couple times.   I added a stamped, layered die cut and colored unicorn on the panel. I used a pretty piece of rainbow paper by Lawn Fawn for the "happy 29"...this paper is SO FUN...and SO ME!!!   I added some Wink of Stella glitter to the unicorn's mane, horn and tail for some wonderful sparkle! I tried hard to match the colors of the unicorn to the paper.   Here's a close up...

I added some combined sentiments to the inside of the card...bringing the front of the card to the inside...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, my baby girl...and this card made her very happy...life is so good!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wonky Squares

I had gotten the Penny Black Wonky Squares die a while ago, and finally took it out of it's packaging and made a couple simple, but very fun cards...

I used some watercolor paper, and embossed the die onto the paper.  I then used my Sharpie and Mark It markers to color the embossed wonky squares.

 I adhered them behind triple layered black die cuts, and added an Altenew sentiment(love this set!).  Here's a close up... 

Then...I'll show you the first one I made...simply the layered squares with nothing behind them and a simple "thanks"...I LOVE the rainbow...but I LOVE the simple black and white...thought they both

are soooooo cool...

Here's a close up of the black and white...

Ok....simply such fun!!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Flower Cluster Two Ways

I have used two wonderful new dies from Simon Says Stamp's latest release, Sending Sunshine, to make a couple cards...

I LOVE both these new dies!!  You know me and flowers, this Flower Cluster die is sooooo pretty and versatile...the Love You die set is all that, as well!! I used paint chips for the first card, layering the die cut twice and filling in with the colored pieces.  I adhered them to a black cardstock panel, and die cut the "love you" in the same colors as the flowers  I layered a couple times and adhered to the panel, fitting it in next to the flowers.  I added a striped panel on the top and bottom.  Here's a close up...

 The second one, I die cut the flower clusters, and left their petals and leaves empty...

I die cut two of the flower clusters from a card panel, layered three times each, and popped up on a piece of blue cardstock.  The font of the  "love" from the set fit not only the lines of the flowers, but fit into the curves of this layout sooooo perfectly....I LOVED it!  You could use this card for a wedding, but also put "you", "sending love", "love on your birthday", "and thanks", etc on the inside and make it an any occasion card!! The striped paper is from my recycled gift cards.   Here's a close up...

I had so so so  much fun with these cards...you could say I "loved" it😆😆...well, I did!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Leafy Circles...Under and Over

I used the pretty new Simon Says Stamp , Leafy Circle die, to make a couple cards...

The first one is the "under, the color is under the die cut...black being a little atypical for a leafy wreath, but I loved the thought of black and gold...kind of classy, so I went with it.  Below shows you what I did.  I layered the panel with one die cut underneath, I embossed the die onto black cardstock for definition, and detail, and layered the sentiment in gold over the circle...

Here's a close up...I like how the leaves have defined lines...a little added definition on a clean and simple card...

 The other card, the "over", is a bit more expected, I just couldn't resist a shout out to my favorite time of year(wishing with all the warm temps here in VA, that it WAS Autumn, but even with summer still to come, it will be here before you know it).  Love having a Fall colored card ready for the Fall...

 I used 4 colors of cardstock, layered each leaf twice, no it wasn't hard...watching tv and not doing much, so SUPER FUN figuring out the color placement as I went, adhering with my glossy accents.  I DID stamp the new Deco Diamonds stamp for a background...LOVE the subtle look of this stamp...can be used on any, and will be used on MANY of my cards!  I used the new Four Seasons die and sentiment stamp set under the Leafy Circle in the same color as one of the leaf colors.  Here's a close up of the leaves...

This was so much fun to use these pretty leaves....the possiblities are huge!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Marilyn Thanks

I think the Marilyn Full Card die from Simon Says Stamp's newest release is beautiful!!  I must admit, though, I tried MANY papers behind this pretty die cut, before I did something that I thought was pretty enough for IT...

I layered the die cut three times...THAT was the easy part...finding what to put behind the die cut, not so easy!  I had used distress inks, refills, on watercolor paper with brushes, water, sprayed drizzled, patterned paper, plain cardstock...oh my...nothing seemed to look quite right.  In distress ink's defense, I am not the best at all the many techniques that you can use with these inks.  I DID YouTube a bunch of videos, but something that I was more convinced of than ever, and YOU probably already knew this...ALL these techniques take PRACTICE!!!  Well, all but the one I used...it's fool proof...just what someone like me needs!!!  I took a mini sponge tool, and distress oxide inks, and sponged blue in the middle, purple on each end, and extended the blue to the sides....what came of it was a total surprise, but I thought it was cool!  And the die cut just POPS with the color combo!!  I added a pretty sentiment die from Simon in black, so IT would POP, and the white background to the sentiment mimics the lacy feel of the Marilyn die...and done! 

 Here's a close up... 

Having so much fun with the die cuts from this new release!! Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Love You Wreath

I made a card with a couple of the new dies and background stamp from Simon Says Stamp's newest release, Sending Sunshine!!...

 I embossed a piece of watercolor paper with the Dazzling Circle die, colored with two Memento markers( a little sketchy, but I liked it), die cut a couple more and adhered and layered from underneath the top panel.   I stamped the Deco Diamonds background stamp and then die cut the Dazzle Circle on the top panel.  I die cut and layered new Love You die...ok...I LOVE all three of these!!  The background stamp is quickly becoming my favorite go-to stamp for some simple texture and design on cards, and this Love You die, as well as the other new one from this release...I love THEM!!!  This Love You is a little more geometric and goes with the undetailed more geometricness of this wreath...here's a close up...

I have cards to show you, just been hard to photograph...going to my light box from here on for the rest of the summer, I think!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Simon Says Stamp Sending Sunshine Blog Hop!

I'm so thrilled and honored to have been invited to be a part of today's blog hop, celebrating Simon Says Stamp's newest release, Sending Sunshine!!  Sunshine always makes me happy, and this release is full of happy!!  I don't know about you, but I need encouragement...and the stamps and dies in this newest Simon release speak to me of encouragement! 

I have used one of the sweet new stencils, Solar Burst, and some distress oxide inks to make not only some cards of encouragement, but thanks and a birthday card!!

Now...I have to state up front...I am a bit of a novice when it comes to stencils and ink(I still love embossing paste), but I have to tell you, Simon stencils make it so easy for us novices... and so much fun...may not be perfect, but SO...MUCH...FUN!!

I simply adhered the stencil to scrap paper with washi tape, and used the mini ink blending tools with the oxide inks ( I now have a blending tool and sponge for each color!...well, that may change after 6 colors, and then it will simply be a separate sponge for each,but for now, I have one tool for each color!).  The thing I DID learn with my inking, was to keep your card panel adhered to the scrap piece of paper, otherwise, it will move and make for a little hiccup in the look (yes...I had that in at least one of these...but not bad!!).  For the first and second cards, I used a piece of the new sentiment die, You are My Sunshine and a sentiment stamp from the new set, Four Seasons, and layered the die cut sentiment...

Then, I decided to use a rainbow...you know me and rainbows...and made a thank you card, using an older Simon Thanks die...

...and switched the rainbow and made a birthday card, with one of my favorite Simon Birthday dies...

I LOVE how this stencil can give you so many different looks by simply repositioning it...and the sentiment...ahhhh... Simply done, but SUCH FUN!!

Ok...that's MY fun, but now, some fun for YOU!!

 Simon Says Stamp will be generously giving a $25 coupon to one commenter from each and every blog on the hop, simply leave a comment for a chance to win!!  The winners will be chosen and be posted on the Simon Says Stamp Blog this coming Wednesday, so make sure you check the blog to see if you're a winner!

The next stop on the hop is Suzy Plantamura! 
 All the participants of today's blog can be found below, if you get lost, you can head to the  Simon Says Stamp Blog...hope you will check out all the amazing artists' inspiration today!!

Simon Says Stamp Blog 

Jennifer McGuire

Cathy Zielske

Amanda Korotkova

Nina-Marie Trapani

Nichol Spohr

Jessica Frost-Ballas

                                        Lisa Addesa<-----YOU ARE HERE☺

Suzy Plantamura

Anna Kossakovskaya

May Sukyong Park

Heather Hoffman

Anna-Karin Evaldsson

Gayatri Murali

One more really cool thing, before you go!!!...

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

The Seasons

Simon Says Stamp has a wonderful new release at their store today, Sending Sunshine!!  I have used a few of the fun, new products to make a card celebrating the seasons!!...

I used the Four Seasons stamp/die set, along with the cool new Deco Diamonds background stamp  for my card.  I layered each season twice, and added some Tonic Jewel Drops.  I added one of the sentiment stamps from the set for the inside of the card...thought it was such a powerful sentiment....

Here's a close up of the season die cuts...

You HAVE to check out the new release...it's filled with some really cool and fun new stamps, dies and accessories that, if you are anything like me, are sure to make you happy!!
Oh...and here's another happy...

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

It IS a Beautiful Day!

I returned from Florida last week after a 3+ week visit with my daughter, son-in-law and grand baby!!    I had a wonderful time and miss them terribly!!  I don't know about you, but for me, it's hard getting back to life after being gone so long from it.  I DID come home to some fun new things that I had ordered while I was gone...so I did return to lots of happiness!!  I am getting back into the swing of things even in my craft room... I made a first card with a new stamp/die set I had waiting for me when I got home... 

 I used the new Simon Says Stamp stamp/die set Beautiful Day...ok...the butterflies and sentiments ARE so beautiful!!!  I stamped, die cut, then colored the butterflies and leaves with markers.  I layered the butterfly with a blank butterfly die cut, and added some pop up dots behind the wings so it would be raised.  I also used the new Simon Woodgrain Block die to adhere the butterfly and leaves to (I layered it twice for a bit of depth).  I added one of the beautiful sentiments, and some tonic drops between the leaves.  Here's a close up...

Simon is coming out with a new release tomorrow...see you then!!   Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Tree Blossom Stitched Circle Frame

I have a couple cards to share with you today that I made using the Memory Box Tree Blossom Stitched Circle Frame...

 I made these cards a bit ago, but have not been able to find out the name of the stamp company that made the sentiment for the first.  The sentiment is a wood mounted rubber stamp and is so old and so used, that the name is a blur. Then, because it's been so long since I made these cards, I forgot where the second sentiment came from (although I think it's Simon Says Stamp).  Oh my!!  

For the first, I die cut the frame from white cardstock, then used Simon Says Stamp woodgrain cardstock, die cut again, and cut the branch and leaves away from the frame, colored, and adhered them to the white die cut.  The woodgrain gives the leaves and branch a little texture.  I added a pink die cut flower from another time die cutting the frame, and a Tonic drop for the center. The card is striped with the Papertrey Ink Striped Impression Plate (discontinued...SO sorry...I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this plate!!).  Here's a close up...

The second is much like the first, except the layout is different and I simply used green cardstock for the branch and leaves, and instead of hanging, it's growing upwards...

Sorry for the unknown stamps and the discontinued impression plate, perhaps simply a little inspiration...thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa