Born to Sparkle Blog Hop!

I am so thrilled to be a part of today's Simon Says Stamp Blog Hop, celebrating with so many amazing artists, Simon Says Stamp's newest release, Born to Sparkle!  I have used a couple of the wonderful new sentiment dies along with some rainbow strips, to make two cards to share with you today!

I am happiest when I am making clean and simple cards.  I have simply made my two cards today, by die cutting and layering the sentiments, and adhering them to a striped background.  I love the sentiment of this die!  I think anyone and everyone could use a card reminding them how amazing they are, right now!!  The cool thing about this first die, is that it actually die cuts in two pieces.  Two pieces are just a bit easier to adhere together, instead of one large single sentiment die cut, and I think it's just cool that way!   I used the Simon Strips 1 die for the rainbow strips.  I then added some clear Tonic drops for some bling.  Here's a close up...

For the second one, I used the cool new CZ Design Swoopy Thank you die...

The Swoopy Thank you die is so cool...and when I first saw it, I knew I had to hang a heart from the swoop at the end of the the "thank"!  I simply made this card like the first,  this time still making my stripes going diagonal, but a little more horizontal.  I adhered the floss from the heart to the back of the swoop and dotted the heart with glossy accents for the bling on this card.  Here's a close up...

Now, it's onto the fun for you!  Simon will be giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from our blog comment section. They will choose our winners and post them on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, May 5th. So, leave a comment and check the Simon Blog on the 5th to see if you're a winner!  Below, you will find a list of the participants to keep you hopping!...

Simon Says Stamp Blog 

Nina-Marie Trapani

Caly Person

Nichol Spohr

Heather Ruwe

Amy Rysavy

                                  Lisa Addesa<----YOU ARE HERE

Sidnie Des Jardins

Suzy Plantamura

Cheiron Brandon

Barb Engler

Sandi MacIver

Natasha Vacca

Seeka

Two things before I go!  First, don't forget the offer in the banner above...use the code CRUSH428 for a free Island Crush ink cube with the purchase of $25 or more!  The offer is good til May 2nd or until supplies last, so don't wait too long!  Second, there will be a second blog hop  on the Simon Blog tomorrow, so I hope you'll follow along tomorrow for even more inspiration from this amazing new release!

Thanks for visiting me today, keep on hopping!! Hugs!! Lisa

Spring Bouquet Love

Today is release day for the wonderful new Simon Says Stamp Born to Sparkle release!  I have made a card with one of the beautiful new stamp/die sets, Spring Bouquets...

I stamped, embossed, die cut and colored the very pretty bouquet, and popped it up on a white panel, with one of the sentiments from the set stamped in the upper corner.  I then popped up the flower and white panel on a stenciled background and then card.  Here'a a close up...

Tomorrow is day one of two days of blog hops over at the Simon Blog...hope you will join in the fun for some prizes and inspiration!  Hope all is well in your part of the world, thanks so much for stopping by...Huge Hugs!!  Lisa

Happy Mother's Day Bouquet

I've made a Mother's Day card with the new Simon Says Stamp Bouquet for Mom stamp/die set, from their All the Feels release!...

Simply done, I stamped, embossed, die cut, colored and popped up on card panel.  I stamped one of the sentiments from the set for the "mom" to stand on.  I used a striped pink paper behind the white panel, to match the pink flowers in the bouquet.  Popped the white panel up on the stripe and added some clear tonic drops to the purple berries, and white gel pen to the mom's dress for some texture.  Here's a close up...

Simply done, simply fun!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Sweet Backgrounds

I've made a couple cards with a couple of the fun new stamps and dies from Simon Says Stamp's All the Feels release!...

The flowers are made with the Sweet Garden Background stamp.  I stamped the stamp with versamark and then white embossed.  I then took my Tonic Drops, and dotted the center of every flower with  blank middle...yes, I do believe I got every flower with an empty dot!  I got done, and thought they looked like little daisies, but then asked my daughter if they looked like sunny-side-up eggs😁...ok...don't think too much!!  I added a new die cut layered CZ Design sentiment...because daisies make me happy!!  Here's a close up...

The second one, I stamped on white cardstock, using versamark and white embossed like the first card... 

This time, however, I brushed on distress oxide inks over the white, and then added another layered die cut CZ design sentiment die.  Not sure about my brushing on...a little heavy handed in spots, oh, I really need to do this more often to get the technique down a bit better, like the pros.  You get the idea, though, and it actually looks a bit better IRL.   Here's a close up... 

Life has been a bit crazy, lately, but I'm getting things done, so hope to soon have more time to do the thing I love, making cards!  Be safe!! Thanks so much for stopping by, HUGS!!  Lisa

Happy Birthday Daisy

I have made a birthday card using the pretty Spellbinders Button and Daisy Chrysanthemum die set...

I was intrigued with the cards I saw made with these dies...I thought the flowers looked so pretty.  I watched the video suggested on the packaging, and made mine similarly...I did not have the cool tool the woman used to score and such, but improvised.  I had the hardest time with the layout (I'm having a real time with layouts on all my cards, of late, but I digress), but thought the polka dotted corner was sufficient background for the flower.   I had tried embossed backgrounds, stamped, plain, small, large, colored cardstock, white cardstock backgrounds, and thought this was a great combo.  I used a favorite CZ Design birthday stamp for the sentiment.  Here's a close up... 

Hope you are doing well!  I have had much to do around my house of late, but having fun in my craftroom when I'm able!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

The "Rainbow Birds" of Happiness

I've made a slimline card with the adorable new Simon Says Stamp Sweet Garden Birds stamp/die set, from their new All the Feels release...

Maybe you've heard of the bluebird of happiness...well, that's kind of the thing I was going for, only not just blue, but with a rainbow of birds!  This card was so much fun to make...once I decided on what color inks to use for the birds. I know this might sound crazy, but I used three different shades of each color...one for the body, one for the wings, and a third color for the spots on the birds' chests, and yes, that's 18 ink pads!  It came together really fast, though! Stamped, die cut, and put the pieces together with glue dots and pop up dots.  The layout was really the most challlenging as getting all these cuties on one card was kind of tough, not going to lie.  I settled on using some black twine, and having the birds sit on the twine.  I added a sentiment from the CZ Design Happy Days stamp set.  I popped the white panel on a black panel and white card, and added some enamel dots(remember those??!!...I've got lots and still love them!).  Here's a close up...

Hope you're having a happy day(here in VA, it's a beautiful day for yard work!)...yard work is hard work...but I know it will make me really happy when it's done!  Gotta "fly"...thanks so much for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Fading Florals Stencil Two Ways

I have used the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Fading Florals stencil from the Limited Edition Beautiful Humans Card Kit (also sold separately)...

I simply inked one, and then used embossing paste and then inked, the second one!  

I used five distress oxide inks for the first one.  I sponged on the colors, being a bit particutal is getting the colors to end and begin on whole images of the stencil.  I then used one of the sentiments from the new XL Greetings 2 stamp/die set from the All the Feels release!  I popped up the panel on the card, here's a close up

The second one, I used embossing paste on gray cardstock...

After the embossing paste dried, I put the stencil back over the raised images, and sponged on the colors with small daubers, to be a little more precise with the coloring(still not perfect, but fun, nonetheless)!  I used a CZ Design sentiment die and a Simon sentiment strip.  I popped up the gray panel over the card, like the first.  Here's a close up...

Stencils are so much fun, this one, especially, it is so stinkin pretty!!  Hope you are well, sending hugs your way!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!! Lisa

A Rainbow-Bicycle Filled Birthday

I made a birthday card for a cycling lover, using a number of older Simon Says Stamp stamps and dies...

I stamped the bicycle from the What a Good Sport Outdoors stamp set, then die cut each cycle with the coordinating dies, and layered.  I had originally had these bikes in a straight line on a slimline card, but over time, I changed my mind as to how I wanted the layout to look, so I did a redo!  I used the Simon Layered Hills die set, to make a hilly road for the bikes, and used one of the sentiments from the set, curved it to mimic the shape of the hills, and white embossed.  I used a CZ Design sentiment for the "Birthday Wishes"!  Here's a close up... 

I have to say, this redo made me pretty happy, so cool this is a craft that, if you don't like what you do, you can often pieces apart and do the card over differently!!  Such fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Slimline Florals

I've made a couple cards with the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Slimline Florals stamp/die set from the new All the Feels release!...

I stamped, embossed, die cut and colored the assortment of flowers image.  I then colored and popped  up the wreath on a white panel with two of the sentiments from the set(I loved the sentiments so much, I used them on both cards!).  I dotted the centers of the flowers with Tonic drops.  The background was made with the Simon Slimine Borders stencil and white pigment ink.  Here's a close up...

The second card was done the same but different...

This one, I used the single row of flowers, colored them a bit differently than the first, and popped them up over the white panel at a diagonal.  I used the Simon Tiny Dots stencil with some Cotton Candy ink.  Here's a close up...

Hope you are having a great week...hanging in over here....cold and rain have taken over where I am, looking forward to warmer days!  Be safe!!

Thanks for stopping by today!! Hugs!! Lisa