Bright Flower Trio Birthday

I have made a birthday card with a cute flower die set from Echo Park, along with a sentiment stamp/die set from Simon Says Stamp!...

When I saw this flower die set on Simon's website, Bright Flower Trio, by Echo Park, I KNEW I not only  had to have them, but that I wanted to make them into daisies!  What I didn't know, at the time, was that I would also change the direction of the leaves, after die cutting them.  Below is the online picture...

What do you think of my choice?  I DO love that the stems are one piece...the stem and the LONG leaf parts.  What is cool is that I scored the leaves and bent them a bit, then adhered the stem/leaf part over the bent leaf like the picture shows...thought it looked kind of cool slightly bent.  I also just slightly bent the petals of the flowers, for dimension, like the leaves.  I used a pretty Simon Says sentiment stamp/die,  and popped it up, with the stems tucked beneath it.   I used some very old enamel dots for interest, and an old Papertrey Ink impression plate for the background(love using and using up the classics!).  

 Here's a close up...

I had so much fun with this set...will always love any opportunity to make a card of daisies!!  Hope you are having a great end to this first week in September...almost FALL!!  YAY!!  Please take care!

Thanks so much, for stopping by my blog, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

STAMPtember® Party!

I am SO thrilled to be a part of today's celebration party of Simon Says Stamp's 16th year of STAMPtember® releases, with an enormous party of artists over at the Simon Blog!!  Just in case you are new to stamping, though it bears repeating even if you are not, STAMPtember® is a month long celebration of all things stamping!  Simon has daily collaborations with some of the most wonderful stamp companies in the industry,  they will be limited edition and one time only stamp(and some die) sets for sale (so get them when you see them!), along with many other giveaways and lots of amazing inspiration, so you will want to check both the Store (collaborations), and Blog for daily sales, giveaways, and so much more!!  

I have chosen a halloween card I made, for this party...I just loved this little Ghost Parade!!...

I just thinkt this die set is adorable!  These little ghosts are just too cute, and putting them together was so much fun!!  For all the black pieces, I used a Simon glossy black cardstock...just kinda liked it better than just plain black.  I layered each of the little guys, and used a black gel pen to give them "eyes".  I lined them up next to the new die cut and layered CZ Design Trick or Treat 2 die.  I added some enamel dots for interest, and despite having four ghosts and a big sentiment, it was still clean and simple...made my heart happy!!  Oh, the card is 7" x 31/2"...so I used a slimline envelope that I cut the flap and enough of the  back of the envelope off to fit the card,  and folded the front of the envelope to the back with some adhesive tape to seal....making the envelope I had, work!  Hope my explanation makes sense.  Here's a close up of the card...

Okay, that's my party card!  This party is enormous, and you can find all the artists who are a part of the party over at the Simon Blog!  At the top of this post, there is an offer...a very cute stamp AND die set, Koala-Ty Birthday, yours with a minimum purchase of $30!  The offer is only available until the end of the day on September 3rd...or until supplies last, so please act fast.  Another fun thing...there are many different offers for you to uncover at other artist's sites, so, like a scavenger hunt, you can search the other participants and find the perfect offer for you!  I hope you have fun at the party, today, and fun throughout the rest of the month...enjoy STAMPtember®!!!  Thank you, Heidi, for Simon Says Stamp...I am so thankful for this craft, and especially for you and Simon...you have made the world so much more beautiful and so much more fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!!

STAMPtember® 2025!

It's September 1st, and over at Simon Says Stamp, that means it's the start of STAMPtember®...the registered trademark of a name given by Simon's owner, Heidi Crowl, to a month long celebration of all things stamping!!  This happens to be Simon's SIXTEENTH YEAR of celebrating STAMPtember®...and I can't wait to get it started...so... 

I have made three cards with an adorable new stamp/die set, Apple of My Eye, along with some new frame dies, what fun!!

I stamped, die cut, and colored all of the adorable animals and apples.  I stamped and die cut the sentiments.  The most challenging part with these little cuties was the layout.  The are small, and making the card "look" enough, yet keeping it clean and simple, was given a quick fix with: one of the stamps from the set(the second card)... stamped all around the frame, a stencil(this first one)... stamped on a piece of cardstock and cut down and the frame cut out, and for the third one, a stamp from an older teacher set!  I used the new Postage and Scalloped Rectangle dies for all three dies...LOVE them!!  Okay...here's a close up of the first card, and then the other two cards....

  The second one...

I used one of the stamps from the stamp set, to stamp all around the brown frame...

The third card...

This one I was kind of trying to make the postage die cut panels go from high, and getting lower, to kind of go to "core"...I know, a thought only in my head, but that's what prompted the lowering levels of frames to the animal and sentiment.  Here's the close up...

Okay...tomorrow is an ENORMOUS PARTY over at the SIMON BLOG, which will officially get the month long party started!  Hope you will join in the fun, and be inspired!!  There will be new releases by different companies, in collaboration with Simon Says Stamp...limited one time releases, so you will want to check out the Simon Says Stamp store, daily, to see what's being offered by all the amazing companies!!  Hope you have lots of fun!!  Please take care!! Thank you so much for stopping by!!  Hugs!!  Lisa

Festive Christmas!

I have made two Christmas cards with two Simon Says Stamp stencil sets and a die, from their Happy Camper release!

I used the Festive Bough stencil set and brushed ink through the stencils to make this pretty background.  I cut it down to fit a 5x5 square card and then die cut the border of the sentiment die I was using into the background. I popped the background boughs onto the red panel and card, and adhered the die cut and layered sentiment into the die cut "window".  Here's a close up...

I used the single bough, aka Festive Swag, which also had a coordinating die,  to make my second card...

I brushed the ink into the stencils( I have to say I LOVE these stencil sets!), and then die cut the swag, and layered it.  I stamped, embossed, die cut and layered the sentiment. I adhered both the sentiment and swag to a white panel with an embossed snowfall,  for the background.  I popped up that panel on the card...done!  Here's a  close up...

Stencils are so much fun to create with...every time you lift it off the paper after brushing on the ink, it's always a wonderful present or surprise!  Tomorrow is the beginning of STAMPtember® over at Simon...AND...there will be a month long celebration of all things stamping!!  There will also be an enormous party on September 2nd, so inspiration will ABOUND!!  Please take care!!

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

Bee Happy!

I have made a card from a pretty Simon Says Stamp tag die, a die from their Moments in Time release!...

I thought the bees and flowers of this die were so cute, so I decided to use them along with an already die cut and colored branch that I cut from another die.  I used very old enamel dots for the centers of the flowers, and vellum for the bees wings(although I'm not sure you can really tell from the pics).  I printed the sentiment from my computer and home printer...I wanted something that said "bee" in it.  I popped the tag up on the panel and the panel, again, on the card.  Here's a close up...

Hope you have a great rest of your long weekend, here in the states, and hope you're getting ready for STAMPtember® on Monday...even though it will be a holiday.  There will be an enormous party on Tuesday, September 2nd...hope you'll be there!  Please take care!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

School Bus!

It's that "Back to School" time, and what a better time for a school bus!  I'm using the cute Simon Says Stamp School Bus die and sentiment strip, from their Happy Camper release to make a card for a very deserving bus driver!

I think bus drivers are very under appreciated.  Getting all the kiddos to and from school safely is a HUGE responsibility and very important job, and I think they deserve respect and thanks for that! I no longer have any school age children, as mine are all grown, but I DO have a school bus that stops to pick up children, right outside the front of my house, so this will be going to her!  I also collect trash in my city, and these drivers are soooo sweet, we wave to each other, and they even beep their horns when they pass by me...I just love them!!  So...this bus is super special to me.  I made the bus into a card, and followed the picture on the die package for the placement of all the pieces...I think it's wonderful!! I finished it with a cut out sentiment strip from the package of strips.   Here's a close up...

Hope you are having a great week...the end of the month is coming and STAMPtember® is almost here...can't wait...stay tuned...

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

ILYSM Hearts

I made a couple cards with the pretty ILYSM sentiment die set with coordinating stamps, from Simon Says Stamp's Happy Camper release!...`

ILYSM is an initialism for I Love You So Much...just in case you didn't know.  I didn't know, had never seen it, when I first saw the die and stamps, but figured it out. I chose to die cut the letters in kind of "love" colors.  I layered them and adhered them to a piece that I had die cut the letters in white, to have some official placement.  I originally had the embossed and die cut heart used for the second card, but didn't like the colored letters with the off white, so I changed this card to a white embossed heart.  I stamped the sentiment before embossing the hearts.  I made the heart into a card, and paired it with a pink Simon envelope.

Here's a close up...

Soooo....the second one, I used stripes of the same colors I had die cut the letters for the first card, and die cut the letters, heart,and made the card from off white cardstock  

And, this card is a square card. I also used the same sentiment stamp for this second card.  One thing I didn't know, until making links to this product used on theses cards, is that the heart die that I used for both cards, is sadly, no longer available.  There is another Simon heart die set, I just liked this very open feeling die for all those letters.   Here's a close up...

l hope your weekend has been a good one!!  STAMPtember® (Simon's 16th year of a month long celebration of all things stamping!) is right around the corner...hope you will join in the fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Rose Branch Redo...Kinda!

I'm posting my first post, but second attempt with this card, made with a beautiful Simon Says Stamp leaf die and sentiment, both from the Friend Like You release....

This was the first attempt...

Okay, maybe you're saying it's not that big a difference...and no, it's not.  But it IS enough of a difference to giving this beautiful die a bit more life, and the card a bit more interest with the color and depth of the leaves and the enamel dots, not to mention the background when photgraphing😉...needless to say, I changed it up a bit, in all regards!!  I die cut the top layer of leaves from a piece of green cardstock, then shaded with some brushed on ink...love how it gave the leaves some life and depth!  I adhered that layer and another plain green in between the two, and bent them to give them some interest.  The frame was layered and made with some textured cardstock for a bit of a breakup in paper textures.  The sentiment was the most challenging, as it was in a set of sentiment strip stamps on the same piece of acrylic.  I could have cut it apart, but thought of future uses, and  opted to keep it on the piece of acrylic with the others.  

Bottom line for me with this card:  The wonderful and sheer fun about cardmaking... You can make a card that you like, but don't love, put it aside for a bit, then give it a makeover that makes you love it, it a craft full of possibilities!!  AND...it doesn't take a lot to make a card with interest!!  Here's a close up...

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!!  Please take care!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Sunflower Birthday

    I have made a birthday card, using a Lawn Fawn sunflower die set, and Simon Says Stamp Happy Birthday die!...

Simply done, the sunflowers were die cut from yellow and brown cardstock.  The die is actually a row of sunflowers, which you "could" cut apart, but I kept them together, cutting one off of the row to fit the card.  I did put an extra layer on the row.  There are separate flowers that I used to top the rowed flowers, making the flower petals look full.  I die cut and layered the birthday sentiment, as well.  I popped up the panels on either side of the flowers.  Here's a close up...

Did you notice what I did with the "dot" for the "i"?  I cut down one of the centers ...kind of wanted to mimic a sunflower with the yellow flower and the brown center...the dot was in the center of the yellow wording...I had fun with this card!  Hope you're having a great week...almost another weekend, my the weeks are flying by!!  Please take care!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Fantasy Bouquet Birthday

I have made a birthday card with a beautiful new Simon Says Stamp flower die from their Happy Camper release!...

I die cut the flowers and leaves from white carstock, and brushed on ink.  I layered both the leaves and flowers once, and adhered to a Bazzill panel and then card.  The sentiment is also Simon, and was die cut from silver matte cardstock and layered.  Here's a close up...

I hope you are having a great start to your week!  The weather has cooled significantly(at least for now) here in VA, so it is actually enjoyable to be outside...hoping the weather is treating you well, in your part of the world!!  Please take care!!  Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Beautiful Branch Birthday

I have used a couple of the wonderful new Simon Says Stamp dies, from their Happy Camper release, to make a thank you card...

I die cut the flowers, leaves, and sentiment, from white cardstock.  I brushed on color to the leaves and flowers' centers.  I adhered them to a panel that was cream colored and had some texture(a friend had given me a LOT of paper samples from invitations and such, which I sometimes use on my cards).  I popped it up on a card.  Here's a close up...

Simple fun...and love these new dies!!  I hope you have a great weekend!!  I also hope you find some time for creating...it's what keeps me going, thinking it might help you, too!!  Please take care!!

Thanks for stopping by, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Happy Camper Blog Hop~Day 2!

I am so happy to be joining so many incredible artists, today, celebrating Simon Says Stamp's newest release, Happy Camper, by way of a blog hop over at the Simon Blog!  I have made three cards using one of the sweet new stamp/die sets from this release...

 

 My daughter is going to have my seven year old granddaughter  start gardening with her, so this card will be perfect, as she begins her future endeavors!  I stamped and die cut the dirt and the kitty, and colored and layered both.  I used a piece of patterned paper that I had found while searching my craftroom, that I have had for a very long time, but I liked for this card, for the background. The card is a bit smaller than a typical A2, to make the images fit a bit better(5 1/4 x 3 1/4), but still fits nicely in an A2 enverlope.  Here's a close up...

Then, I made two cards using one of the images from the set that I loved the minute I saw it...a single flower in a flower pot...

I discovered that the Trinity enamel dots, the largest one, fit PERFECTLY in the centers of these stamped/die cut flowers, so I got the idea to use a CZ Design sentiment, and used three of the flowers, but only give one of the flowers a sparkly center.  I thought it went perfectly with the "bright spot" in the sentiment!  Here's a close up...

the second card with the flowerpot...a late entry, as I redid it, last minute!...

Decided to end with some COLOR!!  I gave THIS flower in the pot a rainbow, colored the petals, then cut strips of cardstock as close to the colors of ink I used, and popped the panel up over the stripes and card.  Used an older Easter sentiment...thought it so fit!  Here's a close up...

Okay...I had SO much fun making my cards!!  As I always like to say...my fun was above, your fun is below!

Simon is generously giving a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from our comment sections, so the more hop blogs you comment on, the more chances you will have to win!  Winners will be chosen and posted on the Simon Blog on Wednesday, August 6th, so make sure you check the Simon Blog on the 6th, to see if you are a winner!!  If you are a winner, you can email Simon to claim your prize!

The list of participants in today's hop are listed below...

Simon Says Stamp Blog 
Nina-Marie Trapani
Suzy Plantamura
Cathy Zielske
Laura Bassen
Debby Hughes
                                      Lisa Addesa<...You are Here😊
Emily Midgett
Heather Ruwe
Sandi MacIver
Tina Smith
Hanh Nguyen
Barb Engler
Anna-Karin Evaldsson
Karin Åkesdotter
Rosemary Dennis

Just to let you know...as you read in the title of this post, this is day 2 of 2 blog hops, celebrating this release!  SO...there was another blog hop yesterday...and that gives you not only more projects with wonderful inspiration, but also more chances to win one of the $25 coupons from Simon!  Hope you will hop along and join the fun and inspiration, today, and check out yesterday's hop at the Simon Blog! ALSO...don't forget the offer in the banner at the top of the post!  You will automatically receive the not yet released Sunflower Dance stamp set with any purchase of products from the Happy Camper release !   The offer is only good until the end of the day tomorrow, August 3rd, while supplies last.  Thank you so much for stopping by and "keep hopping"...hugs!  

  Lisa