Simon Says Stamp Cheer and Joy Blog Hop Day One!

I am thrilled to be a part of today's Simon Says Stamp's Cheer and Joy Blog Hop, celebrating this newest release!!  Cheer and Joy is filled with an amazing variety of stamps, dies, stencils, watercolor cards, and other card making accessories to make this coming Christmas season one truly filled with Cheer and Joy!!

I have chosen to used the wonderful new Holiday Greetings Mix 1 to make a couple Christmas cards! This set has some beautiful sentiments, and I have chosen the Leaf adorned "Merry" for my cards today..

I watched a short video on Instagram, of an artist showing how to color and gold emboss a stamped image.  I tried to, but I could not find the video, and I don't remember who the artist was, whose video I watched.  Perhaps this technique has been around for a while, but it was new to me, and it is GENIUS!!  When you stamp an image and gold emboss, coloring after embossing will affect the gold embossing.  It can change the color, or dull the shine of the gold.  In the technique I watched, I learned, you stamp the image, color with markers, THEN gold emboss over the stamped and colored image!  The pics below will hopefully give you an idea of how to do this amazing technique...

BTW...the only way this really works is using a MISTI, as the stamp and paper need to be stamped twice in the exact same place !...

1.  You put your stamp on the stamp side of the MISTI, and your card stock in the corner of the MISTI...making sure the paper is securely in place.  Stamp with a light colored ink...I used Simon Smoke colored ink....

2.  Color the leaves and berries of the image with markers, making sure that you color as carefully as possible to keep within the stamped lines of the image...

3.  Using a static bag, Versa mark, and Fine gold embossing powder, place the stamped/colored image(make sure it has dried) back in the corner of the MISTI, secure in place, ink the stamp (still in very same place as when you stamped it the first time) with versamark and RESTAMP the image...  

...Sprinkle with gold embossing powder, and heat.   

I have to tell you, I did this 4 or 5 times, coloring the leaves with slightly different shades of green to experiment...the embossing turned out perfect EVERY TIME!!  It was like magic and I have to say again,  GENIUS!!!                       

I then stamped the background, with the beautiful new Leaves and Berries Background stamp (an exact match to the leaves and berries of the image just stamped and embossed) with red ink on red cardstock.  Here's a close up...

I then did the same thing as the first one, but with a gold embossed background on gold card stock...

Here's a close up...

...and yet another showing the letters of "merry"...

 My fun is above, yours is below!!

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 on Wednesday, October 16th, so

make sure you check the blog on the 16th, to see if you're a winner!

   The list of participants of the hop are 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

Nina-Marie Trapani

Amy Rysavy

Suzy Plantamura

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

Heather Ruwe

Gayatri Murali

Karin Åkesdotter

Barb Engler

Crystal Thompson

Marge Yoon

Lea Lawson

Betty Wright

Don't forget, TOO, the offer in the blog hop heading...a free Post Office Box enamel pin with any purchase, until the end of October 13th, while supplies last!  Use the code, HPYML9 to receive this offer!!  
Make sure, too, you check out DAY 2 of  Cheer and Joy Blog Hop tomorrow at the Simon Blog!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Cheer and Joy...the Gnome Way!

There is a brand new release available over at Simon Says Stamp today, Cheer and Joy!!  There is so much wonderful in this new release...I have made two cards to show you, made with the new adorable little Gnome die!!...

 The Gnome is a shadow die, so I die cut the  hat and clothes with patterned paper, and the nose from a peach colored paint chip, and the background in white.  I layered him with a couple layers, and adhered him to a panel that I had stamped the new CZ Design Clean Line Trees on.  I used the really cool new Merry Frame die (layered), using just the "merry", and a couple new sentiments from the new Clean Line Christmas and Holiday Greetings Mix 1 for the perfect Christmas sentiment from this little Christmas gnome:)!  Here's a close up...

 The second one, although I went in an everyday direction, I chose a sentiment from the new Everything Winter sentiment strips for my inspiration...

 I die cut the gnome from patterned paper and layered, like the first one.  I chose to frame him in a die cut heart (with a woodgrain embossed background)with some die cut flowers (after all, gnomes ARE usually found in the garden:)!), die cut from Simon's Mini Flowers and Leaves dies.  I die cut and layered letters from the cute alphabet dies from CZ Design, Archie Jr. Solid.  I thought the font of these letters was perfect for the cute gnome.  I repeated the sentiment, bringing the "gnome" into the sentiment with the strip from the sentiment strip set.  The sentiment strips ARE winter, but this one is really generic in it's season.  Here's a close up...  

This little guy is too stinkin' cute, right??!!  I'll be back tomorrow to be a part of day 1 of a two day blog hop over at the Simon Blog....hope you'll check out the inspiration for this wonderful new release, and I've provided a link to the release at the beginning of my product list below!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

BOO

I couldn't resist making a card with the adorable CZ Design Boo die from the Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® release!...

 I die cut and layered the "boo".  I stamped the Simon Says Stamp Spider Web background stamp with versa mark ink on dark gray cardstock, and silver embossed.  I stamped, clear embossed, and hand cut out the cute spider, from an older Simon Halloween stamp set, Not So Spooky(so sorry...I didn't know that it had been discontinued when I made this card).  Super simple, and super easy, but super fun:)!  Here's a close up...

Hoping your October is out of the ordinary outstanding:)!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Merry Mistletoe and Glad Tidings

I used the beautiful new Poppy Stamps Mistletoe Side Strips and Stencil die to make a couple cards with mistletoe!...

 This first card, I used the die as it was designed, and stenciled color onto the white leaves with some distress oxide ink.  I love the detail of the leaves on this die!  I used Tonic drops and a piece of acetate, to make some mistletoe berries.  I used my exacto knife to remove the dryed dots, and then 

adhered them to the branches of the mistletoe...

 I layered the leaves a few time, then popped up the other side of the card panel, and used a layered Birch Press "Merry" die, cut from gold card stock.  

I DID use my Wink of Stella brush to give a little glitter to the leaves....although it's very subtle in this pic. Here's a close up...

                             

  

The second card, I die cut the leaves, then cut them off the border strip with scissors.   I used the Poppy Stamps Winter Berries die, dotting the berries with Tonic drops, and die cut one of the  pretty Memory Box Stylish Frame Trio dies, to make a frame for the winter berries and leaves...

I stamped two sentiments from the Memory Box Tidings Wreath stamp set with versa mark and embossed with gold powder.  Here's a close up...

I am getting in the mood for Christmas!!  What fun!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Leafy Square Thank You

I am having so much fun with the dies and stamps from Simon Says Stamp's STAMPtember® release!  Today, I used the beautiful Leafy Square die and a lovely sentiment from CZ Design's All The Thanks sentiment stamp set to make a thank you card...

I loved the simplicity of keeping the die white, but was a bit challenged when it came to a background.  I chose a tiny polka dotted background on kraft colored card stock, using versa mark and copper embossing powder.  LOVE the copper color for Fall!  I chose to use the same embossing powder for the sentiment to keep the continuity.  Layered the leaves 4 times, then popped up the panel on the card.  I also rounded the corners of the white panel to mimic the die cut square.  Here's a close up...

There's a new release coming to Simon next week...can't wait to show you what's new!!  For now...having so much fun with all the wonderful stamps and dies from STAMPtember!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Blessed

I used the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Floral Bundle die from the new STAMPtember® release, to make a Fall flavored card...

 Yes, I am really loving Fall and Fall colored cards right now!  I took this die out of it's envelope, and tried SO many ways to show off this Floral Bundle...yellow flowers, blue flowers(missing you), orange flowers...THOUGHT of pink flowers...wasn't feeling pink.  I kept taking the colors out of the petals, and refilling with different colors, but nothing felt right.  THEN, I put a rainbow behind the layered die cut , metallic paper, patterned paper....STILL nothing felt right.  THEN, I got out my beloved paint chips!  I used a variety of yellow, orange and red paint chips, and got to cutting.  Now mind you, paint chips are not very big, so I had to layer up horizontally, rather than across vertically.  I will say, the variety of colors became rather overwhelming, the more strips I cut, the more confused I got as to the variation of shades.  SO...what you see is a first and only attempt(it probably should have been longer lengthwise, except I was done looking at colors!).  BUT...I do love the look of the Fall colors!! I chose a sentiment stamp/die combo from the CZ Design stamp/die set, 30 Days of Thankful 2018.  Here's a close up...

I am one blessed person...how 'bout you?!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Maple Leaf Love

I used the beautiful new Poppy Stamps Maple Trio die set to make a couple cards to share with you...

I LOVE maple leaves!!  These maple leaf dies are sooooo pretty...they look like real leaves and with the first card, I used watercolor paints on watercolor paper, then die cutting from the painted paper, to make my leaves.  I didn't even layer these leaves...I know, shocking, but they are sooo pretty and look like falling leaves being single layered.  I used Simon Woodgrain card stock as the background, and die cut the Birch Press sentiment die from it, as well.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I used the same background card stock, but for the leaves, I used some older, Ranger Vintag Arte copper foil with adhesive backing on it...

The really cool thing about this foil, I learned many years ago, is that you can heat it with a flame, and it will change colors.  The lighter I used was like a torch, and you can see, from the picture below, that heated, the foil will turn orange/yellow/and shades of copper.  I die cut the foil, then removed the adhesive backing and adhered the foil die cut to a white cardstock die cut leaf.  I THEN heated the leaf with the lighter.  

I adhered the leaves around one of the pretty new Memory Box Stylish Frame Trio frames that I had layered.  I used the CZ Design Thankful sentiment die that I had layered, with the top layer being die cut from the foil and heated, like the leaves.  Here's a close up...

Fall has not really come to Virginia, yet, but these leaves make me happy...can't wait for Fall!!  This was so much fun...loving my maple leaves!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Thanks, Thankful and Joyful Leaves

I used the new Simon Says Stamp Tumbling Leaves Stencil, from the STAMPtember® release, embossing paste, and distress inks to make three cards to share with you today!  I made two cards with a "Fall" feel, turning the leaves on the cards and changing the sentiments, then had an idea for making one with a "Christmas" feel...

I used white embossing paste, spread it over the stencil and let dry.  I used an orange and yellow distress ink over the leaves when dry, and added a die cut, layered sentiment.  Here's a pic of what an emboss pasted card panel looks like(but not the same positioned leaves as above)!  I made a lot of them, as it is easy fun to spread the paste over the stencil, and then you have extas on hand.

Here's a close up of the card...

Then, I turned the stencil and colored an embossed panel like the blank one above...

I changed the sentiment die and stamped sentiment.  Here's a close up...

Then, I had an idea to use the paste on a black panel, with an idea for a Christmas card...

I colored the dry paste with two shades of green and dotted with white Tonic drops (I was going for a mistletoe kind of look).  I added a wonderful sentiment die from CZ Designs and the Stamptember® release, die cut with red metallic cardstock(the shine of it is so much more brilliant IRL).  I LOVE the way the leaves pop against the black cardstock.  Below is what the panel would have looked like before sponging with ink(this is a second one I did, and haven't covered with ink yet)...  

Here's a close up...

This was SOOOOO much fun, and SOOOOO easy....wow...on to more fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Eucalyptus Leaf Hugs

I used the super pretty Eucalyptus Leaves dies from Simon Says Stamp's latest STAMPtember® release to make a get well card for a friend...

I did a little research on eucalyptus leaves, and found they can be used for all kinds of medicinal things. The oil should NOT be consumed as small amounts are toxic, but the oil inhaled and used topically, it can possibly relieve pain, improve colds/bronchial conditions, and the leaves made into tea are rich in antioxidants.  I thought this information made these leaves perfect for a get well card!  

I didn't have paper the color of eucalyptus leaves, so I went into my paint chips!!  I die cut the leaves from two shades of blue green chips.  I did not layer them, but gathered them together and tied them with a piece of burlap string.  I then embossed the two dies all over a card stock panel, and adhered the leaves to a die cut stitched rectangle.  I adhered it to the upper corner of the card, and added a layered "hug" sentiment from a new Simon set of dies, Healing Hugs, and a sentiment from the coordinating stamp set.  Here's a close up...

I hope you are all doing well in your parts of the world...on to more fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Maple Leaf Strips

I used the beautiful new Poppy Stamps Maple Leaf Side Strips Die and Stencil to make a couple cards! 

I LOVE maple leaves!!  Having grown up in the Buffalo, NY area, there were LOTS of Maple trees....and in Fall...the range of colors...some trees all yellow/orange, other red...they are a sight to behold...beautiful!!

The first card, I die cut the leaves and used the stencil to sponge on ink and not get the ink anywhere but on the leaves.  I layered the leaves from underneath a couple times, and adhered them together.  I added a stamped sentiment, and Simon Says Stamp woodgrain cardstock, that I had used Distress inks to color the color of wood.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I used watercolor paper, and swiped color onto my watercolor paper, then die cut from the colored cardstock...

I thought it would be cool to put the magnificent maples on a diagonal on the card panel for  something different, and to flow somewhat like the leaves might in nature.  I DID have to hand cut the top panel.  I attached the leaves to the card, then attached larger pieces of white cardstock over the leaf die cut ends.  I used my scissors, and hand cut the edges that hung past the card.  I added a layered Birch Press sentiment die, and sentiment from a Birch Press senitment stamp set.  I DID emboss the card panel with a discontinued Papertrey Ink Impression Plate(Simple Stripes).  Here's a close up...

Such wonderful fun...more Maple leaves coming:)!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa