Simon Says Stamp DieCember® Release Blog Hop!

Happy DieCember®!!  December is the month that Simon Says Stamp's release is simply made up of dies, and Simon, being the amazing company it is, has actually registered the name of this release, DieCember®!!  Today, I am so thrilled to join a number of creative and talented artists, to showcase and celebrate this new release, via this Blog Hop!!  I have chosen a couple word dies with "you" being the main intent of both these amazing dies...oh, and yes, made with rainbows:)!!...

This first one, I chose the very cool Lined You die, and made the strips in each letter a simple colorful rainbow.  I used the die cut letters without the strips taken out as the base.  I then put tombow adhesive all over them, and next put another die cut over the adhesived one, this one with the strips REMOVED.  I then die cut four different colors of each letter and took strips from each colored die cut letter , placing them into each letter, to make a rainbow.  I popped up a panel with the shadow of the "YOU" die cut from it.  I used a black panel at the base of the letters and used a sentiment below the "YOU".  Here's a close up...

The second one, I used the very cool new The World Needs die to make a rainbow filled card of encouragement...

 I used 1/2" strips of striped patterned papers, adhering them to a thin cardstock.  I die cut the World Needs die from the strips, then layered and adhered them to an also layered set of shadow die cuts cut in black.  I used the You Matter background stamp to give some "backup", words of encouragement sentiments to this very cool sentiment die!  Here's a close up...

OK...my fun is above, your fun 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, December 11th, so

make sure you check the blog on the 11th, 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

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

Heather Ruwe

Bibi Cameron

Marge Yoon

Gayatri Murali

Barb Engler

Lea Lawson

Crystal Thompson

Betty Wright

Bobbi Lemanski

TWO things,before you go...Don't forget the Blog Banner!!  The banner includes the free gifts with any purchase at Simon, for the hop...you get to choose one of five wonderful Christmas-themed enamel pins!  The codes are listed on the banner, these gifts are available while supplies last, and the promotion ends on December 8th at 11:59pm!

The second thing...the second blog hop!!  There will be a second DieCember® blog hop on Friday, December 6th, so hope you will check back to the Simon's Blog for more DieCember® inspiration!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

It's DieCember®!!

It's DieCember® over at Simon Says Stamp!!  As you probably know, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, dies!!  This is the month and release that Simon Says Stamp has no stamps, only dies in their release!!  I have used three of the BEAUTIFUL new dies from what I'm calling the Shimmer Collection, to make some cards to share with you , and celebrate this new release!...

 This first card is made using the Shimmer Snowflake...gorgeous die, right?!!  I made all my cards today the same way, so one explanation.  I die cut but did not remove the pieces from one of the die cuts.  I used my Sharpie and Mark It markers to color.  I then adhered a die cut layer over the colored die cut, removing all the die cut pieces.  I added a layer or two behind the two layers of die cuts, depending on how raised I wanted the image.  Here's a close up of the colored snowflake...

I decided to make this beautiful flake into a Christmas ornament, so in mailing, I would add some string, twine, or ribbon, and tell the receipient that they could use the string, poking it through one of the green circles, and the snowflake can be used as an ornament!  I have had people want to use die cuts I send them at Christmas as ornaments, so I am starting to make that option available, before sending.  I love it on a tree...

Then, I used the beautiful Shimmer Wreath to make a Christmas wreath...

 Here's a close up...

Then, with the beautiful flowers in these shimmer dies, I wanted to show you a way that this beautiful flower filled wreath can be used beyond Christmas, and throughout the year...

 I again used my Sharpie and Mark It markers in 12 different colors!

What I love about doing it this way is that you can color outside the lines and when the white die cut is adhered over the colored one, it doesn't look it!!
 I die cut the Birthday sentiment from black cardstock, then used my wink of stella glitter brush, to give the birthday a little sparkle...

 And lastly, I used the Shimmer Butterfly to make a birthday card...

 I used two shades of sharpie markers, black and gray...loving the combo of colors!!  Here's a close up...

OK...this was SERIOUS FUN!!!!  I hope you'll join me, Simon, and a bunch of wonderfully gifted artists as we celebrate this new release with a Blog Hop tomorrow!!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Ho Ho Ho Tag

Watching Elf on TV, with family tonight!  I have a Christmas tag, made with the CZ Design's Ho Ho Ho Tag die, along with the Simon Says Stamp's Christmas Foliage dies from the Cheer and Joy release, to celebrate Santa!!...

 I die cut and layered the tag, and added a silver buckle (from an old package of different sized buckles I have had in my embellishment stash for...ev...er!!),  a thins strip of black cardstock for the belt, belt and some Christmas foliage. I added the foliage to the side of the belt and added some glossy accents on the berries.  Add a silver string, and done!  Here's a close up...

Christmas is right around the corner...can't wait!! 

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

JOY

I used the pretty new Simon Says Stamp's Grace Snowflake, and Christmas Foliage dies from the Cheer and Joy release, to make a couple JOYfilled cards for Christmas!!... 

I die cut and layered the letters and snowflake with gold cardstock.  I added an older ceramic heart that I had from my massive stash of embellishments, and stamped a sentiment with versa mark and gold embossed.  Here's a closeup...

The second one, much like the first except I covered the "O" from the sentment with foliage from the Christmas Foliage die set...

I added tonic drops to the berries of the foliage.  I added a strip of stripes on the top and bottom of the card.  Here'a a close up...

Such fun with these cards!!  For those in the states...hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful..now it's on to Christmas!! In two days, the Simon Says Stamp December release will be here...SO EXCITED to share the amazing dies of this new release with you!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

HBD...HAVE the BEST DAY ever!

I used CZ Designs HBD die and the Stop Drop Party stamp set, both from the Simon Says Stamp Celebrate You release, to make a birthday card!...

I think HBD is fun for "Happy Birthday", but in this instance, with the sentiment I chose(and I really didn't get it until after I made the card), HBD could mean Have Best Day!!  Fun, right!!??  But Happy Birthday AND Have Best Day Ever truly seem a perfect combo for a birthday card!  I die cut the four HBD's with white cardstock, and then four times with white craft foam.  I adhered them to a card that had a rainbow strip of patterned paper adhered to the card, along with a stamped sentiment from the CZ Design Stop Drop Party stamp set.  Here's a close up...

Birthdays and rainbows...such great fun!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

On a Snowflake Roll

I LOVE snowflakes!!  Although I have LOTS of snowflake dies, I find it hard to pass up a pretty snowflake die each and every Christmas/Winter season!  I purchased the Hello Bluebird Frosty Flakes dies...I thought they were so pretty, and made a card for Christmas/Winter...

To be clear, the first four flakes on this card are the Hello Bluebird flakes.  The remaining dies in the set were just a bit too small to fit what I was going for, so I used a flake die from Impression Obsession from years past, Small Snowflakes.  I die cut and layered the flakes a couple times.  I sponged the card panel with ink and used an old embossing folder for the background flakes.  I used a couple sentiments from the CZ Design Clean Line stamp set, stamped with versamark and silver embossed.  I used a My Favorite Things stitched border die to give the flakes some movement.  Here's a close up...

Such great fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Snowflake Die Made Ornament

I made a couple cards using the new Simon Says Stamp Marie Snowflake die from the Cheer and Joy release...

 I LOVE making snowflake die cuts into ornaments!!  I made a Christmas card for a friend several years ago, with a snowflake on it, and the recipient took the snowflake off the card and hung it on her tree!  So, since then, I make at least some of my Christmas cards with snowflakes on them having strings, that can be used as tree ornaments!!  I layered the first card with 4 layers of flakes, two on one side, two for the other side.  I adhered the two layers together and sprayed glue on(very old and didn't spray well, so no name given), and then covered with Wow white, very fine glitter.  I adhered to a panel stamped with a bunch of snowflakes and die cut with a stitched rectangle die.   I added the Simon Merry sentiment die cut, layered, and covered with the same glitter.  Here's a close up of the flake and it's glitter...

...and another 

 I took the flake off the card (held on with a glue dot), and hung it on a tree I found in a store, to show you what it looks like 😊!...

 The second card, not made as an ornament, but using the same die...

 I die cut and layered the flake, added a puffy stick on heart.  I used a CZ Design sentiment combo from her Clean Line stamp set.  I used a stitched strip from an older Simon gift card die set and an old embossing folder for the snow( I SO wish they still made this folder, I have made some much loved cards with it!!).  Here's a close up...

Ok...more tomorrow😊😊!!  Hope you're having a fun day!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Merry Christmas Trees

I don't know about you, but life has been CRAZY around my house this month!!  I have cards I have made, ready to share with you, but getting them in a post and on the blog seems to be quite a challenge! I am happy to have had some quiet moments to finally sit and write!  

  I used the CZ Design / Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Christmas stamps/dies set from the Cheer and Joy release, to make a Christmas card...

 I stamped with versa mark and white embossed the cardstock, then die cut and layered.  I stamped silver cardstock with versa mark, white embossed, and die cut a single star for the middle tree.  I positioned the sentiment right under that tree, the sentiment is silver embossed.  Here's a close up...

More cards tomorrow!! Hope your week before Thanksgiving is going well!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Rudolph Love

I used the super adorable CZ Design Ho Ho Deer Circle to make a Christmas/winter card!...

 I die cut this little guy from kraft colored paper, then colored his antlers with a brown marker, as well as his eyes.  I die cut his nose from red card stock and glossy accented it after I had layered the little guy.  I centered him in a die cut heart with a stamped snowflake background. The snowflakes were stamped with versa mark and white embossed.   The sentiment is soo adorable, too, and perfect for a Rudolph in a heart:)!!  Here's a close up...

I think the inside of the card will say, ..."and so do I, Merry Christmas"!!  SUCH GREAT FUN!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Christmas Lights, Merry and Bright!

I made a Christmas card with the really fun, cool, new Simon Says Stamp Christmas Bulbs dies, from the Cheer and Joy release...

 I LOVE a number of things about these bulbs!  They have cut out "shadows", separate pieces for the "tops", and a hole in the top for stringing!  What this means for someone like me, who is not the best colorer, is that these bulbs look amazing no matter who you are!!  I die cut and layered the bulbs.  I used a white layer right underneath the colored layer for the shadow.  Then, I had the idea to make the bulbs shiny...like they're real bulbs.  So, I coated JUST the top colored die cut with Glossy Accents.  I let them dry, then adhered them to the white layer.  I HAD tried glossy accenting the entire bulb, but the glossy turned the white shadows just a little "off", so I ditched all of them, and simply glossied JUST the colored bulb.  I used silver for the tops.  I strung them together with silver thread, and adhered to a panel that I had stamped the new Simon Outline Christmas Bulbs and Simon Merry and Bright sentiment on.  I stamped the sentiment with versa mark and BLACK embossed...was going for a shiny that would compliment the shiny of the bulbs.  Here's a close up...

Oh my goodness...what wonderful fun!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Tidings Wreath

 I used the beautiful Memory Box Tidings Wreath and Birch Press Design sentiment dies, to make a Christmas card...

I think this wreath stamp is so beautiful!!  It IS larger than a standard A2 card, but because I love the wreath so much, I could not leave out one leaf or berry from it, so my card is 5 1/2" square. I stamped in a gray ink, colored with markers, then put the colored cardstock back in my MISTI, brushed with my static bag, stamped with versa mark and gold embossed!  I dotted each berry with glossy accents for added interest and dimension.  I added layered shiny gold sentiment die cuts.  Here's a close up...

I then had an idea.  I don't have a stash of square envelopes, so I had to make an envelope (very thankful to have some extra wide and long cardstock I found while cleaning out my mom's house as I needed a 9x9 piece of paper using my envelope maker). So, I used one of the other stamps from the set, and stamped and gold embossed the leaves for the outside of the envelope.  You COULD color them, but I was just going for a "touch" of pretty on the outside...

Christmas is so much fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Pinecone Background, Front and Center

I made a Christmas card with the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Pinecone Background stamp, from their latest Cheer and Joy release...

 This stamp is sooo pretty!!  The images and details of these pinecones and needles make this stamp one that can effortlessly go from a backgound stamp to one that stands on it's own, front and center!  I stamped, embossed and colored the cones and needles with my Prismacolor markers.  I then dotted the panel with white watercolor paint that I gently splattered on the panel with a water blender brush.  I stamped a sentiment from the Simon Inside Christmas Greetings stamp set.  I popped up the stamped and colored panel with 1/8" squares for some real height from the card, to really stand out.  Here's a close up...

This is so clean and simple...I LOVE the simplicity...it just makes me feel happy.  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa