Thursday, November 30, 2023

Walter the Penguin

I have made a clean and simple Christmas card with the adorable Tim Holtz Walter the Penguin die set! 
Just a note:  I edited my card early the next morning.  Did you ever have a card that you "like", but the more you think about it, maybe even a day later, you just think you should have done it just a little differently??  Well, even if you haven't, that is what happened with me and this card.  I just started feeling that all the white was just a bit too much, and needed to be broken up with some color...just a tiny bit of color.  And honestly, snow, unless a white out, doesn't look ALL white, so I felt a tiny bit of color in the background was what was needed.  I think it looks perfect, now....happiness!! Amazing what just a tiny bit of color can do!   To do it, I used Simon Fog gray ink and a brayer on the flat side of the embossing folder, and ran it through my Bigshot with a piece of cardstock in it.  I kept up the first card, so you could see the slight difference... 
I made my Walter with a Christmas hat and scarf, but the die set comes with a bow tie and glasses, too, so you can make your Walter have all different looks!!  I die cut and adhered all the pieces, the added the Simon Says Stamp sentiment, along with one of their embossing folders for snow!  I tore a piece of cardstock to make a snow mound and have  a place for the penguin to stand on.  Here's a close up of both...

There is an offer going on right now, over at Simon Says Stamp, for this adorable penguin die set...
It's for a limited time only...just saying😊!  Countdown to Christmas...tomorrow is December 1st!!  Keep breathing....just keep breathing....deep!  Hang in!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Peace on Earth Christmas

I have used a couple beautiful products from the Simon Says Stamp All the Joy release, to make a Christmas card!...
I used the Branching Corner Holly die set, as well as a sentiment from the Hark the Newborn King stamp set, and the Soft Snowfall embossing folder, for my card.  I die cut the stem from green cardstock, along with a second green for the extra couple leaves on the die, as well as red for the berries.  I outlined the sentiment with silver cardstock, along with bordering the white snowfilled panel with silver, as well.  Here's a close up...
My family just left a couple days ago, so I am back in my craftroom, getting ready for the Simon Says Stamp December® release on, what else, December 1st, just a couple days away...see you then!  I hope all is well with you...please take care!! 
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Mid Century Holiday Plate

I have used the very cool new Simon Says Stamp Mid Century Holiday Plate die from their All the Joy release, to make a couple Christmas cards!
I decided to use two shades of red and two shades of green shapes on my cards...traditional Christmas colors.  The first card, the pieces sit IN the die cut panel.  On the second card, I layered and adhered the shapes ONTO a card panel that I had embossed the plate image on, so they are raised! 
I die cut one frame, and adhered it to a piece of cardstock with adhesive all over it.  I then placed the pieces into the die cut spaces, and adhered two more layers of die cut frames over it.  I did make the frame a bit larger than an A2 card...liked the bit of space around the edges.  I added a die cut and layered sentiment, and adhered it to a black background made from glossy cardstock.  Here's a close up...
The second one, I embossed the design on a piece of cardstock and adhered layered pieces onto the designated spots on the embossed piece...
This card is an A2...my attempt to see how it would look if I made it "as is".  This one may have taken a bit more time than the first one, as I had to layer each piece...but SO...MUCH...FUN!!  Here's a close up...
Hope your Thanksgiving was delicious and full of fun!! Have had family here...chaos, but so much fun! Onward Christmas!!  
                                                 Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Joyfully Metallic

I have made a Christmas card with a Simon Says Stamp sentiment die, embossing folder and coordinating die, and full card die that I embossed, all from the All the Joy release!....
I die cut and layered the sentiment and hung the ornaments that I had die cut, then put into the embossing folder to give them their design.  I adhered them to a panel that I used a die that I had not die cut, but rather embossed on the card panel.  I adhered the panel to a card.  I had tried a cut down panel, but liked the full panel to give the hanging ornaments a little bit more length that a full panel gave them. 
 Here's a close up...
Getting ready for family coming for Thanksgiving...can't wait...but until then, lots to do!!  
Hoping you are having a great weekend before Thanksgiving!!  
                                                 Thanks for stopping by,  today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Monday, November 13, 2023

Tinkerbell Birthday

I made a card for my granddaughter's birthday using the new Simon Says Stamp Once Upon a Time stamp/die set, from their All the Joy release!...
My granddaughter loves Disney and was Tinkerbell for Halloween, so I thought it perfect to make a birthday card with a fairy...and the one from this new set IS Tinkerbell!  I stamped, die cut, and colored little Tink with markers.  I have made slider cards before, but refreshed myself with THIS video, just in case you were wondering how to make one.  It's pretty simple and real easy to do!  I did have to use a dime instead of a penny on my fairy as a penney was too big for my tiny fairy, and would have stuck out on her sides.  I used the Simon Twinkling Stars background stamp to stamp the card panel as well as a second piece of cardstock, which I used to put behind the slider to make the star panel totally continue behind the fairy.  I used a CZ Design happy birthday die, that I had colored with the markers in ombre fashion, and then glittered the letters and Tink's wings to give some sparkle!  Here's a close up...
I tried to download a video of Tink flying, but it didn't work...may try again later...
You can see it on my Instagram, though!


Happy Birthday my little sweet little princess Isla!  Love you, dolly!!  
Hope your week will be wonderful for all of you reading this post...grocery shopping for some of my Thanksgiving dinner, tomorrow...Thanksgiving already NEXT WEEK..,where is the time going???!!!
Thanks for stopping by, today!! Hugs!! Lisa




Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Winter Wishes

I have used the beautiful new CZ Design Winter Wishes stamp/die set, from Simon Says Stamp's newest All the Joy release, to make a Christmas card!...
I stamped the poinsettias in two reds and the greens in a bunch of different green inks.  I think all the little leaves are so pretty and all of them together with the flowers, make for one pretty Christmas bouquet!!  I adhered them all together on the card panel that I had stamped and gold embossed a sentiment from a Simon set of very pretty Christmas sentiments, Graceful Holiday Greetings, also from the All the Joy release, and one that I thought went perfectly in size, font, and shape, with the flowers/leaves!  Oh, and I also gold embossed the stamped centers of the flowers!   Here's a close up...
Watching Home Alone 1 and 2 with my son...perfect soon-to-be-Christmas night!  So looking forward to Christmas!!  Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday...take care!  As always, thank you so very much for stopping by my blog today...I truly appreciate it!!  Hugs!!  Lisa

Friday, November 3, 2023

All the Joy Blog Hop-2!

I am so excited to be joining a dozen talented artists today, celebrating Simon Says Stamp's latest release, All the Joy, at the Simon Blog!  I have used one of the "tweet" new sets, Season's Tweetings, along with a new snow embossing folder and sprig die, to make a couple Christmas cards to share with you for this special day!...
I thought the birds in this stamp set were so cute, but the one above, I found absolutely adorable! Up front, I'm not much of a colorer, but I gave it a go, and no matter, this bird is STILL adorable!!   I colored him in a sparrow kind of coloring, and colored his hat and scarf in red!  I was going to make his hat red and green, but loved the simplicity of red and white!  I layered him and then adhered him between two of the Spruce Sprig die cuts.  I colored the cardstock the sprigs were cut from, with two of the three new shades of green ink, then die cut the sprigs...love how the color turned out...looks like a pine tree!  For the background, I used my brayer, and brayered Simon Fog ink all over the inside flat side of the Soft Snowfall embossing folder.  I tried other grays, but the Fog was the lightest, and that was the look I was going for!  I adhered the sprigs, gluing just the stems(to give the ends some dimension) to the snow, added the bird and the layered sentiment that I had embossed in black(I STILL love the shine of black embossing powder, multitudes of cards later!).  Here's a close up...
The second one, I simply used two of the greenery stems from the set, along with another wonderful sentiment, also from the set!...
These stems looked like mistletoe to me, so I  dotted the berries with white enamel accents, rather than make then red.  I colored the leaves in a kind of softer green, and layered, then arranged them in a kind of flowing way, on light gray cardstock.  When it came to the layout, I decided on popping up the top and bottom panels of the card on either side of the stems.  To use a sentiment from the set, and I think the sentiments have a beautiful font, I chose to partially die cut the sentiment, to have the lower reaching letters go INTO the sprigs' area, not to sit way up on the panel, to be sort of IN with the berries!  So...I cut the panels, leaving some extra room on the top panel, then just ever so slightly partially die cut the sentiment die on the panel.  THEN I stamped the sentiment to fit the curves of the bottom of the die cut panel, stamping with versamark and black embossing...LOVE the shine!  I then fit the berries around all the curves of the sentiment.  I know this card lacks Christmas  pizzazz of color, but I have to tell you...this card makes me happy!  I love it's simplicity and it's flow...true happiness!  Here's a close up...
Okay...I had SO much fun!!  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, November 8th, so make sure you check the Simon Blog on the 8th, 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...
Two things before I end my post...There was another hop, yesterday, so I hope you will check it out at the Simon Blog HERE!  There is a whole bunch more inspiration and more chances for you to comment and possibly win one of the $25 coupons!  
The second thing, please don't forget about the offer in the banner at the top of my post!  The offer is for a free Simon exclusive Holy Stars Stencil!  There are directions on how to do that in the banner above...follow the three easy steps and the stencil is yours for FREE, until the end of the day on November 5th or until supplies last!!
Thank you so much for stopping by, and please keep on hopping! 
Hugs!  Lisa

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Bottle Brush Trees

I have used the fun new Simon Says Stamp Small Bottle Brush Tree die set, from their new All the Joy release, to make a simple, sparkly Christmas card...
I thought these trees were so fun, so I decided to use the Simon glitter cardstock in red, dark pink, and light pink, to make some fun and  "love"ly trees!  My thoughts were already thinking ahead to the little sentiment from a previous release, that I just really loved and would go perfect with the shades of red pretty trees!!  I die cut and layered the trees, as well as the heart, and adhered to a panel with the sentiment stamped on it.  Here's a close up...
There's a blog hop over at Simon today on their BLOG, and there will be one tomorrow(I'll be a part of tomorrow's hop😊), hope you will check them out as there will be lots of inspiration and giveaways from Simon!  
Thanks for stopping by, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

All the Joy Release!

It's November 1st and we're less than two months from Christmas!!  The Simon Says Stamp All the Joy release, out today, is filled with wonderful products to help get your Christmas started!  I have made a Christmas card with one of the new die sets, Greenery Swag!...
I die cut the swag from green colored cardstock.  I colo red the ivy shaped leaves with a darker green marker, and added die cut berries, from the die cut strip that comes with the set, full of berries, leaves and flowers!  I glossed the berries, and added three flowers with rhinestones for the centers.  I finished, by adhering lighter die cut leaves to the bottom stem.  I fit a sentiment(also from a new stamp set...Hark the Newborn King)... into the curve of the swag, and embossed in silver!  Here's a close up...
There will be two blog hops over at the Simon Blog,  to celebrate this release...tomorrow and Friday...hope you will check them out for some inspiration, and a possible chance to win some free shopping!  
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa