Chunky Birthday Cards

I used the wonderful new CZ Design Chunky Happy die from Simon Says Stamp's newest Send Happiness release, to make a couple birthday cards...

What I love about this die, is that it is a wonderful stand alone die!  I chose to showcase it simply, with only a finishing stamped senitment, using the die a couple different ways.  I used strips of patterned paper adhered together, to die cut the outside border for the first one.  I then used the outline of the HAPPY die in white card stock, to make the word, HAPPY, stand out from the  rainbow background.  I layered both the background and the outline, and then adhered together.  

 I was looking for an idea for a sentiment under the "HAPPY". Although I love them,  I knew I didn't really want a sentiment strip...I wanted a stamp, but it had to be a sentiment for a  birthday! I was inspired for the stamped sentiment,  seeing a card created by the amazing Kristina Werner.   Kristina used a scripted "birthday" which was so pretty,  but  I opted to use the "birthday" portion of the CZ Design "happy birthday" sentiment, from her Clean Line Everyday sentiment stamp set for my sentiment.  I masked the "happy" with scotch tape, and used my MISTI to position and stamp the "birthday" sentiment on the card.   I used my Wink of Stella brush within each of the letters, to give the HAPPY some birthday sparkle...here's a close up...  

The piece of paper I die cut both "HAPPYs" from was this(the finished sentiments are in the papers, as I didn't think of taking a pic until I was almost finished)...

The second one, I did not use the background, but simply the outline and the pieces inside the outline for my card...

I die cut the sentiment, and made the inside of the letters just a tad higher in height than the outlines for a little interest.  

I used the same stamped sentiment as the first card, and added three tonic drops for some bling.  Here's a close up...

I love simplicity,  a wonderful die and a rainbow of papers...doesn't get much better for me!!  Hope all is well in your part of the world...please stay safe!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Stamp, Color, Emboss

I used the new Simon Says Stamp Out to Sea background stamp from their newest release, Send Happiness to make a rainbow filled birthday card...

 I started by stamping the sea images in my Misti on white card stock with Simon Fog ink...

 I colored the waves with a rainbow of colored markers...

I know...doesn't look like much, right?!

Then I put the paper back in my Misti, rubbed with my magic embossing static bag (to avoid static), stamped with versamark and white embossed and heat.  WHAT FUN!!!   I then used the Simon Birthday Wishes Circle die and layered it.  I adhered to the card and done!  Here's a close up...

It's like a wonderful surprise when you emboss with the white powder after stamping then coloring, and see the change..such great fun!!  Hope you are staying safe wherever you are!!  

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Colored Pencils on Black Card Stock

I used the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Folk Heart Background stamp from their latest release, Send Happiness, to makd a card...

 I thought this stamp would be pretty stamped on black cardstock, so away I went!  I stamped the Folk Hearts with Versamark and white embossed (make sure you use a magic bag to avoid having little white spots of embossing powder on the cardstock).  I then sharpened my Prismacolor pencils really good, as you want to make sure they have fine points for best coloring of small spaces.  I used one pink and one green pencil.   Such fun to color!!  I then added a die cut and layered CZ Design sentiment die, using a vellum die cut background for it.  Here's a closeup...

The month of July is going by fast...truly can't wait for Fall...until then...having fun!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Happy x 10 Birthday

 I used the new CZ Design Happy Days stamp/die set from the new Simon Says Stamp Send Happiness release, to make a birthday card!...

I loved the new Simon Slimline Envelopes(behind the card in the picture, above),they are 9 1/4" tall, so decided to make a 9" card!  This card is 9"x 3 3/4".  It fit 10 different colored cardstock "happy"die cut sentiments....white embossed and layered with foam adhesive backing.  I added a sentiment strip and colored each of the die cut sentiments with my Wink of Stella brush for some sparkly glitter.  It's hard to see, but with a sideways, closer look, you can see the shimmer a bit better...

I have to say...this was sooooo much fun!!  Hope you are taking time to have some fun, yourself...please stay safe!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Etched Flower Buds

I used the pretty new Simon Says Stamp Etched Flower Buds and Filigree Message Rounded Rectangle dies from their newest Send Happiness release to make a couple simply designed and simply made cards (so sweet that two dies make it so easy to create some pretty!)...

The first one, I used a piece of rainbow colored paper to die cut the rectangle from and left the flower buds and the background of the rectangle white.  I stamped the sentiment, from CZ Design, with versamark and white embossed.  Both the flowers and the rectangle( below the colored piece) are layered.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I chose to color the flower, with a printed background on a white card...

I used a polka dotted paper for the background, with the dots peaking through the die cut rectangle.  I colored the flowers and stems with markers, and layered.  I used another sentiment from the same CZ Design Simple Sentiments 2 stamp set.  Here's a close up...

As always, such fun!!  Hope you are all staying safe in your part of the country and world!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Leafy Branch Papered and Painted

I have made a couple cards using the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp Leafy Branch from Simon's newest Send Happiness release... 

The first card, I simply die cut pieces in six colors to make a rainbow branch.  For both cards, I die cut the branch four times, only leaving all the pieces in the die cut outline, from one of the die cuts.  On the one with all the pieces, I used my Tombow adhesive runner, and carefully covered the entire die with adhesive.  I then laid one of the remaining die cuts(minus the leaf pieces) on top of that  Then I placed the colored leaves into the already adhesived spaces.  I then adhered the two remaining die cuts together, and then to the colored die cut branch.  I added a few clear tonic drops, and into a frame made with the Simon A7 Thin Frames diet(the outer die cut piece I layered four times.   Here's a closeup...

The second one, I used my watercolor paints to paint the leaves of the branch different metallic colors...

I used a piece of watercolor paper and embossed it with the branch, so I had the image on the paper to color.  I used a silver and two golds to color the leaves.  After the inks dried, I then put the branch die back over the paper that I had painted, die cut it, and placed the pieces in the adhesived branch.  Oh, you need to have a metal adaptor plate to get a really good cut with this die, as it is pretty intricate in between the leaves.  I used a sentiment from the Beautiful Butterflies stamp set, embossing with both gold and silver embossing powders.  It was so hard to get a great pic of the color and shine of the paints, but it does look pretty IRL.  I added some white Tonic drops.  Here's a close up...

So much fun...hope you are doing well...please stay safe!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Birthday Flowers...with Love

I've made a card with the pretty new Simon Says Stamp Fairytale Spinners stamp/die set, from their newest release, Sending Happiness, using two of the pretty flowers from the set for a friend's birthday...

I stamped, clear embossed, die cut, colored then layered the flowers.  I used the pretty new Folk Heart Background stamp with with white ink on black cardstock, for a background for the flowers.  I die cut a heart to display the flowers and sentiment in, and added one of the new sentiment Birthdays sentiment strips and a few sequins(from an older pack of Simon sequins...Flamingo) for some bling.  Here's a close up...

I'm having such wonderful fun with this new release!  Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

HAPPY!

The new Simon Says Stamp Lil Critters Boston Terrier die, from their newest Send Happiness release, is SO stinkin cute!!  He just makes me happy, and I wanted to make a card that expressed that to whoever he gets sent to(along with the recepient making me happy, too, of course...haha!)...

 I die cut and layered the puppy, and colored half his eyes with black marker.  I used the new CZ Design Happy Days stamp/die set for the "HAPPY" and one of the new CZ Design Reverse Happy sentiment strips.  I used Simon Fog ink with the Simon Geo Leaves stencil for some fun background, and Tonic Jewel drops for some bling.  Here's a close up...

Hope you're having a HAPPY day(hey, no matter how tough things are, happy can be what you make it), wherever you are, and please, stay safe!! 

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Send Happiness Blog Hop!...Day 1

I am thrilled to be a part of Simon Says Stamp's newest Send Happiness release Blog Hop today over at the Simon Blog!   I am joining a number of talented artists, celebrating and showcasing the newest products from Simon Says Stamp and CZ Design! 

 Sending happiness to others has never been needed more than it is now!  There is a lot of happy and happiness in these new stamps/dies and accessories to help make that happen!!

I have used one of the new cool and pretty CZ Design dies, Chunky Flower die, to make three similiar simply designed cards...but all with subtle differences...

 For all my cards, I used paint chips for the petals.  For all my cards I used the die's background die to make a "window" for the flower to sit in.  For all my cards, I took advantage of something I stumbled upon, when I turned the flower while putting it together...

I thought the "turn" gave the flower some extra dimension, so I did it for all three cards.  For all the cards, I placed tombow adhesive over the entire die cut flower, then added an outline of the die cut flower, and the paint chips(sixteen different colors on the first one...yes 16...cutting three pieces at a time:) ), then two layers of die cut outlines on top of those, turned.  I did make the first card square, and the layering a bit different on all three although it's not super easy to see.  The first one is level with the aperture(window).  I used one of the fun new CZ Design Reverse Happy sentiment strips, and added my much loved morning dew Tonic drops.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I chose to make the flower sit slightly higher than the aperture, and used three shades of purple paint chips for the flower...

I used one of the new sentiments from the CZ Design Happy Days stamp set, and more Tonic drops.  Here's a close up... 

 The third one, I chose to have the flower inset in the aperture (I used thicker pop up dots), and randomly used three shades of yellow paint chips for the flower...

 I thought this flower looked like a sunny smile, so I used a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp's Under the Weather stamp set (from the Sunny Days Ahead release).  I again dotted with Tonic drops for some added "bling".  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, July 1st, 

so make sure you check the blog on the 1st, 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 

Kristina Werner

Cathy Zielske

Nina-Marie Trapani

Nichol Spohr

Yana Smakula

Amy Rysavy

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

Heather Ruwe

Suzy Plantamura

Bibi Cameron

Barb Engler

Cheiron Brandon

Lea Lawson

Ashlea Cornell

Don't forget about the offer from Simon in the banner, above, for your choice of one of four enamel pins with any purchase during this hop...until the end of the day on June 29th...or until supplies last...just use the codes above at checkout!!  

I hope you have been inspired and will continue to find happiness along the blog trail today!!  There is a second day of inspiration tomorrow, with a second Blog Hop, so check Simon's Blog tomorrow for lots more happiness...and don't forget to send some happiness...it feels  amazing!💗

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Send Happiness...Love You

There's a new release at Simon Says Stamp, today!!  SEND HAPPINESS is here, and it is FULL of stamps, dies, stencils and accessories, that are sure to bring lots of happiness!!...

I used the amazing new CZ Design Chunky Love You die and the cool, fun, Simon Says Stamp Scallop Border die!  I die cut the scallops in a variety of patterned paper colors and adhered to a cardstock panel.  I cut it and adhered to a card.  I die cut a heart with one of the Simon Nested Heart dies, and adhered the die cut and layered LOVE YOU into the heart.  Here's a close up...

Oh My Goodness...there is fun galore with this release...hope you will check it out!!  There will be hops tomorrow and Sunday, hope you will check them out at the Simon Blog!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

With Sympathy

I used the new CZ Design With Sympathy die from the new Simon Says Stamp Crafty Hugs release to make a couple simply designed sympathy cards...

 Sometimes sympathy cards are needed with little to no notice.  I'm not sure about you, but sympathy cards, having time or not,  are the hardest kind of cards to make, especially when you have to have one. With this new sympathy die, making a card can be pretty simple.  The die is of significant size, so not much is needed for this pretty stand alone sentiment.  I paired it with the new Center Cut Hexagon Floral background stamp, for my first card.  I stamped the hexagons with Simon Barely Beige ink on a cream colored card, and embossed with a matte clear embossing powder.  I die cut and layered the sentiment and used Morning Dew Tonic drops over the sentiment. Here's a close up... 

 For the second one, I paired the sentiment with the pretty new Simon Says Stamp Peony Bouquet cling stamp...

 I stamped the peonies with Simon Smoke ink on light cream cardstock.  For both cards, I used my MISTI to make sure the stamping was consistent over the entire image.  Often with one stamping a large stamp like these on cardstock, the ink will not be totally consistent over the whole image....the MISTI is a wonderful solution to avoid this happening.  I die cut and layered the sympathy sentiment, and gave it a vellum backing to give it a little muting from the flowers in the background.  I dotted the flowers with a few tonic drops for a little "something"  Here's a close up...

Sympathy cards made easy for a not so easy occasion.  Hope you are doing well, stay safe!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Friends Rule!

I used the cute new CZ Design US of Craft-Ay stamp/die set from the new Simon Says Stamp Crafty Hugs release, to make a card for a friend...

I thought the ruler from this set was soooo cute!!  I stamped, die cut, colored and layered the rulers.  I used Tonic Drops over the hearts for some interest.  I used part of a sentiment from the set, and stamped the heart stamp, also from the set, randomly around the card base.  I popped up the black panel on the heartfilled panel to complete the card.  Here's a close up...

Such fun!!  Hope you will be having a good weekend:)!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa