Cosmos Duo

I have made a card using a beautiful Simon Says Stamp die, from their Cheering for You release...

I have used the Cosmos Duo die set, brushed on a couple purple inks on the flowers, and a couple greens on the stem.  I stamped the background stamp through a torn piece of paper, to give it a small oval stamp on the cardstock.  I stamped a sentiment  and adhered the flowers.  The drops are Nuvo in pale periwinkle, but not certain they are still available.  Here's a close up...

Tomorrow is the start of a new month, and the start of Simon Says Stamp's month long celebration of all things stamping...STAMPtember®...their 15TH YEAR of celebrating STAMPtember®!!  Hope you will join in the fun throughout the month, with exclusive new products, along with surprise stamp/die sets from lots of companies in the stamping community!  It is guaranteed to be ALOT of FUN!!  

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

Monstera Leaves

I have made a couple cards with the beautiful Simon Says Stamp Monstera stencil set, from their Cheering for You release...

I have two amazing, plant loving daughters, and when I saw this stencil set, I knew I had to try my hand at this beautiful leaf!  I used a bunch of different greens to make this leaf(listed below), then added a die cut and layered, stamped and embossed sentiment.  I also added a few glossy accent dots.  Here's a close up...

After showing it to my daughter, she challenged me to make a Monstera Albo...where half the leaf is white.  The one that I made on this card,  looked lighter and a bit different, as I used embossing paste to make the white side white...

The embossing paste DID make the greens look lighter(plus all that I accidentally wiped off while handling it while it was drying!), so I accordingly, used a lighter to darker shade of already blended cardstock, for the background.  I cut out the leaf, which I had originally put the paste onto gray cardstock, but got ink on, so I cut the leaf out and off the gray paper.  I am hoping that Simon comes out with a die for this beauty...I absolutely love this leaf!  Here's a close up of the second card,...

These may be two cards, but I'm pretty sure these will not be the last two that I make with these stencils...such great fun!!

Thank you for stopping by, today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Glittery Birthday!

Just a quick post, to show you a card that I made for my glitter-loving grandson, for his birthday!...

I used  Simon Says Stamp glitter cardstock adhered together on a piece of paper, then die cut with the Birthday Confetti die!  I embossed the panel with a fun embossing folder, and popped up the panel on the card.  Here's a close up...

Hope you are staying cool...super hot here, in Virginia!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Tuscan Olive Branch

I have made a card with the beautiful Simon Says Stamp Tuscan Olive Branch die set, from the Cheering for you release!...

I had finished, and photographed the card I had made, and when getting it ready to post last night, I decided I didn't like it...it needed something.  This was the original card...

I thought it was cool to emboss a frame on the card, and the vellum sentiment was layered with a gray die cut background, to match the card panel.  It just began to look, to me, kind of boring.  What I thought would look better, would be to put an ACTUAL white frame around the branch, AND put a white background behind the vellum die cut sentiment!  Ah....yes...happiness!  

Here's a close up...

It's just a note to you...you may like a card when you finish it, but then, later, change your mind.  What I so much love about cardmaking, though, is that you CAN change what you don't like about your card!  Two changes made me very happy...OLIVE IT!!  Hope you are having a great day!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Pointelle Rings

I have made a couple cards with the pretty Simon Says Stamp Pointelle Rings die set, from the Cheering for You release!...

I die cut the largest ring a couple times, and then, my thought was to use colored floss...20 different colors, and make different colored flowers all around the ring.  I then adhered a stamped circle to the back and then to a pink panel that I had used the die plate.  I die cut a circle out of the top white panel, and also used the tin die plate.  I popped the panel on the card.  Here's a close up...

The second card...simply three of the small rings, done as daisies...

I die cut, and removed all the dots from the rings.  I added layered the center pieces,  colored and popped up.  I used a black background for the "flowers", and popped up the panels on the top and bottom of the flowers, adding a sentiment from another Simon stamp set.  I added some enamel dots in between the flowers for some interest, and fill in so they didn't look lonely.   Here's a close up...

Okay...lots of fun!  Hope you are having a great weekend!  It's Simon Says Stamp's STAMPtember® one week from tomorrow, the FIFTEENTH STAMPtember®!!  I can't wait, and I hope you will check it out..a month long celebration over at Simon Says Stamp, for all things stamping!!  

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

Butterfly Burst

I have made a card with the beautiful new Simon Says Stamp embossing folder, Butterfly Burst, from the new Simon September Card Kit, Chunky Thankful Greetings...

I used the technique of using the debossed images of the embossed paper/cardstock, for your card.  I chose a piece of patterned paper that had multiple colors on it, embossed it, and then rubbed a black ink pad all over the flat surface of the paper, not the side with the butterflies raised on the paper.  Rubbing the black ink shows off the colorful, embossed butterflies!  I added an older Simon sentiment, stamped with versamark and black embossed for some "shiny"!  I raised the panel on the card...here's a close up...

Had so much fun...love when all the butterflies really "pop" off the card with the black!!  Hope you have been having a great start to your week...August is FLYING by...STAMPtember® is coming, this will be the 15th year that Simon will be celebrating all things stamping in the month of September...hope you will  join in the fun that's coming!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wavy Rays

I have made a card with the one of the cool new Simon Says Stamp stencils, from the Cheering for You release!...

I chose to use three shades of orange, and turned the stencil each time and with each orange ink I used to brush on the stencil.  I thought all the rays in different colors and shapes, looked so cool.  I opted to use the Simon sentiment die, "You brighten my day", as it seemed like a kind of perfect word for the bright orange colors!  Here's a close up...

Hope you are having a great week...YOU brighten my day!!

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

Daisy Bundle

I have had the Pretty Pink Posh Daisies stamp/die set for a while, and finally made time to make a couple  daisy cards with this pretty set!...

Simply made, I stamped, die cut, and colored with markers.  I layered then popped up the flowers on the square card panel and added the perfect sentiment(to me)...one that perfectly went over the stems of the flowers, and fit the sunshine filled daisies!  I added some tonic drops, and popped up the panel on a square card.  Here's a close up...

The second one, I used the biggest of the single flower heads and a couple of  the leaves from the stamp/die set...

I opted to adhere this flower on a piece of medium gray,textured cardstock.  I added a sentiment that fit the space perfectly(that's something I love to do, along with just a wonderful sentiment!).  I added three enamel accents dots...and popped up the panel on the card.  Simply done, and made me happy!  Here's a close up...

Daisies make me SO happy....and happy I finally got to play, if even only for a short time, with this lovely set!  Hope you have a great weekend!  

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

French Garden Black Eyed Susan

I have made a card with the beautiful new Tim Holtz French Garden Stamps with Simon Says Stamp Dies Bundle, from the Cheering for You release!...

I simply made this card, I love simplicity.  I stamped, die cut, and colored the flower.  I then layered it a few times.  I tore the center from a piece of card sized paper, and put that over the panel I wanted to stamp, so only a portion of the panel was stamped.  I used Simon Fog ink, a light colored gray for the background, then stamped a Simon sentiment that had a great message, as well as a great fit to the leaf of the flower!  I LOVE when things work out that way!  I popped the panel up on a card, and that was it!  No bling or dots on this one.  Here's a close up...

Hope you have been having a great week...if not, hang in there...it will be okay!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Embroidery Flowers

I have made two cards with the beautiful new Tim Holtz Embroidery Stamps with Simon Says Stamp Dies Bundle set, from the new Cheering for You release!...

These stamps are SO pretty, and make for some pretty flower filled cards! The dies are just as important to the beauty of this set, though! The dies have some amazing detail cuts and make for some beautifully cut out flowers/leaves!   I stamped and die cut two of the three stamps, and colored with markers.  I die cut two more of each, and layered.  I used sentiments from two different Simon stamp sets, and stamped them on textured Bazzill paper. 

The first one, not sure if it's a daisy, but I MADE it into a daisy.  Here's a close up...

And the second one, much like the first, except for the flowers and sentiment...

I used a white gel pen for this one, to not only fill in the flower's centers, but to give some dimension to the stamen on the flowers.  Not sure if you can see it really well, but here's a close up...

 I used my envelope maker to make envelopes for both cards, as they are 7"x4 1/4".

Happy August, hope your month is off to a great start!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Candy Corn Halloween

It's exactly three months until Halloween...Simon Says Stamp has a fun die in their newest Cheering for You release, made to help you get ready for the candy filled day!!

The new Candy Corn border is a long die, so I opted to showcase the entire die on a slimline card!  You could cut it down, especially at certain points where the candy corn are whole, but using the sentiment I chose(and older Simon sentiment), using the entire border was perfect!!  Simply done, I used an off white for the top layer of the corn, and orange and yellow.  I layered the border, then adhered, with the layered sentiment!  Simply done...a bit of work to die cut, piece and layer both the border and the sentiment, but love the simple look that happened!  True Happyness!  Here's a closeup...

You'll be seeing a bunch more Halloween as well as Christmas as we cross from July to August! I am not sure how we are already going into August tomorrow, but, here we are!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Cheering for You Blog Hop Day 2!

I have been invited, along with some amazing artists, to celebrate Simon Says Stamp's newest release, Cheering for You, with a blog hop over at the Simon Blog!  This is such a wonderful new release, and I have used one of the sweet new stamp/die sets, Music, to make a couple cards to share with you today!...

I have always loved music...all kinds of music, so this set really spoke to me!  I chose to use the birthday sentiment along with the staff of hearts, so I made the staff of hearts multi colored/rainbow.  I set the staff against a black panel that I had embossed with one of the new embossing folders...kind of reminded me of record albums or even swirls of music.  I popped up the die cut music, as well as the die cut sentiment on the card, and used glossy accents to coat all the hearts.  Here's a closeup...

The second card, I used another stamp and sentiment from the set, as well as  another new embossing folder from the release...

I wanted this single note to really stand out, so I used versamark to stamp it, and black embossed it.  I die cut it, and layered it.  I stamped and colored the hearts of the sentiment, then die cut it.  I love these sentiment dies, and how they cut out the sentiments...makes them really stand out with all the cut outs around the sentiment...and the sentiments have such a cute font...LOVE!!  I used some patterned paper, then embossed it with the Bubble Rings folder.  I framed it with some glossy black cardstock.  I popped up the panel on the card and done!  Here are a couple close ups...

This one shows the glossy hearted musical note...

Okay...I had SO much fun making my cards!!  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, July 31st, so make sure you check the Simon Blog on the 31st, 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

Laura Bassen

Suzy Plantamura

Nichol Spohr

Mindy Eggen

Tina Smith

Cheiron Brandon

                                Lisa Addesa<----You are Here!

Lorraine Aquilina

Barb Engler

Jessica Vasher

Nicki Baxley

Just to let you know...as you read in the title of this post, this is day 2 of blog hops, celebrating this release!  There was another blog hop yesterday...and that gives you not only 14 more projects with wonderful inspiration, but also 14 more chances to win a $25 coupon from Simon!  Hope you will hop along and join the fun and inspiration!  Thank you so much for stopping by and "keep hopping"...hugs! 

 Lisa

Bright Rainbow Squares

I have made a card with the cool new Simon Says Stamp Geo Me Trees die set, from the Cheering for You release!...

I know these are supposed to be tree dies...and I have an idea for a card using the die set as trees, but couldn't pass up the thought I had, to make six rainbow squares.  There are six spaces in the square, so die cutting one square in each of six rainbow colors and mixing up the colors in each of six squares just made so much sense.  I layereed the squares and popped them up on a black card. I added a layered sentiment die cut, and adhered to card.  I rounded the corners of the card, to go with the squares' rounded corners.  The card is a little longer than an A2 card, so I made an envelope for it...thus the purple underneath the card. Here's a close up...

There was a blog hop today, over at the Simon Blog, and there will be a second one tomorrow...there will be amazing inspiration...hoping you will hop along!!  Thanks for brightening my day, by stopping by my blog!   Hugs!! Lisa