simon says... take a picture!

Hi, friends! Back with another card for the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog...

..where your participation could randomly win you a very generous gift voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp super store! :D

This week's theme: Take a Picture. So fun and trendy! Here's my card:

I used several patterns from the MAMA-RAZZI2 6x6 paper pack by Bo Bunny. I even cut up some filmstrip edges off one of the papers to create a fun border on the main panel. The sentiment is from the MANY BIRTHDAY MESSAGES set by Hero Arts... I thought the classic font was a perfect match for the retro feel of the camera image. I also stamped the rays image from Tim Holtz's PSYCHEDELIC GRUNGE stamp set on to kraft with a tone-on-tone ink, then die cut it to mimic flash rays. This could be a "Birthday" card or some sort of "Congratulations" card, but I definitely think it has a masculine feel... what do you think? :)

And now it's your turn: create your photograph/camera/film related project, and upload it HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 29th) to be entered into the drawing for that amazing voucher!

And please head on over HERE to see how my insanely creative teammies have interpreted this challenge... sure to inspire! :)

Thanks for reading today. I'm still struggling with my sinus infection... started another round of stronger antibiotics this week. I'm hoping to finally be back to good health in no time. See you then with another card from the Simon Says Stamp card kit! :)

simon says... flower power

Hello again! Back with my card for the new challenge going on over at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog. :)

This week, the theme is Flower Power... love it! If you know me at all, I am definitely a flower fan when it comes to cards. :) And the products we all used were either from Prima (of course) or CASual Friday. If you have goodies from either of these wonderful companies in your stash, please use them along with us! But they're not mandatory for participating in the challenge. :)

Anyway, my card:

I used the gorgeous Stitched Charms EXOTIC BLOOMS. The paper is of course that wonderfully soft, pressed paper that we all love from Prima, and the stitching is the perfect touch. I added some My Mind's Eye HANDSOME enamel dots to help pull that lovely blue stitching out a little more. Since I don't currently own any CASual Friday stamps (YET *wink*), I went with a boldly scripted Hero Arts FRIENDS sentiment to reinforce the elegant feel.

So, now it's your turn! Upload your Flower Power project HERE before 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 22nd), and you could win a very generous gift voucher provided by the sweet Heidi & her crew to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

And by all means, go HERE to see more amazing, flowerific creations by the rest of the team... GORGEOUS.

Thank you for stopping by again today... see you soon! :)

simon says stamp april '13 card kit - amazing birthday!

Hi, friends! I finally have a card from the Simon Says Stamp April '13 card kit to show you! :)

A bit of a confession... I've never really been into card kits. I was always afraid that I wouldn't totally love/use enough of the kit contents to justify the cost... after all, it is someone else who's selecting the contents for you. ;) HOWEVER, the Simon kits really are amazing... and each kit is better than the last! So, I decided to jump on board... better late than never, hee. :)

As for my card, I decided to play along with the most recent sketch challenge going on over at SplitCoast Stampers. Here's the sketch (the challenge thread can be found HERE):

And here's my card using the kit (I changed the orientation from landscape to portrait):

I instantly fell in love with the colors and patterns in this kit - so fresh and springy and trendy. STUNNING stamp set, too! Holy cow... I can tell this one will definitely be a staple on my craft desk! The kit is of course sold out at this point, but if you follow my link above to the stamp set, you'll find the other goodies that came in the kit that you can still purchase separately. And make sure you go HERE and get signed up for the monthly kits. May's kit is also now sold out, but if you hurry, you can get in on the June kit! It really is an amazing value and as a recent card kit convert, I promise you won't regret it! ;)

Thanks for popping in and for your lovely comments. See you tomorrow with a new Simon Says Stamp challenge post! :) 

simon says... things with wings

Hi, friends! Hope you are well! Time for another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog...

..where one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to receive a generous gift voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp super store!

The theme this week is Things With Wings, and the DT all used the wonderful Studio Calico on our creations. If you have Studio Calico items in your stash, use it along with us, we'd love to see it! If not, it's not a requirement of the challenge, so no worries. :)

As for my card...

..I used the BUTTERFLIES CHIP SHAPES on my card, but changed them up a bit by cutting some of the patterned ones in half and mixing and matching different halves together... just shooting for something fun and unexpected. :) I stamped the plain butterflies with my Studio Calico LATTICE BACKGROUND stamp and some STAZON TIMBER BROWN ink. The sentiment is from the HEY DAY SENTIMENTS stamp set.

 

This card has a rather masculine feel in my opinion, even with the butterflies... the color palette, perhaps? I think I'll probably tuck this into hubby's luggage next time he takes one of his business trips... :)

 

So now it's your turn! Create your project featuring Things With Wings, and upload it HERE before 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 15th), and you could win that awesome gift voucher to spend in the store!

 

And don't forget to head on over HERE to see what the rest of the design team has done for this challenge, too... LOVELY!

I'm still recovering from my illness and dental work. It's been a slow(er than normal) and frustrating process... not out of the woods yet. Getting better and healing is my top priority at the moment, but I will have new cards to see soon, as promised. :) Thanks for reading today. xo

simon says... happy mail!

Hi, friends! Time for another challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog!

The theme this week is  Happy Mail, and the product line we on the DT worked with is TECHNIQUE TUESDAY. If you have any of their fabulous stamps in your stash, we'd love to see them used! But if not, no worries.. it's not mandatory to enter the challenge. :)

My card features images from the Ali Edwards SIMPLY YOU stamp set. First, I just adhered strips of colored card stock in rainbow order (because to me, rainbows are happy, and this is supposed to be happy mail, :) right?) and then heat embossed the sentiment over the top of them. Great way to use up those scraps! The flower is also from the set, and I used ENAMEL DOTS for their centers. Easy peasy!

So now it's your turn! Create your "Happy Mail" project and upload it HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday, May 8th, and you'll be in the random drawing for a generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

 

And don't forget to go HERE to see what my wonderful teamies did for this challenge... sure to make your day a happy one! :)

 

 

Thank you for reading today. See you very soon with those cards from the Simon Says Stamp April 2013 card kit! I wanted to get some done this last weekend, but ended up spending my time nursing a major toothache on top of a sinus infection (complete with fever and body aches) instead. So NOT a party... UGH. Ended up having a root canal on Monday, and it's been a slower recovery than expected. But I'm on those wonderful antibiotics and pain meds now, ;) so I hope to have something up very shortly! Thanks for hangin' with me. :)

 

Have a great day!

simon says stamp april card kit challenge

Hi, friends! It's the weekend, YAY! :)

Just checking in today to let you know about a cool challenge going on over at Splitcoast Stampers involving the April 2013 Simon Says Stamp card kit...

If you have the April card kit, and you love participating in challenges, then this is for you! A $25 e-card to Simon Says Stamp is up for grabs... just go HERE to get all the details.

And if you don't have the April kit (yes, it's sold out), no worries... this is going to be a monthly feature over at Splitcoast - YAY! So hurry on over and sign up HERE to get in on the monthly card kit subscription and play along with us. You don't want to miss it!  :)

I'll have some of my own creations using the April card kit to share soon... stay tuned. ;)

Have a great weekend! xo

simon says... anything goes!

Hi, friends! It's Wednesday... time for another Simon Says Stamp challenge! :)

This week's theme: Anything Goes! Always a favorite. :) And the featured product line this week is Impression Obsession... also a favorite! I LOVE their large background stamps that can cover an entire card front, no matter the orientation. If you have any Impression Obsession in your stash, we'd love to see it used on your creations, too! But if not, it's not a requirement for the challenge. :) Here's my card that features the trendy HERRINGBONE PATTERN:

I know, not the most creative use of the image. ;) But with all that gold embossing (I used Ranger's SUPERFINE DETAIL GOLD embossing powder), it's pretty shiny in real life, so I decided to keep it simple. 

 

The faux wax seal-type embellishment in the flower center was created by first punching out a circle of card stock, pressing it into my VersaMark pad, and then heat embossing several layers of Ranger's REGULAR GOLD embossing powder (melt the EP.. quickly dip back into the EP.. heat it again.. repeat). Then, after about the fifth layer of EP, and while the melted powder was still molten, I used the end of a medallion-border stamp from THIS SET (by Hero Arts) to stamp in the center. Leave it for a minute or two for the EP to set, et voilà... a faux wax seal. :)  

 

This card was inspired by my hubby's grandparents, who are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in a couple months! I know it's the 50th that's considered the 'golden anniversary', but did you know that the official gift list only goes up to the 60th?! What do you get the couple that has been married for SEVENTY YEARS?? My hubby and I will celebrate our 20th this year, and I'm pretty sure that's gotta qualify him for some kind of sainthood, let alone another 50! LOL ;) Wow... that's just amazing to me...!!

 

Anyway, ramblings aside... now it's your turn! Upload your project HERE before next Wednesday (May 1st) at 8am EST US, and you could win a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

 

 

And don't forget to check out what the rest of my amazing teammates did for this challenge... just click HERE!

 

That's it for me... thanks for reading, and I will see you soon! :)

 

 

simon says... travel/cityscapes!

Hiya, stampy peeps! Time for another Simon Says Stamp challenge!

Your participation could randomly win you a generous gift voucher to spend at the Simon Says Stamp superstore!

This week's theme is Travel and/or Cityscapes! The 'urban' trend is really big right now, and I went with a very straightforward approach to my card:

A card for a far-away friend. :) Love love LOVE this SKYLINE DIE by My Favorite Things! It's long enough to cover the full width of a card, even at landscape orientation! And the buildings are large enough to get crisp, window detail, but still small enough to layer, which I did here. I went for that dimensional, 'buildings near and far' look by using a gradient of black/gray card stocks (THESE would work well for this). I realize that the lightest gray buildings are also the farthest, and by that token would also have to be the smallest. But I feel I achieved the look and feel I was going for. It's just a card. ;) The sentiment is from this Hero Arts set HERE (a must-have), and the heart is the smallest heart from the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive HOLIDAY SHAPES die set, covered with a spot of glossy accents.

It probably goes without saying that there are a LOT of popdots on this card, HAHA! :)

So now it's your turn! Create your travel/cityscape-themed project, and upload it HERE by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 24th) and you could win that amazing gift voucher!

And please be sure to stop by the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog HERE to see what the rest of my wonderful teammates did for this challenge! no surprise... I am BLOWN AWAY!

Thanks for reading today... see you soon! :)

simon says... april showers and/or spring flowers

Howdy, friends! How are you today? :) I'm doing well... it's the middle of the week and pretty soon, the weekend will be here. Yay!

Meanwhile, there's a new challenge going over at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog, so let's get to it, shall we?

As always, your participation could win you a FABulous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp! Who doesn't love shopping?! ;)

The theme for this week's challenge is April Showers and/or Spring Flowers. Reminds me of the all-too familiar, silly grade school joke that I'm highly tempted to tell now, but I'll spare you. LOL ;) Anywho, showers/flowers is the theme, and Hero Arts is the highlighted product line! This challenge was right up my alley... flowers and Hero - two favorites! Here's my card...

I know it's not a very spring-y color scheme, but the flowers still count, right? Even if they're black? I can't help it... I made three cards with this stamp, but this was by far my fave of the bunch. :)

With the exception of the Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, Everything is Hero Arts. I used BLACK LAYERING PAPER for my card base, which I lovelovelove! I stamped the THANK YOU DEFINITION with the new CHARCOAL ink, and then heat embossed the EVERYTHING FLOWER over that with black embossing powder. I used a sponge to swirl on the Worn Lipstick, which is such a great, vibrant, rosey-red. A bold sentiment from the MADE WITH LOVE set, a black button, some pearls, and it's good to go!

So now you're up! Make a project that features spring showers or flowers, and link it up HERE, by 8am EST US next Wednesday (the 17th). Please be sure to include in a link back to the Simon Says Stamp challenge itself, found HERE, in your blog/gallery post as well. And who knows? You could win that amazing voucher to spend at Simon! :D

And please stop by HERE to see what my fellow teammates did for this challenge, too! If you're a Hero Arts fan, you will LOVE them all for sure!

Thanks for reading today! See you soon. :)

**Since clearing my desk after working on this project, I've realised that the background stamp I used is actually the HAPPY DEFINITION, and not the Thank You Definition like originally stated. I originally intended to use the Thank You since that's the theme of the card, but apparently I wasn't paying close enough attention to the actual text when grabbing my stamp. Heehee! Sorry for any confusion. :) **

simon says... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hi, friends! it's Wednesday again (and APRIL... seriously, how is this happening?!) and that means there's another weekly challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog!

But this isn't the usual... it's a very special week because it's the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog's 4th birthday! :D And we're celebrating with a HUUUGE prize give-away for this week's challenge! Heidi and everyone at Simon has so generously offered up not one, but THREE fab prizes:

PRIZE #1
Not $50, but $100 to spend in the Simon Says Stamp Superstore!

PRIZE #2
Friendship Circles stamps AND die

 

 PRIZE #3

Fit To Be Square stamps AND die

Simply Amazing. I can't imagine that there's anyone out there who has yet to participate in any of the Simon Says Stamp weekly challenges, but if not, this MUST be your week to start! :)

So, obviously the theme this week is Birthdays. And the product line we all used was none other than the Simon Says Stamp Exclusive stamps and dies! If you have any Simon Exclusives in your stash, please celebrate with us by using them in your creations this week! If not, no worries... it's not mandatory for participation. :)

And now for my card...

Since my husband's job relocated us half way across the country and away from our families almost 6 years ago, we don't get to celebrate with them in person on their special days as we'd like. But, we certainly celebrate in spirit, and that's what inspired this card. :) The BANNER SAYINGS stamp set has this perfect sentiment for those long-distance birthday wishes. I paired it with the ALWAYS on the Edge wafer die, and it's a match made in cardmaking heaven. I wanted the card to have a edgier, more masculine feel, so I went with black, white, and KRAFT. The background is the Hero Arts NUMBER PATTERN cling stamp, and was softly stamped with Hero Arts WHITE DYE ink. I chose dye instead of pigment because I wanted the background to be subtle, and not compete with the "Always" diecut popped up over the top of it.

So now it's your turn! Upload your festive, celebratory birthday project HERE before 8am EST US on Wednesday (the 10th), and you'll be entered into the random drawing for one of the incredible prizes shown above! And pleasepleaseplease go HERE to see what my fellow teamies have done with other Simon Says Stamp Exclusives... you will be blown away!

 

Thanks so much for reading, and for your wonderful comments. :) See you soon!