Not A Christmas Card

All the Christmas cards and stamps and embellishments ran out of here in protest from overuse.  They are exhausted and need a vacay.  Preferably one with eggnog and sleep.
In came blue leaves and gold hearts and sunshine.  They took up residence on this card.

Stamps: Simon Says Summer Garden and Sending Happy Thoughts
Paper:  Neenah Solar White and SU gold foil
Ink:  Fresh Ink Sky Blue and Versamagic Red Rocket
Other:  circle and heart dies

MOOD WHEN DONE = Happy
HUSBAND'S COMMENT = Is that what you were doing at 3 am?  (Why yes it was.)

Christmas Blessings --- and Happy New Year!

Of all the cards I made with Simon Says Stamp Peace on Earth, this is my favorite.
This big sentiment in the classic Kristina Werner handwriting carries a card on its own.  Here is a picture of the set.

Stamped sentiment on white cardstock, added the premade embellishment (part of my stash, not sure who made it), and adhered the white panel on an angle onto a red card.  Once the white panel was down, trimmed the edges.  Really a 5 minute card.  I may need to make a bunch.

I appreciate the free set that Simon Says Stamp sent to me to help usher in #stamptember.  Not sure what the company has in mind for this month, but apparently there will be a lot of new product and ????

MOOD WHEN DONE = Happy!  

Back to work tomorrow after a luscious 5 day break, so the posts may not be as often.

In the meantime, if you celebrate Labor Day, hope it is a happy one.  In my community, school cannot start until after Labor Day (by law) and that is how it was when I was growing up, so tomorrow is like New Year's Day.  So, Happy New Year!

Edited photo since first posted...

Red v Pink

More Simon Says Stamp #stamptember fun.

The red card is festive -- black and white twine and some gold spatters add to the pop of color.  Hard to see, but the right and bottom edge of the white panel has a bit of the Hero Arts Neon green ink that I used to stamp the leaves.

And, then, I went softer:

The pink is nontraditional for Christmas, but close enough to red to be "in the zone." Again, the right and bottom edges are inked with a dark green ink.

Both cards use a holly and berry images from a Clear and Simple set and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Peace on Earth, which I believe will be sold starting in September.

Color makes such a difference!    I like them both, although they evoke very different feelings.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Joyful

2 Cards with Simon Says Stamp Peace on Earth

Two completely different Christmas cards using the soon to be available Simon Says Stamp Peace on Earth set.  It will be released as part of #stamptember  Both use vellum and a white embossed sentiment.  The second card is a bit of an experiment.

I'll be coming back with more items and more info on these cards later this weekend. 

In the meantime

MOOD WHEN DONE = Excellent!

Inspired -- SSS August Card Kit

Made this for someone who inspires me all the time, both in card making and otherwise.   This may be showing up in your mail box!

1. The set that came with the Simon Says Stamp August card kit, Ice Cream Dreams, has this little circle with the heart.

2. Stamped a bunch of times with different shades of pink and orange and punched out a pile.

3. Moved them around until I was happy with the color placement.  Added an Altenew sentiment.

4. Before I adhered the sentiment, decided it needed something black to make the other colors pop.  This is where things usually go wrong...

5.  Took a scrap of black card stock and shaved a sliver with my paper trimmer.  Was going for the "one heart connected to another" -- may be an overreach here!  HA.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Inspired!

Peek at a New Simon Says Stamp Set

Last week on Facebook, Simon Says Stamp was looking for volunteers to agree to post a few cards with some of its September release.  I won!  I received a new set in the mail the other day and SSS asked that I post something with it on Facebook.

The set is a Christmas sentiment set, but -- since it is August -- my mind went elsewhere first.

I am always on the lookout to use those little images that companies add to sets.  In this case, I love the little happy banner and Love circle.  So, I added them to a sentiment from the set that is part of the September card kit, To Thine Own Shelf (great book lover's set).  Added a heart from another Simon Says Stamp set and a wooden button that was also part of the September card kit.

Cannot see in the photo, but above the top row, I scored a line.  To add images or sentiments in an angled line, using a ruler to draw with a pencil and using a gridded block are essential!

Hope to have a few more cards later this week.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Very happy, and that is a true story.

Stamps:  All Simon Says Stamp -- Peaceful Wishes, To Thine Own Shelf, and Best Mom Ever
Paper:  Neenah Solar White
Ink:  Hero Arts Pool, Butter Bar and Tomato
Other:  Teresa Collins wooden embellishment

Cool

Stamping is such a great distraction.

After a ridiculous amount of deliberation, I signed up for the Simon Says Stamp monthly card kit.  ($19.95 plus shipping). Watch the news or think about the wisdom of gambling with my precious crafty dollars?  So I went with thinking and ended up gambling.  Love the idea of figuring out how to use stuff that I would likely not order on my own.   I'll report on my experience with these kits after a few months.  Good use of money?  Love to hear your thoughts.

So I'm entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Between the 2 markers that came in the kit, and the stamp set itself, I think I'll meet my one use per dollar goal.  In fact, the more I use the stamp set, the more I love it.  Here's the card with the coordinating envelope (liner uses paper from the kit).

This is the first card I made with the August Kit.  More are coming!

MOOD WHEN DONE = Cool

All supplies from the kit except:

Black and white cardstock, Peerless Watercolors, Water, Paint Brush, scissors, watercolor paper, paper trimmer, ranger's glossy accents, Memento Luxe black ink, Clear Embossing Powder., heat gun.

What else?? Adhesive!  Good grief, it takes a village....

ReDesign on a Dime: Laura Bassen

First, the card and then the talk!

Thanks so much for the comments on my last post, where I expressed frustration with my stamping.  Read them, pondered, and eventually settled on a new-for-now approach.  I'm calling is ReDesign on a Dime (sounds like a HGTV show, doesn't it?).

It marries my limited design skills and budget with my desire to stamp.  I take something another stamper has made and make it with my own supplies. 

Today I took this card made by the so fun and talented superstar Laura Bassen.  It is intimidating to put her card next to mine, but Laura graciously agreed so here goes!

Isn't Laura's card gorgeous?  Loved the colors and the gray triangles on the background.  If you look closely, you'll see that Laura wrapped some white twine under the popped up flowers.

My ReDesign on a Dime Process:

1.  I have one floral outline set with single flowers big enough for this design.  (How did that happen??)  Colored the flowers with Copics, hand cut, and edged with Ranger Distress inks.

2.  Since I did not have a background like Laura's and don't have pale gray ink, I substituted some patterned paper.

3.  I did not wrap any twine under my flowers because I would have made a hot mess. 

4.  Added the exclamation point by hand because the sentiment was not centered.  Looks better in person!

Thanks to Laura for her talent!  Laura's card is better and here's why -- the green leaves are darker and provide more contrast.   She clustered her flowers closer together, which works to form a better focal point. Plus, her flowers have same colored centers to pull them together.   And, the gray and white background is lighter and trendy.

But, I didn't spend any money buying new things to make this card and it was much easier to have Laura's card as a model and I learned a few things.  A win!

MOOD WHEN DONE = Intimidated but Happy!  

Supplies:

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp  Best Mom Ever!
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Ranger Distress
Paper:  Base card is white Recollections; patterned paper is unknown
Other: Copics, adhesive, dimensionals

Gold Embossed Hello

I got hooked on stamping after I saw how embossing works.  And I still love it!

MOOD WHEN DONE = impressed I can stamp an even background....

Supplies:

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Best Mom Ever and Papertrey Ink Embroidered Blooms (sentiment)
Paper:  Cream cardstock (unknown)
Ink:  Versamark and Versamagic Pixie Dust (pink)
Other:   Gold embossing powder, gold and cream twine