Simon Says & Inspired

My card today is for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Inspired By All The Little Things Challenge #34. The theme at Simon's is A Christmas To Die For (using a die) and the Inspired Challenge gave us this picture to use for inspiration.  I love the black and white with pops of red and green.  For my red and green, I decided to use a Poinsettia.

I started my card by cutting a black card base from True Black Cardstock.  I also cut a white inside panel so there would be a place to write a message. Next I cut a base layer from Altenew Spicy Yogurt Cardstock at 5 3/8th x 4 1/8th .  For the next layers I cut the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die (4 x 5.5) from Pure Poppy Cardstock.  The music paper was the final scrap I had left and it had already been cut down into a stitched rectangle previously.  Next I die cut the bloom of the poinsettia using the Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia Die with Pure Poppy Cardstock and the leaves from some scraps of cardstock.  The poinsettia cuts 4 layers of the flowers so they are very easy to put together.

Additionally, I cut three of the "Believe" die cuts and one black shadow.  I put the three layers together using a little bit of spray adhesive and then used Ranger Multi Medium Matte to adhere the shadow to the back of the die cuts.  This Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Believe Die is my favorite from this year's release and I know it will be a favorite for many years to come.

That is my card for today!  It was super easy to put together and I love how it turned out.  Also, there was no stamping, just die cutting so it came together really fast.

Thank you so much for stopping by and be sure to stop over at both of the challenge blogs to see if you find some inspiration there. I really appreciate the kind and encouraging comments you leave for me.

I'm also entering this card into the Simon Say Stamp Flickr Challenge #59.

Papertrey's August 2016 Create Along With Us

This week the Challenge over at Papertrey Ink is for their monthly Create Along With Us Challenge. Using inspiration from the Design Team, we are to create a project inspired by one of them.  I had so many projects that I loved but of course, they were all using products from the newest release that went live last night at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Ultimately, Betsy Veldman inspired me the most with her Thanksgiving themed Hostess gift and card that you see on the left. If you have ever been to my blog before, you know that I love using Gold on my projects so I think it is easy to see what the initial appeal was for me.  I also really liked the fact that her project was done in neutral tones because it is something I'm working hard to incorporate into my own projects.  

I started by cutting a card base from True Black Cardstock using the Noted: Scalloped A2 Dies. I wanted to keep the look ultra chic and elegant so I looked for elements similar to some of what we've seen in this release and decide to use Embroidered Blooms Stamp Set and Turning a New Leaf Dies.  I started by looking through my vellum and cutting a piece of this gold metallic printed vellum to put over the black card base. I used just the smallest amount of Vellum Adhesive on each of the four corners of that piece and attached it to my card base.  Next I carefully heat embossed "Amazing Grace" from the Inspired: Grace Stamp Set, making sure not to stay too long in one area with the heat gun to prevent warping of my vellum.  By the way, the vellum is from a pack that I've had for a few years that came from Stampin' Up! There are about 6 different patterns in the pack including some diagonal stripes and big polka dots.

Next I cut several of the large leafy stems from Turning a New Leaf Dies and stamped them using the stamps from Embroidered Blooms. This can be a one or two step stamp but I liked just the 1 step leaves so I could leave quite a bit of white showing for some contrast.  I had a few leaves cut in Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock and some in Stamper's Select White Cardstock but ultimately I liked the added texture of the Linen Cardstock and used those.  I adhered them using Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

I actually messed up the first time I stamped the leaves because I used Encore Gold Ink and then put clear Embossing Powder over the top.  Well that didn't work because then my golds didn't match.  So I cut a few more leafy clusters and stamped in Versamark this time.  I heat set them using Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder which is the same as I used for the greeting stamped on the vellum.

I cut a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle in the largest size from Spicy Yogurt Cardstock (from Altenew) for the inside of the card so there would be a place for a handwritten note.  That finishes off my clean and simple card.

Simon Says: Fabulous Florals

This week over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is Fabulous Florals. Most of the cards I make are florals so this is always a good theme for me.  I've been wanting to try this stamp from Penny Black with a technique that I've used a few times before.  I must say, I have never met with as much success as I did today.



I've spent a lot of time over the last year learning about how various mediums work with the watercolor style of techniques I do.  Honestly, I was surprised at how well today's "test" image worked out. This stamp, "The Unfolding" reminds me of a Black Tulip Magnolia Tree like the one pictured above, and I'm sure that is what it's meant to portray. So I wanted to do my best to capture that color on my project.

To get my stamped image, I colored directly onto the rubber of the cling stamp in Gathered Twigs and Pine Needles Distress Marker and then used my Seedless Preserves Ink Cube directly to the stamp for the blooms of the image.  I wanted a heavier concentration of ink on the blooms so they would be the main focal point.  I misted (and I really do mean misted, not spritzed) the stamp with plain water then stamped that onto my panel of Canson Bristol Watercolor Paper.  I'm using a bottle that sprays a very fine mist and doesn't typically have any larger splatter.  It's one that had Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in it but I only have water in it now. I'm not retaining much of the detail from the stamp but that is the look I was going for i.e. a loosely watercolored, more organic feel.  It was very easy to achieve this look.  I think it is only a matter of practice.  Don't be afraid to waste some watercolor paper.  It will happen but the more you understand your medium the less that will happen.

I die cut the panel with the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die and then realigned it in my die again to take a bit off the top and one side.  The next size down in the dies is quite a bit smaller and I just wanted a narrow mat so this is how I accomplish that.  It's important to line up the stitch marks when you do this. I cut another Stitched Rectangle for the mat from SU! Rich Razzleberry Cardstock and made a card base from Altenew's Spicy Yogurt Cardstock.

The greeting is a favorite from the Papertrey Ink's Friendly Flowers Stamp Set. I stamped it and heat embossed using Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder.

I really love Altenew's Spicy Yogurt Cardstock and I'm planning to get another package soon. Because I like layers, this is becoming my "go to" cardstock for masculine cards or anything for a special occasion and you can order it from Altenew here.

I've been doing a little bit of research on the properties of some of the coloring mediums I use. Normally I wouldn't care much about a card but since I actually watercolor so many of my images, I want it to be fade resistant. Ranger Industries was founded in 1929 and originally manufactured an exclusive line of commercial ink products for the U.S. banking industry. In 1979, Ranger developed the first art stamp pads in unique, vibrant colors.  Until 1998, Ranger manufactured many private label inks but was able to begin developing it's own line of inks and eventually other products like the familiar Distress line of products and their embossing powders and is now known worldwide. There is no information on their website about the Distress Markers being "fade resistant" like the ink pads are, but I have submitted an inquiry and will let you know in a future post.

I'll also be playing along at the AAA Cards Challenge this week. Their challenge is Stitching - faux or real.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at today's project.  Have a really great day and please come back soon!

ETA: I just heard back from Ranger Industries and they said the Distress Markers are non-permanent and aren't fade reisitant.  I haven't had any issues but Kay Miller had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she noticed the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers fade really quickly.