Simon Says Stamp "New Somethings"

I am so excited to be the Designer in the Spotlight for the month of January over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog. Each Wednesday Morning this month (January 2017), I will be joining the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Design Team on their blog featuring products available in the Simon Says Stamp Store.  This is the first week of the month, so we will be featuring Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Products.  

For my "New Year's" Card, I used Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Border Die, Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Lots of Snowflakes Stamp Set, Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles Dies, Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue Ink and Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue Cardstock. 

Starting with 2 pieces of 4.25 x 5.5 inch watercolor paper, and the Snowflake Border Die I ran both through my die cutting machine with an embossing sandwich rather than a cutting sandwich. I have a Cuttlebug Embossing Pad and a Spellbinders Embossing Pad.  The Spellbinders is a bit thicker so I used the Cuttlebug Embossing Pad for this. This will make an impression on both pieces of the watercolor paper so that I can keep them lined up the same. Then putting the die back into the impression, I ran one panel through again, this time with a cutting sandwich so that it would give me two pieces.  The impression also creates a place for the die cut to rest in when I adhere it.  I also cut three of the snowflake borders from thick white cardstock, gluing them together with spray adhesive to make a nice thick embellishment.  I covered the thick embellishment with an all over layer of spray adhesive and sprinkled Elizabeth Craft Designs Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter all over it.  I used my Teflon Bone Folder to burnish the glitter into the paper and set it aside to dry completely while I worked on the other parts of my card.  

Using a Mini Round Ink Blending Tool, I ink blended all along the embossed area of the whole piece with Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue Ink.  Then taking just the wave panel from the other piece, I did a heavier concentration of color all along the edge to help it pop. I let that dry for several minutes and then stamped and embossed my greeting on the left side panel using Versamark with Ranger Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder. The greeting is from an older stamp set that I had gotten a few years ago, way before I ever started making or even thinking about making cards but it's also the only one I have for New Year's.

I attached that wave piece to the whole piece with temporary adhesive so that I could again, run both layers through the die cutting machine with the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles Dies in the largest size.  It doesn't usually cut through both layers, but it makes enough of an impression on the bottom layer to be able to re-align the one that didn't cut the first time perfectly into the die and run it through again.  I was very careful to make sure everything was lined up before I ran it through my cutting sandwich.  I'm using the die to help me get exact placement for both cuts. You could of course, make a single layer card, but I wanted to add that bit of dimension to my card.

Next I glued the glittered embellishment to that bottom layer that is still in one piece using Ranger Multi Medium Matte. I snipped off the ends of the border to be even with the Stitched Rectangle Panel, and attached that to my card base made from Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue Cardstock using my ATG Gun Then I attached the wavy piece with the sentiment to the whole piece. The panel to the left of the snowflake border is popped up on Thin 3D Foam Squares.  You could use any kind of foam tape or a piece of fun foam cut to size.  Some spritzes with Tsukineko Sheer Sparkle Shimmer Spritz to the whole front of the card finishes it off nicely. This is the reason I'm called the "Twinkling Paper Studio".

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I always really appreciate your kind and encouraging comments. Be sure to enter your project in the link up at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $50.00 Gift Voucher to shop at Simon Says Stamp!  There will be so many beautiful projects to see at the link up as well.  All of the supplies are linked at the Simon Says Stamp Store or there is a link in the side bar of this blog that takes you to the store. 

Peace and Joy in 2016

Even though I did make a card today, I can't seem to get it photographed decently.  I guess the colors I selected are more muted and just not that vibrant and the sparkle I added seems to be not that evident either so this is a poor representation for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which is "Make it Sparkle".  Trust me, I'll try to do a better one.

I wanted something similar to a card I made previously but thought I would go for a more "Chic" look so I started by embossing this Hero Arts Peace & Joy Stamp using WOW! Metallic Platinum Sparkle Embossing Powder and cutting it out with the WPLUS9 Love Showers Tag Die.  I used Wisteria Wonder Card Stock from SU! and embossing the word "in" from the Winnie & Walter "The Big, The Bold and The Comfort" Set using the same embossing powder. The embossing appears to be just a dull grayish color, but it isn't!  The A2 card base is Bazzill Marshmallow Card Stock with the front embossed using a Design Objectives Embossing Folder.  It isn't as 3D as the Next Level Embossing Folders, but it is more than just a 2 dimensional look.

I cut the stars from some old QuicKutz Dies that I had, the streamers from the Taylored Expressions Raise Your Glass Die Cut Set and the numbers from a number set by QuicKutz called No. 73.  I put 8 strands of DMC metallic thread through the hole in the tag and did a slip knot.  

To make sure the numbers matched as far as the color, I inked up a piece of scrap card stock using Versamark and put the same embossing powder over it and heat set it.  Then I cut my numbers. This particular color of embossing powder is a bit warmer than silver, so it was important to me to match it up and silver glitter paper just didn't do it.  Additionally, all of the paper was spritzed with Tsukineko Sheer Sparkle Shimmer Spritz.

To assemble the card I used a combination of Foam Squares and Ranger Multi Medium Matte. The tag and the bottoms of the numbers have foam on them while the top of the numbers have a bit of adhesive so they lay flat against the tag at the top.  The streamers are adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte as well. The stars are also a combination of foam squares and liquid adhesive.  

Assembled, this card barely fits in the envelope and if I made it again, I would make it 4 x 5.5 to give it that extra bit of room.  This card is side folding and I don't like it as much as the top folding version I had made before.  But it's for my best friend and she won't have nearly as critical of an eye as I do.  She just enjoys getting the card in the mail. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I already have an idea for my next card so I'll see you all soon!  I'm going to have two of my granddaughters here for a few days this week before school starts again the next week, but I will be around.  Be sure to let me know if you have any questions and I'll answer them for you.  

Happy 2016

I have a fast and easy card today that is part of another project I am working on. There was no stamping done on this card, but the die cuts took a little bit of time. The numbers are part of a set from some that I had from Quickutz several years ago called No. 73.  There is not an alphabet to go with them and it took some time to figure out what my "sandwich" should be to cut, as these are wafer dies with foam attached so the normal cutting sandwich did not work.  I've learned not to force that issue.

To get these to cut in my Cuttlebug, I used an A plate, the Spellbinders Tan Embossing Mat, the precision metal adapter plate, a B plate, 3 pretty thin chipboard shims and another B plate.  With all that you'd think it would have just rolled through with the A, C and B Plates, but it wouldn't go.

New Years always makes me think of bling and sparkle and I didn't want this card to be any different.  All of the die cuts are cut from gold glitter cardstock out of my scraps.  The "happy" is cut from the Mama Elephant "happy" die.  I used an embossing folder from Design Objectives Ltd. for the A2 card base that is cut from Bazzill Marshmallow and the tag is cut from Canson Bristol Smooth 96# watercolor paper using the WPLUS9 Love Showers Die Set.  I cut a few stars out of some Quickutz Stars but you can use any dies or punches you have. I wanted a few sizes so I used stacking dies but I have a punch that cuts small ones that would have been cute also.

I attached everything to the tag with Ranger Multi Medium Matte and then adhered the tag to the card base using foam squares.  I think that about wraps this card up.  It was quick to put together once I decided on the design and elements. Thanks for stopping by today and please feel free to leave a comment if you do!