Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: ATC using Seth Apter's Twisters Dies

Happy Monday and welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is to make an ATC: those wonderful little works of art measuring 3.5" x 2.5". 

If you want to hop on board for a total card idea scrap/redo, then here we go!  I started by cutting an ATC card with Tim Holtz's Collector die set.  I painted it white, waited for the paint to dry, then stamped some flowers on it from Tim's Floral Elements stamp set.  So far so good!

I shook on some Infusions, which I spritzed with water and let dry.  I also added some paint to my flowers.  I love incorporating text, so I glued on some scraps of Dina Wakley's ledger paper.

This is where I started to run into trouble.  I just didn't like what I had done.  The colors were too dark or muddy or SOMETHING.  I restamped the lower flower, painted it yellow, cut the petals and glued them onto my flower for some color variation, but I still wasn't feeling it.  I stenciled on some polka dots hoping that would solve the problem since polka dots are my happy place.

Nope!  I just couldn't get the look of this right.  It was a battle.  So I did what I always do right before I throw something in the garbage can: I paint over most of it with white paint.  That provided enough of a re-set for me.  I added some red and white polka dots to the middle, threw in some bright orange and a little more Infusions, then cut these great shapes from Seth Apter's Twisters die set and painted/stamped them.

At last I was liking it a little more.  I glued the rings to my ATC, then re-stamped some of the flower petals on the bottom right corner.

I stamped the "curiosity" sentiment using Tim Holtz's Theories stamp set, then cut the words and glued them on for the finishing touch.  ATC complete!

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Tim Holtz Collector Die Set
• Tim Holtz Floral Elements Stamp Set
• Infusions Color Stain: Are You Cerise, Blackcurrant, Royal Blood
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 2
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dot Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Seth Apter Twisters Die Set
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Trinity Stamps Polkadot Pattern Background Stamp
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We are excited to see how you interpret this week's ATC theme!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: She Spoke from Her Heart Art Journal Page

Happy Monday to one and all!  We're starting the week off with a great theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: art journaling!  I like art journaling because you can thumb back through a book of your own making and see different techniques you used at different times and can also see how far you've come or how your style has changed over the years.  

For this challenge, I was drawn to the expression on this beautiful woman's face and used her as the centerpiece of my page.

I made this page in my Studio Light's Creative Journal, which is a handy 4" x 4" size.  I painted the background with grey paint and water.  When that dried, I added some white dashed-line stenciling using Tim Holtz's THMM182 stamp and stencil set.

Next I used Tim Holtz's Large Collage strips and tore some various patterned pieces from those and glued them to my page.  I used orange paint to bump up the color of the flower on one of the scraps.

I added some turquoise polka dots using that same Tim Holtz stencil (it's three different patterns on one stencil) and also stamped some yellow-orange circles onto the background using Tim's Grunged stamp set.  I stamped some red polka dots onto white paper using Trinity Stamps' Polkadot Pattern background stamp and glued those scraps on top.

I cut flower petal shapes out of the collage strips and added them to the flower petals I already had.  I brought some rich dark pink to the party with some dots and smears of color.

I outlined my flower petals with a white Posca pen then cut a slide shape using Tim Holtz's Specimen die set and used that as a frame for one of his photobooth images.  I cut the sentiment from the collage strips and added that on as a last touch.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Studio Light/Art by Marlene Creative Journal
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Tim Holtz Stamp and Stencil Set: THMM182
• Tim Holtz Specimen Die Set
• Tim Holtz Large Collage Strips
• Trinity Stamps Polkadot Pattern Background Stamp
• Tim Holtz Grunged Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Photobooth Images
• White Posca Pen

We're excited to see your art journaling creations!  Upload your projects to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Celebrate You Birthday Tag using AALL & Create Products

We are officially into August which means school's right around the corner, the temperatures here in toasty Utah should start to come down from the triple digits, and we've got another new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is "Happy Birthday" in honor of Simon's 15-year-anniversary.  We are also featuring products from AALL & Create, which I adore and literally use all the time.  Here's the birthday tag I came up with:

I started with a pre-made tag from AALL & Create's Faded Memories ephemera pack.  I also pulled out three circle shapes from their Clipped Mailers ephemera pack.

I added some different colors by painting parts of the circles blue and then gluing a purple panel on top of the tag that's from AALL & Create's Rose Reverie ephemera pack.  I cut some ring shapes using Seth Apter's Twisters die set and AALL & Create's Heartnook die set and painted those as well.

Next I narrowed down the pieces I wanted to use and cut a quirky scalloped border piece using AALL & Create's Tear it Out die set.  I added white paint to my tag, including some petal shapes.

I painted the white petal shapes with a dark navy color.  When that dried, I outlined them with a white Posca pen and drew in some white dots.

After the white paint dried, I glued the circle and ring elements onto my tag as well as the border piece.  This added some nice pops of pink.  I blended the border into my tag using paint.  Next I cut out a face from Tim Holtz's photobooth images and made a hat.  I found a clip from AALL & Create's Clipped Mailers ephemera pack and cut the letters Y-O-U from AALL & Create's Letter Soup die set.

It was time to bring it all together!  I glued all of the components onto my tag and finished it off by typing the rest of the sentiment on a typewriter.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• AALL & Create: Faded Memories Ephemera Pack
• AALL & Create: Clipped Mailers Ephemera Pack
• AALL & Create: Rose Reverie Ephemera Pack
• AALL & Create: Tear it Out Die Set
• AALL & Create: Letter Soup Die Set
• AALL & Create: Heartnook Die Set
• Seth Apter Twisters Die Set
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Tim Holtz Photobooth
• Sizzix Big Shot
• White Posca Paint Pen

We're excited to see your birthday projects!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Summertime Blues Tag using AALL & Create's Intricatags and Numberama Dies

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is Summertime Blues.  I incorporated the color blue into my tag's background and made a sentiment that many kids feel is true about summer.

I started with a tag cut with AALL & Create's Intricatags die set and my Sizzix Big Shot.  I stamped it with Tim Holtz's Remnants set, using Salty Ocean Distress Ink and a little bit of blue paint spritzed with water for a smear-y look.

Next I cut out some numbers and painted the frame-shapes they left behind.  While those dried, I tore strips of patterned paper out of my Amy Tangerine Paper Play book and glued those to my tag.

I glued the numbers to my tag and added some white paint to blend them in a bit.

I stamped a swirly scribble shape onto the center of my tag using Tim Holtz's Grunged stamp set.  I colored the edges of my tag with brown and black paint and added more green, pink and yellow to my tag.

I typed my sentiment on a typewriter and glued it to my tag.  I also added an oval frame shape that I'd cut out of text paper.  I did some scribbling and polka dot-ing to finish off the tag.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• AALL & Create Intricatags Die Set
• AALL & Create Numberama Die Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Tim Holtz Remnants Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Grunged Stamp Set
• Distress Ink: Salty Ocean
• Paper Play Collage Book
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Dina Wakley Paint

I'm interested to see how you interpret our "summertime blues" theme.  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Journal Spread using Dina Wakley's Squared Up Stamp Set and School Style Alpha Stencil

It's another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week we are making our own backgrounds!  I decided to do a journal spread, which turned out like so:

I started by creating a collage page that I could tear up and use in my background.  I watercolored and sprayed Distress Oxide and alcohol ink onto a piece of graph paper.  I also scribbled around with Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks.

I tore my collage into pieces and glued those pieces into my Art by Marlene 4" x 4" journal.

Next I painted around the edges to get some other colors into the mix.

After that dried, I decided to try out Dina Wakley's new Squared Up stamp set.  I stamped two of those images onto my pages.

Next I used some AALL & Create black text washi tape.  I stuck it to paper then punched some holes out of it.  I used the negative shape on one half of the spread and the polka dots on the other half.

I didn't really like how it was looking at this point, so I decided to add some blue and cover up some parts I had done.  I used Dina Wakley's Old School Style Alpha stencil and some Salty Ocean Distress Oxide on some scrap paper, which I then tore up and glued to my pages.

I used paint again to blend everything together and added some polka dot paper scraps I had.  I also stuck on some Tim Holtz fabric tape. I scribbled around with pencil and with Distress Watercolor pencils.  I found this great quote from Dina Wakley's Ledger Paper and glued that on top as the final component of this spread.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Art by Marlene 4"x4" Creative Journal
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, Set 5
• Neon Alcohol Ink: Hyper
• Watercolors
• Distress Spray Stain: Walnut
• Distress Oxide Spray: Salvaged Patina, Weathered Wood, Salty Ocean
• Dina Wakley Squared Up Stamp Set
• AALL & Create: Power Words Washi Tape
• Dina Wakley: School Style Alpha Stencil
• Tim Holtz Floral Linen Fabric Tape
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 4
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We're excited to see the backgrounds you create!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win $25 to the Simon Says Stamp store!