Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Back to School Card using Mama Elephant's Oh Hi Loopy Die Set and Dina Wakley's Block Alphas Stamp Set

Back to School is this week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  I've been a kid, I've been a teacher and I've been a parent and I have to say that back to school time is my favorite as a parent!  I decided to make a card in honor of this wonderful return to academia.

I started with some patterned paper (Simple Stories Vintage Lemon Twist and Dina Wakley ledger sheets) and Mama Elephant's Oh Hi Loopy die set.

I assembled what I had so far, dabbed on some white paint, then decided to add a few more layers of patterned paper (Market Square and Color Study).  I taped the paper together and ran it through my die-cutter again, then glued it to the bottom of the loopy opening.  In retrospect, it would've been easier to make my paper collage and then die-cut the whole thing just once, but hindsight is 20/20 and I wasn't sure where I was going with the card at first.

I glued my colored portions down and added some washi tape and some paint in various colors.  Then I stamped and cut out the word "Learn" using Dina Wakley's Alpha Blocks stamp set.  I also cut a notebook edge using an Altenew die.  Once I had all the elements, I glued it together and my card was done.

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

• Mama Elephant Oh Hi Loopy Die Set
• Simple Stories Vintage Lemon Twist Paper
• Dina Wakley Ledger Sheets, Set 2
• Vicki Boutin Color Study Paper
• Maggie Holmes Market Square Paper
• Ranger Archival Ink: Chrome Yellow
• Altenew Notebook Die
• Dina Block Alphas Stamp Set
• UHU Glue Stick
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive, Lime, Turquoise
• Dylusions Paint: Pure Sunshine, Strawberry Daiquiri

Let us see your back to school projects!  Upload them to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!

And don't forget to have those wonderful kiddos in your life participate in the Kid's Summer Vacation Challenge!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Let's Go On Vacation Notebook Cover using Sizzix Specimen Dies

When I was a little kid, my dad would have our vacation photos developed into slides.  We loved watching those slide shows!  I can still almost hear the soft whirrrrrr of the slide projector in our darkened front room as the show began.  The slides would jam every now and again, but dad could always troubleshoot that system back into full functionality in no time!  Say what you will about modern technology, but nothing beat those slide shows.  With slides as my inspiration, I incorporated a slide die shape and the word "remember" on a notebook cover for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme of "Let's Go On Vacation."

I started by squirting small dots of acrylic paint onto my page, then smooshing and moving the paint around with a bunch of water and a paint brush. 

After that layer dried, I added some more paint and then did some scribbly-doodling with Scribble Sticks and Distress Crayons.

More color!  I repeated the process, adding in different smears of acrylic paint and even drizzled on some watercolors and did more sketching.

Once the page was dry, I cut part of my painted paper to fit the cover of the notebook.  I flicked on some of Dina Wakley's Night Gloss Spray.  I also die-cut the slide shape and stenciled some polka dots onto another piece of paper.  I used a scrap of leftover text paper that I'd stamped for last week's project.

I stamped some black marks onto my cover page (X's and dot things) and then it was time to assemble.  I sewed the cover to the notebook and glued on the other elements.  I added some hand-cut scallop shapes to the top of my slide folder and this little notebook was done!

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

• Sizzix Specimen Dies
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks 2
• Prima Watercolors
• Distress Crayon: Salvaged Patina
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 1 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 2 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Chitchat Stickers
• Tim Holtz Dotted Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Ruby, Blushing, Tangelo, Sky, Peacock
• Distress Paint: Salvaged Patina, Kitsch Flamingo
• Dylusions Paint: Pure Sunshine
• Dina Wakley Gloss Spray: Night
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Acrylic Block
• UHU Glue Stick

Upload your wonderful vacation-inspired creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

And don't forget to have those cute kiddos in your life participate in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge's Summer Vacation Kid's Challenge!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Fabulous Florals Tag using Carabelle Studio's Colorful Life Stamp Set

Welcome to another week and another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is Fabulous Florals.  I made a tag using Carabelle Studio's Colorful Life stamp set (designed by the talented Birgit Koopsen).

I started with Distress Kraft Heavystock and cut out a tag shape using a Sizzix Tag Collection die and my Sizzix Big Shot.  I glued some paper to the front (Family Fun by Simple Stories) and threw in some washi tape, though the tape totally gets covered up by the end of this project.

I slathered on some white paint (you know how I do) and stenciled some blue dots onto the tag using Tim Holtz's Dotted stencil and London Blue paint.

Bring on the color!  I scribbled a circle using Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks, then colored in and around the circle with various colors of acrylic paint.  I also stamped some text on a piece of scrap paper (the text is from Tim Holtz's Theories stamp set) and cut it into a circle-frame shape.  I also stamped and cut out the artistic branch/foliage/flower stem shape from the Colorful Life stamp set.  I added paint to the branch.  I also ripped out a number and colored that as well.

That left the assembling!  I got out the UHU glue stick and went to work.  Once it was glued down, I added some more paint around the edges and this tag was done.

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

• Carabelle Studio Colorful Life Stamp Set
• Distress Kraft Heavystock
• Sizzix Tag Collection
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Simple Stories Family Fun Paper
• Tim Holtz Dotted Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive, Lime, Night, Sky, Turquoise
• Dylusions Paint: London Blue, Polished Jade
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks
• UHU Glue Stick

What fabulous floral creation will you make this week?  Upload your project to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

And don't forget to encourage the kiddos to enter the Kids Vacation Challenge!