Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Snow Tag using Dina Wakley's Pocket Squares Stamp Set

We are letting it snow this week over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog!  Here's the tag I made, which shows this dapper kid (courtesy of Dina Wakley's Pocket Squares stamp set) waiting for the white stuff to fly his way.

I started with a tag, which I sprayed Distress Oxide onto over Tim Holtz's Gradient Dots stencil.  I added some white paint, then I sprinkled on some Infusions color stain and spritzed it with water.

While that dried, I made a collage sheet with painting and stamping that I could tear up and add to my tag.

I cut a thin archway-looking shape out of wood textures paper and glued that to my tag.  I smooshed some white paint around, then tore a piece of my collage paper and cut out a loop shape using Simon's Circle Loops die.  I also stamped and cut out the little kid, who's from Dina Wakley's Pocket Squares stamp set.

I glued everything down and then did some scribbling and doodling with Distress Watercolor pencils.  I sketched and colored a winter hat for my kid, which I glued on, then I typed the sentiment on a typewriter and added it to the tag.  This baby was done!

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

• Sizzix Tag Collection Dies
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Distress Oxide Spray: Salvaged Patina, Crushed Olive
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dot Stencil
• Paper Artsy Infusions: Emerald Isle, Sleight Blue
• Dina Wakley Pocket Squares Stamp Set
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Craft Papers: Wood Textures
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive, Fuchsia, Radical, Stoked
• Tim Holtz Stamp Sets: Faded Type and Grunged
• Distress Ink: Picked Raspberry, Mermaid Lagoon
• Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink: Garden Patina
• Simon Says Stamp Circle Loops Die
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 1 and Set 2

We can't wait to see what you create with our snowy 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: Holy Night Tag using Simon Says Stamp's Label Tags Dies and Clean Line Christmas Stamps

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  Our theme this week is to use dies, which is fitting since this is Simon's DieCember celebration.

I started my tag using Kraft Heavystock and Simon's Label Tags dies.  I painted my tag white, then blue.  While that dried, I stamped and cut out a Christmas tree (Simon's Clean Line Christmas stamp set), which I also painted.  I used Simon's Circle Loops to cut out a ring, which I painted yellow, and then Simon's Mini Stars wafer dies to cut and paint a star.  All my components were in place!

I wanted the star at the top of the tree to cast a yellow glow, so I glued my yellow ring onto my tag, then filled it in with white paint, then yellow paint.  If I want the colors to stay bright, I always paint white on a dark background first, then paint my bright color over the white paint.

I used Simon's Falling Snow stencil and white paint to add some snow to the background.  Next I glued on my tree and the star on top of the tree.  I stamped the "Holy Night" sentiment using that same Clean Line Christmas stamp set and finished off the tag with some outlining around its edges in black.

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

• Simon Says Stamp Label Tags Dies
• Simon Says Stamp Mini Stars Party Dies
• Simon Says Stamp Circle Loops Dies
• Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow Stencil
• Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design Clean Line Christmas Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Sky, Lapis
• Dylusions Paint: Polished Jade, Lemon Drop, Pure Sunshine, Tropical Sangria
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Kraft Distress Heavystock

We're excited to see how you incorporate dies into your projects this week.  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: Winter Blues Card using Tim Holtz's Portraits and Twig and Stump Dies

"Winter Blues" is this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme and we're also featuring products from the talented Tim Holtz.  It was snowing for the first time this season as I made this card, so the timing seemed very fitting!

My mom taught me how to make paper dolls when I was a kid and I spent hours drawing and cutting out little dresses for the girls I'd made.  I still love that concept, so I started out by making a hat and coat for this portrait girl.  I colored the hat with Distress Watercolor Pencils and the coat with Distress Ink.

I worked on the background next.  I cut the card shape using some Avery Elle dies, then did some stamping and painting.  I cut out an oval-frame out of Backdrops 4 paper, then scribbled around the oval shape with Distress Crayons and Distress Watercolor Pencils.  I stamped inside the big oval with circles (Halftone and Rings) and then added some text stamping from Seasonal Scribble and Theories.  As is often the case with me, the background looked a little too crazy-paints when I put the girl on the front, so I toned down the green dots with some white paint for the final version.

I cut out a "Winter" sentiment from the Twig and Stump die set and then assembled everything together.  For a final snowy touch, I flicked on some Dina Wakley White Gloss Spray.

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

• Tim Holtz Portraits
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Sets 1,2 and 3
• Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean
• Tim Holtz Backdrops 4 Paper
• Distress Crayons: Set 1, Prize Ribbon
• Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Seasonal Scribble Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Twig and Stump Die Set
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Sky, Lapis
• Dylusions Paint: Mushy Peas
• Dina Wakley White Media Gloss Spray
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Avery Elle Pierced Rounded Frames Dies

I can't wait to see what you come up with for the Winter Blues!  Upload your creation 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: You're Tree-mendous Tag using Paper Rose's Abstract Trees Dies and Poppy Stamps' Whittle Forest Reindeer Stamps

 Welcome to another week of crafty fun over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog!  Our theme this week is TREES.  I made a horizontal tag using Paper Rose's Abstract Trees dies and a clever "You're Tree-mendous" sentiment from Poppy Stamps' Whittle Forest Reindeer Kit.

I started by cutting a tag out of Distress Kraft Heavystock, then I cut some tree shapes out of my tag with the Paper Rose tree dies.  I found some collage scraps and used some of Tim Holtz's Backdrops 4 paper to stick behind the open-tree shapes.  Instant filled-in trees, which I liked.

Next I cut out more tree shapes.  I used patterned paper (Simple Stories' Flea Market collection) for the solid tree shapes and then painted some of the tree branch shapes.

Next I stamped circles all over my tag using Darkroom Door's Open Circles stamp.  Yipes!  They were too bold for the background (I realized too late), so I toned down the circles with a light layer of white paint.  I also glued some of my trees together (branch/outline shapes onto the solid shapes).  I did some scribbling around the edges of my tag with Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks and a black pen.

I glued my trees to the tag and then stamped the sentiment, cut that out and glued it on as well.  This tag was done!

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

• Paper Rose Abstract Trees Dies
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Poppy Stamps Whittle Forest Reindeer Kit
• Darkroom Door's Open Circles Stamp
• Distress Kraft Heavystock
• Simple Stories Flea Market Patterned Paper
• Sizzix Tag Collection Dies
• Tim Holtz Backdrops 4 Paper
• Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks, Set 2
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Ocean, Olive, Turquoise, Lime, Cheddar, Fuchsia, Night
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

How will you incorporate trees into your projects this week?  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: Magical Tag using AALL & Create's Tag It Yourself Dies and Tim Holtz's Media Marks 1 Stamps

Hello, hello and welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week our theme is "tag it."  I do love tags, so here's what I made:

I started by cutting a tag out of black Strathmore Mixed Media paper and AALL & Create's Tag It Yourself die set.  I love the wonky edges of this tag!  Next I ripped out a piece of Dina Wakley paper from her Collage Sparks 2 paper set and glued it to my tag.

I added paint and some polka dots (what else is new?) and I used Tim Holtz's Gradient Dot stencil to do rough outlines of my dots.  I also tacked on some masking tape.  Then I stamped, fussy-cut and painted a sprig of leaves from Tim's Media Marks 1 stamp set.  I also ripped off a little piece of patterned paper.

I assembled the elements, then ended up making a faux flower-pot-looking thing out of white paper that I stamped stripes onto and then painted the edges of.  The stripes are from Tim Holtz's Media Marks 2 stamp set.  To finish off my tag, I stamped the word "Magical" from Tim's Seasonal Scribbles stamp set.  The scribbly fonts in that stamp set make me happy and I use the words way more often than just for Christmas projects.

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

• AALL & Create's Tag It Yourself Die Set
• Strathmore Black Mixed Media Paper
• Dina Wakley's Collage Sparks 2
• Tim Holtz's Media Marks 1 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz's Media Marks 2 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz's Seasonal Scribbles Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dot Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive
• Distress Paint: Cracked Pistachio
• Dylusions Paint: Mushy Peas, Cherry Pie, Pure Sunshine

Let's see your tag-tastic projects this week!  Upload them 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: Thankful Tag using Darkroom Door's Ransom Alphabet Stamps and Art by Marlene's Funky Tags

We are focusing on gratitude/Thanksgiving over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog this week.  I made a tag for the occasion.

I started with an Art by Marlene Funky Tag, which I colored stripes onto using Studio Light markers.

Next I added paint and stamped Seth Apter's mini 77 cling stamp design in the background.

I whipped out my watercolors and added more color to the white section of the background.  I also added some black and white washi tape from AALL & Create.  I scribbled a bit around the framed-out middle section with a Chipped Sapphire Distress Crayon.  I stamped the "We give thanks to God" sentiment using Darkroom Door's Ransom Alphabet stamps and fussy cut the words out.

I finished off the tag by gluing the words to the front.

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

• Art by Marlene Funky Tags
• Darkroom Door's Ransom Alphabet Stamp Set
• AALL & Create's Poets Washi Tape
• Seth Apter's EM77 Stamp (Paper Artsy)
• Studio Light Markers: Shadows, Bright Colors, and Soft Pastels
• Distress Ink: Shabby Shutters
• Watercolors
• Distress Crayon: Chipped Sapphire
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Olive, Ocean, Cheddar, Fir, Night, Turquoise

I love this time of year and the reminder to focus on gratitude.  There are so many good things in our lives and in the world around us even when it's hard to see the light sometimes.  I'm looking forward to the projects you submit to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  You could win a $25 gift voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.