Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Drink Card using Papertrey Ink's Brew to Go Die Set

Food and/or drink is the theme for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  I've often thought how nice it could be if inspiration was like Cheetos or hot chocolate - just pop some delicious snack or drink into your mouth and be rewarded with artsy ideas; a muse in food form.  But alas, I've learned that Cheetos and crafting don't really mix (unless orange finger-dust enhances the look of the project) and hot chocolate, while divine, doesn't give me crafty lightning bolts.  But I made this card anyway in the hopes that someday there may be some magical creativity elixir.

I don't have any process pics this time...mainly because I changed directions eighty-five times and re-did each part more times than I care to admit.  I cut out the drink using Papertrey Ink's Brew to Go die set, then painted it with Gouache.  I used dotted washi tape for the label and typed "Creative Geniusness" on a typewriter.  The background is a piece of patterned paper from Vicky Boutin's Color Study collection. 

Here is the official list of supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Papertrey Ink Brew To Go Die Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Altenew Many Dots Washi Tape
• Prima Art Philosophy Gouache Paint
• Dylusions Tropical Sangria Paint
• Vicki Boutin Color Study Paper
• Distress Crayons, Set 3
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, Set 1

How will you celebrate food and/or drink this week?  Upload your culinary-based 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: Beautiful Blooms Notebook using Waffle Flower's A7 Disc Bound Dies and Tim Holtz's Bouquet Flowers

We are celebrating "beautiful blooms" for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, which is fantastic because a lot of what I'm seeing in my yard right now is mud and dead matted grass!  Not that I'm complaining.  I am glad that nature has different phases and if a soggy winter brings gorgeousness in the spring, then we will sog on!  

I decided to make a thick little notebook, so I started by cutting out cover pages and interior pages using Waffle Flower's A7 Disc Bound die set.  I cut them out of watercolor paper, Distress Heavystock and cardboard.

Next I took some acrylic paint and mixed it around with water and smeared it onto sketch paper in preparation of ripping this up and using it to collage the cover.  Wah-la!

Once that dried, I tore it into scraps and glued the scraps to the covers of my notebook, then added white paint to blend it in around the edges.

I taped on some pieces of Altenew's Many Dots washi tape, then I got out my Distress Crayons and Distress Watercolor Pencils and did some scribbly-doodling.  I also added some stamping using Tim Holtz's Mini Glitch stamp set.  I glued on some more scraps here and there.

While that was drying, I colored some Tim Holtz Bouquet flowers using paint.

Then I put everything together, finishing the cover off with some Tim Holtz fabric tape and AALL & Create's Be A Rebel washi tape (which you can see in the first pic).  The tape says, "Stay Playful," but I rearranged the letters to say, "Stay Arty."  I also added brown paint along the edges of the notebook covers.

You can buy Waffle Flower's discs that connect the pages or you can use binder ring things, which is what I did. You saw the front of this notebook at the beginning of the post and here's the back after it's all assembled.

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

• Waffle Flower's A7 Disc Bound Dies
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Distress Heavystock
• Strathmore Watercolor Paper
• Altenew Many Dots Washi Tape
• Tim Holtz Mini Glitch Stamp Set
• Distress Crayons: Set 4
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 3
• Tim Holtz Bouquet Findings
• Tim Holtz Floral Linen Tape
• AALL & Create's Be A Rebel Washi Tape
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Olive, Sky, Night, Marine, Fuchsia, Blushing

How will you celebrate beautiful blooms 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: Animal Tags using Tim Holtz's Funny Farm Stamps, Whimsy Stamps' Boho Rainbow Dies and AALL & Create's Our House Stamps

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is to pay homage to our four-legged friends.  I had this vision of a cow carrying a house on its back (cause that's the way my random brain works), so I decided to combine animal stamps with houses to create some neighbor tags.

I started by cutting these tags out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper (which you've only heard me say like 80 trillion times in the past) and then I stamped them with some animal images from Tim Holtz's Funny Farm stamp set.  The tags were cut using Trinity Stamps' Slimline Tags die set.

I kept the background simple by using watercolors to paint each tag.  While that was drying, I painted these rainbow arches that were cut with Whimsy Stamps' Boho Rainbow die set.  I used acrylic paints and smooshed the colors around on each arch.

I glued the rainbow arches above my animals and here's how the tags were looking:

To complete my vision of animals carrying houses on their backs, I stamped, cut and painted these houses from AALL & Create's Our House stamp set.

I glued the houses onto my animals' backs and then stamped sentiments using some old alphabet stamps I found in a long-unopened drawer.  After that, I scribbled around the tag edges with Distress watercolor pencils.

I'm not sure what your neighbor situation looks like, but neighbors can make all the difference in the world....for better or worse!  I hit the neighbor lottery, so it was easy to make tags expressing appreciation for the good people around me.

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

• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Tim Holtz Funny Farm Stamp Set
• Whimsy Stamps Boho Rainbow Dies
• Trinity Stamps Slimline Tags Die Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• AALL & Create Our House Stamp Set
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Set 3
• Prima Watercolors
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Carnation, Lapis, Lemon, Lime, Fuchsia, Ruby, Tangerine, Peacock
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Laidback Lilac, Tropical Sangria
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

How will you celebrate four-legged friends?  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: Shake It Up Shaker Project using Tim Holtz's Mini File Folders

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is Shake It Up.  That means make some sort of shaker element.  In the spirit of full disclosure here, I have to admit that shaker things make me antsy.  After some serious crafty pondering, I decided that it's because I'm an artsy control freak.  I have a very specific idea of where things should stay, by golly, and I want them to stay where I think they look best!  None of this rebellious shaker-y stuff where sequins or sprinkles can go wherever they want!  Deep breaths.  Deep...breaths.  I know.  I'm working on developing a more Zen state when it comes to shaker things.  And look!  I did complete the task by creating a shaker file folder.

I started with Tim Holtz's mini file folders and cut a rectangular hole out of one of them using Tim Holtz's Specimen Die Set.

Next I channeled my inner scribbler and made a bunch of squiggles and lines and stamped marks on a piece of newsprint.  The stamp sets I used are Dina Wakley's Textures, Tim Holtz's Media Marks 1, and My Favorite Things' Connected alphabet.  The rest of it is just doodling and playing around with Scribble Sticks, Distress Watercolor pencils, a stencil, and paint.

I tore my collage and glued it to the outside of the file folder.

Now for the shaker part!  I didn't have any fancy plastic sheets like real shaker card makers have, so I grabbed a plastic baggie from my jewelry stash.  I hole-punched out some circles from colored cardstock and also from my collage and put the circles in my baggie.  Then I threw in a Tim Holtz flashcard that says, "make."  Seemed appropriate.

Then I sewed the plastic baggie to the rectangular area of my file folder and trimmed down the edges of the baggie.  Here's a view of it standing vertically:

Well, I did survive the shaker challenge and felt a good sense of accomplishment when I did so, even if I do still cringe when the flashcard and dots get knocked all crooked-y.  I know.  Working on it!

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

• Dina Wakley Textures Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Mini File Folders
• Tim Holtz Specimen Die Set
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 1 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Flashcards
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks: Set 1, Set 2
• Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils, Set 2
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dot Stencil
• Prima Watercolors
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Lemon, Turquoise
• Dylusions Paint: Tropical Sangria
• My Favorite Things: Connected Alphabet Stamp Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Distress Oxide Spray: Weathered Wood
• Distress Ink: Blueprint Sketch, Wild Honey, Mermaid Lagoon
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

Shake it up this week and show us your creations at 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: Light Up the New Year Tag Book using Studio Light's Zig Zag Journal Dies

Happy new year and welcome to the first Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge of 2023!  This week's theme is to light up the new year/use bright colors and we're also featuring products from Studio Light.  I made an accordion-style tag book where I can jot down a few goals for 2023.

I started by cutting the accordion tags using Studio Light's zig zag journal dies and scribbling on them with Distress Crayons.

And then the blendy magic that happens when water is added....

I added some white paint and stamped on some circles from Studio Light's Script and Stitches stamp set.  I also wanted some texture, so I cut a diamond lattice piece from Studio Light's Writing Background Elements die set and glued that on, too.

I added some Dina Wakley umber paint around the edges and stamped some faux stitches on.  I also splattered on some Dina Wakley Black Media Gloss Spray.

On the flip side of the book, I stapled some ledger paper where I could write down a couple of goals.

I finished up the outside by cutting out a sentiment from Dina Wakley's ledger paper, set 1, and glued it to the front.

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

• Studio Light Zig Zag Journal Die Set
• Studio Light Writing Background Elements Die Set
• Studio Light Script and Stitches Stamp Set
• Distress Crayons: Set 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 12
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Night, Umber
• Dylusions Paint: London Blue, Pure Sunshine
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Dina Wakley Black Gloss Media Spray
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1

How will you light up the new year in crafty style?  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!