Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Fur or Feathers Bear Tag using Honey Bee's Heart Hugs Die Set

"Fur or Feathers" is this week's intriguing Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme.  It seemed like the perfect time to try out the adorable Honey Bee Heart Hugs die set, which is where my bear came from.

I started by cutting out a tag using Waffle Flowers' Nested Tags die and Strathmore Mixed Media paper (I know, I know.  What else is new?).  I stamped the tag with circles (Darkroom Door's Open Circles stamp set), then painted some of them in.  Next I grabbed some Lemoncello Infusions, sprayed that on and spritzed the whole thing with water.  When that dried, I added some Dina Wakley acrylic paint in Turquoise and Olive.  While that dried, I cut my bear out of Distress Heavystock and added some paint around the edges and some text to the bottom of him.  I cut out a heart (also from the Honey Bee die set), made my own crown, and cut a wreath shape from Tim Holtz's Vault Funky Floral Wreath dies.  I cut off all of the leaves so it just looked like circles and I painted that, too.

I glued everything together, then stamped a "leap and the net will appear" sentiment from Tim Holtz's Theories stamp set and added that as the final element.  I don't know-- this bear looked so hopeful that I thought that sentiment would give him strength for whatever he was gathering the courage to do!

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

• Honey Bee Heart Hugs Die Set
• Tim Holtz Vault Funky Floral Wreath Die Set
• Waffle Flower Nested Tag Die Set
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Darkroom Door Open Circles Stamp
• Infusions Color Stain: Lemoncello
• Dina Wakley Paint: Turquoise, Ocean, Olive, Lapis, Raspberry, Umber, Carnation, Mustard, White
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Kraft Distress Heavystock
• Dina Wakley Ledger 2 Paper

We're excited to see your creations this week and whether you go the fur or feathers route.  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: Not a Card Notebook Cover using Seth Apter's ESA34 Stamp

"Not a Card" is this week's theme for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  You know I can't get enough of nifty little notebooks, so that's what I made for my project.

I started by painting a piece of paper using watercolors, Infusions stain, acrylic paint, and even some alcohol ink.  I've done these painty backgrounds a lot and have been a fan of Infusions color stain for several years, but I hadn't thought to use watercolors and alcohol ink together.  The green dots are from Alcohol Ink Pearls (Sublime) and the white dots are from Alcohol Ink Mixative (Snow).  Credit for this intriguing idea goes to Roben Marie Smith.  She's got a great video on Youtube about her process.  Here's how my background turned out:

I cut a piece of this background that was the same size as my store-bought notebook.  Then I stamped this black archway onto it using a stamp from Seth Apter's ESA34 stamp set.  The words "Magical" and "Doorway" also came from this stamp set, though I cut them out of a text section he had and put them together in a different order.  After all, what's better (or potentially more disastrous) than a magical doorway?  I also cut some scraps, ripped some patterned paper, and painted a bit more.

After I had the base layer done, it was just a matter of gluing stuff on, which I did.  Once my cover was looking decent, I sewed it to the cover of my store-bought notebook using my sewing machine.  I added some more acrylic paint and scribbling and this little notebook was done!

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

• Seth Apter ESA34 Stamp Set
• Watercolor Paint Set
• Infusions Color Stain: Emerald Isle
• Ranger Alcohol Pearls Ink: Sublime
• Ranger Alcohol Ink Mixative: Snow
• Dina Wakley Round Brush Set
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: Raspberry, Malachite, Turquoise, Olive, White, Mustard
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 3
• Distress Crayons: Salvaged Patina, Prize Ribbon, Black Soot
• Simple Stories Life in Bloom Patterned Paper

What will you make that's not a card?  We're looking forward to seeing what you come up with!  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: Earrings using Alcohol Ink, Tim Holtz's Loop Pins and AALL & Create's Mix and Match Washi Tape

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is all about tying!  The goal is to incorporate ribbon, twine, etc. into a project.  I decided to make a pair of earrings, where I added a bit of stamped twill ribbon.

I love to color beads with alcohol ink, which is what I did here.  I didn't end up using all of them on this project, but I'm glad to have them on hand for future projects.  I painted the little cone shapes with acrylic paint, but the white beads were all colored with alcohol ink.  I poked a toothpick through each bead, then touched them to the tips of the alcohol ink bottles until just a drop or two of ink went on them, then I let the alcohol ink dry.

I had some thin metal that I'd painted white that I cut into the shapes I wanted.  Then I stamped the word "Color" onto some paper using Concord and 9th's Swatchbook stamp set.  I also cut out some black paper that I'd heat-embossed some white dots onto and glued that to the metal as my background.  I got out my AALL & Create Mix and Match washi tape and cut out some numbers that I glued onto some smaller white metal shapes that I'd cut.

I collaged the "Color" word onto my background and added paint to that as well as to the numbers.  I also changed the shape of my number pieces by cutting them off at the bottom.  I made some more polka dot squares (painted metal), but didn't end up using them in the final project.  I stamped some letters onto a piece of twill ribbon using Tim Holtz's Documented stamp set, then punched a hole in the middle and added eyelets.  With all the elements ready, it was assembly time! 

I also added some glue around the open edges of my twill ribbon so they wouldn't come unraveled.  Then I pieced these babies together with stick pins, earring wires, and Tim Holtz's Loop Pins.  Here they are!

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

• Ranger Alcohol Ink: Watermelon, Shell Pink, Sunset Orange
• Embossing Pen
• White Embossing Powder
• AALL & Create: Mix and Match Washi Tape
• Concord and 9th: Swatchbook Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Turquoise, Ocean, Cheddar, Olive, Raspberry, Lemon, Lime
• Crop-A-Dile
• We R Makers Cool Metal Standard Eyelets
• Tim Holtz Loop Pins
• Tim Holtz Documented Stamp Set
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

How will you use ribbon or twine or add tying of some variety to your project?  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: Stencil Fun Tag using Dina Wakley's New Paints: Sapphire, Malachite, Mustard and Raspberry

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is "stencil fun" and we are featuring products from Stamperia. 

I started this project on a piece of Distress Kraft Heavystock that I cut into a tag shape using the Sizzix Tag Collection dies and my Sizzix Big Shot.  I painted some of the background white, then stenciled over it in teals, yellows and greens using Stamperia's Voyages Fantastiques Mixed Pattern Stencil.

Since I was in stencil mode, I grabbed StencilGirl's Shape Collection stencil and added some pointed-end oval shapes up the side.  I also tried out some of Dina Wakley's new paint colors (what a great day!) in Malachite and Sapphire.

I wanted to add more color, so I threw on some purple and pink tones.  Then I cut out a frame shape and used Tim Hotz's Gradient Dots stencil to make some pink and orange dots (using Dina's new Raspberry and Mustard paint).  I also cut some scallop shapes out of Simple Stories' Life in Bloom patterned paper.

It was time to assemble!  I glued my layers on and then added a sentiment in the middle that I stamped with Seth Apter's ESA 34 stamp.  I also added some background patterns from that same stamp set.  It is so versatile!  I added just a touch more yellow and then as the final step, I drew on some dimensional dots using Stamperia's White Contour liner.

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

• Stamperia Voyages Fantastiques Mixed Pattern Stencil
• Stamperia White Contour Liner
• StencilGirl Shape Collection Stencil
• Seth Apter Stamp: ESA34
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dots Stencil
• Sizzix Tag Collection Die Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Simple Stories Life in Bloom Patterned Paper
• Distress Kraft Heavystock
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Lime, Sapphire, Mustard, Ocean, Malachite, Orchid, Raspberry

I love seeing stenciling in action, so please do upload your projects to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 to the Simon Says Stamp store!