Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Postage Stamps using Elizabeth Craft Designs' Postage Stamp Strips Dies

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is "Vacation".  As I thought about vacations, I remembered how I used to send postcards to my friends when I was travelling (before the days of instant technology).  That got me thinking about postage stamps, so I decided to make a couple of strips of faux stamps.

These stamps were a lot of fun to make - just little tiny spaces that you can fill with anything you want.  And it all started with white paper cut with Elizabeth Craft Designs' Postage Stamp Strips.

I started filling some of the spaces in with washi tape.

Next I did some stamping in some of the squares and glued pieces of patterned paper in other squares.  To make them look more "postage-y," I stamped some circles and numbers onto the strips.  Here's a list of what I used for the different images:

I'm looking forward to tearing these apart and using them in future projects!

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

• Elizabeth Craft Designs Postage Stamp Strip Dies
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• AALL & Create Washi Tape: Fly Away and Sugar Roll
• 49th and Market Washi Tape: Kaleidoscope
• Tim Holtz Remnants Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 1 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Mini Glitch Stamp Set
• 49th and Market Toddler Time Patterned Paper
• Paper Play Patterned Paper
• AALL & Create Stamps: 1158 and 1156
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Dylusions Mini Archival Ink Pads (Dirty Martini)

We're excited to see your vacation-themed 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: Spritz and Splatter Journal Spread using Art by Marlene's Creative Journal and Tim Holtz's Collage Strips

"Spritz and Splatter" is this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme.  I do love all things spritzy and splattery!  I decided to make a journal spread with plenty of Distress Oxide Spray.

I started with Art by Marlene's 4" x 4" (approximately) Creative Journal, which is a delightful size.  I glued some patterned paper down, most of which came from 49th and Market's Toddler Time collection.

Next I got splattery by spraying and flicking on some Distress Oxide Spray and some Media Gloss Spray.

As all of that dried, I realized that I did not like the pink vibe, so as usual, when I don't like how something is looking, I cover it up with white paint.

From here, I did some scribbling with Distress Watercolor crayons, and I started gluing on fabric scraps from Tim Holtz as well as some of his collage strip images.  I did some stamping with Seth Apter's EM124 stamp and Elizabeth Crafts' Measurements stamp.  I flicked on some more Distress Oxide Spray.

To finish it up, I did some more stamping and painting.  I added a flower image from Tim Holtz's Forgotten Garden set and a "happy thoughts" sentiment from his THMM182 stamp/stencil combo set.

I added a bit more paint here and there and this journal spread was done.

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

• Art by Marlene Creative Journal
• 49th and Market Toddler Time Patterned Paper
• Tim Holtz Red Eclectic Collage Fabric
• Seth Apter Stamp: EM124
• Elizabeth Crafts Measurements Stamp
• Tim Holtz Large Collage Strips
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Sets 2 and 4
• Distress Oxide Spray: Salvaged Patina, Faded Jeans
• Tim Holtz Forgotten Garden Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz THMM182 Stamp and Stencil Set
• Tim Holtz Cello Sticker Tape
• Dina Wakley Paint

We're excited to see your spritzed and splattered 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: Monochrome Tag using Seth Apter's Twisters and Roundabouts Die Sets

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week's theme is "monochrome", which is challenging for a multi-color fiend like myself.  But we made it through and I was absolutely thrilled to play with Seth Apter's new Sizzix dies for this project.

I started by cutting a rounded tag shape with ModaScrap's Unconventional Tags die set.  I cut it out of Amy Tangerine's Paper Play book and heat-embossed some white Tim Holtz flower shapes onto it.  I added white paint around the edges.

I decided to turn my tag shape into more of a rectangle since what I had done so far was giving me Easter egg vibes.  I cut the bottom off the tag, then watercolored and scribbled around on some white paper with some Distress Watercolor Pencils.  I also splattered on some Distress Oxide Spray and Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray.  While that dried, I cut and painted this great plus-sign shape from Seth Apter's new Sizzix Roundabouts die set.  I absolutely adore Seth Apter's dies and was really happy to see these new Sizzix sets.

I cut the watercolor paper into a rectangle and blended it into the top tag part I'd already cut.  I also cut a wonky ring shape from Seth Apter's Twisters die set and added that, too.  I tore a few more scraps from the Paper Play book and added those to the tag.  I stamped some blue lines on white paper (using Tim's Media Marks 2 stamp set) and added a scrap or two of that as well.  I cut a scallop border for the bottom and scribbled around the edges with a black pen.

As I was trying to decide what sentiment to finish off my tag with, I thought the plus sign would look like an "x marks the spot" symbol if I turned it the other way, so my mind was thinking treasure maps.  I cut a treasure-themed quote out of a kids' mystery book, glued it onto my tag, added a piece of string through the hole and this tag was done.

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

• Seth Apter Sizzix Dies: Twisters and Roundabouts
• ModaScrap Unconventional Tags Die
• Amy Tangerine Paper Play Collage Book
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 2 Stamp Set
• Distress Embossing Ink
• Heat Tool
• White Embossing Powder
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 1
• Distress Oxide Spray: Tumbled Glass, Salvaged Patina
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Distress Ink: Salty Ocean
• Watercolors
• Sizzix Big Shot

We're excited to see you go monochrome 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: A Good Man Tag using Tim Holtz's Photobooth Images, Large Collage Strips, and Backdrops Volume 4 Paper

We are going "Masculine" for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and we're also featuring products from Tim Holtz.  I made a tag using some Tim stamps, images, paper, and large collage strips.

I started with one of my most-used Tim stamp sets of all time: Halftone and Rings.  I stamped the rings then fingerpainted inside of them with acrylic paint.  The paper I used is Strathmore Mixed Media, another favorite surface of mine because it holds up to a lot of mediums.  The tag was cut from AALL & Create's Tag it Yourself die set.

I glued a piece of ledger-looking paper to the bottom of the tag that came from Tim's Backdrops, Volume 4 paper set.  Next I added Infusions colored stain powder that I spritzed with water.  I also added some Distress Oxide spray.

While that dried, I picked out this man image from Tim's Photobooth collection and the background for him, which is from Tim's Large Collage Strip set.  I added some pinks and oranges to the mix, then glued both items to my tag.  I used additional patterned paper scraps from Amy Tangerine's Paper Play book.  Next I cut some letters out of Tim's Backdrops, Volume 4 (except for the word "Good", which I typed on a typewriter).

I added the letters to my tag and covered some of the background with a little white paint so I didn't have so many visual elements competing with each other.  I did some outlining around the edges of the tag with a pen and Distress Watercolor Pencils and also scribbled in some dots and lines.  I wanted one more colorful patterned item, so I added a hat to my guy and this tag was done.

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

• Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Photobooth Images
• Tim Holtz Large Collage Strips
• Tim Holtz Backdrops Paper, Volume 4
• Distress Oxide Spray: Salvaged Patina
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 1
• Paper Artsy Infusions Colored Stain: Green Man and Olive Tree
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• AALL & Create Tag it Yourself Die Set
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Amy Tangerine Paper Play Book

We're excited to see your projects to go along with this week's masculine 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: Mixed Media Tags using a Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  Our theme this week is "Emboss It."  I decided to use a dotted embossing folder to bring some texture to my tag.

I started by cutting a tag shape using a Waffle Flower tag die and my Sizzix Big Shot.  The paper I used is from Spellbinders (Hello It's Me) that I then ran through my Big Shot again with a Swiss Dots embossing folder.  Then I rubbed Picked Raspberry Distress Ink over the dots to help them stand out.

Next I added some white paint around the edges of the tag.

I cut some scraps out of Dina Wakley's Collage Sparks 1 patterned paper pad and added that to the middle of the tag.  I sewed a circle shape around the middle with a sewing machine.  I added blue and green paint and some text paper I stamped.  I also glued on some polka dot paper I'd stamped.

When I bought the Hello It's Me paper pad, I noticed it had a clear plastic hang tab at the top.  I cut it off my paper pad and colored it with Sepia and Limeade alcohol ink.  I also dug out an extra piece of die cut and painted paper from last week's project.

I sewed the tab to the top of the tag and glued the die-cut border to the bottom.

I added a faux metal clip to the side of the tag from AALL & Create's Clipped Mailers ephemera pack.  It looks so real for being made out of paper!  Then I stamped a "storyteller" text design on the front of the tag using a Seth Apter stamp.  I finished it off by scribbling some orange lines with Distress Watercolor Pencils.

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

• Hello It's Me 6x6 Patterned Paper
• Rainbow Splash Swiss Dots Embossing Folder
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Waffle Flower Nesting Tags Die Set
• Dina Wakley Collage Sparks 1
• Alcohol Ink: Sepia and Limeade
• Seth Apter Stamp Set ESA34
• AALL & Create Clipped Mailers Ephemera
• Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 4
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Distress Ink: Picked Raspberry

Let's see what you can do with embossing!  Upload your embossed creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!