Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Thank You Card using AALL & Create's Letter Soup Dies

This week's challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is "thank you."  I made a card using one of my favorite alphabet die sets from AALL & Create.

I started by cutting the letters out of a piece of kraft cardstock.  I added white paint and when that was dry, I smeared a layer of orange paint on top of that.  I also did some dot stenciling, then glued a piece of turquoise cardstock to the back of the kraft cardstock to help the letters stand out.

I scribbled some elongated dots onto navy blue cardstock with an embossing pen, then embossed the white marks.  I cut that into an oval frame shape and glued that on.  I also took one of Tim Holtz's stamp sets and added "love you to the moon and back" at the top.  With clear stamps, it's pretty easy to bend the words into certain text shapes, so I bent the words into an arch-shape to match the oval frame.  I also did some sewing-machine stitching around the edges.

I added some other paint colors and scribbles, then glued the whole thing to a piece of ledger paper.  I stamped some small circles onto it using Wendy Vecchi's Open Dots stamp.  I cut around the edges of the card with Tim Holtz's Deckle Torn Edge Trimmer and flicked on some Hyper Neon Alcohol Ink to finish it off.

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

• AALL & Create's Letter Soup Dies
• Kraft Cardstock
• Dina Wakley: Dotted Tape Stencil
• Tim Holtz: Deckle Torn Edge Trimmer
• Embossing Pen
• White Embossing Powder
• Heat Tool
• Tim Holtz: THMM113 Stamp and Stencil Set
• Wendy Vecchi Open Dots Stamp
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Neon Alcohol Ink: Hyper

Share your thank-you-themed projects on 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: Happy Thoughts Tag using Kate Crane's KC015 Stamp Set

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  It's hard to believe we're into November now and that the holiday season is right around the corner.  Yipes!  I don't know how time always moves so fast in  November and December!

This week's challenge theme is "thinking of you".  I utilized Kate Crane's KC015 stamp set to make my tag.

I started by cutting the tag shape using Poppy Stamps' Scalloped Pinpoint Tags.  I've got to be honest, though - these dies were a surprise in that they cut the scalloped frame part out separately from the tag.  So when you run it through your die-cutting machine, you end up with a rectangular straight-edged tag and then a second cut-out of the scalloped frame that goes around it.  You can see in the image below how the scallop frame cuts out separately and you have to tape the middle of the tag shape back inside the frame if you want a tag with a scalloped edge.  Anyway, I painted and stamped the tag using Tim Holtz's Big Number Blocks stamps in the background.  It's a number 8, which I just thought looked like a nice shape to glue things onto.  I also used Lindy's Industrial Magicals powder to give the tag some watercolor effects.  While that dried, I stamped, cut and painted this character from Kate Crane's KC015 stamp set. I altered the character by swapping out the horn it comes with for a crown I made.  I also added polka dots to the top.  I stamped some plus signs onto the tag from that stamp set and I tore a scrap piece of cut-out numbers I had from a previous project.

I assembled the elements like so and wanted an arch of some sort.  I got out Seth Apter's ESA34 stamp set and stamped on the raspberry-colored archway onto the background.

I glued my character to the front of the tag and then stamped "happy thoughts" from Tim's THMM182 stamp set and cut it out.  I glued that on and this tag was done.

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

• Poppy Stamps Scalloped Pinpoint Tags Die Set
• Tim Holtz Big Number Blocks Stamp Set
• Kate Crane's KC015 Stamp Set
• Posca White Paint Pen
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Lindy's Stamp Gang Industrial Magicals Set
• Picked Raspberry Archival Ink
• Seth Apter's ESA34 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz's THMM182 Stamp and Stencil Set

Share your "thinking of you" projects over 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: Masculine Card using Tim Holtz Products

Hello, hello and welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  This week's theme is "masculine" and we're featuring products by Tim Holtz.  I made this file card using several of my favorite Tim Holtz products.

I started by cutting the file folder shape from Tim Holtz's Specimen die set.  I stamped some circles onto the card using Tim's Halftone and Rings stamp set.  Next I used Tim's Stars stencil, deli paper, and some paint to make star patterned paper.

When all of the paint dried, I glued the star paper onto my card and added more paint.  I did another layer of stenciling using Tim's Gradient Dot stencil.

I wanted some other colors added into the mix, so I tore off some strips of AALL & Create washi tape and stuck that on, along with some of Tim's Cello Sticker Tape.  I made some orange scribbles with Distress Watercolor Pencils.  It was looking...not great.  As I've said before, each project (at least each of my projects) inevitably has an "ugly phase" and you just have to work through it and hope it pulls out of that phase by the end of the project.  This is definitely an ugly phase!

I tore a piece of kraft paper and painted it and scribbled on it, then got out an image from Tim's Photobooth pictures.  I folded and sanded the picture, then glued it to the kraft paper background and glued that onto my file card.  I added some more doodling and painting, then I stamped a sentiment onto deli paper that is from Tim's Theories stamp set.  I also found a scrap of polka dot fabric to use...somewhere.

I wanted to lighten the whole thing up a little, so I added more turquoise and some yellow and a touch more orange.  I glued the sentiment on and added some other scrap elements from previous projects.  I stamped some numbers from Tim's Sideshow stamp set and glued them to the top of the photo.  I sewed a fabric scrap to the top of the card and it was done!

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

• Tim Holtz Specimen Die Set
• Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Stars Stencil
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dots Stencil
• Tim Holtz Cello Sticker Tape
• Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 2 and Set 5
• Tim Holtz Photobooth
• Tim Holtz Theories Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Sideshow Stamp Set
• AALL & Create Washi Tape: Peony Pinks
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper

We're excited to see your masculine 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: Thoughts Card using AALL & Create's Hexalove Dies, Seth Apter's Stretchers Dies, and Whimsy Stamps' Chunky Checkers Dies

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  This week our theme is to add some texture.  I did this through lots of layering and incorporating cardboard into my tag.

I started by cutting a tag shape with AALL & Create's Hexalove die set.  I cut the top and bottom off of the tag so I'd have just a rectangle shape with those great wonky edges along the sides.  I added some text scraps and did some painting.

While that dried, I cut and painted some other die elements.  The number strip is from Seth Apter's Stretchers dies and the checkered frame is from Whimsy Stamps' Chunky Checkers die set.  I also tore a scrap of cardboard from a box and painted that, then added some scribbling.

I put all the elements together and added a few more paint touches.  To finish it off, I stamped the "Thoughts" sentiment from Tim Holtz's Noble Gent stamp set and added that to the front.

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

• Sizzix: Seth Apter's Stretchers Dies
• AALL & Create's Hexalove Dies
• Whimsy Stamps' Chunky Checkers Dies
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1
• Tim Holtz Noble Gent Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We're looking forward to seeing how you add texture to 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: Stenciled Card using AALL & Create's Retro Numbers Dies and Kate Crane's PS483 Stencil

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is to use more than one stencil.  Multiple stencils, you say?  Heck yes!  I used some Tim Holtz and Kate Crane stencils to make my card.

I started by cutting some die shapes using ALL & Create's Retro Numbers set.  I painted some of the shapes and negative shapes left by the dies.  I also stenciled some dots and dashes from Tim Holtz's THMM182 stamp and stencil set.  When I'm not sure what I'm doing on a project, I stencil patterns on deli paper so I can put the stenciling over different areas of my project to see how it looks without committing to it yet.

I tore the stenciled sections smaller and glued them to my card.  I added some teal paint and when it was still wet, I put Tim's THMM113 stencil over it and removed some polka dots (reverse stenciling) with a baby wipe.

This is always kind of the "yikes" phase of a project.  I look at it and think it's horrible, but I tell myself it will get better as I keep adding different elements.  And if there's a part I still don't like, I can always paint over it with white paint or cover it up with paper scraps.  That's what I did with the red dashes.  I just didn't like how they looked (dripping blood vibes?), so I covered them up.  I also stenciled some more shapes in black using Kate Crane's PS483 stencil.  Once again, I stenciled on deli paper so I could move the shapes around, not sure where I wanted them to end up.

I decided to cut the middle section out of these black shapes and glued them onto my card.  I glued the cut-out plus sign parts to my card, too, and added some orange and brown paint.

All that was left was a sentiment!  I cut that out of Dina Wakley's Ledger Paper 2 set and glued it on top of my card.

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

• AALL & Create Retro Numbers Die Set
• Tim Holtz THMM182 Stencil/Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz THMM113 Stencil/Stamp Set
• Kate Crane PS483 Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Dina Wakley Ledger 2 Paper
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper

We're excited to see what you come up with with multiple stencils!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to Simon Says Stamp.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Halloween Card using Whimsy Stamps' Potion Bottle Dies and Potion Labels Stamp Set

The weather in my neck of the woods is getting cooler with little hints of fall in the air!  I love this time of year and decided to go a Halloween route with this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme, which is to include text.  I made a potion bottle card, which has text on the bottle label and text in the background.  This is an adorable die and stamp set by Whimsy Stamps called Potion Bottle Dies and Potion Labels Stamp Set.

I started by cutting out the die shapes on my Sizzix Big Shot.  I used Strathmore Mixed Media paper.  I wasn't sure which shapes I would use, so I just cut out some possibilities.  I stamped the Zombie Elixir potion label on one of the corresponding die shapes.

I used watercolors, acrylic paint and Distress Watercolor Pencils to color the bottle and the cork.  I also colored in the Zombie Elixir words with a black Sharpie to darken them up.

I used another die in the set to cut the "toxic" words and glued them to my tag.  I assembled my potion bottle, painted in some more tints and details and added some white highlights with a Posca paint pen.

While that was drying, I made the background.  I used AALL & Create's Numberama die set for those wonderful funky edges.  I painted the background, then used Tim Holtz's Halftone stencil to remove some of the black paint (reverse stenciling) with a baby wipe.  To add some more visual detail to the bottom (and because our theme is to add text), I stamped some Halloween phrases from Tim Holtz's Halloween Sketchbook stamp set in the background.

I glued my potion bottle to the front of the card and this project was done!

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

• Whimsy Stamps: Potion Bottle Die Set
• Whimsy Stamps: Potion Labels Stamp Set
• AALL & Create: Numberama Die Set
• Tim Holtz: Halftone Stencil
• Tim Holtz: Halloween Sketchbook Stamp Set
• Watercolor Set
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint
• Distress Watercolor Pencils
• White Posca Paint Pen
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We're excited to see how you incorporate text into your 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.