Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Whatever the Weather Card using Brutus Monroe's Rainy Day Creative Cards

With rain, then almost snow, then more rain, then toasty sunshine, this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme of "Whatever the Weather" seemed appropriate!  I saw these beautiful Brutus Monroe Rainy Day cards and decided to use one in my project.

I started by going through the cards and picking out an image I wanted to use.  I will say that this card pack has a ton of different art styles, so I appreciated all the cards being displayed on the Simon site so I could see what I was getting into.  Once I picked out the card I wanted to use, I cut a tag using AALL & Create's Tag It die set and a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media paper.

My goal was to make the image blend with the tag as seamlessly as possible so it was hard to tell where one ended and the other started.  I glued the card to the tag then blended in the image using paint.  I also did more blending and layering using patterned paper scraps from Tim Holtz.

I wanted some more color around the edges of the tag, so I scribbled around with some Watercolor Distress Crayons.  I also doodled in some scallop-shapes and colored them green.

I continued to add more paint to blend everything together.  To finish the tag, I typed out the rain sentiment on a typewriter, which was a nod to one of my favorite songs from Les Mis.  My heart always goes out to Eponine!

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

• Brutus Monroe Rainy Day Creative Cards
• AALL & Create Tag It Yourself Die Set
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Tim Holtz Large Collage Strips
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Set 4
• Dina Wakley Paint

How will you be inspired by the weather?  We can't wait to see what you create!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Blooming Blooms Card using Tim Holtz's Brushstroke Flowers Mini Dies and Pinkfresh Studio's Dotted Fancy Frames Dies

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is Blooming Blooms.  I love this time of year when the flowers start to show up again, adding bright bursts of color to the landscape after the browns and greys of winter.  My mom helped me plant tulips a few years ago and I always think of her and her thoughtfulness when they bloom!  In honor of flowers and our theme, I made this card:

I started out by cutting some flowers using Tim Holtz's Brushstroke Flowers Mini die set.  I painted the flower pieces and stuck them together, not necessarily following how they were supposed to match up.  I also cut out this frame using Pinkfresh Studio's Dotted Fancy Frames die set.

I wanted some subtle background color added to my panel, so I cut the same frame shape out of some patterned paper from the Paper Play collage book and glued that to the front of my white panel.  I wanted both layers because the white panel was cut out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper, which is a nice heavy paper that keeps its shape.  The patterned paper was thinner, so I needed both to give enough heft to this card.  I also stamped some letters onto my background using Tim Holtz's Documented stamp set.  I painted white around the edges.

The next step was to glue the flowers to my background.

Now I felt like my proportions were off; I had too many flowers for the size of my card, so I decided to add another bigger card behind this one.  I cut a larger frame shape out of the same Pinkfresh set and I used Kraft cardstock this time.  I heat-embossed some white polka dots onto the Kraft paper and added some white paint around the edges.

I glued my flower panel to the new Kraft background and then outlined some areas with black pen to mimic stitching.

Last but not least, I wanted a sentiment.  I really like this one I found from Dina Wakley's Ledger Papers, set 2.  I also added a couple of pieces of Tim Holtz Cello Tape to give it an imperfect, weathered type of vibe.

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

• Tim Holtz Brushstroke Flowers, Mini Die Set
• Pinkfresh Studio's Dotted Fancy Frames Die Set
• Paper Play Collage Book
• Kraft Cardstock
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Tim Holtz Documented Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Paint
• Distress Embossing Ink Pad
• White Embossing Powder
• Heat Tool
• Trinity Stamps Polka Dot Background Stamp
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 2
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Sizzix Big Shot

We are excited to see your blooming 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: Eat the Cake Journal Spread using AALL & Create's Sugar Roll and Momentous Morsels Washi Tape

This week's scrumptious Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is "Sweet Treats."  I made a journal spread using some of AALL & Create's mouthwatering dessert washi tape.

I made this journal spread in my Studio Light Creative Journal.  It's approximately 4x4", so the small size isn't too intimidating when you have empty pages to fill.  I started by painting a scribbly collage on a separate piece of paper with acrylic paint and watercolors.

When it dried, I tore it up and glued the pieces into my journal.

Next I got out two rolls of AALL & Create food washi tape (Sugar Roll and Momentous Morsels) and added that to my background.

Since I was in collage mode, I stamped and painted a piece of newsprint paper, which I wanted to add to my pages.  I used Tim Holtz stamps and various colors of ink.

I tore some strips of my stamped collage and glued them to my journal pages.

At this point, I thought the page on the right was looking a little too crazy-pants and disjointed, so I added paint and actually tore off the bottom macaroon plate strip of washi tape I'd stuck on there and turned it back into a single piece of cake.  I toned everything down with white paint and added some dark gray paint around the edges of the pages.  Then I cut out some red letter stickers to say "Eat the Cake."  These letter stickers were round (like typewriter keys), but I cut them square-shaped.

For the other half of the journal spread, I stuck on a "3...2...1" as if I were counting down to cake time!  The numbers came from another roll of AALL & Create washi tape called Mix and Match.

I did some doodling and scribbling around and this journal spread was done.  And it made me really hungry for some cake!

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

• Studio Light White Creative Journal
• AALL & Create Washi Tape: Sugar Roll, Momentous Morsels, and Mix and Match
• Tim Holtz Stamp Sets: Mixed Media 2, Forgotten Garden, and Halftone and Rings
• Simple Stories Letters and Labels Sticker Book
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Set 1
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Watery, Malachite
• Distress Archival Ink: Fossilized Amber
• Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass, Blueprint Sketch
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We're excited to see how you interpret this weeks "Sweet Treats" 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: Stardust Tag using Art by Marlene's Funky Tags and Postage Madness Paper

This week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is Tag It.  We're also featuring products from Studio Light.  Studio Light has a great range of supplies and has some wild and funky creations under the Art by Marlene umbrella.  I used some of these Art by Marlene supplies to make my tag.

I started with a tag that already came pre-shaped (Art by Marlene's Funky Tags).  I also used Art by Marlene's Postage Madness patterned paper to cover the base of my tag.

Once my tag was covered in scraps, I added some Infusions Color Stain and Lindy's Magical powder and spritzed them with water.

Once that dried, I added some paint and stamped some alphabet letters (AALL & Create's Bits of Alpha stamp set) onto the white parts of the tag.  I also added a few more scraps to areas along the side.

I wanted to add a sentiment to the tag, so I wrote out the words, "We've all got stardust in our bones" which comes from a Ben Harper song.  I also used an AALL & Create die to cut out some stars, which I painted and outlined with a black pen.

Last came assembly!  I cut out a black and white polka dot arch from the Art by Marlene paper and glued that to my tag, then added my quote.  I laid the stars on but decided I wanted the stars to be different colors, so I flipped over a few of the yellow stars and painted them light blue instead.  I thought I also needed a person on my tag, so I grabbed this pensive-looking classy lady from a pile of scrap ephemera I've accumulated and glued her on, too.  I gave her a crown, did some final outlining on the edges of the tag with a black pen and this project was complete.

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

• Art by Marlene Funky Die Cut Paper Tags
• Art by Marlene Postage Madness
• Lindy's Industrial Chic Magical Powders
• Paper Artsy Infusions: In the Navy
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Mustard, Raspberry, Watery
• AALL & Create: Bits of Alpha Stamp Set
• AALL & Create: Galactic Edges Die Set
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

You just can't do better than a tag in terms of a perfectly-sized and versatile canvas!  We can't wait to see what you create!  Make something tag-related and upload it to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.