Monday, June 16, 2025

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:

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.


Monday, June 9, 2025

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:

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.



Monday, June 2, 2025

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:

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!


Monday, May 26, 2025

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:

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!


Monday, May 19, 2025

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Tea Bags used on Tags

"Food or Drink" is this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme, so I decided to incorporate tea bags into my tags.  I love using teabags for the texture they bring and because they're a great surface to spray, paint or stamp on.



I started by sprinkling Paper Artsy Infusions color stain onto some tea bags and spritzing them with water.


Once they dried, I added some paint, stenciling (using Tim Holtz's Gradient Dots) and scribbling (Distress Watercolor Pencils).


Next I grabbed some AALL & Create tags to use as the base for my tea bag tags.  These are from the Rainbow Reflections and Faded Memories ephemera sets.


I cut the top and bottom edges of my teabags off and glued the center of the teabags to the tags.

 

Then I glued the tops of the teabags (the part with the drawstring) to the tops of the tags. I blended the teabags into the tags with paint.


My tags needed another element, so I cut some shapes out of Kraft cardstock and AALL & Create dies.


I painted the Kraft pieces with paint.


I glued the layers together and added some pieces of patterned paper from Amy Tangerine's Paper Play book.  I also put paper behind the empty number spaces I'd cut so the numbers would stand out a little more.  I did some final blending and scribbling and added some pops of color to the #17 tag, which I felt needed a little more oomph.


To finish off the tags, I stamped some sentiment words from Tim Holtz's THMM137 stamp and stencil set.  These tea bag tags were done!




Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:
We're excited to see the ways that you incorporate food/drink this week!  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!