Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Christmas/Winter Card using Tim Holtz's Vault Festive Wreath Dies and Simple Stories' Snow Pine Lodge Paper

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is to make a Christmas or winter-themed card.  With temperatures still in the 90's in my neck of the woods, it took some effort to get myself into Christmas mode!  But we got there and this is the card that resulted:

I loved the "Oh What Fun" sentiment that was written on one of the tags in the Pine Lodge Paper Collection by Simple Stories.  I decided to have that be the center of my card, so I cut out and painted a wreath (thanks to Tim Holtz's Vault Festive Wreath die set) as my starting point.

I cut away the excess tag, glued my wreath down and then cut and painted the foliage pieces to go around my wreath.  I added them on and it was starting to look a little jolly!

There are so many fun patterns in this paper pack and I adore the color palette!  I chose some patterns that I thought went well together and planned out my layers. 

All that was left to do was a little gluing.  Here is the finished project:

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

• Tim Holtz Vault Festive Wreath Die Set
• Simple Stories 12 x 12 Snow Pine Lodge Patterned Paper Pack
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Dylusions Paint: Rainy Day, Tree Bark, Jungle Leaf
• Distress Paint: Salvaged Patina
• Dina Wakley Paint: Lime, Fir

It may be a struggle or it might come easily, but get your holly jolly on and upload your Christmas/winter-themed card 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 Tracy Evans' Quirky Birds Stamp Set

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is MONOCHROME!  This is always a tricky one for me, since I usually throw every color at everything.  But I stuck with shades of teal (which I adore) and created this tag:

I started by painting some polka dots onto some deli paper, which I then ripped and glued to a Simple Stories Color Palette tag.

I added a plaid scallop border to the bottom (courtesy of Simple Stories' Snow Pine Lodge paper collection) and outlined the tag with more teal paint.  I also drew stripes onto some light teal paper and heat-embossed them with white embossing powder.  I tore it up and glued it to my tag, then hand-stitched around the edges with turquoise embroidery floss.

I did not like how the hand-stitching turned out!  So I pulled it all out and left the holes and added some white paint around the edges and through a Simon Says Stamp star stencil.

I drew a striped border with Distress Watercolor Pencils and stamped, cut out and colored the bird image.  I added some black outlines and made a hat for the bird.  I glued the bird to the tag and was done!

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

• Tracy Evans Quirky Birds Stamp Set
• Simple Stories Color Palette Designer Tag Kit Paper
• Simple Stories Snow Pine Lodge Paper
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light Paper
• Simon Says Stamp Scattered Stars Stencil
• American Crafts Embossing Pens
• White Embossing Powder
• Distress Watercolor Pencils, Sets 1 and 3
• Dina Wakley Dotted Tape Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Malachite, Peacock
• Distress Paint: Salvaged Patina

Feeling monochromatic?  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.

And don't forget to check out all the Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember happenings!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Paper Scrap Folder using Kate Crane's K006 Stamp Set

Happy Monday and welcome to another crafty challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  Our theme this week is "not a card."  I made a little folder to hold some paper scraps that I can use in collages.

I started with an envelope from Tim Holtz's File Cards 2 set.  I cut it open on the sides and covered the bottom half with patterned paper from Art by Marlene (Postage Madness).

I covered the top half with paper from Dina Wakley's Collage Scraps paper pack.  I used the same paper to cover the inside of the folder that showed through the open circle window.  Next I stamped, colored and cut out an image from Kate Crane's K006 stamp set.

I doodled some polka dots and added paint to the front of my folder.  I added some text washi tape to the bottom and glued my person in place.

On the inside of the folder, I added a little bundle of paper scraps I can use in a collage.

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

• Tim Holtz File Cards 2
• Art by Marlene Postage Madness Paper
• Paper Artsy Kate Crane K006 Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Collage Sparks 1
• AALL & Create Mix and Match Washi Tape
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Raspberry, Stoked, Mustard
• Dylusions Paint: Jungle Leaf
• Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils: Set 1 and Set 3

Get crafty with a non-card 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!

And don't forget to check out all the exciting happenings at STAMPtember!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog: STAMPtember Stamp It Tag using Simon's Just Because Background Stamp

Happy STAMPtember one and all and welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  Stamp It is this week's theme and we're highlighting some special STAMPtember products.  I used Simon's Just Because Background Stamp for my tag.

I started with a tag shape (technically a bookmark shape, according to the die set's name, which is Gina K's Beautiful Bookmarks) that I cut out using my Sizzix Big Shot and Strathmore Mixed Media paper.  I tore up some Dina Wakley ledger paper and glued that on, then added some masking tape for good measure.

Next came the color, courtesy of Dina Wakley's acrylic paint.  I added just a little water to my paint and smooshed it onto my tag.

While that was drying, I cut out some flower shapes using Simon's Simple Flowers die set.  I cut them out of Distress Kraft Heavystock paper, then painted them.  I used both the flower shapes and the negative shapes they left behind when I cut them out.  I glued some more ledger paper behind the openings of the flower cut-outs.  I outlined the flower shapes with a black pen.

I had no idea what I was doing at this point, but I glued them onto my tag, then added some more white paint to sort of blend the edges.  Then I stamped some polka dots onto my tag using Trinity Stamps' Polka Dot Background stamp and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink.

I also cut some rings using Simon's Circle Loops die set, painted them, and added them to the tag.  All that was left was the sentiment, which I stamped using Simon's Just Because Background stamp.  I love big background stamps, especially with text, because you can use the whole thing or just stamp and cut out the sentiments you want to use, which is what I did.  This tag was done!

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

• Gina K's Beautiful Bookmarks Die Set
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Simon Says Stamp Simple Flowers Die Set
• Simon Says Stamp Circle Loops Die Set
• Simon Says Stamp Just Because Background Stamp
• Trinity Stamps Polka Dot Background Stamp
• Kraft Distress Heavystock
• Distress Paint: Salvaged Patina, Weathered Wood, Speckled Egg
• Distress Ink: Cracked Pistachio
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Raspberry, Mustard
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1

We are excited to see you Stamp It 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! 

Also, don't forget to swing by all of the exciting happenings for STAMPtember!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Recycled Earrings using Brutus Monroe's Circus Life Paper

Our challenge this week over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is to Recycle It.  We're also featuring products from Brutus Monroe.  I made some earrings out of scrap metal and Brutus Monroe's Circus Life Paper.

I had a small piece of scrap metal that I cut into shapes to make my earrings.  I sanded down the edges of the metal, then I covered them with pieces of this bright circus paper.  I also added paint around the edges.

I punched a few holes in the metal and added words, which also came from the patterned paper set.

I sealed the pieces and punched more holes once I had a design plan in mind.  I added beads and wire and connected some of the elements with Tim Holtz's Loop Pins.

This pair of dangly earrings was done!

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

• Brutus Monroe Circus Life Patterned Paper
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Mustard, Ruby
• Dina Wakley Ultra Thick Gel Medium
• Sanding Discs
• Tim Holtz Loop Pins
• Crop-A-Dile

I always get a kick out of seeing how people recycle materials into something else!  Upload your recycled 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: Tag using AALL & Create's Intricatags

"Tag It" is this week's theme for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  You just can't get better than tags, in my opinion.  They're a small palette that doesn't get TOO intimidating and the variety of tag shapes is vast.

This tag made quite the journey, so buckle up if you're trying to follow along at home.  I started with a tag cut out using AALL & Create's Intricatags die set.  I love these wonky edges.  I painted the tag white, then spritzed it with some Paper Artsy Infusions.  While that dried, I used embossing pens, white embossing powder and Dina Wakley's Dotted Tape stencil to make white dots on some colored paper.  I tore that up and glued it to my tag.

Next I added some paint.

I cut some black patterned paper from Art by Marlene's Postage Madness paper pack and added that around the edges.

I used paint and Scribble Sticks to make some colorful arches on the inside of the tag and included some ledger paper.  I painted the edges of the tag black.

I added more patterned paper from Postage Madness and made some patterned paper of my own using blue ink and Creative Expressions' Starburst stencil.  I also added some more text paper from Dina Wakley.

Next I went to work on the image for the forefront.  I cut around a headshot image from Tim Hotlz's Photobooth sets and cut a piece of gingham patterned paper from Simple Stories to put behind my girl's head.

I made a crown for my girl, painted some blue onto the frame, and typed a sentiment out on a typewriter that I cut and added to my tag.  I added a fabric scrap to the top for the tag's "string."  But when I looked at the finished product, I felt like it was too black for the look I wanted, so I ended up re-painting the tag edges, which you can see in the final picture at the beginning of this post.  I painted the edges white for a clean slate and then painted them green and turquoise.

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

• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Sizzix Big Shot
• AALL & Create Intricatags Die Set
• Paper Artsy Infusions Stain: The Sage, Sleight Blue, Just Walnut
• Craft Consortium: Grunge Light Paper 
• American Crafts Embossing Pens
• White Embossing Powder
• Dina Wakley Dotted Tape Stencil
• Dina Wakley Paint: White, Mustard
• Dylusions Paint: Jungle Leaf
• Distress Paint: Salvaged Patina
• Distress Ink: Salty Ocean
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper 1
• Tim Holtz Photobooth Images
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks 2
• Art by Marlene Postage Madness Patterned Paper
• Creative Expressions Starburst Stencil

Upload your new tag-tastic creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.