Snapping Monsters

Monday, October 27, 2025

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:

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.

Monday, October 20, 2025

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:

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.

Monday, October 13, 2025

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:

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.

Monday, October 6, 2025

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pink Courage Tag using Kate Crane's KC016 Stamp Set and AALL & Create's Intricatags Die Set

We are thinking PINK this week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. We're also featuring products from Dylusions. I used the Dylusions Intense Colour Caykes and Sticks to add some scribbly fun to my tag.

I started by cutting a tag shape (AALL & Create's Intricatags die set), which I painted. While that dried, I stamped this adorable fairy girl from Kate Crane's KC016 stamp set. I colored it with Dylusions Colour Sticks, Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks and Distress Watercolor Pencils. I also did some dot-stenciling on deli paper using paint and Dina Wakley's Dotted Tape stencil. I cut a fancy border/edge out of another AALL & Create die set: Tear it Out.

I glued the dot paper onto my tag, added some more color around the edges, and stamped an image on the background from Tim Holtz's Deconstructed stamp set.

I stamped the word "courage" onto a piece of AALL & Create ephemera, then stamped and cut out a wand. I attached the fancy border to the bottom of the tag, which made the whole thing too long, so I cut off the top of the tag.

Before gluing all the elements onto my tag, I spritzed some Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray onto the background. When that dried, I glued everything together and added bit more color and scribbliness to finish it off.

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

We are looking forward to how you add pink to your projects! Upload them to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Monday, September 29, 2025

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Halloween Tag using Simon's Halloween Friends Stamps, Bottle Brush Tree Dies and Whimsy Stamps' Chunky Checkers Dies

Welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! The theme this week is TREES. I decided to use Simon's Small Bottle Brush Trees die for Halloween instead of Christmas.

I started by cutting a deckled frame (courtesy of Mama Elephant) out of kraft cardstock. I added some text paper in the background and finger-painted around it. I also added some scirbbling with Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks, set 5. While that dried, I cut a bottle brush tree (Simon's die set) out of black paper and added some purple ornaments. I added a bat to the top that I cut out of Tim Holtz's Gate Keeper die set. I also cut out a striped frame from Whimsy Stamps.

Next I stamped and die-cut this cute little Frankie guy from Simon's Halloween Friends. I colored him and made him a pointy hat.

I put all my elements together and finished it off with a Happy Halloween sentiment from Tim Holtz's MM194 stamp set.

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

We are excited to see how you incorporate trees into 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.

Monday, September 22, 2025

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Beware of Hitchhiking Cats Tag using AALL & Create's Free Broom Rides and Dina Wakley's Circle Furbabies Stamp Sets

Welcome to Monday and to another Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! Our theme this week is to use a sentiment as a focal point. As I looked through my stamp sets, the perfect sentiment from AALL & Create's Free Broom Rides set was the clear winner: "beware of hitchhiking cats." Yes, it was tied into a Halloween theme, but I think that's a wise life lesson for any time of the year!

I started as I usually do by making a scribbly messy collage on a piece of paper. I used paint and Dylusions Colour Caykes and Sticks, though Distress Watercolor Pencils or Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks all have that same kind of vibe. I dribbled some neon Hyper alcohol ink on there as well.

When that all dried, I tore it up and glued one section of it onto a tag cut out of Kraft Distress Heavystock. I also tore some patterned paper out of Amy Tan's Paper Play Create 1 book and glued that to the bottom of the tag. I wanted to add some lines, so I used Tim Holtz's Media Marks 2 stamp set and stamped a grid-type of pattern onto my tag background. I used paint to blend around the edges.

I stamped a cat from Dina Wakley's Furbabies set and cut around it. I also made a circle frame out of Dina's Ledger 2 paper. I stamped the hitchhiking cat sentiment from AALL & Create and cut that out and grabbed one more scrap (the black and white polka dots) from the Paper Play Create book.

I glued everything together and then used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges of my tag with bright neon thread. I added some black pen outline marks around the tag and it was done!

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

We're eager to see what sentiments you choose to focus on 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!