Posted in Cardmaking, Papercrafting

Simon Says Stamp New Release: Every Happiness

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s release day at Simon Says Stamp! There are so many great new items for you to check out.

You can check out the whole release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/every-happiness

Today, I am featuring cards I created using the Oak Leaf die and stencil. To be honest, I made a bunch of these leaves and played around with different colors and techniques to get a realistic looking leaf. The stencils are so cool!

For my first card, I wanted it to have a unique opening. I created a side folding A2 card and then removed half of the front panel (2 1/8″). I adhered the leaf so the stem lined up in the center.

I die cut a cream colored leaf as well as a green leaf (to match the card base). I adhered the green leaf to the back of the front panel being sure to line it up with the leaf on the front.

Next, I lined up the cream colored leaf with the other leaves. I added glue to the back of it and shut my card. This way the leaves were all in the same place. I stamped the sentiment which is from the brand new Woodland Friends stamp set. Then, I added a smaller leaf (Etched Oak Leaves die set).

I love how this Fall card turned out!

I also made another card featuring the Oak Leaf die and stencil.

To start, I used the Cedar Sprigs embossing folder on brown cardstock. For the front of the card, I decided I would create a pile of leaves. I used two of the larger Oak Leafs and a few of the Etched Oak Leaves in varying colors. I added a birthday sentiment because I always need birthday cards.

Please take a moment and follow me on Instagram – @maryredjr and comment on this post on Instagram that you are a new follower to be entered in a giveaway. I am giving away some gently used products from Simon Says Stamp! You will get an additional entry for each friend you tag. Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mary

Posted in Cardmaking

Shine On: Simon Says Stamp Blog Hop

Posted on by maryredjr

Hello! So happy you are here. Welcome to day 2 of the Simon Says Stamp Shine On Blog Hop! Today, I am sharing some cards featuring the brand new Dancing Meadows wafer die from Simon Says Stamp.

This blog is part of a blog hop full of lovely designers, all sharing amazing inspiration. Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop. Leave a comment here for your chance to win! Simon Says Stamp will choose the winners and post them on their Simon Says Stamp blog – with details about how to redeem the prize.

I created this card for a sweet friend for her birthday. I love the beautiful flowers and greenery this plate provides. As you can see, I die cut this out of several colors and this provided me with lots of die cuts and options for inlaying.

For this card, I wanted to step it up a bit! So before diecutting, I stamped the Nature in Bloom stamp in white pigment ink, for the background. I went with a different color palette and I really like how this turned out. On the large, lavender flowers, I added ink blending to the centers before adding layers to create the centers. I added foam squares to those flowers as well, to add some interest and dimension.

I used the following products to create this card:

~ Dancing Meadows wafer die

~ Nuvelli Hello Script die

~ Nature in Bloom background stamp

~ Crocus Pawsitively Saturated ink

I had so many of these flowers leftover, I just had to make another card! I thought these looked a bit tropical, so I decided to make a summer-themed card.

I used the following products to create this card:

~ Dancing Meadows wafer die

~ A2 Notched Rectangles

~ Surf Pawsitively Saturated ink

~ Clear Dew Drops

I hope you can see how versatile this new cover plate is! You can check out the whole release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/shine-on

Keep hopping along to check out all of the awesome inspiration! Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win $25 to the Simon Says Stamp shop!

Your next stop is the fabulous Maura Hibbitts.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Reminder: You can also hop along with the group from Day 1, too. So much inspiration awaits!

Mary

Follow me on Instagram @maryredjr for more cardmaking inspiration!

Posted in Cardmaking, Papercrafting

Always There Release from Simon Says Stamp

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s time for another new release from Simon Says Stamp! Today, I am sharing a few cards I created using the With Sympathy stamp set and Elongated Hexagon dies. Sympathy cards are difficult to make – but this new stamp set has really beautiful sentiments and some lovely images.

I kept this one very clean and simple. I die cut two hexagons for layering and to add a bit of dimension.

For this one, I used the same image but I inked up the stamp and spritzed it with water. This softened the image and gave it a wotercolor-look. I also stamped the sentiment on top of the image (after it dried). I die cut a hexagon on the edge of my card panel and then used an embossing folder (Vine Canopy) to add texture. I really love how this turned out.

For this card, I cut 2 and 1/8″ off of the front panel and then centered the hexagon. I added another white hexegaon, with a sentiment, to the inside of the card. To create the front hexagon, I stamped the leafy images in Pearfection ink and used Copics to color in the leaves. I thought these sentiments paired nicely together to complete the card.

I hope this inspires you to create some Sympathy cards.

Check out the entire release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/always-there

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Cardmaking, Papercrafting

Beautiful Friend: Simon Says Stamp New Release

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s blog hop day two for Simon Says Stamp’s latest release, Beautiful Moments. I hope you will hop along to see all of the amazing inspiration. Comment on each stop for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Simon Says stamp.

And, if you shop from the new release, this exclusive, not yet released, adorable stamp set will be added to your cart! This will be available until March 1 @ 11:59 p.m. EST or while supplies last.

Today, I am sharing a card I created for a special friend and co-worker. She is beautiful inside and out! I love this gorgeous Periwinkle ink color! It is so pretty.

I used the following products to create this card:

~NEW~ Beautiful Friend die set

~NEW~ Groovy Daisies stamp set

~You Matter Background stamp

~A2 Rectangles

~Periwinkle and Flannel Pawsitively Saturated ink

~Dusky Pawsitively Saturated Gems

Here are the steps I used to create this card:

  1. Cut a white card stock panel to 4 x 5 1/4″
  2. Stamp the Groovy Daisies Stamp using Periwinkle ink.
  3. Over top of the daisies, stamp the You Matter Background Stamp using Flannel ink.
  4. Ink blend with Periwinkle a 4 X 4″ piece of card stock.
  5. Die cut the words from the Beautiful Friend die, out of the ink blended piece.
  6. Die cut the shadow from the Beautiful Friend die set from white card stock.
  7. Adhere the Beautiful Friend words to the shadow piece using liquid adhesive.
  8. Center and adhere the Daisy panel to a top folding, A2 card base.
  9. Adhere the sentiment, adding foam tape to the back for dimension.
  10. Lastly, add some gems to some of the the daisy centers.

I am smitten with this newly released Beautiful Friends die set. I love the pretty font and the size makes it a perfect focal point for any card project. And the Groovy Daisies made a gorgeous background.

Check out the whole release here:

https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/beautiful-moments

Next on the hop is: Nicki Baxley You will love what she has created!!

And be sure to look at yesterday’s hop for more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win and I woould love it if you followed me on Instagram @mayredjr

Posted in Papercrafting

How to Create a Magnetic Bookmark

Posted on by maryredjr

Have you checked out the new release from Simon Says Stamp? There are so many fun products and many of them are geared towards Valentine papercrafting.

I had the opportunity to play with one of the new die sets – Love City. As soon as I saw it, I thought it would make a great magnetic bookmark. Here is how I created it.

Supplies needed:

~Love City die set from Simon Says Stamp

~3 or 4 different colors of cardstock

~thin magnetic material (can be repurposed or new – I used some packaging from Simon Says Stamp)

~Liquid glue and/or adhesive tape

Step one:

Die cut two of the base pieces and one set of the heart and sides. I would recommend using a lighter weight cardstock for the back base piece of the bookmark. You can use whatever color combination you like. I made several of these, in lots of colors and all of them looked cute. You really cannot go wrong.

Step two:

Line up one of the flat sides of one of the base pieces on a score board, and score it at the 1/2″ mark. This will be the back piece of the bookmark.

Step three:

Adhere the heart and the sides to the other backing piece (the one that is NOT scored) When I made mine, I lined up and adhered the heart piece first and then added the side pieces. Next, adhere the scored piece to the completed front of the bookmark. You will only add glue to the small, rounded scored end. This creates the hinge for the bookmark to open and close.

Step four:

While the bookmark is drying, cut a magnet strip approximately 1″ x 1/2″. Then, cut the magnet in half so you have 2 strips. Adhere one magnet strip on the inside of the bookmark. You can use liquid glue or strong adhesive tape. If using liquid glue, allow it to dry before glueing the other magnet in place. To adhere the second magnet, I “stuck” it to the glued magnet and added adhesive to the back. Next, I closed the bookmark and held it until the second magnet adhered to the bookmark.

Your bookmark should be complete and ready to use.

These bookmarks are really quick to make and would make a fun Valentine surprise for a friend or teacher.

I hope you will make some!

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Cardmaking

Holiday Tri-Fold Card – Tutorial

Posted on by maryredjr

When I saw this sentiment set and this die, I knew I wanted to create a dramatic tri-fold card. I actually made two of these as I was trying to figure out the best way to create it. I will share with you my tips and tricks.

I used the following products to create this card:

~The Nativity wafer die set

~Stacked Holiday Sentiments stamp set

~A2 Arches

~Gold Embossing Powder

~Fog cardstock

~ Blue cardstock

~ Dark grey cardstock

~12 x 12 gray cardstock (or blue)

Directions:

  • Die cut The Nativity die 2 times from gold glitter card stock. Save one of the gold stars that cut out – this will be used on the last panel.
  • Using the largest A2 Arch die, cut 6 arches from a dark grey cardstock.
  • Using the next size smaller A2 arch, cut 3 blue arches.
  • Using the Nativity die as a guide, find the closest A2 arch to match it, and die cut 2 from Fog cardstock. (when I first made this, I used vellum, but the glue showed through, so I opted for the Fog cardstock. I think the Fog cardstock gives the illusion of vellum.)
  • Emboss the “Silent Night” sentiment, in gold embossing powder, centered on the bottom of one of the blue panels. I masked the “Holy Night” off a post-it so I only inked up the “Silent Night” portion. Then I did the opposite to emboss “Holy Night” to the bottom, center of another blue panel.
  • On the third blue arched panel, I embossed the “All is calm, All is bright” sentiment. I added a gold star from step one above the sentiment.
  • Adhere the fog arches to the blue panels above the sentiment and then adhere the glitter gold Nativity on top of the fog arch. See photo below for placement guidance.
  • Adhere the blue arch, centered onto the larger grey arch.
  • Using a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock, cut a strip 3″ x 12″.
  • Score that piece at 4″ and 8″ and zig zag fold it. This will become our “hinges” that hold the card together.
  • Adhere the first panel of the card to the first 4″ section of the “hinge” piece. Be sure to line up the bottom of the panel with the bottom of the hinge and make sure you have room to fold the next panel. (refer to my completed card to get the proper fold sequence, photo below). You will repeat this process with the next two panels. You may need to trim a tiny bit of the “hinge” edges once this step is complete.
  • Now it is time to cover up the “hinge” from the back side view. Simply match up the other three, blank grey panels on to the back of each blue panel, mimicking the front design. Be sure to take your time and you will end up with a neat, crisp finished card.
  • If you wanted to add even more dimension, you could use foam tape to pop up the blue from the grey arch. You could also cut a few more Nativities, out of scrap cardstock, and layer those together. This card is a bit on the heavier side, so keep that in mind when thinking about adding more dimension.

I hope this helps explain how I created this card. If you have any more questions, please leave me a comment or message me directly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Cardmaking

Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop: Pumpkin Spice Time

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s that time again! Time to hop along and get inspired. I was inspired to create a pumpkin spice/Fall themed card.

I used the following products from Newton’s Nook Designs:

Autumn Coffees stamps and dies, Autumn Postage stamps and dies, Postage Stamp Layout die and the Framework die set.

A friend recently gave me a recipe to make Pumpkin Spice Lattes at home. I thought I’d share this with you.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

  • 2 shots espresso or ½ cup cold brew or strongly brewed coffee
  • 1 cup milk, any kind
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for dusting
  • Pinch sea salt
  • Whipped cream, for topping, optional
  • Cinnamon sticks, for garnish, optional

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, combine the espresso, milk, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk over low heat until well combined and warmed through.
  2. Pour into a mug. If desired, top with whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

I hope my card and this recipe inspire you! Enjoy the hop and thanks for stopping by!

Mary

Posted in Cardmaking

And Everything Nice Release from Simon Says Stamp (and giveaway!)

Posted on by maryredjr

Simon Says Stamp has just unveiled their latest release, and it is filled with fresh products perfect for holiday papercrafting and beyond. I couldn’t wait to dive in and create with the stunning new products!

This clean and simple card features the brand new Peacebird stamp set and the Hopeful Peacebird wafer die set.

To create this card, I started by die cutting the Hopeful Peacebird out of Simon Says Stamp white glitter card stock. I also cut it 3 more times out of white scrap card stock. I adhered those together using liquid glue. I die cut the leaf branch 5 times out of green card stock. Next, I added glitter texture paste to the leaves to add a little sparkle. While the paste was drying, I cut a gray panel to 4″ x 5 1/4″. I layed out my die cut pieces to determine where I wanted the sentiment to be placed. I stamped the sentiment from the Peacebird stamp set with embossing ink. I heat embossed it with white embossing powder and then adhered the die cuts. Lastly, I adhered the gray panel to a top folding A2 card base. A matching envelope makes this card extra special!

I have a special giveaway for one of my blog readers: the adorable Warm Thoughts stamp set ! Please leave a comment and I will pick a random winner on Sunday, November 9th.

Be sure to check out the entire new release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/and-everything-nice

Thanks for stopping by!!

Mary

Posted in Cardmaking

Sugar and Spice Release from Simon Says Stamp

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s release day over at Simon Says Stamp and it’s full of all kinds of goodness! If you are looking to create gorgeous, holiday cards, this release has everything you need from stamps, dies, stencils, and embossing folders to inks.

Today I am sharing a card featuring a few brand new products:

~Leafy Wreath embossing folder

~Label Slides Christmas stamps

~Label Slides die set

~Twisted Arch Tree die set (previously released)

Isn’t this wreath so pretty? I used the blackout technique to create my card. I love how quickly this came together. On the debossed side, I used various Distress inks to add color to the leaves. Then using my brayer, I used dark blue inks to fill in the background. I love the mottled texture this gave to the background. The blue is a nice compliment to the oranges and yellows of the leaves. Have you tried this technique?

Be sure to check out the whole release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/sugar-and-spice

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Cardmaking

It’s STAMPtember!

Posted on by maryredjr

It’s the most wondeful time of the year! Get ready for a month-long celebration of stamping, inspiration, and community. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on!

Today’s card features two new products from Simon Says Stamp: Haunted Pumpkin die set and Dotted Spiral embossing folder. I loved combining these two new products to create this spooky card.

Step 1: Create the Background

Cut a piece of black cardstock to 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″. Lightly spritz the cardstock with water, place inside the embossing folder and run it through your die cutting machine. Be sure to use the proper “sandwich” for a 3D embossing folder.

Next, splatter the embossed piece with Pawsitively Perfect White Splatter Medium. Set aside to dry.

Using a white pigment ink pad, gently run it across the top of the black embossed panel. Be careful to not push hard on the ink pad – you just want the raised areas to get inked.

Step 2: Diecutting

Die cut 3 ghosts from white cardstock. If you want to add more dimesion, die cut a couple extra of each ghost and stack them together with liquid adhesive.

Trim the black embossed panel to 5 1/4″ x 4″. Cut another piece of black cardstock to 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″.

Choose a sentiment from the Spooky Salutations Reverse Sentiment Strips (or anothere set) and trim it out. Color the white edge of the strip with a black marker.

Step 3: Assemble Card

Adhere the black embossed panel to the center of the larger black panel. Adhere the sentiment to the center of the spiral pattern. Next, adhere the ghosts around the sentiment. Add a few silver sequins or stars to add a little more sparkle. Lastly, adhere the whole thing to an A2 card base.

Super quick and spooky cute!

Be sure to check out the entire new STAMPtember release here: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/collections/stamptember

Simon Says Stamp is having a huge Instagram party tomorrow! Lots of freebies and tons of inspiration. See you there!

Thanks for stopping by!!