2023 Stamp Simply Favorites

Hello everyone!  Merry 4th day of Christmas!  I have always loved this quiet week between Christmas and the start of the New Year! The house is still dressed with the apparel of the season and still feels festive, so it is easy to stay in the Christmas spirit and start to work on gifts and decorations for next year.  Being from Louisiana, there is also the excitement of counting down to Epiphany and the start of the Mardi Gras season.  Anybody else looking forward to King Cake?!  Since I've become a spinner there is also a 12 Days of Christmas fiber set to spin, which is a daily opportunity to slow down and take a break from the hustle and bustle for at least 15 minutes a day.  #spin15aday #100daysofspindlespinning 

Here's the one from Christmas Day, the first day of Christmas, with one of my favorite Stamp Simply projects there in the background.

Speaking of favorites, this time of year is when we at Stamp Simply look back over the past year of creativity and choose favorites from all of the projects we've made.  This is a lot harder than you might expect, and if you asked more than once I might come up with a different answer each time because I have lots of favorites for a variety of reasons!  But here are links to some of my favorites from 2023, with links to the blog posts which have more photos and links for the products used for those projects!  

 

Hello Beautiful

Graduation 2023

Stars and Stripes Easel Card

Monochromatic Fancy Fold

#1 Coach Appreciation Card

Angels Among Us!

Christmas Special Delivery Gift Card 

Happy Thanksgiving! Let the Countdown to Christmas Begin!  

I hope this last week of 2023 and the brand new year will bring much joy and happiness and many blessings to your life.  

A Beautiful Christmas Season!

It's been raining a lot lately here in NE Florida (we got more than 5 inches in one single night and a culvert a block or so from our house collapsed and had to be replaced) so here I am still only dreaming of snow!  

Today's project started with our snowflake border stamp... 

...and a printed square from Carte Bella's Winter Time designer paper.  

I cut several branches of greenery from green card stock using a Tim Holtz holiday die and then gave it some depth of color with various Copic markers and some snow texture.  

I really love the way it looks from a side view with the needles all fluffed up!  

The inside is clean and simple with a strip of the designer paper and a silvery sentiment.   So this one was pretty fast and easy with a few swipes of ink, several passes through the die cutting machine, and almost no coloring.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Snowflake Blessings Border Strip
• Carta Bella Winter Time 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Silvery Shimmer
• String
• Rhinestones

And here is our very last sale of the year!

Stamp Simply Store

Bring on the Snow!

Hi friends!

When it is chilly in Florida you know it is really cold further north!  We have had some cool temperatures in the last several days and it has been quite nice to pull out the sweaters and scarves!  I even finished one big shawl that I have been working on for ages!

In all of the time we have been living here I only remember it snowing (well, icing really) once, but that does not keep me from dreaming about snow or a white Christmas!  I like having tags to use for embellishing gifts or enclosing gift cards, so for today's project those two ideas combine.   

This project was made even quicker and easier because there was no coloring.  Everything is die cut from one pad of designer paper with a few accents from some pearlized card stock.  

I used some of our newest dies to cut the trees and the snowy hills, adding some snow texture to the designer paper to really give things a Wintry feel.

A few swipes with some clear Wink of Stella gave those hills of snow some sparkle.  There is enough contrast between that and the pearlized card stock for the snowflake to really show up against that sparkly background.

The back of the tag has a designer paper envelope made with a Tim Holtz die, embellished with a printed square from the designer paper pad (as is the "Winter" paper strip above the envelope).  There's another snowflake there on the top right of the envelope flap that you can't see from this angle.  

Fast and fun, which is what we need at this stage of the game, right?!  

I hope you have a peaceful happy holiday season!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Stockings & Mittens Bundle
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Postale
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Country Church
• Carta Bella Winter Time 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Quartz White 6 ct
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Silvery Shimmer
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Gray Flannel (understamp sentiment)
• May Arts 3/4" Ivory Canvas - 30 Yard Spool - Plain
• Clear Wink of Stella
• Weathered Wood distress ink (used to darken the edges of the mittens)
• snow texture (I used a fine tipped fabric puff paint pen)

And before you go...here's this week's Wild Wednesday promotion!

Stamp Simply Store

A Light to My Path

Hello everyone!  Thanks for visiting my blog on this important, memorable and sacred day.  It's the 82nd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor (always makes me think of my dad who served in the USNavy during WWII although not in Hawaii), and it is also the beginning of Hanukkah.  The lighting of the first candle of Hanukkah will be this evening.

I am honored to have several Jewish friends in one of the knitting/spinning groups that I attend; we met Tuesday morning and I was able to hand deliver this card with a hug instead of a signature so that my friend has the option to either keep it or "pay it forward."  

This star fold is the perfect fancy fold for a Hanukkah card, forming the shape of the star of David.  This sentiment is from one of the stamp sets in our Lighthouse series, laid against a backdrop of blue, white, silver and gold.  The variegated silk, sheer metallic ribbons, fragile silver "greenery" and pearls make this a lovely, elegant card.

Here's what the card looks like when it is opened.  Take care when attaching the circular focal point that you adhere it only to one of the front panels.  It doesn't really matter which one, so long as the card can still be pulled open!  

The sentiments inside are a combination of die cut and stamped elements.

Here's a closer look..."from our house to yours."  

I'm including the various resources I came across in the making of this card...seeing things repetitively from different perspectives helps me understand how to do it better, so I'm sharing them all with you!

 

Larger version (the one I followed; similar process to the smaller one below but scored with a score tool at 5 1/4 and 7)

Make an easy envelope for a 6 inch card (but the above card is closer to 6.5 so the envie measurements had to be tweaked a little and it was still a tight squeeze!)

Smaller version (video shows the process well, although of course the measurements are different than above; the big advantage to smaller is that it doesn't require a 12 x 12 sheet)

Star fold cards on Pinterest

Another resource in metric that has more of a "formula" with a ratio to make the card in other sizes

And a little bit about the colors of Hanukkah and why I chose blue, white, silver and gold for today's card.

Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate!  Praying for Israel!  💙  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - He is the Light
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Floral Cluster Winter Poinsettia (inside sentiment)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Blessings Word Die
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Ocean 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Assortment 24 Ct
• May Arts 1" Sheer - 100 Yard Spool - Silver
• May Arts 1" Sheer - 100 Yard Spool - Dark Gold
• May Arts 1/4" Variegated Silk - 54 yard spools - Blue/White
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Pearl

Stamp Simply

Candlelight Card

 

Hello again!  I'm here with another easy "fancy fold" card that can be displayed with a battery-operated tea light for an even more special effect!  It's a little something extra that takes a card to a whole new level.

Here's what it looks like opened for display.  

You'll need one 4.25 x 11 inch sheet of card stock to make this fold, plus another 4.25 x 7 inch piece.  Both are scored at 1.5 and 5.5 inches.  Die cut the window opening of the smaller piece before adhering it to the card to form the special fold.   

Here's a closer look at the ornament, hanging from die-cut "branches" with a couple of bead strands as a  "garland."  

You might notice that the bow at the bottom of the card front forms the top of the box portion when the card is opened.  The front of my card is actually upside down when the card is opened.  If your display will be visible from both sides you might consider flipping the elements on the card front so that both sides will be right-side-up when it is opened.  (Hopefully that all makes sense!)      

Supplies:

• battery-operated tea light
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Joy Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Peace Bundle
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Peace & Joy Word Dies
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Mixed Media #1
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Craft Consortium Tartan Plaid 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Christmas - 30 yards
• May Arts Vintage Sampler - On Fire with Orange & Yellow
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Pearl
• button and gold ornament cord from stash

Remember this week's Wild Wednesday!

Stamp Simply Store

Happy Thanksgiving! Let the Countdown to Christmas Begin!

 

Welcome to all of you, and Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!  I am so thankful for my husband, our son, our extended families, wonderful friends (including all of you!), for our comfortable home, delicious food on the table, and yes, I'm thankful for my beloved hobbies!  Thanksgiving Day gratitude extends from our home to yours!    

Today's project is a fun one that started with a few pieces of thin chipboard, the kind that comes as a backing for 12 x 12 card stock. Depending on how you want to use it, this could be either a calendar or a countdown.  I used several pieces of 12 x 12 card stock to cover a couple of 11.25 x 5 inch pieces of the chipboard, and then added a folding bottom to hold it all together.  

Here's what it looks like from the side.  

I chose a combination of designer papers that harmonize with the colors in our home, and for the most part they work well with the colors of the various decorative cards for each of the holidays.  I used Tim Holtz dies for both sizes of rectangles and for the numbers, and lots of Stamp Simply stamps for the colorful embellishments.  

There's a beautiful Fall leaf for Fall/Thanksgiving...  

...a traditional tree for Christmas Day...

...a patriotic star for the Fourth of July, and I'm only just getting started!  If you take a look through our stamp sets you'll find images and dies for celebrating most of the major holidays, birthdays, special occasions, each of the seasons and so much more.  It will be so much fun to personalize the assortment of cards for events that happen for each month of the year. 

I did not add the months to my calendar/countdown, but it would be easy to make an additional set of cards numbered 1 through 12, or to stamp, print or handwrite the names of the months to hang from one or more of the rings if you'd like to include them. 

One thing I also plan to do is to purchase smaller binder rings.  These large ones were in my stash so I am using them until I can find smaller ones.  So far I have not been able to find them locally, but I received word last night where I might find some, so I'll have more to say on that later maybe!  

Supplies:

• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Countdown
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Collector
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The American Eagle Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Give Thanks Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - O Christmas Tree Bundle
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Craft Consortium Brick Textures 6x6 (4th of July bkg)
• Carta Bella Welcome Autumn 6x6 (Fall leaf bkg)
• Studio Light Sending Joy 6x6 (Christmas tree bkg)

Stamp Simply Store

When December arrives I'll be starting a couple of Advent daily spins (using spindles and wheels), and I'll be flipping the dates on my little calendar to help me keep track as I open each little package of surprise/mystery fluff!  On Christmas Day I'll start a 12 Days spin that will carry me through to Epiphany.

I love that quiet week between Christmas and New Year's and will enjoy the stillness of that post-holiday hush, but for now I'm looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the season!

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the holiday season!  May you and yours be blessed!  

Peace on Earth

Hi friends!  I'm back with another combination of old and new stamp sets.  For some reason I have been drawn to these colors and this particular designer paper print, maybe because it is so peaceful, because it has been so chaotic in our house for the last several weeks.  (Finally the wood floor repair is finished and things are slowly returning to normal!)  

I absolutely adore our new angel stamp set!  When looking through my other sets I noticed that the swirls in the star from this older set seemed to go well with the swirls on the angel's dress, so I thought I'd combine the two, especially since the scriptures work so perfectly for a "Silent Night" scene.  

The star and the angel were both stamped with Memento grey ink, colored with a combination of Copic marker warm greys and cool blue-greens which softly harmonize with the colors of the designer paper.  I added a few strokes of clear Wink of Stella to add some sparkle but that is really difficult to capture on camera.

Once again I used Beate's side step card tutorial for the layout.  I am forever revisiting her tutorials on SCS.  

For the inside I used another paper print from the same designer paper pad.  Inside and out, the sentiments were stamped directly onto the designer paper.  I'm grateful for a stamp positioner so that I can stamp layer upon layer of ink to get really even coverage.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Angels Among Us Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Merry Christmas Bundle
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Country Church (tree line die)
• Studio Light Sending Joy 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Gray Flannel
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Pearl
• Distress Oxide Inks
• Copic markers

Before you go, here's this week's Wild Wednesday special!