New Designer Papers!

Hi everyone!  I'm here today with a Fall project using some of the NEW designer paper that arrived this week at Stamp Simply!  So many beautiful paper pads!  The little bit of cooler Fall weather we've have had made my fingers itch to use this one first!  This is a stamping only, zero coloring card!

The smallest of the long rectangles dies is the perfect size for this sentiment!

I diluted a drop or two of Copic marker refill with blending fluid to splash just a bit of the robin's breast color onto the card, inside and out.  It helps to unify the design and warm up the colors just a little!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Give Thanks
• Studio Light Wonderful Autumn 6x6
• Spellbinders Die - Long Classic Rectangles LG
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Prima Say It In Crystals Adhesive Gems - Amber Moon
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares- Mix Black
• Memento Rich Cocoa
• Tea Dye Distress Ink
• Copic marker refill (alcohol ink splatters)

Building the Kingdom

Hi everyone!  Welcome back!

Sharon sent some messages to our design team earlier this week and then when I went looking through my supplies for this week's project, inspiration struck!  This Little Lumberjack designer print made me think of Louisiana and all the trees that were blown over during Hurricane Laura, all the chain-sawing going on there during the last month, and how my sweet little home church has been "Ministry Central" for so many people! For the majority of the month, I've seen nearly daily FB live videos of the mayor of Westlake inviting people to Westlake UMC for a free meal, bottled water, supplies, etc. I'm sure that under the circumstances it would be quite easy for them to grow weary, and I thought this scripture from Hebrews was so appropriate!  

The card is an Interlocking Gate Fold card (tutorial here).  Easy and fun with a lot of wow for a little time.  

Tip: I cut the frame and the sentiment panels twice so that the double-thickness would be stronger and hopefully resist bending as the card is opened and closed.

The bow was a last-minute addition.  Here's what it looked like without it.  This simpler version, even with the dimensional adhesives under the sentiment and the tiny heart, would be relatively flat for mailing.

The inside is super clean and simple and carries the "(re)building" theme from outside to in.

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pastor Appreciation DUO
• Echo Park Paper
• Spellbinders Die - Classic Squares Small SM
• Spellbinders Die - Classic Squares Large LG
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Signage (tiny heart)
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Canvas - 3 yard Bundle
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue

Fall Tag Trio

It's officially Fall now, and I'm so thankful!  I am really looking forward to temperatures that are cool enough that we can finally be outside sometime other than in the very early morning.  The last few days have been so beautiful!  

Today's Stamp Simply project is a simple, elegant Fall Tag Trio.  I love making projects like this that can be made quickly, assembly-line style.  I made my three exactly the same, but this stamp set has some lovely sentiments so if you wanted to you could easily make them a fraternal set rather than identical triplets.  They'd be so pretty to hang from a basket of fruit or flowers as a gift for a friend.  They'd even make pretty place cards for Thanksgiving dinner.  

This simple print from the Little Fawn and Friends designer paper pad is what inspired the design and color scheme, and it looks so pretty combined with the background colors from the rustic Metal Textures pad.  These were made with a base of 2 1/4 x 6 1/4 to get the most mileage from one sheet of 6 x 6 designer paper (three 2 x 6 strips for the mats, and three 2 x 2 squares for the accent pieces). Very easy to mass produce.  

The metallic print paper gives just a hint of the Fall colors to come...here in Florida, the leaves change much later than they do in colder parts of the country.  The oaks are still green but one can still feel the change in the air and the light is just beginning to take on that magical golden glow.  Hence, the splash of Delicate Golden Glitz to add that little bit of sparkle. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Combo Offer/Stamp & Die Give Thanks
• Craft Consortium Metal Textures 6x6
• Craft Consortium Little Fawn and Friends 6x6
• Spellbinders Die - Classic Ovals Small SM
• Spellbinders Die - Classic Ovals Large LG
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Golden Glitz
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Canvas - 3 yard Bundle (antique gold)
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Rhinestones - Split Pea
• Copic markers
• Cropadile
• circle punch
• corner punch 
• buttons from stash

Christmas, From the Cradle to the Cross

Hi everyone!  Today's Stamp Simply project is a simple, sparkly Christmas card that is sort of Florida-ish, but with a deeper meaning.  This palm branches paper brings Palm Sunday to mind as a reminder that His entire story goes From the Cradle to the Cross.  It's so much more meaningful to celebrate Christmas with God's plan of the Cross in mind.  

This is an easy, fairly quick card to make.  There's a bit of slicing and simple scoring, some stamping, and very little coloring (done here with sparkly Wink of Stella markers).  I heat-embossed the ornament just to give it a bit more detail, but with Delicata ink, it really is not necessary.  Splashes of gold Delicata ink diluted with water splattered on with a tiny paintbrush, add even more festive sparkle.  

The inside has a strip of designer paper, a single gold pearl, and a beautiful gold sentiment.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Joy
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Golden Glitz
• Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder - Gold
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Gold Glitter Marker
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Clear Glitter Marker
• Craft Consortium Tropical Paradise 6x6
• Pearls - Latte
• May Arts 3/8" Double Faced Satin - Red - 5 yard Bundle
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Thin

Christmas Peace

Hello friends!  I'm back today with a card featuring another new release, Christmas Peace and Joy from Stamp Simply!  This lovely candle is part of the new set, Christmas Peace.  (Christmas Joy features beautiful ornaments).  

The candle and the dark woodgrain designer paper made me think of an old church, its windows festively adorned with poinsettias glowing in candlelight for Christmas Eve, so I decided to try Beate's "Frosted Window" tutorial.  I used Stamp Simply's fishtail banners die to cut the window's frame and sash, mitering the corners as a real window frame would be, and adding the pretty floral print to give the illusion of wallpaper.  (Maybe next time I'll be even more adventurous and add diagonal panes of "leaded" glass...then the window would really remind me of my childhood church home)!

With this technique, the image is stamped onto card stock and also onto vellum.  I heat-embossed the top layer.  The darker marker colors and the candle's glow are colored on the underneath layer, and the lighter colors are colored on the back side of the vellum which is mounted on dimensional adhesive tape.  I added a bit of both gold and clear Wink of Stella to the right side of the vellum to give subtle shimmer and make things especially festive.  

I love how soft the colors are, and how simple yet elegant the result is with very little effort...using a stamp platform makes it incredibly easy to be sure that everything will be perfectly aligned.  The frost of the vellum camouflages the coloring on the card stock underneath, so it can be done with a little less "finesse" than usual, and since the marker inks sit on top of vellum and won't blend because of the paper finish, this really is a fast and easy technique that softens any struggles with blending that you might experience if you are new to blending with alcohol markers.  

There is a beautiful Christmas sentiment stamped on the inside.

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Peace
• Kaisercraft Under the Gum Leaves 6.5x6.5
• Vellum - Recycled 24# Clear
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Golden Glitz
• Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder - Gold
• Spellbinders Die - 5x7 Matting Basics A (vellum opening
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners (window sash/frame)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Floral Cluster and Sprigs
• May Arts 1.5" Sheer w/Glitter Dots - Gold/Gold - 3 yard Bundle
• Petaloo Botanica Baby Blooms - Red
• enamel dots
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Clear Glitter Marker
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Gold Glitter Marker
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 
• 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Copic markers

Fall Center Step Gift Card

Hello everyone!  I had so much fun last week with Stamp Simply's new wreaths sets that I couldn't resist making another card with them!  

This is a Center Step Gift Card...the center panel is the perfect size for the wreath and the printed paper provides a pretty frame that brings out those lovely Fall colors!  This is also a card that, if one left off the enamel dots, would be flat for mailing, but the interesting fold keeps it far from being boring!  

Here you can see that the wreath and pumpkins were stamped directly onto the center panel in one layer with Memento Rich Cocoa ink, no fussy cutting involved!  You don't even need to make a mask!  I colored the wreath decorations with Copic markers and added a touch of clear Wink of Stella to emphasize the highlights.  

Because Copic markers bleed through, I opted to add another layer of card stock to the inside of the card (to the center panel above the fold) to make the appearance of the opened card a bit neater.

Then, there's a pocket for a gift card.  I love the idea that if (in this 2020 Covid world) my family and friends can't have dinner with me then they can have dinner on me!  

Supplies:
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths - Fall & Winter
Graphic 45 Fruit & Flora 8x8
Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Rich Cocoa
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
Spellbinders Die - Standard Circles Small SM
Spellbinders Die - Standard Circles Large LG
Enamel Dots
Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Clear Glitter Marker
Copic markers

I hope you'll indulge me for just a moment more...it's been almost a week since Hurricane Laura nearly completely decimated my childhood hometown of Westlake (next to Lake Charles), Louisiana. This was the view down Sampson Street the day after the storm, with a huge chlorine leak billowing in the distance.  

Please whisper a prayer for the people of Southwest Louisiana. They are hard-working, resilient people who rebuilt their lives after taking an awful hit from Hurricane Rita in 2005.  To have to go through it...and worse...all over again is really hard.  I've lost count of how many of my friends have lost their homes and their livelihoods.  Thankfully my brother's home did not suffer extensive damage, although he did have many shingles missing and his wood laminate floors were ruined.  He lost most of the trees on his property except for the big, strong Cypress trees, and he's there with limited running water and no electricity trying to get everything cleaned up.  Everyone is pitching in to help each other and make the best of a truly devastating situation.

If you are able, please donate to the relief efforts...it is going to be a long, difficult recovery.  Thank you!

❤️

New Release: Seasonal Wreaths!!

I'm so excited to share today's "photo intense" post with you! Stamp Simply has released two brand new stamp sets that include images for wreaths of two different styles, and four seasonal florals to embellish them.  The sets are sold individually or as a bundle.  

The cards I've made are all "Joy Fold" cards, and you can find the tutorial here.  For each card, I cut the smaller folding panel a little taller than the tutorial recommended so that the wreath would fit, and even then I gave it a little squish (thanks, Michelle for this idea!).  The wreath embellishments were stamped on scrap paper, fussy-cut, and added with dimensional adhesives.

I'm starting out with beautiful roses, paired with black and white gingham for a simple, elegant thank you card.

Thanks card supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths - Spring & Summer
• Graphic 45 Farmhouse 8x8
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares- Mix Black
• Copic markers
• heart-shaped button

Next up is a soft floral using some new Craft Consortium papers.  

The shapes and colors of the floral image reflect the shapes and colors of the delicate printed paper underneath.

Hugs card supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths - Spring & Summer
• Craft Consortium Little Fawn and Friends 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Prima Say It In Crystals Adhesive Gems - Heaven Sent
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Copic markers
• page tab
• tiny stapler

Here's a Fall version using gorgeous papers from Graphic 45.  

The pumpkins were colored with soft, nearly monochromatic Copic colors.

Grateful card supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths - Fall & Winter
• Graphic 45 Farmhouse 8x8
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Pearls - Latte
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Copic markers

And finally, a grungy Christmas card adorned with a bright red poinsettia.  

Christmas card supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths - Fall & Winter
• Craft Consortium Grunge Dark 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Golden Glitz
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Gold Glitter Marker
• Pearls - Latte
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Copic markers

If you have not already visited the Stamp Simply blog this week, you need to!  My design team mates have shared lots of beautiful samples using these new sets!  

Deck the Halls!

This week at Stamp Simply we are featuring simple, easy-to-construct Christmas cards.  My project for today has a die-cut window which allows a beautiful, bold Christmas print to peek through.  It is lovely as it is, but if one also affixed a gift card to the inside, it would show through the window and would be framed by not only the card front but the beautiful paper underneath. There's plenty of room on the back of the card to sign and write a message.  

I used clear and gold Wink of Stella glitter pens to add sparkle to the beautiful holly leaf that serves as a focal image for the card front.  Since some of the flowers and leaves of the designer paper print are enameled, another even better option would have been to use some Ranger Glossy Accents.  

The base of the card is a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch rectangle of ivory card stock.  The green card stock forms both the window front of the card and the mat for the printed layer inside.  It measures 5 1/4 x 8 inches, and was scored/folded at the 4 inch mark into 5 1/4 x 4 inch rectangle with the window die-cut from the center of the front half, then the back glued to the card base.  

Because Copic markers bleed through and the leaf from the front is visible when the card is opened, I die-cut an extra leaf to glue to the back of the colored leaf so that everything would look cleaner from the inside.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Combo Offer/Stamp & Die Christmas Bl
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Kaisercraft Under the Gum Leaves 6.5x6.5
• Spellbinders Die - 5x7 Matting Basics A
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Rich Cocoa
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Clear Glitter Marker
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Gold Glitter Marker
• enamel dot
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Copic markers
  
  

Farm House Faith

 

This week at Stamp Simply we've been featuring projects made with our Farmhouse Series, and I'm here with my version inspired by county fairs and colored ribbons for the winners of the various submissions of animals, crafts, foods, etc.    

I love the way a simple silhouette stamp can really pop when placed atop a bright piece of card stock!  Especially a chicken!  A scrap of bright sunny yellow designer paper found lingering on my desk was the perfect match for stamping the sentiment, bringing out some of the lighter colors in the background print.  

This is an oft-quoted definition of Faith, and to me it seemed to go so well with thoughts of life on the farm:  the rising and setting of the sun, the miracle of seeds sprouting into a bountiful harvest, the wonder of new birth, and the tenderness of animals nurturing their young...all of the best of the simplicity and fullness of Life, wonderful reminders of the provision and care given to us by our Creator.  Our faith should be filled with gratitude and that same sense of awe and wonder.

Here's a peek at the inside.  I just wanted to keep it fresh and clean and super simple. 

Supplies: 

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Scriptural Quotes
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Combo Offer/Farmhouse Signage
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Farm Meadow designer paper 
• Craft Consortium Watercolors 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix

Rejoice and Be Glad!

If you're like I am lately, you could use a little encouragement and a reminder that each and every day brings new mercies and another opportunity to rejoice and be glad.  We can find joy in the everyday simple things, and there is always something for which to be grateful.  That's the spirit of today's Stamp Simply project.  

We are approaching the hottest, most humid part of Summer, but as I sit at our breakfast table, the Zebra butterflies are fluttering and the hummingbird still visits the feeders.  I am savoring those sightings and realizing that there were a lot of simple joys in my busier BC (before Covid) life that I was too distracted to see so while I am struggling with cabin fever these days, it has its merits! Still, I am looking forward to Fall when the weather is cooler and we can enjoy dinner on the patio again.  

It was a delight to work with this Fall color scheme, beautiful leaves and accompanying scriptures stamps, and lovely Graphic 45 designer papers.  I used Copic markers to color the leaf and acorns,  and then added gold and clear Wink of Stella to deepen the shading and add some sparkle.  Fall truly is magical!  

I am so not a morning person, and since it usually takes a cup of coffee or tea for me to "rise and shine" I very nearly included one on the inside of this card, but ended up opting to keep it simple and stay with the leaves and acorns theme.  Fun either way!

Be sure to visit the Stamp Simply blog to see more Fall ideas from the rest of our design team!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Combo Offer/Stamp & Die Give Thanks
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Graphic 45 Farmhouse 8x8
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Copic markers
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Clear Glitter Marker
• Zig Wink of Stella Brush - Gold Glitter Marker
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• May Arts Burlap String - 10 yard Bundle
• Scrapbook Adhesives-3L 3D Self-adhesive Foam Squares - Mix
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue