a simple design for a simple stamped sympathy card

Summer programming ...

Here's a simple sympathy card using one of my favorite designs - a bloom with a sentiment as a stem. I've done this here and here and here too.

.Altenew Striped Florals stamp 

Kartenkunst Trauer stamp

Have a great weekend!

a simple design for a die cut sympathy card

Summer programming ...

Here's a simple sympathy card using a die cut to carry the design.

Winnie Walter Big Bold Comfort die

Winnie Walter Big Bold Comfort stamp

 I used a smooshed and splattered BG for the die cut to add some life to the dark color.

STAMPlorations inspiration #184

Back with one more inspiration post from the inspiration DT using a set from the latest release in July.  Today's card uses the wonderful Big Dreamer .

 STAMPlorations Big Dreamer stamp

Prismacolor colored pencils

washi and PP

You may recognize this design. Consider today's card the little sister to this one. I'd had the stamps on my MISTI so stamped it again, this time heat embossing the sentiment pink. I decided on the strip of floral washi for the bottom edge so colored the flowers accordingly. Decided to add the strip of B/W PP to pick up the black outline of the images.

A reminder that during the STAMP summer break, every Tuesday all stamps, dies and stencils in the shop are 15% off. Use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA to get an additional 20% off. One random commenter will win a $10 GC this month too.

I'm going over to Stamping Sensations cuz I'm using my favorite current blooms and sentiment stamp.

I'm stopping by at Kathy Rac's Coloring Contest (beginner category).

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

thanks a latte

Summer programming...

Here's a card I put together using lots of STAMPlorations goodies and an embossing folder. Did some no-line watercoloring with my Zigs.

STAMPlorations Floral Bliss stamp

STAMPlorations Coffee Cup Silhouette die

STAMPlorations Thanks a Latte die

woodgrain embossing folder

Zig clean color brush markers

Heads up! Our CUTplorations die cutting challenge starts up again in September - just keep watching!

I'm stopping by at Kathy Rac's Coloring Contest (beginner category).

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas - Silhouettes
Pinspirational - #222

life in full color birthday card

Summer programming...

Here's a card I put together using STAMPlorations Life in Full Color stamp set.

Might seriously be the easiest way to get a rainbow onto a one-layer CAS card. Remember this design if you need a birthday card in a hurry ;) Hope your week is going well. Ready for fall yet? The humiditiy here in MI let up for a day and we got a brief taste of the feel of autumn. Kinda liked it.

I'm taking this to:
Time Out - Bright

CASual Fridays - #206

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations inspiration #183

Back with another inspiration post from the inspiration DT. Did you see the latest release in July? I've got a couple more cards for you with those sets this month. Today I've used Brave One. But the smaller butterfly images.

 STAMPlorations Brave One stamp

Distress Inks

When I saw that sentiment I knew I had to pair it with the butterflies. So I created a rabble in an oval shape. Stamped them (and the sentiment) with Antique Linen. Did some messy watercoloring with yellow, oranges and pink. Added a few "trails" and splatters and rounded corners. Voila!

A reminder that during the STAMP summer break, every Tuesday all stamps, dies and stencils in the shop are 15% off. Use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA to get an additional 20% off. One random commenter will win a $10 GC this month too.

I'm going over to:

easy peasy birthday card layout with die cuts

Summer programming...

Here's another birthday card I put together for one of DD's girlfriends a couple years ago! Actually modeled it on a masculine card I'd made, just picked some pink papers.

I used a SSS happy die, MFT numbers, PTI birthday and alpha.  Happy weekend!

celebrate with sweet cravings

Summer programming...

Here's a birthday card I put together for one of DD's girlfriends (she's studying law enforcement, thus the blue cake!). CASEd myself.

STAMPlorations Sweet Cravings stamp

STAMPlorations Celebrate die

Concord and 9th Happy Day stamp

Copics

Thanks for coming by. I'm stopping by at Stampotique - Number it and Kathy Rac's Coloring Contest (beginner category).

STAMPlorations inspiration #182

Back with another inspiration post from the inspiration DT. We've got something a little different for you today. The Inspiration DT is trying their hand at Artist Trading Coins. In case you haven't run into these yet, here's a great video from the gal who came up with the idea.

Since this trendy form of Artist Trading Card also tends to go down the mixed media/artsy fartsy path, I decided to work with two artsy sets - the older Life in Full Color and the newest Art Expressions.

The deets, briefly. 2 1/2" in diameter. Two layers of cardboard with a PP piece on the reverse and a collaged piece on the front. You can personalize the reverse if you're trading them.

Great thing about these puppies, you can use up your scraps. I used an acrylic paint gelli print for my BG to collage on. Added some black and white splatters to it. Stamped. Added washi. Added die cuts. Added some pops of color with a red Sharpie. Fun, fun, fun. TIP: Prep your coin. Create your collage on the BG and as the last step, die cut the finished circle from the BG and adhere it to the coin (I used a glue stick). Much easier than working directly on the round coin.

Here are the coins individually.

 Art Expression

"c" from Fantastic word die

StazOn inks

washi

Life in Full Color

Art Expression

Bubble stencil

snippets

Life in Full Color
Art Expression
Fantastic word die

Art Expression
Scribbly Splattery Grunge
Incredible word die

Whaddyathink? Have you made these? Might you?

A reminder that during the STAMP summer break, every Tuesday all stamps, dies and stencils in the shop are 15% off. Use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA to get an additional 20% off. One random commenter will win a $10 GC this month too.

I'm going over to:
Creative Artiste - #41
Stamps and Stencils - Industrial Grungy
MFT Color Challenge - #99

encouragement card with ink smooshing

Summer programming...

Here's a quick card I put together for DS before an interview. Happy to report he was successful! If you're getting a law enforcement vibe, I was successful ;)

STAMPlorations Car - large stamp

Inkystamp Alltagsheldin stamp

Distress inks

Ink smooshing. Stamping. Voila! Thanks for visiting.

using wanderlust for a graduation card

Summer programming coming your way for a couple weeks ...

Here's a card I put together using STAMPlorations goodies perfect for a graduation/good luck card. DD's friend finished school and is working on a cruise ship this summer. Talk about a "grand adventure", eh?

STAMPlorations Born to Roam stamp

STAMPlorations Wanderlust stamp

STAMPlorations New Beginning stamp

Distress inks

washi/twine 

Masking. Sponging. Voila! Hope your day is grand! Thanks for visiting. I'm playing at Stempelkueche where the theme is Hooray!

STAMPlorations inspiration #181

Back with another inspiration post from the inspiration DT. Did you see the latest release in July? I've got a couple more cards for you with those sets this month. Today I've used Layered Watermelon. But not as a watermelon.

Meet today's creation.

 STAMPlorations Layered Watermelon stamp

STAMPlorations hugs die

Distress Inks

DH used to call me "hedgie" cuz of my short hair. So I have a soft spot for hedgehogs. Which in this case became hedge hugs :)

Stamped the watermelon slice. Used the edge to add a nose. Added eyes, nose and feet with a Sharpie. Stamped the seeds multiple times and called it a hedgehog.. Colored the die cut and added shimmer. And a tiny red heart.

A reminder that during the STAMP summer break, every Tuesday all stamps, dies and stencils in the shop are 15% off. Use my code STAMPGIRLMARIA to get an additional 20% off. One random commenter will win a $10 GC this month too.

I'm joining in at:
That's Crafty Challenge - Animal Magic
Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge - Feature a Creature
ATSAM - CAS

making multiples of cards

Maybe you caught my tutorial yesterday over at STAMPlorations for coloring with Prismacolor pencils on dark cardstock?

Well Jennifer M whispered to me (as I was about to remove the stamps from my MISTI after my first card) "make multiples". I think you may have heard me say that I love to reduce the average time per card by making a second (or third...) card once I've figured out a layout. Don't do it often enough. But this time I did.

I made a second card, this time stamped with black ink on a white cardbase and added some watercoloring using my Zigs.

 STAMPlorations Sparkly stamp

gold Smooch

gold glitter CS

Zig clean color real brush markers

I added some gold sparkle with Smooch and a strip of gold glitter CS along the edge to up the sparkle!

Thanks for looking. Hope you're having a great day!

I'm taking this over to:
AAA Cards - Rainbow

Inkspirational - 10 Minutes

spotlight on prismacolors on dark cardstock

I'm over at STAMPlorations today with a tutorial for how I created these Prismacolored jewels on a dark gray card.

I'm playing at:
AAA Cards - Rainbow

Inkspirational - 10 Minutes (stamp straight from acetate sheet, heat emboss, color, done)

simon says stamp diamond pattern - create a pattern 3

Thanks, Simon, for sending me a Diamond Pattern background stamp from the new release, Friendly Frolic, to play with. Continuing my search to see what I could come up with in terms of patterns, I came up with this idea to fill those empty spaces. This time with more stamped images.

SSS Diamond Pattern stamp

Sweet Stamp Shop Sparkle and Shine stamp
MFT border die
WPlus9 hello die
Lifestyle Crafts diamond die

Prismacolor colored pencils

Heat embossed the diamond pattern with sparkly powder. Stamped some solid sequins and embossed them too. Stamped the jewels and embossed with silver powder. Colored the jewels. And since I definitely had a sparkly, jewel thang going on, I die cut a sparkly border and sentiment and popped the sentiment onto a diamond shaped die cut!

Bling, bling!

Hope you've enjoyed my makes with this simple BG stamp. Check out the Simon Says Stamp blog for all the products in this release and tons of inspiration too. Thanks for visiting.

I'm playing at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG
Just Add Ink - Twist (I've combined a BG stamp and small stamps to create my original background)