simon says stamp - united we craft

So I gotta be honest. When the Corona virus came to town, my mojo just got up and went.

I know everyone has a load to bear during this. Mine is worrying about my Dad who I should be moving back to his house right now after his snowbirding for the winter. But that ain't happening. Instead he's hunkering down in his apartment in the senior living place. And I'm prayin' we make it through to the other side. Perhaps this is why I haven't been in my craft room.

But I was glad to get the kick in the butt to participate in this fabulous United We Craft Party Simon came up with. And getting a commission for a couple kids' Easter cards helped too. (Too funny, my friend texted me "Are you in home office? Could you make..." I'm always in home office ;)

Enter Faberge Egg die.  Which is from the recent Lucky to Know You release at Simon Says Stamp.

First up for a three-year-old. Can you spot the egg?!?

 SSS Faberge Egg die

SSS Happy die

fabric, thread, pom pom, googly eyes

Got the idea from Pinterest. Why not make the bunny's head with a nice big egg? Since I'd just been in a face mask sewing mode (here's where I got the pattern), I used some fabric scraps for the ears. And whiskers from all the threads I'd cut off while sewing! Even stitched the PP onto the cardbase. Sweet. Interactive (eyes) and tactile. (Inside reads "Easter" from the fancy part of the egg die.)

Then for the 7-year-old...

 SSS Faberge Egg die
Savvy grass die
Alexandra Renke rabbit die
Action Deutschland cloud die
Basic Grey PP, glitter CS, sequins

I thought she could have fun with the various layers (I glued two cardbases together to have three panels before die cutting). Even stamped some pink eggs all over the card so she could go on an egg hunt ;)

Of course for a girly card I couldn't not use some glitter cardstock and add some iridescent butterflies.

For more ideas using this fun die, take a look at this post.

I hope you are all doing OK with your "loads". Hang in there and craft away. An idea I thought I'd share with you... I put together packages of five hello/thinking of you/birthday cards from my stash (in recycled cellophane stamp set bags) and dropped them off in neighbors' mailboxes with a note saying "no time like the present to send a handwritten greeting to brighten someone's day".

United we got this!

simon says stamp classic bicycle - rainbow

I hope by now you've checked out the Simon Says Stamp Good Vibes release. I've got two more cards made with one of the fun dies from this release - Classic Bicycle.

Can you say ROYGBIV?

 Simon Says Stamp Classic Bicycle die

Savvy Stamps Flowers 1 die

Sizzix Nested Squares die

Neat and Tangled On the Strip 2 stamp

Hero Arts Enjoy Fruit stamp

distress inks

I'd wanted to use just a portion of the bike and had the idea of looking out a window at it. But that detoured into this more artistic version. Whatever. Pretty basic. Cut a mask. Stamped the stripes. Spritzed with perfect pearls/water mix. Adhered the die cuts. Adhered the frame. 

For the second card I die cut the bike from Neenah CS and Copic colored it with a rainbow. Easy peasy. I put this bike on a 4" circle card. Fits into a regular envelope.

Simon Says Stamp Classic Bicycle die

Simon Says Stamp Tilted Banners stamp

Copics (13 colors!)

washi

white embossing powder

That's all for now folks. Have you checked out the Simon Says Stamp blog for the entire release and hop yet? Thanks for coming by my blog today.

I'm taking these over to:
SSS Wednesday challenge - Bright and Cheerful
Fusion - Primary Bookcase

Just Add Ink - Window or Frame

Happy Little Stampers - June AG with Dies

spring is in the air - part 1

Well, it's in my air at least! As I write this we have had sunshine and blue sky (and freezing temps) the whole week. Can't help but think spring is coming. One of these days.

It helps that I got some happy mail from Alexandra Renke with some springtime dies too!

I had some pastel-y scraps just waiting to make it to a card so I decided my new Wandering Rabbit would get his very own scene.

 Alexandra Renke Wanderhase die

Essentials by Ellen Wild Garden die

Savvy Stamps Flower Blossom 1 die

Simon Says Stamp Heart in a Box with Love die

With the exception of the lightly inked rabbit, everything else was leftover and added to a leftover dip-dyed-in-leftover-Easter-egg-dye panel.

And then I had to move on to the new Berries die. Not that there are neon pink berries anywhere I know of, but I wanted to use my leftover marbled cardstock from this bloom. This Easter card was born.

 Alexandra Renke Berries and Wreath die

Papertrey Ink Easter stamp

Channeling my inner Renke DT, I kept it very white. There's a sentiment there tho, see it white heat embossed along the left edge?

And then since Easter was on my brain, why not use this wonderful new Cross in a Circle die? Another leftover dip-dyed-in-leftover-Easter-egg-dye panel and some of the less neon-y berries and voila!

Alexandra Renke Berries and Wreath die

Alexandra Renke Cross in a Circle die

Papertrey Ink Easter stamp

Hope you enjoyed. More coming tomorrow. A bit more neon-y...

I'm joining the fun over at:
AAA Cards - Die Cuts Only

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Make your own BG
Inspired by all the Little Things - #80

Die Cut Divas - Love is in the Air

reed bird swoon

Welcome to my post about a reed bird. He made me swoon when I finished coloring him. I hope he makes you swoon too. Fun word, eh?

Cuttlebug Thanks die

Memory Box Bird die

Savvy Grass die

SSS Thoughtful Messages stamp 

Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens

Gotta love that Perfect Pearls shimmer and what it does for colored die cuts...

Taking this card to:
#thedailymarker30day
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Layer it up (I layered layers of color on my birdie)
CUTplorations - January cuz of the colors
Tuesday Throwdown - Favorite Color (mine is magenta and the tones around it on the color wheel)
CASology - Swoon

an indigo mood board

The goddess of layers, Kate L, put together a fabulous moodboard, rich in layers and indigo hues. Have you seen it over on IG? I was quick on the take with a technique idea but slow with a design.

My self-imposed constraints for my crafting session were: two anniversary cards (needed) incorporating die cut die cuts (to play at Seven Hills Crafts June challenge). 

What catches your eye amidst that beauty? My eye was drawn to that gown. I saw die cut waste, gold embossing and distress inking! This is what I made.

The couple whose wedding I stood up to in a peach gown way back when gets a piece of peachy PP behind the die cut die cuts (one inked with Tea Dye and Festive Berries) and various bloom die cuts in navy on the smaller heart.

I stood up to this recipient couple's wedding in teal - couldn't make that happen here ;) Brought in more lines in a nod to that cool pant suit in the form of PP and washi. Used feathers on the smaller heart. And added some tiny red hearts to mimic a tab on the left. Hearts = love = anniversary.

Thanks for the inspiration Kate! And thanks for stopping by today.

heart dies

triangle die cuts

geometric stamp

blooms die

long leaf die

leafy branch die

tall numbers die

tiny heart/scallop die

feathers die

small numbers die

leftovers

Whether in the kitchen (to DS' chagrin) or in my craft room, leftovers never get thrown away! So after I'd finished this card, I decided to put the leftover bits and pieces to work framing a lovely sentiment.

I heat embossed the sentiment from STAMPlorations Strong Women gold and ever-so-lightly inked some Spun Sugar over it. Then I took a gold gel pen and drew a wonky frame.

I adhered the leftover Savvy Stamps Floral Blossom die cuts in a cluster in the lower right corner, adding a couple sequins for shine. The corners of the frame got a sequin leaf topped with a die cut leaf from the leftovers!

I'm joining the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday gallery and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where it's all about Flowers this month. Have a fabulous, flowery weekend!

mix it up

I'm mixin' it up for the challenge over at The CLASSroom at Ellen Hutson. We're to use product from #essentials by ellen and Savvy Stamps. I had these adorable little blooms from Flower Blossom Set 1 just waiting to be used. And don't they look sweet paired with that happy sentiment from Up the Happy? I think it works great for a birthday card!

I die cut the blooms, leaving them in the negative to make lightly inking them with Distress Inks (Pink Lemonade, Worn Lipstick, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters) easier.

Then I worked on arranging them, took a photo to remember where I wanted to place them, stamped my sentiment in Versafine Smokey Gray and then adhered the blooms with some going off the edge. Trimmed the edges. Then added the butterfly "up" top cuz it just felt right!

I'm also sharing this card at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Flowers
Cards in Envy (must be flat for mailing) - Just us Girls
CASual Fridays - celebrating their 5th Birthday Girl

Double D Challenge - Birthday/Mother's Day with this inspiration (yay for pink tulips!)

ETA: I'm back to add this to one more challenge I just found out about (thanks, Lindsey). Have you seen Anna's CASometry Challenge 2. This challenge is about using one stamp set for five cards. I'm going to give Up the Happy a good workout! Have a great day!

idea for mom

Sharing a published card with you today. Maybe for Mother's Day. Maybe just to say thanks.

Relied on PP for this one. The stripes are from Plus One by Amy Tangerine 12x12 and the floral for the die cut from Studio Calico Print Shop. The thanks die is Savvy and the Mom stamp STAMPlorations. A stream of heart confetti finished it off.

This was to be published in the May 2015 issue of Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking. Oh well.

STAMPlorations inspiration #4

Welcome to another inspiration project post. I've used the STAMPlorations set The Bee's Knees Newlyweds Extras.

I randomly stamped the sentiment from Sentiment Builders: Love on my base. Then I die cut LOVE (from Savvy Stamps) from a watercolored scrap. I stamped the engagement ring onto white and backed the O of the die cut with it. A couple PP strips grounded the sentiment. To continue with the engagement idea, I glued four gems onto the ends of my pink twine topping the card. A fun little extra!

There are more inspiration projects from the design team here. Choose a card to CASE and join the fun in the February CASE Playground. You very well might be the lucky random winner of a $15 GC!