Category: Encouragement Cards

Simon Says Stamp DieCember 2024 Blog Party

Hello Friends and welcome to the SSS DieCember Blog Party! We have a EPIC party going on today with tons of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing! There’s also a free gift with a $100 DieCember purchase! No code necessary, it will automatically be added to your cart once the dollar amount is met. Please see the attached graphic below for all of the details. You can begin the hop at Simon’s website to soak up all of the inspiration from Simon’s awesome designers! My project today is featuring the new Hanging Leaf Ring, so let’s go ahead and get into the details!

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

In October I made a shadow box frame and since then, I’ve been itching to make another! The cute flowers and leaves from the Hanging Leaf Ring set seemed to be begging for their place in a frame, so that’s what I set out to do! I die cut around thirty five of the various sizes of flowers for this project and did some light ink blending on most, while a small few had some darker ink blending. The colors that I used were Bubblegum, Carnation, Seafoam, Ocean, Cantaloupe and Sherbet.

Once all of the ink blending was complete, I assembled the pieces of the largest flowers and added an Opal Dazzling Gem to the center of each flower. It’s a lot of flowers, but it actually went fairly quickly! I die cut a few of the leaves from this set using Smoke cardstock, along with a few leaves using the Budding Branches die.

While I was die cutting, I went ahead and cut the sentiment twice from Neenah 110lb cardstock and cut the shadow twice from black cardstock. All of the pieces were adhered together using liquid glue, and I went ahead and put foam strips on the back.

Now that all of the components were ready, I cut a panel of Neenah 110lb cardstock and splattered it with some black acrylic ink before beginning the assembly process. I began by figuring out the center and glued the leaves in place before adhering the sentiment. I then adhered the eight larger flowers and then adhered the remaining smaller flowers around everything.

To finish up, I added more Opal gems to the berry portion of the Budding Branches and put the panel back into the frame. That does it for this project! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I really love how this turned out and am wanting to make one for myself.

Don’t forget to head over to Simon’s storefront to check out the entire DieCember release! And .. don’t forget to head over to Simon’s website for the Blog Party. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day!

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Simon Says Stamp Autumn Blessings

Hello Crafty Friends and welcome back! Simon’s latest release, Festive Fun, is live and I’m back today with a project featuring the new Abundant Leaf Background. Let’s go ahead and get into the details!

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

I began this project by cutting the Abundant Leaf Background two times from Neenah 110lb cardstock. While the die cuts were still in the panel, I did some ink blending using Honey, Latte, Limelicious, Melon and Zest inks. As you can tell from these colors, I was going for a fall vibe on this one. You’ll see later on where I did a more springy version. Once the ink blending was complete, I cut the stems apart so that I could arrange them how I wanted.

My background was created using the Chunky A2 Scalloped Rectangles with a bunch of gold splatter. I began arranging the leaves in a side arch to determine what sentiment I might use. I cut the Grateful sentiment once from gold cardstock and twice from Neenah 110lb cardstock, and cut the shadow portion twice as well. All of those were adhered together using liquid glue and set aside while I assembled the card.

The background panel was adhered to the card base, and I began gluing the leaves to the panel. The sentiment was adhered using foam strips and I added this sub-sentiment, which is from the new Gratitude Sentiment Strips, using foam strips as well. I used the included smaller die to cut green “berries” and added those to the card, as well as some gold metallic pearls in some spaces for some added shine.

That does it for this one! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Don’t forget to head over to Simon’s website to check out the entire Festive Fun release! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Simon Says Stamp Everything is Okayer Now

Hello! Hello! Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m back today with a project featuring the new Coffee Time set. Are you a coffee drinker? If so, this set is definitely for you! I’m loving all of the fun sentiments in this set! Let’s go ahead and go through the details!

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

For the background on this one, I used the SSS Brush Strokes stencil along with SSS Pawsitively Saturated Ink in Latte, Cappuccino and Mocha. Once the ink blending was complete, I used the SSS Postage Stamp Edge Frames to trim it down. I stamped the coffee mug and the sentiments from the SSS Coffee Time set using VersaFine Onyx Black ink and heat set those using Ranger Clear Embossing Powder. I used the coordinating dies to trim those out, cutting the sentiments two more times for that stacked look.

I decided that I wanted some other coffee cups, and the only one that I could find is from the SSS Happy Fall Y’all set. So, I stamped that one twice and did the same heat setting, and colored it in using Copics E31, E37, C1, C2, C3, G21 and G24.

Before assembling the card, I did splatter the base using TH Distress Mica Spray in Crooked Broomstick. The striped panel was adhered, and all of the elements on the front of the card were adhered using foam strips to finish up.

A super simple card for today! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it inspires you to get crafty in your space! Head on over to Simon’s website to check out the entire STAMPtember release! Thanks again for joining me, and I hope you have a fabulous day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember Collaboration with Alex Syberia Designs

Hello Crafty Friends, and welcome back to my blog! Are you enjoying STAMPtember?!? What are your favorite products from the release? Which collab sets have been your favorites? I’d love to know in the comments! Today’s collab set is featuring the awesome Alex Syberia Designs! Alex has some beautiful floral designs, and this set absolutely does not disappoint! Let’s run through the details for how I created this one!

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

I began by stamping the floral image onto a panel of watercolor paper twice using VersaMark Ink and heat set it using SSS Detail White Embossing Powder. I then used Karin Markers and a water brush to color the images. Once the images were dry, I did the tedious fussy cutting! For the background, I used the SSS Postage Stamp Edge Frames and cut a panel of Neenah 110lb cardstock and splattered it using gold acrylic ink.

The splattered panel was adhered to the card base, and I began deciding on the layout for the card. As I always say, I needed more leaves, so I cut some gold leaves using Alex Syberia Designs Classic Foliage set. I glued the leaves in place and adhered the florals with foam tape for added dimension. I worked my way from the top of the card to the bottom, tucking in the leaves along the way.

The sentiment is from my stash, and it was created using the PinkFresh Studio Wonderful Sentiments set and some gold foil. When foiling sentiments, I usually create a bunch at once and then just put them in a storage container until I’m ready to use them. It’s just a little time saver that I find to be quite helpful. To finish up, the sentiment was adhered to the card using liquid glue.

That does it for this one! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I rarely color or watercolor very often anymore, so this was a nice change for me! Don’t forget to head on over to Simon’s website to snatch up your collab set from Alex, because once they’re gone, they’re gone! Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you have a fabulous day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Simon Says Stamp Give Thanks Pumpkin

Hello Crafty Friends, and welcome back! Simon’s STAMPtember release has dropped, and I’m curious what your favorites are? If you know me, you know that the florals and leaves are my favorites! Today’s project is featuring the new Give Thanks & Eat Pie set that I used in a different way. Let’s run through the details, shall we?

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

This stamp set really isn’t my style, but I had the idea of putting the pilgrim hat on top of a pumpkin, so that’s the direction that I went! I began this project by die cutting the SSS Layered Pumpkin from Neenah 110lb cardstock, assembling the pumpkin and ink blending it using SSS Pawsitively Saturated Ink in Cantalope, Sherbet and Nutmeg.

I also die cut some leaves from green and brown cardstock using the SSS Lush Leaves and the SSS Arching Leaf Border. Those were ink blended as well using Artichoke and Mocha ink. I stamped the pilgrim hat, which is a layered stamp set, using the Mocha ink along with Clay, Buttercream and Black. Once the stamping was done, I fussy cut the hat and set that aside. I needed another smaller pumpkin and a sentiment, so I went to the SSS Happy Fall Y’all set and stamped those elements using VersaFiny Onyx Black ink and heat set them using Ranger Clear Embossing Powder. Those were cut out using the coordinating dies and set aside as well. In trying to link to the Happy Fall Y’all set, it would appear that this set has been discontinued, unfortunately.

The background panel uses the SSS Stitched Whirl Background along with some splatter from TH Distress Mica Spray Crooked Broomstick. Now to assemble the card! I began by gluing the background leaves in place first and then the large pumpkin, and next were the other leaves. The smaller pumpkin was tucked in and glued in place, while the hat and the sentiment were adhered using foam strips. The panel was then adhered to a brown panel before being adhered to the card base to finish up.

That finishes up this project! Not all stamp sets are going to be your style, but it’s fun to think of different ways to use the elements. Don’t forget to head on over to Simon’s website to check out the entire STAMPtember release! Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you have an awesome day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Spellbinders Autumn Health & Happiness

Hello Crafty Friends and welcome back! Have you checked out the Spellbinders September releases? So many awesome things to feast your eyes upon! Today’s project is featuring the new Autumn Rain BetterPress Plate and coordinating stencil, in some warm fall colors. So, let’s get into it!

NOTE: all supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

I began this project by inking up the Autumn Rain plate with Seafoam ink and then using the stencil to add color to the leaves and umbrellas using Sunbeam, Citrine, Melon and Cantaloupe ink. Once the ink blending was complete, I trimmed the panel using Fluted Classic Rectangles. I should mention that the color added to the handles of the umbrellas was leftover ink on a grey blending brush.

The sentiment is from the Making Me Smile Sentiments set and that was gold foiled onto black cardstock. It was trimmed out several times and adhered together for a stacked look. I adhered the sentiment to the panel using foam strips, and the panel was then adhered to the card base. To finish up, I added some gold pearls for some bling and added some shimmer to the rain using a Wink of Stella brush.

That doe sit for this one! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Don’t forget to check out all of the Spellbinders September releases! Thanks again for joining me, and I hope you have a fabulous day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Simon Says Stamp Adulting is Hard

Welcome back, Friends! It’s a beautiful STAMPtember, and I’m curious what your favorites are so far? As we all know, there are tons of new things the entire month, so be sure to stay tuned for those. Today’s card is featuring the fun, new Coffee Time set, so let’s get into it!

NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

I began this project by stamping the coffee cup from the Coffee Time set a bunch of times using VersaFine Onyx Black ink and heat setting it with Ranger Clear Embossing Powder. I also stamped the sentiments from the set using the same ink and powder. I die cut the coffee mugs and die cut the sentiments three times to achieve the stacked sentiment look.

Once all of the mugs were cut, I got busy coloring them using Copic Markers in RV55, V05, Y13, Y17, YG13, G14, BG11, BG13, BV00, BV02 and E23. I also die cut the SSS Artwork Grid Plate twice from Neenah 110lb cardstock and adhered those to the card base using liquid glue. As I was playing around with the layout of the card, I decided that it would be super cool if each square had a corresponding color of splatter. For some reason, I must like making things hard for myself!

I took the card to the splat box and pulled out the TH Distress Oxide Sprays in Picked Raspberry, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Broken Chine and Wilted Violet. I worked one square at a time and “masked” off everything else using paper towels. Yes, this took some time, but I’m quite happy with how it turned out! Everything on the card front was then adhered using foam tape to finish up.

That does it for this one! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it inspires you to get creative in your space! Head on over to Simon’s website to check out the entire STAMPtember release! Thanks again for stopping by, and don’t forget to stay awesome!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Spellbinders Argyle Paperwhites

Hello Crafty Friends and welcome back! The Spellbinders September releases are live, and I’m back today with a project featuring the new Paperwhites Glass Vase and Dies from Susan Tierney-Cockburn’s Winter’s Grace Garden Collection. Let’s go ahead and jump into the details!

NOTE: all supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

This was my first time working with Susan’s flowers, and I just have to say, they are absolutely wonderful to work with! I love that she provides a video on the product page and offers guidance on how to shape, color and assemble the elements. This set does include a vase and a bulb, but I opted to use only the flower dies for my card today. I die cut eight flowers from Neenah 110lb cardstock and used the Sizzix Shaping Kit to soften and curl the petals. For the stamen, I used Copic Marker Y38 to color those a golden yellow before assembling.

I assembled all of my flowers and began working on the rest of the card. I used the Argyle Plaid 3D Embossing Folder for the background, and I used Sealed Blooming Stems for the leaves, which were cut from Sage cardstock. The sentiment is from the You Are Everything Sentiments BetterPress set, and that was gold foiled.

The background panel was adhered to the card base, and I began securing the leaves with liquid glue, while adhering the flowers with a foam square. The sentiment was adhered with foam strips, not that this card needed any more dimension! To finish up, I added some clear drops for a little bit of shine.

Like I said earlier, this is the first time that I’ve used Susan’s flowers, and I’m blown away by the dimension! This is definitely a hand deliver type of card!

That does it for this project. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Head on over to the Spellbinders site to check out all of the new items in the September release. Lots of fun things! Thanks again for joining me, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Spellbinders Withered Viburnum

Hello Friends, and welcome back! I’m back today with a card featuring the new Withered Viburnum from the Winter’s Grace Garden collection from Spellbinders. This is such a beautiful set from Susan Tierney-Cockburn, and I just loved adding sparklies for the berries! Let’s go ahead and go through the details.

NOTE: all supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

I began this project by cutting the leaves from Fern cardstock, and cutting the berry portion from Indigo cardstock. I did end up cutting the leaves several times for a fuller spray. Once the cutting was complete, I did some ink blending on the leaves using SSS Pawsitively Saturated Inks in Cabernet and Kale.

Like I said earlier, I added jewels to the berry portions and then went to work on the rest of the card. The background was created using the Leafy 3D Embossing Folder and I lightly ink blended some Sprout ink on that before splattering it with some gold acrylic ink.

The sentiment, which is from the Making Me Smile Sentiments set, was gold foiled onto black cardstock and die cut several times using the included die. I adhered the background panel to the card base and then began the layout.

The leaves were adhered first and the berry clusters were adhered next, tucking those in as needed. To finish up, the sentiment was adhered with foam strips for dimension.

That does it for this one! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it inspires you to get crafty in your space! Don’t forget to head over to the Spellbinders website to catch all of the September releases! Thanks again for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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Spellbinders Picture Perfect Sunflowers Large Die of the Month

Hello Crafty Friends, and welcome back! Thanks so much for stopping by! The September Large Die of the Month from Spellbinders is titled Picture Perfect Autumn, and for today’s project, I only used the sunflowers from the set. You can check out my last post to see the scene that I created with more elements from this set.

If you are not familiar with the Spellbinders Clubs, here’s a little bit about how it works ..

  • On the 6th of the month, Non-Club members can join the club and get this month’s Club product(s) at the reduced Club Member price with free shipping.
  • On the 27th of the month, registration for this month’s club products closes.
  • On the 10th of the next month, Club products become available to everyone without requiring a Club membership; however, they are available at regular price and there is no free shipping. If a product is sold out, it will be re-ordered.

NOTE: all supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.

Even though I’m only featuring the sunflower today, I think it’s great to look at sets and think of different ways that you can use them. To begin these cards, I die cut the sunflowers from yellow cardstock and cut the centers from a dune colored cardstock.

When I was done cutting, I did some ink blending on the pieces using SSS Pawsitively Saturated Ink in Citrine, Clay and Woodsy. Those pieces were then adhered together using liquid glue. For the leaves on these cards, I opted to use the Sealed Leaf Sprigs and cut a bunch of those from two colors of green cardstock.

My background was created using the Leafy 3D Embossing Folder, along with some splatter and those were adhered to the card bases before assembly. The sentiments that I used were already made, because I like having a stash of sentiments on hand to choose from. These were created from the You are Everything Sentiments BetterPress Plate and the Faith Glimmer Sentiments, along with gold and matte gold foil. When trying to link the faith sentiments, I was unable to find those, so I think those must have been discontinued, unfortunately. Whenever I create sentiments, I do cut them three times and stack them for more sturdiness.

To assemble the card, I arranged and glued the leaves in place, adhered the flowers using foam tape, and glued the sentiments atop the leaf stems.

That does it for this set of cards! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it inspires you to look at your die sets a little bit differently! Don’t forget to head over to the Spellbinders website to check out all of the Clubs that they have to offer! They really are a great value! Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Affiliate links used at no cost to you. What does this mean? If you use the links within this post to make a purchase, I receive a small commission, which allows me to continue to post crafty content for your enjoyment. I truly appreciate your support!

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