...Enjoying Life...: 2023

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Celebrating STAMPtember With an Epic Blog Party!

Hi friends and Happy STAMPtember!

It's the best month of the year and I could not be more excited! If you don't know what STAMPtember is, it's a month long celebration of stamping, hosted by Simon Says Stamp, with exclusive new products, videos, collaborations with your favorite stamping companies, inspiration, special guests, giveaways, surprises and so much more!

Every crafter who is participating in this blog party is listed on Simon's blog here. Head over there to check out the list and find SO MUCH inspiration!

Yesterday, Simon released an amazing line of new products for this special month and I had the chance to play with some of them! I'm excited to share my cards but first, here's something fun for you!

FREE GIFT:

As you can see from the banner above, Simon is giving away their Autumn Cascade layering stencil set! Just search ssst221698 in their store, add one to your cart and use the code ACST at checkout! It's such a pretty stencil set! And there are lots of other free gifts and promotions throughout the blog party, so make sure to hunt them all down! This promo is valid until 11:59pm ET, on September 3rd.

MY CARDS:

I had so much fun playing with some of the STAMPtember exclusive products! First up is this beautiful die set called, Spindle Flower. I die cut all the pieces from white cardstock and used some pretty ink colors to shade-in the different floral pedals.

Next up is the Gliding Butterflies embossing folder and die set. I used ink blending for a rainbow effect with some gold accents.

My third card showcases the Patterned Circles stencil. More rainbow colors for a sweet, happy hello!

This next card features two new products. The Wonky Trapezoid cling stamp and the Holiday Typewriter sentiment stamp set. Now, I know a trapezoid isn't really a holiday image, but when you use a deep burgundy color and pair it with gold, I think it works!

Okay, here's my last card. To be honest, I don't make very many Halloween cards but this set is amazing! It's called Friendly Ghosts and comes with matching dies! It is so much fun to play with and I love how this card turned out! Those ghost are the cutest!

That's it for me! I hope I've given a few ideas for using some of the products from this amazing, STAMPtember release!

Enjoy the rest of the blog party and Happy STAMPtember!!!

STAMPtember RELEASE PRODUCTS:

Saturday, July 29, 2023

SSS Just a Note Release Blog Hop Day 2!

Hi Friends!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp, Just a Note release blog hop!

This is day 2 of the hop, so if you missed day 1, head over to Simon's blog post here. If you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, click here.

FREE GIFT:

As you can see from the banner above, Simon is offering a free gift with purchase! Use the code ART to receive the Handcrafted With Love stamp set for free with purchase! This offer is valid until July 30th at 11:59pm.

GIVEAWAY:

Simon is giving away a $25 gift certificate at every stop along the hop, from the comment sections! Be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win. Simon will announce the winners on their blog on Wednesday, August 2nd.

SIMON GALLERIES:

Did you know Simon has card galleries for each of their releases and their card kits, and even a video gallery? It's true, and you can add YOUR VERY OWN CARDS AND PROJECTS to these galleries! Here's a link to all the Simon Brand Galleries, and here's the link to the Just a Note Gallery. There is so much inspiration to see! I encourage you to check them out and add your own cards/projects as well!

MY CARDS:

I have a few simple cards to share with you today, using some products from this fabulous release! First up is this really fun cling stamp called, Ticking! I love thinking about the all possibilities with this stamp but for this card, I white embossed it and added some pretty ink blending. The friend sentiment is from an older release but the sub sentiment is from the new, So Swell stamp set.

Up next is this pretty die called, Fresh Cut Floral Stem. I started out with a light blue panel of cardstock and ink blended a darker shade of blue toward the right side. I love adding white splatters, especially with Perfect Pearls! It gives such a lovely shimmer!

My next card uses the Summer Bouquet stencil. This stencil is a beauty! I turned it just a bit and used more pretty ink colors. You can't go wrong using this gorgeous stencil! That Teacher sentiment is a new die set, aptly called Teacher.

Okay, so I wasn't even gonna share this last card but I think it's important for all card makers, especially beginners, to see that many of us who have been creating for a long time, can hate our results sometimes! I used the Gradient Dot embossing folder, which is VERY cool, with some simple ink blending and a sentiment from the So Swell stamp set. In my opinion, it turned out terrible! I cut around the sentiment, which I'm not very good at, (I did not have the matching dies) and my blending leaves a bit to be desired!

And it should also be stated that when Simon sends me products to play with, and asks me to participate in blog hops, I am soooo grateful and never take it for granted, so I always want to use EVERY product they send me. That way, I can help all of you find a few different ways to use those products.

Anyway, here is the card. I'll be hiding over in the corner, with my eyes covered, if you need me.

That's it for me! I hope I've given you a few ideas for using some of the products from this awesome release! Enjoy the rest of the hop and thanks so much for stopping by!

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog

NEW RELEASE PRODUCTS: Products are linked below - including affiliate links. This simply means that if you use one of my links when making a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support! More affiliate info here.

Saturday, June 24, 2023

SSS Out of This World Release Blog Hop Day 2!

Hi friends!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp Out of This World release blog hop!

This is day two of the hop. If you missed yesterday's hop, head to Simon's blog here. If you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, click here.

FREE GIFT:

As you can see from the banner above, Simon is offering a free gift with purchase! Follow the three steps above to get your free pack of Tim Holtz Distress Crayons! This offer is valid until June 25th at 11:59pm.

GIVEAWAY:

SIMON GALLERIES:

Did you know Simon has card galleries for each of their releases and their card kits, and even a video gallery? It's true, and you can add YOUR VERY OWN CARDS AND PROJECTS to these galleries! Here's a link to all the Simon Brand Galleries, and here's the link to the Out of This World Gallery. There is so much inspiration to see! I encourage you to check them out and add your own cards/projects as well!

MY CARDS:

I'm excited to share some cards with you today, using some of the products from this awesome release! Up first is the beautiful, Garden Spires embossing folder. I very carefully colored all the tiny, raised flowers and leaves with Copic Markers.

Next is the Folksy Cats stamp set. I white embossed the large floral image from the set and used a rainbow of colors to ink blend the background. The sentiment is included in the set.

This next card is simple but elegant. I used the Windswept Leaves die set, some fog cardstock and fog ink for shading, then added a bit of sparkle with a glitter pen.

More ink blending for this next card. I used the Twinkling Stars cling stamp, along with the Holding Space die set.

And for my last card, I played with the Patterned Squares stencil. I also used all six colors of Simon's new ink cube set called, Yellow Sunsets. The sentiment is from the Folksy Cats stamp set. It's a busy, crazy background but I think that's what makes it fun!

That's it for me. I hope I've given you a few ideas for using some of the products from this fabulous release!

Enjoy the last couple of stops on the hop and thank you so much for stopping by!

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Sunday, May 21, 2023

SSS Dear Friend Release Blog Hop Day 2!

Hi friends!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp, Dear Friend release blog hop!

I'm so happy you're here and I'm excited to share a few cards today, using some of the new release products!

This is a two day hop. If you missed yesterday's hop, head over to this post on Simon's blog to start. If you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, click here.

GIVEAWAY:

SIMON GALLERIES:

Did you know Simon has card galleries for each of their releases and their card kits, and even a video gallery? It's true, and you can add YOUR VERY OWN CARDS AND PROJECTS to these galleries! Here's a link to all the Simon Brand Galleries, and here's the link to the Dear Friend Gallery. There is so much inspiration to see! I encourage you to check them out and add your own cards/projects as well!

MY CARDS:

First up is the Supercalifragilistic stamp set. This set is perfect to create a card for anyone who is struggling with life's tougher times. It also adds a bit of humor, which can definitely make someone feel better. I used Copic Markers and a matching, Simon ink for this fun, pink card! Hope you enjoy my yummy, strawberry margarita!

Next up is this darling set called, Howdy. I created a cute, little scene with Copic Markers, then fussy cut the images (yes, even the sun) to adhere to the background.

My next two cards showcase the Fancy Hello die set. I created a couple of edge to edge shaker cards. I also used Simon's new ink CUBES! There are two sets of six ink cubes in this release - pinks and grays. First up - the Pink Blooms set.

And now for the Gray Skies set.

Simon also sent me some really cute products that I love, along with the ink cubes. They now have adorable, Embossing Clothespins and the cutest, Paws-It, Sticky note Pad! How fun is that?!

Okay, that's it for me. I hope I've given you some ideas on how to use a few of the products from this fun release! Thank you so much for stopping by!

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Saturday, March 18, 2023

SSS Just For You Blog Hop Day 2!

Hi friends!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp, Just For You release blog hop! I'm so happy you're here!

This is day 2 of the hop, so be sure to stop by Simon's blog here to check out all the inspiration from yesterday's hop. And if you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, click here.

FREE GIFT:

As you can see from the banner above, if you shop during the hop and spend $40 or more, you'll get $7 off your purchase! Use code: GREEN at checkout. This promotion ends at 11:59pm on 3/19.

GIVEAWAY:

Simon is also giving away a $25 gift certificate at every stop along the hop, from the comment sections! Be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win. Simon will announce the winners on their blog on Wednesday, March 22nd.

SIMON GALLERIES:

Did you know Simon has card galleries for each of their releases and their card kits, and even a video gallery? It's true, and you can add your very own cards and projects to these galleries! Here's a link to all the Simon Brand Galleries, and here's the link to the Just For You Gallery. There is so much inspiration to see! I encourage you to check them out and add your own cards/projects as well!

MY CARDS:

This release is so fun and I loved playing with some of the products! First up is the Quilted Cling Stamp. What a cool stamp this is! I chose to use Copic Markers for a fun and graphic design, but just imagine all the awesome backgrounds you could create with this stamp!

Next up is the adorable, Magical Spring Stamp Set. What a cute set! So fun to color! I did not have the dies, so I fussy cut all the images before adhering them to my ink blended card panel.

For my third card, I used the Mushroom Stems Die Set. Again, colored with Copics. And that sentiment is from the So Sorry Stamp Set.

Last but not least is the Spring Florals Hot Foil Plate. I love this one! It foils so beautifully! I used some blue foil and colored the images with similar blue Coipcs. I left the background plain to really show off those pretty flowers!

And that's it for me! I hope I've given you a few ideas on how to use some of the products from this awesome release! Enjoy the rest of the hop and thanks so much for the visit!

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Barb Engler you are here

Kim Hamilton

Jessica Vasher

Friday, February 17, 2023

SSS Be Creative Release Blog Hop Day 1!

Hi friends!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp, Be Creative release blog hop! What a fun release this is! So many awesome products to choose from!

This is day 1 of a 2-day hop so don't forget to stop by Simon's blog tomorrow for day 2 with a ton more inspiration! If you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, head here to Simon's blog post.

FREE GIFT:

As you can see from the banner above, if you shop during the hop, you'll receive Simon's "Handcrafted With Love" 3x4 stamp set for free, with any purchase! Use the code: ART4U at checkout. This promotion ends at 11:59 pm ET on 2/19.

GIVEAWAY:

SIMON GALLERIES:

Did you know Simon has card galleries for each of their releases and their card kits, and even a video gallery? It's true, and you can add your very own cards and projects to these galleries! Here's a link to all the Simon Brand Galleries, and here's the link to the Be Creative Gallery . There is so much inspiration to see! I encourage you to check them out and add your own cards/projects as well!

MY CARDS:

I've got three cards to share today, using 6 products I received from the new release. The one thing I didn't get a photo of is Simon's new Storage Envelopes. I LOVE THEM! They are a larger size and very sturdy, durable and so well made. Just wanted you to know that.

Okay, for my first card, I used the darling, Vitamin Sea stamp set. I did not have the coordinating dies, so I fussy cut all the images after coloring them with Copic Markers. Then I adhered them to an ink blended background. This is such an adorable set and so fun to play with!

Up next is the Brush Strokes stencil. I love the possibilities with this product! I paired it with the new, Journaling Sentiment Strips and some pretty inks from Simon, for a rainbow effect on an encouraging card! And to hold my stencil and paper in place, I used the new Stamp and Stencil Mat.

My third and final card uses two more fun products! The Angularium Cling stamp and the Simply Fabulous Die set. It's a simple card but I do love that Seafoam Ink color!

And that's it for me! I hope I've given you a couple ideas for using some of the products from this wonderful release! Don't forget tomorrow is day 2 of the hop, starting on Simon's blog!

Enjoy the rest of today's hop and thank you so much for stopping by!