Happy Striped Anniversary!!!

It's a brand new week, and time for a new challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show. From thick to thin, multi-colored, or monochromatic, stripes are all over the place in most crafter’s supply stashes. Show us yours by making stripes out of strips of cardstock, buying striped papers, or even using a background striped stamp. And, if you’re feeling really adventurous, you could cross your stripes and create a plaid. What ever your choice for using them, we want to see "Stripes" this week. 
The format is also changing a little bit for winning. There will still be one randomly picked winner for the $50 voucher, but instead of having a 'Top Three' there will now be "Spotlight Artists". This means there is a chance for multiple winners based on whatever we like from your project, be it color, technique, product, even post write up. The DT is now looking for different exceptional qualities, and not just the best looking project. Doesn't that sound wonderful???

Although I have several striped papers lingering about in my cave, I wanted to use one of the many striped stamps I have laying around. I went with one from Wendy Vecchi's Quality Art set on this postcard made for a 50th anniversary for a friend's parents.

I just love all the Kaiser Craft wood products. These postcards are so much fun. I used lots of Wendy stamps and Ranger Archival to stamp on the front and back.

 

I used the striped image from Wendy's Quality Art Set, and heat embossed it.

I cut a heart from chipboard, and stained it and more Kaiser wooden pieces and then stamped over them.

I also stained the postcard in Barn Door, and gave it some water splotches.

I inked the edges of everything using Black Soot Distress, and added stained lace and Tim's Idea-ology Numerals.

I color washed some Prima flowers and added a little sheen to them as well with Perfect Pearls Mist.

 

Are you feeling stripey this week? If so, create a project with stripes on it, and then enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the many  "Spotlight Artists" for this challenge. Good luck, and don't forget to check out the other Design Team member's blogs to see how they have striped up their project!

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

A Krafty Manly Layout

Happy happy happy Monday "KRAFTERS"!!! Simon Says Stamp & Show DT member Sandra wants to see some "Kraft" this week! From paper to stickers or even chipboard, any loose interpretation of kraft is welcome here. This would be a great challenge to break out the Ranger Inkssentials Kraft Tags, or some of Tim’s Chit-Chat Stickers, or even some plain chipboard or corrugated cardboard. Even a grocery bag made of kraft brown paper would be awesome! The krafty field is wide open, and it is up to you to decide how and what you’ll make this week.

Are you shocked to see a scrapbook page? I was shocked to make one..actually two...but since Father's Day just rolled around and I was asked to design a layout for a few classes, I thought this challenge would be perfect to combine with it. 

Besides the regular kraft paper, there is corrugated kraft paper here too, which makes the best texture ever! I just love all of these Tim and Wendy manly stamps with Wendy's sentiment.

 

 

This is another variation I did in all metallics.

If you are like me, and love vintage style Art and crafting, then I know you have Kraft paper items lying around. Make a project with them, and then enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and don't forget to check out the other Design Team member's blogs and see what KRAFT they've made this week. There are some absolute beautiful makes!

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Up Up & Away Again! Project 2

It's time for Part Deux of my Guest Designer Projects for The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog! This is a sneaky peek, and the whole thing can be seen at the main site here. Are you seeing a theme develop? If not, go back and look at Project 1 and then you will see it. 

Many thanks for looking everyone, and for all the wonderful comments on the last one...much appreciated!!!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Button Up And Dream In Color!

Monday Monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)!...sorry couldn't help it! I am still so happy from all the wonderful comments from last weeks post! Thank you truly for being so kind to me everyone! You all mean so much, and your words have a huge impact on me. 

It's time for another challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show! From wood to paper, sparkly to plain, or just one to a whole handful, this week we challenge you to "Use a Button" on your next project.

I have soooo many buttons, and jars of them! I actually poured them all out searching for matching sets to use on this project. It was actually therapeutic and I even gathered a few new ideas along the way looking at buttons I hadn't seen or noticed in so long. I love the way buttons can become makeshift flowers or whatever else you want them to be. The ideas are limitless!

Using the new Burlap Panels from Tim's District Market collection, I gave it a coat of Claudine's Black Gesso.

I stamped a Wendy flower border from Stamper's Anonymous using Picket Fence Distress Paint from Ranger.

Then I stamped Tim's Butterflies using a rainbow of Distress Paints, as well as his Dream sentiment. The spinners from Idea-ology were painted with Mustard Seed and adhered, then came the American Crafts Metallic Glittery Buttons. I had vintage crystal knobs in my stash that came from my husband's grandmother's house. I added another button to the inside of the top knob, that I painted with Picked Raspberry.

 

 

So many of us have jars of buttons just waiting to be used in our projects. If you have buttons lying around, make a project with them, and then enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and don't forget to push the other buttons on your keyboard to go and look at the other Design Team Member's projects this week. They have made projects worthy of a shout out and certainly should not be buttoned up about! ;0)

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Hi Yo Silver, Away!

S is for Simon, stamping, stains, stars, and so much more. This week, however you choose, the idea is to be "Inspired by the letter S", or simply use a product that starts with an S. Perhaps you could share a technique that is your Specialty. Maybe you are inspired to create something Sassy or title your piece with a word beginning with S. From shabby to stamped, silly to seaside,there is a lot of inspiration in this letter. Let’s see what you’ve got! 

S is for silver! S is for steampunk! S is for saying thanks! ;0)

I'm so grateful for this challenge, as I've had no mojo at all for weeks and have been darn right SAD about it. So the letter S forced me to SEARCH out some things, and I've been so far behind on thank yous, projects, gifts...well pretty much everything...so once I found this quote in a book I purchased in England, Mr. Mojo paid me a short visit.

I rarely use Ranger's Inkssentials Black Surfaces tags. I should, but I don't, so this was a good time. I used a #10 Jumbo size, and coated it with Tim's Brushed Pewter Metallic Distress Paint in a basket weave type pattern.

I used a few Sizzix Texture Fades and a Texture Trade to emboss the tag. I really had to finagle things around to get the design I wanted.

This looks golden, but it's silver...bad lighting. I lightly sanded the raised portions, and to my delight the paper stayed black underneath! I gave the edges a light Distress Paint in Black Soot to define the tag more.

I coated a scrap piece of black cardstock with the Brushed Pewter, dried it, and then stamped and heat embossed Tim's Balloon Image from Stamper's Anonymous, using Ranger's Black Embossing Powder.

Then I added some texture to the balloon with the Gears Texture Fade.

I coated the whole tag with Rock Candy Distress Crackle...love the effect.

I painted some Idea-ology letters and metal using the same Distress Paints, and added those to the tag, along with a computer generated sentiment that I added to the bottom of the tag.

   

 

 

So many creative items, techniques, and mediums start with the letter "S", so this challenge should be a very easy one to join in on if you feel so inclined to participate. If you do, you just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and if you are looking for some sensational work to be inspired by, please visit the other Design Team Member's blog, and be prepared to be stunned by the super work they have shown!

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Up Up & Away! Project 1

Way across the pond, there is a special place called The Artistic Stamper Creative Store & Art Bar, and the owner of said store Jennie Boxall, had asked me months ago to Guest Design for the store's blog, The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog, and of course I SQUEALED, "YES YES YES!", and I received a plethora of stamps to work with! Talk about generous! BUT, I had to put her off for several months as I was just swamped with commitments. So finally, I was able to commit, and here is a sneaky peek at my first project, and the rest of it can be seen here.
Many many thanks to Jennie and Emma (The right hand lady!) for putting up with me, and having so much patience! I am deeply honored you asked me to showcase many of your FABULOUS stamps!!!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!