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Thursday, October 8, 2026

Fall in Love with This Wreath Card Two Different Ways {Simon Says Stamp}

Hey crafty friends! The fall season is upon us, whether the weather feels like it where you live or not. (I live in the OR NOT region. Sigh.) Today's cards are seasonally perfect for fall, and yet depending on the colors you choose, they are seasonally perfect ALL year long, which means they are versatile and a worthy investment in your crafty stash. Gotta love that, right?

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!

I've created two similar cards but they're created in different ways, so whether you're a die-hard die-cutter or a stenciling sweetie, there's an option for you. Both cards showcase the new Leafy Wreath stencil and Detail Leafy Wreath die, which can be used together or separately in a lot of super cute ways. Both products are brand new from Simon Says Stamp's latest collection, called Sending Cheer. Let me show you what I did...

First up, is the stencil version. This is a simple single layer stencil that is quick and easy to use. I chose a variety of autumn-friendly peach and orange shades and blended the colors together over the wreath. Other ideas for this stencil: 1.) Change up the colors (leafy greens, springy pastels etc.) 2.) Add some die-cut shapes (hearts, berries, stars etc.) to give it a stronger holiday or special occasion theme 3.) Spread a paste over the stencil for a textural wreath.

Next, is the second version of this card, featuring die-cutting. This die creates the outline shape as well as the leaves. I die-cut it from a similar variety of fall colors and pieced it together. The beauty of this idea is that you're left with quite a few pieces to make multiple cards by mixing and matching the colors. To complete both cards, I used the Showboat Thank You die with some dimensional glaze on the sentiment, and then a scattering of sequins. Remember another option would be to sort of combine these two card ideas - by stenciling the wreath and then adding the die-cut outline over the top. Lots of fun ways to combine these two products!

Don't miss out on any of the Sending Cheer fun:

Shop the entire Sending Cheer collection, available NOW
Stop by the Simon blog for the two-day blog hop, on Friday Oct 9 and Saturday Oct 10, plus an Instagram hop on Friday Oct 13th!
Join Simon Says Stamp for a YouTube Livestream at noon EDT, Friday October 9.
After you shop and create, be sure to share your beauties here in the SSS Gallery:https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/simon-brand-galleries/sending-cheer-2026-gallery/

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards:

Detail Leafy Wreath die

Leafy Wreath Stencil

or buy the stencil and dies in a bundle

Showboat Thank You

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Large Blending Brushes

I absolutely love these large blending brushes.

They are super soft and apply ink to cardstock smoothly!

Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue

the BEST glue for adhering tiny pieces, and it lasts a super long time!

If you loved today's ideas, check out this post where I created a similar set of "same card two ways" using a winter snowflake. Stop by this blog post to check it out!

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Are You Ready for a Giant STAMPtember PARTY?! {Simon Says Stamp}

Hey there party people!

Ready to cue the confetti?

It's STAMPtember at Simon Says Stamp, which means:

crafty friends, crafty inspiration, crafty giveaways, crafty videos and tutorials, crafty collaborations, crafty new products and one heck of a CRAFTY PARTY! I'm so pleased to be part of today's epic STAMPtember blog party, in which you will find not only darling cards and crafting ideas but GOODIES too. In fact, you'll find a great little freebie at the end of this blog post so stick with me, party peeps! But first, onward to today's cards.

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!

In honor of YOU, my crafty friends, I created this card for today because crafty friends ARE the best friends! These adorable little critters are the perfect way to kick off our crafty month. I kept them clean and simple as proof that even if you aren't a colorer, you can still make super cute cards with stamps that at first glance might "need to be colored."

In the background of both of today's cards, I used the new Notched A7 Rectangles dies as a stencil to ink a simple but colorful background. It gives my crafty critters a place to land, and adds a pop of color and personality.

To make a stencil with your dies: simply die-cut a shape, (in this case the Notched Rectangles,) from scrap cardstock. Leave enough border on all sides of the cut shape, because you'll use the negative space to blend ink into, and you don't want to go over the outer edge of cardstock. This is a fun way to get new life out of your stash of dies, and it's a great technique when you want to create thin or one layer cards. What shape dies do you have that would look awesome blended in ink? Try it today!

There's so much to celebrate during STAMPtember at Simon Says Stamp, and I have a little gift for you to kick off the month! This adorable Groovy Happy Birthday dies is free with any purchase - follow the steps in the graphic below to claim your die set. (This set would look great paired with the die-cut stencil idea I just shared with you too!)

Be sure to stop by the Simon blog today to find the MEGA list of party participants (and see the crafty inspirations plus gifts they have to share!) and then stay tuned all month long so you don't miss a minute of STAMPtember fun! Thanks so much for coming by today! Happy STAMPtember! xoxo

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards

Craft Life 6x8 stamp set

(or get it with the matching dies)

Opulent Happy Wafer Dies

Notched A7 Rectangles Wafer Dies

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Large Blending Brushes

I absolutely love these large blending brushes.

They are super soft and apply ink to cardstock smoothly!

Before you go, don't miss yesterday's blog post!

Also featuring new goodies from STAMPtember 2026!

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Welcome to STAMPtember 2026! {Simon Says Stamp}

Oh, crafty friend! It's TIME. The most wonderful time of the year . . . it's STAMPtember at Simon Says Stamp! An entire month of exclusive products, brand collaborations, giveaways, and fantastic inspiration. Basically, are you ready to put on your crafty pants and PARTY ALL MONTH LONG? Great! Me too!

Today I'm kicking off STAMPtember 2026 with two winter cards made with brand new product from this month's release - the Stained Glass Snowflake stencil, and Stained Glass Snowflake die. These two products work seamlessly together or individually, so whether you grab one or both as a bundle, you're guaranteed to have some winter crafting fun. Let's take a look at today's cards and I'll show you just how fun these new Simon goodies are!

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!

I created two cards for you today, they're both similar in layout, but I used the die for one and the stencil for the other. Looking at both cards, you'll easily see how fabulous they'll pair TOGETHER on your creations as well! First up, the die-cut card. I cut the Stained Glass Snowflake from glitter paper (which is always annoyingly hard to see in photos!) The die-cut panel was adhered on top of an ink blended card base which I think turned out so pretty in pinks and blues. To finish off this super simple card, I added a sentiment from last year's Plaque Slides Christmas stamp set.

Next up, this card has same layout but it's done in a totally different way. I used only the stencils to create the same image. This stencil set includes four layers, and I stuck to the same color palette as my first card. The stencil will allow you to color the border, the assorted sections on the snowflake, and also the background. The geometric shapes and border make it really simple to line up each stencil too. Both of these cards would be great for mailing because the are flat cards and easy to mass produce.

Okay you guys, there's so much to see and do this STAMPtember so don't miss out on any of the fun:

Shop the entire STAMPtember collection available NOW
Stop by the Simon blog: this post will give you all the details on what to expect this month, and then Wednesday Sept 2 you'll find an amazing blog party with exclusive goodies and soooo much inspiration - you don't want to miss this!
Join Simon Says Stamp for a YouTube Livestream at noon EDT, today, Tuesday, September 1! You can go HERE to be notified when it's live.
After you shop and create, be sure to share your beauties here in the SSS Gallery: https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/simon-brand-galleries/stamptember-2026-gallery/

Don't be a stranger this month, because Simon Says Stamp has so much fun planned for us all! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for our epic STAMPtember blog party! I I have more cute cards and goodies to share with you!

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards

Stained Glass Snowflake stencil and die bundle

(also available: only the die or only the stencil)

Plaque Slides Christmas Stamps and Plaque Slides Dies

(also available: only the stamps

or only the dies)

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Large Blending Brushes

I absolutely love these large blending brushes.

They are super soft and apply ink to cardstock really smoothly!

Friday, July 24, 2026

Introducing the Every Happiness Release from Simon Says Stamp {Blog Hop Day 1}

Friends, the Every Happiness release from Simon Says Stamp is available NOW and it is loaded with the sweetest products! Sunflowers are one of my very favorite things in the world, so I was thrilled to play with the Sunflower Blooms dies, along with a variety of other darling products, brand new from Simon! We're celebrating this new release with a two-day blog hop, and today is DAY 1 - so let's get this party started!

This blog post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, I receive compensation at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!

To create these colorful sunflowers, die-cut the Sunflower Blooms from watercolor paper. Then . . . paint! I spritzed each piece with water and then brushed on watercolor paint, then spritzed Simon Hurley Solar Sprays to add some shimmer as well as Spellbinders Sparkle Splatter Effects.

To add some texture to my card, I used a scrap of corrugated cardstock layered with a piece of grid paper. I die-cut it with another new goodie from this release - it's the Petal Point Frames nesting dies. This will be such a faithful go-to set of rectangle dies in your stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by for day one of Simon Says Stamp's two-day blog hop - don't forget to check out Day 2 tomorrow, starting on the Simon blog. One lucky commenter from each stop during the two-day hop will win a $25 coupon to SSS, so be sure to leave comments along the way. (Winners will be announced on the Simon blog.)