The Latest Holiday Inspiration from Simon Says Stamp . . .And Everything Nice!

Sometimes it just feels good to get ink on your hands...and maybe a few splashes of watercolor...a spritz of shimmer, and maybe even a splatter of paint. Today's holiday cards got a little artsy, but the good news is that whether it's your style or not, today's products lend themselves to every style from clean and simple to layered and messy, and it's all brand new (and SUPER CUTE) from Simon Says Stamp. Let's take a look at this new holiday collection, called And Everything Nice!

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!

Both of today's cards begin with the same background, the Leafy Double Garland Embossing Folder. This is a great background for holiday and winter card making. I went BOLD for these backgrounds, but this would also be beautiful as a subtle texture behind a clean and simple holiday card. After embossing a piece of watercolor paper, I used watercolor paints as well as Simon Hurley Solar Spray, and Spellbinders Splatter White to add all kinds of messy color to this background. 

Here's a TIP: When working with watery paints, keep your heat gun or a hair dryer handy to quickly dry sections if paint starts running or blending where you don't want it to! Sometimes even a quick dab with a tissue is helpful if it your artsy gets a little too fartsy. ;)

To finish this card, I added the new Brilliant Cardinal die, as well as a heat embossed sentiment from Stacked Holiday Sentiments. 

This closeup photo shows the pearly shimmer of the Solar Sprays nicely! Such a fun fancy detail!

Next up, same background, and same colors but I started out a little different. For this card, I actually put some watercolor straight onto the embossing folder, sandwiched my watercolor paper in, and carefully put it through my die-cutting machine. This presses the color right into the paper. It wasn't quite enough color, so then I went back and added more paint, water, and then Solar Spray, plus another sentiment from Stacked Holiday Sentiments. This time I added the sentiment onto vellum. 

Here's a TIP! If there's a bit too much background showing through, add a second layer of vellum to make the words pop. Another vellum tip - staples are a great way to adhere vellum to a card, with no pesky adhesive to hide!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you're feeling inspired to get your hands a little messy and embrace the spritzy, splattery, shimmery side of the holidays! 

Don't Miss Out on the Fun:

• Stop by the Simon Says Stamp website to see the entire And Everything Nice collection. 
• Join the SSS YouTube Live Stream at noon EST on Friday, November 7! Click HERE to be notified when they’re live.
• Don't miss the two-day blog hop Friday, November 7th and Saturday the 8th! 
• Are you on the gram? Check out the Instagram hop on Thursday, November 13th.

 

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards

Leafy Double Garland embossing folder

Stacked Holiday Sentiments stamps

(there are also coordinating dies available!)

Brilliant Cardinal Die

Simon Hurley/Ranger Solar Spray

Spellbinders Essential Arches dies

Spellbinders Splatter White

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Looking for more holiday inspiration with Simon Says Stamp?

Check out this post too!

Simon Says Stamp Sugar and Spice Release {Cute Christmas Card Making!}

Christmas card season is coming in HOT - it's TIME, friends! It felt great to get a few holiday cards made to begin this year's stash, and the stamps and dies from the new Sugar and Spice release at Simon Says Stamp gave me some fresh inspiration to share! I'm just thrilled to be blog hopping along with some of my favorite card makers for day 2 of Simon's Sugar and Spice release blog hop. If you're feeling merry, read on!

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!

Both of today's cards feature the Plaque Slides dies and coordinating Plaque Slides Christmas stamps, as well as the Narrow Holly Cluster dies. Let's chat about the Plaque Slides first. These sentiments are adorable, well-sized for cards, and will coordinate perfectly with a variety of styles. You'll want to die-cut a whole bunch of the coordinating die shapes and add these cuties to all kinds of cards, tags, gift wrap, and goodies. I super love that there's some versatility with the rounded rectangle shape - you'll see for today's first card, I trimmed off the edges to just keep the rectangle, but on my second card you'll see how easily you can slide a ribbon or twine to attach it. Love that versatility! 

Here's TWO tips if you'd like to recreate this Merry and Bright card:

• Planning to mass produce your cards? Consider stamping the sentiments across the background of an entire 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock. Then, simply cut it into four (or more) pieces to create your cards. 
• Depending on the colors of ink you use, sometimes a very busy colorful background can become, well, TOO busy. If that's the case, add a layer of vellum. It'll probably be just enough to make the background less overwhelming, and adds another layer of interest. (I love to use my tiny stapler to easily attach vellum without messing with adhesive that might show through.) 

(Note: I layered my sentiment onto a cute scalloped tag from Spellbinders. You can find the Make a Wish Arch Labels die set at Simon Says Stamp.)

Next up, you'll see that Plaque Slide die with the twine strung through. This is going to be such fun on gift wrap and packaged holiday treats, but clearly adorable on cards too. Although I used the Narrow Holly Cluster for the greenery up above, on this card the holly is front and center, and makes a bold statement cut from metallic cardstocks. Again, another versatile die set - cut it into pieces and use the holly as an accent, or use the whole cluster as a focal point. I love to have options! 

Friends, you don't want to miss a stop on today's blog hop. First of all, there's so much AMAZING inspiration, but secondly Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to one commenter on EACH blog! Winners will be posted on the SSS blog on Wednesday October 15th. 

 

Don't Miss a Stop on the Hop!

Simon Says Stamp Blog 
Nichol Spohr
Caly Person
Suzy Plantamura
Amy Rysavy
Sandi MacIver
Emily Midgett
Lisa Addesa
Emma Williams
Lea Lawson
Kath Stewart
Laura Williams <<you are here!>>
Hanh Nguyen
Nicki Baxley
Susan Valle

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards

Plaque Slides Christmas Stamps and Plaque Slides Dies

(also available: just the stamps

or just the dies) 

Narrow Holly Cluster dies

Spellbinders Make a Wish Arch Label dies 

Spellbinders Essentials Modern Ovals dies

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Looking for more Sugar and Spice inspiration from Simon Says Stamp? 

You might love this post too:

Merry & Bright Winter Card Ideas with Stencils

Merry & BRIGHT Winter Card Ideas with Stencils {NEW from Simon Says Stamp}

Stencils are a beautiful way to add texture to the background of your cards, and a creative way to make a relatively flat (and therefore easy to mail) card with lots of personality. Today's cards are packed with crisp, cool winter vibes - but thanks to the versatility of stencils, you can take this idea and recreate it in any color palette you choose! 

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!

Today's cards feature the Large Snowflake Cutouts stencils from Simon Says Stamp. This set includes two large snowflake stencils (and bonus. . . Simon also sells a coordinating die for even more creative possibilities!) Here's the magic about card inspiration - if this wild winter color palette isn't your thing, then try this idea in whatever winter shades rock YOUR fuzzy socks off. Already have a snowflake stencil? Try it with what you have, or play around with a completely different stencil. 

The Large Snowflake stencils include two different styles. Let's look at the two stencils first, and then I'll show you the difference. The stencil on the left has a large rectangle of negative space, (which happens to be the exact size of a standard card.) For the Merry and Bright card, I laid the stencil down on my cardstock and added shades of blue and green ink (with my favorite blending brushes.) This leaves the snowflake white but fills the card base with color. 

The second stencil has more of a circle format, creating a white snowflake with color only around the edges. This one is perfect for overlapping snowflakes, as I did below. On both cards I added sentiments from the Plaque Slides Christmas stamps, and the coordinating Plaque Slides dies. (I trimmed the little slides off the sides of the rectangle one above, which just adds to the versatility!)

Both of these card ideas will be simple to pop in the mail, and will be perfect for Christmas or basically any other occasion this winter season! Love that! 

Lastly, here's a collage-style card that shows a layering idea with the snowflake stencil. It's a bit more subtle and it demonstrates a way to fill some white space using a stencil. I hope these cards have inspired you to take a look at the stencils in your stash, (or you know. . .do a little bit of shopping for something new!)

Today is release day of the Sugar and Spice collection at Simon Says Stamp. Man, is this collection packed with all sorts of great winter items, but also some super cute products to use all year long. I'll be back on Saturday with some more projects to share but in the meantime head on over to Simon Says Stamp and check out the entire collection! 

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards:

Large Snowflake Cutouts Stencils

(also available: Large Snowflake Wafer Die

also available: stencil/die combo!)

Plaque Slides Christmas Stamps and Plaque Slides Dies

(also available: just the stamps

or just the dies) 

Large Blending Brushes

I absolutely love these large blending brushes. 

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

Platinum 6 die-cutting machine

Try This Idea Using Valentine Stamps for Christmas Card Making!

Do you ever get bored with your card making supplies? Sometimes taking a well-loved product and giving it a fresh new twist is just what we need to breathe new life into our favorite products. Today I'll share two Christmas cards that I made with Valentine stamps from Impression Obsession, and hopefully these ideas will inspire you to find some unexpected ways to use products you already have in your craft stash!

Both of today's cards feature the Valentine Hearts stamp set, designed by Nola Chandler, for IO Stamps. I love the sweet heart images in this stamp set - and when I looked at them, I saw so many more possibilities beyond just Valentine cards. Two things give a new twist to this stamp set: color, and sentiments. 

Change Up a Color

Color changes everything, and simply adding green into the mix gave these images a whole new life for Christmas cards. (Now picture them with other assorted colors, and you might just grab this stamp set for birthday cards, baby cards, or many other occasions!)

Switch Up a Sentiment

Switching up the sentiments is another simple way to freshen up a stamp set for a different occasion. The Typewriter Sentiments dies are ones that I have pulled from over and over for holiday cards, because the font is versatile and easy to read, and the dies cut easily. (All the words are each one piece, so you don't have to fuss with lining up letters and tiny pieces!) 

Pairing these sentiments and colors with the Valentine images completely changes them, doesn't it!? What stamps do you have in your stash that might have a secret superpower? They might be able to hop from occasion to occasion simply by changing the colors and sentiments! (And just in case you're in love with today's products, you can go grab them at an AWESOME discount on the IO website!)

Today is Day 2 of our two-day Christmas Card blog hop and I'm so glad you've stopped by!

Don't Miss These Important Details:

• We are so sad that Impression Obsession is closing their doors in December 2024. Keep shopping the awesome sales, and grab everything on your wish list while you still can! (No items will be restocked.) Everything is at least 50% off, including the latest releases.
• Although there won't be any more new releases, we'll still be sharing blog hops with awesome inspiration, card making ideas and all the sale info, so stay tuned!

Enjoy Every Stop on the Hop!

IO blog

Anna Wight

Dina Kowal

Giovana Smith

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher

Laura Williams <<you are here!>>

Robin Clendenning

Angela Bode

Shop the Supplies on Today's Cards:

Valentine Hearts Stamp Set

Typewriter Sentiments dies

Basics 11 - Greens Paper Pack

Looking for more Valentine and Typewriter Sentiment Inspiration? 

You might love these cards too:

Simple Typewriter Sentiment Card Ideas

Valentine Hearts Card Ideas

How to Make a Christmas Snow Globe Shaker Card

Today's snow globe shaker card is festive and fun for Christmas and winter themed cards - and best yet, it's super simple to make with supplies you likely have in your stash already! 

Snow Globe Supplies:

You'll need two important things to make a snow globe shaker card: a circle die, and some sort of clear plastic or acetate. 

Circle die: Choose one that's appropriate to the size of your card, and however large of a scene you want to create "inside" of it. 

Plastic sheet: Don't have an acetate sheet? Think about some recycled packaging that's laying around. Cut a piece that's slightly larger than the circle you'll use. 

Step by Step to create this card:

• Fold a pale blue card base to be the bottom layer of your card.
• Cut a teal card-sized panel and die cut a circle from the center of it. (Position it to leave room for the snow globe base, sentiment etc.)
• Add a piece of clear acetate behind the teal cardstock. 
• Die cut the same circle die from kraft cardstock and trim top and bottom off to create the snow globe base. Adhere to card front.
• Create scene on pale blue card base with stamps and dies. Line up the acetate circle with the card base to position images properly so they'll fit "inside" the circle. Once completed, carefully pour a little pile of sequins or confetti - whatever you want your shaker filling to be.
• On the back of the teal cardstock, surround the cut circle with foam adhesive. This will create "walls" for sequins or confetti when the card is sealed together. Peel off adhesive backing, line up teal card front on top of card base and carefully adhere together. This will sandwich the shaker filling inside of your snow globe!
• Add sentiment and decorate the rest of the card as desired. 

Is this the only way to create a shaker card? No. But this is the method that works well for me! There are many companies who make adorable snow globe themed products, but this is a simple way to make it with supplies that you likely already have! 

We're celebrating the start of the season with a two-day Christmas Card Hop at Impression Obsession. This is Day 1. 

Don't Miss These Important Details:

• We are so sad that Impression Obsession is closing their doors in December 2024. Keep shopping the awesome sales, and grab everything on your wish list while you still can! (No items will be restocked.) Everything is at least 50% off, including the latest releases.
• Although there won't be any more new releases, we'll still be sharing blog hops with awesome inspiration, card making ideas and all the sale info, so stay tuned!

Enjoy Every Stop on the Hop!

IO blog

Dina Kowal

Giovana Smith

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher

Laura Williams <<you are here!>>

Robin Clendenning

Angela Bode

Looking for more shaker card ideas? 

Check these out!

Birthday Shaker Card

YAY shaker tag card

Easter egg shaker card

Check Out These Cute Nordic Christmas Card Ideas {With Teal and Pink!}

 Hello friends! Today's cards are cute, cozy and colorful for Christmas and winter. The cold weather critters in the Nordic Christmas stamp set, from Impression Obsession have the sweetest details, and you'll love mixing and matching these images for your card making this season! 

Today's first card starts with a stenciled background. The Retro Ovals Stencil is a two-step stencil. It makes it simple to create a two-color background, but for today's card I created a tone on tone look, using shades of teal ink for both parts of the pattern, and applied onto teal cardstock. 

For both of today's cards I used marker to color the images, but I kept it pretty simple and clean. I wanted to add some shading, but also keep them light and bright against the patterned backgrounds. Speaking of backgrounds, on this card I used the darling Nordic Patterns 6x6 paper pack. The colors are just what I love! Shades of aquas, pinks, and red. Perfect for Christmas, winter, and also. . .awfully cute for Valentine cards too!

Don't Miss These Important Details:

• Have you been to the IO website lately? We are so sad that Impression Obsession is closing their doors at the end of 2024. Keep shopping the awesome sales, and grab everything on your wish list while you still can! Everything is at least 30% off right now (EVEN THE SEPTEMBER RELEASE!) and check that sale section for steeper sales! 
• Although September is the last new release, for the next few months we'll still be sharing blog hops with awesome inspiration, card making ideas and all the sale info through December, so stay tuned!

Don't Miss a Stop on the Hop!

IO Blog

Giovana Smith

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher

Laura Williams (you are here!)

Robin Clendenning

Anna Wight

Dina Kowal

100% Chance of Snow Flakes for the Impression Obsession Blog Hop! {Day 3}

Welcome to Day 3 of the Impression Obsession new release blog hop! Today's cards feature a little more holiday inspiration with new stamps from Impression Obsession. It's part of the last new release at Impression Obsession, before they close their doors at the end of 2024 - so let's savor every last cute new product and craft up some holiday cheer together!

Today's cards feature a clean and simple but collage-style look. I had fun with this style a few months ago (you can find those cards HERE) and I wanted to try it with a holiday spin. The text stamp in the Winter Hello stamp set is perfect for a background and the snowflakes are so beautiful! 

I paired both of these cards with the awesome Impression Obsession ink cubes. The color palette offered is simply gorgeous and I can find an ink to match any color paper I want. I'm really in love with them. 

This is day three of our three-day blog hop, celebrating the new release at Impression Obsession. It's a great time to get ready for holiday crafting projects, and so much more! Be sure to hop around to all the designers and see what fun inspiration they have to share, and then, do some shopping while items are still in stock.

 Don't Miss These Important Details:

• Check out the entire NEW PRODUCTS section for the full September release. Two lucky customers who place an order between September 1-7th will receive a special Impression Obsession prize package in their order! Will it be YOU?
• Have you been to the IO website lately? We are so sad that Impression Obsession is closing their doors at the end of 2024. This is the last new release, but keep shopping the awesome sales, and grab everything on your wish list while you still can! Everything is at least 30% off right now (EVEN THIS NEW RELEASE!) and check that sale section for steeper sales! 
• Although this is the last new release, for the next few months we'll still be sharing blog hops with awesome inspiration, card making ideas and all the sale info through December, so stay tuned!

Don't Miss a Stop on the Hop!

IO Blog

Giovana Smith

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher

Laura Williams <<you are here!>>

Robin Clendenning

Angela Bode

Anna Wight

Dina Kowal