May 27, 2026

Simon Says Stamp - Always There

Hello everyone.  After a month break due to their Create event, Simon Says Stamp (SSS) is back with their newest ALWAYS THERE release available now! 


I have a couple of simple cards today.  First up is a tasty 😋 any occasion card featuring the Strawberry Pint and Sparkler Scalloped Frames die sets.   


Coloured cardstock were used to die cut the pint box, strawberries top layers and foliage.  The strawberries back layer was die cut from cream cardstock.  The flowers were die cut from white and their centres were coloured with Copic Sketch markers Y11/Y17,YR27.  The scalloped frames were die cut from white and cream as well.  Black heat embossed the sentiments from previously released Thanks, Mom stamp set with clear glitter embossing powder (EP) for some sparkle.  Assembled the card onto a white top folding card base to finish. 


My next card features Best Sister and Petite Pctal Background stamp sets.  The sister image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It paper, coloured with Copic Sketch markers then fussy cut out (there are coordinating dies).  Had an unused white frame from the card above, so put it to use and black heat embossed the sentiment with clear glitter EP and ink blended Blueprint Sketch distress ink (DI). 


The petals background was stamped with VersaMark ink onto Bristol paper next, then heat embossed with clear EP.  Next, ombré Ink blended Blueprint Sketch DI on the upper half then wiped off excess ink with a paper towel (emboss resist).  Assembled the card onto a white card base, popping up the scalloped panel with foam tape to finish. 


Check out this fun limited-

SSS products used for my cards are linked below.  Please note compensated affiliate links were used in this post when possible at no extra cost to you.  I appreciate your support.  Thank you for stopping by.


Exclusive Limited-Time Offer!

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Challenges:
card 1 



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May 20, 2026

Birthday Majestic Roses

Hello everyone.  I’ve been commissioned to create birthday cards, and since it’s May (you know the saying April showers bring May flowers 😉), it had to be a floral card.  And it was the perfect opportunity to finally break out the gorgeous Majestic Roses stencil set from Altenew (ALT) and use their current monthly challenge as inspiration to create my card. 


3 gradient ALT Rock Collection gray colour inks were used to stencil the white roses, while only one green colour dye ink was used for the foliage.  The green colour was brighter than I wanted, so diluted gesso was applied over top to desaturate the colour. The stencil gives an image with two roses and foliage, but for design purposes (odd numbers being more pleasing to the eye), a third rose (bottom right front) was added first, then masked with a DIY fussy cut mask created from masking paper.


The sentiment from ALT Pocket Sentiments was white heat embossed  on a paper strip that was coloured with a RV17 Copic Sketch marker.  A fishtail was then die cut from it using a Fishtail Banner die (currently on sale) from Sunny Studio Stamps.  Die cut the panel next with a stitched rectangle die (out-of-business).  Assembled the card onto a white card base and embellished with some clear Moonshine sequins from Simon Says Stamp to finish. 


I couldn’t stop playing with the stencils and somehow ended up creating two more cards. 😆   For these cards, heat embossing with clear embossing powder was used for masking instead of creating more DIY masks before ink blending a light green colour for the background. 


On this final card, three gradient ALT Cherry Blossom ink colours were used for the pink rose. 


Please note compensated affiliate links were used in this post when possible at no extra cost to you.  I appreciate your support.  Thank you for stopping by. . 






Challenges:
Tic Tac Toe - #292 Featured Designer Betty (middle row- Floral, Free, White/Cream)

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May 10, 2026

Whimsy Stamps - Sending Love Mother’s Day

Hello… and happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mother-figures who are being celebrated today!  On that note, I have a Mother’s Day card to share today using products  from Whimsy Stamps (WS).  


The images from Raccoon Happy Day and Postal Minus were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It paper, coloured with Copic Sketch markers then fussy cut out.   

Copic markers used:
raccoon - C3/4/5/6/7 
envelope - C00/1/2, R46 


To ground the images, dark gray ink was blended onto a Bristol panel.  “Happy” from Cue the Confetti and “mother’s day” from Happy Sayings were inked with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder (EP).  Repeated the heat embossing for “sending love”, except inked it with a black and red water based markers then with VersaMark for the EP to stick to.  To give subtle interest to the background, ran the panel through my die cutting machine with the Floating Hearts cover plate.  Adhered  the card onto a white card base then added the image to finish.   


WS products used for my card are linked below. Please note compensated affiliate links have been used in this post at no extra cost to you!  Your support is greatly appreciated.  Thank you for dropping by.






Challenges:
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May 06, 2026

Spellbinders - Summertime

Hello everyone.  I have a couple of cards to share featuring the new Summertime collection by Lisa Horton for Spellbinders (SB).  When I saw the sketch at Just Add Ink challenge #784, I knew the Ripped Edge Circle, Containers and Foliage and Garden Planter die sets would work perfectly together.  Rotating the sketch to landscape, here’s my first CAS (clean and simple) card.  


The Ripped Edge Circle was die cut from Neenah Desert Storm paper to create a wood slice section.  All the dies were then nested together with cutting edges facing up.  Lightly inked the cutting edges with brown dye ink, then “stamped”/pressed it onto the ripped edge circle cutout for wood rings.  Ink blended around the edges with the same brown dye ink. For the bark, die cut a frame then ink blended the brown dye ink heavily before layering it on top.  


The rest of the elements were all die cut from Neenah Solar White paper and the colouring was done with Copic Sket+h markers (B00, BG11, BV000).  A Copic Colorless Blender 0 was used to lighten the colours of the containers to give the gradient contrast.  The sentiment from Hero Arts Everyday Sentiment Strips was gold heat embossed then die cut out with the Sentiment Strips die.  Assembled onto a cream woodgrain panel and adhered onto a white card base to finish. 


I had (and still have, so you may or may not see more from this collection 🤷🏻‍♀️) a lot of die cut pieces left over.  Such a shame to have them go to waste.  Would you believe me if I told you I used the same sketch for this second card? 😉  


I flipped the sketch this time, taking creative licence 😂 and used the planter, small wood slice and leafy foliage as the three elements.  The Layered With Sympathy sentiment was die cut from gold foil paper and its shadow from vellum.  Assembled the card onto white woodgrain paper then adhered onto a white card base to finish. 


SB products used for my cards are linked below through the images.  Please note, compensated affiliate links have been used throughout this post and blog at no extra cost to you.  I appreciate your support.  Thank you for joining me. 







Challenges:
Tic Tac Toe - #291 Featured Designer Jolanda (middle column - Die Cut/Punch, Embos Wet/Dry, Layers)
Unicorn - #120 Something New (all dies were new)
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April 28, 2026

Spellbinders - Magical Fuchsia

Hello everyone.   I had not planned on creating as many cards as I did using the product in the Magical Fuchsia collection from Alex Syberia Designs for Spellbinders (SB).  Warning: this is an unusually long post. 😂  I’m starting with a monochromatic pink birthday card featuring the Magical Fuchsia 3D Embossing Folder (EF). 


The flat side of the EF was inked with a pink dye ink.  Spritz a lighter pink colour piece of cardstock with water and dry embossed it in the EF through my Platinum 6.  Ink blended a couple of darker colour pink dye inks around the image to give it a spotlight effect.  For some texture, splattered with diluted white gouache paint.  The sentiment from Born to Dink was white heat embossed onto dark pink paper. Adhered the panel onto a white ca4 base to finish.  


Since I had some light aqua cardstock, I created a second card following the same steps.  Made it a get well soon card using the new Layered Get Well Soon sentiment dies from the new Essentially Yours Sentiments collection. 


My third card features the EF wth the Layered Magical Fuchsia Stencils.   


Took creative licence on this card and coloured/stencilling the flowers in an unconventional blue/white colour palette.  Made it another birthday card since the stamp was still out.  Die cut a blue arch frame using the Essential Arches dies, then assembled the card onto a white card base to finish.


A happy accident resulted in this fourth card… which will probably give you a bit of déjà vu. 😉 


After messing us my first attempt of the blue card, I didn’t want the embossed panel to go to waste, so I flipped it over to the debossed side and used the reverse side of the stencils to colour the mirror image.  The coral/green colour combo was inspired by the current Color Hues challenge #131.


Since this is the is the mirror image, I thought it was only fitting to flip the arch frame upside down.  Probably not the best idea because it didn’t provide a proper space for a sentiment . 😂  Oops!… guess the sentiment will have to go on thr inside. 🤷🏻‍♀️  


My next card features the stencils and the Press/Foil Plate & Die set. 



The image and sentiment were hot foiled with rose gold foil using the Glimmer Hot Foil System.  Made it monochromatic and coloured/stencilled the image with four gradient purple-pink colour dye inks.  The sentiment was die cut out with its matching die while the image was die cut out with the Emerald Cut Labels die.  Assembled the card onto a white card base to finish. 


And finally, my last card featured all three products plus the new Layered Happy Birthday dies, which was die cut from white and coloured with Copic Sketch markers V04/06.


Instead of foiling, the plate was inked with no-line colouring ink and pressed into thick paper using the Letterpress System.  Coloured/stencilled it then die cut out with its matching die.  Aligned and secured the cutout with temporary tape in the EF and dry embosses it.  Pressed the plate twice into an A2 size panel without inking for a subtle background.  Assembled the card onto a white card base, popping up the image and sentiment with thin foam tape for a bit of dimension, to finish. 


Whew!  If you’re still with me… thanks for hanging in there 🫶.  SB products used for my cards are linked below through the images.  Please note, compensated affiliate links have been used throughout this post and blog at no extra cost to you.  I appreciate your support. 





Challenges:
card 1 
card 3 
card 6 
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