Be Creative Blog Hop Day 1

February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 Happy Ink Designs86 Comments

Hello crafty friends! I’m super excited to be participating in the Simon Says Stamp Be Creative 2 Day Blog Hop. Today is day 1 of this hop, there’s much more to come tomorrow!! So let me get all of the important info. out of the way first before I move on to my card project. As you can see above, you can get this Handcrafted with Love stamp set absolutely free with any purchase by using the code ART4U. This offer is available while supplies last and will expire on 2/19 at 11:59pm EST.

To see the entire Be Creative release click HERE.

Simon is giving away a $25 coupon at every stop along the hop so be sure to leave a comment below and at each stop for your chance to win. Simon Says Stamp will choose the winners and post it on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, February 22 with instructions on how to redeem.

Ok, so without further ado, I’d like to share the card I made using the new Vitamin Sea stamp set. This stamp set is awesome!! Who doesn’t love mermaids??

I started out by stamping and masking the mermaid onto the rock. Then I copic colored the image. I went over her tail and hair with my Aqua Shimmer pen and then to make her tail shiny as if it were wet, I added Crystal Glaze to just her tail.

I set her aside and started in on my background. I ink blended distress oxide inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade and Candied Apple. Once my mermaid tail was dry, I fussy cut her and the rock out and glued it to my ink blended background.

Next I started working on the shaker element. I used two sizes of the Nesting Diamonds die to create a frame. I used Banana Card Stock for the frame. I cut the ink blended background with the largest of the two nesting dies and also a piece of Heat Resistant Acetate. I glued the acetate to the back of the frame.

I used some Foam Strips to go around the back of the frame. Then I added my shaker bits to the frame and acetate. Next I attached the ink blended background to the frame so that my shaker element is completely sealed.

I cut a piece of patterned paper to 4.25″ x 5.5″ and stamped my sentiment in the lower right corner. Next I used Double Sided Adhesive to attach my shaker element to the patterned paper. Lastly, I attached the entire design to a top folding card base.

Next stop on the hop is Jennifer Kotas.

If I’m your first stop, you can click HERE to start at the beginning of the hop. Below is a list of all the stops.

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you find lots of inspiration at each stop. Be sure to share your creations with us in the Gallery and also on any social media that you use. Add these hashtags so that we can find your work. #SimonSaysStamp #SSSBeCreative #SSSendACard #SSSUnitedWeCraft

Cardmaking · Design Team · New Releases · Simon Says Stamp · SSS Blog Hop

Holiday Sparkle Blog Hop

November 12, 2022November 12, 2022 Happy Ink Designs72 Comments

Hello, hello, hello!! Welcome to Day 2 of the Holiday Sparkle Blog Hop. As always, I’m super excited and honored to be a part of this hop so let’s get crafty.

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Let me start off by sharing the above blog hop exclusive code. If you spend $50 or more and enter code: CUTEBAG you will receive this adorable zipper pouch for free!! This offer is valid while supplies last or until November 13 at 11:59pm EST. How cute are the little snowflakes and paw prints??

Simon Says Stamp is ALSO giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from our comments section so be sure to comment on every stop to increase your chances of winning!! Simon will announce the winners on the Simon Says Stamp Blog on Wednesday, November 16.

To view the entire release click HERE.

I used the Warm Christmas Stamp Set from this release and let me tell ya, this is my kinda holiday!! Oh how I wouldn’t give to spend the holidays on the beach somewhere warm and sandy. In fact, I just might have to add that to my bucket list.

So for this card, I started out by coloring all of my images with my Copic markers on X-Press It Copic Blending Card. I fussy cut them all and set them aside to move on to the ink blending. For my sand, I created my own stencil awhile back and it was perfect for this card. I had the On the Horizon Lines Stencil in mind and at the time it was out of stock so I thought, I have the stencil material, why not create my own hilly landscape. Starting off with an A2 size piece of Bristol Smooth Card Stock, I masked off the top of the panel and used Antique Linen , Scattered Straw and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks to create my sand. I splattered the sand with Gathered Twigs mixed with a little water and then with White Gouache and water.

I used the other half of the homemade stencil and just a straight edge from another stencil and masked off the sand to work on my ocean. I ink blended Tumbled Glass, Mermaid Lagoon and Prize Ribbon Distress Oxide inks for my ocean. I reversed the straight edge of a stencil so I could move on to my sky. I ink blended Mustard Seed, Abandoned Coral and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks for the sky.

To add a little interest to my sky, I added a few rolling clouds by adding a little water with a fine paintbrush. I heat embossed my sentiment using Alabaster White Embossing Powder. I trimmed my entire panel down to 4″ x 5.25″ and I started to assemble my card.

I popped Santa and the palm tree up with some 3D Foam Squares and then I glued everyone else into place using my Bearly Art Craft Glue. To make my tree shine a bit, I added Crystal Glaze over all of the lightbulbs and the round ornaments. I also added a touch on the Blue Hawaiian cocktail that Santa is enjoying. For a final touch I added a few Tiny Iridescent Bubbles by Studio Katia. I attached my card panel to a top folding landscape card base.

For my second card, I used this adorable snowman from the same Warm Christmas Stamp Set. I started out with an A2 size piece of Bristol Smooth Card Stock. I used my homemade stencil to mask off the sky and did the sand the same way as I did above. I went a little heavier with the Gathered Twigs though. I also used one of the A2 Masks Stencil to keep this card clean and simple.

I masked off the sand and worked on my sky. I ink blended Tumbled Glass, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch Distress Inks. I set that aside to dry and I colored my snowman. I know this isn’t going to sound good but I fussy cut the snowman out and I respectfully trimmed off his arms as they were too thin to fussy cut.

Before gluing my snowman in place, I stamped him on my background panel so that his arms would no longer be missing. See, no snowman was harmed during the making of this card.

I heat embossed this sentiment from the same stamp set with Alabaster White Embossing Powder. To finish off my card, I added a few Flat Silver Sequins and a thin strip of Silver Glitter Card Stock at the bottom. I attached my panel to a side folding card base.

Now that I’ve shared what I made, it’s your turn!! When you get your goodies from this latest release, be sure to add your projects to the Holiday Sparkle release gallery and anywhere else you choose to share on social media! We LOVE seeing what you all create.

If you haven’t checked out Day 1 of the Holiday Sparkle Blog Hop, then click HERE to be directed to even more inspiration!!

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Cardmaking · Design Team · Handmade Greeting Cards · New Releases · Simon Says Stamp · SSS Blog Hop

Cozy Hugs Blog Hop

October 8, 2022October 8, 2022 Happy Ink Designs70 Comments

Hello my friends!!

Welcome to the Simon Says Stamp Cozy Hugs Release Blog Hop, day 2! Thank you so much for stopping by. I’m so excited to be a part of this wonderful hop and I’m happy to share with you what I created for it! Let me start off by sharing the important stuff first.

FREE GIFT: While supplies last, use code COZY with any $75 or more purchase and receive the Simon’s Giant Hugs Card Wrap for free!! This promotion will expire on October 9 at 11:59pm EDT.

GIVEAWAY: Simon is giving away a $25 gift card to every stop on the hop from the comment section. So leave a comment at each stop to increase your chances of winning. The winners will be announced on the Simon Says Stamp blog on October 12th.

MORE INSPIRATION: Be sure to check out day 1 of the Cozy Hugs Blog Hop AND Simon’s blog galleries for tons of inspiration.

Cozy Hugs Release: Click HERE to see the entire new release.

If you hopped all the way here then you should have just came from the very talented Jean Doeringsfeld. Isn’t her work darling? If you haven’t arrived here from Jean’s blog, then you can start at the Simon Says Stamp Blog and work your way around. Your next stop will be Diane Morales who is also a fellow design team member of the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog.

Ok, so now let me share with you what I created! I’ve also created a video tutorial for your viewing pleasure.

I used the Batty For You stamp set. This is such a cool set because if you get the coordinating dies, you can make the wings flap! I didn’t have the die but I’ll show you how I made it work anyway.

I started out by making my backgrounds. I didn’t have the Circle Masks Stencil so I had to create my own. I have stencil material on hand so I just used one of my circle dies and cut out a circle. I ink blended distress oxide inks on an A2 size panel of Bristol Smooth card stock.

I ink blended Twisted Citron, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness and Black Soot. Then I splattered water and black paint onto my background.

For the orange background I blended Carved Pumpkin, Ripe Persimmon and Black Soot. I also splattered this background with water and black paint and then I decided to emboss this orange background with the Kaleidoscope embossing folder just to add a different element. I set both background aside and started in on my bats.

So when you purchase the coordinating dies, you’ll also get instructions on how to put the bats together. I stamped the bat and wings twice and then an extra “body silhouette” as the instructions say to do for each bat. I colored each bat the same with my copic markers and fussy cut out all the pieces. Then I went around the edge of all pieces with a Memento Tuxedo Black marker to hide any imperfections in my fussy cutting.

I took the silhouette body and I measured 2cm across the chest which looked to be about where the holes would be if I had the die. I punched the holes into the silhouette.

I overlapped the wings using the silhouette as my guide and pierced a hole directly in the center of the wings where they were layered and what appeared to be the center of the silhouette. Then I swapped the wings to the back of the silhouette and since I had my holes in the silhouette, I simply drew a circle or marked the spot through the holes on the silhouette onto the wings directly behind the silhouette so I knew where to puncture the holes on the wings.

I layered the wings on top of each other to match up the center holes and then I looped some string through.

I placed the wings on top of the silhouette and attached the outer holes on the wing with the holes on the silhouette using black brads. The nice thing about getting the coordinating dies is you also receive 50 small brads.

I made sure the brads were loose enough for the wings to move around freely and then I tied a little knot in the string, also loose enough for the wings to move so that the wings wouldn’t try separating when I pulled or pushed the string.

I then took some foam squares and doubled them up so they were a bit higher and I placed them in areas of the silhouette body where they wouldn’t interfere with the wing movement. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t have the dies or because my string was not stiff enough but in order to be able to push my string to get the wings to come back down, I decided to add a little hot glue on the string, below where I tied my knot, to make my string more firm.

Once I was happy with my working mechanism, I adhered the second body on top of the foam squares. I trimmed my ink blended panel down to 4″x5.25″ and attached it to a black A2 panel and then attached the entire panel to a side folding white card base. The green card I trimmed down a tad more so that I could have a white border around the black panel. Before attaching the bats to my backgrounds, I added one more layer of foam squares on the back of the whole bat so that the wings would come off the card a bit. Both sentiments are also from the Batty For You stamp set. I added a few Onyx Crystals on both cards and called it a day!

That’s it for me! I just want to thank you again for hopping along. You’re almost done. Don’t forget to leave a comment at each stop to increase your chances of winning a $25 gift card to Simon Says Stamp and be sure to check out Simon’s Galleries where you’ll find all kinds of inspiration.

Take care ~

Misty

Cardmaking · Handmade Greeting Cards · Simon Says Stamp · SSS Blog Hop

Love You, Too Blog Hop

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 Happy Ink Designs98 Comments

And oh what a release it is!! I am elated to be a part of Day 2 of Simon Says Stamp’s Love You and Love You, Too release!! Today I’m sharing a card with you that I made using the adorable Magnolia Cottage stamp set. I’m having some health problems at the moment so I only have one card to share with you for now, but as I’m able, I’ll be using a few other goodies from the Love You, Too release so stay tuned!! YouTube tutorial coming soon as well.

If you’re hopping along, you probably came from the lovely Lorraine Aquilina’s blog if not you may want to start at the beginning on the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog

Be sure to check out Day 1 of the hop for so much more inspiration!! I’ve listed all of the supplies that I used to make this card, including links, at the bottom of this post. I also have some GIVEAWAY info. that I’ll share later in this post.

For my card, I started out on some copic friendly card stock and masked my way through stamping my image with my Misti 2.0. I wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to ink blend on this particular paper but I was pleasantly surprised when it blended just fine (I planned to just fussy cut it out if needed). After masking off my image, I ink blended Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon Distress Oxide inks.

Before I unmasked everything, I splattered my background with some Liquid Stardust to give it some sparkle

I copic colored my image with colors that I thought would go well with the yellow and orange background. Once I was done with that I used a Rounded Rectangle Infinity die to give it nice rounded edges.

I attached my card front to a top folding card base. Then I added a little extra sparkle to the flowers with my Aqua Shimmer Pen. The background just wasn’t enough sparkle for me.

As a final embellishment, I added a few Assorted Moonshine Sequins and finished them off with just a touch of Nuvo Glitter Drops in Silver Moondust.

Now, I have TWO AWESOME GIVEAWAYS to share with you!! Use the code HUGS4U2 when shopping in the Simon Says Stamp Shop and get a free Faraway Hugs stamp set with a $100 purchase. This offer will expire on January 18 @ 11:59pm EST and is available while supplies last. See the image at the top of my post for all the details.

Giveaway No. 2 there is a $25 coupon at every stop on the hop from our blog comments so please leave some love as you hop along to be eligible for your chance of winning a coupon. A winner will be chosen from my comments and the winners will be posted over at the Simon Says Stamp Blog on Wednesday, January 20th.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!! I hope you all enjoy the loads of inspiration that can be found at the Love You and Love You, Too galleries. Please share your work in our galleries, we LOVE to see what you all create!

Well, I’m the last one on the hop today so if you missed any of the stops on this hop you can find them all on the Simon Says Stamp Store Blog