Cool Summer kit from Simon Says Stamp

Summer Themed Cards

Is anyone else not ready to let go of summer?  Autumn is my favourite season, but I'm just not ready to let go of the warm, lazy days of summer.  It's a dilemma, so what's a girl to do?  Make some more summer themed cards, of course!

Flamingos!

I was inspired by a design Heather Ruwe shared in the inspiration sheet that comes in the kit.  She created a background with the watermelon stamp from the One Cool Pineapple stamp set.  I loved that design and I used that idea with each of the images in the set, starting with the flamingo (what says summer better than flamingos?).

I stamped the images on smooth bristol paper and coloured them with Nuvo Aqua Flow pens and used a bit of water to pull the colour out into the images, for a light watercolour look.  I added a hand typed sentiment on a die cut stitched rectangle that I adhered to a die cut scalloped rectangle, which I popped up.  The friend I'm planning to send this card to will get a kick out of the cheeky sentiment!

For my second flamingo card, I used the Nuvo Aqua Flow pens to create a sunny beach scene for my die cut flamingo.  I cut the handsome fellow out of Simon Says Stamp glitter cardstock and added him to the scene.  Next, I added the sentiment, which is from the One Cool Pineapple stamp set, and added a flock of "pigeons" to the background.  It's a fun summer themed card.

I am quite enjoying the Nuvo Aqua Flow pens, but I clearly need a bit more practice!

Summer fruit

Pineapples make me happy!  They remind me of Hawaii, which is one of my favourite places in the world.  Adding the cool sunglasses to them just makes me like them even more.  In addition to colouring the pineapples, I also added a light blue wash between and around them, for a bit of added interest.  I made sure to leave room for the sentiment, and added the panel to a top folding card base.






Watermelon always makes me think of summer.  Same design and colouring technique as with the other backgrounds I created, but I added some stamped hearts in the white space between the slices.  I like that added touch.  It provides a touch of black on the card to match the stamped sentiment.

Summer images

The variety of summer images in the One Cool Pineapple stamp set is part of what drew me to purchase the kit.  Well, second to the flamingo, of course.  😉  The sunshiny face, the cactus and the fish were all perfect summer images.  There is a little something for everyone.

General Purpose Cards

Gina K Designs Daisy Delight Stamp Set

I normally choose stamp sets that have matching dies, for convenience; however, when I saw this stamp set I could not resist.  The daisies are beautiful.  I decided to stamp two of each daisy image to colour with Copic markers and used a spring colour for one and a more fall feeling colour for the other (because those are my favourite seasons).

Once the images were coloured, I fussy cut them.  Instead of adhering them to a plain white card base, I raided my stash of coloured cardstock scraps and created pink and burnt yellow card bases, to coordinate with the Copic colouring.  In order to jazz up the white cardstock layer in between the card base and the image, I used embossing folders to add some texture.

Since I didn't want to take away from the beauty of the images, I did not add a sentiment.  I will add a sentiment on the inside, once I decide for what purpose I will use these cards.  Although, I very much like how they turned out and may decide to decorate my hobby room with them, instead.  ;-)

Lawn Fawn Birthday Cards

Birthday Cards for my Stash

My birthday card stash was a little low, so I thought I would make some cards that could be used for a variety of ages.  Since I absolutely love my Lawn Fawn stamps and dies, I thought I would use those products and make multiple cards in the same style.  I also used two different background colours, both of which can be used for either male or female recipients.

The side-fold card base is made from Lawn Fawn cardstock in Peacock (above) or Chili Pepper (below).  I cut the Quilted Backdrop die cut cover plate out of Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock and layered it on the card base using my Lawn Fawn glue pen.  

The coloured images are from the Simply Celebrate stamp set, which I stamped in Momento Tuxedo Black ink (because it is Copic friendly).  Next, I coloured the images in rainbow colours with my Copic markers and die cut the images with the matching dies set.  I then popped the images up onto the card front using dimensional adhesive.

The last step was to stamp a sentiment, using Versafine Onyx Black ink, onto banner strips that I had cut and fish tailed by hand.  To keep the banners from blending into the background, I cut small pieces of cardstock that matched the card base and glued those pieces to the back of the banners.  The sentiment strips were then adhered to the card, also with dimensional adhesive.

I love the images in the Simply Celebrate set and very much look forward to making more cards using the holiday version!

Balloon cards

Stenciling

I used the Neat & Tangled Balloon Duo stencil to make some birthday cards.  

I used Strathmore Bristol paper so I could blend with Distress Oxide inks.  Two colours per card created a nice mix.  

I added balloon strings with a Copic Multiliner pen, added a sentiment from a variety of sources (Stamp of Approval, Concord & 9^th), rounded the corners of the card panel and the card base with a corner chomper from We R Memory Keepers.

The last step was to pop the card panels up on 3M foam tape and add them to a card base.  I love how vibrant these simple cards can be.  This is one of my favourite stencil sets because it is easy and quick to use.  You can create beautiful birthday cards in minutes.

Simple birthday cards

Birthday cards are always good to have in your stash, so I made a few.  I used the Young at Heart stamp set and dies from one of the Stamp of Approval collections to create a colourful card front.  

I masked off a strip on the card front for the sentiment and stamped a pattern around with the circle stamps using Catherine Pooler Designs inks.  I added an embossed line on each side of the sentiment strip and used the fine tip of a Tim Holtz distress marker to trace either side of the embossed line.  

The last step was to add a die cut sentiment on the card front and a stamped sentiment on the inside.

Sympathy cards

Sympathy cards

Unfortunately, we all need a sympathy card now and then.  I used Birch Press Designs layering dies to create a white-on-white (on white) background and simply added an Avery Elle “with sympathy” die cut, keeping the design very simple.  I added a short, simple sentiment to the inside of the card from the matching Avery Elle stamp set to finish it off.

And a close up that shows the beautiful design of the layering dies.

Foiled cards

I decided to do a set of foil cards for something a little different.  

I used Sookwang double-sided tape in 1/8, ¼, and ½ inch widths, adhering it to the cards either horizontally or vertically (see below).  Then, I used a variety of foils (Deco-foil & Gina K Designs) and, in one case Nuvo Guilding Flakes, to create a pattern on the card front.  

I then added a sentiment to each card from the Gina K Foil Mates.  

The last step was to add sentiments to the inside of the cards using the Young at Heart stamp set by Cas-ual Fridays.

The second version is similar, but I made a couple of changes -  diagonal lines for the pattern and gilding flakes instead of foil.  I like how a simple pattern change makes such a different look.