Studio Monday with Nina-Marie: Encouragement Cards for Kids
Hello crafters, welcome back to a new Studio Monday video! Here at Simon Says Stamp we just had two BIG releases jam-packed with products that are perfect for encouraging the ones we love. Today I wanted to feature some of those products in a card set geared towards kids but could also be used for adults too!
There are a few easy techniques incorporated into these cards; one of which is watercolor smooshing. This is a really fun and easy way to achieve a watercolor effect with little thinking or planning involved.
I used a combination of both Zig Clean Color Felt and Real Brush markers with an Art Impressions palette to achieve the smooshing technique; however you can also do this same smooshing technique using any sort of slick surface.
The “yahoo” sentiment was stamped with one of the new Simon Exclusive CZ Design stamp sets; Everett Alphas. In place of one of O’s in the sentiment, I used the adorable Fingerprint Doodles stamp set and added little critters onto each of the cards. You could make this even more “authentic” by stamping your own fingerprint instead of using the fingerprint images included in the stamp set.
The supporting sentiment “so proud of you” is heat embossed onto coordinating colors of cardstock strips. Isn’t it fun to create your own sentiments by making use of letter stamps?
To finish up the cards, I put my stamped and watercolored panels onto card bases that are decorated with Simon’s new Stitched Alphabets stamp set. I wanted a bit of texture and pattern on the card bases, but nothing distracting. Using embossing ink, I was able to get a tone-on-tone effect that coordinates perfectly with the card design. To stamp those alphabet letters I did not remove them from the stamp packaging; this saved time in not having to line them onto a block or MISTI tool!
The watercolor smooshing technique is really fun and in the video I share some other tips and tricks as well… even a fix for a mistake I made during the creation process! I hope you enjoyed today’s post and will check out the video below to see how these cards came together! Thanks for stopping by; I’ll be back again tomorrow with more crafty inspiration to share with you!
WATCH THE VIDEO
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In the Garden Burlap Panel by Emma Williams
Hi friends! Happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a fabulous weekend! Please join me in welcoming back the always fabulous Emma Williams to our blog as a guest writer! Want to be inspired by her on a weekly basis? Tune into our Monday Challenge Blog for a weekly chance to win $50 to our store! Now sit back, read on, and enjoy!
Hello everyone, it’s Emma here and I’m so happy to be back on the Simon Says Stamp blog sharing a home decor project, inspired by the lazy days of summer and this wonderful photo of two giggling girls from Tim Holtz’s Paper Dolls collection. So, with this in mind I’ve designed a dimensional, multi layered vintage style panel, using this fabulous image as my focal point and surrounding them with many more beautiful Tim Holtz products.
1. Using the burlap panel, use your fingertip to smear a small amount of gesso around the outside edges and set aside to dry. This will create a shabby chic look to the burlap.
2. Cut a panel of the Memoranda Paper Stash to measure, 13.5 x 18 cm and ink the edges of the paper. Machine stitch in a neutral coloured thread around the outside of the paper and then, Using a paper distresser tool, run the tool around the edges of the stitched paper to create a worn, vintage look adding small rips and tears as you work your way around.
3. Cut a panel of green card from the Classic Kraft Stock, slightly larger in size than the patterned paper. Using the sanding tool, gently sand the edges of the card stock before matting the stitched panel of paper over the top. Mount the layered panels onto a piece of gold metallic kraft paper measuring, 14.5 x 19cm and then adhere the matted layers onto the front of your burlap panel.
4. Using one of the Cabinet Card Frames, lightly sand around the outside of the frame.
5. Cut a further piece of Tim Holtz Memoranda paper to fit inside the Cabinet Card Frame and adhere the paper into place.
6. Using the Collage Brushes, apply a layer of Collage Medium over the entire Cabinet Card before taking the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon and running it around the edge, blending out the colour with your fingertip. At this stage, I also ran the crayon around the inside of the aperture to create some more depth to the layers.
7. Flick small amounts of gesso over the surface of the Cabinet Card Frame and allow to dry.
8. Attach the Cabinet Card to a piece of burlap from the Textured Surfaces pack and leave a border of the burlap showing around the outside of the card frame. Cut a strip of Linen Ribbon and wrap this around the Cabinet Card, placing it just above the writing and securing the ends of the ribbon at the back.
9. Choosing a selection of flowers of various colours and heights from the Botanical Layers pack, I arranged and attached some of the flowers using Collage Medium directly onto my Cabinet Card Frame, arranging them around the oval aperture and attaching them with Collage Medium.
10. Take the image of the two adorable girls from the Paper Dolls set and colour the dress of the girl on the left by using the Tumbled Glass Distress Marker Pen and applying the colour directly to the surface, before gently wiping away any excess with a soft cloth. Apply Picked Raspberry to the other dress, again wiping away the excess ink before adding Brushed Corduroy to their arms and faces and a touch of Picked Raspberry to give them rosy cheeks.
11. Place foam pads on the back of the image and attach to the centre of the aperture of the Cabinet Card Frame, placing them over the top of some floristry fibres.
12. Using the remaining flowers that I’d chosen from the Botanical Layers pack, I attached these with foam pads, placing them around the bottom section of my Cabinet Card Frame and at the feet of the Paper Doll girls, giving the appearance that the girls are standing in the garden, surrounded by flowers.
13. Cut a further piece of linen ribbon and tie into a small bow and attach this bow to the left hand side of the Cabinet Card frame. Place the Clipping Sticker, “In The Garden” into a memo pin and insert the pin into the knot of the bow.
14. Cut away four of the flower heads from one stem of the Bouquet Findings. Spritz the flower heads with Spun Sugar and Antique Linen distress Spray Stains and allow to dry before attaching them to the base of the memo pin, arranging them to cascade down the pin.
15. Attach two butterflies from the Botanical Layers Pack to complete the scene on the front of the Cabinet Card.
16. Add Remnant Rubs and a Clippings Sticker to the top right hand corner of the card frame.
17. The ruler pieces are slightly smaller than the width I wanted to use on the burlap panel, so for this I created an illusion by taking one of the Ruler pieces which I cut into two sections measuring approx 3cm. Rub the wood with Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo Distress Ink before spritzing each piece with a light misting of water and allow to dry. Attach the two pieces onto the covered burlap panel, placing them approx 4.5cm from the bottom edge and adhering them into place on either side with Collage Medium, allowing them to slightly overlap the left and right hand edges of the burlap panel.
18. Place foam pads on the back of the completed Cabinet Card Frame and attach centrally onto the front of your burlap panel, placing it over the top of the ruler pieces, which now appear to be one length of ruler.
19. Apply Picket Fence Distress Paint to the surface of the Hinge Clip, allow for the paint to be-come tacky before wiping away some of the paint from the clip. Attach the clip to the top of the frame.
20. Finally, add four of the Prima Knobs to each corner of the panel and I’ve added it to the Tim Holtz Adjustable Easel to display it.
I really hope you’ve loved the creative process behind this project and that you’ll be inspired by the piece I’ve created especially for you! Thanks so much for stopping by today and I’ll see you again very soon!
Emma
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Thanks so much for reading today, and thanks to Emma for being our guest!
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Encouraging Words Blog Hop with LOADS of PRIZES… Part 2!
Welcome to day TWO of our blog hop celebrating our new exclusive release. Be sure to click HERE to see yesterday’s hop, if you missed it. Read on to see day 2 of our celebration of the latest collection, Encouraging Words. Please hop along and enjoy! Every stop along the way has a $25 gift card!
Did you see yesterday’s hop? Here are some sneak peeks ;)
Please leave “Encouraging Words” in the comments section of each stop on the hop. We will be randomly selecting from comments to give away $25 Gift Card to someone at every stop on the hop.
Check out our new “Encouraging Words” release below. It’s perfect for back to school and every day encouragement!
Thanks again for joining us today! Now….Go get hopping! It’s an explosion of encouraging inspiration!!!!! :) Remember, Please leave “Encouraging Words” in the comments section of each stop on the hop. We will be randomly selecting from comments to give away $25 Gift Card to SimonSaysStamp.com for someone at every stop on the hop.
Have a great weekend!!
