It’s Christmas in July with Cathy Zielske! Don’t miss this exclusive Limited Edition Kit + FREE CLASS!
Editor’s update: WOW! This class sold out fast! We’re thrilled that you’re all as excited about it as we are! Please note that the class kit is now SOLD OUT, but some this exclusive bundle is available if you missed the kit!
Christmas is HERE—and it’s absolutely FABULOUS! Unwrap the brand-new Limited Edition CZ Christmas in July Card Kit, packed with festive cheer and 7 exclusive, never-before-seen products— only available in this kit!
Join the amazing Cathy Zielske, from CZ Design, and student Heidi, founder of Simon Says Stamp, for a FREE live class on July 25 at 12 PM ET on our Simon Says Stamp YouTube channel and craft three joyful holiday projects using the kit’s one-of-a-kind stamps, dies, and stencils. Can’t join live? No problem—it’ll be there to rewatch anytime!
And the excitement continues—Saturday, July 26, get inspired by bonus holiday projects from Shari Carroll and Nichol Spohr!
Missed our live announcement? Catch the rewatch below!
Kit contents include:
- NEW CZ Design Clear Stamps Making Spirits Bright
- NEW CZ Design Making Spirits Bright Wafer Dies
- NEW CZ Design Nested Tags Wafer Dies
- NEW CZ Design Simple Stars Stencil
- NEW Simon Says Clear Stamp White Christmas Text
- NEW Simon Says Stamp Festive Swag Wafer Die
- NEW Simon Says Stamp Festive Swag Layering Stencils
- Simon Says Stamp Magnet Wand Tool
- Simon Says Stamp White Ink Pad
- Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Silver Fine Detail Embossing Powder
- 1 Teaspoon of Simon Says Stamp Starshine Embellishment Mix
- Simon Says Stamp 0.5 oz Pawsitively Perfect Craft Glue
- 20 Inches of Simon Says Stamp Metallic Silver Cord
- Simon Says Stamp Seafoam Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Surf Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Ocean Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Cabbage Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Artichoke Ink Cube
- Simon Says Stamp Kale Ink Cube
- 1/2 sheet Simon Says Stamp Adhesive Foam Squares
- 2 Small Simon Says Stamp Blending Brushes
- 1 Sheet of Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue 100 LB Cardstock
- 1 Sheet of Simon Says Stamp Green Leaf 100 LB Cardstock
- 2 Sheets of Neenah Solar White 110 LB Cardstock
- 1 Simon Says Stamp White A2 Envelope
- 1 Simon Says Stamp Audrey Blue A2 Envelope
If there weren’t already enough reasons to be excited about this kit, here’s another! Valued at over $160 when purchasing these products individually, this kit can be yours for the mega value deal of $99.99 with a free class to boot! WOW! Don’t miss out on this hand-curated kit for endless creative possibilities!
5 Ways to Color Block: Yippee for Yana
Hi friends! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)
Hello, friends! It’s Yana Smakula here with a new “Yippee for Yana” episode. Today, I’m excited to share several ideas for creating fun and vibrant color-blocked backgrounds, perfect for showcasing bold sentiments on your cards!
Color blocking is one of my absolute favorite card-making techniques. It’s all about combining blocks of color to create eye-catching, dynamic backgrounds. The bold contrast and playful use of colors instantly elevate any card design.
I’m working with the Grad Basics stamp set by Cathy Zielske, paired with coordinating dies from Simon Says Stamp. I adore the handwritten “grad” sentiment with its adorable heart detail – perfect for graduation cards! All my stamping is done using VersaFine Onyx Black ink on Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock, my go-to combination for crisp, clean stamping.
Simple Checkerboard Background
For my first color-blocked card, I created a checkerboard pattern. I started with two colored cardstock panels cut to 4 ¼ x 5 ½” – Honey (yellow) and Cotton Candy (pink) – and cut both in half and in half again. Final rectangles measure: 2 ⅛” x 2 ¾” . Arranging these rectangles alternately creates a visually appealing checkerboard effect that’s simple yet striking.
Adding White Space
In another variation, I introduced Creamsicle cardstock alongside Honey and Cotton Candy, this time leaving intentional white spaces between each colorful block. This spacing enhances the visual interest and allows each color to pop distinctly. The blocks measure: 1 ⅞” x 2 ⅕” (yellow), 1 ⅞ x 2 ⅛” (orange), 1 ⅞ x 2 ¾” (orange), 2 ⅛ x 3 ⅜” (pink).
Diagonal Cuts for Dynamic Effects
My third background involves diagonal cutting, one of my favorite techniques. By simply cutting Honey and Surf Blue cardstock panels diagonally, I quickly created striking backgrounds. One card features a half-and-half diagonal color split, while another takes this idea a step further by using quarter-panel diagonal cuts, creating more intricate and visually intriguing layouts.
Final Touches
Once my backgrounds were assembled, I stamped sentiments and additional details using an older favorite, the Holiday Silhouettes stamp set, also by Cathy Zielske. Despite originally being a Christmas set, its versatile elements, like stars and dots, beautifully complement the graduation theme.
For added dimension, I popped up my die-cut images with foam squares and even used layers of cardstock to subtly elevate panels. A few finishing touches with a white Gelly Roll pen added whimsical dots, enhancing the overall charm of each card.
Give it a Try!
Color blocking is incredibly versatile. Whether you’re celebrating graduations or crafting for any other occasion, this technique allows endless creativity and striking results. Grab your favorite colored cardstock, experiment with different cuts and layouts, and watch your cards come alive!
Thank you so much for stopping by today – I hope these ideas inspire you to create vibrant, color-blocked cards of your own. Happy crafting!
WATCH THE VIDEO:
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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:
Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Yana for being our guest!
Psst! We can’t wait to share the TOP SECRET surprise! Join us live on Monday, June 30th at 12 PM ET to get the scoop!
Summer Flowers Panel by Emma Williams
Hi friends! Happy Sunday! I’m SO delighted to welcome back special guest Emma Williams to our blog today with the some gorgeous NEW inspiration showcasing a great array of Tim Holtz branded products!! Be sure to read on to learn all of the details and enjoy!
To begin with I created the wood effect background for the Rectangular Etcetera Panel. For this, I used the Sizzix Lumber 3D Large A5 Embossing Folder by Tim Holtz. This larger sized folder is so perfect for this size of panel and creates the most spectacular, realistic results. I cut a panel of Distress Watercolor Card to fit the folder, together with a 10cm circle of the same cardstock cut using the SSS Basic Shapes Circles Wafer Die Set. After lightly misting water over the surface of the card, I added the color. For this I used Distress Spray Stains and Oxide Sprays in the following colors; Bundled Sage, Scorched Timber, Weathered Wood and Gathered Twigs Spray Stains and Speckled Egg Oxide Spray. If you need to, you can add more water to blend the inks before drying the card stock with a heat tool.
I placed the inked cardstock inside the embossing folder and ran this through my Sizzix machine. Repeat this process to create an embossed effect using the circular piece of card.
Using the smaller Etcetera Panel in the pack of 4, I adhered Design Tape around the edge of the Etcetera panel. I then machine stitched the embossed wood effect cardstock, and attached this to the centre of my Etcetera Panel using Matte Collage Medium.
Moving onto the Etcetera Facade, I chose my favorite shape from the pack, the shield. I kept the circular section that is in the centre of the facade in place, I didn’t remove it and adhered a piece of the Wallflower Paper Stash over the top, attaching it with Matte Collage Medium. Apply a coat of the Medium over the surface to seal the paper and set this to one side to dry.
Machine stitch a border around the edge of the embossed lumber circle and using foam pads, attach the circle to the centre of the facade to add dimension and height. Apply Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the outside edge of the facade, using your fingertip to blend out any harsh lines of crayon. At this stage, I also added a couple of Cello Stickers.
Take four of the stacking strips that are included in the Etcetera Facade pack, and attach these vertically to the back of the facade.
Adhere the facade into position onto the front of the Etcetera Panel by adding Collage Medium along each of the strips. The top and the bottom of the facade will overhang the edges of the panel.
The background is now complete, and we can move onto creating the floral arrangement that sits on either side of the vintage photo in the finished piece.
For these flowers, I used the Tim Holtz Sizzix Vault Side Order Floristry 2D Die Set. For the tiny purple violets, I inked a piece of the Mixed Media Heavystock card by applying Dusty Concord and Milled Lavender Distress Ink to my glass media mat, misting the inks with water and then picking up the color by swiping the card through the inks. I then used a heat tool to dry the cardstock before die cutting my flowers using this purple card. For the remaining flowers and greenery, I used Distress Watercolor cardstock. After cutting a variety of shapes, I added colour to these pieces, using Distress Inks (colors shown in photo) and blending brushes.
Layer and shape each of the die cut floral pieces. I used two die cut layers for each of the purple violets, before adding the yellow centers. I then added details to all the floral pieces using a black, and a white gel pen.
Place the florals to one side whilst applying colour to the photo from Tim Holtz’s Photomatic set. After cutting the photo to size and trimming off the outside border, I color tinted the image with Distress Crayons and a water brush.
Using a sanding disk attached to a blending tool, I sanded the edges of the photo, and made small tears on the corners, before inking with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I added another piece of the Cello Sticker Tape to the photo and then added a Remnant Rub in the top left hand corner. Attach the photo to the centre of the embossed circle, adding a mini paper clip to the image.
To build up the layers for the central focal point, I added a ruler ephemera piece from the Memoirs Ephemera pack, and attached this underneath the photo, applying a coat of Collage Medium over the top, and adding Walnut Stain Distress Crayon along the edges, again blending out any harsh lines of color with my fingertip. I then took the die cut flowers and arranged these on either side of the photo.
I attached these flowers to the panel, using a combination of hot glue and foam pads, and adding them at varying heights to create depth and dimension.
The “Floristry” Ephemera piece is again taken from the Memoirs Ephemera Pack and after backing this onto a piece of mount board that I had in my stash, I inked the edges, adding a few rips and tears and attached it to the centre of my floral arrangement with foam pads.
I attached another piece from the same pack, the number ‘365 label’, to the left of the facade, adhering it directly onto the embossed lumber background panel and aging it with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the edges. I also added a Hardware Head to either side of the lumber base panel, placing them centrally on the left and right hand sides.
We’re nearly there and all that’s left is to add the small details. I attached some postal stamps ephemera from the Palette Ephemera Pack, and adhered these to the top right corner of the facade. After applying a coat of collage medium to seal the paper, I once again, ran Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the edge of the postal stamps to give them more of a vintage feel.
To complete the make, I added some small Mini Fasteners around the outside edge of the embossed lumber circle.
I attached a Quote Chip Label, placing it centrally at the bottom of the facade.
Finally, I added some hardware as a finishing detail. Each piece of metal is altered with Distress paint to create more of a rusty vintage look to the metal. To begin with, I applied a layer of Crackling Campfire Paint, allowed this to dry, before then adding a layer of Black Soot Distress paint. Allow the paint to become tacky before wiping away any excess paint. To complete this, I applied a layer of Tarnished Brass Distress Paint to the metal surface, again wiping away the excess. Once the metal is dry, I attached these pieces to my panel, adhering them into position on either side of the ruler ephemera piece and at the top of the facade, using Matte Collage Medium to secure them in place. Photo 20
So that’s my project complete, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and as always, the tips and techniques have inspired you to get inky and create…I’d love to see what you make!
See you all again very soon and Happy Crafting everyone…Emma x
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and to Emma for being our guest!
Psst! We can’t wait to share the TOP SECRET surprise! Join us live on Monday, June 30th at 12 PM ET to get the scoop!
