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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

simon says stamp

Simon Says Stamp DieCember Has Begun!

Are you ready to party? Simon Says Stamp’s 10th DieCember celebration has begun! So. Many. Cute. Products. I know coloring is my “thing,” but I cannot get enough of die cutting either, so the wonderful products in this release made me so happy! I created a super wintry scene using some older and some brand new products from Simon Says Stamp, so let’s get started with the details!

I definitely was channeling my inner Clark Griswold with this project. (I am actually watching that movie as I type, ha!) I was picturing the opening scene of Christmas Vacation the entire time I was creating this card! I began by white heat embossing the brand new Birch Tree Background stamp onto some Lapis cardstock from Hero Arts. I then used blending brushes to blend Galaxy and Twilight Paws-itively Saturated inks over the top of the embossed trees to create a wintry twilight background. I also splattered some white gouache to add some delicate snowflakes to complete the wintry feel of the card!

To create the Griswold front-wheel drive sleigh, I die cut the Vintage Christmas Station Wagon from some medium gray cardstock, backing the window openings with some vellum to create some frosty windows! I added the wheels using some shimmery silver cardstock and the tree using Simon Says Stamp Midnight Green cardstock. I trimmed some darker gray cardstock to create a hilly road for my station wagon.

For the greeting, I die cut the “hugs” from the new CZ Design Basic Trio dies twice from white cardstock and once from the beautifully textured Snow White Pawsitively Velvet cardstock, adhering them all together using liquid adhesive to create a dimensional die cut. I used the same technique for the “winter” die cut, which unfortunately looks as though it is discontinued. For a final touch and to add a bit of shine, I added a few Rock Candy confetti to add some dimensional snowflakes to the card front.

Well, that’s all for my project today! I hope you’ll take a peek at the new DieCember release-it’s totally amazing! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

More Simon Says Stamp Holiday Sparkle!

Hi there! Today, I have a couple more projects using the new Holiday Sparkle release from Simon Says Stamp, both featuring tons of texture and layers. I may have started as a stamper, but die cutting is one of my most favorite ways to create these days. Standalone dies just have so many ways to that you can customize them to make them truly unique from project to project! One of my favorite ways to make dies extra exciting is to add lots of texture using different types of fancy papers. The new Pawsitively Velvet cardstock from Simon Says Stamp is the perfect way to add some luxurious texture to your card front without adding a ton of extra bulk! I have two projects to share with you today using these new papers, so let’s get started with the details!

Both of my projects feature an icy color palette using some beautiful Bazzill Icy Mint cardstock as the starting point. I love super pale colored cardstock; it’s just a hair off of white cardstock, but adds that hint of color to a crisp card or tag project!

For my first project, I used the green Pawsitively Velvet cardstock to die cut the Etched Berry Branch die. Because this die cut is very delicate, I also die cut the same branch from some black cardstock and adhered it to the velvet die cut to add some stability while I determined the rest of my card front. I used the white Pawsitively Velvet cardstock to die cut the base layer for the Layered Warbler bird die, adding some details with Icy Mint and Granite cardstock.

For the background, I trimmed a panel of white cardstock down to A2 size, then ran it through my die cut machine using the Exotic Vines embossing folder. I love how classy and elegant this folder is. The vines and berries help to give it a bit of a botanical feel to work well with my bird and berries!

To ground my bird and branch, I die cut the A2 Thin Frames dies from some white glitter cardstock. (Tip: keep your rectangle dies together in order to have double the amount of frames from one pass through your die cut machine!) I selected a very thin frame and smaller, but thicker, frame, then saved the rest for another project. I backed the smaller frame with some vellum to soften the area behind it a bit. This provides a clean canvas for my bird, branch, and sentiment.

I die cut the detail layer of the Snowy Greetings die set from some more Granite cardstock. I also heat embossed a greeting from a set that seems to be retired (whoops!), just to flesh out the greeting a bit. I adhered the thin frame around the edge of the embossed panel, then arranged the remaining die cuts on the vellum rectangle. The final touch was to add a few coordinating blue pearls as “berries” for the foliage die cut.

My second project is a simple tag to adorn a holiday gift! I die cut one of the Large Tag Dies from some more Icy Mint cardstock , then lightly blended some Winter Sky ink around the edge using a blending brush. I splattered the blended tag using some pearlescent watercolors to create some wintry shimmer.

I die cut a few individual snowflakes from the new Sparkling Snowflake Frame and Trio die set using the white velvet from the Pawsitively Velvet cardstock pack. I arranged them on the blended tag, snipping off the overhanging edges. I love the texture that this creates on this simple tag! I added a “for you” greeting, customized by snipping off the “here” from the CZ Design Here For You die. I popped up the glittery greeting using some very thin strips of foam adheisve and added a simple white raffia loop to make for easy attachment to a gift!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! The Pawsitively Velvet cardstock adds such a luxurious textural element to your holiday projects, and so inexpensively. Love that! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Simon Says Stamp Holiday Sparkle Release Blog Hop + Giveaway- Day 2!

Hi there! Today, I am thrilled to be taking part in the second day of the Simon Says Stamp Holiday Sparkle Blog Hop. We are celebrating the stunning new release and hopping along with tons of inspiration to share with you using the new products. You should have arrived here from Heather Hoffman, and your next stop is Jennifer Kotas. You can also start back at the beginning at the Simon Says Stamp Blog.

I am a huge fan of monochromatic projects, and I am an even bigger fan of non-traditional holiday color palettes. I was searching through my Simon Says Stamp product when I was brainstorming my projects for today, and I came across the stunning Rose Gold Metallic Foil cardstock from Simon Says Stamp and thought how fun and unique it would be to create some shining rose gold snowflakes using the new Sparkling Snowflake Frame and Trio dies. I have a pair of cards to share with you today using these new dies and beautiful foil paper, so let’s get started with the details!

My first card focuses on the frame part of the Sparkling Snowflake Frame and Trio. I began by die cutting it from the Rose Gold Metallic Foil cardstock, as well as cutting a few extra individual snowflakes to create a lovely organic background pattern.

For the card base, I pulled some super pale blush cardstock from my stash and cut it down to an A2 card base size. I then blended some Rosie Cheeks ink around the edges using a Simon Says Stamp Cheeky blending brush. I also splattered some shimmery pearlescent watercolors. I love the effect of the splatters behind the die cut snowflakes; it creates the illusion of different levels of perspective, with large snowflakes close to you and tiny snowflake pinpricks farther away. Before adhering the foil frame over the blended and splattered card base, I placed the frame on the card front and used some of the tiny snowflake stamps in the Holiday Sparkle Greetings stamp set to stamp a mid-size group of snowflakes to my card front using Rosie Cheeks ink.

I adhered my foil snowflakes on my blended, splattered, and stamped card front using liquid adhesive. I heat embossed a greeting from Holiday Sparkle Greetings onto some more of the same blush cardstock using coordinating rose gold embossing powder and die cut it using the coordinating dies. I popped the greeting up on the card front using foam adhesive. Adding that little extra pop of height helps to keep the sentiment die cut from fading into the background!

My second card uses the same color scheme, but features a completely different layout! I began by die cutting several of the standalone snowflakes from the Sparkling Snowflake Frame and Trio from both white cardstock and the Rose Gold Metallic Foil cardstock.

I knew that I wanted to create a focal point in the center of the blush card front, so I used the Simon Says Stamp Cheeky blending brush to lightly blend some Rosie Cheeks ink in the center of the card front. I also added some more pearlescent watercolor splatters using shimmery pearlescent watercolors. (Tip: drop some clean water onto your pearlescent watercolors and allow to sit for a few minutes. This allows the watercolor to activate so that you are able to more easily pick up the shimmery goodness with your paintbrush!) I arranged the snowflakes in a cluster in the center of the blended card front, adhering them with liquid adhesive.

For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the Snowy Greetings die several times: once from some sparkling white glitter cardstock, then twice more from plain white cardstock, adhering them together with liquid adhesive. I added the dimensional die cut to a vellum background layer, then added it to the center of the snowflake cluster using some clear dimensional adhesive. The final step was to add some Trinity Stamps Milk Glass gems to add one more element of sparkle and texture to my snowflake cluster. These gems have the added bonus of helping to further create the visual cascade from the top left to the bottom right of the card.

Well, that’s all for my projects today! You can check out another project that I shared using the new Holiday Sparkle release HERE.

Now for some fun giveaways and freebies!

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 gift card to one winner selected from the comments on each stop on the hop! Simply leave a comment on each stop of the hop for maximum chances to win, then check out the Simon Says Stamp blog on November 16, 2022 to see if your name was selected. You can also enter on all of the stops from Day 1 of the hop, as well, for tons of chances to win!

Simon Says Stamp is also offering a super fun free gift with purchase! Simply enter code CUTEBAG at checkout for your purchase of $50 or more to receive the super cute Holiday Zipper Pouch for free with your order!

Your next stop is Jennifer Kotas. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

New Release: Simon Says Stamp Holiday Sparkle!

Hi there! Simon Says Stamp is releasing a whole slew of marvelous new holiday products tonight for their Holiday Sparkle release! You can check out the entire release HERE. Sooo many gorgeous new holiday goodies, both secular and religious, winter and holiday-specific. Something for everyone!! I have an icy holiday card to share with you tonight, so let’s get started with the details!

Die-cut-and-emboss combos are allll the rage right now, and Simon Says Stamp has some absolutely stunning additions to that product category, including the new Pine Landscape folder/die combo! Watercoloring these beautiful three dimensional embossing folders is one of my most favorite ways to use them, so I couldn’t resist adding some color to this beautiful, snowy landscape.

I began by trimming down two pieces of Fabriano Artistico Cold Press watercolor paper to A2 size. I then die cut one section of one panel using the die from the Pine Landscape folder/die combo. The key to these die/folder combos is to do your die cutting first, then run your die cut through your machine with the embossing folder. It’s super simple to line up and stays in place nicely, though you can use a piece of washi tape to hold it if you’re worried about the die cut shifting. I wanted to offset the trees in the background of my die cut, so I made sure to check my placement on the full size panel of watercolor paper so that the embossed and die cut trees in the front were slightly shifted from the embossed trees in the background.

Once I had both sets of embossed trees finished, I taped my panels down to my watercolor board and used my Daniel Smith watercolor paints to add beautiful greens and blues to the images. This technique is similar to no-line watercolor, in that you have to keep your wet sections separate in order to maintain the integrity of the individual images (or in this case, branches). Once the paint had dried completely, I splattered the background with some shimmering white watercolor to create subtle, sparkling snowfall. I also used Fresh Snowfall Nuvo Glitter Accents to add some sparkling snow to the tips of the branches on the trees. The entire effect is so realistic… all it needs is a tiny sledder going down the slope between the trees!

To frame my trees and ground them a bit, I die cut one of the large arches from some white cardstock using the Simon Says Stamp Nested Domed Arches dies, reserving the die cut and keeping the negative A2 sized frame. I also die cut the Simon Says Stamp Season’s Greetings die twice from white cardstock and once from white glitter cardstock that I had in my stash that was simply sparkling white-no iridescence or color of any kind on the glitter! I adhered all of the die cuts together using liquid adhesive to create a dimensional die cut. I popped up the arched frame using foam tape over the top of the full embossed and watercolored A2 panel and added the die cut trees in the front of the frame using more foam tape. Finally, I added my dimensional die cut greeting using more liquid adhesive. The curve of the die cut sentiment matches the curve of the arched frame so beautifully!

Well, that’s all for my project today! I have a few more projects to share with you, so I hope you’ll come back soon. You can check out the entire Holiday Sparkle release HERE. Thanks so much for reading, and have a marvelous day!

More Simon Says Stamp Cozy Hugs!

Hi there! I have a bit more inspiration using some of the new goodies from the Simon Says Stamp Cozy Hugs release, featuring one of my most favorite holiday themes: snowflakes! The beautiful new Glistening Snowflakes stamps are full of a variety of snowflakes, in tons of different sizes and arrangements, so you can create super simple and elegant cards with some heat embossing and colored cardstock, or you can go all in with sparkly embossing, ink blending, and die cuts! I, of course, had to go all in and create a festive wintry holiday card, perfect for a Christmas card or even a winter birthday! Let’s get started with the details.

I began by heat embossing many of the individual snowflakes and the snowflake “ornaments” from Glistening Snowflakes onto some heavyweight vellum using sparkly silver embossing powder. I die cut the embossed images using the coordinating dies (which are on reserve at the moment, but you can purchase with your regular order and they will be shipped as soon as they arrive at the warehouse!). I love the heat embossed snowflakes on the vellum; it creates such an ethereal look for the snowflakes, like they’re gently floating down your card front!

For the background, I started by blending Heather, Seafoam, and Morning inks on an A2 panel, then ran the blended panel through my die cut machine with the Filigree Snowflakes Embossing Folder. To help add a little bit of emphasis on the beautifully detailed snowflakes, I swiped the Hero Arts Dove White ink pad lightly over the top of the raised areas. I splattered some sparkly silver handmade watercolors on the blended panel, as well, to make it even frostier and more sparkly!

Because vellum can be tricky to neatly adhere to your card front, I decided to help “hide” some of the adhesive by adding a die cut frame, cut from some pearlescent lilac cardstock using the Nested Domed Arches dies. I popped it up on the card front using some Simon Says Stamp Foam Tape, then tucked the dangling snowflakes behind it. I also die cut a “snowy greetings” sentiment, cutting the outline layer from some pale ice blue cardstock and the detailed word layer from some Spellbinders Silver Glitter Foam. (I am slightly obsessed with these glitter foam sheets. They make adding dimension so incredibly quick and easy and come in a ton of different colors!) I popped the rest of the snowflakes using some clear foam tape, then added a smattering of Rock Candy Confetti from Trinity Stamps.

Well that’s all for my project today! The combination of different textures, snowflake sizes, sparkly silver splatters, and confetti helps make this card super festive and sparkly! I hope you enjoyed this wintry project. Christmas is coming, no mistake about that! Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a marvelous day!