giveaway

Simon Says Stamp Heart to Heart Release Blog Hop + Freebie + Giveaway!

January 10, 2026

This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! We are hopping along today to share tons of inspiration using the beautiful new Heart to Heart Release (click HERE to check out the entire release!). Yesterday’s hop was filled to the brim with beautiful samples using these new products (click HERE to see the hop list for Day 1). For today’s hop, you should have arrived here from Barbara Tarayao and your next stop is Lisa Addesa. You can also start at the beginning at the Simon Says Stamp Blog in case you get lost! I am extra excited for this month’s release, because I have two new floral stamp sets that I’ve illustrated, called Loving You Bouquet and Make My Heart Flutter. I shared a project using the Loving You Bouquet stamp set yesterday (see it HERE), and today I have a cheerful springy project using my new Make My Heart Flutter illustration, featuring sunny yellows and lots of textures. Let’s get started with the details on my project!

*I have gathered links to all of the products used at the bottom of the post for your convenience, using affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for shopping with my links! I truly appreciate your support for my work!*

To begin, I stamped the large sunflower and butterfly image from my new Make My Heart Flutter stamp set, which features a large sunflower image, a delicate butterfly resting on the petals, and lots of greenery. I also included a few individual butterflies in this set so that you could create your own butterfly garden! I stamped the image using alcohol marker-friendly Intense Black ink and colored the image using my OLO Markers, keeping the color palette warm and somewhat muted, adding some nutmeg-brown to the most deeply shadowed petals and reserving the pale, buttery yellow for the topmost petals. I maintained the same color palette on the butterfly, creating an almost stained glass effect with the individual colors inside each section. Once completely colored, I die cut the image with the detailed coordinating die. I love how closely this intricate image is cut out with the die!

For the background, I used a blending brush to blend the new Flax Pawsitively Saturated Ink, a lovely muted shade of pale yellow, onto a crisp white A2 card front. I used the same Flax ink to stamp some individual butterflies on the blended area, creating a subtle, tone-on-tone texture to add interest behind my floral bouquet. For one last touch of texture, I splattered some glittery mica watercolors on the background and set it aside to dry.

For the greeting, I used Nocturne Ink to stamp one of the semi-punny sentiments from Make My Heart Flutter onto some more white cardstock, then added clear embossing powder to the sticky black ink. I used another detailed coordinating die to cut the sentiment out. To assemble the card, I adhered the colored floral bouquet on the blended card front using thin foam adhesive, then used a double layer of the thin foam adhesive to nestle the sentiment over the top of the florals; the crisp black embossed sentiment pops so beautifully from the sunny floral bouquet! I tucked a twine bow beneath the sentiment for added texture, then added some Butter Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for one last touch of sparkle.

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now for some fun giveaway information:

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon at every stop along the hop, selected from each blog’s comment section. Winners will be selected and announced on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, January 14th, along with redemption details.

To sweeten the release, Simon Says Stamp is also offering a free gift-with-purchase! Simply purchase any product from the new Heart to Heart Release (click HERE to check out the entire release!) to receive the not-yet-released Friend Like You stamp set for free, no code needed!

Your next stop on the hop is Lisa Addesa. Don’t forget to check out Day 1 of the Blog Hop (click HERE to check it out) if you haven’t already! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Simon Says Stamp Friend Like You Release Blog Hop + Giveaway!

June 27, 2025

This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! I am hopping along today to celebrate the newest release from Simon Says Stamp, called Friend Like You. You should have arrived here from Debby Hughes, and your next stop is Lisa Addesa. You can also start at the beginning of the hop on the Simon Says Stamp Blog. I had my Daniel Smith watercolors out for my Dahlia Background watercolor project, and so I thought that I would put them to use to create a sweet framed project using the darling storybook-style illustrations from Undersea Friends. Let’s get started on the details!

*I have gathered links to all of the products used at the bottom of the post for your convenience, using affiliate links. Thank you for shopping with my links! I truly appreciate your support for my work!*

Today’s project was inspired by my embroidered project from THIS post; the illustrations in the Best Fishes stamp set are super similar to the illustrations in the new Undersea Friends stamp set (I think they were created by the same artist!), so I thought… how sweet would it be to create a little gift set in two different mediums, perhaps to hang on the wall of a nursery or child’s bathroom? For yesterday’s project, I used my needles and embroidery floss as my medium, but I pulled out my Daniel Smith watercolors in a variety of shades of blue and aqua. I trimmed down a panel of Arches Cold Press watercolor paper to slightly larger than 4×6 inches, then used Hero Arts Contour Ink to stamp the sweet undersea critters from Undersea Friends.

After I had stamped the images, I used my Daniel Smith watercolors to add lots of vibrant color to the critters, working in sections so as to avoid the colors bleeding into one another and to keep the edges of each individual piece nice and crisp. Moisture will always seek moisture on watercolor paper; in order to avoid the colors blooming into one another and the edges blurring, it is important to make sure that you damp watercolored areas are never adjacent. Allow a bit of drying time before adding color to the area directly next to it. I always do multiple layers of color in varying intensities to achieve lots of dimension and depth to the images, creating shadows and contrast by using more intense color and adding light color washes to the background with very diluted color. I used a black pigment pen to add some small details to the eyes on each critter.

After I had completed the main watercoloring, I decided to go back in with my handmade glitter watercolors and add some sparkling accents to the critters, as well as add some gorgeous iridescent shine to the bubbles! The painting looked fine without these sparkling accents, but I think they really take things to another level without a ton of additional work. Once the panel was completely dry, I trimmed it down, then used the new A7 Rectangles Dies to die cut some mat frames, nestling the mats inside one another, then adding my watercolored panel to create a crisp black aperture around my underwater scene! I placed the entire project inside an inexpensive frame that I purchased at the dollar store; it looks quite beachy to me!

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now for some fun giveaway information:

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop, selected from each blog’s comment section. Winners will be selected and posted on our Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday the 2nd of July. Winners can email the folks at Simon Says Stamp to claim his/her prize!

As an added bonus for those hopping along with us, Simon Says Stamp is offering the not-yet-released Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design exclusive You 2 3×4 stamp set as a free gift with purchase! This stamp set is automatically added to your cart that contains any purchase of Friend Like You products! Click HERE to see the full release! The gift with purchase promotion will expire 6/29 at 11:59 pm EDT or while supplies last.

Your next stop on the hop is Lisa Addesa. Don’t forget: tomorrow is Day 2 of this blog hop and will feature tons more inspiration! Be sure to start at the Simon Says Stamp Blog tomorrow so that you don’t miss out. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

OLO Markers Giveaway + Discount Code!

March 24, 2025

Hi there! Have you heard about OLO Markers? I have been lucky enough to participate in some testing and helping to introduce them to my crafty friends since they came on the market several years ago, and I have found them to be an absolute delight. My wonderful friends over at OLO Marker have a special treat for my followers: a giveaway and a discount code!

But first, let’s talk about what makes OLO Markers special.

I have a video (you can watch HERE) in which I discuss many of the different elements of OLO Markers and what makes them unique amongst the other alcohol marker brands. One of the biggest differences is the amount of useable ink; because the ink is free-flowing, it allows you to actually use a much larger percentage of the ink inside the barrel. The nibs are replaceable, and you can easily replace an empty barrel by quickly switching them out, rather than fussily trying to measure a perfect refill.

OLO markers also have the benefit of being dual-sided, separated by a screw-on divider, so that you can create your own unique pairing of brush vs. chisel nib, or you can keep it simple with one marker end and the brush handle. If you’re pressed for space, you can have two different colors on one marker, made into one by the handy dandy connector, or you can have the same color of brush and chisel nibs on the same marker. So many ways to customize and make these markers work best for you personally!

I have several videos up on my YouTube Channel featuring OLO Markers. Click HERE to see the markers in action!

I’m happy to answer any questions that you might have regarding OLO Markers. They truly are a wonderful investment, especially if you’re new to alcohol markers. The color families are super easy to work with and make selecting color palettes a very quick endeavor, and the blending is buttery smooth. I have also shared my favorite color combinations and swatches outside of the typical color families, which you can see HERE. OLO recently released Brush Sets of 8 markers in different color families, which is a great way to start building your OLO stash. I also have curated a collection with my most favorite colors, which you can check out HERE.

Now for the extra fun part. OLO Markers is generously sponsoring a 15% discount for my followers!!!

To receive the discount, simply fill your cart over on the OLO Marker Website, then enter code EMILY15 at checkout. Code is valid until 3/30/25.

OLO Marker is not only sponsoring the discount, but a giveaway over on my Instagram account as well.

Head over to my Instagram (@eamidgett) and look for the graphics above to enter the giveaway! (Be sure to leave your comments on Instagram to be able to enter the giveaway-comments here on my blog will not be eligible!)

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and don’t forget to check out the giveaway over on Instagram!

Simon Says Stamp To Love and To Be Loved Release Blog Hop!

January 10, 2025

This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! I am hopping along with my friends at Simon Says Stamp to celebrate not one, but two new releases! The December 2024 To Love release is the companion release to this month’s To Be Loved release, and we are celebrating with a massive blog hop! You should have arrived here from Barbara Tarayao, and your next stop is Amy Rysavy. You can also start back at the beginning at the Simon Says Stamp Blog! I have a project featuring products from both releases, including my newest stamp set called Anemone Wreath, so let’s get started with the details!

To begin, I stamped my new Anemone Wreath stamp from the To Love release onto some white cardstock using Altenew’s Permanent Mist Gray ink, which is great for no-line coloring. I then used Copic markers in cheery shades of sunny yellow and jade green to do some no-line coloring, coloring only a couple of the blooms and foliage. I made sure to select blooms and foliage that were completely intact, not tucked behind another flower or leaf, so that I could do some fussy cutting and create a completely unique arrangement. Selectively using individual flowers is another great way to stretch this stamp set! After I had finished coloring the images, I used my sharp scissors to fussy cut the images, adding a pale gray border around the edges with a Copic marker that coordinated perfectly with the Simon Says Stamp Steel cardstock that I planned to use in the background.

For that background, I ran an A2 sized panel of the Steel cardstock through my die cutting machine using the new Dancing Floral Embossing Folder. The delicate floral pattern on this embossing folder was just neutral enough that it added beautiful texture behind my focal points without distracting from the vibrant yellow flowers!

For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the new I’m Sorry die from some more Steel cardstock as well as the shadow layer from some Simon Says Stamp Vellum cardstock, layering the two together with liquid adhesive. The vellum shadow helps the tone-on-tone sentiment stand out from the background a bit. I also stamped a greeting from the I’m Sorry Sentiments stamp set onto a small rectangle of Steel cardstock using Simon Says Stamp White Pigment Ink, then added some White Pearl Embossing Powder over the top of the sticky pigment ink to create a lovely and subtle pearlescent accompaniment to the chunky greeting die cut. I arranged the die cut, sentiment block, and vibrant blooms on the embossed card front, adhering them with some foam adhesive for added dimension. Finally, I added a smattering of Opal Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for a touch of shimmer. Pairing gray and yellow is such an unusual color palette for me, but I am always encouraged to use it more frequently whenever I do use it; it’s such a striking combination, perfect for these dreary gray January days!

Well, that’s all for my project today. Now for some fun giveaway information!

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from your blog comment section. Winners will be selected and posted on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday the 15th of January. Winners can email the Simon team to claim his/her prize 🙂

To celebrate this release duo, Simon Says Stamp is also offering a fabulous freebie with purchase! Simply follow the instructions in the graphic at the top of the post to receive the Circle Hoops Embossing Folder for free with your order.

Your next stop is Amy Rysavy. Don’t forget to check back on the Simon Says Stamp Blog tomorrow for Day 2 of the hop for even more fabulous inspiration using these new products! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Altenew January 2025 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway!

January 9, 2025

Hi friends! I am hopping along with my friends at Altenew to help introduce some of their gorgeous new products from the January 2025 release. You should have arrived here from Agnieszka, and your next stop is Svitlana. You can also start back at the beginning at the Altenew Blog. My mom was in a bad car accident over the holidays and was finally released to my house from the hospital, so I didn’t get to play with as much of the release as I would have liked, but the new Stencil Art: Romantic Roses + coordinating die was too gorgeous to pass up. Let’s get started on the details for my project!

I began my project by blending the Carnival Magic Fresh Dye Ink and Aqua Island Fresh Dye Ink quartets to stencil all of the beautiful images from the new Stencil Art: Romantic Roses. I then die cut the finished images with their coordinating die, which is available separately from the subscription, but can be purchased as a bundle with the layering stencils! The layering stencils are super intuitive, featuring very handy etched outlines so that you can easily line up each individual layer.

I wanted to create a beautiful glowing, somewhat mixed media background using the script stencil included with the Stencil Art: Romantic Roses. I began by blending multiple layers of color from the Aqua Island Fresh Dye Ink on the edges of a panel of white A2 cardstock, then used the script stencil to add some interesting pattern and texture to the blended background. I love the subtle tone-on-tone effect that the script stencil adds to the background!

I arranged the floral stenciled die cuts in a corner swag on the blended card base, adhering them with multiple layers of foam adhesive. For the greeting, I used one of the sentiments from the One Go: Solid Sentiment Strips Press Plate, which I created using Rhodolite ink from the Carnival Magic ink quartet, then die cut with the Coordinating Die. Finally, I pulled in some of the peachy undertones from the stenciled flowers with a few of the new Creamrose Pearl Dots, adding additional shimmer and texture ot the card front.

Well, that’s all for my project today. Now for some fun giveaway information!

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $100 gift certificate to 1 lucky winner and a $50 gift certificate to 4 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by January 15th for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 5 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on January 17th, 2025. The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Here’s the full hop list in case you get lost:

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!