Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

leaf edges

Simple Leaves with Acrylic Markers and Simon Says Stamp!

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

Hi friends! I have a pair of somewhat simple projects to share with you today, featuring some very basic coloring using the two different leaf images from the Leaf Edges cling stamp from Simon Says Stamp. I know that sometimes my colored images can be somewhat over the top for a non-colorist, but these basic leaf images paired with the Altenew Acrylic Markers make for some simple backgrounds, perfect for those who are not as confident with their coloring skills or who just want to create a simple, more graphic background. Let’s get started with the details!

For both of my projects today, I used the Leaf Edges cling stamp as the inspiration point for my backgrounds. I was on a roll with the acrylic markers last week and so searched through my stash for some simpler images that would work well with the acrylic markers. The markers have a bullet point with a medium tip and don’t really mix very well together, so they work better with images that are a bit less involved and detailed. The simple, graphic leaves on both sides of the Leaf Edges cling stamp set were perfect for this technique! I stamped the images using white pigment ink onto aqua and sage green colored cardstock. The white ink blends really nicely into the acrylic paint and provides a crisp, easily visible image.

For my first project, I used the simpler of the two leaf edge options on the Leaf Edges cling stamp set, stamping it with white pigment ink onto the bottom edge of some pale aqua cardstock, oriented portrait-style. I then used the aqua markers in the Altenew Acrylic Markers set, coloring all of the leaves the lighter of the two colors, then adding some very simple shadows in the center of the leaves and the stems to add a bit of definition and interest to the images. I thought that this image would make a perfect field of wildflowers, so I used two different shades of pink acrylic marker to add some very simple and dainty pink flowers in the open spaces between the leaves. I also added a few little metallic accents with the Blush metallic markers and some glittery rose gold watercolor splatters. On the opposite corner, I used a blending brush to blend some Dew Pawsitively Saturated Ink to add a bit of “sky.”

For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the Scripty Thanks die from Metallic Rose Gold cardstock and the shadow layer from some heavyweight vellum. Because the colored background is a bit busy with all of the leaves and flowers, I decided to use a rose gold frame cut using the A2 Thin Frames dies and some more Metallic Rose Gold cardstock. (I am able to get these super thin frames by leaving the dies together as one piece and running it through my die cut machine as one piece rather than individual frames. Not only does this give me a ton of frames in a wide variety of sizes with one pass through my machine, it also gives me two different widths so that I can mix and match as befits the project!) I adhered the delicate metallic foil frame in the center of the colored leaves using liquid adhesive, then popped up the greeting with some clear dimensional adhesive to help the sentiment pop even more. Finally, I added a few sparkling gems for added shine!

For my second card, I used the same basic formula, this time for a portrait orientation and the more detailed of the stamps from the Leaf Edges cling set. I stamped the leaf image with the same white pigment ink, then used the coordinating sage green acrylic marker from the Altenew Acrylic Markers set to color the leaves. Instead of using a slightly lighter acrylic marker to add some highlights and definition to the individual leaf images, I decided instead to create some veins with the super fine Blush metallic marker, following the curve of each leaf for the center vein. These beautiful metallic markers glide so smoothly over the acrylic colored images. I blended some Sage Pawsitively Saturated Ink on the opposite corner, giving the leaves a bit of a glow. I also splattered some more glittering rose gold watercolors for extra texture and sparkle.

For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the Scripty Hugs from more Metallic Rose Gold cardstock and the shadow layer from vellum. I used another super delicate frame from the A2 Thin Frames dies to help draw the eye to the shiny greeting, then added a few shimmering gems for even more sparkle and shine.

Well, that’s all for my projects today! I have really enjoyed playing with the different opaque mediums and hope that they inspired you to go outside of your typical coloring box. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and be sure to check back later this week for some fabulous summery projects for the upcoming release! Have a marvelous day!

Man Card Monday with Simon Says Stamp!

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

Hi there! How about another project (or two) for Man Card Monday? I love flowers, and I don’t deny that my blog is lots of flowers lots of the time, but at least once a month, I post a card with decidedly masculine overtones. This helps jumpstart my creativity a little by making me think outside of my normal floral, super feminine box as well as hopefully provide you with a little inspiration for that elusive man card! Last month, I shared some super graphic inspiration, featuring bold cool colors, lots of texture, and a few metallic elements. This month, I have changed things up with these subtle cards that feature a serene color palette and lots of greenery. I think greenery on it’s own is a perfect “neutral” that can be used for both men and women alike. Let’s get started with the details!

I kept my color palette very muted this month, with some warm gray/platinum and lovely greens created with Pine, Sage, and Aspen Pawsitively Saturated Inks from Simon Says Stamp. I have had the unfortunate need for sympathy and “thinking of you” cards for men recently, and so I wanted to offer encouraging sentiments without going over the top. The Well Wishes stamps and dies by CZ Design from Simon Says Stamp provide poignant sentiments with bold, graphic fonts that work perfectly for these gender neutral projects.

For my first card, I used the Pine, Sage, and Aspen inks to stamp the Leaf Edges in an ombré on my white A2 card front. Using my MISTI stamping tool, I stamped the top with the lightest ink, dabbing the edge of the ink line with my microfiber cloth to let it fade away a bit, which helps the ink colors blend into each other more seamlessly without adding harsh lines. I stamped the middle of the stamp with the middle color, again dabbing the edges with the cloth, then the darkest color at the bottom.

Once I had added all three ink colors to the stamp, I stamped the entire image again with embossing ink and covered it with clear embossing powder, giving me the ability to blend over the top without compromising the crispness of the stamped image. I also blended lightly in the corner using Aspen ink and a blending tool. Such a lovely, serene background!

Next, I die cut two Sword Fern die cuts from white cardstock, leaving them in place in the negative die cut space. I flipped them over and added a few pieces of Simon’s Very Very Low Tack Tape to the back to hold these delicate die cuts in place while I blended Pine ink in the center and Aspen ink on the edges. Despite a plethora of options for colored cardstock amongst my stash, I did not have an exact match for these unique shades of green, so creating my own custom colored cardstock was super easy with some ink pads and blending tools! I die cut a Nested Domed Arches die cut from some heavyweight vellum to soften the area behind the die cuts and sentiment. I popped up the blended ferns and embossed greeting from Well Wishes on top of the vellum arch. I used some neutral twine to add a a fun textural element to the card, as well.

For my second card of the set, I began by blending the detailed stencil from the Dimensional Cubes Stencils using Cozy ink. I did spray the super delicate stencil with some Pixie spray first to make sure that the stenciled lines stayed nice and crisp. I trimmed the stenciled background panel down slightly and matted with some Midnight Green cardstock from Simon Says Stamp to create a thin, super dark green frame around the edge. I also die cut some Windswept Leaves foliage dies, again from white cardstock, then blended Pine ink in the center and Aspen ink on the edges, keeping these delicate die cuts in place with Very Very Low Tack Tape on the back of the negative die cut piece.

Next, I die cut the Circle Thin Frames dies from some white cardstock. I like to leave these frame dies together, though they can be snipped apart, so that I can run them all through my machine at once and have tons of leftover frames to use for future projects! I backed one of the white frames with a vellum die cut circle, again to soften the busy background pattern, and adhered it to the patterned background with liquid adhesive dots on the solid portion of the frame. I arranged the leaf die cuts around the embossed sentiment die cuts from Well Wishes and adhered them to the card front. To avoid adding feminine “sparkle” to the card front, I added a few white enamel dots for a bit of extra textural interest.

Well, that’s all for my Man Card Monday project today! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Simon Says Stamp Just For You Release+New Illustration!

Hi there! I am really excited for this month’s Simon Says Stamp Just For You release, not just because it’s full of fun springy products, but also because I have a new illustration included in the release: Herb Labels! I designed this set to create super cute labels for your herb garden, including Mint, Basil, Rosemary, Dill, and Tomatoes (which aren’t technically an herb, I know). Because I’m a cardmaker and have a black thumb, I also included several super cute, punny sentiments to give you multiple uses for this set! I have a couple of cards using some new and old goodies from Simon Says Stamp, so let’s get started with the details!

The world outside is slowly turning green, the light lasting longer, birds are singing… spring is definitely on the way. My cards today channel that crisp brightness with pops of verdant green. I used Field Paws-itively Saturated Ink as the primary color for both of my cards. This bright green embodies the brightness of the greens in springtime, and it was a perfect fit for both of my cards!

My first card starts by stamping the new Leaf Edges stamp with Field ink onto a panel of white cardstock, then cutting it out with one of the Nested Domed Arches. I blended some more Field ink along the bottom left edge, as well, which covered up a spot that I didn’t get stamped perfectly. (wink wink) As I was looking through my bin of dies from Simon Says Stamp, I discovered that the Privet Branch die was a very close match to the leaves on one side of the the new Leaf Edges stamp. I cut the foliage die from some Meadow cardstock from Hero Arts. You could also use the Field ink to blend your own custom cardstock to make sure it was a perfect match!

To create a background for my leaves, I used Field ink to blend all of the layers of the Radiating Squares layered stencil set. I thought this geometric pattern looked lovely juxtaposed with the graceful movement of the Leaf Edges and Privet Branch images. To prevent my leaf images from being overpowered by the busy background pattern, I trimmed down a panel of vellum slightly smaller than A2 size and layered it directly over the top of the stenciled panel. This helped to soften the pattern without completely covering it. I adhered the stamped, blended arch die cut with some liquid adhesive, then added the branch die cut with some foam tape. I flipped it over and hid my liquid adhesive on the vellum behind the solid die cuts.

I die cut a Handlettered Greetings “with sympathy” die cut from some more Meadow cardstock, snipping the individual words apart with my sharp scissors. I die cut the rectangular Thin Frames die, once for the larger rectangle, and twice for the thin frame and interior rectangle portion, which I adhered together to add a bit of height. I adhered the sentiment word die cuts on the rectangle using liquid adhesive, then popped it up with some foam tape. The final touch was to add a few Opal gems for some subtle sparkle and added texture.

My second card uses the same fresh, crisp green-and-white color scheme, this time with my new Herb Labels. I began by die cutting the large frame from Herb Labels from the center of an A2 panel of white cardstock. I layered a solid A2 piece of white cardstock behind the negative of the frame, then placed them both in my MISTI and used the opening as my guide to place the large label stamp in the center of my full piece of cardstock. I stamped it with the Field ink to create a vibrant, crisp frame behind my die cut frame.

I also stamped the dill bunch from the Herb Labels set, again using Field ink to coordinate with my frame. I used a very fine tipped black pen to outline the string wrapped around the base of my dill bunch. I also used the Field ink to stamp the smaller label, adding one of the punny greetings from the Herb Labels set and die cutting both the dill bunch and the frame using the coordinating dies.

To add a little extra texture to the large frame die cut, I ran the entire panel through my die cut machine using the Pinpoint Starlets embossing folder. I love the sweet texture this provides to this crisp white cardstock! I popped up the embossed panel on the stamped background using some foam squares, then added a double layer of foam squares to the back of the dill bunch. I also popped up the sentiment label using foam squares. The extra height and texture would help to add some interest to the simplistic color scheme of the card!

Well, that’s all for my project today! I have some more goodies to share with you using the Just For You release, as well as some more cards using my new Herb Labels set. Be sure to check back tomorrow! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!