Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

OLO marker

NEW Simon Says Stamp Cheering For You Release!

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

Hi friends! I am so excited to share some inspiration using new goodies from the brand spanking new Simon Says Stamp Cheering For You release! This release is so, so good, and features lots of beautiful summery stamps and dies, as well as some great options to start your autumn crafting! I am a sucker for a beautiful floral cover plate die, and the new Morning Garden Floral die is just gorgeous! I couldn’t resist coloring it up with my OLO markers to create a vibrant, detailed floral background. Let’s get started with the details!

I began my card by die cutting each of the elements of the new Morning Garden Floral die from some plain white cardstock. This die set cuts both the cover plate background with the foliage as well as individual flowers so that you can cut the different elements from unique colored or textured cardstocks, and when assembled, creates a lovely background with floral arrangements in each corner. I then used OLO markers in some lovely cool shades of lilac, orchid, and deep teal to add color to each individual image and assembled the finished pieces with liquid adhesive!

I wanted to create a dramatic and bold background, and so ran a panel of Pitch Black cardstock through my die cut machine using the new Pinpoint Circle BG. This cover plate die creates a lovely, subtly textured pattern, which was a great backdrop for the vibrant floral die cuts! Before adhering my colored florals, I splattered the background with some glittery holographic watercolors to add extra shimmer and texture behind the focal points. I used liquid adhesive to add the floral die cut frame on the black textured background and added some Clear Pawsitively Dazzling Gems to the center of each flower.

For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the older Simple Hello die from silver holographic foil cardstock and cut the shadow layer with vellum, adhering the two together with liquid adhesive. I used Minc machine with the new Birthday Wishes Strips and some iridescent toner foil. The shiny iridescent foil shows up beautifully on the black cardstock. I used a trimmer to trim out the pieces of the sentiment that coordinated with my “hello” die cut, then adhered the sentiment components using foam adhesive for extra dimension.

Well, that’s all for my projects today! I have lots more inspiration to share with you using these new products, so be sure to come back again, especially for the blog hop later this week. You can check out the full Cheering For You release HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Vibrant Tropical Scene with Simon Says Stamp Sunny Vibes!

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

Hi friends! I am back with another project using the new Simon Says Stamp Sunny Vibes release, which is full of gorgeous flora and fauna dies. My mind immediately paired the new Exquisite Hummingbird die with the Lily Duo die to create a lovely and vibrant tropical scene. I used some marvelous new markers from OLO marker, as well, to create these vivid layered die cuts, adding a hint of sparkle and shimmer with handmade glitter watercolors. Let’s get started with the details on my project!

To begin, I die cut the components for the Lily Duo die, the Exquisite Hummingbird die, and the Etched Delicate Frond die from Hammermill cardstock. I then selected super bright colors from OLO marker to add tons of dimension and vibrancy, creating a tropical feel for these gorgeous images. I used the printed guide on the envelopes of the hummingbird and lily dies for guidance on how best to add the colors and shading for the layered die cuts, keeping the colors vivid and cool and adding some pink and aqua “glazing” to the images to keep the color palette cohesive throughout all of the die cuts. (“Glazing” is a watercolor term for adding subtle wash of diluted color over your finished area. I apply it to alcohol markers when I add very subtle color over the top of my finished colored image to help change the tones or add colorful highlights.)

For the background, I wanted to make sure that those incredibly bright colored images popped, so I trimmed down an A2 panel of Pitch Black cardstock and splattered it with some iridescent glitter watercolors from my stash. Adding splatters to a solid background is a great way to add a bit of interest and texture to the background without complicating things so much that the eye is drawn away from the focal point. I arranged the hummingbird, lilies, and foliage on the card front, adhering the foliage fronds with liquid adhesive, a single layer of foam adhesive for the flowers, and a double layer for the hummingbird to make sure that it had a bit extra height!

I find the iridescent sheen on hummingbirds absolutely exquisite, so I tried to capture that shimmer with some sparkling glitter watercolors! I decided to “gild” the edges of my lilies and the wings on my hummingbird with handmade iridescent watercolors from my stash. Difficult to capture in a photo, but so sparkly and luxurious in real life!

After I had arranged the flowers, it was time to work on the sentiment. I stamped a greeting from Splendid Sentiments on strips of black cardstock using Unicorn White pigment ink, then stamped directly over the top with embossing ink and added Iridescent Lavender embossing powder. The resulting combination is a pretty iridescent lavender greeting that shows up beautifully on the black cardstock! I die cut the detail layer of the Splendid die from some Altenew Milky Way Glitter Gradient cardstock pack and the shadow layer from vellum, adhering the two together with liquid adhesive. I flipped the greeting over and added some foam adhesive behind the solid die cuts to hide them effectively, then tucked all of the greeting components amongst the flowers. Finally, I added some sparkly iridescent gems!

Well, that’s all for my project today! I am in shock that we are halfway through the year. Time flies when you’re having fun and are crazy busy, I guess! I have some fun things planned for Christmas In July, and have been working on some videos for my YouTube channel, so stay tuned. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Simon Says Stamp Sunny Vibes Release Blog Hop Day 2 + Giveaway!

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

Hi friends! I am hopping along with Simon Says Stamp today to share more inspiration using the absolutely gorgeous new Sunny Vibes release! You should have arrived here from Mindy Eggen, and your next stop is Yana Smakula. You can also find the full blog hop list on the Simon Says Stamp Blog in case you get lost! Simon Says Stamp has some of the most beautiful floral 3D embossing folders in the industry, and the embossing folders in the Sunny Vibes release are truly gorgeous (click HERE to see them all!). I always jump at the chance to color them up with my coloring mediums, especially OLO markers. I have two vibrant, summery projects to share with you today using the new Brilliant Hibiscus and Wild Blossom embossing folders. Let’s get started with the details!

For both of my projects, I embossed the images onto some Hammermill cardstock using my Platinum 6. I love using the Hammermill for these embossing folders; the details become super crisp and alcohol marker coloring is a dream on this super smooth cardstock.

For my first card, I used the Brilliant Hibiscus Embossing Folder with some gorgeous new shades of pink from OLO markers. Though alcohol ink dries super quickly, I still try to treat my coloring on these embossed images similarly to no-line watercoloring by keeping the wet sections separate until dry in order to keep the definition on the images. The individual petals are made more visible the more contrast you add, so keeping the contrast between those dark petals that are tucked beneath and the lighter highlighted petals on the top is very important! I love that the Brilliant Hibiscus Embossing Folder also includes a coordinating die for the flowers, so you can create your own bouquet arrangements! I can’t wait to play more with this beautiful embossing folder and die combo.

After I had finished coloring the gorgeous, large scale image, I stamped a sentiment from the Just Breathe stamps and die set onto some more white cardstock using Obsidian Black pigment ink and added clear embossing powder. This combination always makes the sentiments that much more crisp and clean and makes the sentiment really pop amongst the colorful background! I popped up the die cut sentiment with some foam squares, then added a trio of Clear Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for a bit of sparkle.

For my second project, I used the new Wild Blossom Embossing Folder to create this sunny card. I embossed an A2 panel of Hammermill cardstock using the Wild Blossom folder, then used the included coordinating die to die cut another individual flower, which I embossed using the folder. I again used OLO markers, this time in citrus shades of lemon and lime, to add color and shadow to the flowers and foliage. I trimmed the bottom off, then used a blending brush to blend some Butter Pawsitively Saturated Ink around the edges, creating a sunny glow.

For the greeting, I stamped one of the sentiments from the new Bad Day, Good Vibes stamp and die set, again using Obsidian Black pigment ink and clear embossing powder to create a super crisp sentiment die cut. Because I had trimmed off the bottom edge of the embossed panel, I allowed a very thin strip of gold glitter cardstock to peek out along the bottom edge, then found some coordinating sunny yellow cardstock in my stash and finished out the rest of the A2 panel with that. I popped up the greeting die cut with some foam squares, then added a few sunny yellow gems for added sparkle!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! Now for some fun giveaway and free gift with purchase 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 our Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday the 26th of June. Winners can email us to claim his/her prize 🙂

Simon Says Stamp is also offering a free gift with purchase to celebrate this new Sunny Vibes release. Simply follow the instructions on the graphic at the top of this post to find the fabulous stamp and coordinating die set, valued at over $20, then add code HELLO at checkout to receive it for free with any purchase of $50 or more!

Be sure to check out the incredible inspiration from Day 1 of this two day blog hop. More prizes and loads more inspiration awaits! Your next stop is Yana Smakula. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Peonies + Lemons = Zesty Combination!

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

Hi friends! I have an intensely color saturated card to share with you today, pairing some of my favorite dies from Simon Says Stamp with plain white cardstock and OLO markers! I absolutely love customizing plain white die cuts with coloring mediums, and while perusing Pinterest, I saw a graphic that combined peonies and lemons and just had to try the combination out for myself using my OLO markers. This card is a big A7 card, which was the perfect size to give me plenty of room for my larger die cuts. Let’s get started with the details!

To start my project, I die cut the Abundant Leaves, Lemon Zest, and Etched Peony Blossom dies from some Hammermill white cardstock. I then used OLO markers in zingy, vibrant pinks, yellows, and greens to add lots of saturated color to the individual images. I think this color combination screams “summer!” I also die cut the Eucalyptus Leaves dies from some shiny Water Sprite mirror cardstock to add some fun texture and shine to the bouquet.

After I had completed customizing my die cuts, I trimmed down an A7 panel of Peacock cardstock, which is a lush, saturated teal, then added some extra depth by blending Raindrop Pawsitively Saturated Ink around the edges. This tone-on-tone blending creates a halo effect in the center of the card, which was the perfect canvas to start building my bouquet. To add even more interest to the background, I splattered some shimmery glitter watercolors on the background. Once they were dry, I arranged the colored die cuts on my card front, adhering them with foam squares, then tucked the shiny eucalyptus leaves in some of the bare spots and adhered them with liquid adhesive.

After I had finished arranging my lemon floral bouquet, I die cut the Thanks Frame from some white glitter cardstock. This is my first time using this die, and I love how clean and polished it looks with so little effort. And as a bonus, you can save the letters to use on a different project! I popped it up with a double layer of foam adhesive, then added some Sunbeam Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for extra sparkle.

Well, that’s all for my project today! We have lots of rain in the forecast, along with very cool temperatures, so this vibrant card provided some lovely sunshine in my craft room. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Using Simple Masks to Create Small Scenes!

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

Hi friends! I have a pair of princess projects using the absolutely darling Once Upon A Time stamp set designed by the incredibly talented Alberto Gava. This stamp set features so many of our favorite fairytale princesses and accessories to visually tell their stories! I have mentioned in previous posts that I have difficulty building scenes with “cute” sets like this; for some reason, my brain finds it difficult to build a design on a completely blank canvas. However, I have found a way to overcome this difficulty with the diffferent masks and stencil sets from Simon Says Stamp. I can use these masks to “shrink” the canvas, which helps me concoct the little scenes a bit more easily. Let’s get started on the details for my projects!

For both of my projects, I stamped several of the images from the Once Upon A Time set, creating elements for a Cinderella scene and a Rapunzel scene. As a super girly mom of three boys and one girl, I am so glad that my daughter loves princesses as much as I do! In fact, she told me that she was stealing this stamp set from me when I was finished with it, the stinker. I stamped the images from Rapunzel using Rainbow Splash Black ink from Simon Says Stamp, and Contour Ink for the Cinderella images so that I could do both outline and no-line coloring. I used both Copic and OLO markers for these images; the OLO color palette fills some of the holes in the Copic color spectrum very nicely, particularly in the purple range!

For my Cinderella card, I placed one of the Circle Masks stencils on my A2 white card front, offsetting the stencil slightly to create a balance the large castle image that I had stamped and colored. I used a sticky mat to keep my stencil in place while blending; these tools make it super simple to create stenciled images without having to worry about your stencils shifting while blending! I used blending brushes to blend Heather and Sky Pawsitively Saturated Inks on my background, also splattering the masked area with some glittery handmade watercolors.

After I had finished blending and splattering my background, I used the same glittery watercolors to add some shimmering details to Cinderella’s dress. (Do you follow @hnicholsillustration on Instagram? If not, you totally should… her illustrations are phenomenal. She adds metallic accents to her dresses all the time and they look marvelous!) I arranged my die cuts on the card front, using the blended circle to ground my little scene, and I popped them all up using foam adhesive for extra dimension and interest, adding a black embossed die cut greeting with a double layer of foam tape to help it pop. Finally, I added some Clear Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for extra sparkle!

For my second card, I used a brighter color palette, in keeping with the bright cheerfulness that exudes from the Rapunzel character in Disney’s Tangled. I centered one of the A2 Masks stencils on my A2 white card front, then used blending brushes to blend Fairway and Marine inks, giving the illusion of both grass and sky behind my die cuts. This is a super simple way to trick your recipient into “seeing” that background without having to go to the trouble of drawing individual pieces of grass!

I arranged the die cuts on my blended background, allowing them to spill over the edges of the blended areas a bit to keep things interesting. I tucked the stamped and die cut sentiment beneath the tree, finally finishing everything off with some Clear Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for extra sparkle!

Well, that’s all for my projects today. You might see some more projects using this set from me, but then again you might not…. my daughter has taken custody of it, and I will have to try to get it back from her, lol! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!