From the First glimpse

Here is a card I made to let my husband know he's my one and only. :) After all these years, I think it's good to remind him that I love him dearly. I designed the sentiment in Word and then printed it on vellum. Immediately after it came out of the printer, I sprinkled the sentiment with clear embossing powder and then used my heat gun to emboss it. The die cut inlay technique was used with the XOXO Border die from Simon Says Stamp. Some die cut hearts are featured on the front and inside the card. I wanted to play along with this month's challenge at Scrapbook Blessings Club. Their challenge is to use Christmas supplies to make a Valentine's or Love themed card. I used some of my favorite Basic Grey Christmas paper line, Figgy Pudding (retired), for this card.

He is extremely supportive of my cardmaking so I usually try to make him a card with a special fold or technique.When I saw the Peek-a-boo Hidden Message card by Dawn Griffith, I just had to give it a try.

As you open the card, a hidden message appears in the opening. I used a retired Studio G wood mount stamp for the hidden message. I used scraps of Bazzill cardstock for the oval frame and some of the hearts. After I took the pictures, I used the inside top flap to write a message.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club - Christmas Card Valentine
Craft Your Passion Challenge #300 - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps February Challenge - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge #103 - Anything Goes


Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll come back again soon.

Supplies used in today's card (affiliate links used when possible):

Simon Says Stamp XOXO BORDER Craft Die SSSD111331	Lawn Fawn HEARTS Lawn Cuts Dies	Spellbinders Standard Circles Dies - Large	Spellbinders Standard Circles Dies - Small
Bazzill 40 LB VELLUM 8.5 x 11 White 25 Sheets	Recollections Kraft Cardstock	Black 5mm Thick EVA Foam Sheet | Hobby Lobby | 330415	Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad VF-82
Stampin' Up Clear Embossing Powder	Double-Sided Adhesive Sheets for Foam | Hobby Lobby | 150144	ZIG Glue Pen FINE TIP Two Way Acid Free 00779	Scotch Advanced Tape Glider (ATG)
*03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches	Dahle Self-Healing Cutting 18x12 Mat 10671	Cuttlebug Machine	*Ranger PAPER CREASER BONE FOLDER Fold Cardstock & Cards Easily BON10029
*Martha Stewart SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05002

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Delicate Thistle Card and an Update

I received this Delicate Thistle die from Simon Says Stamp awhile ago in some happy mail. However up until this week, I hadn't had a chance to play with it. After seeing how pretty some die cuts looked just by inking them up with Distress Inks, I knew that was how I wanted to color these beautiful thistle die cuts. After I die cut them from white cardstock and embossed them, I followed the advice I saw online (or maybe in a YouTube video) somewhere and kept them in the negative space while coloring/inking them. That definitely was helpful and kept them from tearing. First I kept the die in place and inked with the darker pink through the die openings. Then the die was removed and a lighter pink and green inks were used on the rest of the die cut. I set them aside to dry while I worked on the rest of the card.

I heat embossed some white cardstock with some of the smaller "swirly" elements from the Always and Forever clear stamp set by Simon Says Stamp (it is my go-to set for so many occasions) with white embossing powder.  I then took the two pink colors I used on the thistles to ink up this panel.  I also inked up another piece of white cardstock with just the darker pink ink. Then I got out my circle dies and cut several circles in graduated sizes using Spellbinders Grand Circles, Standard Circles Large and Small and Picot Edged Circles. The sentiment was matted on the solid inked circle and then on the Picot Edge circle. The thistle die cuts were cut apart so that they could be woven into the openings in the Picot Edge circle. Tombow Multi glue was used to glue stems to the back of the circle and to glue some of the pink parts of the thistle to the sentiment panel. Other part of the thistles were popped up with 3D adhesive dots or foam squares. Some of the stems were left free to add dimension. The Picot circle was adhered to a green circle and then popped up using fun foam over the heat embossed/inked circle.

Some faux stitching added some extra interest to the green circles. The Picot Circle was accented with small rhinestones and the thistles were accented with clear Wink of Stella. An intact thistle die cut adds some interior decorating.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #281 - Layer It Up
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Challenge - Use Something New (the Delicate Thistle die cut is new to me and so is the technique is using Distress Inks to color my die cuts)
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge #103 - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps February Challenge - Anything Goes

UPDATES:

You may have noticed I have a new blog header. When I began blogging back in 2007, I primarily just scrapbooked. That was why I called my blog, "Steph's Scrap Happenings." Over the years, I've gradually become mostly a card-maker and paper crafter. Since I rarely scrapbook anymore and my online usernames revolve around my kitty, Sasha (aka Sasha Belle), I've decided to rename my blog Sasha Belle Designs. It's still going to look the same and I'll blog the same, it will just have a new name. I have also bought a domain name. If you want to share my blog with others, sending folks to www.SashaBelleDesigns.com is a lot easier than trying to remember the long blog address of www.StephsScrapHappenings.blogspot.com! Just a few small changes to stay technologically current. :)

I had a new watermark made to reflect my new web domain name. It was difficult to make that long blogspot address look nice on a watermark. When my friend Kathryne opened her new shop, Miss Daisy Stamps, and I saw she had custom watermarks, I was so excited. We've worked together the last few days and I am so happy with her Playful Kitty design. If you are in need of a new watermark, or adorable digis, I highly recommend you visit her shop. You won't be sorry. She is so easy to work with and does fantastic work!

In my last couple of posts I've mentioned using affiliate links. I belong to the affiliate programs at Amazon and Simon Says Stamp. Whenever you shop via one of these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. I greatly enjoy shopping at both of these sites and hope you will as well.

I'll link the products I used below. I hope you'll come back and visit again soon.

Simon Says Clear Stamps ALWAYS AND FOREVER Exclusive Set sss1012 *	Simon Says Stamp DELICATE THISTLE Craft Die S269 DieCember	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WORN LIPSTICK Ranger TIM21513	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SPUN SUGAR Ranger TIM27164
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad PEELED PAINT Ranger TIM20233	VersaMark Ink Pad	Ranger Inkssentials MINI MISTER Spray Bottle Tool IMMR13593	Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel WHITE Two Pack 1919994
4" x 4" Clear Round Gemstones Sticker Sheet | Hobby Lobby | 607978	ink of Stella Clear Brush Tip Marker	Stampendous DETAIL WHITE Fine Opaque Embossing Powder DP100	Black 5mm Thick EVA Foam Sheet | Hobby Lobby | 330415
Spellbinders Picot Edge Circles	Spellbinders Standard Circles Dies - Small	Spellbinders Grand Circle Dies	Spellbinders Standard Circles Dies - Large
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock	Scotch Advanced Tape Glider (ATG)	Scotch 3D Pop Up Adhesive Dots	Scrapbook Adhesives 3D FOAM SQUARES Adhesive
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two Applicators 62191	*03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches	Dahle Self-Healing Cutting 18x12 Mat 10671	Cuttlebug Machine
Spellbinders Grand Calibur Machine

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Thou Upholdest Me

Hello! It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week we're focusing on Psalms 41:12, "And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.," If you read the entire Psalm, you see that David has been talking about how his enemies are mistreating him and what they are saying about him. Yet in verse 12, David turns to the Lord for comfort. He knows the Lord is caring for him and that no matter what his enemies are saying, the Lord knows the truth. Oh, if I would just learn this lesson and not worry about the actions and comments of others! It's what the Lord knows about us that really matters. I would be a much happier person if I would learn this lesson.

Simon Says Stamp is our sponsor again this week. If you aren't familiar with them, they are truly a one-stop-shop! They have great customer service and speedy shipping. For my card today, I heat embossed four of the small flowers from the Always and Forever Stamp Set on watercolor paper. I used Distress inks to watercolor them. I usually use the large flower and leaves from this set so it was fun to use this smaller image this time. I cut each flower out with the smallest die in the Quadrangle Frames Wafer Dies set. I also cut out a black cardstock frame for each flower. For the card front, I inked up a piece of watercolor paper with Distress ink and then ran it through an embossing folder. After die cutting the sentiment and a coordinating mat, I popped it up with fun foam over the card front. This entire panel was matted with black cardstock. Small rhinestones finish off the card with some sparkle.

The fourth flower provides some interior decorating.

Supplies used that are not linked below: WORDart by Karen (Psalm 41:12), Recollections cardstock (black), Spellbinders Petite Ovals Large and Small

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

A couple weeks ago, I received some happy mail from Simon Says Stamp. It was a stamp that is being released today as part of their Reason to Smile release. I love this Gingham Background stamp and have so many ideas running through my head on how to use it! I had to ink it up right away and was thrilled with how well it stamped right out of the package. Here's a pic of that first stamped image:

I made a 4-bar card today using this pretty stamp. I stamped white cardstock with Memento ink and then used the A2 Curved Edge Die to cut the patterned paper and black cardstock mat. I die cut the Thanks Die four times and stacked them for dimension. 

A May Arts seam binding bow finishes off the front.

I just had to use the stamp again for some interior decorating!

Supplies used that are not linked below: May Arts seam binding, Recollections Black Cardstock


Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the rest of the design team projects and to pick up your free digi WORDart. Also, don't forget to visit Simon Says Stamp to see the entire new Reason to Smile release and to purchase all your papercrafting needs.

The supplies I used on today's cards are linked below (affiliate links used where possible).

SSS Gingham Background Stamp	Simon Says Stamp THANKS Craft DIE S202	Simon Says Stamp A2 CARD CURVED EDGE Craft DIE s201	Simon Says Stamp QUADRANGLE FRAMES Wafer Die s291 STAMPtember	Simon Says Clear Stamps ALWAYS AND FOREVER Exclusive Set sss1012 *
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Baby's Breath	Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad VF-82	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad TUMBLED GLASS Ranger TIM27188	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad PEELED PAINT Ranger TIM20233	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WORN LIPSTICK Ranger TIM21513
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SPUN SUGAR Ranger TIM27164	Ranger 1 OZ MULTI MEDIUM MATTE Jar With Brush INK41528	ZIG Glue Pen FINE TIP Two Way Acid Free 00779	Scotch Advanced Tape Glider (ATG)	Authentique 6 x 6 CLASSIQUE: PRETTY Paper Pad CLA216
Canson XL WATERCOLOR PAPER 9x12 Pad 726259	Georgia Pacific White Cardstock	Bow Easy	Cuttlebug Machine	*03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches
Dahle Self-Healing Cutting 18x12 Mat 10671

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