Wednesday, August 31, 2011

**Simon Says STAMP-tember Blog Hop**

For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show & The Simon Says Stamp Challenge teams are joining forces to bring you a SUPER blog hop and treasure hunt to celebrate STAMPtember!

To help celebrate we will be giving a BIG BASKET OF CRAFTING GOODIES to the randomly chosen winner of this hop! PLUS three $25 VOUCHERS to the Simon Says Stamp Store ! The vouchers will be the hidden treasure on 3 Design Team blogs and you have to find them. You MUST enter the challenge and link your creations with the Inlinkz on the Stamp and Show Challenge to be able to win the Grand Prize or any of the $25 vouchers :-)

Simon Says Stamp was founded in 2002 with an interest in exclusively selling rubber stamps. It didn’t take long until we realized we couldn’t stop there. During the past 9 years we celebrate rubber stamping in its full glory by giving access to people around the world to a one stop shop. Rubber stamps still remain the heart of our business and we are celebrating by hosting a “STAMPtember” event intended to inspire, educate, and celebrate the greatness of rubber stamping. Part of the enticement of rubber stamping is that stamps can be used in creating or complimenting ANYTHING! From stamping dates on bank documents and postage parcels in the early 18th century, rubber stamping has dramatically expanded to include card making, scrapbooking, mixed media and many forms of altering and expressing art.

The theme for both challenges this week will be ANYTHING GOES. You can make anything you like … a card, an ATC, a Scrapbook layout … the possibilities are endless!

You will need to hop through each blog, find the little parcel of goodies and make a note below on this post (comments are hidden) to tell which designer’s blog you found the hidden treasures. You do not HAVE to comment on all the DT blogs but we would appreciate any comments you would like to leave. If you lose your way at any time a full list of all the participating blogs with links will be available on Simon Says Stamp Challenge and the Stamp and Show Challenge blogs.

If you arrived here from A Crafting Journey then you are going in the right direction otherwise you need to start at the beginning on:


Simon Says Stamp and Show
To get you on your way ... here are some sneak peeks of the beautiful work the Design Team have created especially for the hop!

Candy Colwell BOO!! Our Anything Goes challenge allowed Candy's imagination to combine the products we love with Halloween!!!

Tracy Evans The anything goes challenge allowed Tracy to indulge in her passion for Halloween.
Lynne Forsythe For the Anything Goes Challenge, Lynne pulled out an oldie but goodie......
Terry The Anything Goes Challenge gave Terry a chance to play with her favourite things....
Nancy Wethington Nancy's anything goes is definitely literal in this piece created especially for the challenge!
Ellen Vargo Ellen created a Studio 490 Art Parts "shrine"...
Sarah Engels-Greer Anything Goes gives Sarah the chance to play with all the things she loves best including her imagination!
Linda Coughlin Stop by Linda's blog to see more of her Tim Holtz inspired Christmas art.
Dan There hasn't been much of a summer in the UK this year, so Dan's thoughts are already turning to autumn.
Linda Elbourne ... I went Grungepaper mad ... any excuse :0)
Have Fun!




Posted by email: Steph@SimonSaysStamp.com at 10:59 AM 256 comments
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Sunday, August 28, 2011

***Don't Forget***


Just a quick reminder ... Don't forget you have until Tuesday night to join in with our current Travel theme for a chance to win a $50 Shopping voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp.
Then ... Drum roll please ...
For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show & The Simon Says Stamp Challenge are joining forces to bring you a SUPER hop and treasure hunt to celebrate the approaching fall and winter holidays. Be sure to check out the site on August 31st to start the hop. It will run through September 5th. Simon Says Stamp is offering some great prize packages, and there will be other opportunities to win some blog candy, too!
Posted by Unknown at 7:00 PM 2 comments
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Winners-Day!

Happy Wednesday All
The winner of this week's randomly drawn $50.00 Simon Says Stamp Gift Voucher is
109 Karen
Congratulations Karen  ... Please claim your prize within the next two weeks by emailing Linda with your details so we can arrange for you to start buying yummy goodies!
Now for the next bit ... every week the entire Design Team nominate their favourites and the three pieces of art work with the most votes gets a fabulous blinkie! This week the winners that have been selected to join the elite club of vintage artists that can proudly display our top three blinkie are ...
22 Shelly Hickox
113 StamperSuz
137 Cindy Pointe
Congratulations to each of you ... your work was Fabulous!  Please email Linda and she will send you the Top 3 Blinkie! Thank you to everyone that took part last week. Don't forget to check out this week's Challenge ... we want to see your Travel projects... and another $50 Simon Says Stamp voucher to give away!
Before I go ... Don't Forget ...
For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show & The Simon Says Stamp Challenge are joining forces to bring you a SUPER hop and treasure hunt to celebrate the approaching fall and winter holidays. Be sure to check out the site on August 31st to start the hop. It will run through September 5th. Simon Says Stamp is offering some great prize packages, and there will be other opportunities to win some blog candy, too!
Posted by Unknown at 7:00 PM 8 comments
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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Travel

Hello to everyone! Thank you for playing along with last week's challenge ... the winners will be announced this Wednesday .... so don't forget to check back ... this could be your winning week! This week Simon Says Stamp and Show ...Some Travel! If you want to join in the fun ... all you need to do is ... create something that ties in with our theme ... pop it on your blog ... and come back here and link up so everyone can see what you made! Before you start take a look at what the Design Team came up with...
Candy wanted to attempt a three dimensional Old Jalopy made from Tim Holtz' Old Jalopy die cut. She combined that die cut from chipboard, Grungepaper and some black foam board to create the basic vehicle. With some a little help from a Pitch Black Paint Dabber, some Antique Bronze Distress Stickles, some copper metal and odds and ends from Tim Holtz' Lost and Found Paper Stash; she did it! Even Lord Tim had to get in on the action...he's driving and holding a flowing Tattered Banner telling everyone to "ENJOY THE JOURNEY!"
Ellen wanted to use maps from an old atlas in her piece this week. So she created a big tag that, when folded up like a map, looks like a single tag. She played up the travel them by using the JOURNEY die, the mini old jalopy stamp, a compass, some inspirational sayings from Tim Holtz' stamp collection, and loads of idea-ology and other trinkets. 
As soon as Tracy saw the theme was travel for this week she thought of family trips to London, and as soon as she found a small case in her crafty goodies that's where her creativity began. The small case was decorated with crumpled tissue paper and coloured with Distress Stain Vintage Photo, perfect for that aged leather look. The top has been adorned with Tim's Old Jalopy die, coloured with black Adirondack Paint Dabber and Distress Ink Vintage Photo. The case has been embellished inside and out with stamps from Tim's Collection Mini Muse and Artistic Outpost Loverly London and London Underground. Pop by Tracy's blog to see more detailed pictures.
Having spent 30+ years in the travel industry, this is one of Nancy's favorite themes! She started out with 5 fold-out chipboard panels and wallpapered each panel using papers from Graphic 45. The first panel is covered with papers from A Proper Gentleman. Adding rubber stamps from Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490's Art Parts, Ticket To Ride and Mail Art seemed the perfect addition to accompany the Graphic 45 embellishments.
When Lynne saw this weeks challenge, she immediately thought of her grandfather and decided to pull out some old pictures. Her creation began with a Wendy Vecchi Large Flourish Frame. She lathered on some Fiber Paste, when dry she inked it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The perfect addition was the old car from Wendy' Art Parts for Guys covered with Antique Bronze Distress Crackle and accented with vintage buttons and a trinket.
When Terry heard the word Travel, she immediately thought of a Travel Book, so when you are on a Journey you can write your adventures in it. She started out with The Tim Holtz Embossing folder, worked on it with Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage, Forest Moss and Weathered Wood. The stamps that she used are the Artistic Outpost, Lovely Day. For the inside of the Book the wonderful clearstamp sets from The Tim Holtz couldn't be missed, so she used the Journey and Flights of Fancy, from 7 Gypsies, the clearstamp set Steampunk and of course, The Wendy Vecchi's Just Flutterby Butterfly. She made flowers using Glossy Accents on top of them with Distress Crackle Paint, for THAT special look.
Sarah just visited The Netherlands where she also lived for 14 years. She thought an authentic hand-carved clog would make the perfect show-piece for Wendy Vecchi's fabulous flowers - in true Dutch Delft style! Sarah used the Nature's Art and Live and Make Art stamps sets, Clearly for Art, Grungeboard, Gesso and lots of Ranger Cobalt Archival ink!
 Dan has been waiting for ages for an opportunity to use Tim's vintage plane stamp, so when he heard that the theme this week was travel, he knew exactly what he was going to do!  Products used include Kraft Resist Card Stack, Distress Stains in Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky and Picket Fence, Tim's Airliner stamp,  and Idea-ology washers.
Don't you hate it when you travel and everyone has black wheeled bags?  Linda decided to set her luggage apart with a unique luggage tag that would be easy to spot.  Using GrungePaper and the Tag and Bookplates die, she cut the body of the tag and stamped it with a number of travel icons from the Tim Holtz The Journey and the Crafty Secrets Journey set using Ranger Jet Black archival ink.  She sponged it with Rusty Hinge distress ink and added a acetate flower cut with the Tattered Florals die and embellished with some Foliage pieces.  A loop made with GrungePaper and the Hardware Findings die finishes the piece.
Linda Elbourne
I made a card using Ranger Manilla Cardstock and Tim Holtz's Travel Labels and Air Travel stamps. I had intended to leave it Manilla and Black ... but later decided to jazz it up a bit by using yummy Distress Stains as water colours ... they are so simple to splodge on a craft sheet and paint with!
Please stop by The Design Team's individual blogs for more detailed pictures and further information on their work...Just click on their names! We are looking forward to seeing your interpretation of this theme! Our wonderful site sponsor Simon Says Stamp is once again giving away a $50 gift voucher!
The prize will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. The challenge will close a little later than usual at Midnight Eastern time on Tuesday 30th August 2011 and the winner will be announced during the following week. To qualify all you need to do is create a new piece of work ... post it on your blog ... with a link to this site and then pop a link below so everyone can come see what you made!
Why a later date ... well ...
For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show & The Simon Says Stamp Challenge are joining forces to bring you a SUPER hop and treasure hunt to celebrate the approaching fall and winter holidays. Be sure to come back on August 31st to start the hop. It will run through September 5th. Simon Says Stamp is offering some great prize packages, and there will be other opportunities to win some blog candy, too!
Have Fun!


Posted by Unknown at 7:00 PM 14 comments
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Winners-Day!

Helloooooo
The winner of this week's randomly drawn $50.00 Simon Says Stamp Gift Voucher is
17 LisaG
Congratulations Lisa ... Please claim your prize within the next two weeks by emailing Linda with your details so we can arrange for you to start buying yummy goodies!
Now for the next bit ... every week the entire Design Team nominate their favourites and the three pieces of art work with the most votes gets a fabulous blinkie! This week the winners that have been selected to join the elite club of vintage artists that can proudly display our top three blinkie are ...
19 Eva's Scraproom
37 RobyNann
88 Joanna K
Congratulations to each of you ... your work was Fabulous!  Please email Linda and she will send you the Top 3 Blinkie! Thank you to everyone that took part last week. Don't forget to check out this week's Challenge ... we want to see some Bling ... and another $50 Simon Says Stamp voucher to give away!
Posted by Unknown at 7:00 PM 4 comments
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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Bling!

Hello to everyone! Thank you for playing along with last week's challenge ... the winners will be announced this Wednesday .... so don't forget to check back ... this could be your winning week! This week Simon Says Stamp and Show ...Some Bling! If you want to join in the fun ... all you need to do is ... create something that ties in with our theme ... pop it on your blog ... and come back here and link up so everyone can see what you made! Before you start take a look at what the Design Team came up with...
Terry made a card with lots of Bling....she saw the flower in a Craft Magazine and tried to make a flower with the Tim Holtz Tissue Tape in her own way. She coloured her card with lots of Distress inks such as Forest Moss, Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage and Pine Needles, used lots of Crackle Accents and Tim Holtz Idea-ology Foliage Advantus.The flower is placed on the Art Parts Leaves from Wendy Vecchi. The middle image was made with Adirondack Alcohol Inks and mixed with Blending Solution.
Tracy decided to pull out all the stops for her first DT piece recycling a wired dress form that was damaged, giving Tracy the idea of a MAKE DO AND MEND piece which has been covered in torn paper from an old book and coloured using Broken China Distress Stain. Grunge Blocks have been added to give dimension to the lettering and lots of Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi-Medium. Most of Tracy's metal finds for this piece were coloured with Silver Adirondack Paint Dabber which adds great texture to the wings and metal embellishments. 
Candy's vintage "bling" creation combines lots of techniques and textures with shiny metals, fluffy feathers and crystals to accentuate a lovely vintage "tin type" cabinet card. There are lots of Tim Holtz elements in this piece including the background paper from Lost and Found Paper Stash, Vintage Cabinet Card, Mini Cabinet Card and Tattered Florals die cuts, Ideaology Corners and Trimmings. Juniper and Pitch Black Paint Dabbers are the perfect tools to antique the metals for a real vintage appearance.
Ellen Vargo
Ellen was so excited to share her first DT project! She started with an 8 x 10 canvas board and went to town with paint dabbers, blending several colors together. Then used a harlequin stencil with gesso and perfect pearl mists, Tim's bitty grunge stamps in black and white, more gesso accents, loads of idea-ology and a subtle touch of *bling* to add just the right amount of sparkle!
To begin Lynne's Bling~0~licious project, she chose Wendy Vecchi's Timely Pocket Watches and the layers began. The first layer consisted of Gold Mettalic Paint, while still wet she sprinkled on a bit of Vintage Glitter Glass. When dry she painted on a layer of Rock Candy Crackle Paint. The watch was finished off with a layer of Jet Black Archival Ink. Additional bling consists of Vintage Trinkets and Rusty Hinge Distress Stickles.
It's no secret that Nancy loves to decorate mini-books. This one began with chipboard and extra large tags wallpapered with Pink Paislee's Butterfly Garden. The cover showcases Prima's bling swirls which were cut to look as if it is the bird's flying pattern. Visit Nancy's blog to see the inside pages.
Dan
Bling isn't usually Dan's style and he's surprised to admit that this project looks better with the added bling than it did before he added it!  Products used include Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints, Distress Stains in the new colours of Picket Fence, Dried Marigold and Aged Mahogany, the Royal Script and Steampunk stamp sets and some adhesive backed gems. 
Are we sometimes a prisoner of our blingy lifestyle?  Linda chose to explore that question with her project this week.  On the bling side, she created "silk" wallpaper with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and Encore metallic gold ink and gold embossed the bird cage that was cut with the Tim Holtz Caged Bird die.  A crystal flourish from Prima adds extra sparkle.  Her bird flies free on the "simple life" side with pretty gingham wallpaper that was brushed with a mix of gesso and snow cap acrylic paint. Lots of Vintage Photo distress ink was used to give that side a rustic, homespun feel.
It's not often that Sarah does bling, but a pair of beautiful vintage earrings inspired the wings for her flying Diva. Sarah used Wendy Vecchi Art Parts and Art Fit for a Queen stamps, Stormy Sky, an Idea-ology flower along with vintage lace, metal findings and page scraps to create her piece.
I started with a fat mini canvas and turned it into a kind of chunky ATC. I used Wendy Vecchi and Tim Holtz stamps, Fired Brick Distress Ink ... some Grunge Paper and some of Claudine Hellmuth's Stick Backed Canvas ... Multi Matt Medium to stick and then I added Sticky Backed Pearls for my bling.
Please stop by The Design Team's individual blogs for more detailed pictures and further information on their work...Just click on their names! We are looking forward to seeing your interpretation of this theme! Our wonderful site sponsor Simon Says Stamp is once again giving away a $50 gift voucher!
The prize will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. The challenge will close at Midnight Eastern time on Sunday 14th August 2011 and the winner will be announced during the following week. To qualify all you need to do is create a new piece of work ... post it on your blog ... with a link to this site and then pop a link below so everyone can come see what you made!
Have Fun!
Posted by Unknown at 7:00 PM 18 comments
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Friday, August 12, 2011

Welcome To Ellen and Tracy!

Today I would like to introduce you to our two new Design Team Members. So ... without further ado ... here is a little bit about them in their own words ...

Ellen Vargo
I can't remember a time in my life that I didn't like to make things. It started by helping my Dad with projects around the house as a kid, and that evolved into beading, basketry, pottery, and finally, about six years ago... paper arts. Scrapbooking evolved into stamping and card making, and that evolved into grungy, inky, stampy mixed/multi media art. I love multi media art because it allows me to incorporate all of my crafty passions into one project! I am an artist by passion, and work as an accounting manager by day to pay for my art addiction. I am married to my best friend, who is so supportive of my arty endeavors... he cooks, he cleans, he does laundry... all so I can keep *making art* ! That's true love! I am a true believer in the power of art, and the wonder of the internet to unite people from all the corners of the world. I look forward to getting to know you all!


Tracy Evans
Hi my name is Tracy, I started to create with rubber stamps and other viable materials approximately 13 years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. I had my own craft retail outlet for 10 years until last year when I decided to close the doors to spend more time on my hobby and with my children, and that is exactly what I have been doing for the past 16 months when I began a new obsession, blogging!

I love hunting out unusual items to use in my crafts or for gifts or simply treasures around my home but I particularly get a buzz from using anything unusual in my creating.
When I am not crafting you will find me in the garden another of my obsessions. Crafting and gardening have been my passions for a long time and I continue to get a buzz from creating and hopefully inspiring others in the art of CRAFT.
I am absolutely delighted to have been chosen to be part of the talented SSSS DT and to create with like minded people. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. Thank you to all at SSS, Linda and the DT for inviting me along and making me so welcome.

Make sure you come back on Monday to see what they create for the first challenge!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by Unknown at 12:00 AM 21 comments
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Winners-Day

Hello Everybody
The winner of this week's randomly drawn $50.00 Simon Says Stamp Gift Voucher is
15 Debra A
Congratulations Debra ... Please claim your prize within the next two weeks by emailing Linda with your details so we can arrange for you to start buying yummy goodies!
Now for the next bit ... every week the entire Design Team nominate their favourites and the three pieces of art work with the most votes gets a fabulous blinkie! This week the winners that have been selected to join the elite club of vintage artists that can proudly display our top three blinkie are ...
53 Terry
103 Sue C
113 Lisa T
Congratulations to each of you ... your work was Delicious!  Please email Linda and she will send you the Top 3 Blinkie! Thank you to everyone that took part last week. Don't forget to check out this week's Challenge ... we want to see anything ... and another $50 Simon Says Stamp voucher to give away!
Finally ... check back later this week to meet our new Design Team Members ... they cannot wait to meet you!
Posted by Unknown at 12:00 AM 9 comments
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Monday, August 8, 2011

Simon Says Stamp and Show a Tim Holtz Technique.

Hello to everyone! Thank you for playing along with last week's challenge ... the winners will be announced this Wednesday .... so don't forget to check back ... this could be your winning week! This week Simon Says Stamp and Show ... a Tim Holtz Technique! If you want to join in the fun ... all you need to do is ... create something that ties in with our theme ... pop it on your blog ... and come back here and link up so everyone can see what you made! Before you start take a look at what the Design Team came up with...
Terry made a Pyramid Box; a little box to give away....she used the Distress Technique and Emboss Technique from Tim Holtz. The butterflies are from Wendy Vecchi. Distress inks that are used are Milled Lavender, Faded Jeans and Dusty Concord. To emboss the butterflies she used the Copper Embossing Powder. The borders are worked on with Vintage Photo.

hhhmmmmm.....a Tim Holtz technique....for inspiration Lynne pulled out her "A Compendium of Curiosities"!! The technique she chose was Dabber Resist with a twist.....she used Distress Embossing Ink and UTEE instead of a paint dabber on the backside of a sheet from Paper Stash. Once the tag was throughly inked, she then misted the entire tag with "Pearl Water" a Mini Mister filled with lots of Perfect Pearls and water. She then dried the tag using her Heat it Tool!! ohhhh....to tear up the edges, she used her Distrezz it All.
Candy Colwell
Having just returned from three weeks in Asia, Candy's Faux Batik piece definitely has an Asian influence.  Using mulberry paper, Perfect Medium, Clear Embossing Powder and a combination of Color Washes, Candy created a beautiful faux batik background for her 5x7 canvas.

  Nancy Wethington
Nancy was definitely thinking of the *dog days of summer* when she began this project with #8 manilla tags embossed with one of the folders from Playing Games. Adding Wild Honey Distress Ink, the tag was finished off with an image from Graphic 45's On The Boardwalk captured under a fragment painted with caramel alcohol ink.
Sarah Engels-Greer
Calling all Gals with attitude! Who says flowers have to be girly? An ode to Tim techniques had to include some grunge so Sarah created a double layered embossed Cuff. She used Grungeboard, Grungepaper, Distress Inks, idea-ology and the Tattered Florals die. She customized her cuff using salvaged jewelry parts and eyelets.
Linda Coughlin 
For her Tim Holtz technique, Linda chose to make a friendship wall hanging with the Grungepaper flowers technique (pg. 65 Compendium of Curiosities) and used the same technique on the Hardware Findings.  The flowers were cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and the leaves were cut from canvas with the Tattered Leaves die.  The letters were cut with the Vintage Market letters die.  
Dan
Dan chose to use the Wrinkle Free Distress technique from page 33 of Tim's Compendium of Curiosities as a background for the panels on his card.  Additional products he used included the Rock Star and World Traveler stamp sets, Film Strip Ribbon and the mat was cut from Tim's Seasonal Paper Stash.
Linda Elbourne
I decided to open my Compendium of Curiosities at random and do whichever technique I landed on. Alcohol Ink Splatter on Page 52 it was. To create my card I used Alcohol Inks Brights ... Simon Says Stamp do a great deal on the Brights set in one go by the way. I also used Ranger Glossy Card and a Jet Black Archival. The stamps are Tim's Fairytale Frenzy.

Please stop by The Design Team's individual blogs for more detailed pictures and further information on their work...Just click on their names! We are looking forward to seeing your interpretation of this theme! Our wonderful site sponsor Simon Says Stamp is once again giving away a $50 gift voucher!
The prize will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. The challenge will close at Midnight Eastern time on Sunday 14th August 2011 and the winner will be announced during the following week. To qualify all you need to do is create a new piece of work ... post it on your blog ... with a link to this site and then pop a link below so everyone can come see what you made!
Have Fun!

Posted by Unknown at 2:58 AM 8 comments
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