SSS Dream Big, Alstroemeria Stem

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This week has been all about the dies from Simon's Dream Big release.

Today I'm showing off the Alstroemeria Stem dies.

This is a really sweet flower die, easy to put together, fun to mix and match colors.

I started by die cutting the flowers from a variety of cardstock in the red/orange/yellow families and then just played with the different combinations until I got a few that I liked.

The stems and leaves were cut from two different shades of green.

I added a some soft blue inking to the bottom of a panel of cardstock, and then arranged the flowers over top.  Everything was adhered directly to the panel, so this is a nice flat card, perfect for mailing, but because of all the layers, you get a lot of dimension too.

The sentiment is from the XL Student Greetings set.

That's all for me today.  I've got lots more to share next week!

SSS Dream Big, Tropical Leaf Bunch

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Happy Wednesday!  Todays' card features the Tropical Leaf Bunch die from the Dream Big release.

I thought it would be fun to create a bit of a 'gilded' card using this die.

The die was cut from a panel of cream cardstock, I added a piece of printer paper to the back that was covered with adhesive, and then inlaid a die cut that was cut from Matte Gold cardstock.

The Tropical Leaf Bunch was then cut from three shades of green cardstock.  

I used the lightest color as the base, and then cut portions of the leaves from the medium and dark green, adhering them to the light green piece.

This entire piece was then adhered slightly offset over top of my Matte Gold die cut. 

I think that bit of gold peeking through gives it such a sophisticated look.

The sentiment is from the new XL Student Greetings set and was embossed in gold.

To finish things off, I added a strip of that Matte Gold cardstock, towards the bottom of my card base, and then popped the die cut/stamped panel over top with foam adhesive.

I went with traditional colors, but I think this would look so pretty with some non traditional pinks or blue/teals too.

SSS Dream Big, Lemon Zest

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There are so many great dies in the Simon Says Stamp Dream Big release.

This Lemon Zest set is another of my favorites that I couldn't wait to work with.

I wanted my lemons to be on the graphic side of things, so I went with two yellows with a fair amount of contrast.  I used the lighter for the lemon body and the dark for the highlights.  For those little lemon 'freckles' I applied adhesive all over a small piece of printer paper, adhered it to the back of the lemon, and then inlaid the little bits.

Two pretty different shades of green added to the contrast as did the ivory flowers with the yellow centers.

I played around a bit with the different die cut pieces to get the arrangement right, and then I added some dimension by popping some pieces up with foam adhesive while adhering others directly to my cardstock mat.

The sentiment is from the Reverse Chill Summer sentiment strips.

That's all for me.  Hope that you are staying cool where you are!  After a week of high 90s, we're in the low 80s today and it feels great!

Winner Announcment!

Hi folks!  Just popping in quickly to announce the winner of last week's giveaway.

Congrats to Denise Bryant!

Denise, please shoot me an email at mprantner at gmail dot com with your mailing address and I'll get this out for you.

SSS Dream Big Blog Hop

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Happy Saturday!  I'm excited to be participating in a blog hop today celebrating the Dream Big release from Simon Says Stamp.  You should have arrived here from Emily Midgett's blog.  

Before I dive in to my cards, let's talk prizes.  First off, Simon will be selecting a commenter from each stop along the way to receive a $25 credit to the Simon store.  Also, if you place an order this weekend, you can use the code BIGHUGS to get this free Scripty Big Hugs die.  

Alright, on to my cards.  Today I'm working with my new stencil set for Simon, Dimensional Cubes.

I thought it would be fun to show off some different ways to use this set.  This first card shows off a very basic application using just one of the stencils, the one with the cube quadrants.

All I did here was ink the stencil, rotate once, ink again, etc.  I used Heather, Violet, Iris, and Galaxy for a really cool monochromatic color scheme.

The sentiment is from the previously released Yay You set.  It was stamped with Versafine, die cut, and popped up with foam tape.  Super easy!

Next up, I used the same process for my four quadrants, although this time I mixed some greens and grays using Aspen, Sage, Flannel, and Earl.

This time, I also used the stencil from the set with the inner squares, applying paste to my panel with that stencil.

The card was finished off with the Basic Box Card Happy Birthday dies.  I used a very dark gray for the shadow piece and cut three layers of light gray for the sentiment itself.  Again, it was popped up with foam tape.

I also wanted to incorporate the third stencil, which stencils the entire finished pattern.

I started by stenciling the quadrants and center square as I had done previously, using Celery, Sprout, Limelicious, Pearfection, and Field.  

Next, I placed the full pattern stencil over top of my panel, slightly offset, and inked again with some Celery.  I then shifted the stencil in the other direction, inking again with Celery.

This gave my panel some extra interest/movement/depth.

For my sentiment, I pulled out the Sending Good Vibes dies.  The shadow piece was cut from white cardstock and inked around the edges with Celery, and I used a dark green cardstock for the sentiment itself.  The entire piece was then popped up over my background panel.

Finally, for my last card, I inked up the four quadrants very softly using Lemonade, Melon, Cheeky, and Peachy.

Then I trimmed my stenciled piece down along the diagonals, so that the pattern looks more like squares than diamonds.  

I adhered the piece to a white mat, popped it up over my card base, and then added a sentiment from the Reverse Be You sentiment strips.

These cards came together so quickly, and I hope I gave you some ideas for how to use the new stencils.

Your next stop on the hop is Mindy Eggen, and I'll provide the full hop list below in case you need it.

Thanks for stopping by, good luck, and happy hopping!

Simon Says Stamp Blog 

Laura Bassen

Amanda Korotkova

Jennifer McGuire

Barbara Tarayao

Emily Midgett

Miriam Prantner

Mindy Eggen

Heather Hoffman

Barb Engler

Jennifer Kotas

Tina Smith

Kim Hamilton

SSS Dream Big Release and Giveaway

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Hey everyone!  It's release day at Simon Says Stamp.  The Dream Big release is a ton of fun.  If you love dies (and I do), there is definitely something here for you.  I also have a fun new stencil set in this release, and I would love to share it with someone here on the blog.  I'll have details below, but first let's take a look at today's cards.

These ice cream dies were the very first things I used in the release.  I just love all the fun layers, and decided to go very bold, and neon, with them.

I started by playing with the different layers and some neon papers to get the configuration that I liked best.  This first card features the Soft Serve Cone set.

I wanted to make sure the focus was on the dies, so I went pretty simple with the rest of the card.  For this one, I used a sentiment from the Let's Chill set right on the cone, and then popped that up over a colorblock background.

The second card was created the same way, experimenting with different colors/layers until I got it where I wanted, and then the colorblock background.  This time I used the Ice Cream Scoop and Cone set.

For the sentiment, I used a sentiment from the Reverse Chill Summer sentiment strips.

These were so much fun to create with and I have lots more to share with you from this release.

But for now, I promised a giveaway right?  How would you like to win my new stencil set, Dimensional Cubes?

To be entered to win it, be a follower, and leave a comment.  That's all.  I'm giving away a set over on instagram also (@mprantner), so you can get an extra chance to win over there.  

I'll announce a winner on Monday.  

Be sure and head over to Simon to check out the whole release, you won't be disappointed!

Spellbinders Glimmer Greetings Crossed Lines

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Hi all, today I'm sharing some cards created with this fantastic new Crossed Lines plate from Spellbinders new Glimmer Greetings release.

This plate is so striking, it really doesn't take much to create gorgeous cards.

For these cards all I did was foil the plate on colored cardstock in gold.  Then using a piece of printer paper as a mask, I added simple ink blending on those foiled portions with a blending brush.

For the sentiments, I used the Merry Glimmer Sentiments set.  The sentiments were actually foiled onto white cardstock, and I used the same ink as for the backgrounds to color them.  They were then die cut with the coordinating dies from the set.

I die cut two additional sentiment pieces from the cardstock used for the panels, layered them with the foiled sentiment, and then adhered them to the card base.

I also wanted to create a non-Christmas card using this plate.

This card was created using the same principle as the first two, but this time I started with a white card base.  In addition, I used a smaller blending brush and instead of inking each quadrant once, I added inking at every third row, starting from the center of the card.

I love pattern this created.

The sentiment was embossed with gold right over top of the inking and foiling.

These card were so easy to make, hope you all like them!

Thanks for swinging by!

SSS Soaring Birthday

 *This post contains affiliate links to Simon Says Stamp.

Hi folks!  Just popping in with a really quick card today. 

This Soaring Birthday set is another from the most recent Simon Says Stamp Let's Chill release that I didn't get a chance to work with at release time.

I'm totally smitten with the kite images in the release.  I love the way they really capture the feel of flying.  

For this card I simply stamped the image on a panel of watercolor paper using Versafine, and then watercolored.  I really only used two colors for my card.  I started by painting a very light wash of a red/pink color on the kite.  Once that was mostly dry, I went back with a smaller more saturated brush and added accents with that same color.

I treated the sky similarly, first adding a very light wet wash of blue, then going back with more saturation.  For the sky I did not let the first layer get as dry as for the kite because I wanted a softer differentiation.

The panel was finished off with a sentient from the Soaring Birthday stamp set, and then the entire panel was popped up over my card base.

Super quick and easy!

SSS Orange Blossoms

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The Orange Blossoms Die/Stencil set was one of those products that I just didn't get a chance to use when the Simon Says Stamp Yay You release was fresh, but owing to the holiday weekend, and the fact that my new Simon goodies hadn't yet arrived, I was able to get them out for a spin.

I love how easy it is to create soft cards with stencils.  I tend to end up with bolder colors when I'm stamping/working with dies, somehow that's just easier for me.

With stencils, and especially now that stencil brushes are around, I'm able to exercise a little more restraint.

I started by adding some lightly stenciled leaves on a background panel with Pearfection ink.

Then I created the oranges, single leaves, and flowers using Cantaloupe for the oranges, Pearfection for the leaves, and a Lemonade for the flowers.  I VERY softly went over the flowers with a bit of Latte to mute the color some, and use a bit of Cantaloupe for the flower centers.

These pieces were then die cut.

I played around with them on my panel until I was happy with the arrangement, and then snapped a picture with my phone for later use.

The sentiment, from the Clean Line Stacks set, was then stamped using my MISTI, and I adhered the background panel to my card base.

Then, using my photo as a guide, I adhered the pieces.  Some were adhered directly to my panel, and others were popped up with foam tape for some dimension.

These stencils are so easy to use.  I can't wait to create with them again!

SSS Waves of Change, Painting Stenciled Images Two Ways

 *This post contains affiliate links to Simon Says Stamp.

I was inspired by our trip to the beach to pull out the Waves of Change stencil I designed for Simon Says Stamp last Stamptember.  I'm using it to share two ways to paint with stencils.

For both techniques, you want to spray your stencil with some removable adhesive so that it's tacky and sticks to your paper.  I use Pixie Spray.

This first method uses paste.  The stencil was placed on a panel of watercolor cardstock, and I spread texture paste across the entire stencil.

Once the paste was dry, I used watercolors to paint the paste.  For the waves I used just two shades of blue, but I varied the saturation of those colors between the sections.  

I used a third, lighter shade for the sky.

Often when using paste I like to spread it very evenly, but when I'm going to paint it, I don't mind the extra texture because I think it adds a lot of interest and depth to the painting, you can see that particularly in the sky.

For this next card, after cleaning off my stencil and respraying with Pixie Spray, I again placed it on a piece of watercolor cardstock.

While the stencil was in place, I painted the spaces with watercolors.  Again, just using a couple of shades of blue but varying the saturation.

Neither of these methods is particularly precise, but using this technique, especially with very small areas, you can get a bit of bleed over.

My solution for that is to let the panel dry - not overnight, but dry to the touch.  Then, I take a slightly wet brush and wipe it across the stenciled area.  Be very careful that your brush isn't too wet.  This results in a little bit of ink bleed across the stenciled sections and softens those areas.  It's kind of like when you are inking with a stencil and remove the stencil and ink over the area so you don't have those bright white sections that were covered by the stencil.

I also added a bit of splatter using both of the blue colors as well as white watercolor.

The sentiments for both these cards are from my Waves of Change stamp set.

Again, you won't get a very crisp clean result from these techniques, but a more dynamic, textured look which can be a lot of fun too.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all had a great fourth!

June 2022 in Books

A really good reading month.  Not only was I able to get a lot of books in, there were some really fantastic ones in the bunch.  Overall favorites were Lessons in Chemistry and Green Island.  Read on for the recaps:

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus - fiction - five stars - This was such a fun, clever, book.  It's about Elizabeth Zott, a scientist who is famous for a cooking show.  Zott has dealt with a lot of adversity in life, but faces it head on.  She is matter of fact, briliant, and blunt.  I really enjoyed her character, how she dealt with adversity, her outlook and attitude.  I also loved the cast of characters that surrounded her.  Just such a fresh character who was true to herself and uncompromising.  Must read. 

Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit - Colby Cedar Smith - juvenile historical fiction - five stars - Ellie really enjoys books written in verse, so I pick them up for her whenever I see them.  This was one she and I both loved.  It's loosely based on the life of her grandmother, and bounces between her present day life during the Great Depression, and her mother's life during WWI.  I loved all the characters, past and present day, as well as the different voices in the book.  Very well done and highly recommended.

Delphine Jones Takes a Chance - Beth Morrey - fiction - five stars - Delphine Jones was destined for big things.  She was a great student and ready to take the next step, but then got pregnant at 17.  She kept her baby, Em, who is now going to the same high school she went to growing up.  Delphine has just been fired from her job, and encouraged by Em, starts to expand her life and try those things she thought were lost to her.  I loved the relationship between Delphine and Em as well as the other characters in the book.  Just a really good, uplifting read. 

We Are Wolves - Katrina Nannestad - juvenile historical fiction - five stars - I first heard the term wolves when I read Tears of Amber earlier this year.  It refers to children who roamed/lived in the woods in Prussia following the war because they had lost their families and homes.  They banded together into packs to survive.  This is the story of Mia and her siblings who flee the Russians and then become separated from their mother and have to learn to survive on their own.  Carina actually read this one first and really enjoyed it.  There are some very hard/sad parts in the story.  It definitely doesn't sugarcoat things, I thought the author balanced the good and the bad really well.  Mia is likable and you are rooting for her.  Highly recommend. 

The Water Keeper - Charles Martin - fiction - five stars - Finally going back and reading the first book in this series after I accidentally read the second book first.  I really enjoyed this one, there was a twist I definitely wasn't expecting, but it was definitely a slower pace than the second book, which I wasn't necessarily expecting.  It's the story of Murphy Shepherd, who rescues people for a living.  The story is focused on him helping a woman named Summer recover her daughter Angel from men who plan to auction her off to the highest bidder.  Meanwhile, he is dealing with some losses of his own.  There was one thing in particular that I had a big problem with in terms of the storyline, but overall I really liked the characters, although some of it was a little anticlimactic since I had read the second book already.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle - Jennifer Ryan - historical fiction - five stars - The story centers on two women, Cressida Westcott a fashion designer who has to flee London after her home and design house are bombed, and Grace Carlisle, the vicar's daughter who is preparing to marry.  At the local sewing circle, the women meet while attempting to mend Grace's mother's wedding gown.  Eventually an idea is hatched.  Since so much, including fabric, is rationed during the war, the women begin to collect and fix/update old wedding dresses that brides can borrow.  The sewing circle becomes something more as well, a community of women working to help each other.  I'm a big Jennifer Ryan fan and her newest book does not disappoint.  

An Unlasting Home - Mai Al-Nakib - historical fiction - four stars - Sara, a philosophy professor in Kuwait is accused of blasphemy.  As she grapples with the charge and the potential ramifications, the book talks about her life as well as that of her maternal grandmothers.  Her family's story spans Lebanon, Iraq, India, and the U.S.  I thought this was a really fascinating look at the journey of a family from country to country as well as a really interesting look at more recent events (such as the invasion of Kuwait).  While Sara was not my favorite protagonist, I really loved her grandmothers and their stories.  Definitely worth the read.

With Love from London - Sarah Jio - fiction - four stars - I enjoy Sarah Jio books as they have likable characters and are quick, easy reads.  It's kind of like Mary Kay Andrews, you know what you're going to get and if you like the genre that's good.  In this book, Valentina Baker who is in the midst of a divorce, learns that she has inherited a bookshop in London from her recently deceased mother who left her. years ago.  There had been no contact since.  Valentina goes to London with intentions to sell the store, but falls in love with it as her mother introduces her, through a scavenger hunt, to her favorite people and places.  The story flips back and forth between present day Valentina, and previous Eloise (her mother) explaining the backstory and why she left.  Light and easy and sentimental.

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend - juvenile fiction - five stars - This is the third book in the Morrigan Crow series and it's been out for a while, but I'm just now getting around to reading it.  Morrigan has finally gotten permission and has begun to be trained as a Wundersmith.  I thought that how this is being done was very clever since there really aren't any Wundersmiths around anymore except Ezra Squall.  At the same time, there is a disease that is affecting the Wunimals (animals with human like tendencies/cognition) that makes them dangerously violent and then turns them into Unimals (normal animals).  Morrigan works to learn her craft and also solve the mystery of how the Wunimals are being infected and how to stop it.  A really good read, as I mentioned I thought this was pretty clever overall and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Green Island - Shawna Yang Ryan - historical fiction - five stars - Really loved this one, like last months' Peach Blossom Spring it's a book that focuses on Taiwan.  It follows the trajectory of the Tsai family which is caught up in the martial rule/purge of dissenters during the time of Chiang Kai Shek and later his son.  Dr. Tsai, the father is jailed for ten years for speaking out for democracy.  While he is away the family adjusts and when he returns unexpectedly, it's a shock to the system.  He has changed and so have they.  The narrator is his youngest daughter who was just a baby when he was imprisoned.  She marries a family friend and they go to the U.S. to study and then stay and become naturalized.  Her husband is an agitator for a free Taiwan and the book details his activities and how it affects the family in the U.S. and in Taiwan.  This was another fascinating look at Taiwan, and I learned a lot.  Highly recommend.

Coco at the Ritz - Gioia Dilberto - historical fiction - four stars - This was probably closer to three and a half stars but rounded up.  I had always heard about Chanel being a collaborator, and this book really explored it.  The scope of the book is pretty narrow, just a few years when Chanel is living at the Ritz in Paris under German occupation.  She takes up with 'Spatz' a German who most consider a German spy.  The book details their relationship as well as her brief questioning following the German retreat.  Chanel is not particularly likable, nor do I think she is supposed to be in this retelling, but I think it's a pretty fair representation that also covers her justifications/reasoning.

I'm currently working on Violeta and enjoying it so far.  After that, I've decided I want to try and read some new and not new to me classics.  I'm going to start with East of Eden which I remember really enjoying years ago.  Would love to know what you guys have been reading!