Design One-of-a-Kind Vintage Valentine’s Cards Using Die-Cut Ephemera
Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and this GORGEOUS card idea by special guest Nichol Spohr couldn’t possibly scream more to a classic love card to me! You may remember this card initially being shared in conjunction with our previously released Feburary 2025 card kit, but luckily individual components are still available including the Distressed Vintage Love stamps, Tim Holtz idea-ology palette ephemera pack, Pinnacle Hearts embossing folder, as well as the Lace Heart and Nested Hearts die sets to complete the love theme! Be sure to watch the video for all the details, and enjoy!
WATCH THE VIDEO:
SUPPLIES:
|
A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Nichol for being our guest!
Create Fearlessly! Neat Meets Messy with the Be Your Beautiful Self Card Kit – Card by Tina Smith
Hi wonderful cardmakers, it’s Tina! If you ever feel stuck staring at a blank card base, the Simon Says Stamp February 2026 Card Kit basically does the heavy lifting for you. I managed to build this “do what you love” card using almost nothing but the kit contents, minus a tiny bit of twine and some mandatory sparkle.
I decided to play “collage scientist” today and went for a “neat meets messy” vibe by layering torn vellum and torn patterned paper over those polished rose gold blocks. I’ve realized that my hands can’t see a piece of Idea-ology paper without wanting to tear it—blame the Tim Holtz influence! I love that distressed look!
The coolest part? You can grab any stencil in the Artful Palette layering template set or any paper from the Tim Holtz idea-ology Curated Palette Collection, swap them out, and have a completely different look in minutes. So, use your favorite ones to re-create this!
Hope this sparks some fun ideas for your next project with Simon Says Stamp’s Be Your Beautiful Self Card Kit! Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day! -Tina
WATCH THE VIDEO:
SUPPLIES:
|
A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Tina Smith for being our guest!
Did you know?! We’ve made our card kit subscription BETTER THAN EVER!
Here’s what makes our new service a crafting paradise:
Exclusive Access: As a subscriber, you get first dibs! Each month, you’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at our new kit, with the option to add more coordinating items to your cart, including handy replenishable supplies, all shipped together for your convenience.
Hassle-Free Payments: Say goodbye to monthly billings! Our automated system smoothly charges your preferred card, ensuring an uninterrupted flow of crafty goodness – unless you decide to pause, of course!
$5 Off Magic: Enjoy a special $5 discount off our kit’s retail price, exclusive to our beloved subscribers – no codes needed, just automatic savings!
Crafting Inspirations: Dive into a sea of creative ideas monthly, all tailored around your kit, to keep your inspiration flowing endlessly.
Flexibility First: Fear of commitment? Not here! Our subscription is as flexible as it gets – pause or cancel anytime, no strings attached.
Why wait? Step into the realm of our NEW Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit service. Welcome a box full of crafting marvels, right to your doorstep. Craft with ease and let creativity come to you!
Ready to elevate your craft? Subscribe Now and open the doors to boundless creativity!
We’re thrilled to have you in our crafting community and can’t wait to embark on this renewed creative adventure together!
Fun with Shrink Sheets! 💕 Heartfelt Tag You’ll Love by Anna-Karin Evaldsson
Hi friends! Happy Monday! Please join me in welcoming back special guest Anna-Karin Evaldsson to our blog as a special guest sharing a fun technique and product you may or may not have used in awhile! Read on and enjoy!
Hi everyone! I am so happy to be back here on the blog and today I am going to share a fun and colorful project, making embellishments with shrink plastic, alcohol ink, stamps and glitter. I made hearts, but you can also make other shapes.
Simon Says Stamp dies with one shape in many sizes are perfect to use with Shrink Sheets since you can make embellishments in different sizes using the same die set. Die cut hearts with the Rounded Hearts set from Simon Says Stamp Shrink Sheets.
Work on a heat-resistant surface, such as a Simon Says Stamp PET tool. Use a heat tool with a circular motion. When the shape has shrunk completely and is flat, pick up with tweezers, place on a flat surface, and place a wood block stamp or an acrylic block on top. Do not touch the shrink plastic until it has cooled down completely. To the right, you can see how much the hearts shrink.
Stamp some of the hearts with small images and sentiments. You can also stamp them before shrinking. I used Stazon Jet Black ink together with stamps from Simon Says Stamp Vintage Blooms, Beautiful and Curious, and Loving Thoughts sets.
Turn the designs around and color with Ranger’s Alcohol Ink, using an ink-blending tool with a felt applicator. Do not color over the stamped images since they will smear.
Let dry and then add Ranger Stickles or Liquid Pearls to the back of the hearts.
I left some of the hearts without glitter and instead glued them with Glossy Accents to an old book page, picking words and phrases that I liked. When dry, cut them out.
My favorite way to finish shrink plastic embellishments is with a thick layer of Glossy Accents. It gives them a great dimensional and glossy look. Today, I sprinkled a tiny bit of Turquoise Pearl Powder into the Glossy Accents here and there. Put them aside to dry. It takes quite a while, but it is worth it.
Here you can see all the hearts. I didn’t use all of them on my tag.
White emboss the sentiment using Simon Says Stamp Heart Suite, from the new Heart to Heart release. I also white embossed the text stamp from the set here and there on the background.
Ink with Distress Ink. The embossing will resist the ink.
Ink the sentiment with Uncharted Mariner and restamp, off-setting slightly, for a shadow effect.
I wanted to add even more shimmer and applied embossing ink through Tim Holtz Bubble stencil. Brush Turquoise Pearl Powder over the ink.
I moved the hearts around before deciding where to glue them down. The hearts painted with Liquid Pearls are pearlescent, the ones with glitter at the back are very glitter, while the word hearts are glossy, with a hint of pearl powder.
I also stamped two smaller sentiments from the Heart Suite set and cut into strips. My shadow stamping was not perfect, but it had to do.
The tiny hearts, made from the smallest heart in the Rounded Hearts set, are so cute.
The hearts are hard to capture on photo since they are shiny, glittery, and pearlescent. They look different depending on how the light falls.
Here you can see the effect of the stenciled pearl powder better.
I hope this tutorial inspired you to create some shrink plastic embellishments for your next project. There are so many different possibilities and it is a lot of fun. Happy crafting! -Anna-Karin
SUPPLIES:
|
Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Anna-Karin for being our guest!
