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
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A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Tina Smith for being our guest!
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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
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Anna-Karin for being our guest!
Easy Birthday Cards with Hearts (Made in Bulk!) Yippee for Yana
Hi friend! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)
Let’s be honest for a second… do you ever feel like birthday cards magically disappear the moment you need one? Same. That’s exactly why today’s Yippee for Yana project is all about mass-producing bright, happy birthday cards that are fun to make and easy to customize. Win-win!
In today’s video, I’m sharing a colorful card-making session featuring a mix of oldie-but-goodie Simon Says Stamp favorites, cheerful ink blending, and a few adorable critters that instantly bring personality to each card. This is one of those projects that feels playful, relaxing, and incredibly productive all at once.
Stretch Your Stamps with a Rainbow of Hearts
The star of today’s cards is the Tons of Hearts stamp set – a beloved classic that’s back and better than ever. This set includes a variety of heart sizes, both solid and outline designs, making it perfect for creating eye-catching backgrounds. I stamped directly onto panels cut to 3.75″ x 5″, which helps keep the design contained and makes assembly a breeze later.
For ink, I reached for a cheerful rainbow-inspired palette using Simon Says Stamp Positively Saturated Inks in:
Don’t have these exact colors? No worries at all – just grab similar shades from your stash. The goal here is happy color flow, not perfection.
Each panel features nine hearts total, mixing six colors and repeating a few for visual balance. Slight imperfections are totally welcome here – they add charm and keep the cards from feeling overly rigid.
Birthday Sentiments That Pop
Once the backgrounds were complete, I added sentiments using the Birthday Palooza stamp set by CZ. The combination of a simple stamped “Birthday to you” with a bold, white heat-embossed “Happy” on black cardstock creates instant contrast and polish.
White embossing powder on black cardstock is one of those classic looks that never gets old – especially against a colorful background. After embossing, I trimmed the sentiments using the coordinating dies and foam-mounted them for extra dimension.
Pro tip: using black foam adhesive behind black cardstock keeps everything looking clean from the side. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.
Add a Little Story with Critters
To give these cards personality, I brought in a few characters from the Journal Jamboree stamp set. I chose three critters that felt especially perfect for birthdays:
- One holding an envelope (clearly delivering birthday wishes!)
- One holding a heart
- One wearing a party hat
These tiny details turn a simple background into a mini story – and the best part is how versatile this stamp set is. With critters for all kinds of occasions, you can easily adapt this layout for celebrations beyond birthdays.
Easy Assembly, Big Impact
The finished panels were foam-mounted onto colorful card bases in shades like Fog, Lemon Chiffon, Mint, and Cotton Candy – soft, happy colors that complement the heart backgrounds beautifully.
By repeating the same design and switching up card base colors, you can quickly build a coordinated set of birthday cards without things feeling repetitive. Perfect for your card stash… or a thoughtful handmade gift.
Why You’ll Love This Card Design
- Great for mass production
- Uses classic stamp sets in fresh ways
- Easy to customize with colors and critters
- Bright, cheerful, and perfect for all ages
If your birthday card stash needs a boost (and let’s face it – it probably does ), I hope this project inspires you to pull out your favorite stamps and get creating.
Thanks so much for crafting along with me, and as always… Yippee for Yana! Happy stamping!
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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:
A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Yana for being our guest!
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