With a Stamp and a Song

Sing to Him a New Song!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello friends!

We have been enjoying a week of cooler weather here in northeast Florida and it has been SO nice! The skies have been a nearly cloudless clear, crisp blue and the air has had that lovely golden Fall light.

This week's Stamp Simply product of the week is another favorite! I decided to make a Peek-a-Boo card using this set and papers from Carta Bella's A Wonderful Christmas.

For the card front I made a side-folding card base (the traditional 5.5 x 8.5 scored at 4.25). I measured the top and bottom an inch from the fold and then trimmed those to the half-point of the side so that the card front is a sort of triangular flap, making the corners of the inside visible from underneath. I love designs like this that lend themselves to the use of coordinating prints of designer paper. The layered sentiments echo the colors of the plaid. The branches and bird from the stamp set really emphasize the shape of the card front. The white edges of the die-cut images and the bright red of the bird really pop against the black background.

I used small and large circle dies to cut an opening through the designer paper/card front, then mounted the positives on the inside. Since the sentiment circle is mounted on dimensional adhesive squares it sits up through the opening and helps to serve as a "latch" to keep the card front closed.

I added a snowflake/rhinestone and some thin cording for embellishments and gave everything a dusting of diluted white acrylic paint "snowflakes."

Without the bow and rhinestone this would make an excellent "flat for mailing" design.

I love the symbolism of the appearance of the cardinal, especially at Christmastime when we remember our loved ones who are no longer with us, so for some, this kind of card would hold even greater significance.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - God Will Take Care of You Bundle
Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
cord
gems
circle dies
distress oxide ink
Copic markers
white acrylic paint for "snow"

Every Good Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I heard on the news earlier this week that 50% of America's land is farm land, so I don't suppose it is surprising that this paper made me think of fields and farmland and forests and the harvest. I love looking down over the "patchwork quilt" of the earth when we fly...it never ceases to amaze me and overwhelm me with gratitude for the beauty and the bounty that surrounds us. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

Our farmhouse sentiment series is on sale this week, so it was obviously the perfect opportunity to put these papers and sentiments together for a paper-pieced landscape.

I have made several similar cards in the past using colored card stock, white card stock with distress/oxide inks, or designer paper. Some were torn or cut freehand, others (as this one) cut with dies. It is fun to see how different they are even though the "anatomy" and layout of the card is essentially the same.

I had fun shuffling die-cut scraps of this two-sided designer paper, arranging them to maximize the contrast between the various greens, yellows and blues to create the illusion of hills and valleys on a sunny day. I included a bit of distressing along the edges to add emphasis. It shows up better in person than through the camera lens...I may have to try it again on a stair step card just to achieve a more 3D effect.

This is kinda what I was seeing in my mind's eye as I was creating my card, although this is in Scotland rather than here in America. This photo was taken at Ardalanish (a working farm and mill shop on the Isle of Mull) when we were there in 2024. If you look really closely you can see the black sheep grazing way down in the valley!

Here's the inside of the card, which with a little tweaking really would also entirely work as a card front if so desired!

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Sentiments QUAD Bundle
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Signage (tiny heart)
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Organic 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Country Church (trees, clouds)
Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Orange
Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
Original Bow Easy
distress oxide inks
white acrylic paint for spatters
button from stash
Spellbinders standard circles small

He's the Reason for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all!

I can hardly believe it is October already! This week we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary on Tuesday, and then remembered my dad on his birthday (he would have been 101!) on Wednesday.

I've been in full-on Fall mode, preparing for a broom-making class that's happening today (Thursday 10/8) at the Textiles Guild in St. Augustine (at the Lightner Museum). We're making a turkey-wing whisk of natural broomcorn wrapped with nylon cording.

Stamp Simply

But this week's Stamp Simply project is not for Fall. It's for Christmas! It uses one of our current Product of the Week sets, Jesus. I love this set because it is filled with sentiments and verses that bring music and Bible studies to mind. Lots of great memories of good times with special people.

For the focal image I used one of the printed blocks from Carta Bella's A Wonderful Christmas paper pad, stamping two sentiments directly onto the designer paper. There are several prints from that same paper pad in the background, with a strip of houses and a die-cut heart from more of the pad's coordinating prints. It all goes so well together and makes designing so easy peasy.

The inside is stamped with the verse from Isaiah that is well known from The Messiah Chorus. I always end up singing it because I find it absolutely impossible to simply read it! So there had to be that little music charm added to the bow on the front of the card. ❤️

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Jesus
Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
Seam Binding Sampler - Christmas - 30 yards
May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
distress oxide inks
music charm from stash

Thanks for stopping by! See you next week!

Tea Time Pocket Card

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi friends!

I grew up in southwest Louisiana where coffee is king and tea is served iced and sweet but I have definitely, true to my Scots heritage, learned to embrace a nice cup of hot tea. Taking time out to enjoy a cup can definitely bolster one's energy and mood...this little Tea Time Pocket Card serves as a cup of love and a reminder to take Life one cup at a time!

Today's project features stamps and dies from Stamp Simply's Coffee (or tea?!) series which is the current Product of the Week through Saturday.

This project has a 5.5 x 4.25 inch card base upon which is attached a 4.25 x 9 inch (scored at 3 and 6 inches) "z-fold" of card stock.

The center section is a perfect spot for tucking a tea bag or sample into a tiny pocket. For this project I used a combination of Stamp Simply Coffee or Tea designer paper along with a couple of two-sided sheets of Craft Consortium Grunge Light. The colors worked together perfectly.

If I'd had a sample of butterfly pea tea to enclose that would have been perfect but I didn't, so Mardi Gras blend black it was (from Plum Deluxe)! It has black tea, cinnamon chips, vanilla/pecan essence, safflower, and blue Malta flowers, so it seemed fitting! Sounds so yummy!

I used a strip of easy-tear scor-tape to adhere a strand of cord toward the bottom of the back section of the z-fold card stock before adhering the z-fold to the card base. With a tea bag tucked into the pocket, the cord/ribbon helps hold everything in place when the card is closed.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Coffee or Tea? Bundle
Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6
Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
Gems
Cord/Rope/String
vellum
distress oxide ink
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen

Gather Together

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello friends! It's officially Autumn now! Today's card is a 5.5 inch square card using one of our Product of the Week sets, Seasonal Wreaths (Fall/Winter).

The Fall/Winter Seasonal Wreaths set includes the pumpkins shown here as well as some lovely poinsettias. The Spring set includes two lovely spring bouquets. There are some sentiments in both sets that can be used interchangeably.

I colored these with Copic markers, then added tea-dye distress ink to the edges, and spatters of distress oxide inks and white acrylic paint. The image, placed atop a sheet of Grunge Light designer paper, is framed with narrow strips of paper from Ink Drops Sunset. I just love all these warm and vibrant Fall colors.

Here's the inside, another sheet of Grunge Light with a sentiment stamped directly on the designer paper and more of the spattering of colors just as there is on the card front.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths, Fall/Winter Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
Copic markers
various distress oxides and white acrylic paint (spatters)

When we were up in upper Michigan last month, the leaves were just barely beginning to turn. We had a wonderful time gathering with my husband's family, celebrating birthdays and simply enjoying our time together.

We've been back home for a few weeks. Even here in Florida there are a few trees whose colors are tinged with yellow and orange. I find this time of year so inspiring...it makes me want to spin and knit all the things, make wreaths and brooms and baskets, and play with all the papers and stamps!

Enjoy your week! I'll look forward to seeing you again!

Happy Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello friends! Today is my husband's birthday! I had a lot of fun making this card for him using this week's POTW from Stamp Simply.

Patrick and I love going out for brunch on the weekend. We have several favorite places that we alternate between, and one of them has the most delicious fresh squeezed orange juice, so I thought this was the perfect image/sentiment for his card.

In his case, less is definitely more so I kept things really clean and simple using designer papers and splashes of distress oxide ink for some "Florida fresh" appeal for my main (only!) squeeze! (At this point we have had many more birthdays together than not, and we will soon have another anniversary to celebrate! ❤️)

The inside has one of the punny sentiments from this set stamped at the bottom corner. Couldn't resist splashing some juicy colors on the inside too.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Fruit Trio Bundle
Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6 (for tag)
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
Gems
button and cord from stash
various distress oxide inks
white acrylic paint
Copic markers

Fall Floral Bookmark Card

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all! I'm here with a card made with a slight modification of Splitcoaststampers' bookmark card tutorial (I made my square 5.5 inches) using two of our current Product of the Week sets. It was quick and easy and fun to make and I know that the intended recipient is gonna love it!

Here's a look at the inside with the removable square bookmark still in place on the corner of the card front.

Here you can see the bookmark in use. Usually I use lots of dimensional adhesive on my cards but for this one the elements of the actual bookmark are all glued directly together to keep the layers from being bulky and marring the book when it's closed. This particular book is one that belonged to Patrick's uncle so it is a beloved vintage, well on its way to becoming antique!

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Floral Cluster Fall Flowers
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Floral Cluster Spring Pansies (sentiments)
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Floral Cluster and Sprigs
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
Craft Consortium Ombre 6x6
Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
retired Spellbinders scallop border die
Copic markers
various distress oxide inks
button from stash

You are a blessing!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi friends!

I'm back today with another clean and simple card using designer paper that is just too pretty to cover up! This one looks like a cool Summer pool (ha! more wishful thinking!)

A sweet home town friend of mine sent me some wonderful sock knitting books that she came across in an estate/garage sale. That she took the time to box them up and send them my way meant the world to me, so I wanted to make a little thank you card for her to let her know what a treasure she is and how much she is appreciated! Nothing elaborate, just something handmade but quick and easy that gets the heartfelt message across...a little thing means a lot. ❤️

I love how the Craft Consortium papers work so well together. The colors of this sheet from Grunge Light are a great match for the sheet of Ocean that is on the front of the card.

I love these colors so much! I just so happen to be spinning them too, as part of a set that has pinks and blues and pops of other colors. I've finished the pinks and purples, currently have the pale blue-greens on the spindle with the brighter blue-greens yet to go. It has been the most enjoyable spin and I will hate to see it come to an end! (The fiber and these next few photos are from Inglenook Fibers).

The set was inspired by some of the architecture seen during Tour de France, the Casa Batlio on St. George's Day.

But there is more lovely fiber in the queue! The next up is some based on the Lacecap Hydrangea and it is gorgeous and just a tiny side-step on the color wheel!

Ooops! I got carried away! ;) Back to stamping! Here's my supply list.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pastor & Ministry Appreciation Gree...
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Ocean 6x6
Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Aqua
satin ribbon
Versamark ink
gold fine detail embossing powder

But before you leave, be sure to visit Stamp Simply to check out the current Product of the Week!

Give Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all!

I can hardly believe that it is already the end of August and that the holiday season is just around the corner, but schools around here started a week or so ago and the Fall season of chorale has started, so time is flying by!

If you have been here during previous Falls, you might remember that this is one of my very most favorite stamp sets! It is so simply elegant and imho can become a show stopper with very little effort. Here I stamped the image on watercolor card stock and painted it with distress inks using them water color style, urging the colors to blend together.

And here is the inside...more of that beautiful CC Ink Drops Sunset designer paper and a beautiful verse. I love this paper, couldn't stand to cover it up so I kept this card as CAS as possible, inside and out!

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Give Thanks Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock - 4.25 x 5.5"
Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
distress oxides used as "watercolor"
white acrylic paint spatters
gold cord

Autumn Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all!

It is still hotter than heck here (yesterday we reached 100 degrees with a heat index of 115 F!) so you can imagine that we are truly yearning for Fall and the cooler temperatures it will bring!

I was flipping through paper pads and came across this beautiful sheet from CC Ink Drops Midnight, so warm and rich and elegant! I decided that it would be lovely for a JOY fold/tri-fold card.

This is essentially a smaller card tucked inside a larger card with the folds opposite one another. In this view you can see that about an inch is trimmed off the bottom of the larger card front to accommodate the placement of the smaller card inside.

And full disclosure: I had not intended to cut an oval out of the smaller card until the sentiment I stamped on the card front (light ink on dark paper) did not show up as well as I had envisioned it would...OOPSIE! So this design was a "save" that ended up working out ok! Whew! I love it when cards "evolve" on their own that way!

The dark distress oxide inks framing the focal image/sentiment also help to emphasize the rich, midnight mood of the designer paper.

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Autumn Blessings Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Midnight 6x6
Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Champagne
Spellbinders oval dies
various distress oxide inks
button and gold cord from stash

Deepest Sympathy

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello friends!

It seems that the older we get, the more often we need sympathy cards. I really prefer making them before they're needed and having some stashed and ready in advance. Occasionally I will make one specifically for a particular person and their loved ones but I find that emotionally much more difficult. Either way, the process is always a thoughtful, prayer-filled one.

For this week's project I used both of our Silhouette stamp sets (current product of the week)...the sea oats/wheat image from Autumn Silhouettes, and the sentiments from Eucalyptus Silhouettes. I love how "Florida" the result turned out to be.

I used an assortment of distress oxide inks to make a colorful focal image background that would harmonize with this beachy designer paper from Craft Consortium's Test of Time. For many people, images of the ocean are timeless and soothing, bringing peace, calm and clarity to a troubled heart. That makes them seem especially appropriate for acknowledging the loss of a loved one, especially here in Florida.

The inside is another inked background with a beautiful, comforting verse.

Supplies:

Autumn & Eucalyptus Silhouettes
Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6
Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Champagne
May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
various distress oxide inks
white acrylic paint
mother of pearl button

Autumn, warm & cozy!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all! Another busy week here in the Felts household! There was a brief pause between Tour de Fleece and Tour de Fleece Femmes, but I'm still spinning and knitting and of course, stamping!

This week's project is a 5.5 inch square card that uses BOTH of the sets in our current Product of the Week. These sets are a lot of fun because they feature stamps that are a little larger than usual, which makes them super quick and easy to use. They take front & center as thē focal point and therefore do not require a lot of fuss with layouts or embellishments, etc. There's also a great variety of sentiments (as either stamps or dies) to coordinate with the beautiful images. Easy peasy!

For today's card I used a stamp positioner to stamp the leaf image onto the corners of a 5 inch square of card stock, then colored in the images with Copic markers in a variety of Fall colors. I stamped, colored and die cut the pumpkins and placed them atop a square of card stock turned on the diagonal.

On the inside, there's a die cut "Autumn" and stamped "Warm & Cozy." Everything inside and out was spattered generously with distress oxide inks and white acrylic paint for a warm rustic, harvest/garden feel. It definitely has apple cider/pumpkin pie kinda vibes!

Supplies:

Boho Leaves and Pumpkins
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Squares SM
Seam Binding
Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
Copic markers
various distress inks
gold cording

You crossed my mind today...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

We have got stamp sets from our Great Lakes Series on sale this week! Since my husband is from Michigan (specifically the U.P.) I have especially enjoyed using these particular sets along with the rest of our Michigan series.

The Great Lakes series includes two Lighthouse sets, the Edmund Fitzgerald set, and the Mackinac Bridge set.

My project for today is a "Dutch door" card, shown here from an aerial view. I've never been over the Mackinac Bridge but I thought that this designer paper made for a lovely snowy evening sky background where the lines between sky and water merge and seem to magically disappear.

I cut away the top half of the card front, adhered that beautiful Ombre designer paper to the card base inside and out, then die cut two bridges and sandwiched the top edge of the card front between them. Since the card stock I used is not heavy duty I opted to cut a narrow brace to reinforce the piece right where the die and the card base come together on the inside (see the two photos below).

The top left sentiment is visible from the front whether the card is opened or closed, but the card must be opened for the bottom right sentiment to be revealed.

The verse stamped on the inside of the Dutch door is from the Edmund Fitzgerald set and fits the "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" theme perfectly. 🎶

Supplies:

Socks and Stockings!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone! It's July and I have been having a blast with all the crafty things! I'm participating in several "Christmas in July" challenges and there is also "Tour de Fleece" so it has been extremely busy around here!

Stamp Simply has an amazing Christmas in July promotion going on through July 25th, and when I was deciding upon what to stamp, my current Swan City Yarns self-striping socks pair-in-progress was obviously an influence!

I die cut the stocking in white and used a ruler with some Copic markers to color the stocking in the same color way as my socks. (If you decide to try it, I'd recommend that you have a baby wipe handy to clean the color from your ruler so that the colors stay pure and clean without muddying). The cuff, heel, and toe are in a contrast color just as my socks IRL will be.

The mats behind the stocking were die cut with Spellbinders rectangles. I used the fishtail banner die for the sentiment which fit absolutely perfectly. Embellishments include jeweled snowflakes, some white acrylic paint "snow" and a big ole turquoise bow! These colors just make me so happy! Definitely one of my favorite Christmas color combos!

Here's the inside. All of the stamps and sentiments are part of one stamp set bundle.

Supplies:

Magic Seeds Card

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I heard an interview on PBS the other day as I was driving to ukulele class...the guy was a magician and he spoke of how he'd had magic in his heart and mind from the time he was about four years old. I think most of us love that little bit of magic even as adults, so today's project is a magic card.

The front of the card is rather plain until the tab at the top is pulled up...

...and there's the magic! I followed Beate's video tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. (It's a little different than the pictorial tutorial on that same page, so be sure to check both methods out!)

While this card requires some careful aligning of the various layers, it is not hard to make. It's easiest to stamp the transparency and then trim it to match the colorful layer underneath so that the images line up properly. Also, one needs to be mindful to keep the mechanism freely moving in the step during which the adhesive is applied around the edges of the slider. Those little tabbed edges at the bottom need room to glide without getting caught up in any glue or tape.

I stamped a bee next to the flower to cover up an ink smudge on the paper. It made it a little harder to align everything just so, but in the end it all worked out!

Here's the inside.

There's still time to grab these two sets before our current POTW special expires!

Supplies:

S tamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Peony Bundle
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Organic 6x6
May Arts 1.25" Variegated Silk - 32 yard spools - Pink/Champagne
Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
Distress oxide, Stazon and Memento inks
transparency sheet
tab punch
Copic markers

Popping by to say hi!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

If you've been here for a while you know that I am of Scottish heritage and that I took two trips to Scotland within the last several years. Since then I've been into exploring Scottish knitwear designers and Scottish yarn/fiber. One of the designers whose work I admire is Kate Davies. I'm participating in one of her knit-alongs, knitting a sweater design of hers using yarn that I dyed myself. (I shared a photo of my dyeing process in this post about a month ago.)

Kate has been sending us weekly "essays" in her newsletter and one of the most recent ones had a photo of a sweater knitter/model standing in a field of poppies. I've never seen so many flowers! It was so beautiful! (Scroll toward the bottom of Kate's post if you wanna see the photo). I've never seen a real field of poppies, but this photo really inspired me.

Hopefully you can see how that field of poppies and my pink yarn come together in this project. The card is a standard 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card, with an extra scoreline on the front at 2 1/8 inches. It makes a nice stand-up, display-able card which allows for both hidden and visible sentiments.

All of the images and sentiments here are from one stamp and die set combo. I also used my favorite Fishtail Banners die.

The flowers were colored with Copic markers, and embellished simply with ribbons and pearls. Very quick and easy and who can resist a red, pink, black and white color scheme?!

This set is part of our current Product of the Week promotion! Check it out!

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pretty Poppies Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Vivid 6x6
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
Seam Binding Sampler - Christmas - 30 yards
Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
Copic markers
white acrylic paint for spattering

Happy Independence Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all! Here in America the birthday party is ON! I hope that wherever you are, you'll celebrate with us!

I have had this coffee carrier from our favorite local coffee shop for quite a while, just waiting for the right timing and inspiration to use it. Well, today is the day! For now it's empty, but on the 4th it will hold a cup of utensils or maybe some sparklers and matches on one side and a jar of flowers and ivy on the other.

And just as a funny "George Washington" kinda side note: I'm gonna have to get out there and scrub that table top because the wild cherry tree keeps dropping ripened little cherries on it! It keeps things a mess at this time of year and I teasingly say that I'm tempted to go chop the thing down! But the squirrels and the birds love it! Seriously though, we will need to do some trimming and maintenance on that tree because it is quite laden with Spanish moss and during hurricane season that can mean trouble. And I'll be out there to clean that table top before Saturday! Fingers crossed that it will be cooler than it has been lately!

Stamp Simply

I used stamps from several of our various patriotic sets for this project. I included "The Colors" and the Pledge in remembrance and honor our American history, legacy, and values. The 4th of July has always been special but this year with America 250 it is exceptionally so.

I used distress oxide inks to stamp some images directly onto the carrier. The flag was stamped on white card stock and colored with Copic markers so that the colors would be vibrant and stand out against the kraft background.

There's just a touch of tea-dye ink on all the edges, and lots of splashes of ink and white acrylic paint to lend to the "fireworks/party" vibe.

Lots of patriotic words and phrases (stamped with distress oxides and die cut with our fishtail banners dies) dangle from a pretty red bow/gold cording at the top.

You've got until July 5th to grab these sets at a discount! Enjoy!

Have a safe and glorious Independence Day holiday! God Bless America!

Supplies:

cup carrier from the local coffee shop
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Full Patriotic Series Stamp Bundle
Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
May Arts 1.5" Wrinkled Ribbon - 50 yard spool - Red
various distress oxide inks, white acrylic paint
Copic markers
gold cord

Coneflowers!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

My husband and I go for morning walks at least five days a week, and lately I have been admiring one particular corner in our neighborhood. It's a profusion of color with clusters of various blossoms, and this morning (knowing our current POTW!) I was inspired by these beautiful coneflowers. I should have taken a wider shot to show more of this delightful colorful corner. The butterflies and I love it!

Coneflowers belong to the daisy Asteraceae family but the various types could belong to one of five different genera – Dracopis, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Ratibida, and Isopogon which are further subdivided into numerous species. These Black Eyed Susans belong to the Rudbeckia genus, whereas the traditional purple coneflower is of the genus Echinacea. They definitely have similarities in appearance but there are subtle differences when one decides to dig deeper. Some are annual, others perennial, and others biennial.

I love it when a craft project becomes an accidental, spontaneous unit study!

This stamp set has always been a favorite, but I think this is the first time I've colored them anything other than the traditional Echinacea coneflower pink or purple (examples here).

We've had a few real "scorcher" days already and we just passed Summer Solstice, so maybe that is what helped to inspire this hot Summer color scheme with designer paper from the Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset paper pad.

Here's the inside.

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Thank You for Caring Coneflower Bundle
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
Gems
Ribbon
various distress oxide inks and white acrylic paint
Copic markers

Vintage florals

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Today's project is a pair of cards that feature the two sets from this week's Product of the Week. They were quick to make, using two sheets of designer paper cut into quarters diagonally.

Stamp Simply

The neutral color palate with two different floral stamp sets gets a pop of color with the same few Copic markers.

Each card uses an image and sentiment from only one set.

Here's what the inside of each card looks like. Relatively clean and simple.

Supplies:

Get Well Tulip & Thinking of You Rose
Craft Consortium Vintage Emporium 6x6
Seam Binding Sampler - Vintage Neutrals - 40 yards
Gems
Copic markers
tea dye distress ink
white acrylic paint for spattering

Water Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi y'all!

A few days ago I was watching a knitting podcast and the knitter (a proud grandma!) mentioned that the pool was for {insert baby's name here!} and it got me thinking about a bath or pool theme for today's Welcome Baby card.

I used two circle dies to cut the "inner-tube" and added some piercing to mimic the seams in the vinyl of a real life inner-tube. The onesie, bib, star, and duckies are all from our Welcome Baby series. All of the die cuts were sponged, shaded and splashed to add dimension and detail.

I stamped the sentiment directly onto the Ombre' designer paper.

Here's more of that same paper on the inside with another sentiment and die cut from Welcome Baby.

Stamp Simply

This series is our current product of the week so hurry over to grab a set while it's on sale!

Supplies:

Our Welcome Baby Series
Craft Consortium Tartan Plaid 6x6
Craft Consortium Ombre 6x6
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
Gems
Faux Linen Ribbon
cord
various distress oxide inks for sentiments and shading
white acrylic paint splashes
button from stash
piercing tool and mat/guide

A Card of Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

My card for today, a card of congratulations for a wedding, an anniversary (or with the right embellishments, just about any occasion) uses a couple of sets that are featured in our current Product of the Week. It's essentially a standard card with another backward opening slightly smaller card inside. I've used lots of layers but it could be done more simply with fewer layers if that's your style or current mood!

I used oval nesting dies to cut a window through the card front to allow the image from the smaller card to show through.

Here the outer card is opened with the front of the second card fully visible. The lavender mat is actually sandwiched between the two cards, the three layers glued together.

And finally, here's the inside card, opened in the opposite direction. There's a lot of room here for a special sentiment, some more pretty paper or another lovely image, or just plenty of white space for lots of hand-written well-wishes.

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

In case you might be interested...I have been busy with lots of fiber arts this week, including dyeing some merino-linen yarn in a lovely pink using acid dye in a cold water bath method out on the patio in the sunshine. (You can see the reflection of the trees in the water if you look closely!).

I've been spinning a lot too, trying to clear the spindles and wheels in preparation for Tour de Fleece which will begin (as does Tour de France) on July 4th. There will be a lot of fun crafting to try to keep up with over the next several months.

Here are a couple of skeins I have finished spinning in the last week or so.

I've started another spin thinking it might make a good partner for that green skein. We'll see whether it works out!

Have a great week!

Getting Ready for Father's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Father's Day is June 21, so it is already less than a month away! It's time to make sure you've got the right stamps and supplies and get to stamping!

My husband Patrick tells a funny story about his dad's big male beagle Skippy. He somehow got out of his pen, ran down the street to where a neighbor was storing his prize deer trophy (12 points!) in his garage, and then dragged the thing all the way down the street back home and into the back yard where he promptly tried to bury it! So here's a "Father's Day at the hunting cabin" kinda card inspired by that story! 😜

This is a really quick and easy card to construct. It uses a variety of masculine prints from three Craft Consortium paper pads along with stamps from our featured products of the week which are currently on sale for just a few more days!

I'm hoping this is close enough to "buffalo plaid" to convey that woodsy outdoorsman feel!

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

In Remembrance

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Fri, 22 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! Today is blog hop day for Coffee Loving Paper Crafters, so welcome! It's the start of the weekend and our special coffee hop celebration but it is also the start of a very important US holiday. But before I share my project and the inspiration behind it, let me share this. If you're here for the Coffee Lovers' blog hop then you'll want to be sure to visit the Stamp Simply blog for more information when you're finished here.

Stamp Simply

Today is National Poppy Day 2026, the Friday before Memorial Day, a day that Americans are encouraged to wear a red poppy to honor those military members who gave their lives in the service of our country, and their "Gold Star" families. My card is meant to be both a tribute to those we've lost and a comfort to their remaining loved ones.

Hopefully for most of you there are no particular names or faces that come to mind in remembrance on Memorial Day but for most military families including ours, there's at least one person whose life and loss is quietly remembered over these next several days. (Our friend was killed in a training accident that occurred on 5-28-92 after he'd returned from the first Gulf War, Desert Storm). We truly will never forget, and we reverently acknowledge the precious price that has been paid for our freedom. We solemnly pray for God's blessings over every Gold Star family, for their comfort and strength in the wake of their loss.

I tried to incorporate that Gold Star symbolism and into today's project. I really love that it's a coffee card, since having coffee (or tea!) is such a simple everyday mind and body "fortification" that includes the opportunity to slow down and connect with the ones you love. What could be more important?! It is truly mind-boggling to think of how coffee and tea have sustained humanity through the major and minor challenges of life!

I was going to include a pocket for a gift card on the inside of my card but then I had a mishap! The back of my card ended up smeared with ink, so I opted for some creative camouflage.

I covered the ink smudges with designer paper, and then adhered the gift card pocket to the back of the card. Here's a little printed tag from the designer paper pad for the front of it.

And here it is, opened. I tucked in a little card stock place holder inside since I still need to purchase a gift card, but this gives you an idea of how it would look.

I'm so happy that I finished my flag shawl in time to wear it this weekend. I followed the pattern instructions "to the T" except for making my stripes wider...including starting with a white stripe as the pattern directed which of course is WRONG! Our flag's stripes start and end with red, but in having made this mistake (and I was especially frustrated that I made it because I *knew* better!) I learned about the 1776 "Bennington" flag, so I'm just gonna pretend that it is a mistake that I made on purpose! ❤️

Stamp Simply

If you've made it this far, thank you for your attentiveness and perseverance through this sad and somber heart-felt tribute. I hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy your freedom, your family and your friends! Go with grace, peace, and gratitude! God bless you and God bless America!

American Eagle

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I love making cards that can be displayed alongside holiday decor and I was excited to find this "simple but fancy fold" on Pinterest.

It is made from a half-sheet of card stock (11.5 x 4.25 inches) with some "zig zag" scoring but it still folds flat and fits into a standard A2 sized envelope for mailing.

After scoring the base layer, mats and pretty designer papers are added to embellish each section. (You'll find the method/measurements here).

I used a combination of stamps and Copic marker coloring, heat embossing, and printed panels from the designer paper pad to construct my version of this project. The front features the eagle from this week's Product of the Week along with the fish from one of the sets in our Michigan series.

The center section has a printed panel with some heat embossing.

The last section has a printed flag and a floral print from the designer paper pad along with a stamped sentiment and the smallest of the spellbinders stars cut from a scrap of gold paper.

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The American Eagle Bundle
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Old Glory (small USA stamp)
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Michigan Facts (fish, fussy cut)
Echo Park Stars & Stripes Forever 6x6
Spellbinders Stars Five (50% off!)
Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Gold 6 ct
Versamark ink
gold embossing powder
Copic markers
punch for pull tab

Patriotic Pocket Book

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Hi friends!

I'm back with another patriotic project! It was so much fun to make and super easy peasy!

Many of the restaurants in our area use these little paper sleeves for their flatware and for ages (obviously!) every time we would eat out, I would save them thinking they'd come in handy for something fun ever so often! They're perfect for little books, gift card pockets or countdown banners. (I'm sure you'll see them again at some point in time!).

For this project, I only used two sleeves folded in half. I trimmed them down so that they would form a "cascade" of pockets and decorated them inside and out with pretty papers, stamps, tag inserts, and cute little printed images and sayings from this patriotic designer paper pad.

An old punch or a circle/oval die works well for a thumb hole for each pocket edge and pull tab for each of the tag inserts. I alternated Stars and Stripes designer paper for the pull tabs and I love the way it turned out!

This is double-sided paper so there are lots of options for cute, colorful coordinating prints to mix and match.

I added stamped stars in various sizes and colors on each of the tags, along with a sprinkle of patriotic sentiments here and there. I really wanted to use several more of our patriotic sentiments from our other sets but decided maybe it was better to just keep it simple. There are so many possibilities...I encourage you to look through all of our patriotic sets to see which images and sentiments speak the most to you for your patriotic project!

For this page I stamped our patriotic word collage directly onto the sleeve using distress oxide ink. It was a perfect fit!

The patriotism stamp used for this tag is from our Pledge of Allegiance set. American Pride is from The Red, White, & Blue, so altogether this used only three stamp sets and right now the Pledge set is free if you order any other patriotic set!

This designer paper pad has lots of cute ready-made tags that made such a project really easy. Just cut 'em apart and glue 'em in place!

Supplies:

Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The Red, White & Blue Bundle
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The Pledge of Allegiance
Echo Park Stars & Stripes Forever 6x6
punch or die for thumb holes and pull tabs
Copic markers
distress oxide inks
cording for binding