Today, I’m participating in an Instagram Hop with Simon Says Stamp, featuring their newest release: To Be Loved. You can view that whole release HERE!

To start from the beginning of the hop, head to @simonsaysstamp on Instagram!

 There’s a GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment at each stop for a chance to win a $25 gift card for the Simon Says Stamp store. Winners will be chosen randomly from the comments left on each hopper’s post. All winners will be announced on Simon’s Instagram feed on Tuesday, January 21.     

Techniques:

• I created a super-sparkly greeting by die cutting it from bright magenta cardstock that I’d spread with a thin layer of Astro Pastes. (I do this when I’ve used the paste through a stencil on a project, and have a decent amount left on the spreader, especially when it is a color blend that I can’t easily put back in the jar.)

• I love how the groovy curves of that greeting look against the bold lines of the Tucked Hearts background stamp. I used that stamp on dark blue cardstock, but with a subtle blend to the inks so it is darker at the bottom. I added a little bit of dark blue ink blending from the bottom up to add to that depth behind where I planned to place the sentiment, and then cut that piece out with an arched die.

• A sprinkling of little flower stamps from Hugs to You frame the popped-off arch. I traced the inside of the arch die on my card base with a light pencil line, and used that to stamp around. It creates almost a lacy effect on that edge, and adds some organic detail that is a good contrast to the bold Tucked Hearts pattern.

• Those little flowers are also are repeated in the heart I added above the greeting. I traced from the Tucked Hearts stamp liner (over a bright light) to draw the heart that I then cut out of the same pink that the greeting is cut from. I stamped it with the flowers. After doing that, I decided it was too bright and competing for attention with the greeting, so I solved that by blending in some of the blue ink left on my brush, and the added that with foam squares.

Colors:

• cardstock: Concord & 9th Dragonfruit, Aqua Sky, and Midnight.

• ink: Concord & 9th Aqua Sky, Blueberry, and Midnight.

• Astro Pastes (Ranger): Prom Queen and Royal Flush.

Thank you for visiting! I hope you get time to create something soon.

Links are below if you’re interested in any of the products I used.

Supply list*:

(Listed by company, with links to Simon Says Stamp and others. Simon Says Stamp links are affiliate links*.)

*Affiliate links do not cost you any more when you shop, but it is beneficial to creators when you use them, so thanks in advance!