Today's "One Stamp, Five Ways" will highlight a Simon Says Stamp set called Birthday Bits. This is JUST a stamp and no dies are sold for it. It was originally part of the SSS Card Kit last September. But the stamp is sold as a standalone set as well and it is a really good one for birthdays (as you will soon see).I love stamp sets that have lots of little images to decorate with - so many ideas of ways to use all these little pieces. I made five cards, but I didn't get to use the little triangle banners so I wish I had had a little more time on this one. But the balloons definitely got a lot of use! Please forgive my less than stellar photos as it was raining this afternoon so there wasn't a lot of light to work with!
I started this card with a piece of Ranger watercolor paper (love that it is white unlike other watercolor papers). I worked on the backside so it would have less texture. The first thing I did is stamp the large balloon multiple time with Versamark Ink. Then I poured clear embossing powder on them. I could have used white but I like how using clear gives you the same color as the paper underneath where white embossing powder has a more creamy white color to it. After I embossed the balloons, I watercolored them in. Where the colors overlapped, I let them actually overlap so the two colors mixed. After it was all dry, I went over all the embossed lines with a white Uniball marker so they were more raised and defined (they got a little lost under the paint).
Next I die-cut an oval using the SSS Oval dies around the balloons. I die-cut a rectangle with scalloped borders from the MFT Blueprint 20 set. I painted it blue with watercolors. I attached it to a white card base and placed the oval in the center of it. Last, I die-cut a stitched banner from the MFT Blueprints 9 set and painted it with watercolors. I stamped the sentiment on it and attached it over the oval. I attached sequins to each side.
For this card, I embossed a bunch of the small elements on a piece of ranger white watercolor paper. Again, I used Versamark Ink and clear embossing powder. After they were all embossed, I watercolored over the designs with blues and turquoise. I die-cut that piece with a stitched rectangle. Next, I stamped three balloon outlines with SSS Intense Black Ink and watercolored them. I cut them out close around the edges and used a Memento marker to blacken all the edges. I used Wink of Stella on them so they were nice and glittery and then Glossy Accents so they looked all shiny and puffy! I attached them to the top of the card. I stamped the sentiment on a stitched rectangle (smallest one) and outlined the letters with a fine tip black marker. I also added some dots so they looked more fancy. Last, I added some 4mm blue sequins around the sentiment and attached that piece to the bottom of the card. I drew some strings from the balloons.
This is the first card I used the insides of the balloons stamps which meant using colored inks and Neenah White Cardstock. I wanted the balloons to be really bright so I used a new ink pad I have by Hero Arts Ombre Neon ink pad in Chartreuse to Blues. IT IS SO PRETTY - LOVE THESE INK PADS! I varied which colors I used of the three included in the ink so they all matched, but were not the exact same. I added some dots with a white Uniball marker. I cut each out leaving a small white border. I attached them all to the front of a green cardstock card base. I stamped the lines and ribbons from the stamp set using black ink. I cut any pieces of the balloons off that were hanging over the edges. Last I added some sequins and a sentiment on a stitched banner. I folded one end over leaving a small tab over the edge.
I wanted to make a shaker card since it was a birthday themed stamp. I die-cut a rectangle out of watercolor paper. I then die-cut a square out of the top of the rectangle using the SSS stitched squares that have stitches on both the inside and outside of the square. I watercolored this piece using blues, greens and yellows. I stamped the little scalloped border stamp using Lawn Fawn Mermaid ink.
Next I took a piece of white cardstock just a little bit bigger than the square opening in the card front. I stamped several of the small stamps in the set using Lawn Fawn Mermaid, Sunflower, and Celery Stick inks. I cut a piece of transparency and attached that just inside the square opening. I then used foam tape and applied two layers to the backside of the stitched rectangle. I poured some sequins inside the opening and attached them white cardstock piece I had stamped to the opening. I attached that whole piece to a yellow cardstock card base. I stamped two large balloon outlines on watercolor paper using black ink. I painted them with yellow watercolor. I applied a thick later of Wink of Stella so they were really shiny. I then added some twine coming from each balloon. I stamped the sentiment on a stitched banner and attached that over the twine. I glued the twine over the edges of the banner and stamped a yellow star on the banner.
This last card is half the size of a regular card. I used white Neenah cardstock. I stamped three balloons on white cardstock using another Hero Arts Ombre Neon Ink Pad Red to Purple. I stamped the little dots on the top of each balloon using Lawn Fawn Yeti ink (a white ink that is opaque). I stamped them over and over on the background of the card using the same Hero Arts ink. I attached them three balloons and drew bows and strings on the card. I stamped the sentiment on the bottom of the card.
And that's all for today! I'll be back on Monday instead of Tuesday with five cards made with the new March Simon Says Stamp card kit. Here is a sneak peek of one of the cards I made with the amazing stamp set in it.
I hope I will see you all back on Monday. Thank you SO SO MUCH for the nice comments on my last post - I was so happy to get some feedback on these "one stamp, five ways" posts. It makes me so happy that some of you are liking this series and it is inspiring you to use your stamps more! Tell me if you have stamp sets you would like me to highlight! Thanks so much for visiting! suzy
Love these cards! Again, awesome work...so talented!
Posted by: G Evert | March 12, 2016 at 07:23 AM
What a lovely quintet of cards! They are all so fun and festive. I really like that you do this. It really gives lots of inspiration for the stamp set. All the cards are so neat, and it's hard to pick a favorite, but I wanted to say I adore that you put the dots around the sentiment on the one. Makes it look so doodly! I adore doodles. I'm not very good at creating them, but I sure love to look at them. Thanks again for the inspiration. Have a happy day! :)
Posted by: Jeanne | March 12, 2016 at 07:37 AM
I have been a fan of your work for a long time. I love, love, love, everything you do. You are so talented.
Posted by: Maryanne Harris | March 13, 2016 at 08:07 AM
These are amazing--thanks so much for the inspiration. I love your creativity.
Posted by: Leah | March 14, 2016 at 08:00 AM
I'm here today from an Instagram repost of your birthday shaker card--fun, happy card! I love your 5-ways posts and all your samples--wow! I realize I have this stamp set so THANKS for the inspiration!! ❤️🍀😊
Posted by: Ann | March 14, 2016 at 08:08 PM
It is so much fun to visit your site. What a beautiful collection of cards again!! You are so creative and it is great to see so many ideas for one stamp set. Thanks for sharing your work. Always looking forward to new posts from you!!
Posted by: Carol L | March 16, 2016 at 07:38 AM