Simon Says (Monday) - Something New with AALL & Create

Hi everyone, welcome to 2025 and here’s hoping it will be healthy, peaceful and creative for everyone! 

I'm feeling really excited today, as I can finally share what I have been bursting to tell everyone since the summer - having been in the Designer Spotlight a few times during 2024 on the wonderful  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, I have been asked to be the Guest Designer again for January. I was previously a Guest Designer back in March 2023 so am  absolutely thrilled to be asked back, and to have the opportunity to showcase some cards for the next 4 weeks alongside the immensely talented regular members of the Design Team.

This week the theme is

Something New

As it’s the first Monday of the month we are showcasing a brand/company, and this week it is the fabulous AALL & Create. You don’t have to use them to join in with the challenge but if you have them we would love to see them on your creation.

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!

Here's my first Guest Designer card, using a “new to me” butterfly stamp set and die sets by AALL & Create, as well as a couple of their older stamps  (links to my supplies are below the description).

I die cut a piece of cream stamping card using AALL & Create die set #42 Papyrus Essence, then created a smooshed background using Antique Linen, Speckled Egg and Vintage Photo Distress Oxide inks applied with acetate. When dry I stamped the A&C butterfly  #1171 Floral Flyer using Portobello  Versafine Clair for a nice vintage look, and heat embossed with clear powder. I then stamped and heat embossed it again onto separate card and coloured it with Tim Holtz Distress watercolor pencils in Speckled Egg, Mermaid Lagoon and Vintage Photo. 

I added some background stamping in 2 corners of the main panel using #906 Art Notes and 2nd generation Very Peri Versafine Clair, then added some stencilling using Tim Holtz Dot Fade layering stencil and Scorched Timber DOX, and blended more Scorched Timber DOX round the edges. I fussy cut the coloured butterfly and attached to the panel by its body only. I die cut a small piece of cream card using a small die from set #57 Parallel Rectangle, stamped the sentiment from set #1171 in Portobello and heat embossed, then blended Speckled Egg DOX around the edges and attached below the butterfly. 

I stamped the pen nib from #908 Quill Ends in the top right corner and heat embossed, stamped and heat embossed again onto separate cream card, and coloured with Vintage Photo Distress Watercolor pencil then fussy cut and attached.

I die cut a piece of brown linen card stock using the largest die from set #42, matted the stamped panel onto it and then matted onto a 6” square kraft card blank. To finish I added Ranger Glossy accents to the stamped pen nib, and attached a vintage style pen nib from my stash to the butterfly body. 

Here are links to what I used: 

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Stamps: AALL & Create #1171 Floral Flyer, #906 Art Notes, #908 Quill Ends;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Antique Linen, Speckled Egg, Vintage Photo, Scorched Timber); Versafine Clair (Portobello, Very Peri); Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor pencils set 1 (Speckled Egg), Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor pencils set 2 (Mermaid Lagoon, Vintage Photo); WOW Clear Gloss Regular embossing powder; Ranger Glossy Accents;

Tools: AALL & Create #42 Papyrus Essence dies, #57 Parallel Rectangle dies; Tim Holtz layering stencil - Dot Fade;

Other: vintage style pen nib from my stash (a similar one is available in Tim Holtz Idea-ology Odds and Ends Embellishments).

Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Craft Rocket #121 - Something New

Crafty Calendar (January) - Add a Die Cut

Creative Inspirations (January) - Something Old/Something New

(new A&C butterfly stamp set and die sets)

Die Cut Divas (January) - Use Something New

Festive Friday (January) - Something New

Make My Monday #242 - Favourite Challenge Theme from 2024

(#227 - B is for … Butterfly)

My Time to Craft #550 - New

Pearly Sparkles #103 - Something Old, Something New

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Something New

Sweet Stampin’ - New!

Triple B (January) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies

Word Art Wednesday #681/682 - Anything Goes

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.

Hugs,