A peace-hand sign always makes me think of the 60s with the decade’s bell bottom jeans, long hair and tie dye clothing. I decided to attempt a tie dye background for the Simon Says Stamp Still Here stamp set*, part of October’s Sending Cheer release.


I experimented with several techniques to get a tie dye look. Using just the edges of a rainbow of Distress Ink cubes, I made concentric rectangles on a 4.5 x 6.25” (that’s A6 size) piece of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor paper. I added water to the very center and hoped it would give a tie dye look as the water spread. It almost worked, but left a distinctly rectangle shape of ink swipes on the paper. I abandoned that one and then just tried to use my Distress Ink Sprays on wet watercolor paper. I used Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, and a very small amount of Shabby Shutters (barely visible). That worked better, but I still lacked the concentric circles I was looking for. I took this panel and simply added big concentric circles with a paintbrush dipped in clean water. That got closer to what I wanted, and I stopped there to dry the panel and flatten it under some books for a little while.


Next, I stamped the peace-hand sign in black VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink in the middle of the panel. I did the same with the 2 sentiments. I die cut this with one die from the Spellbinders Essential Modern Ovals die set. I cut a larger oval from Taylored Expressions Lollipop Cardstock.




I really wanted a sunburst in the background of my oval, but I ran into a problem (and found a workaround). I had a great 6x6” Sunburst Stencil from Waffle Flower but it didn’t cover an A6 panel. I ink blended with Altenew’s Maple Yellow ink from the center outwards with a large blending brush. On the left and right, I could go to the edge of the paper before I ran into the edge of the stencil. However, on the top and bottom, I had to make sure I didn’t touch the frame edge of the stencil with my blending brush. I removed the stencil and then extended the sunburst ray edges with Post It tape and kept blending to the edge of my paper. It worked great. (See photos for details)





I trimmed about 1/8” from each side of my yellow sunburst panel and used foam adhesive to mat it on an A6 piece of black cardstock. Next I glued on my oval. I added just a couple gems in the center of the largest flowers for a bit of sparkle.



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[Stay tuned for a little die cutting trick I did below.] The Still Here stamp set* from Simon Says Stamp’s October Sending Cheer release is a very unique size. The hand measures 1 7/8” x 4 1/8”. In order to make a card where 3 hands could fit on the card, I really needed to make an A6 card, measuring 4.5 x 6.25”. I wanted to do a pastel treatment on the hands with a relatively simple background.


I cut 3 pieces of white cardstock to 4.5” x 6.25”. I took my first panel and dry embossed it with the Simon Says Stamp Dotty Diamonds Embossing Folder. I then cut it down to 3.5” x 5.25” and distressed the edge of this. I cut my second panel to 4” x 5.75”. I left my third panel as is.


I stamped the peace-sign hand three times. First, using Concord & 9th’s Harbor ink, then using Taylored Expressions Lavender Glaze ink, and finally using a retired Stampin’ Up! colored called Soft Seafoam. An ideal substitute for the Stampin’ Up! color is Altenew’s Pistachio Fresh Dye Ink. I fussy cut all three hands and adhered them to the front of the embossed panel as shown, with the blue one on top.




Now for the die cutting trick. I stamped the sentiment “You don’t have to carry it all alone” with black VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink on a piece of white cardstock. I used the smallest tag die from Simon Says Stamps Rounded Tags die set, and by making sure the bottom edge of the tag was always hanging off my cutting mat (thereby not getting cut), I was able to cut the label in the shape you see, after it was stamped. I first put the die to the left of the sentiment and cut the top and sides, then switched it to the right side of the sentiment, cutting the top and sides of the tag shape. It was a little tricky, but it worked perfectly. And using the tag holes, I threaded some Simon Says Stamp Metallic Silver Cord through the holes and around the back of the embossed decorated panel.


I layered all three of these panels on top of one another, using thin foam adhesive under the embossed panel.


I finished by adding some clear, iridescent sequins in 2 sizes.


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Day 2 of the Simon Says Stamp October Sending Cheer release. The beautiful floral inlay inside the peace-sign hand in the Still Here stamp set* offers a lot of design opportunities. I really wanted to color it in, and I had a notion to make the project a two-tone piece using blue and brown.


I decided on a tag. I used the largest tag die in the Simon Says Stamp Rounded Tags die set. I cut 2 tags, one from dark brown cardstock and 1 from a sheet of 8 x 8” Neutral Tim Holtz Palette Paper. I so love working with all the Palette Paper sets. I inked the edges of the tag with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.


I stamped the hand using Gina K Designs Chocolate Truffle Amalgam Ink onto Lawn Fawn’s Vanilla Malt cardstock and fussy cut it leaving a thin border. Next, I took my Copic markers in B21, B41, B45 and B97 and colored in the floral design.




I took a piece of heavyweight vellum, tore one side, and stamped the “take care” sentiment from the Still Here stamp set on the right hand side using VersaFine Clair ink in Pinecone, an ink color that’s a little more red than the Gina K. Next, I heat embossed that with Brutus Monroe Icicle clear embossing powder.


I used the Hero Arts Nesting Tags die set to make both a small tag from a sheet of Tim Holtz Backdrops Vol 4 paper, as well as a hole reinforcer from Tim Holtz 8 x 8” Palette Paper in Blue. I inked the edge of the smaller tag with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. Using the same blue Palette Paper, I die cut 2 sizes of butterflies using the Simon Says Stamp Artful Palette dies. I assembled everything and added a thread nest with beige thread between the smaller tag and the piece of vellum.


I took Tim Holtz Mummy Cloth to make the tie that goes through the hole.


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The new Still Here clear stamp* set is part of Simon Says Stamp’s October Sending Cheer release. This stamp set, with the peace hand sign, truly evokes the feeling of the 1960s. It makes me think of tie dye, bell bottoms, and the Beatles.


I decided to use a rainbow effect on the hand, and Distress Oxides were the perfect medium. I used a different Tim Holtz Tiny Ink Blender for each color, and diffused the ink before I stamped each time. So, it went like this: I inked the top of the hand, using a tiny blender, with Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide. Then I diffused that color at the bottom edge with the same ink blender. Then I stamped. Then I took a different ink blender and added Carved Pumpkin right below where the Abandoned Coral ink had been (never cleaning the stamp as I went) and diffused it at the top and bottom. I continued this process moving down the hand and using Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feather, and Wilted Violet. I went back a couple times to add more ink in some spots, being careful to feather it out on the edges. I was very happy with my results.




I used VersaFine Clair black ink to stamp the Sending Peace sentiment, part of the Still Here stamp set, on the right side of the index finger.


For the white background of the card, I decided to use a favorite background stamp of mine. It is the Simon Hurley Typewriter stamp from Ranger. I stamped with black VersaFine Clair ink to get a crisp image.


I trimmed my rainbow-stamped white panel and torn the bottom edge. I used Spellbinders Colorwheel cardstock in Peridot, Teal Topaz and Lilac and tore pieces of these, in the same width as my white cardstock, to layer underneath. I glued all these pieces together and then matted them onto a black piece of cardstock. I centered all this onto my white typewriter stamped background. I glued all this onto a white A2 cardbase. 


I finished the card with some color coordinated epoxy dots I had in my stash.


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    Inspired by the September 14, 2026 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge with the theme of Transport It, I am posting this card with the ever-popular Tim Holtz Road Trip die. I cut it from a variety of miscellaneous textured blue cardstock along with some grey and black. I got the blue cardstock from a friend and have no idea who manufactured it. 



    The trees shown here are from the Poppystamps Evergreen Trio die set. The clouds are from a Honey Bee Stamps die set called Whispy Clouds that is now retired. 

    I used a sentiment strip for the Happy Birthday sentiment. I don't know who made it. The background paper is from Joann's (#RIP), I believe. Designed by Maggie Holmes as part of her Forever Fields collection. 


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I was inspired by today’s Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to use texture and Tim Holtz products. Problem: there are too many choices! From pastes and stencils and Idea-ology to dies and so much else, how do you choose the products you’ll use. I’ve always loved his Silhouette Birds dies and don’t use them as often as I would like, so I started there. I adore his Picture Show die set too and decided to incorporate that.

    Strangely, I worked from the middle out. I took a piece of his Distress Watercolor Paper and stamped with his Ledger Script stamp set with Versamark. I heat embossed using the Lost Shadow Embossing Glaze (excellent when you don’t want the harsh white of using clear powder). Then I dipped and dried the paper using Lost Shadow, Pumice Stone (mostly), and Old Paper Distress Spray Stain. I die cut the “Viewmaster” round slide reel die from this paper. Next, I took some of his Collage Paper - I don’t know what print it is, but it is old and was just a sheet given to me by a friend. I fan-folded it and then trimmed the ends (using no precision at all) and used collage medium to make it stay in a rosette form. Before I glued this to the center of the round slide reel, I dipped piece into a very small amount Forest Moss and Rustic Wilderness Distress ink smushed on a mat and mixed with a lot of water. I knew I was moving toward using some green and I wanted a cohesive color look.

    I die cut the largest tag from the Simon Says Stamp rounded tags die set out of one of his Backdrops. I dipped the edges in some watered down Pumice Stone Distress Spray Stain and then inked the edges in the same color ink. I also glued this tag to an identical one cut from dark brown paper only for stability.

    Next, I took a dark green piece of Tim’s Kraft Stock Stack Cool Paper and dry embossed it with a very old and retired 2D TH embossing folder called Blueprint. I sanded the top of this to reveal the kraft paper. Next, I used the Simon Says Stamp Artful Palette Dies to cut out rounded squares and rectangles. I lightly inked the edges with Pumice Stone ink and adhered them with foam adhesive to the tag, using one of the coordinating templates.

    I glued the round slide reel with the collage paper rosette to the middle of the tag, on top of the kraft pieces. I added a thread nest in dark brown. I glued on 2 previously made die cuts from the retired Holiday Greens die set. I think these are inked with Rustic Wilderness and Crushed Olive Distress ink. I cut a Silhouette Bird from previously inked watercolor paper (this could be Worn Lipstick mixed with a little Candied Apple and flicked with some Gathered Twigs) and lightly inked the edges with Pumice Stone. I glued this on to the greenery pieces.

    Finally, I adhered one of his Idea-ology Clippings to a small piece of his black woodgrain cardstock and glued it to the top of the tag.

    I completed the tag with a piece of wrinkled seam binding I had in my stash.

    I am also entering this into the Little Red Wagon Challenge to use a stamp.

If you shop from the links below. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. It is much appreciated and helps fund my crafting. Also, any item first marked with an asterisk * was provided by an online store. Otherwise, I bought my supplies.