Simon Says Stamp - New Beginnings Stencil

Happy Mother's Day, blog friends. This is definitely not the easiest day for me, but I feel supported...and I have so many, many of you to thank for that. There really aren't words to express my appreciation for the grace & love you give me as I deal with times like this, & figure out what it is to be a mother to children that aren't with me.

It would be remiss if I didn't mention my own mom on this day. I often think about the fact that she has watched her "baby" go through the worst thing that can happen to a mom...twice. And I know that it was just as hard for her to watch me go through it. I don't know if I would have survived all of this without her - even though most of the time I needed her to just be my quiet prayer warrior while still helping keep the memory of Ellie & Layton alive. I can imagine that it isn't super easy to try & support someone who is introverted and private, and prefers to mostly internalize their grief. But she does it beautifully, and I love her for it (plus so much more, of course.) So, Happy Mother's Day to my mama.

Today I want to share a card with you using some of the new products from the Simon Says Stamp Fluttering By Release! There is a great Mother's Day sale going on, so you could definitely take advantage of that & get yourself a little treat today!

Today my card is focused on the beautiful New Beginnings tree stencil. I chose some colors that reminded me of my mom, and created a mother's day card for it! I think this tree stencil is really so versatile though, and I think it would make an amazing Father's Day card as well...I will likely create a similar card for dads soon!

To start, I cut an A2 card from purple cardstock and set aside. Next I cut a white cardstock block slightly smaller, then stamped & heat embossed the word MOM in gold glitter to the lower right corner.

Then I taped the tree stencil over top of the card so that the tree was on the left side of the block, and not overlapping the heat embossed sentiment at all. Then I proceeded to ink blend with distress oxide inks in mermaid lagoon, seedless preserves & blueprint sketch. With the stencil still on, I sprinkled it with water & picked it up with a paper towel. Finally, I splattered it with gold paint.

Once it was dry, I carefully peeled off the stencil, then mounted the whole block to the card front with foam adhesive. I use white fun foam & wide Scor-Tape as a cost effective way to cover the entire backing with foam. That way I don't get odd dents or warping.

Next I stamped & heat embossed the rest of the sentiment in white to black cardstock, and cut it in a thin strip. I cut banner edges to each end, then adhered over top of the "O" with foam adhesive.

Finally, I accented with my signature jewels tucked here & there. This is actually a very simple card, and could easily be replicated time & again!

I hope that you like my card, and that you have a wonderful Mother's Day. This includes everyone - those that are mothers to all children, alive or not, those that long to be mothers, those battling infertility...this list could go on.

Before you get on your way, I wanted to invite you to follow me on social media! I hang out on Instagram a lot, and share my work in progress in my stories...along with REALLY cute photos of my dogs! :) Plus, I just started a YouTube channel, and while there are only a few videos right now...I will be adding new content consistently!

INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and enjoy the blog hop!!

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