Add-on Week, Part 5 - Simple Stories Product Challenge

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It's time for the Simple Stories product challenge! We're sharing another round of projects from the challenge today.

If you missed the product challenge for Card Week and Two-page Week, Simple Stories has provided a kit of the same materials for each member of the Sketch Support Creative Team. Together with the October sketches we are going to show you how using the same products and even the same sketches can produce so many different results.

Since it is Add-on Week all of the projects we are posting today are based on Add-on Sketch #10.

Add-on Sketch #10

You can download and print this sketch by clicking on the add-on sketches link found under the "printable sketches" tab on the right sidebar.

"Celebrate" by Suzanna Lee
Supplies used - cardstock: Bazzill Basics; patterned paper, stickers and digital elements: Simple Stories (www.simplestories.typepad.com); twine: The Twinery; embroidery thread: DMC

Variation 1: I only pop dotted one of the three layers.

Variation 2: Circle sizes dictated by the size of the digital elements and circle punches I had.

This a hybrid add-on as I printed digital elements and used my circle punches to create the balloons with some stickers to embellish. When I find the cards that I carefully saved, they will go into the pocket that I created especially for that purpose!

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"Celebrate" by Megan Bickers
Supplies Used - Cardstock: Bazzill (red); Patterned Paper: Simple Stories (Happy Day); Stickers: Simple Stories (Happy Day); Adhesives: Ranger (Inkssentials Glossy Accents), Scrapbook Adhesives (Foam Squares); Tools: We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper-Ticket Stub); Other: Crochet Thread (brown)

Variation #1: Instead of using a group of balloons on my layout, I used a single one-layer balloon sticker. The only dimension I used on the balloon was that it was attached with foam squares.

Variation #2: I was inspired by the layered circles in the sketch and I created a background with some of the smaller circle stickers from the Happy Day sticker sheet. I used one of the Journaling card elements and punched the edge with a ticket stub punch. The circle stickers were layered onto this piece, along with the word celebrate.

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"Happy Birthday" decor by Carolyn Wolff
Supply List - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Simple Stories; Brads: Basic Grey; Basket: SVG Cutting File from SVG Cuts; Shredded Paper and Balloon Sticks: Michaels; Ribbon: May Arts; Floss: DMC; Ink: Ranger.

Well, this was a fun sketch to play with!

Variation #1 – I used different size circles than what was listed on the sketch. My largest balloon uses 4”, 3 ¾“ and 3 ½“ circles. The medium size balloons use 3”, 2 ¾ “ and 2 ½ “ circles. The smallest balloons use 2”, 1 ¾“ and 1 ½ “ circles.

Variation #2 – I used covered floral wire for my balloon sticks. I curled the wire around a pencil and then stuck it in a cube of floral foam inside the basket.

Variation #3 – I added stitching to each of my balloons on the top layer.

Variation #4 – I added a coordinating piece of ribbon to each balloon stick.

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"Happy Birthday to You" gift bag by Christina Hoffman
Supplies - Patterned paper, journaling block and banner: Simple Stories; Emboridery Thread: DMC; Gift Bag: unknown

I didn't make any changes to the sketch. I just added the balloons to a gift bag.

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“Six” by Janette Kincaid
Supplies - Patterned Paper: Simple Stories (Happy Day collection); Cardstock: Bazzill; Ink: Ranger Distress ink (Vintage Photo); Adhesive: Helmar Scrapdots and 450 Quick Dry; Journal Pen/Marker: Zig (Black); Floss: DMC; Circle Cutter: Creative Memories; Other: chipboard letters to trace, gift wrapping ribbon.

I loved the October Card Sketch so much that I decided to make another layout using it as my starting point and added this week’s balloon Add-on Sketch as an embellishment.

Variation 1: I used three sizes of circles and stacked each on top of one another with Scrapdots sandwiched between. I love the red and white poka-dot paper in the kit! It’s one of my favourites and it makes fantastic balloons!

Variation 2: I trimmed the scalloped frame from one of the 4x6 journal block papers in the kit to use as a frame around my photo. You can’t see in the image but I trimmed a section out of the middle of the pre-printed frame and pieced it back together to make it fit around my photo.


Variation 3: I trimmed the number journaling block from one of the 4x6 journal block papers in the kit to use as a background for my title. I love that these journal blocks are so versatile - not just for journaling!

Variation 4: I cut a larger strip out of the diagonal pattern paper and placed it horizontally on my layout as the band across the middle.

Variation 5: I traced some random chipboard letters and cut them out of the patterned paper.

I backed each letter in cardstock to give them a bit more strength and added to the layout with Scrapdots. I cut some gift wrapping ribbon to length and tore it half to make it thinner – the full width was too wide for my little balloons. Once the ribbon was adhered to the page I gathered up the ends of the ribbon and wrapped it around the letter ‘I’.

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"Happy Day!" card by Jill Sarginson
Supplies Used - Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, DCWV; Patterned Paper: Simple Stories; Tools: corner rounder; Ink: Vibrance; Stickers: Simple Stories; Floss: DMC; Adhesive: Pop dots

I used Simple Stories fabulous stickers to use as the main layer of this card.

1. To make the balloons, I simply googled "balloon template" in Google images, selected one I liked, re-sized and printed and then used it as a template to cut the balloons out of cardstock.

2. I pop-dotted the two balloons on top and then stitched the strings on.

3. I used a little star sticker from the stick sheet to use as an anchor for the balloons.

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"Balloons!" by Allison Davis
Supplies - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned paper: Simple Stories; Stickers: Simple Stories; Baker's Twine: The Twinery; Alphabet: American Crafts

Variation #1 - I didn't exactly follow the measurements of the circles on the sketch. I based the size of the balloons on my layout by framing the number "2" for one of the circles. Since it was Jackson's second birthday this was an easy way for me to get that number on the page.

Variation #2 - I only have two layers on my balloons, not three like the sketch suggests.

Variation #3 - I added a little bow tied with baker's twine to the bottom of the balloon strings.

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"Party" by Christy Arthur
Products - Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Simple Stories (Happy Day Make A Wish, It's Your Day, 4x4 Quote and 6x8 Photo Mat, 4x6 Journaling Element 1, Vertical Journal Card Element; 100 Days of Summer Flash Cards); Mist: Studio Calico (Mister Huey Lemonade); Ink: Colorbox (Brown Cats Eye Pigment Ink); Floss: Bazzill In Stitch'z (Red/Orange), Brown Twine

Variation #1: I only layered one punched circle on top of the other, instead of the three layers in the sketch.

Variation #2: I did not add the triangle parts of the balloons at the base of the circles.

Variation #3: My balloon strings do not connect.

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"It's Your Day" by Megan Bickers
Supplies Used - Patterned Paper: Simple Stories (Happy Day); Stickers: Simple Stories (Happy Day); Adhesives: Ranger (Inkssentials Glossy Accents), Scrapbook Adhesives (Foam Squares); Tools: Heidi Swapp (Edge Distresser); Other: Crochet Thread (brown); Autumn Leaves (buttons); Zig Writer (brown).

Variation #1: Instead of layering shapes to create balloons, I just used the balloon stickers that came with the Happy Day line of products. The balloons were attached to the card with foam squares and I added a button to each balloon for texture. The strings of the balloons were drawn with a brown marker, then I added a brown string bow.

Other details: I used a journaling card and distressed the edges. The sentiment and scallop were both stickers that came from the same line of papers. This gift tag was super quick to create!

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"It's Your Day" by Melissa Elsner
Supplies used - Paper, Stickers: Simple Stories; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper; Other: thread


Variation #1: For two of the balloons I only layered the circles twice.

Variation #2: For all of my balloons, I did different dimensions and used the circle punches I have on hand in my stash.

Variation #3: To create the strings as shown in the sketch, I used my paper piercer and kept with the stitching theme.
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