Monday, October 26, 2026

Discover the forest art journal

Hello crafters! It is Monday and I hope you had a nice weekend. Bit rainy and windy here, but perfect weather for crafting.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.


This week we have a Trees theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. I love trees and am looking forward to seeing all the tree projects. Don't miss the last project by our October guest designer Fiona Whitehead.

Layers of ink - Discover the forest art journal page by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

The forest is one of my favorite places and I made an art journal page dedicated to forests in my Ledger Journal. I built a scene with patterned paper, ephemera, stencils, stamps and die cuts and had fun using some very pretty paper products by 40 and Market. 

Ink leaves with Distress Ink.


Mist Distress Spritz through Tim Holtz Bubbles stencil.

Mist Uncharted Mariner Distress Spritz through Tim Holtz Bubble stencil.

Die cut Simon Says Stamp Little Evergreen Trees.


Simon Says Stamp Pocket full of mushrooms.

Die cut Simon Says Stamp Pocket Full of Mushrooms. I ended up only using the brown one.

Stamp birds.

Birds stamped with Tim Holtz Mini Ornates.

Add 49 and Market Campfire Memories elements.


Die cut Tim Holtz Script Words.



Sentiment stamped with Tim Holtz Life Quotes.

Use 49 ad Market Campfire Memories 6x8 in paper.

More die cut sentiments. Isn't the Campfire Memories background paper pretty? 


Glue the Evergreen Trees and add a little mummy cloth. Glue more ephemera. These berries are one of my favorite berries.


A little squirrel and more ephemera. 


Glue two pine trees from Campfire Memories


And the third die cut sentiment.

Stamp with Tim Holtz Tiny Text.

I also stamped some sentiments from Tim Holtz Tiny Text. The alphabet stamp is from Tim's School Desk set.

Layers of ink - Discover the forest art journal page by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Add a photo or two and you have a scrapbooking layout. Or turn it into a card by creating a smaller design.


Join us this week in our Trees challenge! You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.



Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.





Thank you so much for visiting today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.


Sunday, October 25, 2026

Night Butterfly Notebook

Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I have a notebook / sketchbook to share, in a narrow format. 

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Layers of ink - Night Butterfly Notebook by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

The notebook was inspired by a sheet of paper from Tim Holtz Palette Halloween 8x8 papers, with moths, or night butterflies. I embellished with stamped moths, words and bits and pieces. I really like to make my own notebooks and they make great gifts too. 


I had a piece of watercolored paper which matched the background paper well. Stamp the moths with Tim Holtz Tiny Things and Specimen.

Make cover with Tim Holtz Halloween Palette paper.

Fold the paper in two and cut papers for the inside. I used a thin dotted paper, perfect for a notebook. Pierce holes and stitch with embroidery floss. Cut around the edges with a craft knife. 

Stitch the pages.

Tie the stitching in the center of the book.


This sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp Beautiful and Curious and was stamped on a piece of 49 and Market Faded Memories ephemera. The tags are from 49 and Market 49 and Market The Quiet Observer Laser Cut Elements.

Add Clippings Stickers.

I added two Clippings Stickers to the large moth, and a trail of Simon Says Stamp Misty Mountain sequins.


I also added a pencil and word strip from 49 and Market The Quiet Observer Laser Cut Elements and a stamped Simon Says Stamp Be Your Beautiful Self sentiment. There is a piece of mummy cloth under the sentiments.


You can embellish the back cover too, but I left it plain.

Layers of ink - Night Butterfly Notebook by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Use a different paper for the cover to create notebooks with varying themes.
 



Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.


Collector of Curiosities Shaker Tag

Hi friends! Today I am happy to have a tutorial on the Simon Says Stamp Store blog. I made a tag filled with sequins and glitter. You can peak all kinds of spooky faces, images and text in the background. 

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Here is a peek: 

Layers of ink - Collector of Curiosities Shaker Tag tutorial by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

The project can be done for other themes too of course, although the hint of the background works really well for a mysterious Halloween project. Shakers are fun to make, and a dry embossed acetate front makes them even more interesting as it adds texture. 

To see the full project and step-by-step tutorial, you have to head over to the Simon Says Stamp Store blog. 




Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin



Saturday, October 24, 2026

Ledger Journal Page

Hello friends! Today I have an art journaling / scrapbooking page to share, made in Dina Wakley's Ledger Journal.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Layers of ink - Vintage Layout Ledger Journal by Anna-Karin Evaldsson.

There is something about the Ledger Journal that makes me want to use photos for the pages. I think it is because I loved to use ledger paper when I did lots of scrapbooking and because ledger papers remind me of my grandfather's and great grandfather's country-side store. Here I used a childhood photo of my Mom. 

Ink with Simon Says Stamp Bubbles.

Ink Victorian Velvet through Simon Says Stamp Bubbles stencil. I used to use Victorian Velvet a lot in the past, but not so much lately. I don't even know why. I really do like it.

Stamp with Simon Says Stamp Pepita background.

Stamp Simon Says Stamp Pepita Background with Weathered Wood Distress Ink. I almost never stamp with Distress Ink in this way, without misting with water first, but wanted that splotchy and textured look for this background. The Pepita Background is one of my stamp designs and it was actually inspired by my maternal grandmother, who liked this pattern on clothes.

Mist with Distress Spritz.

Mist through Tim Holtz Flourish stencil with Distress Spritz Saltwater Taffy.

Add 49 and Market ephemera.

The page was embellished with elements from 49 and Market Faded Memory Lane Ephemera and Wildflower Laser Cuts, as well as some elements from Travel Diaries.

Stamp with Tim Holtz stamps.

I stamped the tag with a sentiment from Tim Holtz Warehouse District and Faded Burlap Archival Ink. 'Photograph' comes from that same stamp set. 'Mom' is from Simon Says Stamp Sunflower Meadow.

Add Simon Says Stamp Drawn Hearts.

The small hearts were die cut from Simon Says Stamp Luxe Glitter Cardstock using the Drawn Hearts die.


This sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp Wild & Free Flowers. 


I really like these large floral laser cuts. The sentiment comes from Tim Holtz Tiny Text.


I inked the edges of some of the ephemera pieces and sanded some. The envelope was folded and inked.


The cameras come from 49 and Market Travel Diaries. My grandfather liked photography and also developed his own photos in his dark room.

49 and Market Wildflower paper cuts.

This page was partly inspired by this large faded flower, since I wanted to use it on something and it is pretty large. The sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp Sunflower Meadow.


There is more ephemera and stamped sentiments here and there.


I also really like photo strips. Lots of old favorite elements on this page.




Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.