Ingenious Inkling

Owl {enjoy today}

This week's SCS Inspiration Challenge comes from Greenheart, Chicago’s premier eco-fair trade non-profit shop, carrying eco fair trade products made by artisans from around the world.  

My card is inspired by this fun little Crazy Owl Wool Birdhouse.  It reminded me of my Stampin' Up Owl Punch, and I loved the vibrant colors.

I went with cardstock in the colors of this week's ColourQ Challenge and used this week's Retro Sketch.

A simple sentiment from CatsLife Press completed the design.  In retrospect, white eyeballs probably would have popped a bit more, but I still love his goofy look.

Peace on Earth

One of my favorite themes for holiday cards is Peace ... in the middle of the hustle & bustle of the holidays, I am always trying to focus and find Peace.  So, our prompt theme at Jingle Belles this week is Peace ... incorporate a Peace Symbol or the word Peace into your design ... or create a card that evokes Peace for you (snow, forest, etc.).

When I saw this "Christmas Peace Sign" t-shirt, I saved it for future inspiration.  I wanted to see if I could create a similar design with stamps & ink.

I started with good white cardstock and four colors of Distress Inks (two blue - two purple).  Next I rounded-up small snowflakes from Hero Arts Holiday Cheer & Snowflakes.

I used a pencil & roll of tape (as my pattern for the shape) and drew a very light circle.  Next, I started with the larger snowflakes positioning them around the circle & then added the smaller snowflakes to fill in space.  I primarily used the small snowflakes to create the peace sign in the middle.

I finished with a {peace on earth} sentiment from CatsLife Press.

It's also an Anything Goes theme at the Simon Says Stamp blog this week trying to reach 1,000 entries.

I hope you find peace this week ... and have fun creating a peaceful holiday card.

InLinkz.com

Love's LABOR DAY Lost

Since this weekend will be Labor Day in the United States, we've decided to celebrate at Jingle Belles by giving you a bit of a head start with this week's card.

We're asking you to CASE (Copy And Selectively Edit) any other Jingle Belles card ... by which we mean any of our cards OR any of your fellow Belles' cards made for any prompt since our inception in January is fair game ... you might even want to CASE a card that you made! Be sure to tell us what card inspired you--and who made it--in your post, so we can all admire *both* versions!

I loved Kathe D's card that was a Shout Out for JB28 - our Leftovers Challenge.

I changed-up the papers to use my own leftover Basic Grey Fruitcake Paper scraps. Rather than use the negative of the die cut as a frame, I attached my scraps to cardstock & cut out the shape with the Stampin' Up Top Note Die Cut. I also swapped the ornament for a CatsLife Press Sentiment & added a bit of pom pom fringe.

I sponged on distress ink to help tie it all together.  What a great way to use up those leftovers.

We hope you'll have fun finding inspiration from your fellow Belles this week.

Best Day Ever

This week's SCS Inspiration Challenge comes from the fabulous designs of Maggie Austin Cakes.  I chose this amazing Gradient Frill Cake to inspire my card.

I was inspired by the gradient color palette and how the frosting almost looks like fabric (or in my case Stampin' Up Crocheted flowers).  I used Fall To Layout #148 from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog.

The Hero Arts Magical Background was stamped in Worn Lipstick Distress Ink on Pink Cardstock.  The sentiment is Catslife Press stamped in Maroon Chalk Ink.

Making a card inspired by cake has so many fewer calories ... hope you find inspiration.

Lonely this Christmas

The theme this week at Jingle Belles is Lonely this Christmas ... we're combating holiday loneliness with the fine ladies at the Order of the Opus Glueii.

Instead of just making a card this week, we're asking you to make a holiday card for Jingle Belles and a project inspired by the card ... it can be a tag, gift card holder or gift bag ... whatever you'll be glad you have done when the holidays roll around ... for the Order of the Opus Glueii challenge (get it ... so the card isn't lonely??) 

Here's my card using this week's Sketchbook Saturday layout and some great vintage Tim Holtz holiday papers I discovered in my stash this week (sort of like my own little Christmas in June).

The sentiment from CatsLife Press is stamped on the packaging backing chipboard from some stickers.  The ivory border is cut from a paper sample book that the marketing team at work saves for me (rather than recycling them when they're out of date).  I added several ivory buttons with red twine as embellishments.

My gift bag is made from the same Tom Holtz Collection using the 2-5-7-10 Bag Tutorial from SplitCoast Stampers.  I added a chipboard image from Crafty Secrets.

I used papers from the same collection to make a tag.  The snowman is Inkadinkado & sentiment is Paper Source.  I added snowflakes in brown from Verve's Winter Wonders.

Here's my entire set together ... certainly not Lonely this Christmas.

We will draw a random prize from the pool of participants in both prompts.

The prize includes Holly Jolly Acrylic Stamps from My Mind's Eye, Susan Winget Glad Tidings Grand Adhesions Dimensional Stickers from K&Company, and a Vintage Postcard Kit from Crafty Secrets.

Once Upon a Springtime Fairies

Saturday, I ventured to Iowa City for my first Farmers' Market of the season ... I love wandering through the booths and exploring.  I came home with all sorts of goodies including fresh guacamole, dill cheese curds, bacon wrapped dates, tomatoes, and a beautiful potted begonia.  

I also stopped at Memories on Fifth for a little shopping and found a 12" sheet of framed fairies that was perfect for using up the rest of the papers from my Graphic45 Once Upon a Springtime Collection ... it's also perfect for the Stamp Something Challenge to use Pretty Papers.  

I punched out the fairy from her frame and attached her with foam tape for dimension.  The sentiment is from CatsLife Press.

The next one has another Catslife Press sentiment that I thought was perfect.  I added a bit of sponging to bring out the layers.

The final one uses the Sunshine & Joy sentiment from Impression Obsession & some wired peach ribbon, which works for the Ribbons & Bows Challenge at the Corrosive Challenge Blog.

I just love the color combinations in this collection.  And here's a little bit of spring from my garden ... my hydrangeas are just beginning to bloom.

Happy Monday.

UPCycle Butterflies

When I saw this week's CPS Sketch, I knew it was the perfect layout for the three remaining Jenni Bowlin butterflies that were on my studio table.

I combined them with Cosmo Cricket UPCycle polka dots, Core'dinations cardstock, a tiny sentiment from CatsLife Press, and a gorgeous Zva Creative Pearl Flourish.

The card was inspired by this wonderful Patchwork Tote from Think Fast Designs, this week's Etsy Inspired Challenge.

This will likely be one of the Mother's Day cards I send out this year ... I love sending lots of cards to the many wonderful mothers in my life.  Are there mothers in your life who would love to receive a card from you reminding them how special they are?

Doily Gift Set

I knew I wanted to create with dolies this weekend, and when I saw this weeks Card Patterns sketch, I knew it was the perfect layout ... so perfect, that I ended up making an entire set for the Card Set Challenge at the Moxie  Fab World blog.

I started with some new UPcycle papers from Cosmo Cricket, a Jenni Bowlin Butterfly and tiny sentiment from Hero arts.  The doily was sprayed with Jingle Bells Glimmer Mist, which has a wonderful sparkley light yellow sheen.  I used a Martha Stewart doily punch for the borders and Stampin' Up's Going Gray Ribbon.  This card is perfect for the Simon Says Stamp challenge to celebrate with Easter Colors.

For the next one I used more UPcycle papers and another Jingle Bells sprayed doily.  I finished with a wrap of sheer golden ribbon and a sentiment from CatsLIfe Press.  This one is perfect for The Shabby Tea Room's Spring Color Challenge.

For this one I stamped directy on the sprayed doily with a Friends Stamp from Penny Black and sentiment stamp from Hero Arts Anytime Messages, which I thought worked great with the fun purse background paper from the UPCycle collection.  I finished with a Zva Creative pearl flourish and a wrap of Going Grey ribbon.  This card is for the City Crafter Cheer Up! challenge ... because nothing cheers me up like hanging out with my best girlfriends.

For the final two, I used papers from the new Madeline Collection from Prima. The stamp from Hero Arts Asian Frames was stamped first on white cardstock and then again on a scrap of blue DP to paper piece hte flowers.  I added pearl accents to the flower centers and a wrap of sheer white ribbon to finish.

For the last one, I cut the center element from a piece of the Madeline paper.  The doily was sprayed with Frost Glimmer Mist & I added a wrap of light blue ribbon.  It was inspired by this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge.

By repeating the doily element and layout in my designs, it pulls the entire set together.

Ruby Heirloom Chandelier

This week's SCS Inspiration Challenge comes from the fabulous room & nursery designs of Serena & Lily.  Serena Dugan, a textile designer and artist, met Lily Kanter, a corporate refugee turned baby boutique owner, and together they turned the world of nursery design on its side.  I chose the fabulous Ruby Collection to inspire my design.  

According to Serena & Lily ~ Ruby Sparkles.  She speaks French, digs Bollywood films, and collects old silver brooches.  No doubt she's cool, but it's Ruby's enthusiasm for her discoveries that win people over ... how could you not be inspired by that??

I loved the combination of pink and yellow, together with the bow and that fabulous chandelier, so those are the elements I incorporated into my design.

I started by embossing my chandelier on white cardstock & then adorning it with clear adhesive gems.  I finished with a wrap of my favorite May Arts ribbon and sentiment from CatsLife Press.

I hope you find inspiration.

 

Magical Super Grover

I am once again Guest Designing with the fabulous group at the Corrosive Challenge Blog (they're looking for a new Design Team if you want to check it out).  The theme for this week's Challenge is Magical Creatures.

I went through my stash looking for fairies, dragons or gnomes ... but instead went with one of my favorite magical creatures from my childhood ... Super Grover Saves the Day by Stampabilities.

 
I stamped Grover with Indian ink and clear embossed (which always helps me stay inside the lines when I color).  I colored him using Prismacolor pencils blended with Odorless Paint Thinner.  I used white pencil to help add some highlights to the image.  Sentiment is from CatsLife Press and is highlighted with some blue adhesive gems.