Ingenious Inkling

Unexpected Holiday Colors

The challenge at the Hero Arts blog this week is to make a holiday card using one of their unexpected color combinations.  Wow, did I find this one challenging.  I discarded multiple cards before finally deciding to keeping this one.  The grass green was the color that kept throwing me.  I probably got a bit too ambitious by trying to combine the colors with Laura's Sketch #38 from 2 Sketches 4 You Sketch, but hey ... I love a challenge.

The silver paper was embossed with the QuicKutz Snowflake embossing folder.  Stamps include Her Arts Holly Flourish Border, Holly Flourish Background, and Clear Design: Holiday Sayings.  The snowflake punch is a new Martha Stewart punch with a gemstone center.
 

I'm Dreaming of a Plum Christmas

The Plum Crazy! challenge at the Moxie Fab World Blog was to create a project that 'captures the essence of plum in its design.'  With hazel eyes and fair skin, plum has always been a favorite color of mine for make-up and clothing, so I'm thrilled to see its one of the "in" colors for the year.  I love creating plum paper crafts as well.  I decided to embrace some plum snowflakes for my design.

The Hero Arts Stunning Snowflakes backgrounder was stamped in Versamark Dazzle ink on white cardstock and clear embossed.  Next, I used a sponge to add Wisteria and Warm Violet ColorBox Chalk ink to the background.  The final step was sprays of Graphite and Pearl Glimmer Mist for an all over sparkle. 

The Clear Design Holiday Sayings sentiment was created using the same technique.  I think the thin white mat helps bring out the contrast of the white embossing.  I finished with some plum sheer ribbon from Close To My Heart.

This card also works for the Simple Holiday Card challenge at the Hero Arts blog, since it would be easy to stamp four backgrounds on one sheet of cardstock, and sponge and spray it all at once for quick assembly.

Lots of Everything Wonderful

This morning I wanted to make a very special birthday card for one of my oldest and dearest friends ... I hate using the word 'oldest', because of course we are far from old ... but she has been my friend for 24 years, so that's a very long time. 

For a good part of those 24 years we've lived on separate continents, but when we do have those rare opportunities to see each other face-to-face, it's like no time at all has passed.  I love friends like that.

I decided to start with Dawn's Raspberry Suite color challenge and see what I could put together.  I used lots of different Hero Arts stamps (list below) and an aged book page for my ivory paper.

I finished with several Martha Stewart punches, some hand-drawn frames, and Tarnished Brass Distress stickles for my butterfly.

Stamps (all Hero Arts):

• Antique Brocade
• Friend Definition
• Designer Woodgrain
• Wavy Leaf Pattern
• Lots of Everything
• Flourish Trio
• Outline Bold Flourish

 

Blue Outpost

This week's challenge at the Order of the Opus Gluei is Blue Blue Blue ... I decided to see how my new Outpost images from Artistic Outpost would look in shades of blue with Get Sketchy's Sketch #9.

The top background is repeatedly stamped with text from the set.  The tree and sentiment are stamped on Memory Box DP.  I finished with a torn piece of Core'dinations Vintage cardstockand faux brads made with punched Core'dinations paper and Glossy Accents.  
 

Snowman Chill

Every time I create with the Hero Arts Create Your Own Snowman, I feel like a child playing with paper dolls.  I have so much fun dressing up my snowman and using the different faces. 

When I saw Dawn's Color Challenge this week, for some reason it reminded me of winter, I pulled out my snowman to see what I could create.

The background panels are stamped with Versamark Frost Dazzle ink and clear embossed using Stunning Snowflakes (on the Aqua) and Grand Snowflake and Traditional Snowflake (on the Red)

 
I dressed my snowman in aqua and red by paper piecing my hat.  I finished with the Chill Sentiment from the Snowman set with an adhesive red gem.  The great sketch is from CPS. 

Autumn Brocade Thank You

This week's challenges at the Hero Arts blogs are to use a variety of Autumn color palettes.  This card features Tuesday's palette of Rust, Light Kraft, Teal, and Milk Chocolate.  I also combined it with Laura's Sketch #34 from 2 Sketches 4 You.

 

The background is stamped in tone-on-tone with the Postage Background.  I used the new Antique Brocade cling stamp for my circle and finished with a sentiment from Thoughtful Messages.  The final accents were a Martha Stewart punched butterfly with light kraft pearls and my new EK Success Morocco Lace border punch.  I love how the designs in the border punch coordinate with the brocade design.

I was thrilled today to get a Shout Out on the Moxie Fab World Blog for my Clean & Graphic Christmas Card design.  Check out the post for lots of inspirational holiday designs.

Playful Birthday

The neutral color palette for Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #16 was perfect for a masculine birthday card for the Hero Arts Man Week challenge.

I needed a birthday card for a friend's son who is very near and dear to my heart.  I thought the Hero Arts Playful Animals set would be the perfect place to start.

I stamped the elephant on the kraft card base (for the tail) and then again on gold card stock.  I trimmed around the ear and curled out the end of the truck for dimension.  While searching through my Hero Arts stamps, I realized that the Flourish from the Thank You Flourishes set reminded me of a spray of water coming from the elephant's trunk.  I added tiny gold adhesive bling to the open circles in the stamped design for a bit of sparkle.

 

The sentiment from A Little Note was stamped in Chocolate on Ivory and matted on a gold scalloped circle.  I think it looks like a ball balancing on the water.  I used a light blue copic marker to help ground the elephant in the design.

When I showed the card to my husband, he suggested making a palm tree to fill out the open space on the right side of the card.  I stamped the Wood Finish in Chocolate on Kraft and hand-cut the trunk.  I sponged around the edges for a bit more dimension.  The leaves are punched ovals that were hand trimmed. 

I love how it turned out ... a playful birthday card for a great little guy.

Asian Framed Thank You

While watching Mad Men on DVR (love that show), I made this quick card combining the Hero Arts blog challenge to make a card with a colored image with Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #15 and Laura's Sketch 33 from 2 Sketches 4 You.

The stamps are all Hero Arts - DesignBlock Flourish (stamped in Versamark on Spring Moss cardstock), Asian Frames & Thank You Messages.

 

I colored my stamp with Prismacolor pencils and added a few adhesive gems to finish the design.

Invent a New One

This color challenge was certainly a challenge for me.  I am always amazed at the way Dawn is able to balance the colors in her creations. 

I love the combination of button colors in the muffin tin, however when I try to combine those exact same colors in my card, I struggle not to end up with a muddy mix.  I think I was successful this time. 

 

The Raspberry Fizz background background is stamped twice with the Hero Arts DesignBlock Flourish.  The main image is Spring Dance from Ducks in a Row, accented with Purple flowers from a $1 set called Beautiful by We R Memory Keepers.  The sentiment is a favorite by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.  I colored clear adhesive gems with markers to get the colors I needed.

Butterfly Garden

I thought Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge would be perfect to try out my gorgeous new Magenta Butterfly Garden stamp. 

I thought the design of the stamp also coordinated with the overall design of the inspiration soap from Anthropologie.  The image was stamped in red and then highlighted with moss, red, and berry colored pencils. 

 

All it took to finish the card were a few punches, a little bling, and a tiny sentiment from Hero Arts.