Ingenious Inkling

Leaf Me Alone

The current challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Leaf Me Alone - creating projects with Leaves.

 

 

I started with Hero Arts Autumn Leaves die cut from Gel Printed Tags.  I also stamped Hero Arts Bare Branched Tree in white pigment ink, clear embossed, and blended lots of autumn ink colors for the card background.

 

 

I finished with some gems, wraps of gold cord, and a sentiment from Hero Arts Birthday Messages.

 

 

With my Leaf Dies, I'm joining the Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Die-Lightful Challenge.

 

 

I also took my leafy inspiration from Just Us Girls.  And I'm linking-up at the Emboss It challenge at Simon Says Stamp & the Make My Monday Autumn Flora and Fauna.

Rainbow Birthday

The theme at the Cut It Up! Challenge is Rainbow. 

 

 

It was the perfect opportunity to break out one of my rainbow Gel Press prints that I made with Dylusions Shimmer Paints and pair it with a bold Die-Versions Happy Birthday Die Cut and some enamel Dots.

Oranges of Autumn

This card started with the Make the Cards Washi Tape Challenge.  I chose oranges and golden yellows because those are my favorite colors of autumn.  Icovered a scrap of paper at an angle for my background.

 

 

Next I die cut My Favorite Things Falling Leaves Die-namics from an Orange Gel Press print that I made using a straw.

 

 

I positioned the die cut leaves on top of the new 49th and Market orange filmstrips (love these in all of the colors).

 

 

I paired it with a friendship die cut & stamp from My Favorite Things for the Just Add Ink: Just Choose Two Challenge (Friend & Foliage).  I finished with a few black gems.

 

 

I'm also joining the Autumn Pick Three Color Challenge at My Time to Craft (Orange, Yellow & Black).

 

Healing Thoughts

My card started with wanting to use a a cut-out silhouette as the focal image for my design for the TGIF Cut It Out! Challenge.

 

 

I decided to take inspiration from the Double D Things that Fall Challenge and make that silhouette a leaf.

 

 

I used one of the leaves from Hero Arts Autumn Leaves and die cut it from a piece of paper from Carta Bella Autumn Collection.

 

 

I used the layout from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge replacing the circle with an Acorn from the Hero Arts Autumn Leaves set.  I used more papers from the Carta Bella Autumn Collection together with some enamel dots and a sentiment from Hero Arts Florals Lavender Bunch.

 

 

I'm also linking up at the Hero Arts Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero DIE-lightful Challenge.

 

September Gel Printing

Another Gel Press summary to end the week.

I used a fun color combination of A Bit of Fish, Butter and Spanish Mulberry PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paints and T is for Thread at the Instagram #abcprintingchallenge.  I learned about these paints in a Seth Apter class at Creativation and I love them.

 

 

The print on the right is actually the first one where I press paper onto the Gel Plate to pick up the paint around my thick thread and the print on the right is the second pull (love that this paint stays wet enough to get two prints).

Next-up was U is for Upcycled.  I had late nights at work this week, so I didn't get that creative, but I still loved the effect of using Upcycled tiny bubble wrap that I had in my gift closet ... I love how you can still see the thread pattern in the left print.

 

 

I had to turn these two prints into a clean & simple card using this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

 

 

I chose my wood-mounted Hampton Art Stamps Friendship sentiment from the Diffusion by Diana Kovacs collection inspired by the Less is More World Cardmaking Day Friendship theme.

 

 

V is for Violet ... I am a huge purple fan and it's my sister's favorite color, so I love using it in my art.  I kept using the tiny bubble wrap and added in some stencil texture too.  I combined Fresco Paints with Dylusions Crushed Grape Shimmer Paint.

 

 

 

W is for Washi Tape.  I used some clear double-sided shelf liner on the back of a piece of heavy vellum paper and printed on the vellum (I had previously used Deli Paper, but of course couldn't find it ... turns out I like the Vellum better).

 

 

I love all of those wonderful layers.  I cut it into Washi Tape strips and then went in with Posca Paint Pens to add some dots.  I love using it on envelopes to add a little art on the outside.

 

 

X is for *X" Design.  I found this X & O foam stamp in my stash and used it repeatedly with Dylusions Crushed Grape and Squeezed Orange Shimmer paints.

 

 

Sort of sad that the Alphabet is drawing to a close, but  thrilled I have lots of new prints in my stash.

Children are Nestled All Snug in their Beds

The newest prompt at Jingle Belles is a Sketch.

 

 

I started with inspiration from the Inkspirational Photo Challenge.

 

 

I started with a Kraft Card Base.  I didn't have any lace, so I used some Dry Wall Tape over some texty paper to bring in the text elements from the photo.  I added wraps of kraft twine along the panel.

 

 

For the focal point, I die cut a vintage image from a post card.  I paired it with a sentiment that I thought was funny given the child in this picture clearly isn't nestled.   I finished with red gems that coordinate with St. Nicholas.

I'm also  linking up at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Kraft Challenge.

 

Thursday Link Love

Another week of skipping through blogland:

• How to Live with Less
• Mini Apple Crumble Pies ... or Easy Apple Pie Bars (love how the filling cooks down to look like Apple Butter)
• Craft Room Storage Ideas (one shown)
• Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
• DIY Map Chair
• Gob Cake is an easier way to get the taste of Whoopie Pies
• A guide to pasta shapes & sauces
• Have you tried Dry Brushing?
• Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
• Packable Daypacks
• The Best Ways to Take Notes
• Three Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins (I think Spice Cake Mix would be good too)
• 10 Cozy Detective Series
• Hamburger Soup with Cabbage

Have a tremendous Thursday!

bestie

The September Card Challenge at Pinkfresh Studio is Stripes & Gradients.

 

 

I used ink squares of four of the five colors to create my striped gradient background.  Then I used the fifth color (Passion Fruit) to ink my Pinkfresh Studio Gazebo die cut and my Pinkfresh Studio Phrase Builder - Hello bestie die cut background.  I also used it for my card base to tie it all together.

 

 

I used the Pinkfresh Studio Dotted Scallop Cover Plate on my background and then die cut the Pinkfresh Studio Curvy Leaves from white cardstock and wove them through the gazebo.  I finished with some Pinkfresh Studio Clear Iridescent Gems.

Happy Harvest

The current challenge at The Paper Players is to create a clean & simple card featuring a scarecrow and/or leaves.

I had one piece of Mica Stain Sprayed paper left, so I paired it with some wooden leaves for my card.

 

 

I added a few wraps of neutral twine and a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Harvest Mini Strips to finish my design.

 

 

 

I'm also joining the Autumn Challenge at Crafting Happiness.

Gel Printed Cards

This weekend's #abcprinting challenge included R is for Rainbow.  I used Dylusions Shimmer Paints to print the rainbow.

 

 

I paired it with the Spellbinders Kaleidoscope Die Cut in Black and white (for a drop shadow).

 

 

 

Stamped Sentiments are Unity Stamp Company Say It Big.

Next up is S is for Stencil (handmade).  I used this cool Bird Stencil that was handmade and gifted to me by my friend Bev. 

 

 

I stenciled in Blue and then went back in with Green (that didn't show through as much as I'd hoped).

 

 

I went back in with a Q-tip and paint on the bird to make it a bit more solid for my card.  I paired it with a vintage wood-mounted stamp (which clearly wasn't mounted straight at the end of the phrase).