Ingenious Inkling

Dashing Through the Snow

For our next prompt at Jingle Belles we're asking you to create projects that celebrate the white fluffy flakes of snow … it might be snowmen, snowflakes or just snowfall, but include some snow on your cards.

 

I used my new Mini Swirly Snowflake Stamps and my MISTI to create a snowy background.

 

 

I found a left-over die cut background on my studio table, so I used it for this week's Sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges by adding some Snowflakes punched from glitter paper and topped with Eyelet Outlet Bling.

 

 

 

 

I finished with a tiny Peace on Earth sentiment.

Steampunk Heart Strong

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is Steampunk, so I pulled out my Steampunk Stickers from {a vintage girl} & her daughter for some cards ... remember my code SMILYNSTEF gets you 15% off your order.

 

 

I just love the floral elements in these designs, so I used those colors for my card base.

 

I added a tiny epoxy heart and some enamel dots before finishing with a stamped sentiment from Simon Says Stamp You Got This.  This stamp set is at least 2 years old, so I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at Retro Rubber.

 

 

I used even more of these lovely Steampunk stickers on my second card with another perfect stamped sentiment from the same You Got This stamp set.

 

That butterfly is just so cool.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of skipping through blogland:

• 10 Introvert Super Powers
• I do love a Soft Pumpkin Cookie
• Meditative Face Sculptures
• Honest Video Call Backgrounds
• have you ever made a Breakfast Board
• Rainbow Friendship Bracelet Tutorial (shown)
• Pretzel Beer Cheese Skillet 
• Free RBG Postcard Download 
• how cute is this Halloween Candy Bark
• how to draw a Maple Leaf
• I'm ready for some Baked Cinnamon Apples

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Raspberry Butterfly Ephemera Collage

I had fun shopping at The Ink Pad during their 22nd Anniversary Sale, so I got one of the Ephemera Envelopes they were giving away with purchases to celebrate.

I started with a Gel Press Print from my stash that I had splattered with Dina Wakley White Gloss Media (perfectly opaque even on my painted, inky dark background) and the gorgeous raspberry butterfly from my Ephemera envelope ... and then I built my collage around those using items from my envelope and from my own ephemera drawer. 

I like to just create my collages with my own "glue and go" method ... building up my layers without a lot of thought ... just letting the process happen organically.

 

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I finished with three sticker sentiments ... creating like this is such a relaxing process for me.

Fall Friendship Blooms

The September Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is Fall is Almost Here.  You can just start to smell Fall on those cooler mornings and soon the leaves will be turning.

 

 

I decided to combine my card with A Blog Named Hero Challenge to make a Clean & Simple design using the Hero Arts / Gina K. Designs Collaboration Set Friendship Blooms.

 

I stamped the blooms in Pinecone Versafine Clair Ink on Golden Cardstock ... I went with a tall & skinny layout, so I could include all of this big beautiful stamp.  I stamped it a second time on rust cardstock and detail cut several of the blooms.

I finished with sage marker highlights on the leaves and some green metallic ink on the little berries for a tiny bit of shimmer.

 

Fusion Funky Cactuses

When I saw the new Fusion Card Challenge, I thought it would be fun to play with the sketch and some Funky Cactuses Stickers from A Vintage Girl & her Daughter ... remember if you use my discount code SMILYNSTEF in the store, you'll get 15% off your order.

 

I started with the Mariachi Cactus and paired him with a sentiment from Fiesta Quotes.  I used scraps of cardstock for the sketch to coordinate with my Cactus Sticker.

 

It really makes me want a taco. 

While I had the paper out, I went ahead and made a second one with the Wrestler Funky Cactus, which reminded me of my brother and how much he loved watching Wrestling when he was a kid.

 

I love those red & gold flames.  I paired it with another sentiment from Fiesta Quotes. 

Here's the entire Funky Cactuses sticker sheet ... so many possibilities.

 

 

Baby It's Gold Outside

We're still creating with GOLD (or other metals) at Jingle Belles this week.

I started with some foiled snowflakes from the Foil-a-palooza Lauren and I had in 2018.

 

 

I stamped, gold embossed & die cut a new Stampers Anonymous Swirly Snowflake that coordinated with the background perfectly.   

 

 

Then I topped it with the Big Snowflake Bling from Eyelet Outlet.

 

 

Using the Sketch Saturday Layout, I added some puffy gold leaves behind my sentiment and finished with some glittery enamel dots.

Breathe Leaves

Do you have a favorite kind of tree?  For me it will always be the hard maple tree. We had a very large one in our big backyard growing-up and I have so many wonderful memories of that tree ... climbing, swinging, hiding. 

It probably doesn't hurt that I grew-up in a town who's big event was The Maple Leaf Festival.  I just love all the variety of colors as the temperatures grew cooler ... the tree on the corner that always turned red early ... the later oranges and yellow ... just seeing those colors makes me happy.

 

 

So for the Autumn Colors Challenge at Impression Obsession I stamped those beautiful layering Maple Leaves from Dina Kowal's lovely Maple Set.

 

 

For my sentiment, I used this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! and stamped Breathe from Kalani Allred's Kind Words on pearlescent vellum and attached it over my falling leaves.

 

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland discoveries:

• a how to for removing scratches from Aluminum
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Kittie is the queen of shaping paper flowers
• Fluffy Chocolate Pancakes
• Cheeky Animal Photos (one shown, click through to see them all)
• love this light-filled Tiny Home
• Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
• the Art of Photographing your Art
• super-fun Recycled Lego Jewelry
• Pumpkin Spice Biscuit Donuts

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Mushroom Miss You

I got this new Buzzworthy Collection Stamp Set from Fun Stampers Journey in the mail today & had to ink it up .... it was perfect for this week's Freshly Made Sketch.  I just love the blockprint style.

 

 

I used Turquoise & Navy for the new Color Hues Challenge and Die Cut my sentiment with Hexagon Stacklets Dies.

 

 

I finished with a sprinkling of Navy Gems from Eyelet Outlet.