Ingenious Inkling

Masculine Merry Christmas

We're celebrating a Masculine Merry Christmas at Jingle Belles - making cards for the men & boys on our Christmas card list.

Some of the men on my Christmas Card list really love winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, so I thought this card and sentiment would be perfect for them. 

 

 

I used the Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Stitched Snowflake Backdrop for the background, added a frame from Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Say Cheese and finished with Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Stitched Snowflakes in two shades of blue glitter cardstock before finishing with my holiday sentiment.

 

 

With my blue holiday card, I'm also joining the Double D Challenge where the theme is Monochromatic.

 

 

And I'm joining the Dies Only Challenge at the Lawn Fawnatics Challenge.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland discoveries:

• Can you ever go wrong with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (shown)?
• DIY Wood Ring Trellis
• Salty Sweet Cereal Bars
• the importance of Creating Space
• Sugared Prosecco Grapes
• Three Layer S'mores Cake
• transferring Photos to Wood
• Quick Pickled Onions
• easy Cream Cheese Pastries
• How to Strip and Bleach Wood Furniture
• Raspberry Crumble Cookies
• love her beautiful Wedding Dress
• I'd love a big bowl of Tom Kha Gai
• Rhubarb Cookies

Have a tremendous Thursday!

More May Gel Printing

I'm continuing my way through the #birgitkoopsengelprintingchallenge in May.

 

 

I had fun trying an Egg Carton.  The paint was really wet, so my Egg Carton slid slightly when I set it on the plate, so I just went with it and let it keep sliding around.

 

 

During my weekend away, I didn't have a comb ... so what's an artsy girl to do ... make my own comb out of a piece from a 12 pack of Squirt Zero (which you can buy in Wisconsin even though it is often absent in Iowa).

 

 

Next up is Punchinella ... I decided to us one of my Paper Artsy Chalk Acrylic Paint prints from the weekend.

 

 

And as usually happens, I love the clean-up print more than my first print.

 

 

And last night I printed with an almost-used-up Scrubby Soap Sponge (that I love for removing paint from my hands).

 

 

I am really having fun with the tools theme of this year's challenges.

Beautiful Bugs

The Global Design Project Challenge is all about Beautiful Bugs.

I don't usually call a Butterfly a Bug, but since it's included in their graphic and many of the design team cards, I'm going for it.

I love the drop-shadow technique with full cover die cuts.  This one is Simon Says Stamp Floral Card Front.

 

 

I added a few clusters of coordinating matte enamel dots and finished with a Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Strip Birthdays.

From Flower Bouquet to Card

At our retreat this weekend, Chris Dayton made us an adorable paper flower bouquet with a die cut sentiment that was *potted* in a collapsible CLIC & GO watercolor cup from Faber Castell (so cute).  She asked that if we dis-assembled, to use the flower to make a card, so that's what I did this morning.

I found one of my Gel Press Prints from the weekend. (with fabulous ThermoWeb iCraft silver foil) that I made during the weekend to use as my background.  I found the flower stamps in The Stamp Market Just Add Flowers.

 

I wasn't sure the source of the leaves, but the sentiment is Simon Says Stamp + CZ Design Just Because die.

I used the layout from Atlantic Cards Sketch to assemble my card.  I attached the alcohol ink panel to a larger white card base to work with the large sentiment.

 

 

I used Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Drip Drops for the dot elements on the sketch.  I trimmed the leaves & flower petals where they hang over the edge of the card after everything was attached.  I also used foam tape on some of the smaller flowers & the sentiment for dimension.

 

Crafty Friend Like You

I just got home from my long crafty weekend, and before I start putting everything away, I wanted to make a card using pieces that I made and assembled at the retreat.

I used the colors from the May AlteNew Challenge to die cut and assemble the AlteNew Jumbo Garden Picks (the perfect crafty retreat task).

 

 

Next, I paired the assembled pieces with one of my green Gel Press prints from the trip.

 

 

 

I used the sketch from the TGIF Challenges! to assemble my card.  It only seemed appropriate to use a sentiment from the AlteNew Crafty Friends Stamp Set.

The friends I have made in this industry are some of the best ... there was so much awesome learning & laughter (and comfy clothes, shopping and good food).

 

 

I finished the card with enamel dots in the challenge colors.

 

I love how this turned out.

 

I'm also joining the Make It Bloom Challenge at Little Red Wagon.

 

Artisan Retreat

I’m spending a long weekend at the Gather Creative Studio and Guest House in Waunakee, Wisconsin with 10 other artist friends.  

It’s hard to describe just how much fun it is to create in person with other artists again … walking around the room ooohing and aaahing at what everyone is making and what products they are using.  Last night there was a hot foiling-palooza with everyone trying the new hot foiling machine.

In case you wondered, this is what my table looked like this morning … I was playing with Alcohol Inks and felt pads to make backgrounds this morning.  And yes, there is no shortage of food, drinks and snacks when we all get together.

 

I’ll be using that air blower and alcohol inks in a bit for more artsy fun.

Yesterday I was making Gel Press Prints … here are a few of my favorites.  The combination of green, gold and bronze on this clean-up print has such a wonderful patina look.

 

 

And this one has sort of an ethereal feel with bits of dark green scattered through.

 

I hope you’re having half as much fun as I am during your weekend.

The First Narwhal

At Jingle Belles, we're still creating using the colors from this fabulous plate of holiday cookies - Grey/Silver, Pink and Ivory/White.

 

 

I started with some pink designer paper and added a strip of silver metallic cardstock.

 

 

I looked-up a picture of a Narwhal, and saw that they are actually grey spotted, so I used my markers to try to get the same look. 

 

 

I paired her with the coordinating sentiment from Avery Elle Joyeaux Noel Set and some pink gems.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland discoveries:

• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies (one of my favorite flavor combinations)
• unique Coffee Cultures
• Cranberry Vanilla Breakfast Buckle
• Healthier Hamburger Helper (Hamburger Helper was the first dish I remember cooking by myself for my family at age 9)
• Green Bean Crunch Salad
• Growing-up, Funnel Cake was always one of my favorite treats at Silver Dollar City - who knew you could bake Funnel Cake?
• I love how the marshmallow is inside these S'Mores Cookies (and that it only makes 12)
• make some Dollar Store Earrings
• Sticky Rhubarb Pudding
• How to Tint Glass Jars (shown)
• Cheesy Lasagna Casserole

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Scenic Route

I had some fun using Sketch Challenges to put together some cards with Echo Park's Scenic Route papers and chipboard.

 

The first one uses the sketch from the Sketch ~N~ Scrap Challenge.

 

 

I use three of the papers and two chipboard pieces.

 

 

The next card uses five chipboard stickers and the wonderful global map designer paper from the Echo Park Scenic Route collection with the Sketch from the Stick it Down Challenge.

 

 

I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge at Addicted to Stamping and More because for me, my favorite occasion/holiday is a trip with my Sister.