Ingenious Inkling

Sending Caring Thoughts

I wanted to try some masking tonight for this month's Hero Arts Challenge, so I started with some vintage sheet music and a Glimmer Screen & this weeks Get Sketchy sketch.  This card ended up being more of a learning experience than a card I'm thrilled with, but I decided to post it any way.

The first thing I learned is that aged paper absorbs Glimmer Mist differently than cardstock.  I ended up with pooled puddles of the ink and less color soaking into the paper.  

I started with Snow Angel Glimmer Mist, which provided little contrast with the stencil and quite a bit of pooled ink.  Next I tried some sprays of Java Walnut Ink, which turned out to be much darker than I anticipated, giving it almost a muddy look.  I tried drying it with a heat tool, and then ended up dabbing away some of the ink with a rag.  It probably would have been better if I'd just let it dry overnight (learning moment #2).

I should have just left the stencil image alone at that point (learning moment #3), but I tried to stamp some flowers from Hero Arts With Sympathy Set along the bottom, which ended up just contributing to more of the pverall muddy feel of the card. 

As I said, while I'm not thrilled with this card, I did learn several things, so I call it a success ... sometimes it's more about the process than the finished piece.

Butterfly Love

When I saw the wonderful cards Lauren & June created with the Pixie Dust Sketch, I knew I had to have to give it a try.  I stopped by my local scrapbooking store All About Pictures yesterday to see what was new & fun.  I picked up new Basic Grey Hopscotch papers and fun stamps from local creative soul Kimberly Crawford's Mint Motif (if you're not lucky enough to have Kimberly locally, you can buy them on-line here).

I combined my Hopscotch papers with K&Company Ka-Zoo die cut & sentiment.  I also added some Hero Arts Adhesive Lace.  The die cut had a little defect with a chunk out of the head, so I adorned her with some tiny hearts to cover the boo-boo (I call it a creative opportunity).

I think this is will make an adorable valentine for one of my nieces.  It also works for the Order of the Opus Gluei Key to My Heart Challenge to incorporate a key, heart, or something you {heart} to your project.

How Much You Are Loved

This week's SCS Inspiration Challenge (suggested by the talented Lorie aka MelodyGal) takes me back to my childhood ... to the wonderful imaginary world of Barbie.  I spent a lot of time playing with my Barbie collection when I was young.  My best friend had the three-story Barbie Play House where we would spent hours immersed in our imaginary Barbie world ... so it was fun to revisit that world for inspiration today.

I chose the Wizard of Oz Scarecrow Ken doll to inspire my card.  Since I've had such a fabulous Moxie Fab week, I wanted to make one more card for the Grey is the New Black Challenge ... and what better way to use Grey than for the Tin Man.  I stamped the Artistic Outpost Tin Man on light purple Memory Box Designer Paper and stamped him a second time on a pink scrap of Tim Holtz designer paper to paper-piece his heart.

I used Limelight Papercrafts Sketch #65 and added some grey ribbon, pink pearls, and a GrungeBoard heart inked in pink to finish my design.

I hope you find inspiration.

 

Pretty in Pink ... and Green

After the challenge of Acrylic Paint last week at Jingle Belles last week, we decided to "ease-up" a bit this week and go with our first (of what hopes to be many) color challenge.  

 

When I saw this wonderful Vintage Chenille stocking covered in roses in doodaba's Etsy Shop, I knew it would be a perfect inspiration.  So this week's Color Prompt is to make a holiday card using the main colors from the stocking ~ dark pink, light pink, and lime green.

 

I started my card with some beautiful valentine's day paper from the Memory Box Gossamer Collection. I embossed it with Snowflake Embossing Folder & then sponged with Pink Lemonade ink to bring out the texture. I added a wrap of my favorite May Arts ribbon and three foam glittery Fa La La holiday trees that I decked out in pink bling. I finished with an SRM Sticker Sentiment because to me, this card just screams ... CHEER!

Even if you haven't joined in with us yet, it's never too late to start.  Each holiday card you finish throughout the year just puts you one more closer to taking back December ... the more the oh-so-merrier ... and don't forget, there's still time to wander through the blog and leave us some comments for a chance to win the January prize package.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of fun internet finds:

• Little origami boxes are such fun ways to wrap earrings or tiny gifts ... but I've never tried making them with stiffened fabric ... oh so cool.
• I have lots of art in my home ... and I love to change-it-up and move it around ... this awesome idea for inexpensive, portable art displays made from inexpensive pants hangers is wonderful.
• Adorable Valentine Free Printables.
• We've enjoyed feeding the birds this year from a bird feeder I bought at the farmers' market last year ... we may have to make some of these hanging bird feeder blocks (shown) to add to the trees in the front yard.
• I love how Erum made this image just pop by coloring with regular lead pencils and a pop of color.
• The gorgeous masking to create this amazing starry sky makes me smile.
• Love Jane's bright & bold Monsta Card ... and the clever way she used a punched piece of paper to guide her ribbon around the card.
• Directions for a do-it-yourself Pine Cone Topiary.
• This awesome Fridge Make-Over makes me smile.
• A menu idea for turning a roasted chicken into a week's worth of meals.
• This card makes me swoon ... vellum flowers ... hand stitching ... so soft and pretty.
• Amazing art from Jason Walker blows my mind ... so many fabulous details.
• I have always loved the freedom I feel when swinging on a swing-set ... and this necklace captures that wonderful feeling.
• And how about some Free Positive Thoughts ... make sure you share at least one today.
• Someday I would really like a standing height craft table for my studio ... and I'm saving this awesome design for future reference.
• This bracelet with tiny little book charms is just too cute.
• A wonderful tutorial for making little storage folders for your photo CDs ... this would also be a great way to package a gift of a favorite mix CD.
• Pragmatic art always makes me smile ... like these Oven-Like Bus Shelters with working heaters.
• These Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes look divine.

Happy Thursday ... and don't forget, a new Jingle Belles prompt tomorrow ... you can check out the featured acrylic paint cards today.

Tea Bag Valentine

In keeping with the Hot Beverage theme this month at the Gingersnap Creations Blog, today's Random Redhead Challenge is to make a Tea Bag holder.  I used Beate's Tutorial on SplitCoast Stampers for my design.

My main paper is Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Designer Paper (perfect because it's two-sided) stamped with Hero Arts Heart Flourish and adorned with a little valentine cut from a piece of 12" K&Company Brenda Walton designer paper.  

Rather than use a ribbon or band to close my holder, I used a strip of cardstock attached at the back with a Velcro square & adorned with a wonderful metal rose brad by Dear Lizzy that was included in My Funky Valentine kit from Pixie Dust Paperie.  I used Doodlebug Crushed Velvet Brads on the spine of my holder.

Inside I used a very vintage piece of Doodlebug paper to hold my two tea bags and two more Brenda Walton Valentine images.  I used a circle punch on each pocket to make removing the tea bags easier.

All You Have To Do Is Fly

I am over the moon to be featured as the Moxie Fabber of the Week today at the Moxie Fab World Blog. 

To celebrate, I decided to give one of the Moxie Fab Color Inspiration Challenges a try ~ French Vanilla, Twig, and Smoky.  

I found a lovely piece of designer paper from Prima's Jack and Jill collection that featured those soft muted hues and added a Crescendoh sentiment to celebrate the wonder of recognizing your wings.

I added a Zva Creative flourish and detail cut several butterflies from my remaining scrap of paper and attached them with glue dots for dimension.

PS ... remember you have until Wednesday to use, practice, create ... and jingle.

Some Bunny Loves You

I used these sweet little glittery K&Company Ka-Zoo Valentine Die Cuts and this week's CPS Sketch to make a Birthday Card for my niece.

The background is embossed with a Conversation Heart folder ... I love that it's large enough to do this over-sized card.

Fairies ... and Frogs

This week's Just Us Girls Challenge is celebrating the color palette of Graphic 45's Once Upon a Springtime Collection, so I had to pull out my papers and play along.

I used this week's Get Sketchy Sketch & used some peach wired ribbon for this week's Scrappy Saturday Challenge.

I punched two images from one of the pages and matted them with circles & Nestability Scalloped Circles.

I finished with several sticker sentiments from SRM Stickers (so perfect for these papers).

Floral & Hounds-tooth

The oh-so-talented Birgit suggested this week's SCS Inspiration Challenge.  She thought it would be fun to create cards inspired by nail designs ... and I have to say I agree.

I chose this fun hounds-tooth nail to inspire my card.  I loved the layout and the classy black & white color palette.

I started by running white cardstock through my hounds tooth embossing folder and then inking the raised areas with a small black ink pad.

I cut an angled piece of black cardstock for the bottom and edged it with a row of champange pearls.  I finished with a flower & sticker sentiment quote from georgia o'keefe.

I hope you find inspiration.