Ingenious Inkling

Stamp and Cut Thank You

This morning I had fun playing with some new Hero Arts Products.  I started with Stamp & Cut Thank You using colors from this week's Color Throwdown.

Hero Arts Punch & Tide Pool inks are the perfect hues ... I also used Hero Arts Pool Layering Papers.

I stamped the High Line Geometric Design in Tide Pool Ink on the large square of Tide Pool Paper for a very subtle textured pattern.

The layout is from Sketch Frenzy Friday with some Tide Pool Pearls for the top left element of the design.  I'm also joining the Thank You Challenge at Loves Rubberstamps.

Remember, through the end of the day on Monday, you can use code CYBER20 for 20% off your $25 order (before shipping & tax) at the a2z Scrapbooking Store.  

There's also a Scavenger Hunt through the end of the day Monday for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate, so you can shop & enter to win.

Scavenger Hunt

 

There's a Scavenger Hunt going on at the a2z Scrapbooking Blog ... answer 10 questions for a chance to win $25 to use in the store ... ready, set, go!

Merry Merry Merry

My first Christmas Card arrived today all the way from Germany ... made by my Secret Santa ... the talented Betty.

She also included some die cut deer and gorgeous German sequins, which I used in this card using a sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping.

The die cut word are from Die-Versions Complements Holiday 1.  Since Betty's beautiful sequins were a gift, I'm joining the Free is Good! Challenge at Shopping our Stash.

Visions of Sugar Plums ...

We're still celebrating a Christmas Feast at Jingle Belles this week.  I decided to go with a yummy Gingerbread Man from Martha Stewart border stickers for my food focus.

I created my own polka dot background using the Hero Arts Forever Green Ink Dauber.  I started with a piece of paper larger than my intended panel, got my dauber nice and inky with a few test splots, and then just started pushing it hard down on the paper very quickly creating the fun *splash* effect with the ink.  When I finished I trimmed down to the piece for my card (that way it's easy to position splots off the edge of the paper) and rounded the corner.  It was so fun ... I felt like I was back in my favorite elementary school art class.

Next I added two border stickers (the gingham reminded me of my Grandma's Christmas Apron she wore when we made gingerbread men).

I finished with Hero Arts Stamp & Cuts Ornament (there are lots of fun Stamp & Cut sets that are so easy to use since they include coordinating die cuts) that I attached with foam tape.  The finishing touch was a red sequin at the top of the ornament.  

The layout is this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

 

I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp & the Holiday Challenge at Addicted to Stamps.

If you use the code CYBER20 at the a2z Store you'll receive 20% off your purchase of $25 (before tax & shipping), so have fun stamping & shopping.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of fun links:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars ... why yes, I think I will
• A very clever idea to use a border punch to create tiny labels
• Tutorial for overlaying text onto an image (great for inspiring quotes)
• Amazing Paper Quilled Sci-Fi Characters from Alia Design
• Love the dramatic effect of this over-sized Holly Garland
• Tutorial for fun little Pine Cone Owls (shown)
• Love these Banksy Pillows

Potpourri Thoughts

I thought this week's Designer Drafts Sketch at Paper Smooches was challenging.  

I thought I wanted repeating elements in the two squares, so I started by overlapping two different quartets from Paper Smooches Potpourri in contrasting colors (using this week's colourQ hues).

I added a few more layers to the design to help ground the design.  I finished with a sentiment from Salutations and a few flowers to soften all of the hard lines in my graphic design.

Christmas Feast

This week's prompt at Jingle Belles is all about the Christmas Feast ... we're asking you to create a holiday card which features food or drink of some sort... candy canes, gingerbread men, sugar plums, christmas cookies and hot chocolate, or the grinch carving the roast beast ... whatever yummy foods and drinks mean Christmas to you.

When I was discussing ideas for this prompt with my husband, he kept singing, "O' Christmas Corn", and thus this card was born.

I started by stamping & embossing my corn stalk & then coloring it with Spectrum Noir Markers (DG1, DG2, GB3 & GB4).  Next I added sequin ornaments and used a gold metallic pen to draw the hangers.  I'm also joining the Make Your Mark Challenge at Addicted to Stamps Challenge Blog.

As my husband and I discussed our growing holiday scene, of course we needed to add a few Christmas critters (love the look on the raccoon's face), some Presents under the Christmas Corn, a star on the top of the Corn ... and golden bling for lights.  The finishing touch was our typed sentiment ... and Iowa Christmas Feast for sure.

Plum Christmas

I love purple ... so when I saw the Plum Christmas Challenge at Sunday Stamps, I knew I had to play along.

I combined Hero Arts Christmas Crystals with Purple Inks and Purple Glitter paper for this fun holiday design.

I stamped my ornaments using different shades of purple inks.  Next I used the darkest shade and stamped several of the ornaments on a matte glitter paper and cut them out.  While that ink dried on the glitter (it takes a few minutes), I stamped the chains to hang my ornaments, a few tiny bows, and my sentiment from the same set.

I attached my glitter ornaments with adhesive and added some sequin sparkle.  I finished by using foam tape to mount my panel on some chunkier glittter paper before attaching to my white card base.

I'm also linking-up at Make My Monday where they're looking for glitter.

Our a2z November challenge theme for this month is ‘Anything Goes’. You may enter up to five times to be eligible to win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to the a2z Scrapbooking Store with each entry.

As always, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store.

Fusion Challenge ~ Silver Star Wreath

When I saw the lovely inspiration photo at today's Fusion Card Challenge, I knew I wanted to make a holiday wreath.

I've made several over the years (here & here), but never a silver one ... and I think this one is my favorite.  I punched my Martha Stewart Medium Branch multiple times from a piece of silver glitter designer paper.  Make sure you punch from both the front & the back of the paper, so you have the branch going both directions.

Next, I die cut a 3" circle from scrap paper to be the frame for my wreath (I remove it after I have the basic architecture of the circle complete).  I attach each branch with a tiny glue dot toward the top of the branch (so the bottom of the branches curl with dimension).  

Once the first layer is complete, I remove the circle template and add a second layer to fill out the design.  Rather than use a red bow like in the picture, I decided to add some Jolee Silver Vintage Stars and decorate my wreath with red & silver sequins.

I finished with a Hero Arts Lowercase Christmas Sentiment stamped in Hero Arts Punch Chalk Ink.  I attached the sentiment strip with foam tape (framed by a strip of the silver designer paper) for dimension.

I love the clean yet elegant design ... it reminds me of the small silver Christmas Tree my Gran always had decorated in her formal living room.

Remember, if you love Hero Arts products as much as I do, you can use my discount code STEPH15 at the a2z Scrapbooking store (on a purchase of $25 before tax & shipping) and you'll receive 15% off your order.  And the a2z November Challenge is Anything Goes ... all you have to do is use at least one Hero Arts product.

Thursday Link Love

More fun finds from blogland:

• Butternut-Boursin-Bacon Soup ... and a pretty cool card too
• Glove Monsters are awesome (shown)
• A tutorial for doing Mirror Stamping
• Tutorial for a fabulous Thanksgiving Banner made from vintage book pages
• These ShortBread Bites would make a great gift for the holidays
• Free Printable Christmas Tags ... and more here
• These Ugly Sweater Giftcard Holders are too fun

Have a terrific Thursday!