Ingenious Inkling

Pin-Sights Guest Designer

One of my favorite Card Challenges - Essentials by Ellen Pin-Sights Challenge - is having a call for Guest Designers ... so you know I'm all in.

Since the theme of the challenge is to create a card inspired by a Pinterest-sourced inspiration board, I thought it would be fun to make my own inspiration board to inspire my design.  Here's the Inspiration Board that I created.

Some of my favorite colors, designs & textures ... the first problem was, I liked every image, so how would I choose??

I decided to work with the circular design seen in the flowers, umbrellas and plate together with the gorgeous colors for my final image.

I combined Essentials by Ellen Bold Blossom (layered with Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting tape) together with creative leaves made from Laurel Wreath and Hearts from Home and Hearth.  The final accent were some teal pearls.  The sentiment from Mondo Hydrangea is stamped in Hero Arts Pink to Red Ombre Ink.

I will confess, I had a couple of rejects before I got to my final design, so I thought I would share those too.  

I made this one before I read the instructions that all products needed to be found in Ellen's Store (the background designer paper was not).  I scored the designer paper to give it the texture like the bricks in the inspiration photo and added Bokah Dots stamps to the background to create more texture.  The paper for my Mondo Magnolia was created by painting WaterColor Cardstock with Peerless Watercolors.  Overall it's a bit too busy.

Next I tried one with lots of stamps ... too much stamping actually.  I combined Bokeh Dots with Bold Blooms & Love You So with twelve different colors of ink (yep, too many).  After stamping, I embossed with the We R Memory Keepers 3D Gemstone Embossing Folder to bring in the texture of the images.

Overall, it was a fun lesson in creativity ... and reminding myself that less is usually more.

You Make Me Smile

It's one of my favorite times at SplitCoastStampers ... the annual Dare to Get Dirty Challenges.  

I love this dapper little dancing bird from Catslife Press.  I made a version where I colored the bird ... but decided I liked the monochromatic one better.  Sentiment is from Memory Box.

Layout is from CAS Colors & Sketches.

 

Let's Be Merry

When I saw this week's CAS(E) this Sketch, I knew I wanted to use Paper Smooches Positive Strokes Two for my background.

Next I needed a color palette, so I went with Peach, Yellow & Light Pink from the Color Throwdown.

And while one wouldn't normally think of these as Christmas card colors, I decided to make Paper Smooches Snowman 2 my focal image and used a sentiment from Christmas Sampler.

I think my little snow person looks rather dapper in those hues.  I finished by punching a few holly leaves to adorn her winter cap.

We Three Kings

This week at Jingle Belles we're creating things with threes ... it could be three circles, three trees, three bells ... you get the picture.

I started with three little holiday friends cut from designer paper (one even has three snowflakes for a bonus three).

I also added a trio sentiment with a little ho ho ho.  A wrap of textured yarn and this one came together quickly.

I'm also joining Christmas in July at the Challenge Up Your Life blog.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of fun blogland finds:

• This quick zucchini saute sounds delicious
• tutorial for making corner cabinets more useful
• love this Crocheted Wall Hanging (shown)
• must try this 3-Ingredient Sauce on some grilled veggies
• how to seal a potato chip bag without a clip (video)
• tutorial for cool rope coasters and trivets
• bourbon-glazed peach fritters ... yes please
• fabric-covered button necklace tutorial (I think this would work with flair too)
• portraits made of flowers
• I love a well-filled Cheese Plate
• I need some super hero cuffs
• Make a Mini-Notebook from a Cereal Box

Have a terrific Thursday!

Enjoy the Ride

The theme at CASology this week is Journey ...

which was the perfect opportunity to break out my new One Wild Ride stamps from Stampin' Up.

 

A clean & simple masculine design using this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

Christmas in July

Those of you who follow my blog know that I make Christmas cards all year long.

I love that I never have to put away my favorite Christmas products ... and I love that when November comes to a close, I have lots of one-of-a-kind Christmas cards to send across the miles.

I also love that a Santa Hat can turn almost any creature into a Christmas icon ... even a skunk.

 

For my focal image, I combined the cute little skunk from the Woodland Animal Brads with a Santa Hat Brad ... isn't he adorable.

I used Green Glitter Washi Tape on Holiday paper to create the starburst for this week's Retro Sketch.  I added multi-size black pearls to accent my little skunk and a sentiment sticker from SRM Stickers.

Here's a close-up of this cute little Christmas Critter.

Of course I couldn't stop with the Skunk ... I had to make a card featuring his friend the Raccoon.

 

This layout is from The Paper Players and features more SRM Stickers and multi-sized Adhesive Pearls.

 

Here's another view of this cute little guy.

 

 

Remember, it's never too late to start taking back your December one holiday card at a time.

Products used

• Woodland Animal Brads
• Santa Hat Brads
• Glitter Green Washi Tape
• Pearl Bling - Multi-Size - 100 Count

 

Share Courage

Tonight I'm making a card for my newest Chemo Angel patient ... so the Share Joy Challenge was the perfect inspiration.

I knew I could use three of the colors to stamp a Simply Stamped layered pineapple ... and then add the lollipop pink into the card design.

Those colors are just so cheerful.  I finished with the perfect sentiment from Choose Hope.

Glitter Washi Celebrate

When I saw Kayla's Design Team Card at the Can You Case It? Challenge, I knew I wanted to have some Washi fun.  

I must say ... I love glitter washi ... all of the sparkle with none of the mess.  This week's Challenge was a Sketch (which I followed loosely) and/or make a birthday card.

I alternated my colors of Glitter Washi Tape from Eyelet Outlet (this is just a tiny sample of all of the great patterns & colors) on the card front.  Next I added the celebrate die (x3) from Sugar Pea Designs.  I finished with clusters of white sequins to bring in the circle elements of the sketch.

Pin-Sights Awesome Birthday

It's time for the July Pin-Sights Challenge at the Ellen Hutson blog ... this month's inspiration photo is ...

From the photo, I incorporated the colors, chevrons, red glitter tape, a paper pocket, a circular element, and baker's twine.

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketch to combine my elements ... behind the Essentials by Ellen Totally Awesome Sentiment are two Bold Blossom Die Cuts.

And inside the pocket is a little EBE Treat Yo' Self tag (Red Glitter Washi Tape is from Eyelet Outlet).