Ingenious Inkling

No Time Like the Presents

For our first prompt of Jingle Belles 2020 the theme is No Time Like the Presents - to use some of the holiday wrapping paper or tags to make a card. 

I've mentioned it before, but Lauren is seriously the best gift wrapper on the planet (on the other hand, when I tried to wrap one of her gifts, it looked like it was assembled by a kindergarten classroom).  In addition to wrapping all of my fabulous gifts in this adorable Yeti Wrapping Paper, so Xyron'd a few sheets to include with my gift, so I could cut out the adorable picture frames for my card.

 

Growing-up, my Dad created a photo collage and the end of each year and hung them on the stairway or hallway depending on the home.  It was always fun (and to be honest, usually a bit cringe-worthy) to go back and revisit each year's high points.  That's what making this card reminded me of.

I detail cut the photos and arranged them on a Gel Press Print wall (the background of the paper was red, so I thought this red & blue Gel Press solid worked perfectly ... and it also starts me on my goal to incorporate more of my Gel Press prints into cards this year).

I finished with a tiny pearl for Yeti Girl's Flower in her hair and a few sticker sentiments attached with foam tape for dimension.  This one makes me smile for sure.

And ... to start our 10th Year off with a bang, one lucky participant will receive the adorable Lawn Fawn Say What Christmas Critters Stamp Set (and coordinating Dies) ... because yes, I clearly liked it so much, I bought it twice.

 

Marbled Hugs

Next on my pile of never-used-art-supplies is this Memory Box Hugs Loving Heart die that I cut three times, gluing them together using Gina K. Designs' Connect Glue for some dimension.  I've never been a fan of liquid adhesive, but this glue is perfect for detailed tasks like this one.

 

Then I used the same Connect Glue to attach it to a piece of hand-marbled paper that I made several years ago during Art Camp with Lauren that was cut with a Square Stitched Die.  I finished with two trios of enamel dots.

Laurel Burch Thank You

I finally linked-up some of the prize I won from White Rose Crafts in the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  I have always loved Laurel Burch's Cats and have one of her stand-alone stamps sitting as a piece of art on my window sill that I first say when I attended Creativation several years ago.  This stamp set from Stampendous is called Feline Blooms.

 

Since her cats are often colored in vibrant hues, I thought that trio of cats would be fun to stamp on one of my Gel Press Prints using this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

 

I love how the lighter spots of the print ended-up around their eyes.  I used a sentiment from the same Stamp Set (love that curly-Q *K*).

 

LetterBoard Thank You

In my quest to create Thank You Cards ... and use never-before-inked-stamps ... this afternoon I played with the Flora & Fauna Letterboard Stamp Set.

 

It took me several attempts to find an ink color light enough to give the contrast with the letters ... I chose Taylored Expressions Mint Julep.  

 

The Thank you Sentiment seemed sort of naked all by itself ... and there weren't really any other sentiments in the set I could pair with it.  I went searching and found some letter stickers that I thought worked ... and then after finding my background paper, finished with a paper flower.  

I need to hunt through my other stamps and see what else I could make work with the letterboard to create more phrases ... I'm sure it will be returning in the future.

say it big Gel Press

The timely Mini-Challenge at Unity Stamp Company is to make Thank You Cards.  I'd been wanting to the try the big bold letters of Unity's ... say it big on my Gel Press prints.  I stamped it in black ink multiple times with my MISTI and then clear embossed ... this is one of the reason I made so many *solid* prints.  This one with less ink worked well because there was less surface texture.

 

I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die, framed it in dark coral with some dark coral enamel dots and then used the larger stitched frame for the background.  A set of these would make a nice and easy gift.

Jaded Blossom

A friend introduced me to a new-to-me stamp company - Jaded Blossom - and let me use her collection of stamps to create.  Needless to say, I had so much fun I placed my own order.

They have lots of fun Candies Stamps meant to go on kisses or other candies.  I love tiny circles for card making ... this one is called Happy Hour Candies.  I used these fun little pre-made tri-fold card bases that were on clearance when I visited Memory Bound Scrapbook Store during Stamp Joy.

 

 

They also had adorable get well stamps.  I combined Medical Icons with a sentiment from Speedy Recovery.  I had fun paper-piecing the icons and adding the fun little faces that are included in the set.

 

 

And finally, I couldn't resist using my markers to color some Gnomes.  This set is called Whimsical Gnomes.

 

They also have a fun Facebook Group - Jaded Blossoms Garden of Creativity! - where you can see more projects.

Work It Snowflakes

I just discovered the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge, which for December is Snowflakes.

I thought this lovely metallic Gel Press print would be the perfect background for a snowflake card.  I die cut the Gel Press Print with the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles Die.

 

 

I die cut two Simon Says Stamp Bliss Snowflakes from Silver Metallic Cardstock.  The Simon Says Stamp Stay Strong Die (from STAMPtember 2017) was cut from glittery teal cardstock.

 

I added some Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Bling and silvery glitter enamel dots to the center of the snowflakes.

Merry & Bright

In my ongoing quest for 2020 (never hurts to get a head start) to ink-up those neglected stamps, I layered-up some leaves from AlteNew's Merry & Bright Stamp set for the AlteNew Year in Review Inspiration Challenge.  I love AlteNew Stamps and buy them, but then I get intimidated by the cards of Erum, Seeka, and the other amazing designers and then tend to freeze when I try to create.  This time I just embraced my own style.

 

I decided that May worked best since my stamp set didn't have a floral elements.  I started with a Grey Specked Card Stock base and stamped the leaves twice in three shades of green.

 

 

I stamped the sentiment from the set in the color of flower from the inspiration photo.  I finished with some adhesive gems for berries.

 

I also love getting a head start on my holiday cards for 2020.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland fun:

• I want some Hand-Embroidered Shoes ... or maybe some Embroidered Art (shown)
• Almond Cherry Cookies ... one of my favorite flavor combinations
• thrilled that The Far Side is back
• Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
• using Alcohol Inks with Golden Acrylic & Varnishes
• Coconut Broth Clams with Lemongrass ... yum
• the ever-versatile Frittata
• a free Christmas Digi-Download

Have a tremendous Thursday!

My 10 Favorites of 2019

Each year I like to go back and revisit all the art I made and choose my ten favorites from the group (You can see my Five Favorite Holiday Cards of 2019 here) ... here are my favorites in no particular order.  I found it a little challenging to narrow down the group this year, which I suppose is a good thing ... here's to another year of creating projects I love.

1. This card was for the January Blog Hop with My Sweet Petunia and My Favorite Things.  I loved designing for My Sweet Petunia ... and how the various blog hops often pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I also loved being able to incorporate my Gel Press prints into cards ... this one did both.  I want to do more smaller prints this year.

 

 

2.  I took a fused glass class in February from a new Instructor and really enjoyed the experience.  He held the class in his home studio in his basement, so I got more hands-on experience with things than I did in the professional studio.  I loved this cool dichroic glass bracelet, earrings and pendants that I made.   It was a bright light in the midst of our home flooding due to frozen pipes next door and the subsequent weeks of repair.

 

 

3. I love the texture and variety in this card for the SplitCoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge.  I love collecting vintage items ... but I love using them on my cards even more.

 

 

4. This card for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Ombre Challenge still makes me laugh ... so grateful for Ink Road Stamps ... and clean & simple monochromatic designs.

 

 

5.  I loved taking a class from Alexandra Renke at JunkieFest and getting to design with her gorgeous products this year.  I also love that I was able to incorporate my Gel Press prints into this design.

 

 

6. Grateful to have had another year designing for Technique Junkies ... I loved how this paper-pieced dogwood card with Shimmering Bliss Sprays turned out ... the Dogwood is the state tree of Missouri, so it always reminds me of the arrival of Spring during my childhood.

 

 

7. This card was for a Stamping Friends Trifecta with My Sweet Petunia, Gina K. Designs and Picket Fence Studios.  I was so grateful to have the opportunity to design for My Sweet Petunia and all of the other great companies that partnered with our team ... such a blessing (and I adore Gina K.'s cardstock and colors).

 

 

8.  Love this card made with the Inspiration Colors from Butterfly Reflections Ink ... and great stamps from Avery Elle ... this card still make me happy.

 

 

9. This card was created as a Guest Designer for the Feeling Sketchy Challenge Blog and combined digital images with the coloring techniques that I learned from Kathy Racoosin at JunkieFest ... loved how combining coloring with markers and pencils turned out.

 

10.  This card was made for a Guest Designer as Die Cuts With a View Sketch Challenge ... I love how all of the papers and stamps work together in this design.

 

 

Here's to another year of fun in the studio.