Ingenious Inkling

Makeover Monday ~ Crayon Emboss Resist

Today's Makeover Monday is a Technique from this card I made in July 2008.

 

I decide to do a re-take on the Crayon Resist Technique ... this time I used a Peacock Feathers Distress Crayon with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide Spray for my background with the Taylored Expressions Splattered Embossing Folder (which I realized when I was done sort of has a Corona Virus look, which seemed oddly appropriate).

 

 

I cut my panel into pieces using this week's Just Add Ink Sketch and inked-up my new Simple Strips Meow sentiment together with one of the Cats from the Cattitude set as an ode to my sister's cat Simon. 

 

And since this card is masculine and stamped in black ink (and Simon does indeed believe he is always the "star" (I know, a bit of a stretch for the third one), I'm also linking-up at the #TEMakerChallenge.

 

You Inspire Me to Be Better

Today I discovered that the PinkFresh Studio Facebook Group has a Sketch Challenge, so I decided to join the fun.

 

I used the PinkFresh Studio Floral Cluster set for my card.  I stamped the Floral Cluster image in Versafine Black ink on Watercolor paper.  Next I used a transparency sheet and three colors of Distress Ink (Speckled Egg, Evergreen Bough and Wilted Violet) to do some Watercolor Smooshing ... i just love, the messy free-form effect that you get.

 

I used my MISTI to curve the top sentiment and then hand-cut the large word and popped it up with foam tape, so it wouldn't cover-up too much of my beautiful watercolory blooms.

This card is so true of many people in my life ... but it's also true of my many artists in the paper crafting community who take time to share tutorials and videos that allow me to learn and grow my own artistic skills ... so very grateful that people are willing to do that.

Impression Obsession Flowers

The theme at the Impression Obsession Challenge is Summer Flowers.

 

 

I spent my afternoon creating alcohol ink panels, so I decided to stamp some Impression Obsession Hollyhocks on one of my alcohol ink panels using this week's CAS(E) this Sketch!

 

The sentiment is from Impression Obsession There for You Set.

 

 

Here are a few of the other Alcohol Ink backgrounds from my play session ... I love the bubbles you can get on the Yupo paper.

 

Inspiration Rainbow

It's been a long time since I started my Saturday with the SplitcoastStampers Inspiration Challenge.  Today our inspiration is from Color Shot.  I was drawn to this painted Rainbow Doormat.

 

Since the theme at Paper Smooches Challenge is also Rainbows, I used the Paper Smooches Rainbow Die to cut the six colors from the Door Mat - three shades of blue & three shades of peachy pink.

 

I used the sketch from CAS on Sunday and cut two strips of designer paper in the blues and peachy pinks.  Since rainbows are often seen as a reminder that God is with us, I used this sentiment from the Paper Smooches Feel Better Sampler and finished with a pair of Eyelet Outlet Enamel Hearts.

 

 

 

And Just Us Girls are also doing the Rainbow Thing, so I'm linking-up there too.

 

Hope those of you in the US are getting to spend the holiday doing what you'd like ... I'd rather be with family, but I'm enjoying my plan B which is uninterrupted studio time.

Karin Marker Play

Yesterday I gave myself permission to just play with my Karin Brushmarker Pro Markers.  It felt like third grade art class ... or at least what I think third grade art class would have felt like if I had not been such a perfectionistic anxious kid at that age.  Even though I loved it, art scared me because I didn't know how you could tell if it was good, and I only wanted to do things that were perfect and good.  Yesterday, I let myself let go of good and just focused on playing with color, water and watercolor paper.

 

I cut up mostly 3" x 4" pieces, so I could try lots of different colors and blends without feeling too overwhelmed.  I have the large set of the standard markers, as well as the Neon Markers and the Metallic Markers.  I was most amazed at how the metallic markers moved on the wet watercolor paper ... it was cool how the metallic pigment almost flowed in the water.  Here are a few more of the colors.

 

It was so relaxing to just blend and play and go back and blend some more.  I did notice some pilling with some of the watercolor paper when I got it overly wet ... and some colors were easier to blend than others ... but that was all part of the fun of play.  Not sure what I'll do with them, but it was relaxing to just take time to play with some of my art supplies with no particular end game in mind.

I did take the time when I was fun to turn one into a card using the lovely AlteNew Dog Rose Panels die cut from heavy white cardstock.

 

 

Sentiment is from Altenew Sincere Greetings.

 

STARRY for Christmas

Since tomorrow is Independence Day in the USA, the Jingle Belles are asking you to incorporate either stars or stripes into your card design (it needn't be red, white or blue) … just stars or stripes (or both!) in any medium you choose.

I couldn't resist breakout out my Taylored Expressions Starry Background with coordinating Stencil & Cutting Plate. 

 

I used the Starry Cutting Plate on Purple Glitter Cardstock and laid it over the Stamped Image on light purple cardstock that I stenciled with two colors of purple ink.   

 

 

I finished with a sentiment from Taylored Expression Flip the Snowflake.

 

I'm also linking-up at the #TEMakerChallenge since one of the July Elements is Stars.

 

 

Gina K. Designs Eye Shadow Blooms

Tonight I had fun trying to replicate the Eye Shadow Technique that Gina K. shared in this video.  My eyes are pretty much allergic to everything, so I have no eye make-up in my house, so I had to stop by the Dollar Tree and pick some up, so I could give it a try.  I grabbed the same one that Gina used and one with lots of purples.  The light colors work best on the darker cardstock colors to get the cool effect with Gina K. Designs Embossing ink.

 

 

I started with a dark green scrap of cardstock and blooms from Gina K. Designs Elegant Asters.

 

Next I tried red cardstock with flowers from Gina K. Designs Stately Flowers 10 ... this one was my favorite.

 

 

And my final one was Purple cardstock with the new Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Blooms.

 

Here are all three together.

 

I kept the cards really simple so the backgrounds could shine.  The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs Whimsical Wildflower Frame.

 

I used another sentiment from the same set for the red card.

Then for the purple card, for some reason, the eye shadow rubbed off and I got this sort of shadow effect.  Rather than fighting it, I embraced it.

 

 

I just burnished the eye shadow into the cardstock and stamped the same wildflower stamp directly onto the background.

 

 

The sentiment is from the same Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Set.

 

So if you've got some great 80's eye shadow in your stash (or you make a stop at the Dollar Tree) give this technique a try ... it was a lot of fun ... and looks super-shimmery-cool.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of skipping through blogland:

• Mid-Century Marvelousness (and more here)
• Blueberry Skillet Cake
• I love everything about this card design
• Picture Frame Shadow Boxes (shown)
• I love Fritters, but I've never tried Pear Fritters
• Cute little Llama Pattern
• I don't think I've ever had a Cherry Margarita ... but Pineapple sounds good too
• or maybe Frozen Mojitos are more your speed
• It was fun to watch a video of how to make Khara Huggi 
• love these hand-painted grasses
• Peanut Butter Brownies or maybe Cannoli Brownies
• I do love a good Blue Cheese Dressing

Have a tremendous Thursday!