Ingenious Inkling

Purple & Blue Birthday

The current Seize the Birthday Challenge is to create a birthday card using purple & blue (turns out as I went to write this blog post, I clicked-through on the post from my blog reader and it was supposed to be blue, purple and green ... oh well, I'm going for the Anything Goes theme then). 

 

 

As you might have noticed, I've been a bit focused on using my gel press stash, so I went shopping for blues and purples.

 

 

I found a blue and purple print for the background made with Carabelle Studio Accumulation of Circles Stencil.  I found coordinating blue & purple prints and used the Sketch from Sunday Stamps challenge.  I added some washi tape for the marks in the Sketch.

 

 

I finished with Happy Birthday Circle from Rubber Soul and some enamel dots.

Gel Print Circles Butterfly

I wanted to make a card for the Butterfly Challenge at Less is More.  I chose this butterfly from my stash of ephemera ... and then I went shopping in my gel press print drawer for some prints that would complement the colors. 

I chose a purple bubble wrap print that had bits of the yellowy-golden color and a more solid pattern that pulled out more of the butterfly's golden hue.  It's so funny how changing the scale from the 12" piece of printed paper to the small die cut circle completely changes the look of the design ... I love the almost graffiti-like feel of the circles.

 

 

I used stitched circle dies to create a version of this week's Freshly Made Sketch. 

 

I found a long-lost stash of aged chipboard words for my sentiment (I really wish someone would make these again).  I really wanted to add a few enamel dots, gems or splatters, but decided to remember the theme that Less is More and let the white space shine.

 

 

I'm also joining the Allsorts Challenge where the theme is Butterflies or Bugs.

Blue Christmas

We're channeling our inner Elvis at Jingle Belles this week and creating a BLUE Christmas.

I decided to shop my Gel Press drawer for my blues using a fabulous Sketch from Sketch~N~Scrap ... and of course some perfect blue inks from Catherine Pooler.

 

 

The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company Holiday Joy Christmas Tree.  I finished with some vintage Martha Stewart glittery punched snowflakes and Pinkfresh Studio Bling in the centers.  

 

 

I just love that Gel Press background ... and the little shimmering inked piece I found hidden among the scraps that were too pretty not to keep.  I'm also linking-up at the Unity Stamp Company July Challenge to share your favorite stamps.  I love the Itty Bitty images that combine an image with a sentiment ... it makes cardmaking so much easier (and the frame is a bonus).

 

 

And it's an Any Occasion Challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

 

Thursday Link Love

Another day of skipping through blogland:

• How to determine the Shape of your Face
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (shown)
• this week I learned the types of Tequila (and Mezcal)
• Baked Apple Fritters
• living a happy & fulfilled life (so grateful for my friends)
• love the Green and White Cabinets in this Kitchen Makeover
• Frozen Watermelon Mojitos
• I want to try covering a baby board book
• Best Scenic Train Rides in America
• Mango Sticky Rice Ice Cream Pops
• Summer Fruit Salad
• how cool is this Neon Tie Die with Bleach
• Air Fryer Fried Pickles
• need to make room in my freezer to try this Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark with Fruit
• how to Make Your Own Stamp Cleaner
• Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies
• DIY Painted Rock Magnets

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Wedding Love

I love how just switching-up colors with the same stamps & die cuts can give you completely different looks.

My wedding card stash is completely depleted, so I shopping my Gel Press Print drawer and picked out some prints that I thought would make good wedding card backgrounds.  Next I shopped my cardstock scraps to find coordinating colors to use with the backgournds.

First wedding card uses an Alcohol Ink Gel Press print with copper metallic cardstock.

 

 

The die cut is Impression Obsession Heart Couple Frame (probably one of the most used Die Cuts in my stash ... it makes wedding card making so easy).  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Love Stamp by Kalani Allred.

I'm linking-up at the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.

 

 

Love this dramatic color combination from the Global Design Project and love the visual interest a gel press print adds as a background.

 

I love how the white really makes this background pop.   I'm linking this one up at the We Love Stamping Challenge where the theme is Hot Sunny Colors ... I think these hues fit the bill (however I was notified multiple times by different blog members that my card did not have enough stamping to qualify for their challenge, so it has been deleted.  Make sure if you consider entering their challenges that you only include stamping and not other techniques/products).

Wedding card stash restocked ... yay!  Do you have a favorite?

Cute as a Button

The July Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge is Oh Baby!

 

 

I decided to use Reverse Confetti Cute as a Button (retired, which makes me sad because it's my absolute favorite go to baby card set) to create both a masculine and feminine baby card with the Sketch from The Paper Players.

 

 

For the sweet little boy card I used plaid paper from Reverse Confetti Winter Wonder Designer Paper Collection and a sentiment from Reverse Confetti Fancy Word Coordinates.

 

For the precious little girl card, I used some rubber duckie background paper with two of my favorite vibrant colors ... and another Reverse Confetti Fancy Word Coordinates sentiment.  I also added a trio of sparkly enamel dots.

 

 

Love Me Tender

The current challenge at Retro Rubber Stamp Challenges is a game of Tic-Tac-Toe.

 

 

I went with diagonal left top to right bottom with Circles (my Album), Green (my Gel Press print) & Pattern Paper (a fun paint splattered graffiti designer paper).

 

 

My Technique Junkie Kingly Things Stamps are from November 2018.  The layout is from Try Stampin' (or Not) on Tuesday.  I finished with a few Love from Lizi Peel-Off Strips to segment the areas of the sketch design.

 

Over the Rainbow Birthday

The July Challenge at Poppy Stamps is Over the Rainbow.

 

 

I started by using some unopened Jane Davenport Art Essentials Mermaid Markers to create a striped rainbow on white cardstock.  When it dried, I added a coat of Avery Elle Clear Shimmer Spray, and then I die cut the cardstock with the Poppy Stamps Arched Deco Plate that reminded me of rainbows.

 

 

I used a similar rainbow of inks on the Poppy Stamps Art Deco Birthday sentiment. 

I finished with a rainbow of sequins down the right side.

 

 

I'm also joining the Anything Goes with Dies Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

A Feeling of Christmas

We're still creating with BLING at Jingle Belles (in partnership with the Double Trouble Christmas in July Challenge).

 

 

Lauren gifted me some of the gorgeous new Penny Black Masterpieces Made Simple (that she used in our prior Masculine Holiday Cards), so I had to immediately break one out and use it.  

 

 

I kept it super-simple by attaching it to a white card base, adding a big band of Eyelet Outlet Fancy Wide Bling, and a sentiment sticker ... almost makes me wish for a little snow.

I'm also linking-up at the July Penny Black Saturday Anything Goes Challenge.  The optional theme is spots or stripes ... I guess I could stretch and call that a *stripe* of bling or the individual circle bling spots ... either way, I am lovin' that Penny Black image.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland adventures:

• make your own Fridge Handle Covers
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
• how pretty are these Glass Pumpkins
• No-Churn Peach Pie Ice Cream ... or maybe No-Churn Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (do you have memories of cranking the ice cream freezer for what seemed like hours?)
• gorgeous Glass Art by Laurel Yourkowski
• Small Batch No Bake Cookies (because I need portion control)
• Embroidery on Jeans
• I need some reminders to Stress Less (leaves room for Grace ... what a great phrase)
• Miami Vice Drink
• I always loved Tree Swings
• Close your Cereal Box Hack
• tonight on Chef's Table I learned about a Savannah Thrill

Have a tremendous Thursday!