Ingenious Inkling

You Are Loved

It's time to start making a few valentines to send across the miles ... it's a great time to let people know they are loved.

I used a Hero Arts Renaissance Heart Die Cut, Avery Elle Simply Said Sentiment and punched hearts with this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.

I'm also celebrating someone a very special person together with Stamping Our Stash where we're making monochromatic gah-Pink Cards to celebrate the life of Leslie Hanna.  Leslie always hated when we had our pink challenge at Jingle Belles because it was her least favorite color ... yet she always pushed through and made something truly Leslie like this (gah) Pink creation.  I really appreciate June's thoughtful post.

I'm also joining the Hero Arts fun at A to Z Scrapbooking because in my world, sequins are bling.

Monochromatic Monogram

Insomnia is a card makers friend (at least that's what I tell myself) ... if I can't sleep, I might as well make something, so I checked out today's SCS Inspiration Challenge which is Schweitzer Linen.

I saw these Cambridge Sheets and knew immediately what I wanted to make.

I think sets of monogram cards make great gifts, so this was the perfect opportunity to add another one to my stash.

I used Wendy Vecchi's Cornflower Blue Archival Ink from Ranger together with Hero Arts Grid Pattern Background & Illuminated W for a quick, easy & mailable card.

I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge (using Hero Arts) at a2z Scrapbooking.

Indigo Gold Mother's Day

I found some new Craft Smith Indigo Gold papers at Michael's ... I love the golden foil with the dark blues.

I used the current Cardabilities Sketch together with a new Hero Arts Happy Stamp & Cut Set.

 

My inspiration to combine black, indigo and gold came from this gorgeous picture/gown by Naeem Khan at the Runway Inspired Challenge.

This will be my last post as part of the a2z Scrapbooking Design Team, but you can still use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) on all the new Hero Arts products at the a2z Store through the end of April.

a2z Scrapbooking Birthday Blog Hop

a2z Scrapbooking is having a Birthday Blog Hop Bash today.

You should be arriving from Sarah's Blog. If this is your first stop you'll want to begin at a2z Scrapbooking blog, or use the links below, so you don't miss out on any of the fun and beautiful creations we are sharing today.

I decided to make one more card for the April Stenciling Challenge using Gold Shimmer Mist and the Hero Arts/BasicGrey Two Way Arrows Stencil.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Messages with Flourish and sketch is Sweet Sunday Sketches.  I'm also joining Loves Rubberstamps where the theme is to Add Flowers.

And at Seize the Birthday the challenge is to Make Your Own Background (stencils are great for that).

Click on over to Taru's Blog to continue the birthday hop.

Leave a comment on every blog before Sunday April 26th, 2015 by 11:59pm EST to be in the random drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to the a2z scrapbooking store.

Here's the Birthday Bash Blog Hop list:

• a2z Scrapbooking
• Barb  
• Betty 
• Char
• Donna
  
• Elena 
• Greta
• Jennifer
  
• Kelly 
• Kristina
• Kymona 
• Lisa 
• Sandra
• Sarah
• Stephanie <<---------- You Are Here
• Taru 

Green Stamp Christmas

We're still celebrating Earth Day at Jingle Belles by incorporating recycling into our card designs.

I have happy memories of licking S & H Green Stamps and filling-up the Green Stamp books with my Grandma, so when I found some filled books at a local vintage store, I couldn't resist bringing them home.  

Once of my earliest jobs was at a grocery store that gave away Green Stamps with purchase ... I remember choosing the denomination and spinning the dial, so the stamps would dispense ... I even used Grandma's filled Green Stamp books to buy my first iron when I went away to college.

As I was searching for items to use on my card, I also found this great piece of corrugated packing material that I had saved for just such an occasion.  I used the Spellbinders Large Poinsettia die on lots of scraps of red paper from my stash (hence the differing shades of red).

I finished with die cut leaves and a Hero Arts Winter Wonders sentiment ... I love how the red & gree nof the stamps works perfectly for a holiday card design.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) on all the new Hero Arts products at the a2z Store.

Woven Stencil Sympathy

The April Challenge at the a2z Scrapbooking Blog is to create something using Stencils.

I sprayed a bunch of pages using Hero Arts Shimmer Gold Spray and the Hero Arts / BasicGrey Two Way Arrows Stencil.  I cut one of the pages into 1/2" strips and wove them together.  I used the overspray from a second page to frame the front of my design.

The sentiment is a new Hero Arts Wood Block With Deepest Sympathy stamp.  I added a few paper flowers together with leaf fronds punched from Kelly's new Hero Arts Designer Paper that I edged with Hero Arts Green Grass Chalk ink to cover up the little white bits that show when you punch white-core paper.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store … and the a2z Store has the 2015 Hero Arts release in stock.

Easter Chick

Today's card is inspired by this picture from the Just Us Girls Challenge.

I love the greens and yellows and the fun Easter Bunny Elements ... however, instead of featuring a bunny, I decided to create a fun Easter Chick.

I used my Stampin' Up Owl Builder Punch to create my fun little Chick (inspired by this card here).  My chick was also inspired by the Easter Animals Challenge at My Time to Craft.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Thoughts.

The April Challenge at the a2z scrapbooking blog is Stencils ... this background was created by playing with Hero Arts Gold Shimmer Spray and the Hero Arts / BasicGrey Two Way Arrows Stencil.  

I used the stencil as a standard mask.  Then I flipped the inky stencil over and pressed it into a piece of paper and got this reverse effect (the darker parts are bits of silver ink left over from the last time I used the stencil and didn't clean it ... I like those happy accidents).

I'm also joining the One Year Anniversary of The Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store … and the a2z Store has the 2015 Hero Arts release in stock.

Tenia Muse

Tenia from Jazzy Paper Designs is the Muse at the Muse Challenge this week with this gorgeous design.

Because of her unique style, I always know a card is Tenia's before I even see the watermark ... she seamlessly combines elegance (the gold embossed flower) with a graphic design (paint splatters, square sentiments) for such fun & funky cards.   Those are the elements I tried to capture.

I started with *throw-away* from some stencil play.  I had oversprayed my paper with Hero Arts Shimmer Silver and then sprayed on some Hero Arts Shimmer Gold using the Hero Arts/BasicGrey Two Way Arrows stencil ... it sort of looked like a bit of a muddled mess ... which made it perfect for a little artsy play.  

I inked Hero Arts Fabulous Flourish in Delicata Glitz Gold and stamped on top of the stenciled pattern and them embossed with detail gold embossing powder giving it lots of shimmer and sparkle.

I added two different tapes down the side (using piano key tape as an ode to Tenia's jazz musical talent) and used my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (why don't I use that more often?) to attach some SRM Sticker Birthday sentiments that I had adhered to the scraps of silver-sprayed paper.  

I had the entire card assembled before I thought about splattering paint, so instead of risking a total fail, I added some black dots with a Sharpie Marker.

I finished with a variety of gold sequins ... thanks Tenia for always inspiring and for pushing me out of my comfort zone tonight ... I love the result.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store … and the a2z Store has the 2015 Hero Arts release in stock.

Monogram Mania

The current challenge at the a2z scrapbooking blog is Color It In!

I used Distress Markers to color in the Hero Arts Illuminated W Alpha to create some monogram card designs.

The layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch.

Visit me at a2z Scrapbooking to see how I created the design and two more cards.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store … and the a2z Store has the 2015 Hero Arts release in stock, including the whole range of fun.

Wild and Crazy

Everytime I read this sentiment from Hero Arts, the voice in my head is Steve Martin from his Wild and Crazy Guy Album.  This Wild and Crazy stamp is also avialable in the Go Wild Digital Kit.

I inked the stamp using the colors from the Sunday Stamps What Does the Fox Say? Color Challenge.   I inked the middle with Saffron Gold and the top & bottom with the foxy orange-brown.

I framed it in the black/dark brown and added a few sequins for a clean & simple design.

I'm also joining the Bare Naked CAS Challenge at AAA Cards, because this is about as bare as it gets, as well as Focus on the Sentiment at Seize the Birthday.

Remember, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store … and the a2z Store has the 2015 Hero Arts release in stock.