Ingenious Inkling

Stars and Stripes for Christmas

We're doing Stars &/or Stripes for Christmas at Jingle Belles this week.

I chose to go with both (of course).

My card started with the epitome of stripes for the holiday ... that cute heart made of Candy Canes in the journaling card from the Merry and Bright Collection by Mintay Papers.

 

 

The star paper on the background and wonderful burlap paper are both from the same collection. 

I added some vintage BasicGrey Evergreen papers together with a striped border from Authentique and then finished with some holly bling and a tiny sentiment from Flora & Fauna Bottlebrush Snow Globe Set using the layout from this week's Sketch Saturday.

 

All Bundled up for Christmas

This week's Jingle Belles Prompt is All Bundled Up where we're asking you to use lots of layers on your card design.

I grabbed the remaining papers in my stash from the long-discontinued BasicGrey Evergreen Collection and layered six of the paper designs to create my card, including the sentiment cut from one of the pages.

 

 

I added another layer of bling and a tiny sticker sentiment to complete the card.

We hope you'll break out your layers and join us.

 

Makeover Monday - Christmas Paper Scraps

When I made these Birthday cards on Saturday, I realized just how many paper scraps I had ... so I decided to do another paper scrap card for Makeover Monday.  I took my inspiration from this holiday card from September 2011.

 

I used the same Top Note Die with scraps focusing on my blues and greens.

 

Instead of a circle sentiment, I used a few stickers I had on my studio table and used a sticker sentiment.  I finished with some silver holiday trim.  I feel like that cardinal is going to dive bomb the cardinal and steel his cute little stocking cap.

 

Heartfelt Hugs

The current Memory Box Challenge is all about Friendship.

 

I started by die cutting my Memory Box Hugs Loving Heart Die 3 times (twice from raspberry cardstock and once from light pink).  I layered it a variety of ways before deciding on the final off-set outcome.  I attached it to a piece of vintage BasicGrey designer paper.  I used my blending brushes to add a bit of Victorian Velvet Distress Ink around the edges.

 

I finished with my MISTI and stamped sentiments from Memory Box Big and Little Words.

I prefer sending Galentines for the holiday ... because who in your life couldn't use a little hug.

Technique Junkies May Release

So much to love in the May Release from Technique Junkies ... and remember all new stamps are 15% off through the 8th of May and you can stack another 10% off with my discount code of TJ10Stephanie.

 

 

I really love the new Graduation Greetings Set of 11 images ... so perfect for this time of year.  A friend's son is graduating this year (where does the time go), so I made him a card in his school colors of Purple & Gold.  There is a male and female solid image, a separate mortar board hat, and lots of awesome sentiments.  I love customizing cards in school colors.

 

The new Hay Girl! Stamp also made me smile.  I combined it with some fun colors and Basic Grey Soleil Papers.

 

I added a doily and fun flower embellishment, as well as using a Spectrum Noir marker to color bits of my cute cow.  I'm linking that cute little Cow up at The Library Challenge where this week's book selection is All Creatures Great and Small.

 

I love the vintage design of the Golf Club Patent background.  I stamped it in Brown and then added lots of Distress Ink Shading.

I paired it with the Technique Junkies Retirement Sentiment.  I'm linking-up at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog where the theme is to Make Your Own Background.

And how gorgeous is this Bride with Bouquet Stamp.  I added bling to the pearl necklace and also accented the bouquet with more bling.

She is stamped in dark blue on a light blue shimmer cardstock.  She is perfect to pair with the March release Wedding Wishes Sentiments Set like I did here. 

I stamped the lovely new Find Yourself stamp on a piece of cloud designer paper from the Basic Grey Soleil Collection inspired by the current Just Us Girls Photo Week Challenge.

Then I sponged on Blue & Purple Distress inks to add some depth.

The strip of paper behind this beautiful lady is some left-over paper (from these cards) that was sprayed with two colors of Shimmering Bliss Spray and I added some purple bling to her flower crown.  This sentiment is oh-so-true.

This new Stamp called Define Success is another sentiment that speaks volumes.  I stamped it in purple on lavender cardstock & die cut with a cross-stitched circle before mounting with foam tape on a watercolor card base (I purchased an entire set of these gorgeous card bases).  I finished with some paper strips and a few strategically placed sequins.

 

 

Make sure you check out all of the other great stamps & designs for the May Release from the rest of the Design Team.  

Technique Junkies Blog https://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com/2019/05/may-2019-release-celebration-and.html

Beth Norman-Roberts https://www.sunflowers-dragonflies.ca/blog/62632/technique-junkies-may-2019-release/‎

Ceal Pritchett https://simplybeautifulcreations.blogspot.com/2019/05/technique-junkies-may-release.html

Giovana Smith https://giovana-believe.blogspot.com/2019/05/technique-junkies-may-release.html

Janelle Stollfus https://rainpuddlesdesign.blogspot.com/2019/05/new-technique-junkies-for-may.html

Janine Tinklenberg http://www.jantink.com/2019/05/mss-tj-may-2019-release.html

Jeanne Streiff http://inkypaws.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/tjmay19/

Jessie Banks https://jessiebanks.com/?p=9459

Judy Jackson https://judysstampart.blogspot.com/2019/05/beautiful-may-beautiful-new-stamps.html

Kia Gibson http://www.aplaceforkia.com/2019/05/celebrating-technique-junkies-may.html

Lee Ann Barrett https://greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com/2019/05/technique-junkies-may-release.html

Lynda Pleckan https://paperartscafe.blogspot.com/2019/05/technique-junkies-may-2019-new-release.html

Pat Huntoon https://patstamps.blogspot.com/2019/05/may-stamp-release-and-celebration.html

Ro Donner https://rodonner.blogspot.com/2019/05/may-stamp-release-for-technique-junkies.html

Stephanie Severin - YOU ARE HERE

 

Thank You For Your Kindness

I created a quick design for the Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge ... making some Thank You Cards.

 

The stamps & coordinating die cut are from Reverse Confetti Kindness Cards & Kindness Cards Confetti Cuts (I miss BasicGrey papers so much).

 

Blooming Christmas

The theme at Jingle Belles this week is Mele Kalikimaka, a tropical Hawaiian holiday greeting, so to celebrate the tropics, we're making cards featuring flowers … could be a tropical hibiscus … or a traditional poinsettia … or anything in between.

I loved the various floral designs in an unopened package of Pebbles Cardstock Shapes sitting on my *Christmas* shelf ... they were perfect to feature with some coordinating Basic Grey Papers.

 

The layout is the 501st Mojo Monday Sketch (yay! Julee has brought her sketches back).

We hope you'll get bloomin' and come join us.

All is Calm

We're still creating PEACE-ful cards at Jingle Belles this week.

I started my card with this PEACE Bingo card.  Next I went searching through my doilies ... because clearly a Bingo card needs a doily.

Next I found the scrap of texty packaging (it makes me feel peaceful when I recycle) and an already trimmed piece of burlap paper.  Next in the process was finding a piece of base paper that incorporated both the brighter green of the bingo card and the mintier green of the package ... Basic Grey Juniper Berry papers to the rescue.

Next I added the Lawn Fawn wooden snowflake pieces and a gold *merry christmas* rub-on to my bingo card with a minty green enamel dot in the center.  Then I added the S&H Green Stamps, which always remind me of my Grandma.  She and I used to sit together at the dining room table licking all of those stamps and filling up the books while we solved the world's problems.  Then when it was time for me to go to college, she picked-up all of those books and took me to the S&H Green Stamps store where I picked-out a Black & Decker Iron to take with me to college (that I continued to use for almost 20 years).  Those memories make me happy ... and very peaceful ... remembering how much she loved me and how much I loved spending time with her.

Finishing touch as an All Is Calm sentiment sticker to help tie in the black from the background paper (and add one more peace-ful element).  I really love how this one turned out ... and I loved the creative process.

I hope you'll find peace in your creating this week and come join us.

Let's Be Mermaids

I love the wonderful colors in the May Color Trends Challenge at Ellen Hutson.

I found a piece of designer paper from Basic Grey's Soleil Collection (oh how I miss their papers) that incorporated a lot of the colors, so I turned it into an ocean for my Mermaid's Tail stamps from Essentials by Ellen.  Those flowers reminded me of the scales on the Mermaid Tail.

I added some additional stamps from Essentials by Ellen S'Whale set.

I'll Have My Peeps Call Your Peeps

When I saw the Inspiration Photo at Inspired by All the Little Things, I remembered making little chicks like those a long time ago using punch art.

Turns out it was a very long time ago ... March 2007 to be exact ... and according to my notes, it was my very first attempt at punch art.  Clearly I had not yet discovered my light box, or blogging, or lots of other things I've learned during the past ten years ... but I still think it's a pretty cute card.

So I dusted off my punches and gave this sweet little chick a second try using this week's Mojo Monday Sketch.  

I changed the proportions to make a the head a bit smaller ... folded my paper before cutting the beak for dimension ... tiny black pearls for the eyes ... and I still used a little star punch for the feet.

The nest is made from Stampin' Up's Swirly Bird Dies cut twice from brown paper and rotated 180 degrees when layering.  Papers are from one of Basic Grey's final collections, Barista.  The sentiment is a Tim Holtz sticker that made me snicker.  Love how this one turned out ... so fun to revisit a design from 10 years ago. 

I'm also joining the Easter Fun at the Dies R Us Challenge.