Ingenious Inkling

Smooshed Floral Cluster

When I saw the September Sketch Challenge at PinkFresh Studio, I immediately thought about doing a spotlight with one of their beautiful floral stamps ... I chose Floral Cluster.

I stamped it twice in Archival Ink and then Ink Smooshed around the edges of one using Acetate with Shabby Shutters and Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Ink.  I stamped a second time smooshing the flowers in the center with Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber Distress ink ... then after it dried I added a bit more Fossilized Amber Distress ink for more pop of yellow.

 

 

I die cut a circle from the yellow image and mounted it in the center with foam tape.   I added a scattering of yellow pearls and finished with a sentiment from PinkFresh Studio My Favorite Things to Say.

 

 

Since the Floral Cluster is at least from June 2019, I'm also linking-up at the Yellow & Green Challenge at Retro Rubber.

 

 

I'm also joining the new Color Hues Color Challenge, who are also doing Yellow & Green.

 

It's Just Another Mojo Monday

When I saw Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch, I knew I could make it work with the items scattered on my Studio Table ... I do love circles & banner flags.

The background is a Gel Press Print using the Michelle Ward Downtown NYC Map Stencil, found only at The Ink Pad in NYC (and thankfully can also be purchased in their online store).  It's a nice large stencil, so you can use parts of it like I did on my card.

 

Next I silver heat-embossed the Michelle Ward's Mini Manhole Cover stamps (also found only at The Ink Pad) as well as the arrow stamp from the same set to use as my sketch banner.  With my embossing, I'm joining the Embossing Challenge at the My Time to Craft Challenge Blog.

 

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I punched my circles from a vintage Popular Science Magazine from March 1949 and assembled my card adding lots of gems. 

Finally, my circle punched sentiment is from a newly discovered line of stamps at The Ink Pad called Everyday Explorers Co.  This sentiment is from a set called Small Victories ... aren't those so important these days.

I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at The Corrosive Challenge Blog & the Anything Goes Stamp It! Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Howl at the Moon

The current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge #staycraftywithHero is to watch a Card a Day with Hero Arts video at Creativebug and make a card inspired by it.  I chose Day 16 - Color Layering because I knew I had several Hero Arts Color Layering sets in my stash that had yet to see ink.

 

I bought this Hero Arts Color Layering Howling Wolf Stamp Set and Die because my sister loves wolves.  I used several of the tips from the video including using a die template in my MISTI to position my stamps and dies for the various layers.  For my Wolf I used Sand, Watering Can & Onyx Black for my layers.

 

I tried several color combinations for my moon, but finally settled on another tip Libby gave, which is just to use only the detail layer of the stamp (on a lighert grey cardstock).   After stamping, I used a brush to add some golden ink to the edges for a little moonlight glow.  The sentiment is from the same set.

I used my new Cloud Edger Stencil with Watering Can Ink to create both the ground and the sky (love it) and then attached the wolf and moon with foam tape.

Jaded Blossom August Sneak Day 5 Blog Hop: I Love the 80's

Today is release day at Jaded Blossom.  Welcome to Jaded Blossom's August Stamp Release Blog Hop.  Now if you're here from Paper Crafts by Candace you're in the right place, if you're just passing through start at the beginning because you don't want to miss a thing.  I also have the complete line up at the bottom.

For my final project of the week, I started by decorating the Jaded Blossom Wine Tag Die.  I stamped the fabulous larger Rainbow Doodle Stamp multiple times on a piece of watercolor paper using my Memory MISTI and Versafine Black Ink until I covered the paper.  I used the smaller star & flower stamps to fill in any blank spaces.

 

 

Then I die cut my Wine Tag Die from Black Cardstock with the inside pieces die cut from my stamped paper.

 

 

 

I love the outline on the Jaded Blossom Rainbow Die that allows you to fit your different colors inside the frame.  I continued using my fun 80's Neon colors and die-cut my rainbow from all four Neon Colors and a fifth time from Grey Card Stock for the frame (to have a bit of contrast with the black).

 

 

Next I die cut the clouds from white felt for some fuzzy texture ... and then I finished with the big bold Be Happy sentiment from the set.

I used the same rainbow die to make my coordinating card, this time die cutting the frame out of black for contrast against a background that I painted.

 

 

I used another puffy felt die cut Cloud and a sentiment from the Pump Up the Jam Stamp Set.

 

 

I created one more bonus card for today's blog hop using the Glasses Dies from Yellow Glitter Paper.  I used the three Star Glasses for my card.

 

 

I put a star Sticker inside one of the lenses and finished with what I thought was the perfect sentiment from Pump Up the Jam.

 

And of course we have to have a deal for you right? This weekend only you can get the entire release package for $109.99

 

Regular Price for the Release Package is $117.99

 

 Free 4x6 stamp set for customers that spend over $40 before tax and shipping! FREEBIE is only available until Sunday 8/9, 11:59pm pst. 80's ICONS

 

 

 

BLOG CANDY

 

 

Customer Treat

 

 

One Lucky Winner will get to pick a stamp set of their choice!

Just leave a comment on all the blogs along the hop!

The more blogs you comment on the more chances you have to win!

 

 

Now on to the HOP ...

 

 

Next up is Cindy's Scraptastic Designs

 

Just in case you get lost here is the Entire Line Up:

 

Candace

Stephanie <<----------- YOU ARE HERE

Cindy
Rosemary
Marcia
Lee-Ann

Nicole

Mel
Larelyn

Jamie
Michelle

 

 

Jaded Blossom August Sneak Day 4: I Love the 80's

I'm back as the August Guest Designer for Jaded Blossom with Day 4 of the Sneak Peaks for the I Love the 80's release.

For today's project, I started by Die Cutting the Jaded Blossom Wine Tag Die from Pink card stock.  Next I created paper using the 80's Stencil and Poppin Pink Glitz Glitter Gel.

 

 

Next I used a circle punch to make the circle opening slightly larger, so I could fit it over a Snapple Strawberry Lemonade Bottle (because Wine Toppers aren't just fun for wine). 

 

 

I stamped images from the 80's Icon set (how fun are all of those little faces ... I added one to my Mix Tape) and a sentiment from the Love the 80's Stamp Set.

 

 

 

For my coordinating card I used the 80's Stencil again ... this time with Neon Orange Glow Glitz Glitter Gel on White Card Stock.

 

 

I used the Boom Box from the 80's Icon set with another one of those fun faces.  Sentiment is from the Pump Up the Jam Stamp Set.

 

 

My card is also perfect for Tic Tac Toe at Seize the Birthday with vertical down the right - one image, monochromatic & stencil

 

 

 

What a super-fun glittery birthday gift set for a an 80's friend.

Button, Button ... Who's got the Button?

The theme at the Retro Rubber Challenge is to make a card with buttons ... I can't even remember the last time I used a button on a card.  I keep my buttons in a vintage Ball Jar because that's where my grandma kept hers.  When I was a kid, she would let me pour them out and play with them.  I would organize by color, size ... stack them.  Such wonderful memories of hanging out with her while she was sewing, embroidering or crocheting.  

 

When I poured out my buttons, the first to come out were this sextet of rainbow buttons, so that's what I decided to use.

 

 

I need masculine birthday cards (I know ... a broken record ... I always need them ... I think I need to make myself only buy masculine stamps for a month or two). 

I stamped the Darkroom Door Golfer in Green (this stamp is from 2015, so plenty Retro) and paired it with rainbow polka dots using this week's Mojo Monday Sketch.

 

 

I put little puffy stickers in the center of my buttons (they reminded me of golf balls) and finished with a coordinating Happy Birthday sticker.

 

I'm also linking-up at Seize the Birthday with my Non-Neutral Card Base.

Independence Day

I found a few sets of 4th of July stickers when I was cleaning out last week, so I decided to make a few cards today.  I keep all of my red, white and blue (or ivory, white and blue) paper collections in a 12" container, so I can pull them out this time of year.  It's amazing how they are all paper collections for the same holiday ... but how the colors are all so slightly different that they don't always work together very well.

For the first one I used a sketch from Crazy for Challenges.

I combined three different papers, a journaling cards and several of the stickers I found on my cleaning binge.

 

 

The next one I turned into a birthday card for my stash using the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

 

The sentiment is a vintage Happy Birthday woodblock stamp from Hero Arts.

 

 

The third one used the rest of the polka dot paper together with pieces cut from another paper in the stack and an Independence Day sticker.

 

I took my inspiration for all of the layers from the table setting in The Card Concept.

 

I finished with some glittery star stickers and a few wraps of soft nubby yarn ...  and then I got them into the mail.  I wish I was seeing people in person for the long holiday weekend ... but hugs across the miles with have to do this year.

Paper Weaving

It's the final day of Spring Card Camp, and when I realized that I had the same feeling I used to have on the last day of Summer Camp ... a sadness that it was over and that I wouldn't be hanging out with my friends having fun every day. 

It's been so fun learning so many new techniques and trying new things with all of my existing supplies.  I want to take more time and go back and re-visit many of them and see what else I can make.  Huge thank you to Jennifer and Kristina for the inspiration and the jump start that my creative spirit needed.

Today's technique was paper weaving.  I had the scrap of sprayed paper paper leftover from these two cards (Fusion & Hexagons) that I was just able to get enough strips cut to weave.  I love how the weaving was all done from the back, so I had no idea what the front was going to look like until I turned it over.

 

The randomness of the purples and blues was just what I was hoping for.  I tried a variety of word dies like they used in the samples, but I felt like they covered up too much of my gorgeous paper, so in the end, I went with some 3-D paper stickers from my stash that I thought coordinated perfectly and brought out the subtle pinks and blues from the sprayed paper.  The colors in the paper really reminded me of the pinks, purples and blues of my Grandma's hydrangeas.

 

A bonus holiday in my studio today ... While I have missed eating out and really enjoying the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood during quarantine, I have relished all of the extra studio and creative time.  My card stash is box is bulging, so it's time to get some more cards in the mail.

Must Try Mono-Printing - Round 2

I had so much fun Monoprinting with Acrylic Stamps this morning with the Spring Card Camp class this morning, I did a second round combining three more Distress Oxide Colors (Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord & Festive Berries), which produced a gorgeous raspberry like hue on my palette.

The color on my first Monoprint was deep and rich using the leaves from Paper Smooches Botanicals 3. 

Since the theme at the current Paper Smooches Challenge is Thank You cards, I used the Thanks from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler wrapped with some raspberry twine.

 

As anyone knows who does monoprinting, if there is any ink left on your pallet, you try to pull what is often referred to as a ghost print, which is what I did for my next card.

 

This one used the Sketch from The Paper Players.

 

And my final card was my stamped piece of cardstock from the ink that I picked-up off the plate during the monoprint creation process.

 

This one was the Sketch Saturday Layout.

 

Seriously ... so so much fun, I think I may go try it again to make some card's for Amy's Spring Coffee Hop.

Born to Stand Out.

When I see a cute set of children's flash cards, I can't resist buying them.  Flash cards hold fond memories for me ... one of my earliest memories is a plane trip with my Grandma to Texas and the two of us passing the time on the flight learning with flash cards.  She always helped me learn ... and she always made learning fun.

 

I always think they would be cute to use on cards ... and when I saw today's CAS(E) this Sketch!, I knew it would be perfect to feature a few ... I took my inspiration from cards that Chris Dayton has been sharing using vintage Winnie the Pooh stamps in the Stamp Junkies Group on Facebook (if you haven't joined, please do ... so much inspiration).

 

The strip of paper covered the learning word on the flash card and I used the sentiment from Ellen Hutson Pure Magic for the Circle Element on the Sketch Design.  

 

For Tigger, I used another Ellen Hutson Pure Magic Sentiment and a Butterfly embellishment for the circle element ... how do you not smile if that arrives in the mail for you.

These cards were so fun to make ... and brought back such happy memories.  Remember, there are products other than standard cardmaking supplies that can be used to make fun cards.