Ingenious Inkling

Paris Pastel Birthday

The April #TEMakerChallenge is all about the pastel hues of the Taylored Expressions Color Combination Paris.

 

 

I used all four colors with the Taylored Expressions Gifted Background & Coordinating Stencil (I was able to quickly make 4 of these cards ... love that about these products).

 

 

Sentiment is from Taylored Expressions Simple Stripes - Birthday.  I'm also incorporated B is for Boxes & Birthday for the #TEMakerChallenge.

 

 

Since these products are from September 2019, I'm also joining the Retro Rubber Pastel? Yes Pastels! Color Challenge.

 

 

I'm also linking-up at The Paper Players Challenge for a Clean & Simple Birthday.

 

Kaleidoscope Ink Blending

I had a few leftovers from Saturday's Stamp Joy that were too pretty not to turn into more cards.

The first one was an OOPS from the final card ... as you can see at the bottom left, I accidentally dipped my Lemon Meringue blender brush into the Fruit Punch Ink by not following the instructions of only  have one ink pad open at a time.  Thankfully I caught it immediately and didn't ruin my mask (which you'll see in the next card).

 

But it was so pretty how the ink faded into the white, I thought it was perfect for the Less is More CAS Inking Challenge.

 

 

I added a birthday sentiment from Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Birthday for the Addicted to CAS Code Word Birthday Challenge.  It took all the effort within me not to add some bling to this design.

 

 

Next I used a technique I learned at Stamp Joy several years ago ... offset cover-plate shadowing by cutting a second cover plate from black cardstock ... with the Kaleidoscope Cover Plate Die cut we used as an ink blending mas for one of Saturday's cards (I loved that you can overlap 4 colors of ink to create the full rainbow).

 

 

I used a sentiment and the coordinating dies from our exclusive set and added some Iridescent Drip Drops to finish the design.

Long Distance Hug

Missing my friends and family tonight ... so I made a card to send some love through the mail using this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge.

 

 

I combined stamps from My Favorite Things Miss Your Hugs and Essential Sentiments.

I'm also joining the Slimline Card Challenge at The House That Stamps Built.

 

And with my Long Distance Hugs, I'm joining the Long Challenge at CASology.

 

 

The Rainbow Connection

I'm enjoying the Crop & Create Card Making Event this weekend, and Friday night we got to make a card with Cathy Zielske and an exclusive stamp & die cut set we received.

I learned several tips and tricks that I'll be using again including the joy of including pink in your rainbow color palette (swapped it for Indigo).

 

 

I also adored the effect of added dimension for the clouds ... and of course I had to add some bling to finish the design.

I'm linking-up at The Rainbow Connection Challenge at Shopping Our Stash.

You are Enough

I am lucky enough to get my hands on the new Beautiful Courage stamp set from STAMPlorations designed by my talented friend Becca Cruger.

 

I thought it would be the perfect stamp set for the current Color Hues Challenge Black & White.

 

 

I used the layout from Freshly Made Sketches with two different designer papers from Honey Bee Stamps Back to Basics for the Simon Says Stamp Use 2 or More Designer Papers Challenge.

 

I just love those sentiments.

 

From Our House to Yours

When I saw this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch, I knew it would be perfect for the rest of the American Crafts House Inchies I made earlier today.

 

I dusted off my Heffy Doodle Slimline Trio Dies for my layout with the colors from the TGIF Challenges.

 

I found the perfect sentiment from my Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Christmas.

Incredible Inchies

Do you ever sit down to make a card for a challenge ... and realize when you are finished, you didn't quite read all of the challenge? (oh, maybe it's only me).  I read the challenge box, and I looked at the Design Team cards, and then went off to create. 

When I started writing my post, I read the fine print that several of the design team members had not complied with the challenge terms, and therefore, since I followed their lead, I didn't either.  

 

 

In the pre-MISTI days of only wood mounted stamps, I was obsessed with tiny images and tiny sentiments, so I thought it would be fun to go through my wood mounted drawers and pull some of them out to play.  I used Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink on a heavy white cardstock.  I used a 1" punch for my inchie square.

 

 

Thankfully one of my cards complied with the sentiment inside the inchie (and not below), so that is the one I'll link-up.  I used the super-dark Hero Arts Pitch Black Cardstock from for my card bases because I loved the contrast.

 

 

This is a favorite vintage Stampin' Up image and sentiment from 2004.  I'm also linking-up at the Retro Rubber Challenge Tic-Tac-Toe because I think this would be perfect for a little boy's first birthday gift.  Mine is vertical down the left side with Birthday, Neutrals & a Punch.

 

 

I'm also joining the Less is More Baby Challenge.

 

 

Since I cut up that cardstock into four card fronts, I made a total of four little inchie cards from my punched images (I will likely make more later since they are so easy & fun).

 

That adorable gnomie is from NikoArt in 2008.  I paired it with a sentiment from Catslife Press, one of the best places to get tiny sentiments.  I used the fine tips of my Graph'IT Markers to color my image.

 

The little house is from a set of four wood mounted Houses stamps from American Crafts.  I added a bit of red marker to the heart and paired it with a vintage A Muse Sentiment.

 

The final one features a bride and groom from a 2002 Wood Mounted Hero Arts set of wedding images called Wedding Celebration.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up in 2006.

I had a lot of fun re-visiting these old stamps ... and the style of a lot of my first cards.

Wild Birthday

After my failure to achieve a Clean & Simple card yesterday, I decided to go back to the Studio Table and try again to make a card for The Paper Players Feline Fine Challenge.

 

 

I also combined it with the AAA Cards Sketch Challenge with an Optional Twist to add Watercolor.  My card was particularly inspired by Melissa's card where she stamped on a framed watercolored background.

 

 

I started with a watercolored background in shades of golds and browns made by watercoloring with Karin Brush Markers.  I die cut my square using the Essentials by Ellen Essentials Squares Die Cuts.  I cut a second one using a coordinating mushroom grey-brown cardstock.  I thought the wonky frames worked with my drunk cat.

 

 

My sentiment is from Taylored Expressions Life of the Party stamped in black archival ink.  The partying kitty is from Taylored Expressions Cattitude.   I used my Faber Castell Polochromos Pencils to add green to the olive and pink to the tongue, nose and ears on my cat.  I'm also linking-up at the February #TEMakerChallenge since I used two of the three elements - Cat starts with C and Watercoloring.

This is the AAA Sketch.

 

 

Cute Foxes

The Fox Challenge at CASology was the perfect opportunity to feature some Cute Foxes Stickers from {a vintage girl} & her daughter.  Remember my Discount Code SMILYNSTEF gets you 15% off your order.

 

 

I thought the two cuties with the balloons would be perfect for a birthday card using the Sketch Layout from the Fab Friday Challenge Blog.  I kept my images to the right side of the card to leave lots of white space on the left.

 

I pulled out a vintage wood mounted A Muse Happy Birthday! and paired it with a sticker sentiment from Typewriter Phrases.

 

 

I'm also joining the Global Design Project where the theme is Animals.

 

 

Gel Press Birthday

When I saw the AAA Birthday Challenge to use a LARGE sentiment, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to break out one of my favorite die cuts.

 

 

I chose a purple and blue Gel Press Print for the Die-Versions Solo Sentiments Happy Birthday Die.

 

 

I paired it with a sentiment stamp from My Favorite Things More Essential Sentiments.

I'm also playing Tic Tac Toe with the Paper Craft Crew (Birthday Celebration; Die or Punch; Feminine).

 

I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at Dies R Us Challenge.