Ingenious Inkling

Fun with Fabric

Today's card is fun with fabric ... I applied fabric stiffener to Red Cordoroy and Denim Fabric.  After they dired, I die cut the circle and large heart for my card.

 

I added a tiny sentiment from Mama Elephant's Mini Messages (love these tiny stamps) and a tiny glitter heart as an accent.

They layout is this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.

 

And the Dies R Us Challenge is to use the Color Red ... I love that the Red Corduroy (and denim) were from my Mother-in-Law ... today would have been her 92nd birthday ... I miss her.

The House that Stamps Built is using Pink and/or Red in their card challenge this week.

 

Mondrian Mandala Birthday

Fellow My Sweet Petunia design team member Susie Wymer (LoveRibbons) is the Featured Stamper at SplitcoastStampers today, so I wanted to participate.

I chose this wonderful card she made with Rina K.'s Mandala Builder Set to inspire my design.  I loved the Mondrian feel of her design.

 

I used my MISTI to stamp out a combination of Squares and Circles from the Mandala Builder Stamp Set with Gina K. Designs Amalgam Ink and then clear embossed.  I tried several times without embossing, but was having a terrible time with bleeding with the paper I used. 

 

I chose 6 markers (2 shades each of blue, red & purple) from my Spectrum Noir Marker set.  I finished with a sentiment from Gina K. Designs Wreath Builder Stamp Set.

 

I'm also joining the Stamping Only Challenge at Seize the Birthday.

 

 

It'll Get Better, In Time

When I saw the current CAS(E) this Sketch!, I thought about a variety of options to go down the side of a card.

 

I decided I wanted to try my new Lace Doily Stencil from A Wonderful Life (which you can buy in the Technique Junkie store with my 10% off code TJ10Stephanie).

 

I like using my MISTI when I stencil to help hold everything in place.  Since i wanted this on the right side of the card, I taped my stencil in place and then put my card upside down in the corner of the MISTI to get the position I wanted.  I used my magic make-up brushes to apply two different shades of orange ink to the stencil.

I need a thinking of you card, so I used a quote from the The Upside Down stamp set by Ink Road Stamps.

 

I used my score board to create my own banner fold before attaching the sentiment with foam tape for dimension.

 

I'll Bolt the Door

My dad is diligently replacing my kitchen faucet (yay me), so I'm stealing some studio time (since he convinced me it is a one man project under the sink).

I started with this week's SplitcoastStampers Inspiration Challenge, which comes from one of my favorite stores ... The Paper Source.  I chose this lovely Book Club Invitation as my Inspiration.

 

I also took my color & card layout inspiration from this lovely book cover from Absolute Beginners at The Library Challenge.

 

I started with STAMPlorations Good Books & Coffee Stamped in India Ink with my MISTI (which makes CAS cards a piece of cake).  Then I used my Zig Art Twin Markers to color my image using the colors from the book cover.

 

I'm also joining the B is for Book Challenge at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers with a fun quote from J. D. Salinger.

 

 

I'm also joining the STAMPlorations January CAS Challenge (although I passed on the twist this month).

 

Baguettes

Saturday night seems like the right time to hang out with Ink Road Stamps (well, really there's no wrong time).  I used their Are You Serious Clark? stamps for the current Color Throwdown and this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

I combined three different washi tapes for the elements in the sketch.

 

I'm also joining the January Christmas Card Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

 

Quick Holiday Thank You Cards

With each Ellen Hutson Order, she include a lovely hand-colored Thank You (don't judge me ... I order a lot ... she is my favorite store). 

If possible, I trim off her signature (if you're reading this Ellen, move your signature about 1/4" lower), so I can re-purpose the lovely little designs into cards.  Today as I needed a few holiday thank you cards, my little stack was the perfect solution.

I started with a basic layout, pre-made card bases, and simple embossed panels for texture.  For this one I combined the Cross-Stitched Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions with the cute little Elf on the Shelf from Essentials by Ellen (which has since retired).  I added some tiny blue bling to the snowflakes.

 

I've been saving this cute little Essentials by Ellen Otter for a while now.  I trimmed down an Argyle embossed panel from my stash that I had sprayed with Vivid Volt Shimming Bliss Spray (don't tell the other colors, but I think this spray is my favorite ... and remember with my code TJ10Stephanie you get 10% off the entire Technique Junkies Store).

 

Next is the most recent thank you (I have quite a few of these) ... featuring images from Essentials by Ellen Mountain Holiday.  I love how the grey cardstock looks embossed with Taylored Expressions Nordic Holiday embossing folder.

 

Next-up is this adorable Raccoon from Brandi Kincaid's Essentials by Ellen Tree Farm Set.

Don't your adore the striped pajamas from Essentials by Ellen Light Parade, also from Brandi Kincaid.

 

And we end (as the song does) with a retired Partridge in a Pear Tree (okay not exactly in the pear tree ... more like sneaking off with a pear ... but I did use the Taylored Expression Leafy Vine Embossing Folder for a tree-like feel).

 

Thanks Ellen for the care & art you include with each order (and your super-fast shipping).

Holly Holidays

The challenge at CASology is ...

 

My parents have a large holly bush next to the front door at our home ... here's a picture of it during one of the ice storms that I do NOT miss since moving north ... give me snow any day.

 

I punched my holly leaves from a leftover piece of alcohol ink paper ... I love the subtle variation in the color.  I used deep red gems for the berries.

 

Sentiment is from Impression Obsession's Holiday Words for their Holiday Greetings Challenge.

 

R is for Rude Christmas

Yes ... that's the theme at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers ... so if rude is not your thing ... please move right along.

 

I've got lots of new Ink Road Stamps in the house ... including Are You Serious, Clark? so I had to ink it up.  It's not quite the same green as the Griswold Family Truckster, but I think you get the picture.

 

And while I was at it, I made a second card using The Ink Road Stamps Happy Holla Days ... I used a little cotton ball for the pom pom on his hat.

 

5 Favorite Christmas Cards - 2018

Since Lauren & I started Jingle Belles in 2010, I've been recapping my five favorite Christmas cards of the year (you can find 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, & 2017 here) ... I always enjoy revisiting my creations for the year.

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Layering Holiday Style Stamps from Sunny Stamps for the My Sweet Petunia (MISTI) Blog.  I had fun figuring out the color combination to achieve golden bells (a lot of people had figured out silver, but I couldn't find anyone who had done them in gold).  with my MISTI, the end result was perfection ... oh the magic of stamping.

2.  This was a simple card using Christmas Washi Tape and landscape dies, but the end results was so clean and classy ... I want to make lots of these.  Just proof that a card doesn't have to be complicated to be a favorite.

3. I always love making Christmas Tags ... this one for Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas really popped with the unexpected inspired colors for my bright purple poinsettia with the vibrant green.

 

4.  This card for the Technique Junkies Design Team Blog was special because I seldom color cards.  For this one, I colored the entire background (over several days) using my Spectrum Noir Markers.  The original intention was to do a little spotlight coloring, but I was having so much fun I ended-up coloring it all ... a very relaxing and meditative process.

 

5.  This Glue-As-I-Go Collage I made for Jingle Belles was so fun ... and the end result combines Vintage Sheet Music, Ideals Magazines (that always remind me of my Gran) and stamps from grocery store reward programs (which remind me of my other Grandma and filling in all of those books to redeem).  Nothing like great memories to make a card a favorite.

 

As always, hard to pick favorites, but fun re-visiting all the holiday cards I made (and gave) this year.  Remember, if you'd like to have lots of holiday cards ready when December rolls around, you can join us for our 9th year of Jingle Belles Mayhem beginning January 1st.

 

Craft Table Clean-Up

This morning, my craft tables were so covered an product leftovers that I had to take a break from creating and do some serious clean-up. 

I challenged myself to see if I could make a few simple cards (I didn't want to get distracted from the task at hand) with products that were already stamped and/or die cut on my table.  Here were the results.

 

A scrap of Gel Press Print, two trimmed Shimmering Bliss end pieces, and a Gina K. Designs Stitched Circle die cut.  I added the deer from the Hero Arts Clear Deer Set that was on the table and finished with a few stray gems.  I chose the deer for the More Than Words Merry Mini-Challenge.

 

I'm also linking-up at the Christmas Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Next I used one of the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Film Strip Die Cuts together with stamps from Essentials By Ellen Bear Ware 2 and Lil' Inker Snarky Sentiments.

 

And while Essentials by Ellen Bear Ware 2 was out, I stamped a second card on a pre-folded kraft card base for the Christmas Tree Challenge at the Allsorts Challenge Blog.

 

My inspiration is also from the If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Blog.

 

Mission Accomplished ... tables cleaned & scraps put to good use.