Ingenious Inkling

Booya

I had so much fun with the AAA Cards Challenge yesterday, I decided to pull out some stamps and make a few more.  Limiting your design space to one corner makes you be more succinct with your designs.

 

 

I also decided to join the Less is More One Layer Autumnal Challenge.

 

I used CZ Design HollaWeen stamps from Simon Says Stamp that released in 2017, so I'm also linking-up at Retro Rubber Stamp Challenge.

 

 

Here's my first one ... I couldn't resist adding a witch's hat to my ghostie.

 

 

I'm also joining the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge (who is paired with the Double Trouble Challenges Halloween Cuteness) for some Halloween Fun.

 

 

For the second one I swapped out for more sentiments from the same set.

 

 

 

Now time to get these Halloween cards in the mail.

Boo!

This week's theme at AAA Cards Clean & Simple Challenges is one corner with an optional theme of Boo!

 

 

I had these spooky cute mummy stickers on my table with some Tim Holtz Stickers, so I put this one together quickly on some pitch black cardstock.

 

 

And then when I saw these sticker sentiments on the sheet, I couldn't resist pulling out some Halloween eye ball stickers for the remainder of my cardstock.

 

 

How perfect are those pink eyelids ... Boo!

I'm also joining CAS on Friday where the theme is Halloween and Addicted to CAS where the code word is Spooky.

 

Your Friendship Means the World to Me

The October Stock Your Stash Challenge at Reverse Confetti is Friendship/Thanksgiving.

 

 

I went with a Friendship Theme using the Colors from the TGIF Color Challenge.

 

 

I stamped several circles from Reverse Confetti Background Builder in Blackberry Bliss on a Vanilla card base.

 

 

Next I added a sentiment from Reverse Confetti A Friend Like You and the flowers from Reverse Confetti Beautiful Memories in black ink.

I'm also linking-up at the CAS on Friday Challenge where the theme is Circles.

 

 

And the October Challenge theme at Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge is a One Layer Card.

Cardstock Christmas

For the next prompt at Jingle Belles, we're asking you to step away from the designer paper … yes, put it away … none allowed … not even a scrap … because the next prompt is to create a card using only CARDSTOCK.

You can tear it, ink it, stamp it, spray it, emboss it … but stick to only cardstock for your holiday card design.

When I thought of cardstock ideas, my memories took me back to the first innovative cardstock product I remembered - Core'dinations and the magic of embossing it. I made some card samples for them way way way back in the day, so I knew somewhere I still had quite a stash of their paper (and I actually remembered where I had it stashed ... a crafty miracle).

 

 

I chose the blue cardstock and embossed it with the Echo Park Mini Triangles embossing folder that reminded me of tiny Christmas Trees and then got out my nail file and sanded away to reveal the light blue Core'dinations core.  Next I sprayed the cardstock with shimmer spray and splattered with white acrylic ink to bring in a snowy effect. 

I die cut my STAMPlorations Merry Christmas Sentiment from the same blue cardstock, but the contrast didn't work ... I tried a lighter blue, which didn't seem to work either ... but when I combined the two to create a drop shadow ... Voila!. 

 

 

After gluing them together, I added some more shimmer spray.  My choice of the blue color palette and clean & simple design was inspired by the Less is More Shades of Blue Challenge.

 

Minty Modern Summer of Stamping

I am loving the designs & new releases in Ellen Hutson's Summer of Stamping.  When I saw these amazing cards created by my very first card crush (JulieHRR clear back in 2006) Julie Ebersole, I knew I had to make those designs my own.

 

 

I decided to use the wonderful summery Minty August Elemental Challenge from Daring Cardmakers to inspire my designs.  I used the colors, the popsicle shape which looks like the fingernails, typewriter text, & the circles from the nail polish & paint lid in my designs.

 

I used Catherine Pooler Mint to Be, In the Park and Twilight for my ink colors with a pop of Gina K. Designs Amalgam Black.

My first card used shapes from the new Essentials by Ellen Stay Cool Stamp set by Julee together with a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Besties by Julee.

 

 

I'm also linking-up this card at AAA Cards = Two Quarters with an Optional Twist of Favourite Colors (I took my half right out of the middle).

 

Next up is a second card with stamps from the same combination ... I thought the shapes I stamped reminded me of my version of Nerf Bullets.

 

 

Then as I was trying different stamp combinations, I pulled out images from Essentials by Ellen Organic Elements by Julee (the three wonky lines) to add to the mix.

 

 

This card I'm linking-up at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers F is for F words - because Friendship is the best F word.

 

 

And my final card uses stamps from all three sets.

 

 

This last one is for the Little Red Wagon Just Because Card Challenge.

I had so much fun playing with these modern designs, I know I'll be doing it again with other fun color combinations. 

Thanks so much Julee for designing great stamp sets & inspiring me for over 15 years ... and to Ellen for an amazing Summer of Stamping #ebesummerofstamping.  You are both da' bomb.

Sentiment Strip Sympathy

The current Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is to use Sentiment Strips in your card design.

 

 

Unfortunately, I needed to restock my sympathy card stash, so that was my focus today.  I started with the silhouette blooms from Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouettes.  

 

For the first one I used sentiment strips from Gina K. Designs Spring Tulips Mini and Layered Eucalyptus Mini.  Since the Layered Eucalyptus is from September 2019, I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog.

 

Since the flowers were already on my MISTI, I stamped them in several colors for easy multi-card making.

 

 

These sentiments are from the Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouettes and Spring Tulips Mini.

 

I love how classic these designs are in the different palettes.  I'm linking the final one up at the Summertime Blues Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

A Christmas Story

We're still celebrating cards inspired by Christmas Movies or Books at Jingle Belles this week.

 

 

I went with the classic - A Christmas Story (am I the only one who says Fra-gee-lee) every time I get something marked Fragile in the mail.

 

 

Stamps are from Leg Lamp by The Ink Road.

 

 

Also joining the Heart 2 Heart Challenge where the theme is Christmas in July.

A Christmas Story

This week at Jingle Belles we're asking you to create a card inspired by the many holiday books or movies that we all adored in childhood (and likely still adore them today).

So whether you love “A Christmas Carol”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “It's a Wonderful Life” we're asking you to create a card inspired by your favorite holiday book or movie.

I started with a holiday movie classic - Christmas Vacation - and a classic line from Chevy Chase (the less appropriate following line is on the inside of the card).

 

The stamp from The Ink Road Are You Serious Clark? is in Catherine Pooler Deck the Halls ink on a kraft card base and added a glittery Peel-off from Love from Lizi.

 

 

I'm also joining the Christmas in July Challenge at Less is More.

 

 

And its all about occasions at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

 

And it's another Get Cracking on Christmas with Jenn Shurkus.

Clean & Simple Critters

Somehow I managed to lose my entire container of Brayers somewhere in my studio.  I packed them up a week before vacation, so I would have them to take along, and then subsequently lost them.  This loss has led to a massive scavenger hunt through my studio, which has led to the discovery my many things (like the adorable Doodlebug Fall Friends Critter Stickers I used on my card), but so far still no Brayers.

I wanted to use some of the cool gel press prints and roll-offs that I made last weekend in my card, so I chose the AAA Cards Critter + Sketch Challenge to inspire my design.

 

 

I used one of my Alcohol Ink Prints from last weekend along the top and one of my alcohol ink roll-off papers for the grass landscape inside my circles (cleaning my alcohol ink covered brayer using blending solution and rolling it onto paper produces the coolest effect).

 

 

I created my little Critter scene using mushrooms, a ladybug, a birdie and two little bees from Doodlebug Fall Friends stickers.

I finished with an Graphic 45 Birdwatcher Border Sticker and a typed sentiment from Taylored Expressions Sketchbook Florals.

Ombre Food Adventure

This week's Waffle Flower Challenge is Travel Around the World.

 

 

For me travel is almost always (at least in part) about the food, so I chose three images from the Waffle Flower Food Adventure Set that are foods my Sister and I love to share when we travel (because even though I recently spent a week with her, I miss her already).

 

 

I added a sentiment from Waffle Flower Sisterhood and stamped them both in ombre shades of yellow/gold for the Addicted to CAS Ombre Challenge.

 

 

Sisters ... nothing better than food-loving sisters.