Ingenious Inkling

You Rock

The newest Global Design Project is a challenge to CASE the Designer.

 

 

I used Ardyth's LIMES method to plan my design.  

 

 

I included the main circle focal image, other elements off the edges of the circle, thread under the sentiment, a scattering of gems and a celestial theme.  I excluded the moon, rectangle sentiment & splattered background. 

My spin was to change the color palette, use another circle for the sentiment, change from white to gold thread, swap the clouds for stars, and used my own Dylusions Shimmer Paint smooshed background from my stash.

 

 

The sentiment is from Concord & 9th Greatest Hits.

I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at Use Your Stuff.

(It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus

Day 7 of Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas is - (It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus with Heather Meeson)

 

 

I loved Heather's Ho Ho Ho Shaker Tag, which is also perfect for the Shake It Up Challenge at Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero.

 

 

I used Spellbinders Die-Lites Jolly Ho Ho Ho with Concord & 9th Tutu Glitter paper.

 

 

True with the song lyrics, I added the Santa from Hero Arts Merry Christmas Santa & Reindeer.  I filled my shaker with sequins and finished with a bright blue ribbon to coordinate.

I'm also linking-up at the Simon Says: Add Sparkle Challenge.

 

 

I also made a tic tac toe across the center for the Papercraft Crew Tic Tac Toe Challenge with Circles (from my O's), Die Cuts & Ribbon.

Holly and Ivy

The newest Shopping Our Stash Challenge is Holly and Ivy - create a card using Christmas plants and greenery (trees, boughs, poinsettias, mistletoe, etc.)

 

 

I went shopping in my stash and found a package of Idea-ology Pocket Cards Christmas that were filled with greenery.  I felt in love with the one featuring sea glass & black with a single pine branch, so I built my card around it.

 

 

I used one of the plaid pocket cards (I love that they are two-sided) and some Concord & 9th Sea Glass Cardstock for my layers.  I added a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Christmas Label Sticker for my sentiment and then shopped my drawer of washi tape adding three of them to finish the design (I really love the December 25th tape in Sea Glass).

Happiest of Birthdays

When I saw the pillow inspiration at the Color Throwdown Challenge, I thought I could build an entire boy's bedroom around those pillow.

 

 

I chose Catherine Pooler Dress Blues & Twilight with Concord & 9th Stardust (there is really no ink color like that one and I thought it matched perfect).

I paired it with this week's Freshly Made Sketch where I knew I wanted to stamp the vertical line elements of the design.  I used Avery Elle Brushed Stamp, rotating the middle one.

 

 

For the vertical sentiment, I ombre-inked Avery Elle Cake & Candles.  I finished with some Concord & 9th Stardust enamel dots.

 

Stardust Meadow Stocking

I took a more literal approach for my inspired Jingle Belles card this week ... here's the inspiration photo from French Knot:

 

 

I used the brick and blue wall and took my inspiration from stocking #5 - Meadow Stocking.

 

 

I embossed a piece of Craft Consortium Essential Metal Texture paper with a Sizzix Brick Embossing Folder and then inked with Rust & Brown ink to bring out the texture.  I matted it on a blue that reminded me of the wall.

Next I hand-cut my stocking from Concord & 9th Stardust Cardstock, which I thought was the perfect hue.  I decorated it with an Eyelet Outlet Swirl Flourish and added some pink flowers.

 

 

I pulled out some Pink Pom Poms for the dangling decoration and added a loop of Stardust hues ribbon to hand it.  I finished with some Tim Holtz Christmas Sticker sentiments attached with foam tape.  I just love the unexpected color combination.

 

You can also Get Cracking on Christmas, another year-long Christmas Card prompt.

We hope you'll find inspiration too and join us.

Squeeze You

Today I'm joining the Kraft+ Challenge where the theme is Inspired by Fruit.

 

 

I started with my favorite speckled kraft cardstock and added three oranges and a sentiment from Concord & 9th Orange You Sweet.

 

 

I finished with some hearts and some colored pencil highlights.

 

 

These stamps are from at least as far back as June 2017, so with my three hearts & sweet sentiment, I'm also linking-up at the Love, Love, Love Challenge at Retro Rubber Stamps.

 

 

And a squeeze is an expression of affection for CASology Challenge.

Gel Press Layered Leaves

Today's ABC's of Gel Printing theme is L is for Layers.  Layers are one of the most amazing techniques to me with the Gel Press.  It makes you think differently about building your design.  I decided to use the colors from the The Card Concept for my layers (my raspberry turned out a bit darker, but I think you can see the hues).

 

 

I started with the lightest shade (the golden yellow) and built to the darker hue.  I decided to just ink part of my 5" x 7" Gel Press (it's stained yellow from ink) and use a polka dot foam stamp I found at the used art product store.  I also got a bit of left-over green from the plate.

 

Next I moved to the green with a big Donna Downey Foam Stamp from Prima.

 

 

I layered on the rosy burgundy by inking the sides of my plate and using a torn piece of paper to pick up the paint before pulling the print.

 

 

Last layer was to add the purple with a Julie Balzer Stencil from The Crafter's Workshop (I picked up the paint from the plate and then stamped on the paper with the painted stencil.  I did a full pull on the plate (which you'll see on the card), and then did a clean-up pull with my layered piece.

I won't lie ... I loved how it turned out.

 

 

Next I used Concord and 9th thankful Leaves Turnabout dies to cut some maple leaves from my print.  I used the rest of the bits to punch and die cut some smaller leaves.

 

 

Finally, I used the sketch from the TGIF Challenges to create my card - Mixed Media is my card style. 

That Purple print I mentioned is the background for the leaves.

 

Isn't it fun how these colors pop.

 

Fall is my favorite season and I'm starting to smell it in the air.

 

Love Your Guts

Today's paper crafting goal is to clean my studio.  I have way too many piles to even begin creating.  

But of course while I was cleaning, I got sidetracked by a bit of striped paper I had leftover from Day 1 of the Crushing on Cardstock Class at Online Card Classes.  I decided to cut it into strips and make one more card inspired by Kristina Werner's Designs.  The colors are Oceanside & Sorbet from Concord & 9th.

 

 

I mounted the checkerboard design with foam tape on a floral card base and topped it with a Love Your Guts die cut sentiment from Simon Says Stamp by CZ Designs.  The finishing touch were s cattering of silver sequins.

Crushing on Cardstock Chevron

This is my card from the first part of Day One of the Crushing on Cardstock Class at Online Card Classes.  Kristina Warner taught us how to create a Chevron pattern using 1/2" strips of cardstock. 

I chose the colors from the current Color Hues Challenge (Turquoise & Coral - or in my case Concord & 9th Oceanside & Sorbet).

 

 

I attached my chevron pattern with foam tape to a silver floral patterned card base and then wrapped the card with a piece of coordinating jute fiber that was in my fiber jar.  I finished with a few coordinating sequins and a sentiment from Concord & 9th Hi There Bear (stamped in Sorbet).

 

Shimmer & Shine Wedding

I needed a Wedding card for my stash, so I thought the Shimmer & Shine Challenge at Let's Squash It! was just what I needed for inspiration.

 

 

I started by embossing a piece of grey Glitter Designer paper with a Cuttlebug Geometric Rings Embossing Folder.

Next I used the Red Gold Decobrush Metallic Karin Marker to color over the raised edges.  I trimmed down the panel and attached it to a copper chunky glitter card base.

 

Next I die cut the Concord & 9th Tall Type Alphabet dies from the same chunky glittery cardstock. I backed the AND with black cardstock for a bit more contrast.  For a bit more shine, I added some glittery Gumdrops from Your Next Stamp.