Ingenious Inkling

Bring Your Heart Comfort

Today's design started with the Retro Rubber Stamp Challenge to use a Tag.  I went hunting through my Gel Press/Inky drawers looking for tags.

 

 

I chose the tag at the top left that I made with Dina Wakley Gloss Spray, because I thought it would have nice contrast with some Autumn leaf colors.  

 

 

Next I took one of those orange tags and used My Favorite Things Die-Namics Falling Leaves.

 

 

I pulled out a rusty Gel Press Print and a golden Alcohol Ink Roll-Off paper from the big-drawer-of-prints, and pulled the card together using the layout from Sketch Saturday.

 

 

And for my Retro Rubber Stamp sentiment (in this case Retro Acrylic), I chose one from Simon Says Stamp Moments of Grace from December 2018.

 

 

I'm also linking-up at Global Design Project.

 

ABCs of Gel Printing

It's September, and that means it's time for the ABCs of Gel Printing on Instagram.  Even though I have more prints than I'll ever know what to do with, I love the creative process of making a few prints ever day.

 

 

One of the challenges with an Alphabet on a Gelli Plate is that you need it to be backwards to print readable.  I went hunting through my supplies to try to solve that problem.  I thought about die cutting some letters and flipping them, but then I found this We R Memory Keepers Alphabet Embossing Folder and the problem was solved.  

One thing I like to do with this exercise is stretch my creative muscle, so I combined magenta and red (which I normally wouldn't) and loved the effect.  Those will make some great card backgrounds.

 

 

Here's a close-up view.

 

 

Day 2 is B for Brown or Black.  I decided to use four different Brown Distress Oxide Inks and a new Lined Circle Stencil from Dina Wakley.

 

 

I used the three lighter inks to print an ombre solid print.  Next I used the stencil to add the darkest brown.  The second print is a clean-up print.

For day 3, C is for Circles I used the same stencil with a different combination of Distress Oxide Ink.  This time I applied the ink to the plate, but didn't brayer after.  I got this unexpected but very cool bubbled effect with the inks.

 

 

I also did what I refer to as the Gel Printing Happy Dance when I got that middle print.  I don't use an alignment tool, so I couldn't believe how perfectly I lined up the two prints ... those little bits of art-making magic are why I love this process so much (and I love the color combination of Victorian Velvet and Uncharted Mariner).

Fodder Challenge Paper Weaving

I signed-up for the free Fodder Challenge #fodderchallenge this week (my friend Dori is one of the instructors), but I have worked so late each night, I haven't had time to do any creating.  Last night I decided rather than going back to prior days, I would just start with Day 4 - Paper Weaving with Mixed Media Artist Rebecca Sower.

I combined Gel Press Prints, Alcohol Ink Backgrounds and Dina Wakley Mixed Media Gloss Spray rejects into my design, all in shades of greens.

 

 

I sized it to fit on a card front and punched a circle from one of the alcohol ink pieces to back my sentiment from Taylored Expressions Boho Hellos.  It's a bit hard to see, but I also added a scattering of Pinkfresh Studio Essentials Green Gems.

I really enjoyed the technique ... I may try it again on a larger scale to frame ... but this one is going in the mail.  Have you mailed a card this week?

Guest Designer at Funkie Junkie Boutique

Since I won The Music of Life Challenge at the Funkie Junkie Boutique, I was invited to be the Guest Designer for their current challenge - to create using Three Stencils which runs through 11:55pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 12th, 2022 (so come join the fun for a chance to win $25 for shopping).

I shopping my stash to find as many products from the Funkie Junkie Boutique to pull my designs together.  I started by applying clear gesso to a piece of designer paper from the 8"x8" Klimt Stamperia Collection.   My three stencils are  - Tim Holtz Ringer Layering Stencil, Tim Holtz Lace Layering Stencil and the Dylusions Small Martha's Most Massive Mat.

 

 

I used a paint brush and make-up sponge to apply Dylusions Shimmer Paints through the stencils.  I also dipped the stencil into paint and *stamped* with it to add more circles.

 

 

You can see one of my tricks for messy creating in the photo - I save all of the clear cellophane bags from stamp sets, stickers and papers and use them as disposable palettes - much easier than cleaning-up painty or sticky messes.  When I was done stenciling, I sprayed-on some Dina Wakley Media Gloss Sprays.

 

 

Once my paper dried, I cut it into two 4"x8" pieces to use as the bases for two slimline cards.  I started with a feminine design.  I created my dimensional rectangle by using the Tim Holtz Mini Mechanics embossing folder on a piece of watercolor paper.  After embossing I sprayed it with a mixture of the Media Glass Sprays.  When that dried, I used my finger and Black Marble Shimmer Paint to bring out the texture of the embossing.  I rescued a piece of the over-sprayed watercolor paper from the recycle to use on my card.

 

 

The Klimt & floral images were cut from other pieces of designer papers from the same Stamperia Collection.

 

 

The sentiments are from the Tim Holtz Metallic Sticker Book.  I sprayed the Prima Marketing Painted Flower lightly with more Gloss Spray to help tie it all together (which you can see more clearly in the close-up).

 

 

I finished with some Finnabair Art Extravagance Jewel Effect Texture Paste on the corners of the card front.

I used the other half of the 8"x8"x background for my masculine card.  In addition to more sentiments from the Tim Holtz Metallic Sticker Book, I added some of the black labels as well.  I also featured one of the Tim Holtz Baseboard Dolls as the focal image.

 

I finished with more of the Finnabair Texture Paste on the corners, some Dylusions Washi Tape and a few Japanese butterfly stickers from my stash.

 

 

I love the curled edge of the paper and how his boutonnière looks like the same flower as shown in the designer paper.

I had so much fun with these mixed media creations for the Funkie Junkie Boutique ... I hope you enjoyed them too.

Laugh Till You Leak

I was feeling like a little CAS cardmaking this morning, so I decided to start with the CAS Mix Up Challenge to use a Stencil and Pastes or Gels.  I was thrilled that when I opened my jar of Fern Green Picket Fence Studios Paper Glaze, it was just as mixable as when it was new. 

 

 

I paired it with a Dina Wakley Dot Stencil for the Addicted to CAS Dots Challenge.

 

 

I stuck with Dina adding the Essentials Silhouette image.  I paired it with a sentiment from Dylusions Quote bubbles for a card that makes me snicker.  Taylored Expressions Cilantro Ink paired nicely with the Fern Green Glaze on a kraft cardstock base..

 

 

I'm also joining the Creatalicious Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes with an Option of using a Stencil.

Hope you laugh till you leak this week.

The Music of Life

The one thing about enjoying lots of different creating art-making styles, is finding time to stretch my creative muscle in all of them.  It's been a while since I had some Mixed Media Fun (hey Becca), so when I saw the current TFJB (The Funkie Junkie Boutique) The Music of Life Challenge to make something with a musical theme in a vintage or shabby chic style, I felt like it was calling my name. 

Then when I saw the inspiration photo at Give a Crafter a Cookie, my ideas started coming together.

 

 

I started by spraying kraft cardstock with Salvaged Patina Distress Oxide Spray and Dina Wakley's Gloss Spray in Tangelo (inspired by the colors in the top and bottom right cookies).  When the sprays were dried, I used my fingernail (where did I hide my distressing tools) to help continue to take my piece to a shabby chic style for TFJB Challenge (although a lot of guitars like this are vintage, so I could maybe go with that style too).

 

I stamped the Guitar from Visible Image Rock Out in Black ink.  Then I went searching for a sentiment.  I decided on one from Create A Smile Shit Happens!  I finished with one of my Pink! Lyric Stickers because a song lyric seemed like the perfect finishing touch to add another medium to my Mixed Media design (and I love that it sort of rhymes).

 

For my finishing touches I added some Dylusions Washi Tape (love love love this thin tape - just realized it comes in black too, so likely time for another Funkie Junkie Boutique order) and some black gems.

More May Gel Printing

We're still having fun with the #birgitkoopsengelprintingchallenge.

The Stamp Challenge made me smile ... but the challenge to me was which stamp to use.  I decided on a vintage Three Ferns stamp from Hero Arts with two colors of Distress Oxide Ink.

 

 

Next up was Packaging Materials.  I sorted through things I had kept in my stash for future packing, and found this sheet of differently shaped bubble wrap that I tried.

 

 

 

You can barely see it on the second print on the left, but I loved that effect too.

Next was buttons.  I tried inserting the buttons in a rolled-out piece hand-exercise clay thinking I could stamp with that, but the buttons refused to stay embedded (I got it sort of done in the red print).  After that I used the individual buttons to stamp into the pink paint covered plate (and basically got my hands completely covered with both colors).

 

 

I was able to wash all of the paint off my buttons, so they can be used again.

Next Up was Feathers.  I decided to use my favorite Feather Stamp from Tyggereye (Gina).

 

 

I liked how they stamped off with the Acrylic Paint better than the prints itself, which was a reminder that I could cover the plate in medium and use it like a giant stamp pad (love thinking about different ways to use products I already have).  Still one of my favorite stamps.

Next up is using a Brush.  I used Dina Wakley's Media brush to apply the paint by swiping horizontally on the plate.

 

 

Love how the paint blended and the brush strokes (particularly in the second print).  The vibrant colors make me smile.

Shopping Our Stash - the Letter S

I am thrilled to be joining the Design Team at Shopping our Stash for 2022.  

 

 

The first Challenge of 2022 is to create a card using things that Start with the Letter S (which reminded me of the Letter of the Day at Sesame Street).  I literally Shopped my Stash for as many things that begin with the Letter S as possible to see if I could see a theme.

 

 

I started with a Gel Press Print that reminded me of the Sky.  Next I stamped Grungy Stars from Dina Wakley that had Stripes & Speckles using Midnight Blue STAZ-on Ink and cut the card base into a Mini-Slimline shape.

Then I built my card using Stickers of a Spaceship, a Satellite, Saturn, and a Spaceman and some Smiling Stars.  I also add some Sequins and Sticker Sentiments that say to Shine brightly.

 

I love how many S Things I was able to incorporate into my fun card design.

Please Shop Your Stash for all things S and come join me.

Serendipity RBG

This week's Wanderlust Art Journal theme starts a month of Serendipity.  It was more of a free form lesson using sprays, paints, paper and pencil together with a large face image.

I started with three colors of Dina Speed Wakley's Gloss Sprays - Lime, Turquoise & Sand.

 

 

Next I added my focal image together with strips from an Amtrak Train Schedule.  I finished with some Blue Pencil Marks.

 

 

Next I pained with new to me Dina Wakley Acrylic Paints that arrived this week.  Then while it was wet, I added some Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powder, which produced a wonderful shimmer.

 

 

I sprayed some more spray on top to bring back in the lime.

 

 

I finished with stamped sentiments from Ink Road Stamps RBG and a bit more Dermatograph Pencil.

 

Arty Saturday

I had fun making lots of art today.  It started with my Wanderlust lesson, which was to focus on using just paper to create a collage.  Since the overarching theme was Ephemera, I just worked from my collage drawer.

 

Next I took a face drawing class with Dina Wakley on Facebook.  After my disastrous self-portrait experience, I figured I needed more help.  It's far from great, but I was personally thrilled that they looked like faces and didn't make me cringe.

 

 

After that class ended, I joined Lauren for a Blackout Poetry Class taught by our talented friend the Damsel of Distressed.  

 

 

I loved the process and will certainly try making more.

And lastly, one of my photos of a downtown Cedar Rapids mural (Little Mermaid) was included in the Cedar Rapids 2021 Tourism Guide (yay!)