Ingenious Inkling

Never Doubt Your Instinct

For some reason when I saw the forest of trees in the Fusion Winter Inspiration Photo, it reminded me of some Suminagasi - Japanese black and white hand-marbled paper I made several years ago.

 

I cut the half-circle from my marbled paper and attached it to a white card base.  I used a darker grey for the vertical piece in the sketch.

 

Next I wandered through my stamps looking for some trees ... but instead I found a Simon Says Stamp Picture Book Hippo Die that had never been opened.  Hippos are grey ... so I thought he would work perfectly.  I tried to get the contrast I wanted with different solid papers, but it wasn't working ... so instead, I die cut him from two colors of glitter paper.

 

Since he looked so wise, I thought the sentiment should be some bit of advice he might give ... and settled on this sticker sentiment.  I love where this card ended-up (and that I got to use some of my hand-made paper on a card).

I'm also linking-up at the Simon Says Stamp Lotsa Love Flickr Challenge ... because this is truly advice I would give to every one I love ... trust your instinct (aka your heart).

Floral Fashion Inspired

The theme at The Paper Players is Clean & Simple Fashion Fun Challenge and the TIME OUT Challenge is to create a card inspired by an item in your wardrobe.  I'm sure you're not surprised that I chose a pair of my shoes.

I love these L'Artiste Amora Rainbow heals with a gorgeous all-over floral pattern and cut-outs throughout the design ... seriously, how do I not feel like I have super-powers when I'm wearing these.

 

 

I chose a similar floral pattern paper and then inspired by The Paper Players photo, also pulled out the pink and flowers in the inspiration photo.

 

I looked at several die cuts to pull in the cut out pieces in my shoes and went with the My Favorite Things Snow Drifts Cover-Up Die-namic.

 

I added some sticker sentiments that expressed how I like to live my life (and Wear My Joy).

 

I finished with a little bit of blue bling ... because life is always better with a little bling.

Gel Stick Blooms

I recently purchased a large set of Kingart Mixed Media Gel Sticks, and tonight I decided to do a quick play with them.  I chose four of the colors to apply to the large floral image from the Hero Arts 45th Anniversary You Make a Difference Stamp set with PinkFresh Studio (which is a great price right now).  I sprayed the watercolor paper with a few spritzes of water and then sprayed directly onto the stamp to get this ethereal look.

 

I wanted a little more definition, so I cleaned off my stamp and inked it with red ink to stamp a few more times.  I should have sprayed with a setting spray after that, so I didn't get quite as much smearing (learning for next time), but I just went with it and sprayed over the smear.

I added a sentiment from the set in black ink in the center and mounted on a red card base.  My card is for the Anything Goes Challenge at A Blog Named Hero.

 

Knit Wit! Mix It Up

I picked-up a few new stamps from SugarPea Designs over the holidays - so I inked-up the Knit Wit! stamp set for their January Mix It Up Fresh Inspiration Challenge.

 

 

I decided to Mix-It Up and use both the inspiration photo/colors and the sketch.  I started by using a vintage embossing plate from my stash to add a knitted texture to the green background.

Next I stamped & die cut the sentiment & knitted heart with a hexagon, and added a row of gold glittery paper.  To bring in the *bubbles* from champagne in the picture, I used gold pearls for the accents in the sketch.

Heartfelt Hugs

The current Memory Box Challenge is all about Friendship.

 

I started by die cutting my Memory Box Hugs Loving Heart Die 3 times (twice from raspberry cardstock and once from light pink).  I layered it a variety of ways before deciding on the final off-set outcome.  I attached it to a piece of vintage BasicGrey designer paper.  I used my blending brushes to add a bit of Victorian Velvet Distress Ink around the edges.

 

I finished with my MISTI and stamped sentiments from Memory Box Big and Little Words.

I prefer sending Galentines for the holiday ... because who in your life couldn't use a little hug.

Love My Tribe

The theme of the first Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash of 2020 is Love is in the Air! (click through to see Amy T's adorable card) 

 

I am personally grateful for the love of my Tribe ... my near and far friends that share my love of paper-crafting, delicious food, and collecting supplies (and some enabling too) ... you know who you are.

I started by creating a quilt of 1 1/4" squares using Reverse Confetti Winter Wonder Papers and a sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 Challenge. Finished card is 4 1/2" square.

 

Next I die cut the Scalloped Square Confetti Cuts stamping sentiments from Love My Tribe and So Many Sentiments.  I finished with some Punched Heart confetti to fill in the empty space inside my frame.

 

And it's an Anything Goes Challenge at Challenge Up Your Life.

 

Marbled Hugs

Next on my pile of never-used-art-supplies is this Memory Box Hugs Loving Heart die that I cut three times, gluing them together using Gina K. Designs' Connect Glue for some dimension.  I've never been a fan of liquid adhesive, but this glue is perfect for detailed tasks like this one.

 

Then I used the same Connect Glue to attach it to a piece of hand-marbled paper that I made several years ago during Art Camp with Lauren that was cut with a Square Stitched Die.  I finished with two trios of enamel dots.

Work It Snowflakes

I just discovered the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge, which for December is Snowflakes.

I thought this lovely metallic Gel Press print would be the perfect background for a snowflake card.  I die cut the Gel Press Print with the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles Die.

 

 

I die cut two Simon Says Stamp Bliss Snowflakes from Silver Metallic Cardstock.  The Simon Says Stamp Stay Strong Die (from STAMPtember 2017) was cut from glittery teal cardstock.

 

I added some Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Bling and silvery glitter enamel dots to the center of the snowflakes.

Alcohol Ink Play

As I often do this time of year, I've been looking back at what I experienced in 2019 ... and thinking about the experiences I want to have in 2020.  What I realized this morning is that I really love my Art Camp with Lauren each year ... just creating for the sake of creating with no end project in mind.  I don't do that enough the rest of the year ... so on to the list of 2020 experiences that goes ... more playing with art supplies just for the sake of experimenting and creating.

 

When I saw the sketch at the Paper Craft Crew Challenge, that background immediately reminded me of how long it had been since I played with alcohol inks.  I grabbed several colors and a piece of shiny paper from my stash (I honestly don't know what kind of paper it is, only that it had a resistant surface).  I just started dropping inks (even different brands, which had different concentrations of pigment) and watching what they did.  Then I added some blending solution to check out that effect ... then I mixed it up with a little yellow.  It was so meditative and fun.

 

I decided to trim it down to a 4" x whatever" long card (there was a poll on Facebook this week about what you call this card size ... I usually call it an #10 for the envelope size).  I didn't have two oval sizes that worked for the sketch, so I trimmed down my inside oval to work with the sentiment from Supercalifragalistic by CAS-ual Fridays (one of my favorite stamp sets).

 

For the snowflake embellishment I used a 3-D butterfly sticker and then added several colors and sizes of sequins.  I really love how this one turned out ... which is evidence that more play is certainly needed in 2020.

Glittery Hope

Anyone who creates with me knows that I hate glitter.   I don't mind Glitter Glitz Gel or Glittery Paper that doesn't shed, but I hate having sparkles all over my studio that last for days.  So when I saw the Unity Stamp Company Mini Challenge was All That Sparkles, I almost just walked on by.  

Then I remembered that I had found a random container of Jewel Glitter Ritz micro glitter when I was cleaning my studio table (I must have seen someone do something cool with it ... thought I needed it ... and then realized how much I hate glitter).  It had never been opened.  When I searched for the glitter (I wasn't even sure what to do with it), I found a tutorial from 2011 showing using it with two-sided adhesive.  It looks like they don't even make this particular glitter any more (the link takes you here, so I wonder if this glitter is similar).

Of course, then I couldn't find my sheets of two-sided adhesive ... but I realized my widest roll of Be Creative Sookwang Tape (2.5"} would work with the Unity Stamp Company Layers of Life Magical and Hopeful (05/18) Stamp, so I was off and running.  I stamped the image in Warm Breeze Versafine Clair on a Lime Green Cardstock, applied the tape, and then sprinkled on the glitter.  I tried to contain it ... but I've got sparkles everywhere.

 

Another thing I hate about glittery ... you end-up with a gorgeous card, but photographing it to capture that gorgeousness is nearly impossible.  Trust me ... this guy is super-sparkly.

For the background I used Unity's Burst of Flakes (Border Background) in the same ink on the same green cardstock ... as a border, I'm not sure you would even guess it was snowflakes).  I mounted the entire piece on a deep purple card base.

 

Now I'll be off to try to contain as much of the stray glitter as possible ... but likely will still have some on my face tomorrow.