Ingenious Inkling

Holly Jolly Christmas

It's one of my favorite times of the year - the Ellen Hutson Twelve Tags of Christmas.  I've played along with all twelve challenges since this challenge first started (it was originally the Feminine Tags of Christmas as a counter-point to the Tim Holtz Twelve Tags of Christmas).  I love how it has morphed to being inspired by holiday songs.

 

 

First up is Holly Jolly Christmas with Carissa Wiley.  I always go read the lyrics and see what might be inspirational - for this song it was "Now I don't know if there'll be snow but have a cup of cheer".  That lyric seemed perfect for the Caffeinated Christmas Challenge of Coffee + Snowmen (however I got notified that tags are not eligible for the challenge ... unfortunately, I made the tag into a card, but I've already mailed it, so it's been removed).

I chose my new Hero Arts Merry Snowman, since his hand was perfect to hold an Eyelet Outlet Holiday Coffee Cup Brad (which you know has a bit of Kahlua added in for some cheer).  I colored him in traditional red and green to coordinate with his coffee.

 

 

When I was thinking about my tag design, I decided to use both the design & sketch from the Fusion Card Challenge.  This is their final challenge, which makes me sad.  My time as a Design Team Member for that challenge blog is filled with wonderful creative memories. 

 

I found this white on black stenciled design in my stash that reminded me of the chalkboard technique in the inspiration photos, so I die cut into a tag with my Nested Tag Dies, sizing it for my snowman.  Then I used the retired Carta Bella Christmas Words on green cardstock and cut it into a circle for the sketch element.

I searched for a Holly Jolly sentiment, but had to settle with just Jolly from the Hero Arts Ho Ho Ho Santa Stamp Set.

 

 

My cute little Snowman is also linking-up at the Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Challenge - The Great Outdoors.

Gnoel

The November Honey Bee Buzzworthy Challenge is to use a stencil.

 

 

I used the smallest of Honey Bee Stamps Polka Dot Background Stencils with green glaze on a piece of Honey Bee Grain and Grunge Designer paper taking my inspiration from the white wood grain background in  the current Fusion Card Challenge.

 

 

Next I colored one of the Gnomes from Honey Bee Stamps Gnome Place Like Home using colors from the inspiration image & my Graph'It Markers.  I just got some new Pentel glitter pens and I love how the gold one looks.

 

 

I flipped the Fusion Card Challenge Sketch and used another piece of the wood grain paper from the paper pad inspired  by the dark wooden shelves in the image.

 

 

I die cut the sentiment from the Honey Bee Stamps Gnome Place Like Home Dies using the white paper from the background to die cut the base.  I finished with the tree from the Gnome Place Like Home set paper pieced with some polka dot paper to coordinate with the background and a punched star on the top.

I'm also joining The Holly and the Ivy Challenge where the theme is Anything Christmas.

Good Time to Wine

The colors in this week's Color Throwdown are a really unique combination to me ... and I love them.  That scene looks like something I would combine in my home.

 

 

I searched through my print drawer and found an Alcohol Ink Background that combined purple and red with touches of silver foil.  I added a second print that pulls in that amazing green.

 

 

My inky background is also perfect for the TIME OUT Challenge to Make Your Own Background.

 

 

It reminded me of spilled wine, so that's what I went with inspired by the Fusion Card Challenge. 

 

 

I found a wine bottle shaker sticker in my stash together with a glass.  I added a sentiment from My Favorite Things Good Time to Wine.  I finished with some clear iridescent Pinkfresh Studio drops.

Naughty List

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers is asking that we add some snark to C is for Christmas (in July).

 

 

Who better to bring on the snark for Christmas than a Taylored Expressions Holiday Grumpling - I went with the Penguin because I thought he worked best for the July Taylored Expressions #TEMakerChallenge to use two of the new Taylored Expressions colors with older Taylored Expressions products.  I went with Tropical Punch and Banana Cream Pie (and because I'm a bit of an over-achiever, I also added a bit of Oyster).

 

 

For my background, I did tone-on-tone by stenciling Tropical Punch Ink on Tropical Punch cardstock using the Taylored Expressions Hot Spots Stencil.  For my Banana Cream Pie rectangle, I used Banana Cream Pie ink and the Taylored Expressions Holiday Stencil Strips (I moved it around slightly to get a bit softer effect).

I colored my Taylored Expressions Holiday Grumpling Penguin in greys and used Tropical Punch for his hat and gift with Banana Cream Pie for the star and bow on the gift.  I added glitter pen on top of the star for a bit of sparkle.

The layout is the Sketch from the Fusion Card Challenge (I guess you could say I did a bit of fusion since my Penguin is wearing a hat).

 

 

I embellished with some Taylored Expressions Bits & PIeces Dew Drops and a sentiment from Elf Grumplings ... I get a strong feeling that my Grumpling Penguin is on the naughty list.

 

 

Happy Little Stampers are also celebrating Christmas in July.

 

 

And Little Red Wagon is Make Me Laugh ... yep, my Grumpling Snark earns a bit of a snicker.

Red, White & Blue Birthdays

There are still a few Red, White & Blue Challenges out there, and since it's too late to mail 4th of July cards, I went with using my patriotic papers to make some Birthday cards.

The first one is inspired by the Oh My Stars Cupcake Inspiration Challenge.

 

 

I found a fun cupcake in my stash that I topped with some fireworks.  I used this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch for both of my cards (but managed to trim my triangles the wrong direction ... oh well, you get the picture).

 

 

I added a Make A Wish Sentiment from one of my wood block stamps.  It's also a Red, White & Blue Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Next-up is a color palette inspired by the Fusion Card Challenge.  

 

 

I used the other half of my paper triangles for another Atlantic Heart Challenge Sketch card.   The pinwheel sort of reminded me of the flower in the center of the inspiration photo.

 

I added some bling to the center of my pinwheel and used a sheer Happy Birthday sticker for my sentiment.  The papers are from a number of retired paper collections (I keep all of my red, white & blue collections together in one box - I didn't buy any new this year, since I have plenty to last me for a number of years LOL).

 

Butterfly Swell

When I saw Jeanne Jachna's card for the Fusion Card Challenge, I had to break out my Memory Box Butterfly Swell Die Cut.

 

 

While I loved her stripes, I decided to break out a Gel Press Print from my stash (which reminds me I really need to use more bubble wrap and Color Burst Powders in my prints) for the butterflies backed by Ivory Cardstock and framed with Navy Cardstock using the Fusion Card Sketch as well.

 

 

I added some Memory Box Clear Fairy Drops to the center of the butterflies and finished with a sentiment from Memory Box Wild Rose Stamp Set (that I only had to stamp about 23 times to get both sentiments relatively straight) ... persistence my friends, persistence (I'm still not sure they're exactly straight, but that's how you know it's handmade right).

 

 

Seize the Birthday is also all about Butterflies or Hummingbirds.

Spring Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers.  I remember sitting on the cool back step of my Grandma's carport surrounded by their blooms.  Hydrangeas are also the inspiration at the Fusion Card Challenge.

 

 

I decided to go with Fusion and combining the photo inspiration & the sketch.  Purple is my favorite color of Hydrangea, so I combined that with Green, which are also the colors from the Color Hue Challenge.

 

 

I cut 1/2 inch strips of three purples & three greens for the Sketch Layout and for the little red wagon Three of Something Challenge.

 

 

I had a Taylored Expressions Stitched Circle Stacklet on my studio table, so I used it to back my Hydrangea dimensional sticker.  I finished with a scattering of bling (keeping with the three of something) and a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Friendship.

I'll Bolt the Door

The current Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge is celebrating Sister Chris' new release at STAMPlorations.  I pre-ordered her fun sets and am waiting for them to arrive.

 

 

I combined the challenge with the current Fusion Card Challenge Bookshelf Challenge.

 

 

I created my background using the Fusion Card Challenge Sketch and Eyelet Outlet Book Washi Tape and then added a sentiment from STAMPlorations Good Books & Coffee.

 

 

I love the bookshelf feel of my card ... I'd like to be able to do that for a week or two (at least).

Peachy Washi Birthday

My card is inspired by the photo at the Peach Birthday Fusion Card Challenge.

 

I used a combination of peachy washi tape to create my background inspired by the layers of the rainbow.  I love how the design in one of the tapes looks like a row of lacy rainbows.

 

 

I brought in the gold from the picture with a Gold Embossed Sentiment from Poppy Stamps Peony Bouquet and the Poppy Stamps Susanna Blossom die cut from gold cardstock. 

 

I'm also linking-up at the Poppy Stamps September Wonderful Washi Challenge.

There's also a Washi Tape Challenge at Little Red Wagon.

Happy Fusion Butterflies

The current Fusion Card Challenge features an adorable Butterfly photo.

 

I chose to combine a butterfly theme with the Sketch.  I recently picked-up the Simple Stories Lemon Twist Collection that features lemons, butterflies and bees ... I love the colors.  I used three different papers from the collection to lay out the background panels.

 

I used one of the circle stickers from the collection and two 3-D butterfly stickers.  I finished with three different sticker sentiments.