Ingenious Inkling

Living Room Rug Inspired

This afternoon I got to hang-out (via Video Chat) with friends from Junkiefest.  I'm an introvert who often goes all day on Saturday not talking with anyone, but even I've had a bit too much solitude time lately, so I truly appreciated the chance to see their faces, talk about life and see the projects they were working on.

 

 

I decided to work on the current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge (#staycraftywithhero) ... to make a card inspired by something in your home.  I chose my Living Room Rug.

 

I found a Gel Press print in my stash that had several of the colors, so I die cut it with the Hero Arts Bold Graphic Confetti Die and then attached it to a grey cardstock base.

I took some of the confetti pieces and put them back into the die in different places to move the colors around.

 

I wanted to pull in a bit more shades of grey like the rug, so I added a strip of Suminagasi hand-marbled paper (that I made here) and stamped my sentiment from Hero Arts Hand Drawn Everyday Messages in Magenta Ink on a lighter grey cardstock before framing it with the rust and gold colors from the rug (I actually laid my cardstock down on the rug to find the right shades).

Thank You in Greens

I love monochromatic designs, especially when I can incorporate a range of shades.  This is the time of year for Green ... and that's the challenge them at the Heart 2 Heart Challenge in partnership with the Double Trouble Challenge.  I decided to take them up on their optional TWIST to incorporate a wee bit-o-gold as well.

 

 

And of course it's Especially Emerald at the Rainbow Card Challenge.

 

I still had a portion of my Fern Green Paper Glaze from Picket Fence Studios  with my Tumbling Leaves Stencil from Simon Says Stamp that was leftover from this card, so I die cut another  Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle Die (the next smaller size) on the remaining portion of the leaves.

 

I wanted to use the Sketch from Global Design Project, so I went hunting for coordinating paper and found this awesome Gel Press Print in my stash (love having a drawer of papers I created) that I printed on a piece of vintage clothing pattern instructions (you can see some of the text peeking through at the bottom left).

 

I scattered a few golden nail head stickers on the background & finished with the Thank You from Simon Says Stamp CZ Design Emphatic Best Days stamped in Rina K.'s Electro Pop Loud Lime Ink.

I'm also joining the Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge to use dies on your card (I won last week, so I get to go do some shopping ... woot! woot!)

 

 

And it's all about the GREEN at the Double D Challenge.

Makeover Monday - Painted Papers

Today's Makeover Monday was inspired by this colorful Washi Tape card from May 2012.

 

I saw the theme at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge was acrylic paints. 

I have a drawer of acrylic painted and acrylic paint gel pressed papers from the various Art Camp fun that Lauren and I have had the last few years.  I thought it would be fun to recreate the design above by replacing the Washi Tape with 3/4" strips of painted papers.  My third elements is paper tearing, as I tore the ends of each of the paper strips like I tore the washi tape (Acrylic Paint, Stamping, Paper Tearing).

 

I started with the third paper that is acrylic paint gel press in teal and purple and found three more papers that coordinated.  I punched the butterfly from the dark purple paper at the bottom and added two tiny teal gems.

 

Rather than thanks, I used a typed Thinking of You sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Totally Random Sayings Vol. 1.  I could easily make a set of these (and alter the sentiments) for a gift.

Heart Connection

The February theme at the Memory Box Outside the Box Challenge is Hearts ... so I started designing my card around the Memory Box Heart Connection Die Cut.

 

I took my inspiration from the Fusion Card Challenge, which also features open hearts.

 

Instead of black and red, I decided to use Maroon and navy ... but while I was looking for navy, I found a scrap of Navy & Green Gel Press Print, and decided to go with that instead.  I die cut the Memory Box Honeycomb Collage from white cardstock as an overlay.

 

I finished with a sentiment from Memory Box Big and Little Words and a few glittery enamel dots (because in the thousands of pieces of bling in my stash, there was no maroon).

 

Also joining Anything Goes with Dies at Happy Little Stampers.

New Little Bundle

My goal at the annual Art Camp Lauren & I had in the fall, my plan was to go home with lots of Gel Press Prints I could use on cards.  In past years I had made lots of fun prints, but the using the large Gel Press the scale was off for smaller card making.  I am glad to say I succeeded and have had a lot of fun incorporating this last round of prints into my designs.

The current challenge at the Unity Stamp Company is New Beginnings ... since I needed a baby card for my stash, I inked-up the never-before-used Bundle Congrats Itty Bitty.

 

I stamped them on a light blue cardstock panel that coordinated with my Gel Press Print background and then paper pieced the clouds and used a red marker on the hearts.  That font is so itty bitty it's almost hard to read (at least for these old eyes).  I was afraid to stamp it more than once or it wouldn't be legible.

I finished with a few enamel dots for texture and attached the panel with foam tape.

No Time Like the Presents

For our first prompt of Jingle Belles 2020 the theme is No Time Like the Presents - to use some of the holiday wrapping paper or tags to make a card. 

I've mentioned it before, but Lauren is seriously the best gift wrapper on the planet (on the other hand, when I tried to wrap one of her gifts, it looked like it was assembled by a kindergarten classroom).  In addition to wrapping all of my fabulous gifts in this adorable Yeti Wrapping Paper, so Xyron'd a few sheets to include with my gift, so I could cut out the adorable picture frames for my card.

 

Growing-up, my Dad created a photo collage and the end of each year and hung them on the stairway or hallway depending on the home.  It was always fun (and to be honest, usually a bit cringe-worthy) to go back and revisit each year's high points.  That's what making this card reminded me of.

I detail cut the photos and arranged them on a Gel Press Print wall (the background of the paper was red, so I thought this red & blue Gel Press solid worked perfectly ... and it also starts me on my goal to incorporate more of my Gel Press prints into cards this year).

I finished with a tiny pearl for Yeti Girl's Flower in her hair and a few sticker sentiments attached with foam tape for dimension.  This one makes me smile for sure.

And ... to start our 10th Year off with a bang, one lucky participant will receive the adorable Lawn Fawn Say What Christmas Critters Stamp Set (and coordinating Dies) ... because yes, I clearly liked it so much, I bought it twice.

 

say it big Gel Press

The timely Mini-Challenge at Unity Stamp Company is to make Thank You Cards.  I'd been wanting to the try the big bold letters of Unity's ... say it big on my Gel Press prints.  I stamped it in black ink multiple times with my MISTI and then clear embossed ... this is one of the reason I made so many *solid* prints.  This one with less ink worked well because there was less surface texture.

 

I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die, framed it in dark coral with some dark coral enamel dots and then used the larger stitched frame for the background.  A set of these would make a nice and easy gift.

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.

My 10 Favorites of 2019

Each year I like to go back and revisit all the art I made and choose my ten favorites from the group (You can see my Five Favorite Holiday Cards of 2019 here) ... here are my favorites in no particular order.  I found it a little challenging to narrow down the group this year, which I suppose is a good thing ... here's to another year of creating projects I love.

1. This card was for the January Blog Hop with My Sweet Petunia and My Favorite Things.  I loved designing for My Sweet Petunia ... and how the various blog hops often pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I also loved being able to incorporate my Gel Press prints into cards ... this one did both.  I want to do more smaller prints this year.

 

 

2.  I took a fused glass class in February from a new Instructor and really enjoyed the experience.  He held the class in his home studio in his basement, so I got more hands-on experience with things than I did in the professional studio.  I loved this cool dichroic glass bracelet, earrings and pendants that I made.   It was a bright light in the midst of our home flooding due to frozen pipes next door and the subsequent weeks of repair.

 

 

3. I love the texture and variety in this card for the SplitCoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge.  I love collecting vintage items ... but I love using them on my cards even more.

 

 

4. This card for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Ombre Challenge still makes me laugh ... so grateful for Ink Road Stamps ... and clean & simple monochromatic designs.

 

 

5.  I loved taking a class from Alexandra Renke at JunkieFest and getting to design with her gorgeous products this year.  I also love that I was able to incorporate my Gel Press prints into this design.

 

 

6. Grateful to have had another year designing for Technique Junkies ... I loved how this paper-pieced dogwood card with Shimmering Bliss Sprays turned out ... the Dogwood is the state tree of Missouri, so it always reminds me of the arrival of Spring during my childhood.

 

 

7. This card was for a Stamping Friends Trifecta with My Sweet Petunia, Gina K. Designs and Picket Fence Studios.  I was so grateful to have the opportunity to design for My Sweet Petunia and all of the other great companies that partnered with our team ... such a blessing (and I adore Gina K.'s cardstock and colors).

 

 

8.  Love this card made with the Inspiration Colors from Butterfly Reflections Ink ... and great stamps from Avery Elle ... this card still make me happy.

 

 

9. This card was created as a Guest Designer for the Feeling Sketchy Challenge Blog and combined digital images with the coloring techniques that I learned from Kathy Racoosin at JunkieFest ... loved how combining coloring with markers and pencils turned out.

 

10.  This card was made for a Guest Designer as Die Cuts With a View Sketch Challenge ... I love how all of the papers and stamps work together in this design.

 

 

Here's to another year of fun in the studio.

Baby, it's Cold Outside

This week at Jingle Belles we're making cards featuring things you wear when it's cold outside … gloves, earmuffs, mittens, scarves, coats, Christmas Sweaters, socks … you get the picture.  We had snow twice last week in Iowa, so I had to pull out my hat and gloves a bit earlier than I would have liked.

I pulled out one of my favorite winter hats from Reverse Confetti's Happy Winter.  I love how the pieces of the hat are all stamped and die cut separately, so you can create whatever color combination you want.

I chose Teal & Yellow from the colors at this week's Sunday Stamps Challenge ... a bit unusual for a Christmas card, but I love the masculine vibe.

 

 

I used one of my Gel Press Printed Tags which was the perfect rusty orange for my base with snowflake embossing on the background and a sticker sentiment to finish.

 

I'm also Stocking my Stash with Reverse Confetti on the last big push to get all of my holiday cards done & mailed by the end of November.