Ingenious Inkling

My "Never Killed Anyone" Status

The newest Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Time for a Hot Drink to make a card featuring a hot beverage of choice ... Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa, Apple Cider ... whatever warms your tummy and hands this time of year.

 

 

You can also link-up your card at the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop if you make your card this week.

 

 

I started with layered plaid in the Red & Black colors of the current Color Hues Challenge.  

 

I added the Yeti from hello Bluebird Yeti or Not together with American Crafts Sentiment alphabet and a Sentiment from Casual Friday's Coffee Talk (re-released by Simon Says Stamp, but it looks like they left this sentiment out).  With my Yeti and Snark, I'm linking-up at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers C is for Critters Challenge (I realize a Yeti is a bit of a stretch, but I'm sticking with him qualifying as a Critter).

 

 

I used some silver letters for my Coffee and decorated the mug with a Doodlebug Designs tiny star Shape Sprinkle.

 

 

My card also takes some inspiration from the Inspiration Station Photo ... love a hot mug with some cinnamon.

 

 

And with my Five Layers I'm going with the Double Dare at Double Trouble Lotsa Delicious Layers.

 

 

Come share your favorite hot drink with us.

 

Holiday Leftovers Redux

We're creating with leftovers again at Jingle Belles this week.  I went back to the pile of leftovers I collected last week and was able to pull together a second card.

 

 

 

I had to find a home for that sweet little polar bear ... I was thrilled I could pull together another leftover creation.

 

I finished with some red bling and a sentiment from Hello Bluebird Typed Christmas.

Bunny Hugs

The new Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Under the Weather - create a card that is weather related or a Get Well theme (and if you're an extra-points type of crafter, use both).

 

 

I decided to go with a super-cute Get Well theme featuring sweet little rabbit from Hello Bluebird First Snow (or in Iowa, Last Snow which hopefully happened last week - I'm ready to put the scarf & gloves away for the season).  I thought the Bunny looked like he was sending a get well hug from afar.

 

 

 

The background is a Gel Press Print that I created using Plastic Wrap for #marchprintingchallenge with Gelli Arts.  After die cutting the stitched rectangle, I sprayed it with Pixie Spray and then applied some gold foil.  You can see that more clearly in this photo.

 

 

I colored the bunny with my Graph'IT Markers and finished with two stamped sentiments from Hello Bluebird Typed Everyday.

Here's a look at the Gel Press print before die cutting.

 

More Party on the Farm

After I finished this card, I still had extra leftover Farm Critters from Hello Bluebird Party on the Farm, so I took a page from the talented Sam's book and used the Hello Bluebird Farmland Background stamp uncolored.

Since the Goat was my favorite, I stamped extras of him to try to figure out what color combination I wanted to use.  For this one I paired him with a balloon and a Doodlebug Doodle-Pops Tractor Sticker.  I used my Neon Karin Brush Markers to color all of the balloons.

 

 

This little guy got paired with some fun farmland designer paper

 

And this guy went totally tangerine.

 

 

And lastly, the neglected Sheep & Cow who didn't make the cut for the first card another fun farm designer paper.

 

Always color extra critters while you're coloring ... they make for some fun additional cards.

Makeover Monday ~ Beyond Quick Birthday Cards

This week's Makeover Monday comes from these Beyond Quick Thank You cards from December 2008.  My square punches are out on the studio table, and I can't stop using them.

 

 

I used my 1 3/8" square punch and my scrap bin and decided to do Beyond Quick Birthday cards because my stash already needs re-stocked.  I punched the Happy Birthday paper first and then searched for coordinating papers in my scrap stash.

 

I had fun adding a scattering of stickers including the googly eyed dog before adding the Happy Birthday! sentiment from Hello Bluebird Party on the Farm (yes sometimes card design comes from whatever stamp is still in the MISTI).

 

 

I couldn't resist pairing the googly-eyed slice of Watermelon with the watermelon paper ... more sticker fun and the same stamped sentiment.

If you need to quickly stock your stash, this simple layout is a quick (and fun) way to do it.

 

Party on the Farm

When I saw Sam's adorable little Goat Card, I immediately ordered the Hello Bluebird Party on the Farm stamp set.  I spent the afternoon coloring/watercoloring with my Karin Brushmarkers, which is something I seldom do ... it was relaxing to put together my little farm scene.

 

 

I stamped and colored the Hello Bluebird Farmland Background before positioning my little party animals.

 

I lost my balloon string when I was assembling, so I added a twine string to solve the problem.

I curved the sentiment with my MISTI to position it across the horizon ... I just love that sweet little goat.

Five Favorite Christmas Cards - 2019

Since Lauren & I started Jingle Belles in 2010, I've been recapping my five favorite Christmas cards of the year (you can find 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, & 2018 here) ... I always enjoy revisiting my creations for the year.

Here they are in no particular order:

1.  This card is from May 2019 for our Jingle Belles Very Vintage Christmas Prompt ... I really love how all the vintage elements work together, especially the four different kinds of vintage trading stamps and a dictionary page.  I collect way more vintage stuff than I use ... so it was fun to get a lot of favorites together on a card.

 

 

2.  This card features Pantone's Color of the Year - Coral fpr gina k. designs Monthly Mix Challenge.  It reminds me that despite being flooded out of my home ... and creating in borrowed space (thanks Laura), I could still make beautiful things (which is pretty much how I kept it all together).  Love Gina K.  Love her stamps.

 

3. I have a bit of a *thing* for Yetis ... they always make me smile and they are scattered throughout my house.  I fell more in love with Hello Bluebird stamps this year and this Yeti or Not set was a favorite ... love all of the fun little accessories (including the tiny snowflake which is perfect to help hide any boo boos).

 

4. This vintage car die cut makes me smile ... and the fact that multiple elements are recycled also makes me smile ... this card reminds me of picking out the Christmas Tree each year.

 

 

5. This card was inspired by the gorgeous blog banner that Lauren made for us at Jingle Belles.  This will be our 10th Year making Christmas Cards together ... and it's just as fun today (maybe even more fun).  I am so grateful that this hobby gave me one of my best friends, and that I continue to have the pleasure of being inspired by her ... channeling my inner Lauren often results in cards I love (so clearly I should do it more often).

 

As always, hard to pick favorites, but also fun re-visiting all the holiday cards I made (and gave) this year.  Remember, if you'd like to have lots of holiday cards ready when December rolls around, you can join us for our 10th year of Jingle Belles Mayhem beginning January 1st

Boho Medallion Birthday

For the strip in this week's CAS(e) this Sketch!, I decided to mask an ivory card base with painter's tape and use two colors of Distress Ink (Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed) with the Boho Medallion Stencil from A Colorful Life Designs (you get 10% off your order with my code TJ10Stephanie).

 

 

The die cut sentiment is from Happy Birthday Words from Hello Bluebird ... love the two different fonts.   This would make a fun card set using different color combinations.

 

Yeti or Not

Santa will soon be making his appearance and he has no chance of getting here if not for his trusty reindeer ... so that's our theme at Jingle Belles this week ... Make a card with a reindeer.

However, we don't want to leave out their other cousins in the Cervidae family so you can also include deer, moose, elk OR caribou in your design … oh heck, just include any animal on your card (or even a monster if you're so inclined & want to stretch the theme ... yep, that's how we roll).

If you know me at all ... you know that it's very likely I'll be creating with a Yeti.  I found this adorable Yeti or Not Stamp set at Hello Bluebird and had to have it.  I started with the snowflake paper and then used Essentials by Ellen Landscapes dies to create the snowy scene.

 

I combined pencil and alcohol marker coloring, as well as paper piecing for the Christmas tree ... I love all of the fun accessories that are included in the stamp set including the tiny little snowflake for the yeti to catch on his tongue.  

I'm also linking-up at Anything Goes Christmas at The Holly and Ivy Challenge.

We hope you'll pull out your favorite creature and join us at Jingle Belles.

I Miss Your Face

The theme at the DCWV July Stack-a-holic Challenge is Summertime.  I built my card around this fun pocket card from the DCWV Modern Meadow Stack ... because summer is all about adventures.

 

The polka dot paper is also from the Stack ... I kept it CAS using this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! and added a typed stamped sentiment from Hello Bluebird Typed Everyday.  For the finishing touch, I added some Love from Lizi brown peel-off stickers around the edge of the frame to give it a bit more contrast.