Ingenious Inkling

Unity Stamp Holiday

The November Unity Stamp Company Challenge is to Build Your Holiday Stash.

 

 

I started with a card inspired by this week's TGIF Inspiration Challenge.  I stamped Unity Stamp Company Oh Deer - it's here in black ink on woodgrain designer paper that I die cut with a stitched rectangle.  Next I die cut some branches that I decorated with some white glitter balls.  I finished with a sticker sentiment across the bottom.

 

 

Next, I paired a classic sentiment from Unity Stamp Company Naughty is the New Nice with a Santa Journaling Card from Mintay Merry & Bright.

 

 

 

This one is linking-up at the Winter Challenge at Global Design Project.

 

Inspired Holiday Tree

My new AlteNew Festive Tree is perfect for the November AlteNew Inspiration Challenge.  While I used the Autumn colors, I turned it into a holiday tree design.

 

 

I saw more green in the trees than the three colors, so I combined green with the golden yellow to layer my tree.

 

 

I used the current Sketch Saturday Layout to compose my design.  I found a piece of blue Alcohol Ink roll-off paper that I thought provided the perfect blue.  I used my new AlteNew Organic Linen Embossing folder on the gold panel (isn't it wonderful texture).   The last piece of the horizontal design comes from AlteNew Basic Borders.

 

 

I finished with a sentiment from AlteNew Festive Trees stamped on the same blue alcohol ink paper using a darker brown to give the needed contrast against the tree.  Lastly, I decorated the tree with two shades of blue AlteNew Enamel Dots.

Let's Get Sauced

I love the colors in the Joy Clair November Mood Board (it's been the palette of my fall wardrobe as well). #joyclairdesignsmoodboard #joyclairmoodboard

 

 

I decided to use the inspiration for a Thanksgiving card.  I went shopping my stash for a pink & Orange plaid inspired by the table cloth under the place setting, and while I was going through collections, I grabbed a couple of other pieces, including a marbled pink/orange piece that I used to stamp my Turkey from Joy Clair Turkey Talk (retired), that I matted with eggplant cardstock.

 

 

After coloring my Turkey, I added strips of some of the papers I found to the background & then attached him with foam tape (and I also learned about the colors of a male turkey's wattle - I had no idea they changed colors).

 

 

And rather than the childhood meaning of Juvenile for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers, I went with a sentiment that includes the definition of humor that appeals to a sense of immaturity ... sophomoric so to speak (snort).  And by the way, I like my cranberry sauce with whole berries LOL.

And with those Polka Dots I snuck in there, I'm also joining Papercraft Polka Dot Challenge.

A Million Thanks

I had some left-over Leaves from my Gel Press Prints using the Spellbinders Autumn Leaves Etched Die Cuts on my table, so I built a card around this with inspiration & a sketch from the Inspired by Challenge.

 

 

The leaf paper and golden map paper are both from Carta Bella Autumn papers by Steven Duncan.

 

 

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things Essential Sentiments for Autumn theme from the Inspiration photo.  The Stamps were released in August 2016, so I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Retro Rubber Challenge.

 

#fettifarewell

I was so sad to see Jen announce that she was retiring from Reverse Confetti (but happy for her, since she's following her heart).  I have enjoyed Jen's products for years and even got to meet her at Creativation in 2018.  I wish her all the very best on the next leg of her journey.

 

 

I had fun going back to find my very first Reverse Confetti card from 2016.

 

 

And today I'm joining the #fettifarewell Instagram hop with a new card inspired by the Inspired by October Challenge.

I combined the Happy Confetti Cut with some stamp surgery Birthday on the Hooray Free with Purchase Set from Reverse Confetti.

 

 

I pulled the two shades of orange and the sage green from the inspiration photo and then used the Sketch for my card layout.  I added in some scraps of Gel Press print that were on my table and reminded me of that rug.  I skipping any embellishments to keep it a masculine mailable design.

 

 

World Cardmaking Day with Unity

Unity Stamp Company had a fun inspiration challenge for World Cardmaking Day.

 

I stamped the Unity Stamp Company Joy to Go Coffee Cup in Navy Ink and clear heat embossed. 

Next I painted my cup using Catherine Pooler Sauna & Daydream inks and then used the same colors on the Unity Stamp Company / Brutus Monroe Vintage Burlap background stamp.

 

 

I finished by stamping the sentiment from Unity Stamp Company's Whit's Words in the Daydream Ink and covering the *Joy* on the Coffee Cup (since this is supposed to be an Autumn card).  I finished with coordinating Enamel Dots.

Thanks to Unity for a fun way to create on this annual day.

Children are Nestled All Snug in their Beds

The newest prompt at Jingle Belles is a Sketch.

 

 

I started with inspiration from the Inkspirational Photo Challenge.

 

 

I started with a Kraft Card Base.  I didn't have any lace, so I used some Dry Wall Tape over some texty paper to bring in the text elements from the photo.  I added wraps of kraft twine along the panel.

 

 

For the focal point, I die cut a vintage image from a post card.  I paired it with a sentiment that I thought was funny given the child in this picture clearly isn't nestled.   I finished with red gems that coordinate with St. Nicholas.

I'm also  linking up at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Kraft Challenge.

 

The Best Thing to Hold Onto in Life

The August Stock Your Stash Challenge at Reverse Confetti is to make a Wedding Card.  It was perfectly timed, since a friend is getting married next weekend.

 

 

I decided to take my design inspiration from the Inspire.Create.Challenge.  I found some Alcohol Ink Designer paper that I paired with some texty paper from my stash.

 

 

I used the sentiment and flowers from Reverse Confetti Something Wonderful.   The finished card is a top fold 5" x 6" so I could add a wrap of yellow twine under the sentiment.  I finished with some coordinating crystal gems.

 

 

I'm also joining the Addicted to Stamps Challenge to use Stencils and/or Die Cuts.

 

 

 

And Retro Rubber Challenge is Anything Goes.  These stamps are from January 2018 and are still wedding favorites.

 

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).

 

Lipstick Botanicals

The current Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix Challenge is to use Black & White with one other color - I went with Gina K.'s Lipstick.

 

I wanted to use the Try Stampin' On Tuesday Sketch, so I used a stamp from Gina K. Designs Holiday Tapestry in Obsidian Amalgam Ink (holiday stamps aren't just for the holidays).

 

 

Next I added Lipstick Die cuts from Gina K. Designs Foliage Fillers and Botanical Duo.  I doubled the paper when I die cut the Botanical Duo, so that the pieces stayed inside the die cut on the bottom (when they weren't there, it was just a bit too busy against my stamped background).

 

 

I also took my design inspiration from the Just Add Ink Challenge with the black and white background and pop of color ... I just replaced the balloons with my foliage which has the same vertical feel on my slimline card design.

 

The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs Woodland Friends.  I finished with a few enamel dots.