Ingenious Inkling

AlteNew Inspiration Mandala

Do you have stamp company's products that you tend to collect rather than use ... I sort of feel that way about my AlteNew products.  Every time I see my friend Erum create something, I drool.  But when I try to figure out my own style with their designs, I feel like I fall short (seriously, if you haven't seen her work, make sure you click over and you will drool too).

Well, the only way to get better is to keep trying, so I gave it a try for the AlteNew July Inspiration Challenge.  Those are MY Colors (seriously, my studio, wardrobe ... you see me, you see those colors).

 

 

I wanted to use some neglected products, so I started with the AlteNew Mandala Die Set that was still in its original packaging.  I recently invested in a Gemini Jr. and it cut this detailed die like butter (yay).  I cut it from two shades of pink and then added a punched orange circle between the layers.  I cut it in half to make two cards.

 

I tried to layer some flowers on top, but it just made it too busy, so instead I added a simple sentiment from AlteNew's Crafty Friends, since I'm still coming down from all of the great time I got to spend with my Crafty Friends at Junkiefest.

 

This is so true ... I've learned so much just getting to sit with Lauren for several days each year ... our creative style and process are so different, that we each take something away from the other, which is awesome (since I'm channeling her Mandala Monday today)

Margaritaville

The challenge at The Paper Players is a Clean & Simple Summer Beverage ... and to me, nothing says Summer quite like an iced cold margarita with salt on the rim.  Our favorite Mexican restaurant makes them with fresh squeezed orange and lime juice ... so so good with chips & salsa.

 

I broke out Cathy Zielske's Happy Hour Set with Verdant Green Ink ... because I have so many friends I would love to have a Happy Hour with (my *white* space for my CAS design is Gina K. Designs luscious Jelly Bean Green cardstock).

 

I pulled in yellow inspired by the beautiful photo at the Inspired by Challenge (Swapping the Lemons for Limes).

 

and the clean & simple layout is from the TGIF Challenge.

 

 

Hibiscus Thank You

I wanted to join in the AlteNew May Inspiration Challenge, so I'm sneaking my card in under the wire.

 

I loved the weathered white background with the shadows ... and how it contrasted with the single bloom.  I didn't think I had enough variation in my purple inks to get the contrasts between the layers on the AlteNew Build-A-Flower Hibiscus, so I started with Yellow and then moved to my darkest purple ink.  For this flower, I actually found it easier to stamp the third layer first, and then move backward and forward with the lighter and darker colors (it made the aligning easier for me).

I used a single row of double foam tape for my flower & leaf, so I could get the curling dimension on both.

I found a piece of white weathered wood designer paper and then I embossed it with some ragged lines.  Next I brushed on some grey ink to bring in the shadow effect from the Inspiration Photo.  The Thank You sentiment is also from the Build-A Flower Hibiscus Set.

I'm also joining the Use a Die Cut Challenge at CCEE Stampers.

You Are Awesome

I've had the Avery Elle Stamp Set Loved & Admired and coordinating dies on my studio table waiting for some love for way too long.  Today I'm using them with inspiration from the May Mood Board at Butterfly Reflections Ink ... those colors speak to me.

 

I stamped the wreath using two colors of green ink on lime cardstock.  I die cut the wreath, and then used the negative of the die cut inside my MISTI to perfectly position my stamp ... love using my MISTI for that (especially for a large stamp like this wreath that can be more challenging to position correctly).  Next I decorated it with gems in the various inspiration colors.

 

I stamped the Loved & Admired Sentiment in Teal and the strip sentiment from Avery Elle Simply Said You in Navy.  The layout is this week's Mojo Monday Sketch.

embrace the journey

I love this week's Freshly Made Sketch because I love the effect of clustering several small elements together into a cohesive focal point.

I took my color & design inspiration from the lovely modern quilt at the Inspired By Challenge (those are my colors).

I started by embossing a piece of watercolor paper that had been sprayed with four shades of Shimmering Bliss Spray (leftovers from the Butterfly Card) from my scrap pile with Spellbinders / Fun Stampers Journey Pretty Plaid Embossing Folder.  Next I went direct-to-paper with brown ink to bring out the plaid pattern (realized when I went back and looked at the photo that grey probably would have been a better choice, but when you're working in your Alterna-Studio off your phone, you just go with it).  I matted it on kraft to bring out the wooden tones of the bedside table.

Next I punched a circle from the leftover sprayed paper and another from teal cardstock ... pulling in the lime green with my square.  I pulled in the darker teal from the edge of the quilt with my punched branches.  I finished with a sticker sentiment mounted on foam tape for dimension ... sort of love how this one turned out.  

I'm on week five in my Alterna-Studio ... we're supposed to have flooring installed in our first floor by the end of the week and all of the many boxes returned the week after that, so I can start reassembling my studio ... I am so ready to have my space back.

Live It Up

The theme at the Inspired By Challenge is a Football Party.

 

I used a combination of football papers that include play drawings and grass from the field, as well as a white wood grain inspired by the background in the photo.

 

The Sketch is from this week's Fusion Card Challenge ... but instead of Penguins, my Black & White are the referee stripes.

 

Faith. Hope. Love.

Tonight I'm joining in the PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop to make a card inspired by this photograph.

 

I always like this challenge because it has a very short time window (especially when you work all day) and because my PaperTrey Ink Stamp Stash is relatively limited, so it forces me to be creative with what I have.

No flower stamps or dies ... so I looked for images that could replicate the feel & color of the piece.  I like the pale green stenciled background on the embroidery hoop fabric, so I die cut the Hexagon Cover Plate from watercolor paper (for a more fabric-like texture) and layered it on top of light green cardstock.

Next I stamped the butterflies from Melissa Bickford's Heart-2-Heart #10 in two shades of pink on the same watercolor paper because they included hearts, another inspiration element from the photograph.  

And with hearts comes love ... in this case Betsy Veldman's Inspired: Love Mini Stamp Set.

I die cut my stamped images in an oval (which worked better than a circle given the layout) and then cut a second oval from wood-like paper to frame it.  I finished with a ribbon bow like the one on top of the Embroidery Hoop in the photo.

Inspired by Money on Honey

The Challenge theme at Shopping Our Stash is to make a card inspired by a Food or Beverage Label.  Hunting for my inspiration took me back to the years of hosting the Inspiration Challenge at SplitcoastStampers ... during that time, I looked at everything I saw as a potential item to inspire a card design.  I loved looking at the world that way ... and it was fun to revisit that frame of reference for this challenge.

I chose this package of honey candies in my pantry as my inspiration.

 

I started with the Cuttlebug Honeycomb background embossed on light blue cardstock ... then I made it *spongeworthy* for the TGIF Challenges (I have often used that Seinfeld reference to items that I love that have been discontinued) ... by sponging on a slightly darker blue ink to bring out the texture of the design.

Next I went searching for a bumble bee ... but settled on a butterfly from Concord & 9th Floral & Flutter that I die cut from gold glitter cardstock (to incorporate the golden crown on the bee).

 

Then I added a champagne pearl flourish to bring out the bee flying pattern that was on the packaging.  Finally I incorporated the dark chocolate brown and added a AlteNew Wings of Hope Sentiment to finish my design.

Here they are side-by-side to see the inspiration.

 

The Library Challenge ~ Oscar

I love playing along with The Library Challenge ... I love books ... I love creating cards inspired by books.  The Challenge is to create a card inspired by The Cover, The Title, or The Story of the book.

When I stumbled across this gorgeous book cover for Oscar by Mauricio Segura, I e-mailed the challenge to see if they ever take suggestions ... turns out they do, and I'm joining the challenge this week as a Guest Designer.

I loved the composition of this book cover ... the bright colors and how they overlapped and contrasted with the bold black text. 

I immediately thought of creating with Distress Oxide Inks (Abandoned Coral, Squeezed Lemonade & Twisted Citron).  I looked for a solid image like the piano, but instead settled on bold solid words from Cas-ual Fridays Bomb Diggity Stamp Set.  I flipped the coral word upside down like the piano and overlapped the yellow.  My MISTI makes getting those solid colors stamped so easy.

 

Next I added black bold sentiments where the title, authors name, and translator information are located on the cover.  I finished with a Tim Holtz #hashtag to turn this into a birthday card.

I hope you'll come join the challenge ... I'd love to stop by and see how the book cover inspired you.  

ORANGE You Glad It's Christmas

This week at Jingle Belles we're bringing you a wonderful Inspiration Photo.

My eyes narrowed in on those plaid wrapped presents under the tree.  I went searching through my paper stash and found some orange and green plaid ... the hues were a bit more muted in tone, but I still felt like they captured the feel I was going for.

I added some orange patterned paper inspired by the pillows ... and some Stampin' Up Wood Paper inspired by the Coffee Tables. 

Sentiment is Reverse Confetti Sentimental Christmas & I decorated my white Christmas Tree with some Eyelet Outlet Long Fancy Bling.

The layout is the final Sketch for You to Try ... I'm excited to see what Reverse Confetti will be doing next, but I will miss her sketches.   I've been creating with her sketches since October 2007 (which I think may have been her very first sketch).