Ingenious Inkling

You Are Not a Mess

I have friends who are spectacular ink blenders (have you seen the blends from SkyPaperScissors??) ... me, not so much.  I need lots more practice and a lighter hand.  Today I tried it with the Domed Ink Blenders from Scrapbook.com and that seemed to help me get softer edges.  

 

I wanted to do an ink-blend for the current Butterfly Reflections Ink Mood Board Challenge ... I used Tattered Rose, Crackling Campfire & Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide ink.

 

 

After blending I did several spritzes of water.  To bring in the gold from the Mood Board, I die cut PinkFresh Studio Floral Square Dies from Gold Cardstock.  I chose two that reminded me of images in the mood board (I love that blue bloom).

 

 

The sentiment is from PinkFresh Studio My Favorite Things to Say ... and then I finished with a scattering of tiny gold gems.

Smooshed Floral Cluster

When I saw the September Sketch Challenge at PinkFresh Studio, I immediately thought about doing a spotlight with one of their beautiful floral stamps ... I chose Floral Cluster.

I stamped it twice in Archival Ink and then Ink Smooshed around the edges of one using Acetate with Shabby Shutters and Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Ink.  I stamped a second time smooshing the flowers in the center with Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber Distress ink ... then after it dried I added a bit more Fossilized Amber Distress ink for more pop of yellow.

 

 

I die cut a circle from the yellow image and mounted it in the center with foam tape.   I added a scattering of yellow pearls and finished with a sentiment from PinkFresh Studio My Favorite Things to Say.

 

 

Since the Floral Cluster is at least from June 2019, I'm also linking-up at the Yellow & Green Challenge at Retro Rubber.

 

 

I'm also joining the new Color Hues Color Challenge, who are also doing Yellow & Green.

 

Modern Layered Florals

I finally inked-up the lovely Modern Layered Floral Stamps from Pinkfresh Studio I decided to go with a minty green and coral color combination.

 

 

The first card uses the current Sketch Challenge in the Pinkfresh Studio Facebook Fan Group.

 

 

Since I made several attempts while I had the stamps inked-up, I made a second card (how perfect is this to mail to anyone).

 

 

I already have one in the mail.  Are you mailing cards this week?

PinkFresh Studio Ice Cream

PinkFresh Studio has a summer-themed challenge with some yummy summer colors.

 

 

I started with the colors and the Essentials: Inverted Stitched Scallop Circle Die Set inspired by all of the circles in the photos.

 

And nothing says summer quite like Ice Cream ... the Ice Cream Bars and sentiment are from PinkFresh Studio Surviving a Funk by Brandi Kincaid ... the stamps from this set feel like they will likely sum-up the entire 2020 summer, so I'm going to keep it handy.  Since that stamp set is from 2017, I am also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at Retro Rubber.

 

You Inspire Me to Be Better

Today I discovered that the PinkFresh Studio Facebook Group has a Sketch Challenge, so I decided to join the fun.

 

I used the PinkFresh Studio Floral Cluster set for my card.  I stamped the Floral Cluster image in Versafine Black ink on Watercolor paper.  Next I used a transparency sheet and three colors of Distress Ink (Speckled Egg, Evergreen Bough and Wilted Violet) to do some Watercolor Smooshing ... i just love, the messy free-form effect that you get.

 

I used my MISTI to curve the top sentiment and then hand-cut the large word and popped it up with foam tape, so it wouldn't cover-up too much of my beautiful watercolory blooms.

This card is so true of many people in my life ... but it's also true of my many artists in the paper crafting community who take time to share tutorials and videos that allow me to learn and grow my own artistic skills ... so very grateful that people are willing to do that.

Silliness Good Day

Sometimes cards are well planned and thought out ... and other times creativity is just for a general release and silliness.  Tonight is the latter.

This little PaperArtsy Zinski Mini (AN38) looked-up at me from a box of stamps I was trying to organize, and I knew he needed to see some ink.

 

I used the color challenge from The Paper Players.

 

I also incorporated the Clean & Simple Theme from the Always Fun Challenge.

I used the So Saffron ink and a Hexagon Stencil from Darkroom Door.  My Zinski Mini ZN38 was then stamped in Grey Granite.

Sentiment from PnkFresh Studio My Favorite Things to Say was stamped in Seaside Spray ... and then I finished with lots of dots from Paper Smooches Flutterby.

Yep ... a good day for pure Silliness.

Happy Mail - Happy Heart

The challenge theme at Just Us Girls is to create a card with Inlaid Die Cuts ... this is a technique I don't think I've really tried, so I figured now was the time to dive in.

 

I've had the PinkFresh Studio Leafy Envelope Die on my studio table for a while, so I thought it would be perfect (but clearly I didn't think long enough about all of those teeny tiny pieces).  I actually die cut the Envelope four times (five times if you count the final cut for a couple of teeny pieces I lost).  I used two Distress Oxide Sprayed pieces for the envelope & leaves, a Gel Press Print for the background, and white cardstock for the outline.

 

 

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio Surviving a Funk with a tiny felt flower nestled among all those leaves.

 

I'm also linking-up at the Cut It Up Challenge, where the theme is to use your favorite color ... that limey green/blue is one of my favorite hues.

Snowflake Kisses

The second World Card Making Day Challenge at Pinkfresh Studio is a Jump Start to the Holidays.  The only Pinkfresh Holiday stamps I have are the fabulous Stamping Village Collaboration Holiday Seals, which is perfect for this week's CAS(E) this Sketch!

 

I combined it with gorgeous papers from Pinkfresh Just a Little Lovely Collection (such beautiful water colored designs).  I layered my circles and added a pop of color to the berries with a brush marker.  The 1 3/4" circle punch was perfect for the seal.

 

Messy Water Colored Blooms

One of the World Card Making Day Challenges at Pinkfresh Studio is to create a card using your favorite technique.  One of my favorite techniques is being able to stamp an image ... then coloring, spraying and/or painting the image ... and then being able to stamp it several more times using my MISTI to bring the details of the image back to life.

I combined that technique with some messy water coloring with shimmery watercolors using the Pinkfresh Floral Cluster.

 

After I die cut the image, I decided I wanted to add more marker highlights, so I was able to place my die cut piece back into the opening in the watercolor paper and stamp it a few more times with my MISTI to return the clear crisp lines.

 

Sentiment is from Pinkfresh My Favorite Things to Say (an awesome huge sentiment set).  

Endorphins are a Girl's Best Friend

I did get to do a little art supply shopping on my trip last week.  I picked-up this Brandi Kincaid Surviving a Funk Stamp set for PinkFresh Studio at Scrapbook Generation in Springfield, Missouri.  I decided to combine it with this week's CAS(E) this Sketch!

 

My sister & I talked quite a bit about the importance of exercise in the overall health equation and the power of endorphins (she's kicking butt training for her first marathon).

I paired it with a piece of Gel Press Print from my stash and a white-on-white patterned card base.