Ingenious Inkling

You're So Sweet

The newest Challenge at Shopping our Stash is You're So Sweet - create a card featuring something sweet (ice cream, cake, cookies, fruit ... basically my 5th food group).

 

 

I decided to go with Rina K's Sweet Stuff Stamps, Dies & Stencils for a cool delicious ice cream cone.  I combined it with the current Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix Challenge to use her Masking Magic Masking Strips to create a masked & stenciled design.  I used three colors of Electro Pop ink and three stencils - Festive, Mega Flowers & Water Droplets.

 

 

 

I used the delicious Electro Pop Orange for an orange Sherbet Cone (if it were real life, I'd also have a second scoop of vanilla to mix the two together).  I used Gina K. Designs Small Stitched Ovals for my black matt to help the cone pop more against the busy background.

 

 

 

I finished with a sentiment from the same set (which coincidentally matches our challenge theme exactly ... love that).

I hope you'll shop your stash & come join us for some sweet fun.

She's a Lady

The newest challenge at Shopping Our Stash is She's a Lady - Create a Card that features a woman or a card for a special woman in your life.

When I was sorting through my product for a purge, I found this never-been-inked vintage Pattern Pieces stamp by Tim Holtz from Stampers Anonymous.  I stamped her in Art Print Brown and used markers to add color.

Next I started building a collage using one of my Alcohol Ink panels, stitched tape, vintage lady tape, some vintage trading stamps & vintage buttons.

 

 

I finished with a Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Strip.

Pinkfresh Fold It Up

The newest Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Fold It Up - create a Card that features a non-standard Fun Fold design (easel card, gatefold, stair step, side step, trifold, etc) OR a card with interactive elements (shaker, mechanical, spinner etc).

 

 

I went with both a fancy fold & interactive with the Pinkfresh Studio A2 Slider Die.  I die cut it from white cardstock and one more time from a wonderful purple to add a pop of color.

 

 

 

I die cut the Pinkfresh Studio Tuberose washi tape after attaching it to vellum for a translucent look.  I also added a sentiment from Pinkfresh Studio My Favorite Things to Say.  With those gorgeous blooms, I'm also linking-up at the April Flowers Challenge at Pinkfresh Studio.

 

 

When you pull the tag at the top of the card, you get the fun fold & the interactive element.

 

 

I attached a piece of Pinkfresh Ephemera to the inside of the card that has even more flowers and a large washi tape bloom on the part of the tag that pulls out.  The flexibility of the vellum made it the perfect chose for my washi tape in this movable design.

 

 

It's also a Fancy Fold Challenge at Inspire.reate.Challenge, so I'm joining the fun.

April Showers

April Showers is the current Challenge theme at Shopping Our Stash - Create a card that features a *Shower* element ... rain, umbrella, rainbow, clouds, puddles or a Baby Shower or Wedding Shower card.

 

 

I truly shopped my entire stash trying to find an umbrella.  Turns out, it's apparently not something that attracts me when I buy stamps.  I finally found one in Essentials by Ellen Bear Wear, so I continued to shop my Essentials by Ellen stash to build a little scene.

I started it by die cutting the Essentials by Ellen Birch Trees Cover Plate from a copper gelli print and attaching it to a scrap of blue designer paper from my scrap stash.    Since I built my card without really thinking where it was going to end-up, I realized after attaching the trees to the paper that I needed some raindrops to go with my Umbrella, so I used a stamp from Essentials by Ellen Organic Elements with some light blue ink.

 

 

I stamped & die cut the Bear from Essentials by Ellen All Inside together with his cute little chickie friend from Essentials by Ellen Sweet Spring Stamp & Die Combo.

I added some early spring blooms from Essentials by Ellen Nature Walk Stamp & Die Combo.  I finished with a rose foiled sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Way with Words and a few cut clouds before attaching to a yellow card base.

 

 

I'm also joining the Crafting Happiness Rainy Weather Challenge.

 

 

And the Double D Challenge is celebrating all things related to April Showers.

 

Robot Birthday

This week at Shopping Our Stash we're bringing you a Sketch Challenge.

 

 

I shopped my Gelli Print Stash for my background and the vertical strips.

 

 

Next I pulled out some stickers that are so old I have no idea their maker or source ... but they are definitely perfect for a little boy's birthday.  The sentiment stamp is also vintage woodblock with no manufacturer indicated.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

This weeks Shopping Our Stash Challenge is Somewhere Over the Rainbow - use Rainbows or Rainbow Colors on your card.

 

 

I went with a St. Patrick's Day Doodlebug Designs retired Lots O' Luck paper collection that I've had for quite some time.

 

 

 

I added a file tab sticker from the collection and a stamped happy birthday sentiment.

 

 

I was having so much rainbow fun, I made a second card for the Just Us Girls Challenge Rainbow theme.  I used a collection of Dylusions Shimmer Paints to pull a rainbow Gel Press print.

 

 

Then I added a stamped rainbow & sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Better Days Ahead (retired).  This sentiment reminds me of my Great Aunt Mary who always asked me if I was happy ... and if my answer wasn't yes, then she worked to encourage me to find happiness.  I have always been so grateful for her perspective.

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

The newest challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

 

 

There was a time in my paper crafting past where flowers were my go-to embellishment, so much show that I would shop the floral section to see if there were hydrangeas or other silk blooms that I could dissect to add to my flower stash.  Since then I've purged a lot of my flowers, but I still found a long-forgotten stash to work with.

The first thing that came to mind were the floral decorated wedding cake cards I used to make ... it looks like the last one was in 2016.  Since most of the flowers I have in my stash are neutral tones, I decided to use a piece of sprayed paper for my cake base (since I've seen some cool air-brushed wedding cakes).  I used this scrap from my stash that combined pink, green and yellow.

 

 

I combined blooms from lots of different brands to make the path up my cake.  I even pulled out tiny old-school golden brads for the flower centers for the tiny white prima blooms.

 

While I was shopping my stash for lots of old school supplies, I pulled out a golden sticker sentiment to finish the design using the sketch from The Paper Players.

We can't wait to see what you do with those flowers in your stash.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter B

Today is the 490th Challenge at Shopping Our Stash, so to celebrate we're repeating our 49th Challenge - To include anything starting with the Letter B in your card (and because we're overachievers, we included multiple B's in our designs).

 

 

I started by building my card around the Butter Stamp in the new Essentials by Ellen Jammin' Set by Julie Ebersole.  I paired it with a slice of Bread (turned into Toast) with a melty pat of butter.  We have a butter dish like this on our counter, so I made this one Blue in keeping with the B theme.

 

 

I colored them with my Graph'It Alcohol Ink Markers and positioned them on two Essential Hearts from Essentials by Ellen.  I finished with some blue pearls, tiny butter-colored Doodlebug Heart Sprinkles and a Sentiment from the Jammin' Set.

Join the fun and see what B's you can incorporate into your design.

Love is in the Air

The Challenge at Shopping Our Stash this week is Love is in the Air.

 

 

I started with a gorgeous Alcohol Ink and foiled background (just press sheets of foil while the edges of the ink puddles are still a bit damp).  I die cut it with a stitched rectangle and then added a white mat before attaching to a red card base.

 

 

I added stacked white cardstock Heart Outlines from Essentials by Ellen Essentials Hearts Dies.   The finishing touch is a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Valentine Vibes.

I also took my overlapping hearts & pink/red inspiration from the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge inspiration board.

 

 

If you're in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area, this card and others will be part of my Valentine's Day Cards Exhibit at Gallery One from 5-8pm on Tuesday, February 14th.  Bring a friend and stop by for drinks, snacks, art and a visit with me.

 

 

Love Snow

There's a new Challenge today at Shopping Our Stash - Winter Fun!  

 

I chose to scan & print vintage sledding image from a Winter Ideals Magazine. (I scanned so I could remove the poem that made the photo impossible to trim the image to card size).  I went in with Distress Oxide Ink to add a bit more aging to the paper color and to highlight the sledders.

 

 

I went in with pastel pencils to add color to my sledders.  Look look reminded me of some pictures of me when I was very young that appeared to be printed in black and white with coloring added after (pre-Photoshop LOL).  I finished with a vintage Northwoods Rubber Stamp sentiment (that I've been using since at least 2007).

 

 

I'm linking-up at the Winter Fun Challenge at Cupcake Inspiration.

With my sledding, I'm also linking-up at the Creatalicious Challenge where the theme is Winter Sports.  Additionally, I'm joining the Little Red Wagon Baby It's Cold Outside Challenge.

What's your favorite way to have some Winter Fun?  Come share it with us.