Ingenious Inkling

Ink Cube Background

The September Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is to create a background using Ink Cubes ... only one problem ... I love Gina K.'s inks so much, I own the collection in the full size pads. 

 

 

After hunting through all of my extras, I found that I had a few neutral colored cubes, so that made my color combination challenge pretty easy to make.  I did a half-sheet of white cardstock not entirely sure where I was headed.  

 

 

I added a white ink splatter hoping it would unify the design a bit more, but I didn't quite get the look I was hoping for (but did manage to get white ink all over my floor and studio table, so an emergency cleaning session had to interrupt my design work).

I decided to go with a slimline design featuring the images from Botanical Blocks Mini, since I liked the idea of repeating the block design theme with my focal stamps.  

 

I finished with and offset positioning of the sentiment in the set and a few scattering of smoky grey gems to finish the design.

Autumn Array On My Mind

The September Taylored Expressions #TEMaker Challenge are lovely autumn hues of the Napa Valley Color Combination.

 

I thought they would be pretty for the new Taylored Expressions Autumn Array Stamp, Stencils & Dies.

 

Though it's a bit hard to see in the picture, the Taylored Expressions Leafy Vine Embossing Folder for the Embossing & the something that begins with E parts of the Challenge (as well as a torn Edge).  I finished with Merlot Bling in the center of the tiny Raspberry Sorbet blooms.

I used the layout from Atlantic Hearts Sketch and a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Beautiful Soul.

 

 

I'm also joining the Nature's Bounty Challenge at The Male Room, because men enjoy flowers too.

 

 

Sentiment Strip Sympathy

The current Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is to use Sentiment Strips in your card design.

 

 

Unfortunately, I needed to restock my sympathy card stash, so that was my focus today.  I started with the silhouette blooms from Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouettes.  

 

For the first one I used sentiment strips from Gina K. Designs Spring Tulips Mini and Layered Eucalyptus Mini.  Since the Layered Eucalyptus is from September 2019, I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog.

 

Since the flowers were already on my MISTI, I stamped them in several colors for easy multi-card making.

 

 

These sentiments are from the Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouettes and Spring Tulips Mini.

 

I love how classic these designs are in the different palettes.  I'm linking the final one up at the Summertime Blues Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Abstract Sunset Sympathy

When I saw this stained glass window while we were at a church for a funeral, it reminded me of the Essentials by Ellen Abstract Sunset Die.

 

 

I used it as inspiration piecing the die together using Alcohol Ink Roll-Off pages & prints from my recent gel press printing and a shaving cream marbled paper for the sky.

 

 

I spaced the die pieces to give the look of stained glass & finished with a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Mondo Pansy.

Thoughts and Prayers

When I saw this week's sketch at the Inspire Create Challenge, I really liked how several of the design team members used combinations of designer paper.  

 

 

Rather than use papers from a single collection, I challenged myself to go through my massive scrap basket and find papers that would work for this week's Color Throwdown - Aqua, Ice Blue, and Pale Green. 

 

 

These are the papers I decided to work with.

 

 

And this is the design I came up with.  I used the natural shape of the paper along the top of my design.

 

 

I added a sentiment from Gina K. Designs Spring Tulips - Mini (this small stamp set has four awesome sentiments).

I finished with two butterfly punches topped with Ice Blue gems to bring in a bit more of that shade into my Sea Glass inspired design.  I'm also linking-up at Simon Says Stamp Challenge to use dies and/or punches.

Bird Watcher

I had fun playing with Authentique's new Bird Watcher Collection papers and stickers that I pre-ordered from The Funkie Junkie.

I started with the layout from TGIF Sketch Challenge.

 

 

I combined two stickers with some glittery enamel dots and a stamped sentiment from Impress Everyday Word.

 

 

For the next one I used the layout from Hand Stamped Sentiments Paper Crafting Challenges.

 

 

I love the monochromatic look with the pop of the color from the sweet little bird.

 

 

My third card uses the layout from Paper Craft Crew Vertical Sketch Challenge.

 

 

I used another sentiment from the Impress Everyday Word Sentiment Set together with some Swirl Bling Flourishes from Eyelet Outlet.

 

 

If you're a bird lover (or have bird lovers in your life) this is a lovely collection.

Inspiration Rainbow

It's been a long time since I started my Saturday with the SplitcoastStampers Inspiration Challenge.  Today our inspiration is from Color Shot.  I was drawn to this painted Rainbow Doormat.

 

Since the theme at Paper Smooches Challenge is also Rainbows, I used the Paper Smooches Rainbow Die to cut the six colors from the Door Mat - three shades of blue & three shades of peachy pink.

 

I used the sketch from CAS on Sunday and cut two strips of designer paper in the blues and peachy pinks.  Since rainbows are often seen as a reminder that God is with us, I used this sentiment from the Paper Smooches Feel Better Sampler and finished with a pair of Eyelet Outlet Enamel Hearts.

 

 

 

And Just Us Girls are also doing the Rainbow Thing, so I'm linking-up there too.

 

Hope those of you in the US are getting to spend the holiday doing what you'd like ... I'd rather be with family, but I'm enjoying my plan B which is uninterrupted studio time.

Gina K. Designs Eye Shadow Blooms

Tonight I had fun trying to replicate the Eye Shadow Technique that Gina K. shared in this video.  My eyes are pretty much allergic to everything, so I have no eye make-up in my house, so I had to stop by the Dollar Tree and pick some up, so I could give it a try.  I grabbed the same one that Gina used and one with lots of purples.  The light colors work best on the darker cardstock colors to get the cool effect with Gina K. Designs Embossing ink.

 

 

I started with a dark green scrap of cardstock and blooms from Gina K. Designs Elegant Asters.

 

Next I tried red cardstock with flowers from Gina K. Designs Stately Flowers 10 ... this one was my favorite.

 

 

And my final one was Purple cardstock with the new Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Blooms.

 

Here are all three together.

 

I kept the cards really simple so the backgrounds could shine.  The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs Whimsical Wildflower Frame.

 

I used another sentiment from the same set for the red card.

Then for the purple card, for some reason, the eye shadow rubbed off and I got this sort of shadow effect.  Rather than fighting it, I embraced it.

 

 

I just burnished the eye shadow into the cardstock and stamped the same wildflower stamp directly onto the background.

 

 

The sentiment is from the same Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Set.

 

So if you've got some great 80's eye shadow in your stash (or you make a stop at the Dollar Tree) give this technique a try ... it was a lot of fun ... and looks super-shimmery-cool.

Washi Forever Dear

When I saw today's Atlantic Hearts Sketch, I immediate saw pieces of Washi Tape.

 

I had fun combining different washi tapes to help restock my sympathy card stash.

 

I added some cork cloud stickers and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Moments of Grace.

Makeover Monday - Painted Papers

Today's Makeover Monday was inspired by this colorful Washi Tape card from May 2012.

 

I saw the theme at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge was acrylic paints. 

I have a drawer of acrylic painted and acrylic paint gel pressed papers from the various Art Camp fun that Lauren and I have had the last few years.  I thought it would be fun to recreate the design above by replacing the Washi Tape with 3/4" strips of painted papers.  My third elements is paper tearing, as I tore the ends of each of the paper strips like I tore the washi tape (Acrylic Paint, Stamping, Paper Tearing).

 

I started with the third paper that is acrylic paint gel press in teal and purple and found three more papers that coordinated.  I punched the butterfly from the dark purple paper at the bottom and added two tiny teal gems.

 

Rather than thanks, I used a typed Thinking of You sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Totally Random Sayings Vol. 1.  I could easily make a set of these (and alter the sentiments) for a gift.