Ingenious Inkling

Focus on Gloss

Today I had the joy of attending the Focus on Gloss Class by Dina Wakley.  I only had four colors of her Gloss Spray (Night, White, Lime & Fuchsia), but I made the best of them and had a lot of fun.

I used watercolor paper and mixed media paper ... but I think I had the most fun with some Ranger Kraft Tags. 

 

I used several stencils from A Colorful Life Designs, with my favorite being the Circles Make Circles ... I used both the stencil as well as printing from the negative from the paint on the top of the stencil which gave a punchinella effect.

 

I also tried spraying on top of my Karin Marker Backgrounds I made a few weeks ago, which also produced some fun effects ... I really love how opaque the sprays are.

 

After the class, I used several of my favorite tags to make sure cards.  The first one uses the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge at Paper Craft Crew Challenges - Masculine, Thank You Card & Twine.

 

I used new stamps I got this week from The Greetery ... this one is from Sentiment Suite: Thank You Stamp Set.  

 

 

I liked it so much, I decided to make a second feminine version with Stamps & Dies from The Greetery Destination Stamp Set.

 

This combination of colors is just dreamy.

Spiral Circle Flower

The May Challenge at Jaded Blossom is Flowers ... just one little problem ... I don't own any of their flower stamps (yet).

So I did what any good papercrafter does ... I looked at the Jaded Blossom stamps I do have in my collection and thought about how I might be able to turn one of them into a flower ... and sure enough, I found my solution with the Jaded Blossom Spiral Circles Stamps.

 

I used Lobster Ink to stamp two different Spiral Circles on two different shades of coral cardstock and then punched them out using a Scalloped Circle Punch.  I used 3-D glue dots to attach the layers and a piece of Eyelet Outlet Bling for my flower center. 

I positioned my bloom on the smaller Jaded Blossom Rounded Tag Die (I love tags with stitching and pieces) and then added a sentiment from Jaded Blossom Supersized Birthday Greetings.

A piece of coral striped ribbon and my stapler finished the tag before I attached it to my polka dot card base with foam tape.

 

I'm also joining the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge where it's Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist.

Little Red Wagon is all about Flowers too.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

The February Challenge at Jaded Blossom is a Color Challenge (the color combination that embodied most of my junior high wardrobe) - Pink, Black & Grey.

I started with a piece of designer paper in those colors ... and then die cut the smaller Jaded Blossom Rounded Tag Die in Grey & Pink.

 

I had to extend the tag a bit to fit the sentiment from Sugar Coat Everything (I just attached the bottom ruffle hanging off the end).  I added some bling & black ribbon to complete the birthday design.

Snow Time

The current Impression Obsession Challenge is Snow Time!

 

I started by die cutting Impression Obsession Snowflakes Die Set from Silver Glitter Foam ... I used two of the three snowflakes on my card.  

 

I attached them to the Impression Obsession Plaid Tag cut from a blue shimmer cardstock.  I finished with a peace sentiment from Impression Obsession Express Yourself.

 

I added some Eyelet Outlet Bumpy Bling to the center of the snowflakes and some silver & blue ribbon at the top of the tag to finish the design.

White Christmas

My final tag for the 12 Tags of Christmas comes from Day 11 - White Christmas.  I took my inspiration from Emily's Snowflake Tag.

 

I started with an Essentials by Ellen Shipping Tag cut from snowflake paper and white cardstock and then added some chipboard snowflakes from the leftover chipboard pile on my studio table.

 

 

I finished with two sizes of pearls and a sticker sentiment.  As always, I enjoyed making my way through all the Christmas Carols this year ... so much inspiration.

Dashing Through the Snow

Day 9 of the 12 Tags of Christmas was to make a tag inspired by the song Sleigh Ride.  Ardyth's Belly Flopping Penguin made me smile.

 

 

I die cut two Essentials by Ellen Shipping Tags ... one from a scrap of blue snowflake paper and a second from white cardstock to create my snowy landscape.  I decided my penguin needed a friend to cheer him on, so I stamped & die cut two of the Penguins from Essentials by Ellen Arctic Pals ... I used a sentiment from the set too.

 

I finished with some navy and yellow ribbon and a little yellow marker highlights on the Penguin beaks and bellies ... these little guys are just so cute.

Deck the Halls

Day 4 of the 12 Tags of Christmas is all about Deck the Halls.  I chose Sandy Allnock's Christmas Tree Lights to inspire my design.

 

I had some chipboard Christmas Lights from Carta Bella's Merry Christmas Collection, so I used papers from the same collection (with Holly Leaves) to build my tag with the largest Hero Arts Infinity Tag Die.

 

 

I added another chipboard sentiment, tiny chipboard holly leaves ...  and then I finished with a sentiment from by Essentials by Ellen Retro Christmas Greetings.

 

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Kissing Santa Claus under the Mistletoe is the theme of Tag 3 of the 12 Tag of Christmas.  I chose to focus on the Mistletoe inspired by Ardyth's design.

 

I die cut the Flora & Fauna Mistletoe twice and used two sizes of pearls for my berries.  I went with a red tag, since I still had them on my table from this morning's Santa Tag.

 

I used the same tiny XOXO sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Small Sayings stamped & embossed in white.

Speech Bubble Santa

Ardyth's Speech Bubble Santa for day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas Tags (inspired by Santa Claus is Coming to Town) was so clever, I had to make my own.

 

Essentials by Ellen Speech Bubble die is the perfect Santa Beard on the EBE Shipping Tag.  I embossed the sentiment in white instead of gold and used the Merry Christmas from Essentials by Ellen Mondo Holly (upper case instead of lower case).

 

I swapped a black pearl for the snowball button, added a little holly chipboard embellishment, and swapped out the ribbon at the top of the tag.  This was so easy and so super-cute ... love it.

 

 

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Last night I joined a group of co-workers, and we made 171 holiday cards to deliver to local nursing home residents.  I love sharing my supplies and seeing everyone have fun creating.

Tonight I'm back in my studio making more the Christmas Tags for the 12 Days of Christmas Tags ... for Day 10 I was inspried by Ardyth's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree Tag ... only one problem ... somehow I never bought that stamp set (into my cart it goes).  

 

So instead, I looked through the bundle of Essentials by Ellen Stamps that I do own to see how I could make a bright, fun Christmas Tree.  I thought I might stamp some patterns and then cut triangles, but then I saw there were two tiny tree dies in the Essentials by Ellen Season to Sparkle Dies.  I used three fun Catherine Pooler Inks (Aquatini, Lime Rickey and Flirty Fuchsia) to stamp two of the patterns from Essentials by Ellen Pattern Play.

 

Instead of a masked circle, I made a circle tag using the Essentials by Ellen Alpine Snowfall Die on a scrap of designer paper and my 3" circle die cut.  One of the patterns I stamped shifted a bit, but I sort of liked the effect, so I die cut a third tree from the reject ... it's to remind me that things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful (a good reminder in all the chaos this time of year).

I finished with a bright ribbon and sticker sentiment.

 

I'm also linking-up at the Global Design Project where the theme is O Christmas Tree.