Ingenious Inkling

More May Gel Printing

We're still having fun with the #birgitkoopsengelprintingchallenge.

The Stamp Challenge made me smile ... but the challenge to me was which stamp to use.  I decided on a vintage Three Ferns stamp from Hero Arts with two colors of Distress Oxide Ink.

 

 

Next up was Packaging Materials.  I sorted through things I had kept in my stash for future packing, and found this sheet of differently shaped bubble wrap that I tried.

 

 

 

You can barely see it on the second print on the left, but I loved that effect too.

Next was buttons.  I tried inserting the buttons in a rolled-out piece hand-exercise clay thinking I could stamp with that, but the buttons refused to stay embedded (I got it sort of done in the red print).  After that I used the individual buttons to stamp into the pink paint covered plate (and basically got my hands completely covered with both colors).

 

 

I was able to wash all of the paint off my buttons, so they can be used again.

Next Up was Feathers.  I decided to use my favorite Feather Stamp from Tyggereye (Gina).

 

 

I liked how they stamped off with the Acrylic Paint better than the prints itself, which was a reminder that I could cover the plate in medium and use it like a giant stamp pad (love thinking about different ways to use products I already have).  Still one of my favorite stamps.

Next up is using a Brush.  I used Dina Wakley's Media brush to apply the paint by swiping horizontally on the plate.

 

 

Love how the paint blended and the brush strokes (particularly in the second print).  The vibrant colors make me smile.

Ink Blended Peony Bouquet

The May Challenge at Poppy Stamps is Floral Fantasy.

 

 

I pulled out my Poppy Stamps Peony Bouquet and decided to revisit an inking technique from this inky card from two years ago.  I used my MISTI to stamp the Peony image with fade-out grey ink and then grabbed a combination of yellow and peach dye inks and my masking tape and went to work.

 

After adding the ink, I re-stamped in Jet Black Amalgam Ink (which is why the MISTI is so important).  I used the Happy Birthday sentiment from the same set, and then trimmed down my panel to mount with foam tape on a white card base.

Before I revisited the instructions (that reminded me to stamp in fade-out ink), I had already stamped the image with Jet Black Amalgam Ink, so I made a second floral fantasy design.

 

 

I cut the Easter Egg off the Poppy Stamps Decorated Egg Stitched Frame and attached it over my stamped Peony Bouquet with foam tape.  I used the same sentiment and finished with some Pink Fresh Studio bright pink jewels.

 

 

I'm also linking this card up at the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge & Springtime Challenge at Make My Monday.

Bunny Hugs

The new Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Under the Weather - create a card that is weather related or a Get Well theme (and if you're an extra-points type of crafter, use both).

 

 

I decided to go with a super-cute Get Well theme featuring sweet little rabbit from Hello Bluebird First Snow (or in Iowa, Last Snow which hopefully happened last week - I'm ready to put the scarf & gloves away for the season).  I thought the Bunny looked like he was sending a get well hug from afar.

 

 

 

The background is a Gel Press Print that I created using Plastic Wrap for #marchprintingchallenge with Gelli Arts.  After die cutting the stitched rectangle, I sprayed it with Pixie Spray and then applied some gold foil.  You can see that more clearly in this photo.

 

 

I colored the bunny with my Graph'IT Markers and finished with two stamped sentiments from Hello Bluebird Typed Everyday.

Here's a look at the Gel Press print before die cutting.

 

Chalk Prints

When I saw this chalk printing video by Cassie Stephenz, I knew I didn't have the high pigment chalk she used, but I was curious if any of the chalks I had in my studio might produce a similar effect.

All I could find were these vintage Pebbles Shimmer Chalks, so I figured I would give it a try.  I used a blade to pull out the half-circles of chalk & shave them onto the top of the water.

 

 

I tried four different color combinations after my initial blues, and pulled these four prints ... not as vibrant as Cassie's, but still pretty cool.  I sprayed the paper with clear varnish spray to keep the chalk from rubbing off onto my fingers and everything else.

 

 

I used the yellow and coral print at the top right to make this card with the Simon Says Stamp CZ Design Love You Sending Sunshine Die Cut cut from coral cardstock & vellum..

 

National Geographic Cloisonné

When I saw Julia's Faux Cloisonné card for the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge, I had to give it a try.  The first time I followed Beate's SplitcoastStampers Tutorial was with a Land's End Catalog in November 2006 (pre-blog).  I was the very first stamping technique I tried, so I figured it was time to dust it off and try again.

 

 

This time I pulled out a vintage National Geographic Magazine and stamps from Essentials by Ellen.  I started with Essentials by Ellen You Should Know with Gold Wet Embossing on a page of orange tree leaves. 

 

I realized I didn't have a coordinating die cut, so I used the Mixed Media technique of Fussy Cutting (after I glued it down, I realized I missed one tiny bit ... oh well).  I also used Die Cutting with the Essentials by Ellen Nice of You Sentiment and coordinating die cuts.  Additionally, the black cardstock has dry embossing.  The final Mixed Media product was dimensional acrylic paint in the flower centers.

 

 

I had another pretty magazine page of a South American Mural from National Geographic that I wanted to use, so I paired it with the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Gerbera.

 

 

This time my Mixed Media techniques were Wet Embossing and Die Cutting and my product was an a gold glitter acrylic paint marker.

 

 

How fun to go back over 15 years and revisit a technique that was just as fun to do and looks just as cool today.

Ardyth Inspired Sakura

I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite inspirations is the Featured Stamper at Splitcoast Stampers today, so you know I had to join the celebration of Ardyth.

While I have a list of her recent techniques on my list to try (seriously, if you haven't subscribed to her YouTube Channel you should), I decided it would be more fun to wander back into her extensive gallery for my inspiration.  I chose this gorgeous card from March of 2017 as my Inspiration.

 

 

Ardyth developed a wonderful LIMES Technique to use when you're making a card inspired by another stamper, so I followed her technique for my card.

• LIST (things about the design that inspire you) - for me it was the large bloom, the four color inking technique, the layout and Mother's Day
• INCLUDE (things you want to include in your design).  I decided to keep 3 of the 4 (I passed on Mother's Day and went for an encouragement/birthday card instead)
• MODIFY - I decided to use a different Mondo Bloom from Ellen Hutson and to go with four different Distress Oxide Inks for my color.  I also added a mat to the white card base.
• EXCLUDE - I passed on the glitter on the flower
• SPIN - instead of glitter, I added gems that coordinated with my flower color; I also positioned my sentiment differently to work with my bloom; and used foam tape for dimension.  Additionally I added some spin to the inking technique that I'll talk about below.

 

 

I used these four colors of distress ink on my paper together with the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Sakura Stamp and Die.  The Distress Oxides combined together more than the contrast that Ardyth got with the Distress Inks she used.

 

 

 

I started by spraying it with Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Spray, which gave a slight reaction with the ink.  Then I went in with splattering of Gem Pink & Gem Violet from the Gansai Tambi Gem Color Paints which got me to the contrast I was hoping for in my design.

 

 

The sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen Besties with gems from Pinkfresh Studio Essentials Gems.

Thanks to Ardyth for Inspiration today & every day.

The Real Heroes

This card started with the Just Us Girls Challenge to use an Inked or Sprayed Background.  

 

 

I searched through my background drawers and found this piece of Black cardstock that was sprayed with white ink spray using what I think was the Rough Edge Circlezz Stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  I think I sprayed with the stencil in place and then flipped it over on the cardstock to get a positive imprint from the sprayed ink on the stencil.

 

 

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketch by punching three 1 1/4" squares from the trimmed off edge of the sprayed paper and cutting two rectangles from my brand new Funky Fossil Don't Make Me Laugh stamp in black ink on white cardstock.  I'm linking-up at the Simon Says Stamp Something New Challenge.

 

 

I'm also joining the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes Stencil Challenge.  The sentiment is a Tim Holtz Big Talk Snarky Sticker attached with foam tape.

 

 

I finished with a scattering of black pearls.

Gina K. Designs an Inky Little Hello

The January Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is to create a card that combines water with her water-reactive dye inks ... somehow I missed the memo (or forgot) that her inks reacted with water, so I had to immediately do some playing.

 

 

I started by stenciling Gina K. Designs Stencil Bundle - A Little Hello (links are affiliate links).  I thought I would spray the petals with water to get a water reactive effect.  Unfortunately, the reaction wasn't as visible as I hoped (I think the super-fine mist I used didn't give the contrast I hoped for), so I die cut the leaves and flowers and moved on to plan B.

I ink blended backgrounds and splattered them with water.  On the right I used bigger splatters and on the left I tried to be more controlled with the water drops.  I die cut them with the Gina K. Designs Stitched Square Die from the Master Layouts 3.

 

 

I put together two cards using the inked squares and stenciled flowers & leaves.  The first uses a sentiment from Gina K. Designs It's All You - Mini Stamp Set in Obsidian Amalgam Ink.  You can see a bit of the water splatter ink reaction on the flower.

 

 

The second one uses the same flower & leaf combination with a sentiment from Gina K. Designs Peaceful Roses.

 

 

I will certainly be playing with Gina's inks and water again.

Ink Blended Birthday

The December Monthly Mix Challenge at Gina K. Designs is to incorporate Ink Blending into your card design.

 

 

I stamped the Gina K. Designs Botanical Block Mini in White Pigment Ink and clear embossed.  Next I ink blended Gina K. Designs Blue Lagoon & Ocean Mist Inks in an ombre blend.  

Next I die cut the ink blended / ink-resist panel with the middle panel from the Gina K. Designs Single Stitched Rectangle Dies.

 

 

I stamped the Birthday Wishes from Gina K. Designs (I think this mini-set was a free-with-purchase) in black ink and clear embossed.  Next I used the largest Single Stitched Rectangles Die on light yellow cardstock and then ink-blended some Gina K. Designs Lemon Drop ink to darken the edges of the frame.

I attached the panels with foam tape and finished with some trio clusters of tiny clear opalescent gems.

Embossed Snowflake Birthday

The current challenge at the Let's Smash It! Challenge Where the theme is It's Your Call to use any Embossing Folder & any Embossing Folder Technique.  

 

 

For my technique, I decided to brayer ink onto a 3-D Snowflake Embossing Folder ... I combined Dusty Concord and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide on the Sizzix 3-D Textured Impressions Winter Snowflake Embossing Folder.  

 

 

I inked my brayer with Tumbled Glass direct from the ink pad and then rolled it over the entire side of the embossing folder with the indented pattern.  After that, I inked Dusty Concord and then rolled that over parts of the folder, so some of the blue would still show through.

 

 

I trimmed the panel down to a mini-slimline size and added some lavender pearls to some of the snowflake centers.  I finished with a vintage Stampin' Up Four Square Birthday Sentiment (I have saved it all of these years because I just love that grunge look for masculine cards ... and I love how a 1 1/4" square punch works perfectly to frame it).