Ingenious Inkling

Hero Arts Flower Power

I'm thrilled to be Guest Designing at The Ink Pad Blog today featuring Hero Arts Flower Power Layering Stamp Set, which was one of the stamp set in the Hero Arts early ShopBox Release.

 

 

There are four layers for the floral hair ... and another four for the face.  For my first card, I only stamped three of the layering stamps for the hair, leaving the background flowers white.

 

 

 

I started with a soft pink for the flower insides.

 

 

Next I stamped a brighter pink for the flower centers and highlighted blooms.  For the face layers I only inked the lip portion of the face highlight stamp.  I used some pink pastel pencil to highlight her cheeks.

 

The current #staycraftywithhero challenge at the Hero Arts Blog is to create a gift card holder.

 

 

I found a super-easy gift card holder template at H Made Boutique made by scoring a 4 1/4" x 11" cardstock base

 

 

 

The card then opens at the top and the Gift Card slides into where you have scored & attached the middle (I used the Hero Arts Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies for my opening).

 

 

 

I used the coordinating die to cut out my lovely lady.

 

The background is a brayer roll-off paper from my Gel Press topped with a paper I made by painting a paper bag with Gesso, Watercolor Paint and Salt.

 

Next I used yellows and orange to create her a sister ... I love the empowering sentiments in this set.

 

The background for this card was made by brayering acrylic paint on colored cardstock.

String Theory Sass

When I saw this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! I was immediately reminded of a String Art Tutorial from Understand Blue, so I went and found it.

 

 

I couldn't find a phone book or rubber globes, so I used an Encyclopedia and just got inky fingers.  I used Taylored Expressions Cookie Monster Ink and made these four String Theory pulls (first pull on the bottom and second pull on the top).

 

 

I used one of the first pulls because I thought it more closely resembled the sketch, and then because I was feeling a bit punchy tonight, I used stamps from The Ink Road Empower (thank you Tina Fey).

 

Golden Emboss Resist

When I made my first card for #staycraftywithhero CASE a Designer Challenge, I originally stamped & embossed the retired Leaf & Floral Background on White Cardstock (before realizing I would need to stamp it on watercolor paper for the technique I wanted to try).  Since it's been sitting on my studio table, I decided to use it to make a second CASE design ... this time inspired by Caly Person's emboss resist background.

 

 

This is Caly's card that I chose as my inspiration.

 

 

Rather than a rainbow, I chose three colors of Distress Oxide Ink (Iced Spruce, Speckled Egg and Cracked Pistachio) that I applied to my work at and the sprayed with water before dipping my embossed image into the ink.

 

 

Next I gave the wet paper an all-over spray of Nuvo Mica Mist in Aspen Gold.  This angle really shows the golden shimmer.

 

 

Rather than use vellum, I decided a solid ban of ivory watercolor paper framed with gold cardstock worked for my card front.  I used a sentiment from the Hero Arts May 2019 Crafty Hero Kit.

 

 

I also lowered my sentiment slightly from center.

 

Wild at Heart Tag

The December Challenge at Poppy Stamps is Anything But a Card. 

 

I thought the Poppy Stamps Wild at Heart Border Die would be perfect for a tag ... because it's time to start making valentines. 

 

 

I used it with one of my pieces of Alcohol Ink Glitter Paper (thanks again Jennifer for the tutorial) using Memory Box Delicate Pastel Glitter Paper.

 

 

I die cut the Heart Border from the Glitter paper and then positioned it to die cut a partial tag.  I die cut a full tag from white cardstock and attached it on top and stapled silver ribbon to the top of the tag.

I finished with a sentiment from Poppy Stamps Tidings of Joy.

Until Santa Checks the Naughty List

While the Alcohol Ink Paper was still on my studio table, I had to make a card with the other half from yesterday's design.

I started with the plan to join the E is for Elves Challenge at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

 

 

I pulled out my Elf Grumplings from Taylored Expressions and then pulled more inspiration from the Fusion Card Challenge Merry, Cheer Joy replacing the gnome with an Elf and using the Sketch.

 

I pulled in the red from the photo for the border of my card using Playful Patterns Valentine paper from Taylored Expressions.

 

 

I colored my little elf and mounted him on a silver glitter foam circle with a sentiment from the same set.

I'm also linking-up at the TGIF Magical Christmas Challenge (because what's more magical than Santa's Elf).

 

And with the Silver Circle, I'm linking up at the Silver or Gold Challenge at Cute Card Tuesday.

Glittery Alcohol Ink Christmas

A new package of Memory Box Delicate Pastel Glitter Paper arrived this week from my Anniversary Sale Shopping at Paper Anthology, so I had to make some more Alcohol Ink Glitter Paper (following Jennifer Maguire's tutorial).  I just love the process and the end effect.

Here are the three color combinations I played with.  There are 7-8 inks on each page.

 

 

I used the top blue/green one for my holiday card for the Uniko Stamps Challenge which is 'Tis the Season with the optional theme of Sparkle ... I think I've got the sparkle covered.

 

I cut my inky glitter paper into a 3" strip and then stamped images from Uniko's Christmas Background Builders.

 

 

I added color to a single tree using a green Kirarina 2win marker and added shimmer with clear Wink of Stella on top ... and then I added a tiny gold gem at the top of the tree.  The finishing touch were a couple of Green Love from Lizi Peel Off strips to frame the stamping.

 

 

I'm also linking-up at the Allsorts Challenge where the theme is Christmas Flowers, Wreaths and Trees and the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.

 

 

And I've got Tic-Tac-Toe with The Paper Players across the bottom with Green, my tree colored with a Kirarina Marker and Wink of Stella, and my tiny bling embellishment at the top of the tree.

Alcohol Ink Glittery Yeti

I had a piece of alcohol ink colored glitter paper left over from this morning's card, so I thought it would be perfect for the Glitter & Sparkle Challenge at A Blog Named Hero.

 

I am also joining the Let's Squash It Challenge to use a Holiday Embossing Folder with some stamping.  The white cardstock base was embossed with the 3-D Textured Impressions Winter Snowflake Folder.

 

 

 

I pulled out my Hero arts Stamp & Cut Yeti Set by Kelly Purkey (because where there's snow, there's got to be a Yeti) and went with a simple card design.

 

The Wonder of the Season

The November Stock Your Stash theme at Reverse Confetti is all about Holiday or Winter.

 

 

I started by playing along with Jennifer Maguire's Video about using Alcohol Inks on Glitter paper.  I used DCWV Glitzy Cardstock, which has a completely smooth glittery surface, so my results were a bit different than hers, but it sure was fun to play.  I also didn't have white glitter, so I used pale silver with Ranger Pink Sherbet, Couture Creations Wisteria & Couture Creations Lake Pearl Ink together with blending solution.

 

 

I die cut my glitter paper to use as the background for my new Reverse Confetti Away in the Manger Confetti Cuts.  I die cut the star from glitter foam, which has a great dimension.  

 

I felt like I needed something in my Manger, and I settled on a messy wrap of Old Rose Metallic Thread for the "hay".

 

The sentiment is from Reverse Confetti Seasonal Say It All stamped in Versafine Clair Purple Delight on Silver Metallic paper and Clear Embossed.

CLEARly Christmas

This week at Jingle Belles we're asking you to make a holiday card that contains at least one see-through element, whether that be glass, a transparency, some vellum, acetate or "ghost" shapes, clear stickers, lucite buttons, shrink plastic... whatever you like... if you can see through it (& figure out how to attach it!) put it on there and link it up!

For my card I applied Marabu Alcohol Ink in Cherry Red & Cinnamon to a transparency sheet and blew it around with air.  When I was happy with the result, I flipped it over and attached it to my white card base with Vellum Adhesive. 

 

 

I added some Clear Drip Drops and clear Stars to the tops of my holiday trees.  Super-easy and super-fun.

What The Phở (Faux)?

This is the kind of card you end-up making when you spend your afternoon on a video-call with some of your favorite crafty, snarky, punny cardmaking friends.

It all began with a small strip of Faux Leather made from Masking Tape and Ink that was leftover from this card I made in February 2012 (yes, I saved it for 8+ years for the perfect opportunity to use it) and the X is for fauX Challenge at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

 

 

When I asked my friends what I should pair with said piece of Faux Leather, that led to punny discussions of Phở (aka Faux), which reminded me that I actually had a Waffle Flower Food Adventures Pho Stamp that had never seen ink.

 

Then of course my girlfriends helped me with two stickers for the perfect Snarky Sentiment to finish the card.