Ingenious Inkling

From Flower Bouquet to Card

At our retreat this weekend, Chris Dayton made us an adorable paper flower bouquet with a die cut sentiment that was *potted* in a collapsible CLIC & GO watercolor cup from Faber Castell (so cute).  She asked that if we dis-assembled, to use the flower to make a card, so that's what I did this morning.

I found one of my Gel Press Prints from the weekend. (with fabulous ThermoWeb iCraft silver foil) that I made during the weekend to use as my background.  I found the flower stamps in The Stamp Market Just Add Flowers.

 

I wasn't sure the source of the leaves, but the sentiment is Simon Says Stamp + CZ Design Just Because die.

I used the layout from Atlantic Cards Sketch to assemble my card.  I attached the alcohol ink panel to a larger white card base to work with the large sentiment.

 

 

I used Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Drip Drops for the dot elements on the sketch.  I trimmed the leaves & flower petals where they hang over the edge of the card after everything was attached.  I also used foam tape on some of the smaller flowers & the sentiment for dimension.

 

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.

 

Full METAL Jacket

The new Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Full METAL Jacket - create a card featuring a metallic element.

 

 

I went with Foil as my element and pulled out a piece I had made during Foil-a-palooza years ago with Lauren using Decofoil Transfer Gel,  and the AlteNew Layered Kaleidoscope Stencil A and Gina K. Designs Sparkling Silver Fancy Foil.  The foil looks silver straight-on but has a wonderful rainbow effect when it gets hit by the light.

 

 

I positioned the lens of the AlteNew Say Cheese Camera over one of the circles in the Kaleidoscope design and added a sentiment from the same set.

I finished with a silver metallic pen over the grey stamped elements of the camera and added a tiny heart epoxy sticker to the flash.  I sure miss traveling and taking photographs.

I hope you'll shop your stash for those neglected metal elements and bring them out to shine.

 

Gnome for the Holidays

The November Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix Challenge is to make a card featuring a Critter. 

 

 

The instructions specifically list a Snowman as an option for a Critter, so I figured if Snowmen were in ... then Gnomes meet the Critter criteria too. 

I used the Gina K. Designs / Therm~o~web Gnome for the Holidays Kit.  I die cut the Gnome pieces and holiday tree & then used the stencils to add decorations & stripes.

 

 

I used the Sketch from the CAS Colours & Sketch Challenge with a piece of texty holiday paper.  

 

I'm also joining the Global Design Project Christmas Challenge.

Peace & Joy to You

This weekend, SkyPaperScissors reminded me that Ellen Hutson's cool Modern Graphics Vol. 2 papers (by the oh-so-fun-and-talented-Julie-Ebersole) could be foiled (yep ... life-changing).  I warmed-up the laminator and added some Therm-o-Web Turquoise Decofoil to this super-fun design.

 

I broke out some other new Ellen Hutson products in my stash for the rest of the card.  The Essentials by Ellen Deer Couple were die cut from Teal cardstock (I can never resist adding a red nose) and the sentiment is from the oh-so-diverse Love and Light Stamp Set.  

 

 

The slim-line layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches allowed more of that foiled paper to shine through.

 

It Was Enough

This morning's card was inspired by the Just Add Ink Just Choose Two Challenge.

 

 

I chose to combine Sequins with Metallic Foil together with the Sketch Saturday Layout.  My background is Gina K. Designs Dazzling Orange Foil  with her Holiday Foil Mates ... and there is Gold Foil in my alcohol inked rectangles in the sketch.  I added a scattering of orange sequins.

 

The leaf is a 3-D sticker and the stamped sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen You Should Know.

 

 

And a bonus card inspired by my childhood memories of the Undertaker roaming through the grounds at Silver Dollar City when I was a kid measuring us for his coffin.

 

The skeleton is from vintage Cosmo Cricket and the sentiment is pure Cathy Zielske Hollaween for Simon Says Stamp.

Manhole Cover Art

I'm thrilled to be Guest Designing for The Ink Pad NYC using the fabulous stencils by Michelle Ward available only at The Ink Pad in New York City.  I used Therm-o-Web Deco Foil Gel with the Michelle Ward Stencils.

The background for this card is the Michelle Ward Downtown NYC Map Stencil with Rainbow Foil.

 

 

Next I layered on the Michelle Ward Manhole Covers II with Silver Star Deco Foil.  I finished with letters cut with the Honey Bee Bee Bold Alphabet and a heart punch attached with foam tape.

The next card features more of that silver star foil with another Manhole Stencil from Michelle Ward Manhole Covers II.  The photo caught the cool iridescent effect of this foil and lets you see the stars a bit more on the bigger surface.

 

I added one of the smaller Michelle Ward Mini Manhole Stamps embossed with silver embossing powder and a great sentiment from Everyday Explorers Co Get It Girl stamp set.  I added a few tiny iridescent gems to finish.  The background paper is from Dress My Craft Dots 'n Stripes.

The next card features the other half of the Michelle Ward Downtown New York Map Stencil, this time foiled with Therm-o-Web Silver Shattered Glass Foil.

 

This Manhole Cover is from Michelle Ward NYC Manhole Cover Stencils foiled with Therm-o-Web Brutus Monroe Tide Pool foil.  I stamped another Michelle Ward Mini Manhole and embossed in silver matted the center with foam tape.  I finished with another great sentiment from the Everyday Explorers Co Get it Girl Stamp Set.

My final card is all about Rainbows.   the Michelle Ward NYC Manhole Cover was foiled with Therm-o-Web Decofoil Rainbow Foil and placed atop Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow paper.

 

The silver embossed Under Construction sentiment is from Michelle Ward's Mini Manhole Stamp Set.  The Stronger Together Sentiment is from Everyday Explorer Co Get It Girl Stamp Set.

Remember you can only get these Stencils from The Ink Pad ... and if you can't make it to New York to visit them in person at their new location, you can buy them in the online store (what are you waiting for ... go do some shopping).

I Love the 80's

I am thrilled to be Guest Designing on the Jaded Blossom Blog again today featuring the August I Love the 80's release.

 

Today I chose to focus on the 80's Stencil with several different stenciling techniques.  The first is using Therm-o-Web Transfer Gel.  I usually apply the gel through my stencil before I go to bed, then it is nice and dry and ready to go by morning.  Otherwise it takes about an hour or so to dry, depending on how heavily you apply it.  I used watercolor paper as my base.

When it was dry, I ran it through my laminator using wonderful Therm-o-Web Rainbow Transfer Foil ... how cool is that fun design with the 80's Stencil.  I love that the design works from any direction.

 

 

For my layout I used this week's Paper Craft Crew Sketch.

 

I cut coordinating rainbow card strips and used the sentiment stamp from Love the 80's.  I added a touch of color to the stamp, and then cut out a second shooting star to use as the embellishment on the bottom left of the sentiment.  I added bright pink star gems to finish the design.

 

There are so many 80's friends that I could send this one too.

When you foil a background you are left with the negative of the design.  Since I could bear to let it go to waste, I applied 6" double stock tape to the back and attached it to white cardstock.  When I pulled away the clear overlay, it pulled away tiny bits of the foil, but I still loved the effect.  Since the open areas were now stick with the adhesive from the back, I sprinkled on clear glitter to fill them.

I used my diamond punch to punch out as many diamonds as I could from the 6" piece keeping them all facing the same direction.  Next I used adhesive to position my diamonds on a white card base hanging them slightly over the edges.

 

 

I added my favorite sentiment from Pump Up the Jam stamped no white cardstock and adhered with foam tape for dimension against the busy background.  I'm linking this card up at the Little Red Wagon Use a Stencil Challenge.

 

I finished with trios of rainbow gems.  I love how the "leftovers" turned out.

I hope these projects gave you some ideas about how you can try different techniques with the 80's Stencil from the "I Love the 80's" release ... and if you didn't catch my projects that I made for the release, you can find them at my blog Ingenious Inkling or my Instagram account.

 

New York State of Mind

All of the pictures in my memories keep reminding me that this is the time of year I'm usually traveling ... I'm usually on a beach with my sister ... or in New York City with Lauren. 

This card is an homage to both of them.  I miss them both ... and mostly I miss seeing new things with them both ... having new experiences and eating great food. 

Just this week my sister and I were talking about how the next time we're together we're going to find a great big Pretzel to share ... so the Pretzels are for her.

 

The central focus point is a Michelle Ward Exclusive NYC Manhole Cover Stencil from The Ink Pad done with Decofoil Transfer Gel and cool Opalescent Decofoil which was perfect for this week's CAS(E) this Sketch!  With my cool metallic foil, I'm joining the Something Metallic Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

 

 

The Pretzels and the sentiment are from a Hero Arts mini set called Kelly's New York.

Rock On

Yesterday I read this article about Generation X and Quarantine, and most of it rang pretty true ... seriously, I used to read encyclopedias to entertain myself.

But the one thing that brought back the biggest flood of memories was the making of the perfect Mix Tape.  How I would hold my cassette tape player next to my bedside clock radio and try to hit record at the exact perfect moment when the DJ announced one of my favorite songs was going to play (and hope that my brother didn't come running through the room making noise) ... or setting the needle down on the record player and rushing to hit record before the song began. 

And how after high school, the perfect mix tape was one that lasted me through my drive to night classes at college and back (48 minutes each way) after a full day at the office ... and it was a bonus if it was something I could sing along with on that drive back home and keep myself awake.

So it was those memories that inspired today's card.  The Cardz 4 Guys Challenge is to use a Stencil (my foiled strip used a Stencil and Therm-o-Web Transfer Gel before applying Gina K. Designs Jelly Bean Green Foil) and the All Sorts Challenge is all about Men and Boys.

 

 

The stamp set is Mama Elephant's Rewind (it looks like it is discontinued, but they released a portion of the images under a new Mix Tape Set).

Addicted to CAS is code word Texture ... you can see the wonderful texture of the foiled Transfer Gel where the light is reflecting on the left.

 

 

And lastly, Simon Says Stamp is Anything Goes.

Are you mailing your cards?  This one is going in the mail along with others. Make sure you're taking this opportunity to send some positive vibes across the miles.