Ingenious Inkling

Retro Winter Adventure

When I saw the theme at the Retro Rubber Challenge was Winter, I knew it was time to pull out what I believe is likely the oldest stamp in my stash ... the Large Snowboarder from Stampington & Company circa 1997 (yes, 23 years old).

 

I bought this stamp because it reminded me of my brother and the joy he has told me about from his snowboarding adventures.  I've made several cards for him over the years featuring this image (here's one from 2018 and another from 2016).  This time I stamped it in Versafine Clair Twilight and added some monochromatic color with Spectrum Noir markers ... where I'm linking-up for the Spectrum Noir January Winter Challenge.

 

I used textured white cardstock to attach my snowy mountain and then die cut it with a hexagon die.  The layout is this week's CAS Colours & Sketch layout.  I kept it CAS, but had to add a few iridescent sequins to cover a little ink smudge (aka an embellishment opportunity).  I finished with what I thought was the perfect sticker sentiment.

 

Brilliant Blue Snowflake

My crafty friends and I have been talking about how our rate of acquiring art supplies the past few months has well exceeded our rate of using them.  My friend Sam threw down a Use My stuff Challenge to use those products to make a some birthday cards, so you have them ready to send in the upcoming months.  

I also wanted to join the CAS Stencil Challenge to use a new Stencil. 

 

I picked up several new Gina K. Designs Stencils and new colors of Glitz Glitter Gel, so I wanted to break them out.  Seriously, how gorgeous is that Brilliant Blue Glitz Glitter Gel with the Stellar Snowflake Stencil.  I like to use watercolor paper as my base, because for me the sturdier paper works better for stenciling the gel.

 

Since it was a CAS challenge, I resisted the urge to add a big more bling and just let the snowflake shine.

I wanted a vertical sentiment and I didn't have a Gina K. Birthday sentiment that was thin enough to let the Snowflake be the star of the show ... so I used Winter Wishes from the Gina K. Designs Seasonal Greetings Set and I'll stamp the birthday sentiment on the inside (that way the recipient can display it for a longer time if they want to).

 

 

It's also Snowflakes at the Just Us Girls Challenge this week (and their graphic is even a similar blue).

 

Lastly, the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is also about Something New.

Work It Snowflakes

I just discovered the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge, which for December is Snowflakes.

I thought this lovely metallic Gel Press print would be the perfect background for a snowflake card.  I die cut the Gel Press Print with the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles Die.

 

 

I die cut two Simon Says Stamp Bliss Snowflakes from Silver Metallic Cardstock.  The Simon Says Stamp Stay Strong Die (from STAMPtember 2017) was cut from glittery teal cardstock.

 

I added some Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Bling and silvery glitter enamel dots to the center of the snowflakes.

Holly Jolly

I love the colors in the Butterfly Reflections Ink December Mood Board.

 

The My Mind's Eye Holly Jolly Collection has three of the colors ... so all I had to do was add in some Aquamarine.

 

The Penguin Cutie is from American Crafts ... I framed him in Aquamarine and then added coordinating enamel dots to decorate his scarf.   This card just makes me happy.

Happy Winter

I love the beautiful colors in the current Lawn Fawnatics Challenge Inspiration Board.

 

The movement of the lines reminded me of the Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts - Stitched Woodgrain Backdrop ... I used it on the lightest blue of the color combination.

 

 

I die cut the Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes from the other four colors and stacked them using 3-D glue dots for dimension.  I put some Bumpy Bling in the centers.

 

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn Say What Christmas Critters.

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.

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.

Bringing Sexy Sweaters Back

I knew I had to break out the don we now our ugly sweater stamps from Simon Says Stamp for this week's Baby It's Cold Outside Jingle Belles card.

 

I did an oops when I scored my card base and scored the front too short ... I decided to work with it and trimmed it even shorter, so I could attach several rows of washi tape to the inside of the card (like I did last weekend on one of my Christmas tags) ... and I loved the effect.

I colored my sweater with markers and then added some gems for embellishments.  Such a fun card to make.

Technique Junkies November Stamp Release

Lots of fun new stamps at Technique Junkies this month ... remember they are 15% off through November 8th and you can stack my discount TJ10Stephanie for another 10% off your entire order (and all Christmas stamps are 20% off - and another 10% with my discount code) ... it's time to go shopping.

 

One of my favorite stamps of the release is called Decaf Coffee ... it reminds me of my amazing sister.  I paper pieced her hat with purple paper since it's my sister's favorite color ... it also reminded me of my awesome hat my sister knitted for me.

I wove some ribbon through some book-punched designer paper and then added a bit of pink pastel for blush on her cheek.

And of course, it's perfect for the Fall/Winter Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop.

When I showed the new Brickwork Background Stamp to my husband, he said it looked like the brick roads in our neighborhood ... after that, I could get the brick road idea out of my head .. but instead of the roads in our neighborhood, I immediately started singing ... Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

For the first one I used three colors of Gold Ink on Gold Paper ... the lighter ink at the bottom sort of faded into the paper, but I decided I liked the effect, so that's where I placed my sentiment from Technique Junkies Wisdom of Oz.  I added Glenda's Silver Crown Sticker ... and fun Witch Leg Brads from Eyelet Outlet.

 

For the next one, I inked the Brickwork Background with shades of darker orange on yellow cardstock ... I found a few hoarded Wizard of Oz stickers in my stash and paired it with my favorite sentiment from the Wisdom of Oz Set (it has 7 sentiments).  I finished with a row of black pearls because even the bad witch needs a little bling.

 

And I couldn't resist doing one more ... this time for Glenda ... and her cardbase and bling are pink ... of course.

 

 

And one more Brickwork card in more traditional Brick hues.

 

The center image is the gorgeous new stamp Winter Bouquet stamped in brown ink on mint green cardstock ... and then I used colored pencils to add some highlights.

 

I used foam tape on the center of my image, so I could curl-up the edges for a bit of dimension ... I love the cozy texture of the felt ribbon.

Next up is the the wonderful Framed Deer for some masculine cards.

 

I kept this one clean and simple with just some washi tape and the wonderful big Happy Birthday sentiment from Technique Junkies Floral Framed Sentiments (set of 6 stamps).

 

And this pudgy little Snowman stamp just makes me smile.  Sentiment is Technique Junkies All Is Calm.

 

I stamped him in navy on white cardstock and then detail cut him out (remember the days when we did that all the time ... I find it to be a bit therapeutic). 

 

I colored his buttons and hat and attached him to some snowy designer paper on some snowy hills cut from white textured cardstock.

Hope you've enjoyed my tour through my favorite stamps from the November release ... make sure you hop along with the other designers to see the whole collection.

 

• Technique Junkies Blog https://techniquejunkies.blogspot.com/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-release-and.html
• Beth Norman-Roberts https://www.sunflowers-dragonflies.ca/blog/62828/technique-junkie…ase-and-discount/
• Ceal Pritchett https://simplybeautifulcreations.blogspot.com/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-release-hop.html
• Giovana Smith https://giovana-believe.blogspot.com/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-release.html
• Holly Brown https://glitterstampsandink.blogspot.com/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-release.html
• Janine Tinklenberg - http://www.jantink.com/2019/11/mss-tj-nov-2019-release.html ‎
• Jeanne Streiff https://inkypaws.splitcoaststampers.com/2019/11/01/big-sale-at-technique-junkies/
• Judy Jackson -https://judysstampart.blogspot.com/2019/11/nice-news-for-november.html
• Kia Gibson-Clapper https://kia-splace.ca/cards/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-release/
• Pat Huntoon https://patstamps.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-stamp-release-of-year.html
• Ro Donner https://rodonner.blogspot.com/2019/11/tj-november-release.html
• Stephanie Severin https://ingeniousinkling.typepad.com/ingenious_inkling/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-stamp-release.html
• Lynda Pleckan https://paperartscafe.blogspot.com/2019/11/technique-junkies-november-2019-release.html

 

Hanukkah Song

Something that's pretty important to us ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ is to make sure our card-making festivities include EVERYONE who is special to us, whatever occasion or holiday in which they partake!

So this week we're making cards for our friends who don't necessarily celebrate Christmas. Hanukkah is the most famous of the other winter holidays, and it (plus our favorite Adam Sandler song!) inspired our title, but you could choose Kwanzaa, New Year, Hogmanay or Solstice; or you could go totally non-denominational with a general winter-themed card.

I started with this peaceful Penny Black Starry Night Stickeroo and built my Hanukkah card around it with a few more sticker sentiments and sticker letters too.  

 

Those Stickeroos have been in my stash for a very long time (and have been a titch neglected), so I'm linking-up at the Penny Black Anything Goes Challenge with an option of Old or Neglected.

I die cut some metallic silver into an oblong octagon and then die cut some Swirling Stars.  I finished with a wrap of ribbon and a few sprinkled gems."