Inkspirational #358 - Shades of Blue

 There's a new challenge up at Inkspirational today - #358 Shades of Blue

I made a 3 1/4" x 4" encouragement card with a Knot Bird made from Yasutomo All Blue Orgami Paper - perfect for this challenge!  

I found a tutorial for making a Knot Bird on YouTube by

Karen Elaine and there are lots of samples by others on Pinterest.

I used Origami paper as it is thinner and easier to make a knot with it.

  

This Origami paper is one sided and the back is white, so the head on one side and the tail on the other side of the knot end up white. I used coordinating Copics to color the white ends.  You trim one end to be the head and you trim the other end to be the tail.

Cut a tiny triangle out of black card for the beak and glue it on - use a black marker to make the eye.

Your bird can be used facing either way as both sides work.

I made my birds with strips 5 7/8" x 3/4".  

My origami paper is 5/78" x 5 7/8" so that's why I made it that length.

I did later buy some Origami paper printed on both sides but haven't used it yet.

Here is the flock of birds I whipped up in a short time -  and some bird affirmation quotes I found by Google-ing.

I smooshed the panels and the card base on my craft mat using Ranger Distress Broken China spritzed with water.  It gives them a white cloud -  blue sky look!

I die cut the quotes with rectangle dies.

I adhered the quote to the card base, adhered the bird on a foam strip, drew her legs with a fine black marker and added 3 blue enamel dots!  

Please join us and show us how Shades of Blue inspired you to create!  Link up your creation over at the Inkspirational Blog where you will also find some lovely inspiration by the rest of the DT!

This challenge ends on Jan 30th!

Also sending my card to:

Love Those Pretty Papers

anything goes ends 1/31

Make My Monday

Use Paper with a Pattern  ends 1/25

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge

anything goes  ends 1/30

Creative Inspiration Challenges

Always anything Goes  ends 1/29

NBUS

First time using this Knot Bird pattern and this Origami paper

Color Hues

ends 1/29

Paper:  White, True Black - PTI, Yasutomo All Blue Origami Paper (I found it on Amazon, Blick also has it).

Ink:  Ranger Distress Broken China

Accessories:  Blue Copics to cordinate with the paper colors, computer generated Bird Quotes, Rectangle dies - Nestabilities, Stitched Mat Rectangles - Lil Inker Designs (retired), craft mat, water mister, enamel dots - Altenew, heat tool to dry the smooshed panels.

1st Inkspirational Challenge of 2026! Word Prompt: Shiny/Shine

 The 1st Challenge of 2026 is up over at Inkspirational.  We're changing up our challenges a bit so be sure to check out the blog.  Our first challenge is a Word Prompt - chosen by DT Marlena.

I went with Shine:Star  AND Shiny:Gold Foiled Paper.  

I just happened to have an undecorated pine wreath to display my shiny paper star!

I found a video on how to make this lovely star on Pinterest/Instagram by FloralFlairStudio.

 I used 6  4"x 4" squares of foiled paper for my star.  It measures ~8" point to point.  Use smaller squares for a smaller star. It folds cleaner with thinner papers.

The gold is really shiny IRL. I tied a sheer gold ribbon at the top.  The center circle is made from two floral dies cut from metallic paper and a gold gem added to the center

You can watch the video to see how she folded each square - but I took some photos as I made each fold so I'd hopefully remember what I did!    This might seem clearer to you after you watch the video!

So, we hope you will join us for the 1st Inkspirational Challenge for 2026!  Link up your Shine/Shiny creation over at Inkspirational where you'll also find how the rest of the DT interpreted this challenge! 

This challenge ends on Jan 16th!

Also sending my star to:

Anything but a Card

ends 1/31/26

NBUS

First time using this pack of metallic papers 

First time using the pattern for the star  

Creative Inspiration Challenges

Anything Goes

ends 1/31/26

Crafts Galore

Anything Goes

ends 1/31/26

Paper:  Foiled Fundamentals 12"x12" Paper Pad - Recollections (Michaels), Kraft Stock Metallic Paper - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

Other Supplies:  star instructional video, Tombow Glue (she used a glue gun), Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Dies (for star center) - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Gold Gem - Parklane, sheer gold ribbon - from stash.

Inkspirational #341 - Hot Day at the Beach

 It's time for Inkspirational Challenge #341 - Designers Choice!  

Marlena is the designer to choose the challenge - and here it is!

I created a scene of a hot summers night at the beach as the sun is finally setting, with a hot fire crackling in the fire pit.

I made the background by first stamping the half sun, then masking it and simply rubbing the ink pads over the panel - Mustard Seed for the yellow sky, Arctic for the ocean and Sand Dune for the beach. I stamped and off-stamped the beach grass in Portabello.

The stamps and dies are all from Better at the Beach from Papertrey Ink. (they have the stamps but not the dies right now)

I added Clear Glitter Wink of Stella along the sky line and on the flames of the fire for a little sparkle - hopefully you can see it on the close up below.

So what does HOT make you think of?  food?  Summer? fire?  We hope you'll join us at Inkspirational and link up your cards!   You'll find lovely inspiration from the rest of the DT over at Inkspirational!

This challenge ends on May 23rd.

Also sending my card to:

Cardz 4 Guyz

Body of Water  ends 5/13

Creative Inspirations

The Great Outdoors - ends May 31

Die Cut Divas

Make it look like water coloring 

(my rubbed inkpad background)

ends 5/31

Stamps:  Better at the Beach - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Mustard Seed Ranger Distress, Russet Orange - Elements, Arctic, Portabello, Sand Dune, Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Cocoa Bean - Papertrey Ink.

Paper:  white, Fine Linen, Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Better at the Beach Dies - Papertrey Ink, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, mask tape, foam dots.