Inkspirational #328 Designer Choice - Layer It

 The new challenge for Inkspirational is up over at the blog!  It's Designer Choice and Carol is our designer  this time.  She has chosen - Layer It.

I layered photo stickers to frames of card stock and then layered them over the gray striped DP on foam dots. I layered the pieces of a die cut sofa and adhered the sofa to the DP 'floor' at the base of the card.

 I was thinking of this as being a scene inside a museum - but it could also be in a living room - where the Monet paintings would certainly be prints rather than originals!

The Monet stickers are from Kawaii Pen Shop, the stamp is from Paper Artsy and the sofa is from My Favorite Things (retired).  I added 3 enamel dots from Altenew below the sentiment.

We hope you will join us over at Inkspirational and link up a card design showing how you interpret "Layer It"!

This challenge ends 11/15.

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using the sofa die cut that I've had for over a year, and the Monet Stickers which I've had for two months.

Krafty Chicks Challenge

Anything Goes   ends 11/6

Try it on Tuesday

Make it Magical (I think flowers and gardens are magical!)

ends 11/11

Cardz for Galz

Showcase your patterned papers ends 11/13

Stamps:  Alison Bomber EAB01 set - PaperArtsy

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  True Black, Hawaiian Shores, Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink, DP White Plaid - Coredinations, The Sound of Summer - Ciao Bella.

Other Supplies:  Take a Seat Die - MFT, Monet Stickers - Kawaii Pen Shop, foam dots, Enamel Dots - Altenew.

Inkspirational #318 Magical Inspiration

 Here is my DT card for Inkspirational Challenge #318.  Today the challenge is a Mood Board

Adapted from: https://picsandcheesecake.blogspot.com/2014/05/dt-lifepaperscrapbook-may-mood-board.html

I was inspired by the yellow flower on the bokeh background, all of the colors, the banner flags and  the circles!

I used a Circles Stencil from Lavinia and White Pigment ink to create the Bokeh background on the  panel of Mint Julep. I die cut the panel with A2 Arches from the Greetery.  I stamped the Lavinia Dandelion and sponged over the flower with Fossilized Amber Distress Ink.  Then I added white Nuvo drops. I die cut the banner and placed it over the panel on foam dots.  The sentiment is from the Magic and Wonder set from PaperArtsy.  I layered the arch panel over a piece of Distressed Dots DP.

We hope you will be inspired by the challenge Mood Board and will link up your card over at Inkspirational!

You have through June 28th to link up!

Also joining in on these challenges:

We Love Stamping

Fabulous Florals  - Ends 7/3

Group of Seven Cardmakers

Bokeh

Time Out Challenges ends 6/19

Stamps:  Tall Dandelion - Lavinia, Magic and Wonder - PaperArtsy.

Ink:  White Pigment Ink - Hampton Art, Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Fossilized Amber.

Paper:  Mint Julep, DP Distressed Dots and Bitty Big Tropical Teal - Papertrey Ink

Accessories:  White Orbs Stencil - Lavinia,  A2 Arches Dies - The Greetery, Flag Banner Die - from a magazine, Gloss Simply White drops - Nuvo, foam dots, finger sponge.

Inkspirational #314 Mood Board Bouquet

 It's time for the next Inkspirational Challenge #314 - and this week it is:

I was inspired by the lovely bouquet in the center of the board and the overall colors of green, pink and orange, with a tad of blue in the vase!

Very CAS for me today!

I stamped the image on a panel of white hammered card and colored it with Copics.  I die cut the frame and adhered it around the image, up on foam dots.  I applied Glossy Accents to the vase so IRL it looks like water.  I tied a piece of twine into a bow leaving a long loopy tail and adhered it to the top of the vase.

So how does our Moodboard inspire you?  We hope you will join us and link up your inspired card.  Check out the lovely creations by the rest of the DT over at Inkspirational!

You have until May 3rd to join in!

I'm linking my card to:

NBUS

first time using this floral stamp set that I've had for over 5 years!

Die Cut Divas

Make a spring card   ends 4/30

We Love Stamping

Spring - ends 4/30

Seize the Birthday  

ends 4/23

Stamps:  Jofy JM22 - Paper Artsy

Paper:  Hammered White - Amazon

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Accessories:  Wood Frame Infinity Dies - Hero Arts, foam dots, twine, Copics YR02, YG03, RV02, W2, BOO, Glossy Accents - Ranger.

Using Dies in Different ways - Nature Junk Journal

A new month means a new theme for Eileen Hull's Inspiration and Education Teams. This month we are taking a look at journals inspired by nature.  And just to make it a little more tricky, we have been challenged to use dies that aren’t normally considered “journal dies”.

I used Eileen's Gift Card Folder to hold a little nature journal. The Junk Journal stamp is from her new set Buttons Cards and More.  The Nature stamp is from a soon to be released new set!

I held the flaps of the folder closed with a blue elastic ribbon.

Remove the ribbon and you'll find a little junk journal

I added a little felt flower using Eileen/s Journaling Cards - Flowers and Leaves Thinlit dies.

I pressed leaves and flowers from my garden using my Vagabond onto panels of watercolor paper 

and onto tea bags that I used as pockets on some pages.

I slipped little die cut pieces into the tea bags.

Here are a few shots showing how I put this together.

I die cut Eileen's Gift Card Folder out of matboard.  Then I stamped it with her beautiful new Damask stamp on both sides.  

Then I used a blender brush to ink all the edges with Distress Antique Linen. (not shown in photo) 

I die cut the ornate piece from Eileen's Gift Box Scalloped Edge die out of matboard and stamped the image from her new Buttons Cards and More stamp set onto it.  I also stamped the ticket from the same set onto a piece of DP and fussy cut around the edges.  I later looped a piece of twine through a hole I punched on one edge so it was easier to get out of the tea bag pocket I put it in.  I die cut the larger leaf from Eileen's Spring Leaves Die out of watercolor paper, stamped a sentiment  and leaf from a 'soon to be released' stamp set from Eileen.

I went out to my garden and gathered some leaves and blooms so I could 'press' them using my Vagabond.  I used a geranium leaf, petunia blossoms, clover, an astilbe leaf stem, Solomon Seal leaves and phlox stems and blossoms.  I pressed them onto new teabags that I had stained with watery Ranger Distress Vintage Photo ink to make them look 'used' as well as water color paper.   My sandwich was teabag, leaf or blossom, piece of watercolor paper.

This shows how wonderfully the petunia blossom pressed into the watercolor paper.  I hadn't removed one of the blossoms from the top piece yet for illustration.

For my Nature Junk Journal, I cut 3 pieces of watercolor paper each one 4 3/4" x 3" that I scored in the mittle of the long edge to create 6 pages.  I laid the pages on top of each other and bound them with a knotted piece of black twine.

I die cut all my pressed pieces with a rectangle Nestability slightly smaller than my journal pages and stamped some of them with various nature themed sentiments.

Please check out Eileen's blog every Wednesday this month where you will find lots of inspiration for using your dies in different ways for journaling!

Stamps:  Vintage Damask, Buttons Cards and More - Eileen Hull/Maker Forte, EAB16 and EAB04 Alison Bomber - PaperArtsy, Potters Bench - Stamping Bella, Stampotique, Verve Stamps.

Paper:  Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, water color paper - Canson Cold Press, DP Petite Places - PTI.

Ink:  Ranger Distress Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Iced Spruce, True Black - PTI, Iceberg - Altenew.

Accessories:  Gift Card Folder die, Spring Leaves Die, Thinlit Journaling Cards Flowers and Leaves - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Classic Rectangle die - Nestabilities, new teabags - gift from a friend, black cord, blue elastic ribbon - Cousin, rhinestone heart, ScorTape, felt from stash, Vagabond Machine, leaves and blooms from my garden.

May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - The Most Wonderful Fairytale

Today is the day of the May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - the day they post all the cards sent and received by participants in the challenge.

People join from all over the world each month. You have to sign up by the 6th of each month and if you sign up, after the 6th of that month you get the name of someone to send a card to and someone gets your name to send you their card. You contact each other by email to get the snail mail addresses.

The challenge has options for your card design each month (colors, sketch, theme, product used) but you only have to use one of the suggestions.

I used just the colors this time - two blues and white.

Here is my card that I sent to Tina in Slovenia!

I used Lavinia Stamps Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots and Mini Leaf 5 and the sentiment is from Magic and Wonder by PaperArtsy.  

This card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

To create the wreath - I used a circle mask drawing 3/4 of a circle in pencil around the edge of the mask. I stamped the fairy in blackas if she was sitting on the bottom of the circle. Then I stamped the sentiment centering it over the pencil line. I stamped the leaves in 2 different blues around the penciled circle - off stamping over the sentiment so it was lighter as well as around her wings and knees. And finally, I stamped the mini dots in black over the wreath - which instantly adds more whimsy! I added white Nuvo drops to some of the leaves and 4 frosted flower sequins for a little sparkle.

So come join in the fun and sign up some month over at The Card Chain Challenge - send a card and get a card! You can try it out once and if you don't enjoy it, you don't have to join in again, or you can come back another month after not participating for a while.

While I was making Tina's card, I  made a second card using a mix of colors on the leaves.  

This card is  5" square.

Stamps:  Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots, Mini Leaf 5 - Lavina Stamps, Magic and Wonder - PaperArtsy.

Paper:  Multifarious Smooth - Lavina Stamps.

Ink:  Obsidian, Ultramarine, Sapphire - Altenew, Nuvo Crystal Drops Simply White, Frosted Flower Sequins - Honey Bee Stamps.

A Vintage Journey - August Tag Friday

August is a month with 5 Fridays in it - and so it is also Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey!  I signed up to make a tag this month and here is what I created.

I have sadly neglected both my Funky Floral #1 Dies and Village Fixer Upper dies so I pulled them out to make my little garden scene!

First I die cut several of the leaves and flowers from Funky Floral out of 4 colors of Coredinations Distress Collection papers and the roof, trim and window frames from Village Fixer Upper out of brown Coredinations Distress .  I die cut a piece of cardboard with Tim's Tag and Bookplate die, tore off some of the top layer to expose the corrugation and brushed over it with white acrylic paint.

I stamped the Monet quote from our Alison's PaperArtsy stamp set EAB01 onto a strip of watercolor paper.

I wanted the garden to be the focus and the house to be just a suggestion - so there is just the roof trim and 3 haphazardly placed window frames.  I used another piece of die cut trim to ground the bottom of the tag.

I just noticed a stray flower center between the pink and orange flowers above!  

I wondered where that went!!  Those little pieces fly away so easily!

  I cut a piece of Honey Nut card stock slightly larger than my tag as a base to make it a little more sturdy and to define the edge.  I looped a piece of vintage lace through the hole at the top of the tag.

 This pretty summer garden makes me happy when I look at it. I love when my own garden is full of blooms!

Please check out all the lovely tags designed by this month's contributing Creative Guides over at A Vintage Journey!

Stamps:  Alison Bomber EAB01 set - PaperArtsy
Paper:  Coredinations Distress Collection - Tim Holtz/Ranger, Honey Nut - PTI, watercolor paper - Canson,  piece of corrugated card board from packaging.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Accessories:   White acrylic paint, Tag & Bookplate Die, Funky Floral #1 Dies, Village Fixer Upper dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, antique lace, Tombow Glue, Tiny Twinkles

Fall Leaves

I've been busy making fall cards and thought I'd put them all on one post!  

You will find supply lists for each card at the bottom of my post!

For this card I actually used a real leaf that I picked up while walking -  to try and preserve it I inked it with Versamark and embossed it using cranberry and brown embossing powders!  Sentiment is from an Alison Bomber set from PaperArtsy.

For this card below I die cut the leaves out of corrugated card and inked them with Distress Oxide inks and then spritzed them with water to spread the ink and used another quote sentiment from an Alison Bomber set from PaperArtsy.

I made my background below by adding alcohol inks to a felt applicator and pouncing it onto a Yupo panel. I layered it under a panel die cut with a circle Nestability. The panel is up on foam dots so the background is recessed. I die cut the leaves out of a sheet of thin copper metal and layered them over the background with foam dots.

For the background below - I pressed 4 Distress oxide inks onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and pressed a white card panel over the block. I die cut the panel using Notes-Scalloped A2 die from PapertreyInk. I die cut a piece of Saffron Spice card with a stitched rectangle die from Lawn Fawn. The leaf was left overs from another card I made - I used Distress inks on a craft mat spritzed with water to color it and then die cut it.  The stamp is by Alison Bomber from PaperArtsy.

For this card below I first stenciled the leaves using Distress Acrylic Rusty Hinge Paint and then rubbed inks on my craft mat, spritzed with water and dabbed the panel into the inks one at a time, drying in between.  The paint resists the ink so they still showed through. And, yes, yet another quote sentiment from an Alison Bomber set from PaperArtsy!

I'm linking my cards to:

  Double D Challenge - Leave it to Me -  use leaves on your card/project.

Fusion Card Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes

Happy Fall everyone!  we are finally getting some beautiful foliage here in Massachusetts!

Days Decrease
Stamps: Alison Bomber Set #EAB04 - PaperArtsy
Paper: Rustic Cream, Scarlet Jewel - PTI, corrugated cardstock- The Write Stock
Ink: Versamark, Wendy Vecchi Archival Tree Branch
Accessories: a real fall leaf, Brown Embossing Powder - Ranger, Cranberry Embossing Powder - Adirondack, heat tool, enamel dots, Arch Frame Die - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Quick Dry Tacky Glue
 
True Autumnal Day
Stamps: Alison Bomber Set #EAB4 - PaperArtsy
Paper: Canyon Clay, Dark Chocolate, Rustic Cream - PTI, Corrugated Paper - The Write Stock
Ink: Wendy Vecchi Archival Tree Branch, Ranger Distress Oxides Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade
Accessories: Tattered Leaves Die - Tim Holtz/Alterations Sizzix, Mix and Mat Flourishes - PTI, enamel Dots, Foam dots, water mister

Autumn is a Second Spring
Stamps: Paper Sweeties
Paper: white, Canyon Clay - PTI, Yupo
Ink:True Black - PTI, Alcohol Inks Butterscotch, Lettuce, Red Pepper, Gold Mixative, Sunshine Yellow
Accessories: felt pad and applicator, circle Nestability die, foam dots, Stitched Leaf Dies - Lawn Fawn, copper metal sheet - Add a Little Dazzle 

Gorgeous Autumn
Stamps: Alison Bomber Set # EAB04- PaperArtsy
Paper: white, true black, Saffron Spice, Rustic Cream - PTI
Ink:Ranger Distress Oxides Spiced Marmalade, Candied Apple, Fossilized Amber, Cracked Pistachio, Archival Jet Black, Ranger Distress Inks Carved Pumpkin, Candied Apple, Crushed Olive, Frayed Burlap
Accessories: acrylic block, foam dots, Stitched Leaves Dies - Lawn Faun, Notes Scalloped A2 - PTI, Stitched Edge Rectangle - Lil Inker Designs

 Learn to be Silent
 Stamps:Alison Bomber Set #EAB03 - PaperArtsy 
 Paper: Mixed Media Card Stock - Ranger, Canyon Clay, Rustic Cream - PTI
 Ink:  Archival Jet Black, Ranger Distress Fossilized Amber, Hickory Smoke
 Accessories:  Ranger Distress Acrylic Paint - Rusty Hinge, Mini Leaves Layered Stencil - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, enamel dots - My Minds Eye, Idea-ology Linen Ribbon