SOS540: Crafty Remnants

It's an extra-fun challenge this fortnight at Shopping Our Stash, as we'd like to see you take something that is already out on your desk or workable, and use it on your card. I am nearly always spoiled for choice on these occasions, and this time was no exception. There was actually a bit of a pile on my worktable, but these are the remnants I decided to use:

There's a purple ombre Oxide Ink blended panel leftover from a kit I am working on; my last really big scrap of glossy black cardstock; a Tim Holtz floral diecut that I cut out of its background; a Simon Hurley Funky Chevron panel festuned with Perfect Pearls; plus a tag and panel featuring only partially successful versions of watercolor stenciling. NOT on the worktable, but possibly my favorite part and crucial for making everything work together: a truckload of ancient black and white rub-on transfers that I am now entirely re-obsessed with!

Visit SOS to see what the rest of the crew have made and then have a good look at your own crafty remnants so you can join the fun. This challenge runs until the evening of Monday, February 10th.

Emboss Like a Boss!

If you've already guessed that the new challenge at Shopping Our Stash is to emboss (whether it be with powder and heat OR by using an embossing folder) then well done you; we can get right to my card:

I grabbed one of my all-time favorite Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamp sets (Delightful Art) and embossed the primrose-ish flower a few different ways, so that I would have options. I stamped it singly in a few different powders (of which my favorite was Wendy's Watering Can) then I also did a couple of backgrounds where I stamped the same image multiple times to make a repeating pattern. Again, one of my faves was Watering Can, but I also liked the White one. I used the coordinating stencil (all of Wendy's Studio 490 stamp sets came with coordinating stencils, I think she might've been the first to do that, several years before it became A Thing!) to add Tea Rose Archival (with Orange Blossom shading) and Prickly Pear (with Fern) on the focal image and white background; on the other panel, I just added some Watering Can ink very lightly around the edges. I matted both panels on Fern Green, added some machine stitching, a scattering of Eyelet Outlet Pearl Bling and one of the sentiments from the same stamp set et voila! 

PS: Just to brag a tiny bit, there's also a little strip under the sentiment which has pressure embossed leaves on it; via an ancient C-bug embossing folder. Admittedly it's hard to hard to see on the finished card, but still... :)

Be sure to head over to SOS to scoop up some of the Design Team's abundant inspiration, then start planning what you'll make to link up with us. The "Emboss Like a Boss" challenge runs until the evening of Monday, November 20th.

Dina Wakley + Perfect Pearls = Journal Joy

Ranger's Perfect Pearls add a beautifully soft shimmery effect to any project. My art journal is my favorite place to experiment with new (to me) products and techniques. Since there are so many ways to use Perfect Pearls, and they look different on every shade of paper, I think I could fill an entire volume! I haven't quiiiiite done that yet, but today on the Ranger Project Page you can follow along as I use them three different ways with Dina Wakley's beautiful "Everyone is Welcome" stamp set, in my Dina Blue Edition Journal.

I'd love for you to head on over and check it out!

Yay! New Stencils!

It's a New Stencil Mandala Monday; and since they're new Dina Wakley Coaster Stencils from Ranger, of course I couldn't wait to try them out! I blended a few shades of Simon Hurley Dye Inks (Prom Queen, Guppy, Remember Me, Love Struck & Overzealous, to be precise) through three of the stencils, then used the last with a solid color (Shooting Star) to fill in the background of my sketchbook page. I had actually planned to add lots more doodles and accents to the circles, but it was a busy week and frankly, I just ran out of time. So if you see another version of this thing again in a couple of weeks... act surprised, k? (Thanks!)

It's Ombre, Hombre!

We're cruising into our second week of ombre-centric cards at Jingle Belles and this time I've created my own version by blending six different shades of Distress Oxide Inks from Ranger through an older Hero Arts Stencil.

There are many lovely shades of green in the Distress line, and it's totally possible to make an absolutely seamless series of tone-into-tone. But instead, I decided to work the overlapping blend to include some of my favorite shades in order of intensity rather than strictly by hue. I used Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles and Rustic Wilderness. Hero Arts' Forest Scene stencil is no longer in print, but honestly, this technique would work with ANY stencil; or alternately as an emboss/resist technique using any larger background type stamp.

Be sure to check out Stephanie's beautiful card at Jingle Belles and start planning what you will make!

Hexies + Doodles +Thanks

Michelle Ward's Stamps and Stencils designed exclusively for The Ink Pad have a great NYC vibe, but they don't necessarily need to be used only for New York themed cards and layouts. For example, the Large Hex Pattern Stencil makes a fantastic pattern that works for any occasion; and Michelle's Dance Line Stamp Set has some fabulous art deco detailing as well as the two beautiful Dance Line silhouettes AND two very useful sentiments, as well. This card is on The Ink Pad Blog today, I hope you'll head over there and read all about it!

Merci Beaucoup!

I'm thrilled to be a guest on the Ranger Blog today, with a tutorial for that most timely of January papercrafts: Thank You cards! I used Wendy Vecchi's "Merci and More" Stamp, Die and Stencil Set plus one or two other goodies (like the awesome Bravo set); and my new favorite color palette of Wendy's Periwinkle and Thistle Archival Inks. I'd love for you to hop over and check it out; and be sure to follow @ranger_ink and @wendyvecchi for lots more amazing ideas and inspiration!

SOS443: Plant Life

We're celebrating all things leafy at Shopping Our Stash this fortnight, so break out your stamps, dies, stickers or stencils, and get ready to have fun with foliage!

I've got loads of serious stash usage on this baby, starting with a collagey background of found and vintage papers, topped with various green oxide inks through three of my oldest foliage stencils... the left and middle sprigs are both Wendy Vecchi; the fern towards the right is TCW. Then I broke out my neglected Tim Holtz Wildflowers 2 Thinlits dies, which I used on offcuts of watercolor paper and colored with Tombows. Then I had a small problem, when my wildflowers matched my background so well that you actually could not see them. So I cut another layer of the same three flower styles from a darkish grey/green cardstock that I used as a sort of "drop shadow" behind my colorful flowers. I added some TH/Idea-Ology "Clippings" stickers as a very loose sentiment, inked the edges of the whole panel and affixed a few absolutely ancient Studio Calico woodgrain butterfly stickers. Job done!

Be sure to check out the amazing projects from my design team sisters over at SOS before linking up your own unbe-LEAF-able masterpiece!

Stencil Sunday ♥

I've always loved vintage and shabby chic style cards, but I've just discovered how to make them even more appealing, by adding Tim Holtz Baseboard Dolls. I've named this one Beatrice, and she is the star of today's post on The Ink Pad Blog! 

Index Cards EVERYWHERE

Ok, technically all of my many styles of index cards (I try to find a new variety each year, then share with my nieces) all live together in one little file box, but there are quite a few of them. Here are the ones I finished this week:

day 13: kite or rhombus

but a zen doodle kite, though, obviously! :)

(i wish i could TANGLE like my friends lorraine and cyndie!)

'

day 14: off prompt

we've had a tiny little chipmunk hanging around the yard for the last couple of weeks. so clearly i needed to make a one-staple collage in his honor!

day 15: chamomile

super minimal... it was hard to leave all that white space...

(i should point out that i'm numbering these by the day i do them, not by the official prompts list; i tend to jump around a bit...)

day 16: off prompt

on this day i got the set of 36 zig clean color realbrush markers from the ink pad. and since my life goal is #tryallthepens i obviously had to use as many as possible IMMEDIATELY.

day 17: dandelion

a space-age variety in blue... these only grew in palm springs in the late 1950's.

day 18: mustard yellow

the part of "mustard" is being played by squeezed lemonade and fossilized amber distress oxides; as ballpark and dijon mustards, respectively.

(experimenting with an awesome stencilgirl 6x6 stencil called four tribal patterns, designed by andrew borloz.)

day 19: six word story

i've always wanted to write a six word story, and someday i will, but on this day, i kind of went with six word self help book, instead!

♥♥♥

Hope you had a good week and that you have something fun planned today!