A New Ink on Life

The Spot #125 - Tasteful Touches

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a wonderful sketch challenge! Sketches are a great way to jump-starting your creative process, we would love to have you join us!

I love a great basic sketch and this one was perfect as a starting point. The wonderful thing about sketches is that they are open to interpretation. I decide to rotate it to a vertical position for my card. For some reason, I prefer working with a vertical orientation as oppososed to horizontal one. The In Good Taste Suite of products is full of rich textures and detailed images and was just what I need to create my card.

 

I started with a Thick Very Vanilla card base then die cut a piece of In Good Taste Designer Series Paper with a Rectangle Stitched Die and matted it with Basic Black Cardstock. Next, I stamped on the sprig image from Tasteful Touches on the DSP using Crumb Cake Classic Ink that had first been stamped off then using a Sponge and a light hand I blended some Rococo Rose Classic Ink onto the paper. Basic Black Cardstock was used once again and cut with a label die from the coordinating Tasteful Labels Dies, then embossed with the Tasteful Textiles 3D Embossing Folder.

The feather image was stamped on a piece of scrap Very Vanilla with Rococo Rose Classic Ink that had been stamped off first to create a softer colour, then I fussy cut it with the awesome Paper Snips. For some added texture I created an embellishment small cluster using ribbon, Linen Thread and a small piece of the sprig wood veneer from the In Good Taste Elements. To add even more interest I used a Stampin" Write Marker and flicked the brush tip on the edge of the open end of the cap to create a fine splatter of ink.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and I hope you can join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #124 - Colourful Forever Fern

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a fun colour challenge and would love to have you join us!

When I first saw this colour combination, I thought "hmmm interesting". Again not a colour combo I necessarily would have put together on my own, but that is the great thing about challenges! I played it safe and pulled out the stunning Forever Fern Bundle. That stamp set can make any colour combo look amazing;

I definitely feel like I kind of cheated on this one because this card was so easy to put together. I started with a card base of Thick Whisper White Cardstock and then softly ink blended the Cinnamon Cider Classic Ink on to the front. Confession time: This was the first time I had opened up that ink pad! It is such a nice soft warm brown and now that I have used it, you will definitely be seeing more of it on upcoming projects. After blending the ink I added some little splatters of Mint Macaron using a Stampin' Write Marker and flicking the tip of it off the cap. This creates a very fine splatter effect.

Using Vellum Cardstock I die cut one of the leafy images from the Forever Flourishing Dies. Then using both Blackberry Bliss and Mint Macaron Classic Inks I stamped two of the images on Whisper White Cardstock and die cut them out. The sentiment was stamped on a Stitched Nested Label Die cut and then to finish off a little bling was needed. I added a few Gilded Gems and then a double bow of Linen Thread for some texture.

 

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and I hope you can join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #122 - Nothing's Better Than

 

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. The week we have a fabulous Theme Challenge! 

I had just received the Nothing's Better Than Bundle and of course, it was a no-brainer that it had to be inked up for this challenge! Also, if I personally had to choose between the three above items I am not quite sure what I would pick, but for today's card I went with cocktails;)

I started with a Thick Whisper White card base and the Artistry Blooms Designer Series Paper. The gorgeous gradients designs were just perfect for the feel of this card. I cut two different colours with the Stitched Rectangles Dies and layered them on top of one another, making sure the blue one was tilted on an angle slightly and offset so it could peek out from behind. For the focal image, I die cut a circle with the Stitched Shapes Dies from Thick Whisper White Cardstock. Using both the Light and Dark Pool Party Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers, I blended the colours together to create a pretty ombre background, reminiscent of tropical vacation waters. 

I just love how the cocktail glass image also has matching little stamps to fill in the umbrella, fruit garnish and drink, including ice cubes! So adorable. To create the two-toned beverage I just simply ink the stamp using Sponge Daubers with Bumblebee and Magenta Madness Classic Inks. I did the same for the orange slice, this time using Bumblebee and Terracotta Tile Classic Inks. This bundle has so many possibilities and with having word dies it is easy to create an impactful sentiment. I first took a strip of Basic Black Cardstock and attached a piece of Foam Adhesive to the back, then die cut the word. A little Clear Wink of Stella really helped to make it "pop" even more. A few scattered sequins added a little more sparkle and the stamped sentiment was cut into word strips. 

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #119- Colourful To A Wild Rose

 

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a fabulous colour challenge, that is fresh and fun. We would love for you to come join us!

 

 

So many possibilities with this combo, but I decided to pull out my go-to design; florals. To A Wild Rose is still one of my favourite stamp sets. Such gorgeous imagery and wonderful sentiments. 

I created a standard sized card from Thick Whisper White Cardstock. To add a look of texture to the base I spattered on some Pool Party Ink from a Stampin' Write Marker. The gold grid-like layer is from the stunning Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper. Basic Black Cardstock was die cut using the label die from the Wild Rose dies, then embossed with the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder. 

The gorgeous rose blooms were stamped three times on Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper. Using Water Painters and ink I coloured in the flowers. Starting with a light touch then gradually adding in more colour. Then I added one of my favorite embellishments, a few Gold Glimmer Enamel Dots.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

 

The Spot #118 - Pattern Play DSP

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a theme challenge, create your own Designer Series Paper. This is such a great challenge, so get your stamps and paper out and come join us. You will definitely want to check out this week's samples as we have added some incredibly talented new faces to the Design Team for even more amazing inspiration! 

 I certainly love me some beautiful patterned paper, so I was excited to create my own using the fun Pattern Play Stamp Set. This set is perfect for creating fun backgrounds and was perfect for this challenge. 

I started with a Thick Whisper White cardstock base then stamped the striped pattern stamp on regular Whisper White cardstock in three different shades. To create the gradient shades of blue I first used Seaside Spray, then Balmy Blue, and lastly Misty Moonlight. This created my super simple "DSP". Using the second largest rectangle from the Stitched Rectangle Dies I cut it out to create my background panel, then stamped the outline heart images in Magenta Madness on top. 

 

Using one of the die cut shapes from Tasful Labels Dies I stamped the sentiment with Night Of Navy Ink then I stamped off Bumblebee Ink once before stamping the little circle "confetti" dots. A piece of white twine was separated from the multi-colour twine in the Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack. (I can't live without some white twine!) The sentiment was popped up with Dimensionals and I tucked a little die cut flagged banner under it. Lastley a few 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots were added.

 

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #117 - Celebrate Sunflowers

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot , your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a wonderful sketch challenge! Sketches are a great way of jump-starting your creative process and let's face it with everything going on in the world right now, stamping and getting creative is a great way to spread some happiness.

I haven't played much with my new products from the Annual Stampin' up! Catalogue that went live the beginning of June, so I knew that I needed to pull some out for this sketch. I felt like playing with colour and the vibrant Artistry Blooms Designer Series Paper fit the bill. I also wanted to do a little colouring and the large sunflower from the Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set was begging to be coloured.

I started with a Thick Whisper White card base, cut the DSP on an angle and attached it to another piece of Whisper White, then die cut it with the Stitched Rectangle Dies. The sunflower was stamped using Memento Ink again on thick cardstock, then coloured with a combination of Stampin' Blends and Watercolour Pencils. It was die cut out with the coordinating Sunflowers Dies. The leaves were also die cut from that gorgeous DSP.

To create a range and depth of colour I used two different colouring mediums. For the petals of the sunflower a Stampin' Blend Marker in Dark Daffodil Delight was laid down first then Light So Saffron was used to blend and diffuse the colour. After that, I used the Light Daffodil Delight to add in a little more colour. Lastly using a Watercolour Pencil in Daffodil Delight I added some depth and shading. For the centre of the sunflower, I used a Stampin' Blend Marker in Bronze and Watercolour Pencil in Early Espresso. 

I was so hard to capture in a photo, but the flower petals and centre were also lightly touched with shimmer from a Wink of Stella Glitter Brush. So very pretty in person. To add a little more sparkle I separated a piece of baker's twine from the Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack and used the fine silver thread in it. Of course, no project is complete without a little bling, this time I added the awesome Gold Glitter Enamel Dots.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #116 - Colourful Lovely You

 

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot , your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. Challenges are a great way to jump-start your creative process and let's face it with everything going on right now, card making is a fantastic way to relax and enjoy some creative time. thisweek we have a fabulous Colour Challenge!  I hope you can find the time to join us, we love seeing your wonderful creations.

With such a beautiful combo I could wait to get started! After looking through all of my new products I decided that the Lovely You Bundle was perfect for this challenge.

The Lovely You Bundle comes with the stamp set and amazing Lovely Labels Pick a Punch. This punch is perfect for creating two different types of decorative labels of varying sizes, so fun! I knew I wanted to use all 5 colours for the challenge because they just all work so well together and this combo definitely had me thinking foliage and flowers. I first layered on a piece of woodgrain patterned paper from the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper and stamped one of the leafy images with coordinating ink directly on the DSP. Next, I die cut a piece of Whisper White Cardstock with a scalloped rectangle from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies, then randomly stamped various images in different colours. 

The sentiment was stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink on a Whisper White stripe and then punched on both ends. I added a little wooden piece from the In Good Taste Elements for some added texture and interest. I was so said when the Whisper White Bakers Twine was discontinued, that product was a staple for me, but did you know you can still find white twine that is current?! The Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack has a multi-coloured twine and all you need to do is separate it! I used a Mini Glue Dot to attach the bow to the wooden leaves.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

 

The Spot # 114 - Forever Greenery

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot , your place for inspiration and weekly cardmaking challenges. This week we have a wonderful sketch challenge! Sketches are a great way to jump start your creative process and let's face it with everything going on right now, creating is a fantastic way to decompress. What is also so great about a sketch is that it is open to interpretation. I hope you can find the time to join us, we love seeing your wonderful creations.

Stampin' Up's newest Annual Catalogue is now available to order from and the Forever Greenery Suite of products immediately caught my eye. I knew they would be perfect to use with this sketch even though I did take "a little" creative license with it, but hey that is what sketches are for, right? 

This card was super easy to put together, with minimal stamping. I started with a background layer of Whisper White Cardstock and stamped the small splatter image using Versamark Ink, then embossed with Gold Stampin' Embossing Powder. I then added to strips of the Forever Greenery DSP and layered them with a stunning piece from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Designer Series Paper. 

To create multi-coloured greenery I first inked up the leafy image in Soft Sea Foam then lightly sponged on Shaded Spruce, then Pretty Peacock to give the image more depth. 

The sentiment was stamped on top of a larger leafy image that was inked in the same manner but just using Soft Sea Foam and Shaded Spruce. The gold embossing really makes the words pop and adds an extra level of elegance to the card.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! 

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping!

The Spot #113 - Come Sail Away

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly card making challenges. This week we have a theme challenge for you, create a Masculine card! Challenges are a great way to jump-start your creative process and let's face it with everything going on right now, card making is a fantastic way to relax and enjoy some creative time. I hope you can find the time to join us, we love seeing your wonderful creations.

I am not sure about you but I sometimes find it hard to create masculine cards. As many of you know I am all about florals, mixing colours and patterns, adding some bling and layers. Normally these are not what comes to mind when you think of a "Masculine Project". Luckily, Stampin' Up! has so many options to create the perfect male themed designs. For my card, I decided to focus on the awesome Come Sail Away Suite of products. Several of these items will be retiring after today so be sure to order now if you would like them. 

I started with a Night of Navy Cardstock base, then took a Whisper White Craft Ink Pad and dragged it across the base several times. I love the effect this creates. Next I layered on a piece of Whisper White Cardstock and woodgrain DSP from the In Good Taste Pack (this is a sneak peek and will be release with the new catalogue on June 3rd). I distressed the edges of the DSP and also added some Whisper White Craft Ink.  As a scrapbooker I love the  Stampin' Up! Memories and More Packs, but what is really great about them is that they are perfect for putting together quick cards as well! Here I used 2 of the 3x4 cards from the Come Sail Away Pack. The laser-cut sailboat and sunburst layered perfectly over the striped card. 

Would you believe I created this card with almost no stamping?! The little trio of birds from the Sailing Home Stamp Set was stamped in Night of Navy Classic Ink. I doubled up the Night of Navy/Sahara Sand Bakers Twine and attached an adorable little anchor from the Sail Away Trinkets. The sentiment also comes from the Memories and More Kit.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! Below you will find all the items I used for today's project and as always feel free to contact me with any questions!

The Spot #112 - Colour Challenge with Blossoms in Bloom Sneak Peek

Welcome back to another challenge at The Spot, your place for inspiration and weekly card making challenges. This week we have a fabulous colour challenge! Challenges are a great way to jump-start your creative process and let's face it with everything going on right now, card making is a fantastic way to relax and enjoy some creative time. I hope you can find the time to join us, we love seeing your wonderful creations.

I have been doing my best lately trying to work through the supplies I have on hand, but with Stampin' Up's new annual Catalogue launching on June 3rd, I finally caved and opened up my pre-order of amazing new products! One of the big perks of being a Stampin' Up!  demonstrator is we get to see and order new products before they are released. Trust me when I say this next catalogue is AMAZING!

I immediately fell in love with the Blossoms in Bloom Bundle. The gorgeous floral and leafy images are the exclusive DisINKtive stamps. Which means they have photorealistic details and provide beautifully detailed images. The coordinating metal dies can be layered together for a stunning stand-alone look or layered over stamped images. I also used another sneak peek item and possibly one of my new favourites, the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper. 

 

For my card, I decided to use just 3 of the colours from the choices given. I focused on using Melon Mambo, Mango Melody and Granny Apple Green. Such beautiful, vibrant colours and perfect for the flowers in this stamp set. I stamped the images directly on a piece of light wood grain DSP. I love how stamping on DSP gives added texture and depth to the images, plus it also helps to soften the colours a little. I also stamped the sentiment directly on top of the stamped florals, layering stamps helps to give dimension without added bulk.

To add some physical texture to the card I embossed a piece of Crumb Cake Cardstock with the Corrugated 3D Folder and created a double bow with the awesome Whisper White Crinkle Seam Binding. Behind the bow, I attached a small vellum die cut flower. And of course, every card deserves a little bling, so I added a few Gold Glimmer Dots.

Now be sure to check out The Spot for some fabulous inspiration, and we would love to see you join in on the challenge! Below you will find all the items I used for today's project and as always feel free to contact me with any questions!