INKspirations!

 Greetings!  Thank you for stopping by.  I had another idea using the current sketch for Freshly Made Sketches #757 and created a second card with the same layout.  To join in on the fun, click the link  (HERE) I often save many of these visual designs to help arrange stamps and sentiments, and they have really boosted my creativity.   My second idea was to create something that looked like a legal pad with a note attached to the top.   I started by looking for a soft yellow pastel shade, and used a stamp platform to position the Simon Says Stamp - Handwriting Paper Background stamp with Rococo Rose ink (SU). It looks like the background stamp is retired, but this current stamp would work even better!  (SHOP HERE) Next, I stamped “Just a Note” at the top of my card base in Versa fine Onyx black ink    The stamps and dies used are from Paper Trey Ink’s - Just Notes Set. (SHOP HERE) I started with a basic tag that was in a light blue color...

 Hello there!  Thanks for stopping by!  I finished up today’s card inspired from this week’s sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.   To play along, click the link ( HERE) This is a fantastic sketch that will frame any small image or die cut.  This will be one I will be coming back to often! For my card, I began by embossing a piece of Seaside Spray cardstock (SU) with an older Embosding folder (Possibly - Darice Damask swirls - gifted from my Mom) 4 x 5 1/4in. The card base was finished with border of Misty Moonlight cardstock 1/8th larger in length and width. Two small rectangles were cut to roughly 2 1/2 x 3 inches in the same colors.   The lighter Seasside spray piece was cut with a wavy border die to look like a hill.  The snow man from Pretty Pink Posh is from the Holiday Signs - stamp and die set (SHOP HERE) I stamped in Versafine onyx black ink and then colored with markers.  I cut the stamped image, plus two additional silhouettes to stack fo...

 Hi there!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I just received a surprise from my Sister in Law in the mail yesterday.   Wanna guess what it was? 🤩 (SHOP HERE) I was so excited, I had to play around with my new stamp set.   Today’s card was created from this week’s sketch from Atlantic Hearts, Sketch 702. To play along, click the link ( HERE ) For my card, I used an older piece of Concord and 9th Specialty Holiday Paper.   I trimmed the base to 4 x 5 1/4in. Next, I stamped the Snoopy and Woodstock image and colored with a combination of Tombow classic colors, and Stampin Up’s Coastal Cabana for the background, and Daffodil Delight for the birds. Wink of Stella was added to the snow and trim on Snoopy’s hat. The image was cut from Simon Says Stamp A2 Frames.  I cut  3 additional frame outlines in Poppy Parade cardstock (SU). A vellum scrap circle was added to the corner and the die cut sentiment was added from Concord and 9th’s Winter Wonderland Die...

 Greetings!  Today’s card is inspired from the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, #756.  To join along, click the link  (HERE) Sometimes I make a card from a sketch, and then another idea or two will percolate into another card. I was organizing and grouping some of my fall stamps and I came upon this little fox in my bin.   I love critters, and you just can’t find very many foxes.   For this card, I began with embossing a piece of Crumbcake cardstock (SU) - with the Falling Leaves embossing folder.  Next, I used the Scalloped Contour Die SU, to cut the brown zig zag patterned paper and trimmed off the overhang. For the vertical stripe, I overlapped two pieces of fall themed washi tape.   The fox was colored into colored cardstock and colored with markers and prismacolor pencils. And my favorite part?  I LOVE paper piecing!  I stamped the coat from Unity’s- Wallpaper and Warmth and fussy cut with detail scissors.  The edges were color...

 Hi There!  Thanks for stopping by.  My brother’s birthday will be here in a couple of weeks, and I decided to go with a nature scene.  It’s almost deer season, so I thought this stamp would be perfect.  It’s a highly detailed red rubber stamp from Unity called : Wild Haven.   (LINK) I started with cutting down a piece of multi media paper to   4 x 5 1/4.  I used SU’s - Evergreen Forest Embossing Folder and inked the raised side with Always Artichoke ink (SU). For the deer image, I used a second piece of multi media paper.  I mounted the stamp inside a stamp platform and inked sections with markers.   The image was cut with Stampin Up’s Countryside Corners Die.   I  brushed bottom edges directly with a Versamark ink pad, then heat set with Rose Gold Embossing powder.   The sentiment from Honey Bee stamps called - Great Man ( LINK)  was also heat set and die cut.  I cut two additional outline die-cut and glued the...

 Hello!  I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend weather.   I had so much fun with the CAS sketch this week, I made two!  To join in on the fun, click the link:  (HERE) It’s amazing how changing layers and colors can give such a different look.  Card 1: For the first card, I knew I wanted to use the Love and Joy circle die from - Concord and 9th (retired).  The plaid circles were cut from Stampin Up’s Nature’s Spotlight - Die set.   The gold  from SSS - Etched Berry branch was layered underneath the Love and Joy circle.   Card 2: While the ideas were flowing, I grabbed some older bell dies and the Simon Says Stamp - Holiday Ornaments Set.  The bell pieces were left over, so I simply glued a black piece of cardstock to the back. A black circle was cut and the “Jingle all the way” sentiment was added in Craft White ink.   The stars were also left over cut outs from other bells!  The 3 - circles were framed and matted ...

Greetings!  How about a grumpy cat to bring some joy to your holidays this year? 🤣.  This card was designed using this month’s sketch at Build Your Holiday Card Stash - #74 For my card, I used the Bagged and Bothered - stamp from Unity. (SHOP HERE) I stamped two images, and combined them with paper piecing, using Versafine - Onyx Black ink for the printed bag, and SU - Early Espresso Ink for the outline of the cat. The cat was stamped on multi-media paper, and I layered watercolors with watercolor pencils and fine tip markers. White acrylic paint was used for highlights using a small rounded ball stylus tool for rock painting.  (Perfect dots every time!) For the eyes, I used a SU - Pool Party Marker The Bag was distress with a sponge and Crumbcake Ink (SU), and embellished with embroidery floss for the handle and a small red velvet bow. (DEI - crafts for velvet paper) The sentiment is also from Unity - from a Christmas themed ephemera pack.   Other Accessories: SU -...

Hello!  There is a new sketch up at Freshly Made Sketches today, and it was the perfect starting point for this card. To play along with Freshly Made Sketches #756, click the link  HERE For my card, I cut a piece of patterned paper from Unity’s - Love is all Around Us Paper Pack (SHOP HERE) and layered it over the card base cut from SU - Citrus Blooms  set. I Used the scalloped rectangle die from stampin up called - Scalloped Christmas Cheer Dies (SHOP HERE) I stamped Unity’s - Knit Wits  (SHOP HERE) in  SU’s - Smoky Slate Ink Along the side, a scrap piece of newsprint cardstock was used as the border.  The “X” and “O’s” were cut from SU - Basic Black Cardstock with Concord and 9th’s - A to Z Alphabet Die   ( SHOP HERE) I anchored the valentine themed ephemera sentiment - “Crazy for you” - testing along the “X.” Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye

Greetings!  I have been wanting to watercolor with this stamp for a little while, and had my chance this morning.  This stamp is from Unity, called Lying in a Manger. I started with a piece of watercoloring paper and stamped the manger in Dusty Durango Ink (SU). I loosely brushed in Misty Moonlight ink with a 1 inch paintbrush.   I sponged Rococo Rose around the manger and then splattered clean water around the manger.   The excess drops were dabbed away to lift color to look like a night time sky. I used watercoloring pencils to color baby Jesus and used a fine tip marker to add a few sketchy lines to the hair, swaddling and manger. While the paper was damp, I embossed with Subtle Impressions Embossing Folder (SU). I used Unity’s - Everlasting Joy Die to cut the manger out.  I then used white cardstock to cut and stack  3 - “Joy’s.”   A gold foil star was added from Stampin Up’s Night in Bethlehem.  The sentiment on the inside reads “Blessings fo...

 Hello!  It seems in one weekend, the season is beginning to shift into fall.   The air feels a little cooler today, and you can hear the leaves  rustling in the breeze. Today’s card was inspired from the wonderful watercolor work of blue.lisart.art. on Facebook.  I was very captured by the fall trees and loved the vibrant colors with the crisp line through the center.  For my creation, I loved the colorful trees drawing the eyes to the center of the card.  I found a scrap piece of acetate and a maple leaf die from Neat and Tangled - Maple Thanks set.  Using my diy stencil, I began blending colors of Delightful Dijon, Sweet Sorbet, Teracotta Tile, and Gumball Green Inks(Stampin Up). I cut the panel into the oblong die from Stampin Up called Country Corners.  I then used washi tape to nest the two leaf dies inside one another to create a gold outline.   The left over leaf piece will be used for a bonus card later in the week. 😉 For the c...

 Hi There!  I am finishing up the last of my Halloween themed cards to send off to Cards For Hospitalized Kids.  You can read more information about their wonderful organization here:  (LINK) I decided to make bookmark card that can be enjoyed after the season is over.   We use these corner bookmarks all the time, because they perfectly mark a corner for you.  For a great tutorial to make your own, you can watch Jennifer McGuire’s video here:  (VIDEO) I used the stamps from My Favorite Things - Spooktacular Friends. For the first card, I stamped the haunted house on a piece of Basic Grey cardstock (SU).  I used two shades of purple markers to add details to the house trim.  To create lights, I used yellow acrylic paint and a small brush to the windows.  The mouse was colored with an orange marker and an aquapen.  Wink of Stella was added to the body for extra shimmer, and a small twine bow for dimension.  I was having so much f...

  Greetings!  Today’s card was created from a great card sketch from this week’s sketch at EMK creations.  It was the perfect starting point to create this bright and colorful halloween card. For my card, I used the theme of The Tic Tac Toe challenge #300 using bright green and orange for Halloween, a cute bat for a children’s card, and the strip containing Oct. 31 for the numbers. To play along, click the link  (HERE) I cut the striped DSP from SU - Golden Honey Specialty Paper.   The patterned paper with the eyes is from Unity - Spooky Days Paper Pack  (Shop Here) The cute bat is from Unity - Hide and Eek  (Shop Here) The bat was cut with a 2 - inch nested square die (SSS-nesting squares) and framed with a a square postage die from Always Artichoke cardstock (SU).  For embellishments, I added Wink of Stella to the ears and wings of the bat, a small bow made from baker’s twine and a few sticker bats. (Thanks Unity! - for the gift) Thanks for stop...

 Hello!  I was inspired today to make an interactive bookmark card today from The Dream Factory’s current challenge: Anything Book Related.   I used the Hide and Eek Ephemera pack from Unity stamps for the focus of the bookmark.   Shop Here  (LINK) I simply cut and color the white edges black.  Then I adhered to a piece of Basic Black card-stock (SU), roughly double the length of the Frankenstein.  Once scored, this will fold over the page of a book.  To add a little bling, I added Wink of Stella to Frankie’s jacket.  The rest of the card was kept pretty simple.  I used a slider die to cut the slit of the card.  Be careful to only glue layers around the perimeter so the bookmark will slide in.  Next, a small circle die was added towards the bottom to hold the bookmark in place.  Glue was added only to the bottom half.   Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye 

 Good Morning!  I finished up a fun card today inspired from the July sketch at Creative Sketchy Girls #117.   Here’s the sketch used: For My card, I used the Hide and Eek ephemera from Unity Stamps.   (SHOP HERE) There are coordinating stamps if you like to stamp and color, but I make just a few Halloween cards each year, so this is the perfect fix.  The matching stamp set is called Creepy Peekeys (SHOP HERE) For my card, I had only one sheet of 12 x 12 orange cardstock.  I trimmed it down to a top folding base measuring 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”. I cut out the mummy image and trimmed up a slim frame out of Badic Black cardstock from SU.  To make the frame fit, I sliced a section and overlapped the right angles.   The image was mounted on a piece of Always Artichoke scrap (SU). The frame was mounted onto the black and white striped DSP-paper from SU- called Golden Honey. The small center die is from Stampin Up’s - Unbounded Love die set.  I used a fre...

 Greetings!  I am tucking cards away before the snow flies!  I usually make holiday cards regularly, with other occasions sprinkled in throughout the year. Tonight’s card looks almost exactly like a pair of my younger son’s dinosaur slippers, and thought this would make a fun Christmas card for a guy.  These cute dies are the Cozy Toes set - from Spellbinders.  For my card, I started with the patterned paper to make the pajamas.  Unity’s - A Dash of Christmas had several papers with great patterns to make a snazzy pair of pj’s.   For the slippers, I used Lawn Fawn’s pastel dotted paper, and sponged Always Artichoke to add a little shading and dimension.  The claws were made from silver cardstock scrap (Michael’s). To mount the legs, I used a piece of Poppy Parade cardstock roughly 1 7/8 x 4.   The sentiment from Stampin Up’s - Christmas Gleaming set was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink and trimmed with detail scissors.  The background...

 Hi there!  School is just around the corner, and that means that summer is drawing to an end.   Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year.  The crisp weather, comforting soups and hoodies!  It looks like this little field mouse is getting a head start.   It is from Unity stamps called Mice and Cozy .  There are three adorable mice and three sentiments with this set.   For my card, I took a white panel that was about 2 1/2” x  5 1/4” and embossed with Leaf Fall from Stampin Up.  The mouse was stamped in Early Espresso ink (SU) and colored with a combination of markers and prismacolor pencils.  The colored panel was attached to a patterned piece of paper from Unity’s Fall Tones - paper pack.   The leaves were cut from a coordinating sheet from the same pack with old leaf dies.  A Wink of Stella was added to the muzzle of the nose.  Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye

 Hi Friends!  I had a chance to sit down and create this afternoon, and it was such an enjoyable break! I gravitated towards the flower patterned paper pack  from Unity stamps called Fall Tones for the starting point.   The stamp is called Sniffs and Stems (Unity).  It’s currently a Spotlight steal priced at $8.99, so I couldn’t resist picking him up.  SHOP HERE The dog was stamped in Early Espresso Ink (SU) and colored with markers.   I added a couple of hearts using the wonky hearts from Unity, and Yana Smakula.  A small bow was added in blue bakers twine to the bouquet.   This card is for the following challenges: Love Those Pretty Papers (Aug) -  (LINK) Creative Fingers #327 (Anything Goes) -  (LINK) Pattie’s Creations #245 -  (LINK) Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye

 Greetings!  I’ve been missing in action for the past few weeks from taxi service for my two boys.  We’re in the home stretch for summer vacation, and before you know it, school will be back in session.   The big excitement this week is my oldest will officially be a teenager!  🫣 - I’m not sure if I’m ready!   For his birthday, I made a special card that looks like a fishing vest.  You could easily make this a hunter’s vest by changing up the colors/prints of the paper. I was in a little bit of a panic because I hadn’t made his card yet, but I remembered I had this great die from Honey Bee Stamps- Honey Cut Dies Fishing Vest A2 Card Base. I was wanting to make something that looked like camouflage material, so I used the DSP from Stampin Up’s O Holy Night, and Unity’s plaid sheet and forest print from the Found in the Forest Paper Pack. I used a piece of kraft cardstock to make a sturdy base for the middle.  I added the O Holy Night to the inside...

  Hello!  It’s hotter than blazes outside, so it was the perfect day to sit down and color for awhile. This card is designed from this month’s sketch from Build Your Holiday Stash Challenge#71. The stamp is from Honey Bee Stamps called - St. Nick, and this is a combination of colored pencils, a marker, white acrylic paint and wink of stella. For my card, I turned the sketch vertically.  I used patterned paper from Unity Stamps called - A Dash of Christmas.   The Santa was stamped on a scrap piece of Neenah Desert Storm, and colored with Prisma color pencils.  For the trim, I used a small flat paint brush and acrylic white paint, and dry brushed.  Less paint and a little pouncing give a fuzzy effect.  A little wink of stella was used as an accent, and a dark brown water based marker were used to add a little stipple dots in the fur for shading. Santa was fussy cut and I used the same dark brown marker to color the edge before attaching to the card base....

 Hello! Today’s challenge from Sunday Stamps blog, is “down the middle.” To join, along, click the link  (HERE) For my card, I decided to use “Love You Dearly” die set from JB Hobbies.   I assembled the buck in a slightly darker shade of scrap cardstock, and gave him a silver bell.  The doe was made from a scrap of kraft cardstock.   I used a painting tool with a small metal ball tip to dot the eyes.  Black acrylic paint was used. I used the “Happy Holidays”  sentiment from the Greetery called Little Linked Labels, in Real Red ink (SU).  A small heart from Alex Syberia dies was used to anchor the small banner in place.  The deer were framed with a strip of Cotton Candy cardstock from Simon Says Stamp, and the plaid DSP is called Peaceful Prints from Stampin Up. Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye