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...

 Greetings!  Today’s card is inspired from CAS on Friday with the theme of Christmas.  You can play along,  (HERE) I used an older sketch from Freshly Made Sketches as the card layout. For my card, I used a left over strip from Stampin Up’s - Oh Night Divine DSP.   I then die cut three mangers from Night of Navy cardstock and glued them together.  The sentiment is from SU-Night Divine, stamped in Night of Navy ink.  The small circle is from Stampin Up’s - Nature’s Spotlight Die set.  I used a piece of holographic cardstock. (Recollections- Michael’s) The manger comes from Paper Trey Ink October Reflections, and I use it every year!  Here is the complete set: (SHOP HERE) Here’s another version of a card I made using this set Link  (HERE) Thanks for stopping by! - Valerie Kaye

 Hello!  Today’s card is inspired from CAS on Friday #329.  To join along, click  (HERE) For my card, I rotated the sketch 90 degrees to allow the circle and stripes to the top of the card.  For the strips, I used a scrap of white card stock to anchor and position into place.  I used Simon Says Stamp Strips 1 - cutting dies.   I cut one wider strip with white shimmer card stock (Recollections) and one thinner strip of holographic card stock (Recollections) and glued them together on the scrap cardstock.   I added the Line It Up - Christmas die from Paper Trey Ink on the other side.   The border was added to a card base measuring 3 3/4 x 5 inches.  A vellum circle with a holographic snowflake was cut from Nature’s Spotlight from Stampin Up.  A small snowflake was die cut from the same white shimmer cardstock stock, and an opal accent was added to the center. The panel was finished with a holographic border.   Thanks for stopping...

 Greetings! Today’s card is for the Color My Heart - Color Dare Challenge #692.  If you would like to play along, click the link  (HERE) These colors instantly made me think of spring tulips, so I found this stamp from Unity’s Kit of the Month - February 2022 Kind Souls. I stamped one image using Versa Fine Onyx Black Ink on mixed media paper, and a second on the polka dot scrapbook paper.  The tulips were watercolored with Stampin Up re-inkers in Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, and Teracotta Tile.   The second image was cut from the dotted paper and pieced into the original envelope.   The  other elements such as the paper clip, pen, and circle with center heart are from Paper Trey Ink’s Just Notes set. The pen was die cut, then stamped.  I Used Versafine Onyx Fine black ink and Daffodil delight.  For the circle label, I used gold foil card stock and glossy black card stock.  The paper clip is made from the same glossy black cards stock....

Hello!  Today’s card was created for the challenge at CAS on Friday #327 - Anything Goes.   If you’d like to play along click the link  (HERE) For the last couple of days, I have had the idea of using small letter dies on a tag.  The dies are super old, and still missing in action, so I opted to use the lowercase alphabet stamp det from Paper Trey Ink called - Botanical Lowercase. Using a stamp block with a grid, I lined all the letters up and stamped onto a tag using Real Red Ink (SU).  I tied a small bow through the end for a small embellishment. The mouse stamp, is probably my oldest.  It was originally mounted on a wood block, but I use it now as a cling.  I stamped the mouse in Real Red and colored the balloons with markers, and fussy cut.  I liked how he looked perched along the “L and O,” so I glued just the lower half of the body into the tag,   I added a little Wink of Stella for a bit of shimmer to the mouse. The completed card is a...

 Hello!  How do you design a Valentine card for a guy?   Masculine cards can be a bit of a challenge in general, especially for Valentine’s Day.   Here are a few cards I’ve made in the past for my Hubs special occasions. Card 1:  Heart Carved in a Tree This was one of my first V-day cards that I made.  For This card, there was no pink!  I used kraft card-stock, a wood grain background stamp, and a Spellbinders nesting heart die.  The alphabet letters came from A-Muse studio. Card 2: This card is more of the traditional colors, but you could easily change the background to newsprint or other masculine prints.   I stamped a red background stamp. on reddish paper for a tone on tone look.   The tiny envelope was anchored by the gold embroidery floss.   Card 3: This card was a “love/birthday.”  The set is from Stampin Up called Friendly Seagulls. I glued some bright strips on to a scrap of cardstock, and then used a die to cut ...

 We all have them lurking somewhere in the craft room.  Maybe in a basket, a dish, or a box are the discarded pieces from projects.   I keep my leftovers organized by unused cardstock cut into 4 x 5 1/4 rectangles.   Die cuts are kept in a plastic photo box.   Strips are sorted by color.   Negative pieces from dies are right by my die cut machine so they can be used right away.   Here are the cards:  I only added three pieces to finish this card!  I actually had the negative white arch left over from a card I made last year.   Digging through my box I found the vellum oval. and tree.   To make this card, I added texture to the negative arch mat by running it through an embossing folder.  The left over Night of Navy cardstock was glued into the opening.  The oval, silver heat embossed tree, were then adhered to the center.  The Paper Trey Ink Noel die was cut from Night of Navy Cardstock, and glued with a fine tip glue...

 Greetings!  Today’s card is inspired from Splitcoast Stampers weekly challenge for the week of September 17 - 23.  Tuesday’s featured challenge is to make a masculine card with hearts. Coincidentally, my husband and I are creeping up on our Anniversary next week!   I had purchased this stamp set from Papertrey Ink called: Fancy Footwork awhile back, and today I decided to make an Anniversary card for my husband.   I loved the sentiment “You…sweep me off my feet.”—Perfect for a guy.  I liked the footprints side by side and used a panel about 2 3/4 x 5 1/4.  I used a stamp platform to position the stamps and inked in Versa fine - Onyx black ink.  A small heart from a punch was added to the white space between the footprints.  The word “You” was stamped and punched with a 1” punch.  The red circle border was cut from a nesting circle die.   The sentiment “Sweep me off my feet each and every day” was stamped on a scrap and die cut from...

 Hello!  Today’s card was inspired by this week’s sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  ( FMS #703 ) I was teaching for my arch dies, but was thinking of what I wanted to place at the top.   I grabbed a new lantern die and stencil from Pink Fresh Studios called Lantern Landscapes.   I cut two die-cuts in Cherry Cobbler cardstock, and used the matching ink to shade and give dimension.   I bought this die and stencil set to work with some of my older candle and floral stamps.  I also thought this would make great masculine cards with nature scenes also.   With the negative space on the left over cardstock, I traced a pencil line on the inside for a guide where to place the stamp.   The stamp set is from Stampin Up called God’s Love.  I stamped and watercolored with ink pads ( Delightful Dijon, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler, and Baja Breeze ).  The image was fussy cut and adhered to the back of the st...

 Greetings! Today’s card was inspired from  Color Throw Down Challenge #840 .  I was sifting through my stash of supplies and came across a fun set from Paper Trey Ink called Cuppa Love.  I thought these colors would make a great retro Mother’s Day Card!  These colors remind me of our color scheme when I was growing up.  🤣  To begin, this card was cut from a piece of Accent #120 white cardstock, and scored to make a side folding card. I took a scrap of white and die cut the mug, then positioned all three tulips using a stamp platform.  I inked in Versafine Onyx ink, then colored with markers. The mug was placed on a freebie scrap of DSP from Unity stamps.  The tag was die cut, and the #1 Mom sentiment came from Avery Elle Hats off to you.  Green twine was attached and anchored into place with double sided tape. Poppy red strips (SU) were added to border the center, and a yellow enamel dot (SU 2023-2025 In Color) was used to accent the c...

Hello!  Today’s card is a Clean And Simple -Christmas card.  This week’s challenge is Squares.  More challenge information here: CAS#289 SQUARES Two or three years ago, I saw a very clean and simple Christmas Card featuring a square used as a frame with a center diecut.  I believe this was a die from Echo Park, but has been discontinued.  After a week of busy creativity, it was nice to declutter the design process and think clean!  🙂  I grabbed a small square die and a scrap of SU-O Night Divine.  I used only the manger sillouette from. PTI-Nativity Die Set.  A slightly larger piece of mirrored gold cardstock (Michael’s-Recollections)- was used to frame the square. The sentiment is from Concord and 9th’s O Night Devine Set.  The bold script stamped beautifully against the Accent 120# white cardstock.   Thanks for stopping by!- Valerie Kaye