LID:: Mini Release:: May 2017

Lil' Inker Designs has an awesome mini release! We are showcasing some of these products with a blog hop. You should have arrived from the talented Laurie Willison's Blog.
(Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

My first project features three products that were meant to go together, the CoverUp Die: Stitched Clouds and Angel Pets Stamp Set and Angel Pets Die. I started with a white card base that was inked with distress oxide and distress ink and then sprinkled with water, and embossed with the CoverUp Die: Stitched Clouds. I then stamped, and die cut the cute pup and wings (separate, so you could use the dog alone!) from Angel Pets Stamp Set and Angel Pets Die.

I adhered the pup in front of a rainbow die cut from an older die set, Rainbow and Clouds Die Set, onto a white square die cut from the Stitched Mats: Dual Stitched Squares. The sentiment from Angel Pets Stamp Set was stamped onto a panel die cut from Stitched Mats: Long and Skinny Rectangles.

This next card features one of the two sentiment stamp sets released, Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today. I stamped the large stamp onto a white cardstock base with rounded corners.

There are many reasons to customize this stamp set, but I chose to use Nuvo Drops for embellishments.

Here's a look at the new release products showcased in my two projects today, along with the other stamp set showcased by a few design team members:

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Nichol Spohr's Blog as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Design Store now as all the NEW mini release products are already up at the store!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! Laura, the amazing owner, has decided the one of everything is being given away! There are three winners: one to receive the CoverUp Die: Stitched Clouds and Angel Pets Stamp Set and Angel Pets Dies, and two more winners will each get one of the new You Will Never Regret Being Kind and Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today Stamp Sets. 

Here For You

So here's what was supposed to be a quick card, but I think I encountered Patterned Paper Fear and it took sooo long to finish!

I was inspired by both the MFT Sketch Challenge 330 and MFT Color Challenge 68.

I heat embossed and watercolored the fox from Forest Friends, then tucked him into a scene created with the Trail Mix Paper Pack. I added a sentiment from Essential Sentiments. I finished with some black Nuvo Drops for the fox's eyes and nose.

Soft Prayers

There was a lovely, soft, inspiration picture for the Ellen Hutson April Pin-Sights Challenge. 

I watercolored the dies from Wild Garden with distress ink and distress oxide inks and then adhered them to a vanilla card base. I then stamped a sentiment from the beautiful Honey Bee Prayers Stamp Set. I added soft splatters, I guess because I think I can't do watercoloring without them. I finished with some rounded edges and clear dew drops.

Anniversary Deer

Stopping by super quick with a late entry for the Lawn Fawnatics Challenge: Outstanding Occasions. I decided to break out a Christmas based set, Cheery Christmas, for this one, and use it in a non-traditional way by making the reindeer into deer for an anniversary card. The deer were stamped and copic colored and fussy cut. Before nestling them into layered, die-cut grass, I added some inking and splatters to a white cardbase. I finished by adding a bordered sentiment, from Sophie's Sentiments as well as popping up the small speech bubble with dimensional adhesive.

Watercolored Hugs

Stamps. Watercolors. A bit of ink. How fun are those?! I created a watercolored background for this little Neat & Tangled girl (from Better Together) that was stamped in a light colored ink and also watercolored.

I am playing along in Little Tangle's Challenge #79: Watercolor. After stamping and watercoloring the main focal panel, I added a heat embossed sentiment and some dry embossing with Tiny Cuts.

Speckled Blooms

There is an old nursery rhyme that begins as such: "Of speckled eggs the birdie sings and nests among the trees; The sailor sings of ropes and things in ships upon the seas..."

I am playing along with one of my favorite challenges, the Altenew Inspiration Challenge with their beautiful color scheme, and while creating this card I kept thinking of speckled bird eggs.

I'm  not really sure why I white heat embossed the blooms from Altenew's Beautiful Day and Remember This knowing that I wanted white flowers with yellow centers, but it was too late to turn back after watercoloring in a blue background and the green leaves. I finished the card with a sentiment from Painted Greetings, a black and white washi border and black Nuvo Drops.

Garden Time

I got some time to garden today and it was divine! So therapeutic to pull weeds and move plants for a better flower bed. And...I had some help from my youngest son to do a lot of the heavy lifting. 

I also got some time to play with some crafty goodies, as it was a bit too chilly in the morning to garden. I based my card off of the MFT Sketch Challenge 329, using the Birch Tree Die-Namics, You Gnome Me Stamp Set and Hello There Die-Namics from MFT, along with some patterned paper and distress oxide inks.

CardMaker Blog Hop with Lil' Inker Designs

Lil' Inker Designs has teamed up with CardMaker Magazine for a fun hop featuring Lil' Inker Designs products. You should have arrived from Melissa Bickford's Blog if you are following the hop. (Full hop list available at the CardMaker Blog and the Lil' Inker Designs Blog.) I am seriously enamored with the April Release so I had to create another card featuring some of those products, and well, April Showers bring May Flowers!

I started by stamping, die cutting and detailing one of the cute owl images from Hootie Patootie (the coordinating dies are here). Then I die cut some vellum clouds from the Rainbow and Clouds Die Set. These were adhered over a grey panel that had some rain drops added from the cool and innovative Cut it Out Clouds and Accessories Die Set. I finished with a sentiment from Hootie Patootie.

Lil' Inker Designs has offered up a prize for this hop! Wow! A chance to win a $35 gift certificate, I'm telling you, the newest release was all sorts of fantastic, but of course all their products are!

(Details can be found on their blog on how to win...)

Your next stop on the hop is the very talented and fun Rebecca Keppel!

One Layer Lilies

I had a solo post over at the Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge Blog for the eighth challenge: One Layer! I'd love for you to stop by to see my full card and get some details on how I made it featuring one awesome stamp set, Lily Stamp Set.

Get Whale Soon

Interactive cards are too much fun to make, but I don't make them all that often. I should, though, as both my boys really like seeing how they work!

The LawnFawnatics is having a challenge: Interactive Cards, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play along. I don't have many new Lawn Fawn sets, so it is fun to break them out and bring new life into them.

I started by creating a panel with a mix of the green and blue distress oxide inks, and then die cut our a spinner portion.

I then stamped, colored and fussy cut some images from an older Lawn Fawn set, Critters in the Sea. The whale was attached to a spinner and tucked into the spinner track. I then stamped a sentiment, a mix from Critters in the Sea and On the Mend onto a panel and adhered some corresponding sea creatures.

For a finishing touch, I stamped some bubbles and added some Crystal Clear Nuvo Drops. The whale spins and swims along the track.

A Tulip Wreath

Are the tulips blooming by you yet? I have a few more weeks, and they will make their appearance. In lieu of waiting, I created a wreath of tulips for the Winnie & Walter Color April Color Combo with Heather H. Challenge. Aren't the colors so bright and vibrant?

I started by stamping the tulip bud from Winnie & Walter's Addie's Garden stamp set into a circle, overlapping slightly and forming a wreath. I then colored the blooms with Copics and added a bit of clear sparkle (I'm lacking in purple markers (the horror!) so I resorted more to a red color). I then inked the sides of the panel with some green distress inks, added a few splatters and stamped a sentiment (from MFT). The panel was then adhered to a white cardstock base.

Here's to hoping you have an excellent Easter weekend!

Yellow Sky

I must be on a primary color kick, mostly, red and yellow as I have another card featuring those colors today! 

I'm joining in on the A Blog Named Hero's April Challenge: Anything Goes. For this card, I stamped the cardinal from Color Layering Cardinal Stamp Set onto white cardstock using two shades of red pigment ink, as well as black. I masked the bird off and inked a yellow sky background.

I then added a die cut sentiment from Thank You. I finished the card with a left hand border of red cardstock and a strip of houndstooth washi, as well as a branch complete with some Nuvo Drop berries.

Where Creativity Meets C9:: Challenge 8:: One Layer

Well, hello there! I'm so very excited for Spring to finally arrive, where the trees have buds and the grass gets green.

It's also time for a new Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge and it's all about creating on a single layer showcasing the amazing products available at Concord & 9th as this challenge is dedicated to the innovative stamp company and their products!

I started my one layer card with a white cardstock base, and inked some green and blue distress oxide inks onto the background, and then I added some splatters. I stamped the Tree Ring Background Stamp in the bottom corner, and then added some foliage around the rings from Flourish, all with distress oxide inks.

I finished with a sentiment from the stamp set, Lily, stamped in black, and rounded just one wee corner.

The challenge is sponsored by the fabulous Concord & 9th and one luck random entry will receive a $25 gift certificate for a Concord & 9th shopping spree. The favorite entry will be asked to guest design for a future challenge!

The challenge runs until April 29th, so there is plenty of time to pull out your favorite Concord & 9th stamps and die and create an one layer project. Plus, new Concord & 9th products were released TODAY and they are fantastic!

You can find Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge on Facebook here, and their Instragram here!

This Raccoon Steals My Heart

Raccoons are such interesting critters. One of my favorite books is Where the Red Fern Grows and one of my favorite parts in that book is where the grandfather explains to the boy on how to catch a coon with a nail. Raccoons are curious and they like shiny things. Makes me smile every time I read it.

I'm playing along with Ellen Hutson's Mix It Up Challenge with Waffle Flower Crafts. I started with a red cardstock base and die cut a circle on the right side. I topped the circle with a pretty and intricate die from Waffle Flowers, called Flowers Circle Inverted Die. I then finished the front with some washi tape banners and a sentiment die cut from Essentials by Ellen Brushstroke Hello by Julie Ebersole.

The little raccoon from the Essentials by Ellen's Tree Farm by Brandi Kincaid peeks out from the die cut circle on the front of the card.

The inside of the card houses the raccoon, with a die cut circle behind him (colored with distress inks and speckled with water.)

I took some time to craft today, after spending the morning outside in the flowerbeds getting them ready! I can hardly wait to see which pretty perennials weathered the harsh Wisconsin winter...

Wreath of Roses

I couldn't get enough of this beautiful wreath from Lil' Inker Designs during the April Release, so I created another card!

I based my colors off of the pretty inspiration picture at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge: 401. What a stunning combination!

My card started with a coral cardstock base that had been splattered with some coral and orange-ish inks. I then die cut and stamped the wreath from Wreath of Roses and the matching die, and colored in with watercolor and zig markers based on the colors in the photo.

I mounted this to some foam and adhered it to the cardstock base. I added a sentiment from Lil' Inker Designs Thanks Die, and finished with some glittered Nuvo Drops. So full of Spring and happiness!