Trumpeter Mouse!

Today's card features a sweet little mouse who's busy trumpeting out a message from the flower garden.  There are times when I feel the need to color something cute ... and the House Mouse stamps are one of my go-to's for cute critter images.  If only I were quicker at coloring,  a quicker-colorer?, I could easily send several of these to friends & loved ones back home and some far away places as well.

The look achieved from the 'SpiroArt' stencil (A Colorful Life Designs) reminds me a bit of an opening blossom, with the layered circle image placed right in the middle of the stenciled area.  I used Life Changing Brushes to apply Shabby Shutters ink through the off-centered stencil.  The 'Miss You' sentiment is from Inky Antics.  The little matching dots are from a Viva Decor Pearl Pen.

Note:  Use code BevFan10 for 10% savings at A Colorful Life Designs!  Compensated affiliate links for some products are used when possible.  When you place an order after clicking one of my links, I receive a very small commission at no cost to you.  Thanks so much for using my links and supporting my works!

Inky (((hugggsss))),

  

Supplies Used:

STAMPS:  House Mouse ‘Floral Trumpet’, sentiment = Inky Antics ‘Poppy Friendship'

INKS:  Memento Tuxedo, VersaFine Onyx, Distress Ink Shabby Shutters, Copic markers

PAPER:  Neenah Solar Classic white, Gina K Little Boy Blue, Granny Apple Green

ACCESSORIES:  'SpiroArt' stencil - A Colorful Life Designs, Life Changing Brushes (Picket Fence Studios), Cheery Lynn foliage dies, Sizzix & Spellbinders circle dies, Viva Decor Pearl Pen Kiwi, dimensional foam tape 

Just Ducky Spring!

Taking a little bit of a leap by moving out of my comfort zone with today's card.  One of my favorite friends of many years is in her natural zone with creating scenes for her cards ... and I normally just admire from afar.  Inspired by the SCS MIX329 Mixability challenge, my card needed to include a scene.   Ready - Set ---

First, I masked the fun pond shape with 'Schmancy Ovals' Marvelous Masks and blended Distress Oxide Faded Jeans + Broken China before lightly misting with water.  Tex's Tip:  Cover the card front with the same mask while misting, to prevent the other areas from getting wet.

Next, I covered the inked area with the solid cut-out portion of the masks set before filling the outer area with the 'Interlocking Leaves' stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.

I brought out darling 'Spring Has Sprung' set from Gina K.  I've had this since its release in 2010!  Isn't it sweet?  For shrubs, I snipped some foliage dies into smaller sizes.  The 'ground' was die cut with a border die, then painted with brown & cream acrylic paints.  Once dry, I scuffed the edge with scissors for some texture.  The grass border easily grounds everything.  

Hmmmm .... I think I'll return to a more comfy-to-me stampy style for the next creation.  However, it really is good to stretch yourself creatively every now & then.  😉

Note:  Use code BevFan10 for 10% savings at A Colorful Life Designs!  Compensated affiliate links for some products are used when possible.  When you place an order after clicking one of my links, I receive a very small commission at no cost to you.  Thanks so much for using my links and supporting my works.  

Inky (((hugs))),

SUPPLIES USED: 
STAMPS:  'Spring Has Sprung'  (Gina K), 'Baby Birds' (sentiment - Paper Smooches)

INKS:  Distress Oxides = Broken China, Faded Jeans, Shabby Shutters;  Memento Tuxedo

PAPERS:  Neenah white, Gina K’s Fresh Asparagus + Green Apple + Green Grass

ACCESSORIES:  A Colorful Life Designs stencils ‘Interlocking Leaves’ & 'Schmancy Ovals' Marvelous Masks, Copic markers, acrylic paints, Tim Holtz dies (foliage), grass and cloud dies (The Stamps of Life), Clarity brush, Purple Tape

Hey, Kitty

Coming up on an uber-busy weekend staying with Grands while their parents are away .... which means >> color while you can!  So I did.  Multiple softball games are scheduled to dominate much of the weekend, so there's fun to come!

I must say ... this kitty is likely to become one of my very favorite stamps.  Plus, the Peeking Kitty stamp set is my talented friend Dina Kowal's design for Impression Obsession!  She is so talented in a variety of ways.

First, I colored the stamped kitty image and the separate paws with Copics and fussy cut the paws.  Then I masked the kitty with Eclipse tape before topping it off with the 'Wavy Fade' stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  Next, I lightly stenciled with a Clarity brush.

Before adhering the layers, I stamped the sentiment with my Mini Misti positioner.  Finally, a strip of textured white card stock was brushed with Bundled Sage Distress Ink, and adhered directly beneath the kitty image.  The paws were then attached to the textured layer.

Note:  Compensated affiliate links are used when possible.  When you place an order after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.  Thanks so much for using my links and supporting this blog.  

That's it for now.  Here's to a fab weekend for all!  

Inky (((hugs))),

Holy Guacamole!

Wow ... April was incredibly fassst!   So May is here folks, and  I've come to enable your grocery list.  Why?  In 3 more days, it will be Cinco de Mayo!  I won't be in Texas that day, but I know the same fun foods can be found up in OK.   I'll admit that one of my favorite snacks is guacamole ... sincerely.  How about you?

My upcoming card was inspired by this week's Freshly Made Sketches #386 challenge.

For the fun angle on the white layer, I first cut card stock to the same 4.25" width as the top-fold card.  Then I drew very light pencil lines to create the angle for trimming in my paper cutter.  For the green texture paste, I put a small amount of white embossing paste onto a large stamp block, then added a couple of drops of ink refill. Once thoroughly mixed, it was ready to be spread across the stencil with a plastic palette spatula.  So easy!  Tex's Tip: Just remember, it's easier to wash texture pastes from your tools & stencils before it dries.  

The only change I made to the sketch was adding a monotone circle frame around the sentiment on both the front and the inside.  

To create the angular shape on the inside, I laid 2 scrap pieces of paper across the bottom part of the inside.  After laying the Happy Dots stencil atop the paper masks, I inked the small masked area with a Clarity brush.   This fun Happy Dots stencil is from A Colorful Life Designs, while all of the cute are from the same Darcie's stamp set, 'Holy Guacamole'.  Use code BevFan10 for a 10% discount on your stencils! 

I hope you found some inspiration here today.  Thanks a bunch for visiting.  

Note:  Compensated affiliate links are used when possible.  When you place an order after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.  Thanks so much for using my links and supporting this blog.  

Inky (((huggss))),

Supplies Used:
STAMPS:  'Holy Guacamole' (Darcie's heart & home)
INKS:  Memento Tuxedo, Wild Wasabi
PAPERS:  Neenah Classic Solar White, Pear
ACCESSORIES:  Happy Dots stencil (A Colorful Life Designs), Copic markers (list below), Wendy Vecchi's Embossing Paste, pear ink refill, Clarity stencil brushes, circle dies

Copics used:
E17, E15, E13, E11, E21, G20, Y11, YG00, YG0000, G94, G43, G40