Quarantine Life

 I am REALLY glad to be moving back to a normal life BUT I am also nervous that we could be taking steps back...not because of the people but because of the leaders.  My card today is based on those feelings.

Stamps used:  Doodle Triangles, Whimsical Kids in Futuristic Hats, Quarantine Life.

The background is of course a gelli printed piece of love using Dina Wakley acrylic paint and stamped with some doodled triangles.

This FAB washi is a DeeDee Catron original from Um Wow Studios and it is the perfect anchor for the kids!

The sentiment is stamped on a scrap bit of the background and blend perfectly!

I had a lot of fun creating this one even though I DO NOT want to go back to QUARANTINE LIFE!

Are  you getting back to normal in your neck of the woods???

Until next time...get inky!

Celebrate FREEDOM

 Well here we are...6 months into 2021 and where I am from we just had all COVID restrictions lifted.  We are inching closer and closer to getting back to it.  AND here in the states we are very close to our Independence Day holiday.  These two things are what inspired my card today.

Stamps used:  Grunge American Flag, Banksy Peace Symbol

I mean...GRUNGE is my jam!!

I used Distress Heavy White Cardstock and Distress Ink (Speckled Egg) and Distress Spray (Pumice Stone) to start my background.  Then stamped the peace sign in Distress Ink (Speckled Egg) for some pattern.

The flag is stamped in Archival Ink and then with Distress Crayons (Festive Berries and Midnight Sketch) I did more grunging to the grunge flag.  My heart was HAPPY.

It is hard to see but of course a little sparkle on the star with stickles!!  I also used my paper distresser on the edges of the flag which is popped up for ATTENTION.

I am celebrating my freedom and the freedom of my country and remembering where it all came from.

Until next time...get inky!!

Words of Encouragement

 Is it possible for time to feel like it is moving at a snails pace and then realize we are almost halfway through the year???!

As things start to open up and resemble a little normalcy where I am, I have to believe that there IS light at the end of the tunnel AND that it brings some PEACE.  Inspired by this I have created a postcard...  a change from tags and into something I do not normally create.  But hey, I'll give anything a try.

I have used stamps from the newest release:  Three images from Plate 1531 and one from Plate 1532.

You know how I love to pull from my stash of backgrounds, well this is another that was created with Distress Inks.  

A perfect spot for the drippy painted peace sign!!!  A little bit more watered down drippy Distress Ink creates the feeling of glorious wet paint!

Our painter is colored with Jolly colored pencils and fussy cut to be adhered on the background.  The collage stamp makes a PERFECT sidewalk!!  A bit of doodling on the edge and DONE.

What are you inspired by these days???

Until next time...get inky!

Fancy A Cuppa??

 Who is ready to meet ALL their friend for a cuppa and CATCH UP??!!  I am and have been for a LONG time!!

This tag is inspired by my dream of restrictions being lifted!

Stamps used:  Coffee Cup, Stack of Macaroons, Fancy a Cuppa

My tag background is Distress Ink and Distress Oxide Spray.  The images are stamped in Archival Ink and colored with Prisma and Jolly Colored Pencils.

The washi acting as a 'table' is a 10mm designed by Tina Walker.  Fantastic isn't it??

I had a scrap of some paper twine from May Arts that finished off my tag perfectly!

The bright colors of the macarons make me smile and I am hopeful we can grab a cuppa soon!!

Until next time...get inky!

Life Is Now In Session

 It seems that my last couple of projects have been tags and it looks like I was inspired again to create another tag.  But aren't tags FUN??!

And of course I always like to have some painted papers handy to choose from.  This is Dina Wakley acrylic paint brayered on to a piece of Ranger kraft cardstock.  I LOVE the bits of kraft peeking through the paint!!!

I was just in sunny Florida so I have sunshine and blue skies on my mind!

Stamps used:  Couple Kissing, Expanding Rays Silhouette, Life Is Now In Session

Our couple is stamped in Archival ink and colored with Prisma Colored Pencils.  They are ground with a bit of Um Wow Studio rusty washi tape.

I stamped the rays in Distress Paint, mustard seed and ripe persimmon.  A little dab of broken china on our chip cloud just ties the sun and sky together!

I am certainly ready for more fun in the sun and DEFINATELY ready for life to be back in session!!

Until next time...get inky!!

Bloom

 Happy Spring!!!  I am so excited to be seeing nice warm weather here in the mid west!! I hope you are getting some warmth where ever you are!

In the spring we see lots of baby announcements and this year there have been many!!  I was inspired by them to create this tag.

Stamps used:  Mary Jane Shoes, Doodle Flower/Garden, Bloom Where You Are Planted

I just LOVE those little Mary Janes!!!

I had a pre stenciled (with a Tim Holtz stencil and distress ink) tag that worked out perfect. I stamped the doodle garden in 3 colors of archiva ink and them outline with a white Stabilo All pencil.  The Mary Janes are colored with Prisma Colored Pencils.

The sentiment is just perfect to welcome a little princess!

Hope you are inspired by Spring or babies or just about anything and get to creating!!

Until next time...get inky!

Adventure Awaits

 As things begin to open back up I find myself longing to go on a new adventure.  Are you dreaming of places to go and people to see?

Today I am sharing a tag inspired by my desire to get back to exploring the world!!

Stamps used:  Expanding Rays Silhouette, Boy in a Tub Boat, Adventure Awaits

Until we are able, I have to use my imagination.

This tag was cut from a gelli printed piece of kraft cardstock, Dina Wakley paint and stencil.  The expanding rays were coated with Distress paint and stamped over.

Our adventurous boy is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils and of course some 'imaginary' waves and other doodling with Jolly Colored Pencils.

Until we can get out there I will be like our little boy in  tub boat, dreaming and searching for adventure.

Until next time...get inky!

FLY!

 Can you believe we are in March already???  AND spring is right around the corner in my neck of the woods...of course we always get one more snow storm right around Easter but that is what happens in the mid west!!

Today I have a subtly inspirational card for you...what it says to me is that you can do anything when you put your mind to it.

Stamps used: Boy in Cape, Get Cape, Whimsical Cloud, Whimsical Cloud, Expanding Rays Silhouette

The rays are stamped in Distress Oxide Ink, Speckled Egg; on a gelli printed background that was done with Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint, Sand.

Our caped boy is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils and the clouds are stamped with Archival Ink.

These stamps are some of my OG's and I love them still!!!

I hope you are inspired to do all the things and...

Until next time...get inky!!

New Normal...HA!

 It has almost been a year of on and off lock downs and I for one am STRUGGLING!

I created a card inspired by those feeling, hoping that if I got it out in my art it would help.  We will see!

Stamps used:  Chicken Wire, Say New Normal, Sasquatch

The Chicken Wire stamp was the very first Viva Las VegaStamp I purchased and it have been well loved!  Background is Brusho on watercolor paper with a tiny tag and masking tape layered on top.  Then I spritzed Distress Oxide Spray in Rustic Wilderness... OHHH how I love the splatters!!

Mr. Sasquatch is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils.  He is walking on washi designed by Miss DeeDee Catron at Um Wow Studio.

Creating ALWAYS makes me feel better!!!

I hope you are using some of your extra time at home creating too!!

Until next time...get inky!

A Gentle Heart

 I find myself wising for spring so that is what is inspiring me at this time!!!

I have also found that the best thing I have done lately is make a HUGE stash of background.  Gelli printed, inked, painted, etc. 

I used one of those premade backgrounds for this adorable spriny card!

Stamps used: A Gentle Heart, Girl in Princess Costume, Doodle Flower/Garden

This background is with Distress Inks and an Um Wow Studio stencil.  I stamped the doodle garden with 2 colors of ink for depth.  Our little princess is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils and blended with Gamsol, fussy cut and adhered into the garden.  She reminds me of Matilda!!!

A little water spritzing and inking around the edges to distress a bit and viola!

Did you notice the washi tape creating the garden floor???  Yep that is DeeDee's rusty washi!!!

Until next time...get inky AND keep wishing for spring!

Believe...

 ...in YOURSELF

This is an important message for all!  Believe in yourself and you can accomplish ANYTHING!

Michele here today with a slimline card, one of my new go to sizes for cards this year!!

Stamps used:  Doodled Triangles, Round Brushstrokes Small,  Believe in Yourself, Elephant on Bike

I colored the Ellie with Copic markers and of course the background is a gelli print using Dina Wakley paints and stencils.

Did you notice the washi designed by DeeDee as the road the elephant is riding on??  The sentiment is stamped in archival ink and mounted on black card.

If an elephant can ride a bike YOU can do anything if you just BELIEVE!

Until next time...get inky!

Thank You!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Welcome 2021, boy are we glad to see you!

With the start of the new year I like to kick it off with a thank you card.  I still hand write thank you notes and mail them off, I just feel like it really shows appreciation when you get not only a hand written note but a handmade card too.

Stamps used:  Whimsical Candy, Cotton Candy, All Day Sucker, Present, Thank You

The background is blended Distress Oxide Ink with water splatters, white ink dots and white spray splatters.

The images are colored with Prisma Colored pencils and blended with Gamsol.

The card base is a PhotoPlay Paper A6 card base, I am LOVING this size!!

Gratitude and thoughtfulness...what a great way to start a new year!

Until next time...get inky!

December 25

 We are a week away from my FAVORITE holiday!!!  I just love Christmas, the decorations, the lights, the spirit of giving...all of it!

Today I am sharing one last holiday card for this year.  Next time it will be 2021 and the start of a new and BETTER year.

For this card I use some of the new Distress Crayon colors.

Stamps Used: Holly Large, December 25, Keep Calm and Unwrap

I really love coloring with Distress Crayons, putting down some color and just smearing it out...I don't even mind if it goes out of the lines.  This is Rustin Wilderness, Speckled Egg and Festive Berries.  Of course there was fussy cutting for layers!!

Simple sentiment created from one and a half stamps...I only used the present from the Keep Calm stamp.

This card is an A6 size using the new PhotoPlay Paper card base of that size.

I hope everyone has a VERY Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and may ringing in 2021 bring all the good things we missed in 2020.

Until next time...get inky 

Here Comes Santa Claus

 It is just about that time of year again...my favorite holiday!  CHRISTMAS

Today I would like to share a card I made with a technique I have been dying to try and when my friend Jenn Shurkus did a tutorial, well... she made it look so easy I gave it a go!!

How about some no line stamping???  It was fun and I love how it turned out!!

Stamps used:  Santa's Face, Here Comes Santa Claus, Thicker Fir Branch

I used Distress Inks to stamp and watercolor the image.

The background is inked with Distess Ink Rustic Wilderness and I also stamped the branch in the same ink.  Splattered water, Distress Spray in Picket Fence and some dots with a white Signo pen and Stickles.  Finished off with a few sequins for a bit more sparkle.

Popped up the sentiment and viola!!!

If you want to give it a go head over to Jenn's blog and watch her video.  Click on her name above to get to her site!!

Until next time...get inky!!

Starbound!

 Who else is excited that it is FRIDAY??!!!  I look forward to the weekend even though I am working from home because I can create freely!!

I am sharing a card I created today, it has a celestial background...one that I had created previously but it spoke to me for this project.

Stamps used: The Moon, Starbound, Boy and Dog Looking Up

Coloring is with Prisma Colored Pencils.

The background is black cardstock with gesso and Distress Oxide inks.  I added a few 'stars' with a white Signo pen.

The boy and dog are outline with a Stabilo All pencil for a tiny bit of definition.

I hope you take the time to look up at the stars...and maybe make a wish!

See you next month with some HOLIDAY CHEER!!!  Until next time...get inky!!