Sunny Days Lil’ Inker Designs Challenge Hop ~

Well hello there!  So glad you could stop on by today!  I hope you’ve hopped on over from the amazingly talented Alicia’s blog.  If you haven’t, you should finish up here {wink}, then head on back to Laura’s blog to get started off right!

Not only is today a wonderfully fun challenge hop, but we have some exciting news to share.  Lil’ Inker Designs has added a few members to the core design team.  First is the fun and fresh Taheera Atchia of Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.  We’re so thrilled to have her on the team!  Please stop by and give her a fabulous welcome.  I’m also happy to announce that both Isha Gupta and myself are on the core design team as well!  Yay! 

This month, Lil’ Inker Designs is hosting a challenge hop based on this inspiration picture

All you have to do to play along is make a project inspired by the graphic above!  You should use Lil' Inker Designs goodies as a focal point in your project but LID goodies do NOT have to be used exclusively.

Upload your project to your blog along with the inspiration photo above and tell us how you were inspired to create your project.

Then, upload your project using a direct link to your post and the Linky Tool provided on the Lil’ Inker Designs blog.

Also, HAVE FUN!!!

To be eligible to win our Grand Prize (more on that below) you must follow the critera above. You have until Sunday, June 2nd at 11:30 p.m., EST to enter.

What you can WIN......

Two lucky honorable mentions will receive $10 gift certificates to Lil' Inker Designs. Our Grand Prize Winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to Lil' Inker Designs - our BIGGEST PRIZE EVER!! The Grand Prize winner will also receive a cutie badge for  their blog

Also, for every 10 challenge entries we will be giving away a stamp set to randomly chosen participants! So there really is a LOT you can win!

But wait, there's MORE! Beginning today and for the rest of May we're offering 15% off your entire order! Just enter the code SUNNYDAYS at checkout to receive your discount!

I went very literal with my first card for the challenge.

The background was made by sponging Tumbled Glass Distress ink around some Stitched Clouds cut from scratch paper.  A few large and small clouds are flanking the large sun.  I really wanted it to stand out, so I added Glossy Accents…making sure to set it aside to dry for a really long time!  I used the Instant Camera die to create a frame and an area to hold my sentiment.  Here’s a little secret…I really wanted to add some enamel dots, but didn’t have the right color.  I used nail polish to create the dots!  Fun, eh? 

While I was playing with the large and small sizes of sun dies, I thought how fun it would be to make a sun flower!  Here’s a fun little tag made with 3 of the large sun pieces and 3 small.  Each piece is put together with a super thin dimensional and fluffed with my fingernail.

The stem is made from a stripe stamp in the Mom & Dad sentiments set.  The leaves are made from the petal shaped stamp in Darling Diamonds.  Here’s a little close up so you can see the dimension

  That’s all I have for you here today!  Your next stop on this hop is Stamping Royalty – Amy Kolling! 

  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a super day! 

 

  Alyssa

Waltzingmouse Flower Show CASE 2 ~

Hi there!  I’m back with another card for the Waltzingmouse Flower Show CASE challenge.  I won’t have time to bop in tomorrow, so I thought I’d just post them back to back.  This one was also inspired by JJ Bolton. 

I wanted to make another Thank You card for my step-daughter, but I found that the Folk Art medallion was too large for a standard size card.  I didn’t want her to have to pay extra postage so I chose to use one of my favorite Waltzingmouse sets, Festive Foliage. 

Instead of using the full panel in vellum, I used just a strip across the center.  Super simple!  I may keep this one for my Christmas thank yous though!  Thanks again for stopping by!

 

Alyssa

Waltzingmouse Flower Show CASE 1 ~

Hey there!  I’m squeezing in here with a little card for the Waltzingmouse Flower Show CASE challenge.  I was inspired by JJ Bolton with her gold embossed black card

I used Folk Art medallions and embossed the large image in black with the accents in gold.  I went with a square card base and used my Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched Squares to cut it out.

I couldn’t find a great place to put a sentiment, so I left it blank.  K, I’ll be back in just a second with another card I made for this challenge.  Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Alyssa

Runway Inspired Thank You ~

Hola!  I’m bopping in at the last minute to share a thank you card I made inspired by RIC #34.  It’s kind of humorous to look through the submissions for this inspiration pic because everyone had mostly the same interpretation.  There are some real gems in there though.  That’s part of the reason I love participating in challenges and hops – all the inspiration that can be found through the links to blogs you may have never seen otherwise.

I’m making a bunch of thank you cards for my step-daughter.  She is turning 18 and then a couple weeks later, she will be graduating from high school.  I wanted them to be interesting but mail-able so I stuck to a pretty CAS design.  This is just one of a few different designs I’ll be making for her.  She is still a teenager; she gets bored easily.  lol

The larger sizes of the ginkgo branches are stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed.  The smaller sizes are stamped in VOB, over stamped in glue (gotta love clear stamps for easy placement!) and covered in black flock.  It didn’t work as perfectly as I may have liked, but it does give this very plain card some interest.  I also added a couple of Studio Calico enamel dots to mimic the model’s pretty lips!  I’m throwing this one into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge – anything goes!  The more you enter, the more chances to win ;)   Thanks so much for stopping by!!

 

Alyssa

April Papertrey Ink Blog Hop ~

Hey there!  I’m jumping in with a quick post for the Papertrey Ink April blog hop.  The challenge this month is to design on an angle – something I don’t love to do!  I’m way too OCD for tilty things :)  Here’s my card

I used the leafy vine die and stacked two on top of each other for the tilted angle.  The hb sentiment is from Mother, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black…had I thought to add it before the vines, it would be embossed but I forgot to think that far ahead! 
The violets are white embossed and watercolored with reinkers.   interested about the colors I used, leave a comment and I’ll respond.  I'm linking this up with the Moxie Fab World's Wonder of Watercolor challenge.  Lastly, I added some fun lavendar rhinestones in a *random* pattern.  Ha!  I tried for random and can never make it look like the pros!  I’m also entering this into the CAS-ual Fridays birthday challenge and Simon Says Stamp challenge - anything goes.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great time on the hop!

Alyssa

All that Glitters ~

Hey all!  Here is my card for the current CAS-ual Fridays challenge

It was inspired by my gorgeous step-daughter’s fabulous prom dress

I used VersaMark and interference powders with some glossy accents and varied glitters for some extra sparkle!


And a detail shot of the pretty feathers

Thanks for stopping by!
ETA:  Argh!!  I was trying to link this up at the very last minute and the linky thing froze up.  Boo!  It didn't get in for the challenge :(

Birthday Wishes ~

Hey there!  I have a fun little birthday card to share today.  The idea struck me when I saw the CASual Fridays challenge #97 – chevron and flowers. I recently got the chevron dies from PTI, so I knew I had to play along.  I started by cutting out a couple of chevron pieces from a leftover cereal box…see, I was going to make my own embossing folder with the pieces.  I ended up using the negative piece as a mask on the card base with Memento new sprout ink.

 

I went to emboss some flowers and found my heat gun had died!  Argh…my plan needed embossing so off I ran to the nearest big box craft store armed with my 50% off coupon.  I found a stamp that I’d been coveting for some time at 70% off – woohoo!  It’s like it was meant to be   Life got in the way, so I was finally able to finish today.  Not before I found more inspiration though. 

  The Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger is a gorgeous picture of pink magnolia blossoms.  I was inspired to color the large bloom in soft pink with a bright yellow center and darker pink shadows.  I had to dust off my color pencils for this one.  It was fun, but I need a little practice with these babies.

  Pink and orange are super springy and vibrant, so I added a couple orange flowers to flank the birthday die cut.  I’m also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp challenge: April showers and/or Spring Flowers and The Pink Elephant #194: Spring colors.  

  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a super week! 

 

Alyssa

CARDS April Challenge ~

Hello!  I’m back today with a fun little card for the April CARDS blog challenge. 

Lil' Inker Designs in the sponsor for this month and will be giving away the Mom die, the Dad die and the Mom & Dad Sentiment Stamp set to the winner!  April is a fun color challenge!

I chose to make another ‘Mom’ card to have on hand because my mom is so very awesome!  I chose a sweet little layout that I stole from my teammate Debby Hughes (who has a new blog, by the way!)

I chose a pattern paper with a funky, retro design to represent the green color.  The navy is the stamped sentiment from the set that is being given away and the embroidery floss bow.  The little heart is the scrap from the die cut of the shrinky dink key chains that I made for the release last week. 

Thanks so much for stopping on by!  Have fun with the challenge!

 

Alyssa

Lil’ Inker Designs April Release Day 3 ~

Hello!  Welcome back to the final day of the Lil’ Inker Designs April release!  You should’ve arrived here from the amazing Alicia’s blog.  If not, head on back to the lovely Laura’s to get started off right.  Today I have a couple of simple Mom and Dad cards for you. 

First off, I was inspired to make my Dad’s father’s day card because of our love of Superman.  He had a Superman belt buckle that I stole from him around my senior year of high school, and he ended up gifting it to me when I went to college.  I thought the new word die might be a fun way to customize a “SuperDad” symbol.

I created a symbol on graph paper and then fussy cut it out of red cardstock, die cut the dad die and backed it with yellow polka dot paper.  It was a little plain, so I added some flicks of yellow acrylic paint (another first for me!).  The sentiment is from Bunny Star – the ‘Super’ had to be masked from a larger sentiment in the set.  Pretty simple, but fun!

Next is a card for a mom.  I had initially thought I would send it to my mother-in-law since her son is so very tattooed, and she took him to get his first tattoo when he was 16.  Funny thing is that she really doesn’t like tattoos!  I realized that I sent her a card with the stamped roses for her birthday in January, so I’m not sure I can get away with sending her this one too.

I was inspired by the classic ‘50s style ‘Mom’ tattoo.  I began by stamping a bed of roses, popping the heart up on foam tape, the mom die cut on foam tape and adding an arrow from Of the Heart.

Lastly, I decided to play around with a little shrinky dink and see if I could create a couple of key chains with the word dies.  I’ve had this stuff for about 5 years and have never opened the package!  No better time than the present   I used a few different Copic colors to create an ombre gradient and die cut the words, popped those babies in the oven at 275 F for about 5 minutes and then fine tuned them with my heat gun.  Unfortunately, the plan was to use the little hole at the top of the mom die to attach the jump ring but it ended up shrinking too small. 

         

The first picture shows the colored plastic before heading into the oven.  The second is a comparison of size after shrinkage.  Lastly, (obviously) is the assembled keychain.  I super <3 the mom one…I’ll have to think of a creative way to use it on a card!

 

 

That’s it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by on this uber long post Don’t forget to comment for your chance to win.  Your next stop is the awesome Amy!  Have a great day!

 

Alyssa

Lil’ Inker Designs April Release Day 2 ~

Welcome back to the Lil’ Inker Designs Release blog hop!  You should’ve arrived here from Alicia’s blog; if not, head on back to Laura’s to get started off on the right foot!  Today we are introducing the stitched scallop die which is just like it sounds – the signature LID stitching on a scallop shaped border die.  So fun!

I really thought it was about time I jumped on the ombre bandwagon, and I came up with this little number

Scarlet jewel, autumn rose, sweet blush and vintage cream loveliness!  The card base is cut just a bit shorter in the front so it rests on the scallops.  Don’t you just love that stitched detail??  This card would be ho-hum without it…it’s just the perfect touch.  The sentiment is masked from Pinwheel Sentiments.  I’ll be linking this up with the Moxie Fab World Ombre challenge!

I decided to make a little treat bag for my little man for Easter as well.  Some time ago, I saw a post on Pinterest about planting jelly beans and them growing into lollipops.  I just knew I needed to make something for Z’s Easter basket with the 2 Cute Ink Funny Bunnies set right then and there.   

I printed out a little label and stuffed some ‘magic’ coated jelly beans in a bag.  The sweet little bunny got colored up and cut out…and then it sat until 5:30 the night before Easter.  In a rush to get it into his basket, I decided to use the stitched scallop to create a bag topper.  Isn’t he a cutie?  Here’s a close up and my little guy planting his magic beans and then finding his lollipop in the morning

      

Don’t forget to comment along the way for your chance at two $10 gift certificates to Lil’ Inker Designs.  Now head on over Amy’s blog for more gorgeous creations.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Alyssa

Lil’ Inker Designs April Release Day 1 ~

Welcome to the April release for Lil’ Inker Designs!!  We have a super fun stamp and die set we’re introducing today called Mom & Dad Sentiments.  The dies are ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ word dies with fun little twists to them.  I am soooooo in love with these word dies!!  They are just so awesome.  Check it out!

Isn’t the @ sign for the ‘a’ perfect??  Totally adore it!  I used the negative die cut with a scrap strip of patterned paper to highlight this fabulous die.  ‘You’re the best’ is from the accompanying sentiment stamp set – such a wonderful, clean font that pairs well with everything.

To begin, I impressed the soft stone layer with a linen impression plate to give it some texture.  Next, the sentiment was embossed above where the die cut was going to go.  Very simple, but the words say it all.  Here’s a little peek of the products I used today

This is a hop with prizes – two $10 gift certificates to the Lil’ Inker Designs store!  You should have arrived from the amazingly talented Alicia’s blog.  Your next stop is to Amy for some fabulous eye candy, I am sure!  If, per chance, this is your first stop or you’ve gotten lost along the way, head on back to Laura, our fearless leader, at the Lil’ Inker Designs blog!  Have fun hopping.  See you tomorrow with a couple of fun projects  Thanks for bopping on by!

 

Alyssa

Sweet Guest Stamping ~

Hi there!  Happy Easter to all those that celebrate!  We’re not into the religion of it in this household, but we sure do love that Easter bunny and hunting for eggs!

I alluded yesterday to having something fun up my sleeve for Sunday.  I’m super excited to announce that I was chosen to be the Guest Stamper for Sweet Sunday Sketches!   Karen chose my card from SSSC179 to play along with today’s sketch.  Thank you, Karen! 

I needed a birthday card for a dear friend’s momma, so I set to work with this fabulous sketch and some new goodies from Papertrey Ink.  (Gee, they take a long time to ship!!  I wish I didn’t love them so…)

I knew right away I wanted to use my Year of Flowers: Mums dies but didn’t have a ton of time.  I cut them out of Autumn Rose and some old Stampin’ Up color and clear embossed them.  A few flicks of Copics really brought the flower and leaves to life.  I didn’t have any patterned paper that I liked with it, so I kept the background neutral.  I really love Soft Stone and Smokey Shadow together; they’re much warmer than just using black and white.

Here’s a little detail of the dimension and texture

The tilted panel did give me a bit of pause because I couldn’t decide how to stamp the sentiment.  I called in some reinforcements via text and made sure it would be ok to align it with the card base rather than the tilted panel, and got a resounding yes! Yay!  My straight laced ways were having a hard time with it Since this is a twisted panel, I’m linking it up to the Crazy 4 Challenges #179: Twist, and also to Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes. 

 

And the wonderful sketch…guess you can see where I got the polka dot background idea.

Make sure you bop on over to Karen’s blog, The Sweetest Thing (try getting that song out of your head now!), and see her wonderful creation!  I hope you play along too.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Come back tomorrow for the first peeks at the release for Lil’ Inker Designs

 

Alyssa

White Out ~

Hey there!  I’m bopping in really quick with a  card I made the other night for the 10 Minute Craft Dash #14.

 

Great colors!  Although, in my memory the pink was a little more blush than hibiscus.  Sorry Paulina!  This card was completely made in my mind before I even sat down to create.  It’s amazing though how much your heart starts to race and you forget where everything is, how to tie a bow, where your stamp block ran off to, etc.  I barely finished in time!

It’s so white!  This seems to work for everyone else but me, lol.  I’m happy I finally used the Trendy Treetops set I bought so long ago though!  Here’s a little glimpse of my stopwatch to show just how close I came

Ok, I have a super fun post going up tomorrow!  I hope you’ll stop back by to see it.  Have a wonderful Easter weekend

 

Alyssa