I am finally starting to get my butt back in gear with creative endeavors.  The cause?  ICAD 2015!  If you don't know what ICAD is, it stands for Index-Card-A-Day.  ICAD is a challenge created by Daisy Yellow.  The challenge is basically to decorate a 4x6 index card however you may desire.  Every year, when I participate in ICAD it seems to respark my creative energy.  It is an awesome experience.  For more information check out Daisy Yellow's ICAD section.

This year, I created my cards around the idea of counterfeiting a scrapbooking kit from the Hip Kit Club, specifically their May 2015 kit.  I was inspired by the papers, journaling cards (Project Life/Pocket Scrapbooking cards), and additional ephemera and elements that were included in the original kit.  I also focused on creating with (fairly) limited mixed media supplies, such as Distress Stains in three colors (Pumice Stone, Aged Mahogany, and Peacock Feathers), Amy Tangerine stitching template (which had not gotten enough usage since it's purchase), and Heidi Swapp 3x4 stencils.

Day 1 - This is just a simple background of Distress Stain Pumice Stone layered with gesso that I applied with qtips.

Day 2 - I applied blue/teal watercolor paint to the background of my index card.  Then I used a Heidi Swapp stencil of triangles and a sharpie pen to create a pattern on my card.  I colored a selection of the triangles in with colored pencil.  I decided I wanted to add a sentiment in the middle of the card so I applied some gesso and hand lettered "happy", which I colored in with yellow colored pencil.

Day 3 - I was just playing around with lines and my Sharpie pen.  Once I was done with my lines, I shaded with colored pencil.

Day 4 - I was just playing around with my Heidi Swapp stencils and some distress stains.  I used Mahogany, Pumice Stone, and Peacock feathers.  I also traced a cap that was on my work table so that I could cut out a selection of the design to create a scrapbook element for layering on my layouts.

Day 6 - This one started as my scrap for excess paint from my stencils for four and five. Then I covered with gesso and used another Heidi Swapp stencil to do the triangles with watercolor pencils, which I outlined with Sharpie pen.

Day 7 - an ombre (ish) polka dot card! I used distress stain peacock feathers for background and aged mahogany with a q-tip for the dots.

Day 8 - Getting a bit more adventurous. I made some messy circles by tracing a cap, added some doodling, watercolor background and added some yellow watercolor to my circles.  This card was greatly inspired by the Pink Paislee scrapbooking line "Citrus Bliss".

Day 9 - I created a simple rainbow background with watercolor paint (wet in wet) and then I stitched the ampersands using an Amy Tangerine stitching template and dark grey embroidery floss.

Day 10 - I used some of my daughter's washable markers and a wet paint brush to smear the lines.  I was trying to make my own labels that are trendy with scrapbooking and planner folk currently.

Day 11 - I sketched diamonds with my Sharpie pen and filled in with watercolor on a background of Pumice Stone Distress Stain.

Day 12 - Another excess watercolor background that I stitched with an Amy Tangerine template.  I used a dark grey and a teal embroidery floss.

Day 13 - I used a Dylusions stamp with two distress stains (Pumice Stone and Mahogany) to make this card.

Day 14 - The stripes are made with distress stains (Pumice Stone, Peacock Feathers, and Mahogany) and q tips. The word "Smile" and the circles were stitched with an Amy Tangerine template using gold embroidery floss.  Then I stamped with black ink "noted" from Heidi Swapp and the flower is from Lawn Fawn.

Day 15 - Washi tape stripes using a central color scheme for inspiration.

Day 16 - Washi tape stripes continue to be my inspiration.

Day 17 - I was experimenting with stamping using distress inks and clear stamps. I never ever have luck with this and hate how it looks, but most of my inks are distress....I'm definitely open to any tips!

Day 18 - I gave up on the distress ink (the funky one in the middle) and just used a pink memento ink pad.

Day 19 - I decided to continue playing with some unused stamps.  This time I used memento ink in pink and black (the purple frame is distress and I don't hate it... Does that count?). Stamp set is from Dear Lizzy.

Day 20 - Today I drew some triangles and banner shapes, along with some circles. I then added some stamping in black memento ink using a Heidi Swapp stamp set. I applied some distress ink with a wet paintbrush and added some word stickers from Studio Calico. I really like how this one turned out!

Day 21 - A hand drawn frame and some more stamping with memento ink.

Day 22 - My daughter made this for Father's Day. It was wrapping for a bag of popcorn. So I used it to make up a cute ICAD, plus it'll end up in our album for the year!

Day 23 - Another washi tape card with some bolder patterns.

Day 24 - More stamping and playing with some shading using distress ink pads.

Day 25 - Mixing acrylic paint (green and yellow) with stamped circles.  I'm really enjoying playing with that circle stamp.

Day 26 - More acrylic paint splatters and stamped Dear Lizzy Polaroid frame.

I love this project.  No matter how many times I do it, the simple act of creating, mixing paint, or just simply playing seems to reenergize me and recharge my creative juices.  After months of not creating anything, ICAD has given me lots of new ideas to explore!  So many new ideas that I only made 26 cards before getting pulled along another creative journey!  Interested in more ICAD cards?  Head over to last year's ICAD cards.