Ingenious Inkling

Embrace Life

While I like embellishing a card as much as the next crafty soul, I really love when papers are beautiful enough to stand on their own.  When I saw the May sketch challenge at the My Mind's Eye Blog, I knew I wanted this lovely paper from their Lost & Found Blush Collection to be front-and-center on my design.

I added two more papers from the same collection for my broders with a bit of inky sponging.  I stamped a couple of banners from the MME Be Amazing Follow Your Heart set in maroon and finished with an encouraging chipboard sentiment ... embrace life.

It also works for this color challenge at the 365 Cards blog, as well as the Clean & Simple Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Owl {enjoy today}

This week's SCS Inspiration Challenge comes from Greenheart, Chicago’s premier eco-fair trade non-profit shop, carrying eco fair trade products made by artisans from around the world.  

My card is inspired by this fun little Crazy Owl Wool Birdhouse.  It reminded me of my Stampin' Up Owl Punch, and I loved the vibrant colors.

I went with cardstock in the colors of this week's ColourQ Challenge and used this week's Retro Sketch.

A simple sentiment from CatsLife Press completed the design.  In retrospect, white eyeballs probably would have popped a bit more, but I still love his goofy look.

She Saw Her Soul

This card celebrates the Show Me Your Chevron Challenge at Paper Issues using my new Studio Calico / Hero Arts stamp and colors from this week's CR84FN Color Challenge.

The Sketch is from Retro Card Sketches & the sentiment is from Cosmo Cricket's Tiny Text Art stickers.  The Vellum Butterfly is Jenny Bowlin from Crafty Steals.

Rogue CAS-ual Fridays

This week's CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is to create a card using:

1. A Pattern
2. An Image
3. A Sentiment

My pattern & image are both from Rogue Redhead Designs' Just Sayin' together with a sentiment from Bits & PIeces.  I stamped the flower on ivory handmade paper and then again on green to cut-out the center before adding an ivory adhesive pearl.

I'm also joining Crazy for Challenges where they're celebrating GREEN.

Do Re Mi

My card for the EAD Designs Color Challenge reminds me of my granddad ... I can still hear his rich voice singing these notes at least once a day.  It also reminds me of playing the xylophone in marching band for several years (the theme from Ice Castles still ringing in my ears).

The layout is from a new Sketch Blog called Retro Sketches.  

Since I didn't own the featured stickerz for this month's color challenge, I rummaged through my EAD Designs drawer and found these fun Classic Toy stickerz that contained all three hues.

 

 

Wedding Love

Tonight I needed to make a wedding card, so I combined this week's Play Date Cafe colors (and wedding theme) with the Laura Bassan's fabulous card from CASE Study Challenge.

 

 

I stamped a vintage couple image from A Muse in charcoal (several have asked me if it's availble anywhere, and I am unable to find it) and added an EAD Designs rub-on sentiment.

The lacy paper is from the Sassafrass Mix and Mend Wee Bundle.

Imagination

This month's Rebel Challenge at Rogue Redhead Designs is to create a stamped background.  I combined three different stamps for my background using the colors of this week's Play Date Cafe.

I stamped the flower from RRD's Just Sayin' in gold, the sandy background from RRD's Beach Babes in medium blue & the block design from RRD's Floriculture in royal blue to create my stamped background.

The main panel image & sentiment are from RRD's Relish Reading.  I finished with some tiny gem-embellished butterflies using  CPS Sketch #5 for their Anniversary Celebration.  

 

Pur-fect

The color challenge at EAD Designs this month is Black & White ... and the February Guest Designer is the talented Ms. Lauren.

I broke out my fun Kitty Kitty Rub-ons together with CPS Sketch #170 for thier Anniversary Celebration.

 

I had to flip the scalloped edge to get it to work with my kitty.  I added a little Basic Grey DP and a wrap of Black & White twine to complete the design.

You're a Hoot!

This card is for the Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Wood Take 'n Make Challenge. 

I knew I wanted to ink-up my new Big Eyes image, which was also perfect for the Less is More Challenge where they're celebrating one layer cards featuring birds.

I decided to use Prussian Blue Chalk Ink for my design, since Crazy 4 Challenges this week is Monochromatic Blue Cards.

I think he looks rather dashing in blue ... I just love those texty images.

Oh Boy

I become a great-aunt again Friday night with the birth of Emmett Osiris.  I wanted to get a fun little card in the mail to celebrate his birth.  

I looked through my supplies for little boy things and found this cute felt dinosaur sticker ... and built my card around him.

I pulled out scraps of paper in the two greens from the dinosaur and combined them with some valentine love & a few EAD Designs Stickerz & Rub-ons using this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch.  I'm also linking-up with the Drunken Stampers where they're celebrating Love.  

My dear husband looked at me a bit wonky when I showed him my goofy little baby card ... but I love it.

Here's a picture of Great Papa (my dad) with little Emmett.

Two cuties for sure.