Ingenious Inkling

Get Well Sketch

I used this week's CAS-ual Fridays sketch challenge for a masculine get well card for a Minnesota Vikings fan.

Papers are Echo Park & Memory Box ... sentiment is Outlines.

Faux Metal Shelf Paper Die Cuts

When my Dad comes to visit, there are always multiple trips to the hardware store (actually almost every hardware store in town, because I love shopping with him).  

During one of our trips to Lowe's this weekend, I found something I knew would be just perfect for the studio ... Faux Metal Peel & Stick Shelf Paper.  It's also just perfect for the Household Items Challenge at the Moxie Fab World Blog.

The first thing I tried was running it through my die cut machine with the Antique Doily die cut from QuicKutz.  The first time I tried with the die cut against the adhesive side of the shelf paper, but didn't get a deep enough cut through the metallic paper.  The second time I flipped it over with the die cut against the silver and added a small shim of paper and got a perfect cut.

I love being able to get wonderful metallic-like detail without any of the weight of real metal ... so many possibilities.

Papers are Dear LIzzy Neopolitan with a Jenni Bowlin Embellished Vellum Butterfly.  Sentiment is an EAD Designs Stickerz & sketch is Just Us Girls.

Here's another angle showing more of the shine of the metallic paper.

Bicycle Race

This week's CAS-ual Friday challenge Name that Tune is to create a card inspired by a song.

As I was making this get well card for a Ragbrai participant who is recovering from a recent heart attack, I kept singing the lyrics to Bicycle Race by Queen ... I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike ...

The layout is this week's Freshly Made Sketch combining kraft cardstock with papers from DCWV Tattered Time matstack and a scrap of ledger paper.  I inked my stamps with charcoal ink and then with blue ink to get the same tone as the background.

The card is also for the Cards For Men Challenge to feature the outdoors.  Everywhere I've looked outside this week I've seen people relishing the warm temperatures on their bicycles.

Wishing You Well

In my rush to complete my design projects before heading out on vacation, I left my studio in a bit of a mess (okay, a big mess).    

This card uses 7Gypsies papers & a Love Paper Charm from Pebbles that were on my studio table, together with an EAD Designs Rub-on Sentiment ... better to create with it than file it away.

The Sketch is CPS #121 for their anniversary celebration.

Here's one more photo from my trip ... one of the biggest rainbows I had ever seen following an afternoon shower.

One Step at a Time

I am always on the lookout for paper designs that are perfect for masculine cards, and the Natural Collection by DCWV is a recent favorite.  It made it so easy to use this week's CPS sketch for a quick and clean get well card for a young man who is recovering from an auto accident.

This favorite get well sentiment is from Verses.  I attached it with foam tape for a little dimension.  By the way, I just invested in one VERY big roll of foam tape (36 yards) from Overstock.com.  I go through quite a bit, and it was much less expensive to buy it in bulk.

And I just saw this adorable packing tape when I was linking up to the foam tape ... looks like it might be time for another order.

This card also works for the Other than Christmas Challenge at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long and the For the Boys Challenge at the Corrosive Challenge Blog.

Silences Are Carrying

A friend saw this card I made with an outlines sentiment stamp, and asked if I could make some for her using the same Outlines sentiment (it's great for those times when Get Well or I'm Thinking of You just don't quite fit).  

I pulled out several sheets of Cosmo Cricket Gretal Papers because I thought the muted tones would work for a masculine or feminine recipient (and the solid color in the reverse side helps pull the different papers together).  I flipped this week's CPS Sketch on it's side for my design.  Because of the height of this stamp, I went for a 6"x4" card base, which will fit into a standard business-sized envelope.

For one I stamped an image from Inkadinkado's Foliage Trails which coordinated with the leafy design of the paper and pulled in a bit more brown into the design.  I also sponged the edges with Dark Brown ink as well.

This one is similar to the first card, but I added a border punch and some blue pearls.

The final one incorporates the Foliage Trails image again with the same border punch.  

For some reason I have a terrible time making multiple cards with the same design (feels too much like work I suppose).  However, I really should do more "variations on a theme" to make sure I have plenty of cards in my stash for when I need them.

Happy Monday!

Hoping You'll Feel Better Soon

As I was catching up on my blog reading today, I was thrilled to see that my Digital Transparency Card was the Digital Winner for the June Hero Arts Blog challenge.  Of course, I had to immediately go shopping to decide on the goodies for my prize, and as I was looking through stamp sets, I realized that this sentiment from Hero Arts Huge Hugs was perfect for a card I needed to make for a friend who recently took quite a tumble and ended up in a cast.

I also found the perfect embellishment buried in my stash (I remember picking this up this package of chipboard on clearance several years ago while shopping with my sister at Big Lots), this Basic Grey Obscure Chipboard crutch, which I inked with various shades of brown Distress Inks and then stamped with Hero Wood Finish in a darker brown.  Since I had my Chocolate embellishment, I decided to use this week's Color Throwdown Challenge for my color palette (cream, chocolate, & turquoise).

I stamped the Hero Arts Bold Flourish multiple times on October Afternoon Gazebo paper and used a Chocolate glitter pen to color in the open circles in the design.

Hopefully this will make her smile.

Happy Mail

I made it through my tonsillectomy yesterday with no complications.  When I got home today, I had lots of happy mail waiting for me.

This cutie is from my friend Kami ... love the glitter dots around the frame.

And my friend Christy made me this pretty card with great chipboard letters ... love those colors.

And lastly, this wonderful holiday card from Anne.  The snowflakes on the transparency are so cool ... and I love the clever idea to use the Martha Stewart branch punch for the arms on that awesome pearl snowman.