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.

You Fly ... You Soar

They're celebrating hexagons at My Mind's Eye in April ... perfect for their Be Amazing Follow Your Heart collection.

To celebrate my awesome new Design Team gig, I combined it with this week's Unscripted Sketch (flipped) and the oh-so-versatile flower from Rogue Redhead Designs' Just Sayin' Plate.  I stamped the flower on houndstooth DP and again on golden metallic paper with a chocolate pearl in the center.  I added a houndstooth butterfly to complete the card (and create a triangle in the design).

Smile ... Enjoy The Journey

I got some happy mail today including papers from My Mind's Eye Be Amazing Follow Your Heart Collection.

I used this month's My Mind's Eye Sketch together with a stamp sentiment stamp from My Mind's Eye Be Amazing Follow Your Heart.  Since the design elements in the paper were vertical, I flipped the sketch.

I also used more hexagon's as embellishments by stamping Paper Smooches Geo-Graphic on MME paper & cardstock, which was perfect for the Hexagon theme at the Cards Blog this week.

Sending Caring Thoughts

Life has been so darn unfair to several friends and family members lately ... and I feel so helpless being miles away ... so I channeled my love & concern into some cards to send across the miles.

The first one uses Fall To Layout #180 at the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog together with papers from My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy True Blue Collection.

The Hero Arts Starbursts were stamped in a combination of Prussian Blue & Aquamarine Chalk ink to get the color I needed to coordinate with the paper (inked with Prussian Blue, stamped off once, and then inked with Aquamarine).  I love how the pattern of the paper shows through the blooms.  

The sentiment from Hero Arts With Sympathy was stamped on the same DP in India Ink and clear embossed to help it stand out against the background design.

The next card uses a scrap of the same My Mind's Eye paper with a black brocade paper from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Sunshine Collection.  The stamps are from the Hero Arts With Sympathy Set.

I used the same ink combination, but stamped the flower a second time for the lighter impression.  The layout is the current Freshly Made Sketch.

Both cards are also for this month's Hero Arts Blog Fabulous Flowers Challenge.

More Banner Creativity

Our Jingle Belles Banner Holiday Prompt continues through Wednesday, February 8th at 6pm EST. 

I made a second Banner-inspired card sticking a little more truly to Lauren's amazing design.

This time I wanted to incorporate more of the "grungy" elements from the design ... so I added some silver jingle belles banner attached with standard office staples ... sponged some white ink through punchinella ... some hand-drawn lines ... and yes, I stamped by inking the bottom of my Diet Squirt can repeatedly with India Ink.  I finished with felt snowflakes and a few silver balls.

Papers are from My Mind's Eye and sentiment is Hero Arts Joy to All.

It's also perfect for the ABC Christmas Challenge that is celebrating B ... including Banners.

Hearts and Flowers

The current challenge theme at the Impression Obsession Blog is Hearts and Flowers.  

I only have a few Impression Obsession sets, and thankfully one contains some flowers.  This card features a sentiment & flowers from the Life & Flowers Set (CL-250).

Since I love to send Valentines to my girlfriends, I thought the sentiment was perfect.  

The papers are Love Me from My Mind's Eye.  The sketch is from Lucy's Sketch Day #3.

 

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Good Day Sunshine

CAS-ual Fridays and Market Street Stamps have teamed-up for a little Block Party this week, so I wanted to join the fun.  The theme for the Party is Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String (Kraft cardstock & twine).

This card features my favorite kraft from Hobby Lobby (love the nubby texture); designer paper and a sassy scooter embellishment from My Mind's Eye Good Day Sunshine Collection; and Caribbean Twine from The Twinery. 

The stamps are from three different Market Street Stamps sets ~ Compass (the sentiment), Hippie Chic (the bird) and Gone Campin' (the hearts) ... all stamped in Charcoal.

Summertime ... The Livin's Easy

While my Mind's Eye Good Day Sunshine papers out, I decided to use this week's Freshly Made Sketch to make another Congratulations card.

I used a sentiment from Market Street Stamps Chillaxin and the Congrats from EK Success Stamp Events.

Bingo

One of my projects for this weekend is to make some Congratulations cards for my stash at the office. 

I combined My Mind's Eye Good Day Sunshine (Boy) papers with this fun little Bingo card from Unity.  I punched circles for the Bingo markers and added a punched star in the center. The Sketch is this week's CAS-ual Friday.

I finished with a wrap of chocolate twine and Hero Arts sentiment from Essential Messages.  I like that the card is gender-neutral, so it will work for any recipient.

Much Appreciated

I had so much fun with the My Mind's Eye sketch the first time, I decided to try it again with the Adrea Victoria Collection

I used the circle die cut from the paper set & added a white rub-on sentiment from EAD Designs & a black rub-on sentiment along the bottom.