Ingenious Inkling

St. Louis Rubber Stamping Stores

We had a fabulous Spring roadtrip that included a day of shopping at art & paper stores in St. Louis.  The first stop was For Keeps Sake.  I have never seen so many 6" paper pads in one place ... a true paper lovers playground.

The store has nice open spaces wtih plenty of room to move around.  Some papers were sorted by company and others were sorted by occasion ... so many pretty things.

This is the first time I had seen Artistic Outpost stamps for sale in a retail store ... that made me smile.

They also had lots of manufacturer samples and ideas on the walls.  These new-to-me stamps and embellishments from Darice were very lovely.

The next stop was Red Lead, a store I have wanted to visit for ages.  Unfortunately, the hours posted on their website were outdated, and the store is now only open from 10-5 on Saturdays (and I was there on Thursday).  I peered in the windows to get a glimpse of the beautiful art inside.  After my very long drive, the owners (who were inside filling orders took pity on me ... and subsequently updated their store hours on their website) and let me shop.

Since they were so gracious, I felt obligated to hurry, so I didn't get many pictures.  Hopefully I can come back another time on Saturday and examine everything more closely.  I'd love to take one of their classes.

They had so many fabulous charms & trinkets to sort through.

I've ordered from Red Lead on-line and their service is great if you want to check it out (at least make sure you sign-up for their mailing list ... the e-mails are full of inspiration ... and sometimes even special deals).

My final artsy stop was Art Mart ... one of the coolest stores I've ever experienced.  I think I could have spent an entire afternoon (if my dear husband hadn't been patiently waiting in the car).

I picked-up all sorts of gifts for family and friends ... as well as a few treats for me too.  How gorgeous is this rainbow of French Marbled Paper.

They had a wide variety of cards, books, gifts, papers and embellishments ... and even some rubber stamps.

This table of paper flowers was particularly inspiring.

All of the staff were particularly friendly and helpfu.  In addition to gifts, I picked-up some envelopes, stencils, tiny canvases, glittery stickers, and die cuts.

So if you're in St. Louis, I would recommend making time for all three stops.  I don't mind buying many of my supplies on-line, but there's something extra-special about being able to see and touch the things you're going to purchase ... not to mention all of the inspiration.

I'll be back later with more pictures from our vacation adventures.

Art in Tennessee

We've had a fun vacation so far visiting with family in Tennessee.  

One of our favorite stops was at the Crown Winery, where we visited the pottery shop & added some more Botbyl Pottery to our collection.

I also added a gorgeous necklace and earrings to my collection (the one with all of the beautiful metal loops in the top center is now mine).

The Ink Pad

Today, Lauren and I visited the friendly folks at The Ink Pad in their new location.  For a rubber stamper junkie like me, this place is truly sensory overload ... and I love it.

I picked up quite a few new stamps, inks, papers, die cuts and even some fun stickers and glassine paper (which I paid to have them ship to my house ... so I won't have to worry about carrying it all on the plane ... and it will be like Christmas when I get home).  

I also got to check out Lauren's awesome "Just Enough Stuff" that she is selling at The Ink Pad ... and in her Etsy store if you're not near NYC.

And they were even kind enough to take our photo in front of the store's awesome display window.

If you're anywhere nearby, you should really check it out ... amazing inventory and very helpful & knowledgeable staff ... so very fun.

Washington DC Shopping

After several days of serious museum hopping, today we decided to just wander the neighborhoods of Washington DC on foot ... and of course do a little shopping.  My favorite store by far was TableTop.

I got this awesome Marimekko Shower Curtain ... can't wait to find more coordinating green accents for my bathroom.

And this fun mobile to display cards & inspiration in my studio.

And lastly, this awesome new Orla Kiely Car Print Bag which will replace my well-worn Land's End go-to-work bag.

I love how the little blue car looks like my Cube.

I'll post more pictures when I return, but for now here's another favorite from the trip ... our first hint of blue sky after several days of soaking rain (using the 1960s filter on Picnik).

 

Sisters' Weekend 2011

No cards this weekend because I'm enjoying my annual weekend getaway with my sister.  We've been doing lots of exploring & laughing ... the best way to spend time together.  

We loved the rainbow of yarn at Yarn Shop & More.

And had delicious gelato at Paciugo.

Off to spend another day exploring ... hope you're enjoying your day as much as we are.

Rockford, Illinois

Got to enjoy a gorgeous day and visit three of my favorite places ...

1 - Anderson Japanese Gardens

2 - Goose Barn Stamp Store

3 - and Abreo for supper ... this was one of the amazing dishes we tried ... Butternut Squash Ravioli

Also found a new favorite ... Marc's Fusion Cafe ... the cucumber & seaweed salad was to die for.

Iowa City Crafty Getaway

When Miss Iowa won my stamp giveaway earlier this month, she suggested we meet in person to deliver the box of goodies ... so instead of just meeting, we decided to plan a day of crafty goodness.  Since we couldn't be in California at CHA, we created our own crafty getaway right here in Iowa.

First stop was taking a peek at all of her wonderful ATCs she had on display at her home ... they are seriously even cooler in person than the photos on her blog.

Next we headed to Coralville for stops at Michael's, Hobby Lobby & Memories on Fifth.  One of our favorite finds was this fabulous new collection of Brenda Walton products at Michael's ... yes, we both added several packages to our creative stash.

After that, Miss Iowa treated to me lunch at one of her favorite spots ... Micky's Irish Pub ... and of course, I had what you'd expect someone to have at an Irish Pub ... Blackened Ahi Tuna Fajitas ... they were seriously delicious.  I never thought of combining Mexican spices with Tuna, but it was very yummy indeed.

We stopped at Defunct Books where used a Groupon to pick up a book called the International Biennial of Illustrations, which is full of fabulous art and design that will likely make its way into some fun cards and art journal pages.

When we were searching for one of our favorite card stores, RSVP, we stumbled upon a fun new store called Home Ec Workshop where we had a great time exploring all they have to offer and visiting with the owner.

Of course we also picked up some fun goodies like waxed linen thread in wonderful colors and some fabulous embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching.  

There were so many great yarns to look at and touch (I'm a very tactile person ... I love art I can touch).

I loved this fun little bird cage full of fabric scraps (how cute is that little gnome pattern that snuck into the photo).

And they even had a fun little mascot on the fabric cutting table (oh how I wish I had a standing height island like this in my studio).

The classroom was buzzing with a group of people making some cool t-shirts.  They also have wonderful drinks and desserts that looked to-die-for like these caramel bars.

I want to see if I can fit one of their fun classes into my schedule, like this Resin Pendant Making Class.

All in all ... a very fun day.

Artistic Outpost Pre-Black Friday Sale

Here's a card I made with Artistic Outpost's Oz Collage.  It features Dorothy, Toto & the Cowardly Lion following the Tim Holtz Embossed Yellow Brick Road.  I stamped each image on in Artprint Brown inka nd then cut them out.  I paper-pieced Dorothy's little blue dress.

And for some very exciting news ... Artistic Outpost wants you to start your holiday shopping with them.

From now until November 30, 2010 - Artistic Outpost is featuring 10% off all rubber stamps, and that's not all! For every $50 you spend, they will also send you a special $10 gift code to use for your after-Christmas shopping ** (Gift Codes will be e-mailed to you in December & will be valid on purchases January 11 - 31st 2011). 

Better yet! These gift codes stack! If you spend $100 you will get a $20 certificate, spend $150 get a $30 certificate, you get the idea! Remember, in the US you'll also get free shipping when your order totals $50 ($150 internationally).

Just head over to the Artistic Outpost Store and use the Coupon Code BlackFriday to receive your 10% reduction on your rubber stamp purchases. 

One exception - if you order more than 6 sheets of EZMount cling foam, free shipping will not apply. These items are bulkier and require extra shipping costs.

Happy Shopping!

Midwest Stamp Store Tour

Of course, we can't take a trip without checking out the stamp & paper stores in the area ... thank goodness for a patient husband who was deep into a book on his Nook, so he read while I shopped.

In Lincoln Park, we checked out the Paper Source store.  I always love scouring their clearance rack for great prices on papers and envelopes.  I found some fun Artgirlz stamps half-price too.

We also walked about a mile to Windy City Scrapbooking, which was most certainly worth the walk.  I always check the store websites before we leave because there are often coupons for printing (in this case $5 off).  They were also having a sale with 30% off Sizzix dies, so I picked up several that I had been wanting (thankfully, dear husband was also willing to carry the rather heavy sack back to our Guest House).

 

The staff were very helpful including looking-up the exact measurements of a particular die cut and opening up a package that I had a question about, so we could look inside (some fabulous new post-it notes from SEI ... they are packaged in such a way that you can't see what's inside at all ... and when you look inside, they are oh-so-cool ... the entire Moonrise line is gorgeous).

We also checked out a fun store called Paper Boy filled with all sorts of unique paper crafts and products.  We found several early holiday gifts for friends and family.

In Rockford, Illinois I discovered The Goose Barn.  This is not a store you would ever just stumble across, but trust me it's worth finding.  It is actually located on the second floor of an old barn, so you do need to be able to climb stairs to shop there. 

I was truly amazed at the vast array of products she carries.  This is truly a Stamping Store (which is so rare to find any more), and she covers every genre.  Look at all of these embossing powders.

While it is jam-packed full of product, I felt like I had plenty of room to walk around, although it did take several walks through to make sure I didn't miss anything.  She also had tons of new products from multiple manufacturers.  The blue chair at the left is her studio work space where she was creating most of the time i was there (is that a dream job or what!).  

She was great to answer questions and discuss uses for different products (I picked-up some gorgeous Pearlesque Twinkling H2Os I'd never seen before).  She also keeps track of purchases, and after $500 provides a discount ... and she ships.  I think we're going to have to modify our annual Chicago Stamp Store Road Trip to make sure we add this to our agenda.

Rockford also had a great Michael's, Hobby Lobby, & JoAnn's (where I found fun new holiday embossing folders & was able to use my 50% & 40% off coupons ... always love a bargain).  I also found some great deals on a few embellishments at Tuesday Morning.

On our way from Rockford to Madison, we stopped at Scrapbook & Stamping Memories in Janesville.  I always stop at their Madison location (which is also awesome) and was surprised to find their Janesville location is just as large.  Both stores carry the same products, but obviously sell out of different things.  I found several things in Janesville that I didn't find in Madison, so it was definitely worth the stop.  

Staff at both stores are very friendly & helpful.  They have such a well-organized space with lots of room at both locations.  Here's a photo of the Janesville store.

Off to do a little purging, so I can make room for all of my new finds.  Can't wait to create!

 

Chicago Stamp Stores

We had a good day of paper craft shopping in Chicago today.  We started our morning at Stamp Thyme in Lockport.  They had a fun make & some fun new floral stamps by Outlines.

Next we headed to Whole Food, Trader Joe's, Penzey's Spices, and Paper Source in Oak Park.  Such great papers and fun stamps at Paper Source.

I also loved how they had taken tiny little embellished yo-yos and used them to decorate paper clips.

Next stop was Stampology, where we saw lots of great new stamps.  They also have some of the best samples ... love the wheat stamp in these colors.

 

And I loved the sparkling snowflake background on this fabulous holiday card.

And our final stop was the Cottage Stamper in St. Charles, where I found some new Stampington & Company images, as well as Tim Holtz Embossing Folders, Papers, and Paper Tape.

All-in-all, another great road trip ... but as always, glad to be home, so I can play with all of my new goodies.