Ingenious Inkling

Seeing Spots

We're seeing spots at the Caardvarks blog today .... yes, we're going dotty for Polka Dots. 

All you have to do is show us your best *new* Polka Dot creation by uploading it to the Caardvarks Flickr Gallery by no later than midnight on February 3rd for a chance to win a FAB-U-LOUS prize from those super folks at The Scrapbook Nook ... this awesome February Kit (how cute are those little houses).

My first design team card features fun Sparkle Cardstock from Cloud 9 Designs Photo Banner II Baby Boy Collection ... I just love this color combination of greens and grays.  

    

The round Hooray sentiment (Stampin' Up's Wishing You the Best) was stamped in ColorBox Charcoal Chalk, Clear embossed, and then highlighted with Sakura sparkle pen.  I finished with a border punched with the Fiskars Threading Water punch & PaperTreyInk Spring Moss polka dot ribbon.

My second card features three different designer papers from the Ebony & Alabaster collection from Black Market Paper Society's Covert Compacts.

 

The Daisies in Black by Alias Smith & Rowe were stamped in Black and clear embossed (I love how the texture in the paper shows up in the design).  The flowers were then painted with Shimmerz Glitter Paint.  The Stampin' Up sentiment was highlighted with a single red micro gem.

Go hit us with your best spots!

Laugh Louder ... Play Longer

When I saw all of the horizontal and vertical design elements in Kazan's Sketch #18, I thought of this gorgeous new paper I got from Gina K called Letters from Paradise.  I just love the lemon & avocado colors and the wonderful textured design (click on the picture for a larger view of the texture).

I combined the three different paper designs in this color palette with some velvety avocado fibers (variegated with a tiny touch of rust) and a sentiment from Stampabilities.

   

I think it makes for a great masculine design.  Thanks again ladies for another wonderful sketch.

It's a Banner Day!

The challenge at the Moxie Fab World blog this month is to create a project that uses some kind of a banner.  I was stumped ... I didn't have any banner stamps in my stash ... I didn't really need to make a banner for any occasion (I hate to make challenge cards just for the sake of making something ... for me, it needs to be something I will use or send).

Then I saw a picture that changed my mind.  Kelly Rae posted photos of her fabulously decorated new studio... and on the wall hangs a banner she had custom made by Etsy Seller, Meringue Designs.  The design sort of reminded me of Tibetan prayer flags.  I wanted to see if I could recreate the design using paper. 

 

I cut my banner flags (1 1/2" x 2") from pieces of Memory Box Twiggy papers.  I used chocolate foam thickers for the letters.  I attached the flags to the back of chocolate velvet ribbon using 1/4" strong tape (so the flags would have some movement in the design).  The banner ribbon was then attached to a piece of Basic Grey Fruitcake solid paper. 

The bird (a Michael's $1 stamp) was stamped on the orange Memory Box paper in Dark Brown ColorBox Chalk and clear embossed.  I cut out the bird and attached it using a glue dot only in the center so the wings, head and tail could be bent up slightly from the background.  This also works for the Share Your Spark challenge this week to use a cut-out element in your design.

Yes, this is one big card (6"x10"), but it looks great on top of my file cabinet ... so that might be where it stays.  I think it's a great sentiment to see every day.  Thanks to Kelly Rae (and Meringue Designs) for the inspiration.

Euphoria Tart of Hearts

Today's SCS Featured Stamper is the talented Lori of Make a Difference.  I chose her Basic Pears card for my inspiration. 

Whenever I order from Ellen Hutson, she always includes some ribbon and a beautifully colored Lockhart image as a Thank You.  I have saved all of the images, hoping that one day I would recycle them into another card.  I haven't joined the coloring band wagen, so I love having her wonderful colored detail to feature.

 

I changed the Basic Grey paper to the Euphoria collection to coordinate with Ellen's wonderfully colored Tart of Hearts.  I swapped out the stitching for hand-drawn doodled lines (done with a fine point Sharpie marker).  I also added three Peony Dew Drops to the bottom of the design.  Both the main panel and image are attached with foam tape for dimension.

Thanks to Ellen and Lori for the fabulous inspiration.

Final Splendid Valentines

I challenged myself to finish up the Fancy Pants Splendid Valentines using quick layouts with only scraps of paper (most of which were actually on my studio table).  The plus side is that I more completed valentines and an almost clean table. 

The first card is also for the Virtual Stamping Event going on at SCS.  This challenge was to use something soft on your card.  I loved how this fuzzy green velvet polka dot paper brings out the green cat eyes. 

 

This one used a piece of wide ribbon that was saved from a holiday package.  I love when I can recycle.

 

This one used the Cuttlebug Heart Blocks embossing folder on the pink panel.

 

I love this fun, stretchy gingham trim ... so girly.

Happy Saturday!

Question 2 ~ Am I Afraid of Change?

Question number two in the 52Q mini art journal challenge is - Am I Afraid of Change? 

I love change ... as long as I feel like I am the one making the change.  If a change is forced upon me, then it can take me a bit longer to come to a place of acceptance ... but I eventually arrive. 

This River City Rubber Works change quote by Ghandi is one of my favorites, and I felt like it described how I feel about change ... it's important to do everything you can in your time on this earth to be the change.  It is stamped on a piece of Basic Grey Periphery designer paper that is highlighted with a sparkle pen.

Pottery Barn Teen Inspired

This week's SCS Inspiration challenge is to make a card inspired by images from Pottery Barn Teen (PB Teen).  

I stumbled upon the website through one of the many design blogs that I keep in my reader.  While i was surfing through the fun pages filled with fabulous colors and design, I got an e-mail from Amber suggesting the website for a future Inspiration Challenge ... how uncanny is that??  Needless to say, I took it as a sign that it should be this week's inspiration.

My card is inspired by this fun Deer Appliqué Lamp Shade.  I loved the clean lines and graphic design.

The CHF Kissable Tree was inked with Dark Brown ColorBox Chalk ink and then kissed with the CHF Polka Dot Backgrounder.

 

The tree and deer are from the Detours! set by October Afternoon.  I cut the clear sentiment into two pieces to work with my layout.  All of the images were clear embossed for an all-over shine.  I finally broke down and bought some of Gina K's Pure Luxury White cardstock ... this stuff really is fabulous ... the smoothest textured cardstock I've ever used ... perfect for single layer designs like this one.

Let's Be Satellites!

To celebrate winning the December Contest at So Sketchy!, I decided to use their January card sketch for tonight's card. 

I also used Kristina's fun color inspiration challenge, which seems to scream funky, groovy valentine to me.

 

The Far Out Valentine is from Sideshow stamps & the Beaded Curtain background is from Judikins.  I finished with three layered heart punches and touches of Sakura sparkle pen.

Make sure you check out the rockin' Caardvarks Flickr Gallery for all of the fabulous designs with Becky Fleck's exclusive sketch ... and remember you have until January 17th at midnight to upload your cards for a chance to win a fabulous kit from Studio Calico.

And Still More Splendid Valentines

I've decided that the inches upon inches of snow that keep falling from the sky together with the prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures has zapped the creativity right out of me.  I couldn't even muster the energy to ink up a stamp tonight, but I did manage to put together a couple more Valentines using this great sheet of designer paper from Fancy Pants Splendid Collection.

The first one uses a fabulous piece of fuzzy velvet polka dot paper that I've hoarded forever.  I love the soft, warm texture.  I also love using the green and red color combination for a holiday other than Christmas ... and lately, I am really loving gray too.

 

This one uses a free form polka dot paper and another of my favorites ... polka dot ribbon.

 

One of my favorite non-profit organizations, Chemo Angels, is holding their annual Hugs & Kisses Fund Raiser.  If you'd like to donate to a fabulous cause ... and have the chance to win some gorgeous quilts and other prizes, check it out.

More Splended Valentines

I'm still having fun playing with these cute Valentines from the Splendid collection by Fancy Pants Designs.

Both of them use the Cornish Heritage Farms Polka Dots Backgrounder on the base. 

On the first one, it is stamped in ColorBox Lipstick Red chalk ink and clear embossed. 

I used the Stampin' Up scallop border punch along the bottom together with some sparkly red ribbon I found on Christmas clearance.

For this one, the backgrounder was stamped in Versamark and clear embossed for a red-on-red polka dot design.  As I look at it now on the screen, white polka dots might have been cuter.

I finished with black stitched ribbon (with  my double knot at the top).

In both designs, the valentine is attached with foam for dimension.

Are you sending valentines this year?