Ingenious Inkling

J is for Journey

This week at Less is More, they're creating projects inspired by their blog header.

I loved the two-tone color palette, the flourishes and musical elements.  I started with beautiful paper and elements from the Simple Stories Documented Collection (I love how they have shrunk down the pages of journaling cards in the 6x6" pad).  

I added a strip of vintage sheet music from my stash and some sponging with Old Paper Distress Ink.  I stamped Hero Arts Love Chain at the top right to complete my wedding card design.

While I love the finished product, I'm not going to link-up at Less is More because they've disqualified me in the past for not meeting their definition of clean & simple (I believe this one wouldn't have enough *white space* to meet their qualifications).

However, this monochromatic palette is perfect for this week's Dynamic Duos Challenge to use Crumb Cake and one other color (in my case Dark Brown)

Happiness Is A Choice

This week's Unscripted Sketch is the perfect opportunity to feature a large visual image.

I those to feature this beautiful map paper from Basic Grey's What's Up Collection, which coordinated perfectly with my glittery whale tag (whales seemed to be an emerging trend we saw a lot of on our sisters' trip to Kansas City).

I attached my tag with foam tape for dimension and added an additional sentiment using Authentique word stickers.

Cutie Bear

This week's Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge comes from the Etsy Store of Denizmum.  Talented Ulku Akcam creations amazing little Amigurumi patterns including this sweet little bear I used for my inspiration.

I used this week's CPS Sketch and stamps from Rogue Redhead Designs Getting Grizzly set.  

Papers are from Basic Grey's Hopscotch Collection.

I hope you find Inspiration.

Vintage Style

We have the oh-so-talented Linda Brun joining us as our lovely guest star at Jingle Belles.  Linda has lots of vintage photos and Christmas cards, so she thought Vintage Style would be a great creative holiday theme (and she's even giving you two vintage images to download at the Jingle Belles Blog).

Last year, I bought a box of scrapbooks at an estate sale.  It was too crowded to really see what they contained, so I took a risk ... and ended-up with the mother lode.  The scrapbooks belonged to a girl named Virginia Chance who apparently saved almost every card she ever received.  She apparently had two lengthy hospitalizations, so there is one scrapbook filled entirely with get well cards.  The others contain letters, cards, memorabelia ... and of course some vintage Christmas cards.

I cut out the front of one of the vintage cards and mounted it on red and kraft cardstock frames.  I re-attached the Greetings sign using foam tape for a bit of dimension & added red pearls for accents.  I love how the paper naturally aged in the pre-acid-free scrapbook.  The left of the card was covered by another card in the book, so it didn't get as much exposure to the light.  Remember ... Vintage doesn't alwyas have to mean shabby chic ... it can mean clean & simple too.

I'm also including this card at the DYSU (Do You Stack Up) Challenge where they're celebrating Blue Skies & Clouds (I do love a cloudy hazy blue winter sky like the one in my card).

PS ~ there's an awesome prize from Lauren's Etsy Store ~ Just Enough Stuff ~ that you won't want to miss.

Hero Arts Social Club

Excited to see my Everything Good card featured on the Hero Arts Blog today.

I also won some fun stamps from the Sweet Stamp Stop in Julie's Blog Celebration.

And my stamps I won from Paper and Such Blog Hop arrived in the mail today (how fun are those goofy snails).

And here are a few pictures from my studio.

A vintage 1960's owl container from my mother-in-law ... my new studio friend.

I added some shelves to the walls for more art displays.  The gorgeous mosaic picture was made by my friend MIchele DeSutter ... and the cool dress-form vase is from my brother's friend Eric Botbyl.  The top piece is a portion of a wonderful mixed media quilt piece from a Iowa fiber artist Amy Skouson.

And colorful new foam mats for the areas where I stand and create ... I love the pop of color with my new floors.

Thursday Link Love

Another fun week of blog discoveries:

• One of my favorite things about living in Iowa is the amazing sweet corn ... think I may have to use some to try this Chipotle Creamed Corn recipe ... or maybe some Mexican Corn Tomato Salad.
• Balloon + glass votive = fun little bud vase ... or how about lacy cement votive holders.
• I know hexagons are hot ... but look at all of the fun you can have with triangles.
• Amazing Shadow Art.
• Love these Natural Branch Coasters.
• Pillows made from your favorite Google Maps Images.
• Tutorial for turning any old glass ware into the look of antique mercury glass.
• I love lemon or lime in my ice water ... I need to start trying some Sangria Water with other fruits (shown).
• Free Fourth of July Printables ... and Free Vintage Calligraphy Downloads.
• Ideas for taking great pictures of children ... and more here.
• When we were growing-up, our babysitter had a two room playhouse in her backyard (pretty much a converted shed, but we played house in there for hours) ... I would love a fun little shed in my backyard now.
• Love this big bold Friendship Bracelet.

Happy Thursday!

Wedding Cake Congratulations

I needed a wedding card for my stash, so I used the colors from the Ribbon Reel Challenge (before I realized it was too late to link-up) ... I love the fresh summer hues.

I combined images from Stampin' Up's Love & Laughter with this weeks sketch from The Paper Players.

I embossed the shimmery pink background panel, added a wrap of ribbin & a few flowers to embellish the wedding cake.  I think that pink polka dot ribbon is some of the oldest I have in my stash ... great to finally get it on a card.

This card is also perfect for the Anything Goes Challenge at The Kraft Journal.

Grin and Bear It

When I first saw the new Getting Grizzley set from Rogue Redhead Designs, I could see a pink bear card in my future.  Growing-up, I had a pink teddy bear who was my constant companion, and to this day, a pink bear always makes me smile.  When I saw this week's CAS-ual Friday Challenge was to create a pink card, I knew the timing was perfect.

I stamped the seated bear in new Picked Raspberry Distress Ink on pink cardstock and detail-cut the image.  Next I used the same ink on the honeycomb background stamp on pink cardstock for the background.  I angled my octagon die cuts the same direction as the background shapes. 

Since he looks like he might have just had a run-in with those two bumble bees, I thought the sentiment was perfect ... sometimes life hands you bee stings and you do just have to grin & bear it.

The layout is from Sketch Frenzy Friday.

 

So Happy For You

Last week, someone asked me if I could make a card to give to someone who just found out they were pregnant.  While I had lots of stamps celebrating the birth of a baby, I realized I didn't really have much for this theme ... so I set out to find something that would work ... and found this adorable So Happy For You set from Unity.

The current challenge at the Basic Grey Challenge Blog is to create something using your favorite color combination ... I chose the Marrekech Collection filed with browns, bright oranges and blues ... I love their *not quite solid* papers with the wonderful subtle variations of color like you see in the sentiment strip.

Card sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches.

Flying High Birthday

I love Joy Taylor's card at this week's CASE Study Challenge ... especially those fun little puffy clouds.

I just picked-up the new Red, White & Blue papers from We are Memory Keepers, and when I saw the fun little plane, I knew what I wanted to do.

I trimmed down the 6" paper in the middle, so I could keep the matching boarders on each side.  I added a row of stars to cover where the papers join in the middled.  I die cut a few clouds from adhesive felt and attached things with tape & foam tape for my skyward dimension.  

I finished with a stamped birthday sentiment from Savvy that reminded me of the banner in the inspiration card.  The finishing touch was a silver star glitter sticker I added to the door of the plane.