Ingenious Inkling

Thursday Link Love

Another week of fun blogland discoveries:

• I love these Flooring Transitions
• Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies are my weakness
• Love this Polymer Clay Mosaic Vase (shown)
• Nine Ways to Infuse your Life with Joy
• Marshmallow Coconut Caramel Ice Cream Squares
• Beautiful Vintage Roses Bouquet
• Turn a picture into a cross-stitch pattern
• This Latch-Hook Rug looks so comfy
• I love admiring other people's Craft Rooms ... I adore the big pull-out trays
• How cool is the Skybed Lounger
• I adore this Barn-Turned-House
• I love our Overalls All Over ... can't wait to see them all

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Retro Agapanthus

The current Retro Rubber Challenge is all about the flowers.

I have drawers full of Retro Rubber Wooden Stamps that have been feeling pretty neglected.  I went to my drawer full of flowers and inked-up an old favorite, Stampendous Agapanthus Cluster (here's a card using this stamp in 2007 and another in 2008 ... lots of this stamp on my blog).  I went Retro with my sentiment to ... 2005 from Stampabilities.

I decided since I was featuring retro rubber, I'd use a Retro (for me) card design even adding a wrap of ribbon (which I did a lot in my early cards).  I love how all of these retro elements have stood up to time.

My pretty flowers are also joining the In the Garden Challenge at Make My Monday.

I Love You Man

This month's theme at Impression Obsession is **I Love You Man**.  Since I always need masculine birthday cards, this is what I made.

I love Seth Apter's Stamps ... they make stamping an abstract background almost fool proof.  For this one, I used a set called Solar System.  I added Retro Masculine Die Cuts and a sentiment from Greeting Card Sentiments Zenspirations.

 

The As You See It Sketch had an embellishment, so I used a Compass Brad from The Eyelet Outlet.

Country Roads

When I saw the inspiration image at The Challenge, I knew what I wanted to make.  

Since the tractors on our farm are all green, I chose a red vintage farm truck and coordinating sentiment from Artistic Outpost's Home Stamps (where I was thrilled to be the winner in April and add some new stamps to my collection).

Paper are from a favorite vintage collection called Wanted by Cosmo Cricket.  Layout is this week's Mojo Monday Sketch.

Welcome Baby

At my office, we have lots of little Iowa Hawkeye babies born, so I decided to make a baby card using the team colors using this week's Share Joy Challenge Sketch at Taylored Expressions.

I combined the Baby Onesie Die cut with the Welcome Baby Banner.

Ingenious Inkling

The woodgrain Polaroid Die Cut was sitting on my craft table, so I used it for a frame.

 

Unbelievable Birthday

After lots of traveling, it felt so good to be back in my studio.  It's been a while since I joined the Lawnscaping Challenge, so I broke out my new Platinum Liquid Metals Color Burst to add some sparkle & shimmer.

I stamped several images from Lawn Fawn's Lovable Legends in white ink and clear embossed.  Next, I painted the watercolor paper with Platinum Liquid Metals and then sprinkled on Orchid Color Burst before spritzing with water and painting the two mediums together.  I used a paper towel to remove some of the color and create the texture I wanted.  The shimmer is amazing.

 

I stamped Big Foot (or in my case, more of a Yeti) in black ink on white cardstock & used the coordinating die cut.  I added a red party hat because after all it is a birthday party.  Since the Challenge theme is sparkle, I matted the image with silver metallic paper and added a few silver sequins.

Joyful Heart

Don't you love when the scraps of paper on your studio table come together to make a card.

The grey was left over from cutting my oval paper mat yesterday ... and the white cardstock was set aside for a larger card base.  I saw The Paper Player Sketch, and the card came together.

Sentiment is Banner Blessings from Stampin' Up in Simon Says Stamp Teal Ink.

That Thing You Did

I love the color challenge at Palsy paper Arts.

I decided to combine it with this week's CAS(E) this Sketch (love those triangles).

Sentiments are from Stampin' Up That Thing You Did.

Love it!

Be-YOU-Tiful Flowers & Clouds

I was inspired by several elements in this month's Pin-Sights Challenge at the Ellen Hutson blog.

My eyes were first drawn to the center rectangle that looked like a pink cloudy sky at sunset.  Then it found all of the other great pinks with grey accents ... and of course the flowers.

I stamped the Mondo Magnolia three times in Memento Gray Flannel ink on a piece of pink cloudy designer paper from DCWV.  Next, I die cut the Be-YOU-Tiful sentiment from grey cardstock and framed it with another piece of the cloudy paper.

I finished with some metallic adhesive gems and a few Tim Holtz Sticker sentiments for a bit more encouragement.

Keep It Handsome

I love this fun Keep it Handsome paper from the This Guy Collection by Photoplay ... it makes it so easy to make fun & easy Father's Day Cards.

The first card uses this week's Freshly Made Sketch with neutral paper scraps & a tiny strip of copper glitter paper.  

Sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen 12 Days Companion Greetings (one of the most versatile stamp sets I own).

The second card uses the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges.

Buttons are from Hero Arts.

Two cards done before 8:30am ... I'm already calling this day a success.