Ingenious Inkling

Beauty in Ordinary Things

The design team at the CASology Challenge this week was super-creative in interpreting this week's Cue Card.

I had lots of ideas (the first one I had to trash because I couldn't find the stamp set I was looking for ... don't you hate when that happens.  I'm sure I will find it next week when I'm looking for something completely different).  Finally I went with a Glass Coffee Pot ... the epitome of The Office (and my Office).

I paired it with the final line from the TV Show The Office ... which is so true.  And sometimes the most beautiful things is that first taste of morning caffeine. 

Both Stamps are from The Ink Road Scranton, PA.

I also took my inspiration from the glass of wine at the Fusion Card Challenge (and used the Fusion Sketch too for my CAS Design).

Fat Hearts

When I saw the theme at CASology was Compliment ...

 

I looked down at the Pitch, Please Stamp Set (love me some Pitch Perfect) from Ink Road Stamps on my desk ... and knew I had to make this card ... some days, Fat Amy is my spirit animal.

 

The hearts seemed like the perfect background for this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch (keepin' it CAS).

 

 

Aca-Believe it!

With Your Tribe

 

No matter how fantastic the travels, there is always something comforting about creating in your own studio again.  

I decided to ink-up some new stamps from Lesia Zgharda Design in the Ukraine.  I had seen some of her images at Alexandra Renke and enjoyed perusing her entire gallery.  When Julia posted a card with one of her images, I finally added some to my collection.

I used three stamps with this week's CAS(e) this Sketch.

I started with the Flower Whale stamped in VersaFine Clair Medieval Blue and then added the Geometric Snowflake & Love My Tribe Sentiment in VersaFine Clair Fantasia.

My first attempt to stamp this card, I managed to get a nice blue inky fingerprint on the top right ... I decided rather than toss it, I would trim it down and add a sentiment from Have Courage and Be Kind ... I really love that whale.

 

And tomorrow Art Camp 2018 officially comes to an end as I return to the office.  I'm so grateful for creative breaks in my life to give my analytical brain rest & recovery time.

PS - and the winner of my Birthday Giveaway is ...

Now I know how they came up with World Card Makers Day's date....your birthday weekend! Makes perfect sense NOW. ;) Hard to choose just one favorite Autumn memory but in younger days it would have been getting "floats" decorated week of homecoming and of course the homecoming dance. But older memories involve my daughters and helping them find their Halloween costumes plus taking them trick or treating. Fun times! AND happy birthday! Enjoy a piece of birthday cake...cause birthday calories don't count! ;)

Posted by: Beverly Sizemore | October 07, 2018 at 06:46 AM

Send me a message at SmilynStef at aol dot com and I'll get it sent your way.

More WCMD Stencil Fun

I am having such a relaxing birthday morning ... rain outside, but it is light enough to have the windows open and let in the cool autumn air ... Premier League Soccer on the television ... and lots of ink in my studio ... nothing better.

I'm still joining the Winnie & Walter World Card Making Day Challenges.  For my next card, I made a Clean & Simple Card Design.  I used my MISTI to do more ink blending with the Morse Code Stencil from A Colorful Life ... I used Dusty Concord, Broken China & Seedless Preserves Distress Inks and my Make-Up Brush on Water Color Paper.

 

I used the same three colors of Distress Ink with my MISTI to ink the sentiment from Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold and You.

For my next card, I used the Winnie & Walter Coordinating Die Cut Coloring Challenge with Kelly, since it was a technique I had never seen before.   It was a very fun & easy technique and produced a great background for my card.

As I mentioned, my Winnie & Walter Stash is limited to sentiment sets, so I had to pull out a Stamp set with Coordinating die from Reverse Confetti Hey Sugar for my card (because it's my birthday, I have cake-on-the-brain).

 

I used Wilted Violet Distress Ink for Stamping and Shaded Lilac Distress Ink for the stenciling.  I added a Hugs Sentiment from Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and Comfort.  I'm also joining the Stock Your Stash Challenge at Reverse Confetti with my Friendship Card (because true friends are the ones who take you for some cake).

 

Remember ... it's my Birthday & I'm giving away goodies.

Winnie & Walter Word Card Making Day

I wanted to join in the Winnie & Walter World Card Making Day Challenges (you can see my CRAFTIE photo here) ... only one slight problem ... I only have 3 stamp sets from Winnie & Walter & 2 of them are sentiment sets (they do make amazing sentiment sets).  So clearly, I need to win this challenge, so I can add to my stash.

I started with inspiration from today's Featured Stamper at SplitcoastStampers ... the talented Jennifer Jackson.  I took my inspiration from her lovely stenciled design.

Unfortunately, most of my stencils have been mailed to New Jersey for the Gel Press Extravaganza that Lauren & I have planned for this week, so no pumpkins or leaves ... but I did have this lovely Classic Harlequin Stencil from Technique Junkies by A Colorful Life.  Remember, there's a World Card Making Day sale going on at Technique Junkies.

I pulled out my MISTI because it's not only a helpful tool for stamping ... I also use it for Stenciling.  I positioned my water color paper and held it in place with my long magnet.  Next, I placed  my stencil in the corner of my MISTI, so it stays in place in place and then I only have to add a single piece of tape at the top (rather than taping down multiple sides).

Iliana is having a great WCMD Sale Too.

I used my make-up brushes (life changing) to Ink Blend three colors of Distress Ink for the Winnie & Walter Ink Blending Challenge with Lea.

I started with the lightest shade and moved to the darkest, going back with some Mustard Seed at the end.  That is one of the make-up (aka Stencil) brushes from this Set of 6.

Another great thing about using this MISTI Technique for Stenciling, is it's easy to lift up your Stencil and see how things look, and then put it right back in place to add more ink ... look at that gorgeous blending of color.

 

For my finished card, I used inspiration from Jennifer to mat my card with gold (I normally would have reached for a darker brown) and added a wrap of twine, as well as some glittery autumn leaves.  Rather than stamp my sentiment on a strip of paper (I felt like it covered-up too much of that gorgeous ink-blending) I used Acorn Versafine Clair ink to stamp the Sentiment from Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold, and Comfort on top of my blended Distress Ink.  I also used Jennifer's inspiration for a combination of a bigger & smaller word for my sentiment.

I'm also linking-up at the Trees & Leaves Challenge at The Paper Players.

AND remember ... Stop by and leave a comment on my Birthday Giveaway for a chance to win a Medium Size Flat Rate Box stuffed full of stamps & coordinating dies.

World Card Making Day - Joy Clair

Joy Clair is offering a chance at a Grand Prize for participating in four of their World Card Making Day Challenges, so I had to give it a try (the first was my Studio Post Here).

I started with the Rainbow Colors Challenge.  I stamped my new Joy Clair Coffee To Go Background in Monarch Versafine Clair ink on white cardstock and clear embossed.

Next I painted with a rainbow of watercolors.  Sentiment is from Joy Clair Coffee Talk using this week's Freshly Made Sketch on a kraft card base.

 

Next Challenge was Make & Mail - to make a card and coordinating envelope to put in the mail.

I incorporated the Simon Says Stamp Tag It! Challenge and stamped on a kraft tag using Joy Clair Coffee Talk Stamps and Versafine Clair Inks.

I stamped my Envelope with the Joy Clair Coffee To Go Background Stamp.

My third challenge was to use the Ink Smooshing Technique ... I used two colors of Pink Distress Ink and instead of water, I used my Technique Junkies Iridescent Shimmering Bliss Spray for a gorgeous all-over shimmer.

I used Joy Clair Creeping it Real Stamps for a Pink Halloween with the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers ... because Later Witches.

I'm also linking-up at Simon Says Stamp for World Card Making Day.

I have had a fantastically creative World Card Making Day ... I did some shopping (with my Impression Obsession Winnings and their 20% off sale) and lots of creating ... so fun!

Let's Kick Cancer's Butt! - and a GIVEAWAY

Today is World Card Making Day ... tomorrow is my Birthday.  I always secretly believed that they picked this weekend for World Card Making Day, so I absolutely HAD to spend my birthday weekend making cards ... and so that is what I will be doing today (because there are lots of prizes ... and prizes are like presents).

I also like to give presents (seriously, I like to give them more than I like to receive them ... just ask my family ... I'm weird that way).  So I filled an entire MEDIUM FLAT RATE BOX with stamps (seriously, there are a lot of stamps) for one lucky winner.  It includes all of my retired Essentials by Ellen stamps and lots of others that are ready to move on to a new crafty home (I see a couple of large Hero Arts backgrounds and some brand new Kitchen Sink Stamps at the top of the pile).  I'm heading to New York City next week to hang out with Lauren (my favorite birthday present), so I'll pick a winner a week from SUNDAY (October 14th) when I return.

So what do you have to do to be eligible for this beautiful box to come live with you ... just leave a comment telling me one of your favorite Autumn Memories.  Fall is also my favorite time of the year, and some of my favorite memories involve the Maple Leaf Festival in my home town ... riding on floats or marching in the parade, the Band Festival, and just seeing the beautiful Maple Leaves in full splendor.

I started with the October Challenge at Paper Smooches is a Sketch (personally I love that Kim's sketches are still hand-drawn).

I'm still making encouragement cards for a co-worker and this one features Paper Smooches Hope Stamp Set (remember, Lauren & I are each donating $2 for every PINK for the CURE Christmas Card you Link-up at Jingle Belles).

 

I used a strip of Gel Press done on navy cardstock for the vertical piece in the sketch and then trimmed bits of two designer paper scraps that were on my studio table.

I also am focusing on making cards with Never Been Used Stamps in my studio (after my Junkiefest purchases this summer, I still have quite a pile).  I used this Cassette Tape from Darkroom Door to make a card for their Facebook World Card Making Day Challenge.

I added an SRM Sticker on the Cassette Tape and then lots of other bits and bobs using the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketches.

Remember ... favorite Autumn Memory comment for a chance to win the box-o-stamps.

And ... in case you don't have a MISTI ... or already have a MISTI and need a second or third (because seriously, everyone needs multiple MISTIs), there's an awesome sale at My Sweet Petunia.

 

What Cancer Cannot Do

I got a last minute request to make some cards for a co-worker who is having cancer surgery this week.  I went through my challenge folder and put a group of cards together that hopefully will encourage her.

I started with this vintage DRS Stamp Company Cancer Is sentiment from my stash together with Paper Smooches die cut ribbons.  I got this DRS sentiment in 2009 when CardVaarks designed with DRS Stamps (here's the card I made then).

I die cut the ribbons from a scrap of pink cloud paper for this week's CAS(E) this Sketch and then sponged on additional pink ink to even out the color.

 

 

For my second card, I used one of my left-over Unity Stamp Company ATCs featuring Unity's Love. Just Love. Regardless. together with the Layers of Life Magical and Hopeful (05/2018) stamp that I brought home from Junkiefest.

 

Why don't you send a card this week *just because* to encourage someone ... everyone loves to get mail.

Pair of Wings

The current Impression Obsession Challenge is Things with Wings. 

 

I pulled out everything wing-related from my stash and decided to combine the Birch Trees (and perched Cardinal) with a sentiment from Everyday Quotes 1. 

I wish I could make the weight of the world feel more like wings.

Happiness is a Form of Courage

When I saw the new theme at AAA Cards to be Inspired by a TV Show, I knew I had to break-out some of my sets from The Ink Road Stamps (the best TV Show and Movie Stamps).

 

This morning's inspiration and life advice comes from none other than the venerable Ron Swanson of Parks & Rec and my Snarks & Recreation Set from The Ink Road.

 

I also took my Diamond (aka Argyle) inspiration from the Code Word at Addicted to CAS.

 

While I had my Ink Road Stamps collection on my studio table, I also made a card for this week's Inspiration Photo at The Card Concept.

 

I pulled out some Mint Green & Flamingo Pink inks together with my Majestic AF Stamp Set.  I think my design falls into the Clean & Graphic Design Style.

 

I used some graphic black & white cardstock inspired by the background in the photo ... and added a few enamel dots to pull in the round pom poms from the bunting.