Ingenious Inkling

On the Farm

The new Impression Obsession Challenge is On the Farm.

 

 

I made a single layer CAS card using one of my favorite farm images from Impression Obsession - Windmill stamped in Fresh Asparagus ink from Gina K. Designs on Neenah Desert Storm Cardstock.

 

I added two different colors of brown paint splatters and finished with some Gina Marie Designs Matte Enamel Dots.  Sentiment is from Impression Obsession Words for Art.

I'm also joining the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where they theme is It's a Man Thing.

Iowa Sweet Corn

At Impression Obsession they are asking us to Play with Our Food.

 

This time of year in Iowa, it's all about Sweet Corn ... I had my first ear this weekend, and it was wonderful.  Once it starts showing-up at the market, I tend to eat it as a meal several times a week.

 

I used three colors of ink on this Impression Obsession Corn Stamp and paired it with the Happy Birthday Sentiment from Impression Obsession The Skinny.  The background is one of my hand-painted papers.  I love having a stash of these to use for my cards.

United. In Spirit.

The current challenge at Impression Obsession is to make a Funny Card.

 

My sister's cat Simon often makes me laugh, so I made a card inspired by him. The Cat from Impression Obsession Introverting was Stamped on the Grey Card base and highlighted with Colored Pencils.  

 

 

The sentiment is from Impression Obsession Introverting 2.  Who knew these stamp sets would turn out to be oh-so-true for so many of us.

Simon would claim that the entire Couch belongs to him (as noted by photos 1, 3 & 6 below) ... and you can find your own place to sit.

Which version of Quarantine Simon are you?

 

The Bunny Trail

Even though I've already mailed the Easter cards I've made (I like to get them there early, so people have a bit of time prior to the holiday to enjoy or display them), I couldn't resist making another for the Impression Obsession Easter Fun! Challenge.

 

I die cut my three little Impression Obsession Bunnies from the cardstock colors from the Just Add Ink Challenge ... I added pearl bunny tails and tiny black gem eyes.

 

The layout and inspiration are from the current Fusion Card Challenge ... the adorable picture also inspired the bit of polka dot washi banner along the top.

 

I finished with a sticker sentiment (don't really have many Easter sentiment stamps in my stash).

 

Best Friends

The current Challenge Theme at Impression Obsession is Best Friends. 

The theme made me think back over my life and all the different best friends I have been blessed with over time.  Best friends make you laugh ... they lift you up ... but most importantly, they are there when you need them the most.

 

Stamps are Impression Obsession Cancer Sucks ... because it truly does.  Thinking back to one of my dearest friends that we lost way way too soon.  I paper pieced the scarf and added some light colored pencil shading to the image.

 

I'm also linking-up at Just Us Girls Challenge where the theme is Heal ... because nothing helps more in the healing process than friends who know what you need.

 

And Watercooler Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist.  Also linking-up at the Simon Says Stamp Something Feminine Challenge.

Introverting

Have you ever read the book Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking?  In it, there is an introvert quiz.  My husband got a perfect score (all Introvert), and I am closer to the middle with stronger Introvert tendencies.  My Saturdays are usually spent alone in mostly total silence, recharging from a week of constant interaction from working in an open office environment. 

Today I did venture out to buy some Spring sandals - the new Keena Slide Sandal from L'Artiste, one of my favorite brands (it's 51 degrees outside, which has me itching to wear sandals), but otherwise it was just me and my studio. 

I spent the morning doing lots of food prep for the week, and the Beef Stew in the Crock-Pot is smelling quite yummy.

 

So when I picked my stamps for my Impression Obsession Tag You're It! Challenge Card, It's not surprising that I chose Impression Obsession Introverting by Dina Kowal.

 

 

I used the colors from CAS Colours & Sketches.

 

and the layout is from Tuesday Morning Sketches (flipped to work with my Impression Obsession Plaid Tag).

 

And with my embossed tag, I'm linking-up at the Embossing Challenge at The Male Room.

 

Crabby Hugs

The current theme at the Impression Obsession Challenge is Hugs & Kisses.

 

My Impression Obsession stamps & dies are in drawers by my desk, and when I opened the first drawer this cute little Impression Obsession Crab Die by Anna Wight was staring-up at me ... and I thought ... he looks like a little kid holding his arms up for a hug ... so Hugs it was.

 

I die cut the crab several times from a piece of shaded designer paper to get the darker on the body and lighter on the extremities.  I die cut the Hugs from Impression Obsession Typewriter Sentiments from the same designer paper and again in black to create a shadow. 

 

I used black pearls for his eye balls and then used the Horizontal Sketch from Paper Craft Crew for my layout.  I backed the black & white striped washi tape with white cardstock, so I could get more contrast against the black card base.

I'm also joining the Simon Says Stamp With Love Challenge.

Love is in the Air

The theme at Impression Obsession is Love is in the Air! ... and I immediately went to one of the most used Dies in my Collection - Heart Couple Frame.

 

I almost feel like I'm cheating when I use this die ... the single piece cuts so simply and by changing the color of the die and the background you can easily customize for any wedding color combination.  Today I die cut it from thicker watercolor paper for some subtle texture ... and the thickness of the paper means I don't have to stack dies for dimension.

 

I used a piece of glitter paper from a Christmas paper pad for the background ... a deep burgundy with specs of silver and pinkish glitter.  I inked-up a sentiment from never before used Impression Obsession set called The Skinny.  I'm linking up at the NBUS (never before used schtuff) challenge at little red wagon.

 

 

I inked it in Gina K. Designs Cranberry Tart and clear embossed for a bit more elegance.  For a bit of added elegance I used several Glitter Dot Flourish Stickers by docrafts Papermania from an unopened pack in my stash ... have no idea where these lovelies came from, but they provided a very nice bit of bling.

 

I'm also linking-up at the Something New Challenge at The Paper Players since I both used something new ... and created a card for a soon to be newly married couple.

Quick & Easy Holiday Card

The Challenge theme at Impression Obsession is Quick & Easy Holiday cards ... and for me, that usually means die cuts.

 

I went through my collection and pulled out several dies that could make a scene together with scraps of cardstock from my bin (I keep it sorted by colors in hanging file folders).  With my Gemini Junior, die-cutting is a breeze.

 

I started by die cutting the City Landscape Layers from two shades of grey (I actually bought this die in NYC at The Ink Pad).  I attached it to a black card base for the night time sky.  Next I cut the Impression Obsession Santa Die from Maroon Cardstock (the color was an ode to Rudolph).  And the quick finish was Merry Christmas from the Typewriter Sentiments cut from a bluish grey cardstock.

Super quick ... super easy ... and a snap to produce in bulk.

I'm also joining the Any Winter Holiday Challenge at little red wagon and the Cityscape Challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Snow Time

The current Impression Obsession Challenge is Snow Time!

 

I started by die cutting Impression Obsession Snowflakes Die Set from Silver Glitter Foam ... I used two of the three snowflakes on my card.  

 

I attached them to the Impression Obsession Plaid Tag cut from a blue shimmer cardstock.  I finished with a peace sentiment from Impression Obsession Express Yourself.

 

I added some Eyelet Outlet Bumpy Bling to the center of the snowflakes and some silver & blue ribbon at the top of the tag to finish the design.