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For today's non-traditional *valentine* card I went with one of my favorite stamp companies ... Ink Road Stamps ... and their new stamp set Dark & Twisty ... because today can be a hard day for a lot of people ... for a lot of reasons.
So this quote sort of sums it up ... it's okay to feel unhappy ... and even embrace it. Brown & Red ink on a beautifully flecked kraft card base.
When I saw the current CAS(E) this Sketch!, I thought about a variety of options to go down the side of a card.
I decided I wanted to try my new Lace Doily Stencil from A Wonderful Life (which you can buy in the Technique Junkie store with my 10% off code TJ10Stephanie).
I like using my MISTI when I stencil to help hold everything in place. Since i wanted this on the right side of the card, I taped my stencil in place and then put my card upside down in the corner of the MISTI to get the position I wanted. I used my magic make-up brushes to apply two different shades of orange ink to the stencil.
I need a thinking of you card, so I used a quote from the The Upside Down stamp set by Ink Road Stamps.
I used my score board to create my own banner fold before attaching the sentiment with foam tape for dimension.
Saturday night seems like the right time to hang out with Ink Road Stamps (well, really there's no wrong time). I used their Are You Serious Clark? stamps for the current Color Throwdown and this week's Freshly Made Sketch.
I combined three different washi tapes for the elements in the sketch.
I'm also joining the January Christmas Card Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.
I always enjoy looking back on my year of creations ... and thinking about what I want to create in the coming year.
Here are my 10 favorite non-holiday cards & artsy creations from this year in no particular order (here are my top 5 Christmas cards for 2018).
1. This has been the year I fell deeply in love with stamps from The Ink Road. So many fantastic movie and TV quotes to choose from. I also loved this gorgeous flower die paired with a snarky quote from my spirit animal Leslie Knope of Parks & Recreation for (in my opinion) unexpected design perfection ... not to mention the Technique Junkies Vivid Volt Shimmering Bliss Spray with Kraft.
2. It's been a great year designing for Technique Junkies. I love their deep red rubber stamps and wonderful background designs like this gorgeous Big Butterfly Background (remember use TJ10Stephanie at checkout for 10% off the Technique Junkies Store). This was one of the cards I made for the March Stamp Release. Love the Color Burst design, and the splatters were a marvelous happy accident ... I love when you can turn potential messes into design elements.
3. I have also had another fantastic year designing for My Sweet Petunia ... the MISTI changed my crafty life and I love sharing new ways to use it ... like creating this super-adorable Winnie The Pooh card with Concord & 9th's Hi There Bear. Winnie was my brother's constant companion for a large part of his young childhood, so this card also brings back those wonderful memories.
4. I was blessed to finally get to attend Creativation (formerly CHA) in 2018. I got to meet so many people that I had only designed with *virtually* over the years and enjoyed getting to try so many of the new products. My favorite class was the Mixed Media Revolution Class taught by Seth Apter where we got to use his awesome paint and stamps ... and I also got to meet the oh-so-talented Linda Brun in person.
5. One of the fun things about designing for My Sweet Petunia (MISTI) are the collaborations with other companies. I loved creating with a new-to-me company Heffy Doodle and getting to meet the owners/designers at Creativation. These aren't the usual types of stamps I gravitate toward (another fun part about collaborations ... stretching my design skills), but I was thrilled with how all of my cards turned out ... especially this fun Sip Sip Hooray Design. I should really use Alphabet Stamps more to create fun sentiments.
6. I pushed myself to take more art classes this year, like this fun Mixed Media Class that was held in the lobby of our Condominium building right outside my front door. The oh-so-talented Dori Patrick once again pushed me outside of my comfort zone to create a finished product I loved so much, it's actually hanging on one of my art walls in my home.
7. Essentials by Ellen always releases some of my favorite stamps of the year (and I was so thrilled to meet the Ellen Hutson teawm) ... and I loved this background I created using inspiration from one of their Pin-Sights Challenge. It was so easy, but created such a dramatic effect just using paper squares ... and Mermaids were big in 2018.
8. I love learning new techniques and using neglected products like I did on this Dare to Get Dirty Challenge card ... and I love these Inky Antics stamps by Andrea Ockey Parr too (I may have bought everything she illustrated).
9. When I visited Lauren this year, I was thrilled to get to contribute a Guest Artist page to her Space Age Atlas. I had such fun combining pictures from Fashion Magazines ... it was a serious 8th grade flashback (in a good way).
10. I also had the privilege of Guest Designing for some new releases at STAMPlorations this year including these wonderful phrase dies ... I loved being able to combine mixed media stamping with a wonderful clean & simple design.
I hope you had fun walking down my 2018 memory lane ... looking forward to lots more fun art in 2019.
Yes ... that's the theme at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers ... so if rude is not your thing ... please move right along.
I've got lots of new Ink Road Stamps in the house ... including Are You Serious, Clark? so I had to ink it up. It's not quite the same green as the Griswold Family Truckster, but I think you get the picture.
And while I was at it, I made a second card using The Ink Road Stamps Happy Holla Days ... I used a little cotton ball for the pom pom on his hat.
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).
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!
The theme at Just Us Girls this week is MUSIC ... so I couldn't resist pulling out a little Pitch Perfect Pitch Please fun from The Ink Road.
I took my inspiration from the Elemental Inspiration Photo at Daring Cardmakers ... while the inspiration was Christmas, I took it a different direction with a black, white & kraft Color Palette with pops of Green, a wrap of twine (with metallic thread), and tag ... just so much to love.
Aca-Awesome for sure ... drop the mike.
I added these gorgeous Bella Flora die cuts from The Ink Road to my collection ... I love that each detailed die has a matching backing.
My blooms are cut from white and my background is cut from a piece of watercolor paper sprayed with Vivid Volt Shimmering Bliss Spray for a gorgeous shimmery sparkle (remember, you get 10% off the entire Technique Junkies store if you use my discount TJ10Stephanie)
I paired the beautiful blooms with a sentiment from The Ink Road Snarks & Recreation, a wrap of ribbon and some sequins. This one is already in the mail ... love making fun cards for friends.
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.
