Ingenious Inkling

Fusion Challenge Anniversary

We're celebrating our First Anniversary at Fusion Card Challenge, and it's been an awesome ride. 

To celebrate this special Anniversary, each member of the design team got to invite a friend to make a Fusion Challenge Card too.  I'm so thrilled that Lauren and I got to design together again (we first met when we were on the Design Team together at Caardvarks).

So here's the Fusion Card Challenge Anniversary Inspiration.

I wanted to build a card around this chalkboard sentiment from My Mind's Eye Chalk Studio paper.

I pulled in the two shades of pink together with gold metallic cardstock & a wrap of gold twine ... I think it really captures the feel of the inspiration photo.

Hope you'll come over and join us to celebrate the First Anniversary of Fusion Card Challenge.

Up Town Birthday

When I finished this card, I got ready to take the remaining scrap of My Mind's Eye Good Day Sunshine Up Town 12" x 12" Paper to my overflowing scrap bin, but when I turned it over, I saw a row of adorable houses on the other side (likely the reason I bought the paper in the first place), so I decided to cut it up to make some more cards.

I trimmed the row of houses 4" wide (perfect for a long/narrow design) and all I had to do was add a Hero Arts Elegant Birthday sentiment banner to the sky (I imagined an airplane located off the right side of the card was pulling the banner).

The remaining scrap had the three little houses that were on the other side of the bridge.  I paired it with a few cardstock scraps from my stash, for a similar design.

I love that both cards are funky & fun ... and super-mailable.

As always, you can use Coupon Code STEPH15 for 15% off your order of $25.00 or more (before tax and shipping) in the a2z Store.

Mr. & Mrs.

This week's Cardabilities Sketch reminded me of some Hexagon paper I knew I had hoarded somewhere in my stash ... now the trick was to find it.  

Thankfully, it was in my first cardstock container ... it's called Follow Your Heart "Be Amazing"  designed by Rhonna Farrer for My Mind's Eye ... still one of my favorite collections.

I stamped Hero Arts Heart Flourish in Charcoal ink and then stamped my Bride & Groom on the reverse side of the paper and framed it with a charcoal hexagon.  I finished with a stamped *Mr. & Mrs." and a chipboard sentiment.

How Strong We Are

Tonight I'm listening to the Cardinals Baseball Game on the radio ... accompanied by the thump of bass from the DJ playing music for the Glow Run right outside our home ... the perfect time to play along with the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges at Splitcoast Stampers.  

I still remember the night I was sitting at my computer and discovered this vast creative community ... I signed-up immediately.  I'm not exaggerating when I say, it changed my life for the better in so many ways.  This challenge is brought to us by HousesBuiltofCards.

 

I die cut my Die-Namics Vertical Sentiment and then stamped my MFT Sentiment in Delicata Gold Metallic Ink and clear embossed.  I used the current MFT sketch with a scrap of gold embossed paper.

I'm also joining the *GOLD* Challenge at Addicted to CAS.

Vintage Christmas Birds

We're in week two of our joint Jingle Belles & 'Tis the Season Challenge prompt ... to combine their sketch with our Bring on the Bling theme.

I converted the sketch to a horizontal 6"x5" design to feature the beautiful elements in My Mind's Eye Vintage Christmas paper.

I love how the cluster of birds in my Stamp-It Twinkle Falling Snowflake image (stamped using Rich Cocoa and Rhubarb Stalk Memento inks) coordinate perfectly with the lone birdie in the left corner of my designer paper.  To go with the vintage design, I used champagne pearls as my *bling* accent.  

In My Heart

It seems that I always need more sympathy cards for my stash.  

I paired an older Hero Arts sentiment with My Mind's Eye Cowboy papers and this week's Sunday Stamps Sketch.

Thinking of You

Tonight I needed ot make cards for strong brave women who are battling cancer.  

The first one uses My Mind's Eye Be Amazing papers and this week's Sketch Saturday.

The second one uses My Mind's Eye Vanity Fair papers and a sketch from Cardabilities.

I used Be Brave from Unity's Sprouted Wings on the background ... Thinking of You is from Impression Obsession.

Sending them strength.

Welcome New Baby

I used this week's CAS(E) this Sketch together wtih papers from My Mind's Eye Gnome Sweet Gnome to make a quick baby card.

I love the little Hero Arts Elephant from New Baby stamped on felt.

I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Cowboy Mother's Day

I tried multiple stamps and sketches with no success ... and I finally just decided to combine these gorgeous Cowboy papers from My Mind's Eye into a design I found pleasing to my eye ... and this is wehre it ended-up.

Depending on the mood, challenges can be inspirational ... or restrictive (when you try too hard to make a round peg fit into a square hole).  I'm glad I just went with what worked for me ... because I love the result.

I am joining the City Crafter's Anything Goes challenge, where's Ros's Challenge was to use pearls ... love how my graduated blue pearls look on the grey designer paper.

Baby Dear

This week's SplitCoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge comes from the amazing Etsy Store of Decoylab (Decoy+Laboratory).  Since 2007 Decoylab has been in the business of making laser cut clocks using bamboo and other sustainable wood materials. In the last couple of years, they began extending their product range to other housewares and accessories. Decoylab's mission is to provide playful yet functional few-of-the-kind objects for children to young-at-hearts. 

I chose this adorable Fawn Pin to inspire my design.

I started with a wooden dear from Crate Paper's Little Boy Blue Collection & built my card using My Mind's Eye Gnome Sweet Gnome papers and a sketch from The Paper Players.  I stamped the background with Hero Arts Tree Trunks.

I finished with a sentiment from Flakey Wood Grain Thickers & a tiny punched butterfly with some champagne pearls ... and a layout from The Paper Players.

I'm linking-up at 52 Card Pick-up too.