Ingk paper studio

09/05/2026

A Little Christmas Nostalgia from [ingk]

There’s something about handmade Christmas decorations that takes us right back to childhood.

Now over 50 years ago, we remember sitting at the table making paper decorations for the Christmas tree—cutting, folding, gluing, and creating something special with our own hands. They weren’t perfect, but that was part of the magic. Each one carried a little piece of childhood and became part of the Christmas memories we kept year after year.

These handmade paper angel ornaments from [ingk] are inspired by those simpler Christmases. Each angel is carefully assembled and finished by hand, with vintage-inspired artwork, delicate details, and a touch of old-fashioned charm. And because special ornaments deserve a special place to rest, each angel comes with its own keepsake box, decorated to complement the ornament inside.

They’re made to feel like something you might have discovered tucked away in Grandma’s Christmas decorations—a little bit nostalgic, a little bit whimsical, and completely made with love.

A very special thank you to BB ART for the beautiful printable artwork that helped bring these vintage-inspired angels to life. We’re grateful to be able to incorporate such wonderful artwork into our handmade creations. (Paper-crafters - go check her out!)

A little paper, a little imagination, and a whole lot of Christmas memories.

— [ingk] paper studio

09/05/2026

Be sure to some out and see us and all of our new products and support other amazing local businesses too!

The Brady Street Collective

09/05/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 10 🎨

Let’s build an ATC community.

Ten days ago, we started with one simple question:

Have you ever heard of an Artist Trading Card?

Since then, we’ve talked about what ATCs are, where they came from, how they’re made, what you can use to create them, why people trade them and just how much fun can fit into one tiny 2½” × 3½” piece of art.

But this series was never really just about the cards.

It was about something bigger.

❤️ CREATIVITY. CONNECTION. COMMUNITY. ❤️

Because art is even better when we have people to share it with.

So now Ingk Paper Studio would love to take the next step.

🎨 We want to bring Artist Trading Card trading to our local community.

We’re imagining a relaxed get-together where experienced ATC creators, paper crafters, curious beginners and people who simply want to try something new can all gather around the same table.

Bring cards you’ve already made.

Create your very first card.

Trade with someone new.

Talk about techniques.

Share supplies and ideas.

Laugh.

Create.

And go home with tiny pieces of artwork made by people you may not have known when you walked through the door. ❤️

And if you’ve followed this entire series but still haven’t made your first ATC…

COME ANYWAY.

We mean it.

There will always be a seat at our table for the person who says:

“I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’d like to try.”

Because that’s exactly how creative communities begin.

Someone shows up.

Someone else says hello.

And somebody eventually asks…

“Would you like to trade?”

🎨❤️🎨

So this isn’t really the end of Tiny Art. Big Community.

We hope it’s just the beginning.

If you would like to be part of an Ingk Paper Studio Artist Trading Card Meet & Swap in the DuBois area, comment below, tag someone who might enjoy it, and share this post.

Let’s find our people.

And then…

Let’s get together and make some tiny art. ❤️

09/04/2026

Go check out our new products and all of the awesome books. Iron Rails Co. is a must stop for anyone who loves books.

A used bookstore embracing collective growth through reading, community, and art.

09/03/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 9 🎨

DuBois…would you trade with us?

For the past several days, we’ve been introducing you to the wonderful little world of Artist Trading Cards.

We’ve talked about what they are.

We’ve talked about how they’re made.

We’ve talked about why people trade them.

And hopefully, we’ve convinced a few of you that you really CAN make one. ❤️

So now we want to ask the question we’ve been building toward…

🎨 Would you come to a local Artist Trading Card get-together and swap hosted by Ingk Paper Studio?

We’re imagining something casual, friendly and welcoming.

A place where you could:

✨ Bring ATCs you’ve made
✨ Meet other creative people
✨ Trade cards
✨ Share ideas and techniques
✨ See how other people create
✨ Make new friends
✨ And maybe even create your very first ATC

You would NOT need to be an experienced artist.

You would NOT need a huge collection of cards.

And you definitely would NOT need to worry about whether your work is “good enough.”

If you made it, you belong at the table. ❤️

We’d love for this to be more than simply a card swap.

We’d love to create a little local community of people who enjoy making things, sharing ideas and encouraging one another.

So now we need to hear from YOU.

👇 Tell us in the comments:

YES — I would come!

MAYBE — I’m interested and want more information.

NEWBIE — I’ve never made an ATC, but I’d love to learn.

TRADER — I already make ATCs and would LOVE a local swap!

And please tag or share this post with someone you think might enjoy joining us.

Let’s see just how many tiny-art lovers we have hiding around DuBois and the surrounding area. 🎨❤️

Tomorrow is DAY 10 — the final post in our introductory series.

And we’re going to talk about what could happen next…

Let’s build an ATC community.

09/03/2026

Stopping in to update our stock!
Please follow Iron Rails Co. on fb for news and events!

09/02/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 8 🎨

Let’s make your FIRST Artist Trading Card.

If you’ve been following along thinking…

“Okay, I’m interested…but I still wouldn’t know where to start.”

Today is for you. ❤️

Your first ATC does NOT have to be complicated.

In fact, you can make one with just a few basic supplies.

Start with a piece of cardstock cut to:

2½” × 3½”

Then grab:

✂️ A scrap of patterned paper, book page or magazine page
🖼️ One image you like
🖊️ A pen or marker
🧴 A little glue
✨ And maybe one small extra—like a sticker, postage stamp, ribbon or word

Now try this:

1. Glue down a piece of paper for your background.
2. Add one image on top.
3. Draw around it, outline it, doodle on it or add a few marks.
4. Add a word or short phrase if you want.
5. Add one final little detail.

And then…

STOP.

Yes. Really. 😂

One of the hardest parts of making art is knowing when you’re finished.

Your first card does not need twelve layers, six techniques and three hours of work.

It just needs to be something YOU made.

That’s it.

And here’s the most important part:

Your first ATC probably won’t look like someone else’s 200th ATC.

It isn’t supposed to.

Everyone starts somewhere.

The point is to experiment.
Play.
Make a mess.
Try something new.
And have fun doing it.

So here’s your challenge:

🎨 MAKE ONE.

Just one little 2½” × 3½” card.

Use whatever you have.

Don’t overthink it.

And if you make one, we would LOVE for you to share a photo with us in the comments. ❤️

Because tomorrow…

We’re asking the big question.

DuBois…would you trade with us? 👀

09/01/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 7 🎨

So…how does an Artist Trading Card SWAP actually work?

If you’ve never been to one, you might picture something complicated or formal.

It really isn’t. ❤️

An ATC swap is simply a group of creative people getting together with cards they’ve made and trading them with one another.

You bring your Artist Trading Cards.

Someone sees one they love.

You look through the cards they’ve brought.

And then comes the magic little question:

“Would you like to trade?” 🎨

That’s it.

One handmade card for another handmade card.

No money changes hands.
No judging.
No competition.
No deciding whose card is “better.”

The value is in the fact that someone created it.

You might bring 5 cards.
You might bring 10.
You might bring 20.

And you don’t have to make every card exactly the same, either.

You could make an entire matching series…

or bring a completely random collection of whatever you’ve been inspired to create.

✨ Vintage
✨ Funny
✨ Collage
✨ Painted
✨ Stamped
✨ Doodled
✨ Mixed media
✨ Weird and wonderful

They’re all welcome.

And here’s something else we think is important:

You don’t have to be an experienced artist to come to an ATC swap.

In fact, we’d LOVE to see people make their very first cards and bring them to the table.

Because the whole point isn’t perfection.

It’s creativity, connection and community. ❤️

Imagine walking into a room with a handful of cards YOU made…

meeting other creative people…

talking about how everyone made their cards…

trading a few…

and going home with a little stack of miniature artwork created by people right here in our community.

We have to admit…

The more we talk about this, the more we want to make it happen. 👀🎨

So we’re curious…

👇 If Ingk Paper Studio hosted a local Artist Trading Card get-together and swap, would YOU come?

Even if you’ve never made an ATC before?

Let us know in the comments.

Tomorrow for Day 8, we’re going to show you just how easy it can be to make your VERY FIRST Artist Trading Card.

You might already have everything you need. ❤️

08/30/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 6 🎨

Why do people TRADE Artist Trading Cards?

Because making the art is only half the fun. ❤️

The real magic happens when you hand your little piece of artwork to someone else…

…and they hand one of theirs to you.

Artist Trading Cards were created with sharing and trading at the heart of the idea.

Think about it.

You spend some time creating a tiny 2½” × 3½” piece of yourself.

Maybe you painted it.
Maybe you collaged it.
Maybe you doodled all over it.
Maybe you used an old photograph, a favorite quote, a scrap of vintage paper or something that simply made you smile.

Then you trade it with another person.

Now THEY have a little piece of your creativity…

…and you have a little piece of theirs. ❤️

Over time, you can build an entire collection of miniature artwork created by people you meet along the way.

Some cards might come from someone across town.

Others might travel hundreds—or even thousands—of miles through the mail.

And years later, you can pull out your collection and remember:

I remember who made this one.

I remember where we traded.

I remember the conversation we had.

That’s what makes ATCs different from so many other creative projects.

You’re not simply making something and putting it in a drawer.

You’re creating something that connects you to another person.

And imagine this…

A table filled with people from our own community.

Everyone brings a handful of ATCs they’ve created.

Cards are spread across the tables.

People are talking, laughing, looking at each other’s artwork and saying…

“Would you like to trade?”

You arrive with cards YOU created…

and leave with a little collection of artwork created by people you may have never met before that day.

Now THAT sounds like a pretty wonderful afternoon to us. 🎨❤️

And maybe…just maybe…

Ingk Paper Studio needs to make that happen. 👀

Tomorrow for Day 7, we’re going to explain exactly how an ATC SWAP works.

Because if you’ve never attended one, it’s much easier—and much more fun—than you might think!

08/29/2026

🎨 TINY ART. BIG COMMUNITY. — DAY 5 🎨

So…what is an Artist Trading Card supposed to look like?

Here’s the fun answer:

ANYTHING YOU WANT. ❤️

That’s one of the things we love most about ATCs.

Two people can start with the exact same 2½” × 3½” card and create something completely different.

One person might paint a tiny landscape.

Another might build layers of old book pages, vintage photographs and postage stamps.

Someone else might draw a funny little monster.

You might see:

🎨 Watercolor
✂️ Collage
🖊️ Pen and ink
🌸 Vintage ephemera
📰 Old newspaper clippings
🧵 Fabric and stitching
📖 Book pages
✨ Glitter and texture
🖍️ Colored pencil
💌 Stamps and postage
🦋 Nature-inspired cards
😂 Funny or quirky cards
🎵 Music-inspired cards
👻 Spooky cards
🌈 Abstract art

There really is no single style.

And that’s exactly what makes trading them so much fun.

Imagine sitting down at a table with ten people and everyone places their cards in front of them…

No two collections would look the same.

Every card tells you a little something about the person who created it.

Their favorite colors.
Their sense of humor.
The things they collect.
The music they love.
The stories they want to tell.

A tiny card can hold a whole lot of personality.

So if you’re thinking about trying your first ATC, don’t worry about what everyone else is making.

Make something that looks like YOU. ❤️

👇 We’d love to know:

If you made an Artist Trading Card today, what would YOUR theme be?

Vintage?
Flowers?
Music?
Animals?
Halloween?
Funny?
Abstract?
Something completely different?

Tell us in the comments!

Tomorrow for Day 6 we’re talking about one of the very best parts of this whole little art world…

Why do people TRADE them? 💌🎨