Your Custom Text Here
After much anticipation, Japanese stationery has arrived!
There's so many cute stickers, notebooks and stationery to choose from.
New oven mitt sets from Idlewild Co. are here, including mushrooms and even a cat version! The shop is looking super cute and many treasures await you. We hope to see you soon!
Join us on Friday, June 27th from 5 to 9 PM as we celebrate our anniversary with a special party! We’re thrilled to feature guest artist Cindy Tomczyk of Paper Parasol Press and her ceramics. Enjoy drinks, treats, and exclusive discounts as we celebrate 15 wonderful years of being part of this amazing community!
We hope you can join us! RSVP to Inkling’s party here
Spring is here, and we’ve filled the shop with color and charm! Discover fresh earrings from Not Picasso, along with Handker Bandanas in exciting new colors. New stationery and stickers from Japan have just arrived, and they’re absolutely adorable! Come by to explore these new treasures—perfect for gift-giving. Thank you for supporting local!
Save the date! Join us on Friday, June 27th from 5 to 9 PM as we celebrate our anniversary with a special party! We’re thrilled to feature guest artist Cindy Tomczyk of Paper Parasol Press and her ceramics. Enjoy drinks, treats, and exclusive discounts as we celebrate 15 wonderful years of being part of this amazing community! RSVP to Inkling's Party
A good shopping experience should never be taken too seriously. You may have something in mind you're looking for. Otherwise, it's best to go into it with an open mind.
Since we get deliveries of new product every week, you never know what treasures we have in store for you. While I'm curating products for Inkling, I always look for things that make me smile or laugh out loud. I certainly need them in the shop! Below are some of my favorite things, I hope you enjoy! -Stephanie
Party of One note pads available at Inkling
Tender Ghost stickers available at Inkling
Socks from Blue Q available at Inkling
Before
Read more
How Inkling Came to Be
10 years ago, I was manager at a gift shop in Chicago. At the time, my friend Rebecca was in the process of opening her shop Wild Card in Pittsburgh. Her excitement grew every month as she was closer to opening her very own space. I was proud of her. Early in 2010 I questioned my own future. I spent my free time holed up in my apartment making products to sell at craft fairs, saving my profits and living off my day job. That's a lot to ask for, living in such a large city, but I wanted more. What did I want for myself? I wanted to spend my entire day immersed in art. Was that feasible in Chicago? Did I want to make art full-time, or did I want a space for myself? Why not both?
I was scared. Scared to fail, but more afraid of disappointing my friends since I needed their help. I am the sole owner of Inkling, but I did not do this alone. During my years selling my work at art fairs I met incredibly talented artists that I wanted to represent in my shop. I worked with them to curate a unique selection of items to stock my shop and create the atmosphere I had dreamed of.
It started with finding the right space. I lived in Lakeview, so I looked nearby and found a charming stretch of Broadway near Oakdale. Things started to get very real very fast. I think if I had slowed down at any point during the development I would have psyched myself out and frozen in fear. Ten years later, I wouldn't change a thing. I continue to introduce artists that I admire to my community, I’m surrounded by art and creativity every day, and I am lucky to meet exciting people each time my doors open.
You can usually find me at one of three places: Inkling, home (with a cat(s) on my lap) or Lill Street. If you haven’t been to the latter, it’s a gallery space, and there’s a gift shop. But most importantly, they host art classes in a myriad of mediums. Inside you’ll find a strong sense of community, and people of every age and ability, all focused on art making. I've been taking ceramics classes at Lill Street for around four years now, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time there; the skills I have gained and the people I have met.
Ceramics is sort of where Inkling began. A clay vase was the first thing I ever sold at the Renegade Craft Fair, in a booth I shared with a group of friends, calling ourselves the “Crafty Ladies.” Throughout the mid 2000’s, the “Crafty Ladies” and I sold our wares at various art festivals in Chicago, and even in New York.
I got really comfortable in that environment and eventually found myself working in small stationery shops. After becoming manager of one such shop, I set my sights higher and dreamt of opening a store of my own with my own aesthetic in mind.
Now, when visiting Inkling, you can still find my ceramics adorning walls and holding plants. From the art fairs to opening my own store, though I never imagined it at the time, ceramics has brought my dream full-circle.
moth
Ceramic wall pocket 2019
