Altenew April Inspiration Challenge

I need to be doing more challenges, so I found this one from Altenew, their monthly inspiration challenge.

The beautiful inspiration photo was taken at Gooch's Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine, a place that holds my heart!  We try to get to the area at least once a year.  Here's my entry, inspired by the colors, of course, and the horizontal lines..

supplies: white and slate grey cardstock, Altenew Lush Garden stamps and matching dies, Golden Sunset, Tea Party, and Rock Collection inks, sentiment die from (retired) Flower Arrangement die set, enamel dots, Spellbinders brush stroke stencil

Keep your fingers crossed for me!  And enjoy your Sunday!  I think spring has finally arrived here, and we plan to be outside as much as possible! 

Edited to add: this card was one of 4 winners at the Altenew April Inspiration Challenge!

Simon Says..............Photo Inspiration

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we have a photo inspiration board for you, put together by Jenn:

And the DT are playing with Paper Smooches products.

I concentrated on three of these colors, and played with a cute birch tree die.

supplies: white, kraft, gold, Burnt Orange and Dark Chocolate card stock, Paper Smooches Birch Trees dies, Impression Obsession Autumn Leaves die, Simon's Trick or Treat bats, Hero Arts (retired) Halloween sentiments, Simon's Stitched Circle die

Now it's your turn - how will you be inspired?  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

White on White Focal Point

The Altenew June Inspiration photo made me think immediately of weddings, and since they're asking for a white-on-white focal point also, I wanted to throw my hand in.  I decided that I'd use vellum that is white embossed, and that's how this started.

supplies: cream cardstock and vellum, Altenew Beautiful Day (flowers) and Garden Treasure (leaves) stamps, sentiment from a retired The Craft's Meow set called Side by Side, Wplus9 silver ink, Zig markers, (light carmine, wine red, yellow, and light green), Sizzix Ornate Frame embossing folder, adhesive foam squares

I clear stamped, embossed in white, colored them with Zig markers, and fussy cut the flowers, leaves, and sprays from vellum.  While they were drying I dry-embossed the panel and stamped my sentiment.  Then I trimmed the leaves and sprays to look like they were behind the large flower, and affixed them to the embossed panel only at their bases, allowing the outer parts of each to stand away a bit from the base. The big flower has a 2nd layer - if you look really close you can see the foam adhesive, but I don't think it's very obvious, and I wanted it to stand up above the main flower.  This main panel is also popped above the card base.

Here's the inspiration photo:

Mix It Up Challenge

I love gingham and yellow, so when I saw the inspiration for the current Mix It Up challenge, I was in!

supplies: white cardstock, Bristol paper, yellow gingham from MFT Farm Fresh Gingham pad, Wplus9 Modern Peonies, distress inks mixed with water to color, Winnie & Walter Noel cutaway, Simon sunshine mix sequins

I loved the yellow flowers and gingham cloth in the photograph, and made a stab at the sketch, too, changing the circle to a scalloped rectangle; I like the look of the white scallops with the yellow gingham.

Thank you, Sugar Pea Designs, for allowing us to use other stamps for your challenges!  

Simon Says.........Ice Inspiration

Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we have a beautiful photo inspiration put together by our Jenn.  

The Design Team are playing with My Favorite Things products this week.

My first card uses a favorite Christmas set:

supplies: white and red cardstock, last year's dps from Doodlebug and Simple Stories, MFT Santa's Elves, colored with Spectrum Noir markers and a silver pencil, sentiment from Hero Arts Family and Friends, Wink of Stella pen on ornament, star, and his "fur", adhesive foam squares

I wish I could capture the glitzy snowflake background directly behind the elf - love how it sparkles from across the room!

For my next card, I took the feeling of all that iciness from the photo inspiration, and made a quilt card.  There isn't anything better than cozying up under a quilt when it's cold outside!

supplies: tan, white, and brick red cardstock, various dps from my stash of Christmas papers, MFT Quilt Square Cover-up, sentiment from Let's Get Cozy, Simon Schoolhouse Red ink, Cuttlebug Wicker Weave embossing folder, Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes die, tiny red button

I cut the quilt square out multiple times, then pieced the pieces back into the frame, and when it was finished I embossed it for some extra dimension, before attaching it to my card base.  Then I added my sentiment from a fun sentiment set that has lots of quilt-related sentiments, and popped a stitched snowflake in the center of my quilt to reinforce the ice theme.

Now it's your turn - I can't wait to see what you make for us this week!  As always we have a $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Simon Says.........Photo Inspiration

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog!

We have a fun challenge this week - our own Jenn has made us an inspiration board, and we'd like to see what kinds of cards you make using the colors and/or the pictures as your inspiration!  The DT are using exclusive Simon products this week.

Here's the board:

Here's my card:

supplies: white cardstock, Simon's Waves Stencil, peacock feathers, pine needles, squeezed lemonade, wild honey, and broken china distress inks, Simon's Sailing clear stamp set, Spectrum Noir markers to color, Mini Misti

I used the stencil, along with peacock feathers and pine needles inks to make my water, masking the top part of the panel.  After removing the stencil and masking the stencilled area on my panel, I used a die-cut circle to mask my sun, and sponged on the yellows and broken china inks.  Separately, I stamped, colored, and fussy-cut the sail boats, and then attached them to the finished card.

I made that card soon after I saw the inspiration photo.  A few weeks later, I was playing with stamping my own plank background, and found some additional inspiration on Pinterest (which the owner has asked me to remove from my blog) and here's what resulted:

white and yellow/gold cardstock, Hero Arts Woodgrain stamp, stamped in Hero Arts Charcoal ink,  Martha Stewart Scoring Board, tumbled glass, blueprint sketch, peacock feathers, lucky clover, and hickory smoke distress inks, Simon's Flip Flop Season, One with Nature (sentiment), and Simple Letter Outlines stamps, white  gel pen

I stamped the woodgrain  in dark grey ink, then turned my panel over and scored some lines to make planking.  Flipped it back over to the front, and used distress inks to shade the planks, following Jenn's colors as best I could, and using a gel pen to mimic waves.  The panel was affixed to a white card, and then I added the rest of the elements.

Now it's your turn - I can't wait to see what you create!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Spring Flowers

The challenge this time at The Card Concept is Spring Flowers, and the photo inspiration is a bucket of lilacs.  Here's my take on the challenge:

supplies: white, green, and shades of purple cardstock, Hero Arts Hibiscus Style ( a woodblock from 2005), Simon's Christmas Blessings die, Sizzix flowers embossing folder, Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac distress inks, Sizzix Branch with Leaves die, various purple sequins

I first smooshed 2 purple distress inks on a white card panel, then after it was dry, I embossed the little flowers.  Then I affixed that to my white card base and then added the other elements.  I have an awful time figuring out what style my cards are - maybe mixed media?

After I finished my card, I remembered this old Flourishes set and made another one, much simpler in design:

supplies: white and lavender cardstock, Flourishes Sweet Violets, Chameleon Cool Tones markers to color, tumbled glass distress ink and finger dauber, Spellbinders Floral Ovals  die, Simon's Small Love You die

This card makes me think of those hand-painted porcelain pins that were popular in an earlier time......I'd guess this would fall into the clean and layered style.

Happy Anniversary to The Card Concept!

When I looked at the photo inspiration for The Card Concept challenge this time, the first thing my eye went to was the scripty hat near the top - I saw a birch log.  My mind went directly to a stamp I just got, and I decided to start with that:

supplies: white and black cardstock, music dp, Stampendous Birch Bouquet cling stamp, Avery Elle sentiment from Petals & Stems, various paper flowers from Michael's and Pettaloo

Then I began to notice the colors and the patterns and the vintage look in the inspiration photo, and decided to cover the flowers in the stamp design with paper flowers in neutral colors.  I love the subtle text and music patterns they contain, too, just like in the inspiration.  

I'm not sure if this would be considered Shabby Chic, Clean and Layered, or Mixed Media style.   

Happy Anniversary #2 to the Card Concept!

Inspired by All the Little Things

When I saw the inspiration photo for this week's Inspired by All the Little Things challenge, I remembered this darling little Hero Arts tulip stamp from 2004 - I think it's perfect for the challenge, and I can use some blue gingham too!

supplies: white and blue cardstock, Amuse blue gingham, Hero Arts Simple Tulips from a 3-piece woodblock set called Garden Blooms, PTI Garden Variety I (sentiment) and II (pot), blue jeans distresss ink, Simon Stitched Rectangles dies, grey baker's twine, a tiny white Hero Arts heart pearl

I did a little masking in order to "plant" my tulips!

Here's our inspiration:

From Places Abroad: France

When I saw the photo inspiration for this month's Altenew challenge, I just had to give it a try.  Pinks and greens are some of my favorite go-to colors.

supplies: white and Green Apple cardstock, Altenew Painted Flowers and sentiment from Beautiful Day, 2 pinks and 2 green inks, Lil' Inker Circles & Diamonds Stitched Pattern die, black enamel dots

I was trying to think of a way to replicate the beautiful knot garden in the photo, and hit upon using this background die.

As always, thanks for coming by!

Bright Blessed

Fusion is celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a big splash - a gorgeous inspiration and lots of guest designers to bring it to life!  I chose the photo inspiration to make my entry:

supplies: white cardstock, Wplus9 Watercolored Anemones and Doodlebuds stamps and die, Simon's Diagonal Stripe stencil, yellow Memento marker

After randomly stamping my flowers and leaves, I overlaid a stencil and used a yellow Memento marker to add stripes in the background.

Here's our inspiration:

 

Be sure to visit to see all the amazing takes on this challenge from the designers and also the other entries!  Happy Anniversary, Fusion!  Wishing you many more!

Thinking of You

I immediately fell in love with this pastel beauty of an inspiration we were given for the current challenge at The Card Concept.

Here's my entry, in the classy and elegant style:

supplies: Paper Smooches Blossoming Buds, colored with Spectrum Noir colored pencils and  Gamsol, Simon's Summer Garden sentiment,  Maggie Holmes Open Book embossing folder, Simon's Stitched Rectangles die

I stamped, colored, and fussy-cut 2 sprays of the Blossoming Buds.  After cutting out a stitched rectangle from a cardstock panel,  I embossed the remaining frame.  It was attached to the card base, then I reinserted the stitched rectangle, glued on my flower sprays, and stamped my sentiment.  

I'm also entering this into Kathy's 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

Thanks for visiting today.

Simon Says..........Winter Inspiration!

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to a new challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

This week is an especially fun challenge, I think - our own Jenn has made us an inspiration board from various Pinterest images, and we want you to be inspired by something you see here to make a card or any creation.  The design team are all using Penny Black products, and we'd love to see you using them, too, but it isn't a requirement.  Here's Jenn's gorgeous board:

My first card uses the darling Holly Concert woodblock stamp, paired with a sentiment from Season's Wishes.  

The image was colored with markers, then I sponged on some tumbled glass distress ink surrounding it, and overlaid some snowflakes using Simon's Falling Snow stencil and Ranger Texture Paste.  The panel was then attached to a card base made from Simon's Schoolhouse cardstock.

Remembering some gorgeous snowflake dies from last year, I was taken with the center of the top row, and here's my literal interpretation:

supplies: Penny Black Snowflake Trio dies, white glitter paper, Yuletide Greetings, vellum, kraft cardstock, Tim Holtz woodgrain embossing folder, stained with gathered twigs distress ink, Lawn Fawn white sequins

These snowflake dies are still some of my favorites - they are so delicate!  I wish my photography skills were better, to show you the pretty sparkle that the glitter paper gives them......

Alright, now it's your turn - how will you be inspired by our Winter collage above?  As always, we have a $50.00 gift voucher to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store

to give to a random winner from this week's challenge.  It would be a great little thing to find in your Christmas stocking, wouldn't it?  Good luck!

Hello Gorgeous

Like everyone else, I've fallen in love with Winnie & Walter's stamps, in particular their beautiful handwritten sentiments.  They have just posted their 2nd Playdate challenge, and here's my take on the inspiration.

supplies: Winnie & Walter The Big, the Bold, & the Happy and The Big, the Bold, and You, Technique Tuesday Two-Steppin', picked raspberry, bubble-gum, and mowed lawn inks, gold sequins from Lawn Fawn

While I had these stamps out, I decided to make them into a background.

This one started with watercolor paper, and I stamped the solid flower repeatedly in several pinks, added some leaves here and there, and some touches of yellow in the centers of the flowers.  Then I spritzed the whole panel with water until the colors softened and bled.  After drying thoroughly, I stamped my sentiment from The Big, the Bold, and the Happy in versafine black onyx ink and attached it to a card base.  June is the month of roses and anniversaries, so this will go out quite quickly.....

And one more, for my hubby next week - anniversary #43!!

supplies: Simon's Doll Pink card base, Hero Arts Painted Flower, picked raspberry distress ink and peeled paint distress marker, Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and The Happy and The Big, the Bold, and You for my sentiment, sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and Simon Says Stamp

Pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations, so it was a pleasure making these cards.  We have until June 15 to play to win a guest design spot next month!!