Inspired by the Hero Arts flickr group

I know that many of you are already members of the Hero Arts Flickr group, but for those of you who aren't, I want to encourage you to bookmark that site and visit it often.   There are the most inspiring ideas there.  Here are 2 cards I made recently, CASEd from 2 members there, Dawn and Clare. Dawn inspired this first one, using some Brilliance tri-color inks - they are wonderful to work with, and I recently picked myself up some new ones when JoAnn's had them on sale for 50% off with free shipping!  This one's called Twilight.

supplies: periwinkle, pink and white cardstock, Hero Arts CG377 Merriest Christmas Wishes, Brilliance Twilight tri-color ink, Darice snowflake embossing folder, Martha Stewart doily border punch, snowflake punch, pale pink gems

This next one is inspired by Clare's card - she figured out that we could cut away the stamped part of this same stamp.  I adore her version with the music in the background.  I decided to turn this into a winter card, using an old favorite deer stamp and some Hobby Lobby paper that I love because it has wisps of snowflakes, music and script in it.

supplies: white cardstock, card from Hero Arts Winter notecard set, now discontinued, CG377 Merriest Christmas Wishes, grey and blue watercolor pencils and Tombow clear marker to blend, D5234 Young Deer, CL380 Truly Appreciated, small pop-dots

Thank you, Dawn and Clare, for sharing your beautiful work with us!

Little Elf

Hi all!  Hope the start to this week has been a good one for you!  I finished up the last of my Christmas cards today, but I felt like I still wanted to play, so I looked in my digital images and found this cutie, from Pollycraft.  Resized him, printed and colored him up - I hope he makes you smile like he did me!

supplies: white and brick red card stock, design paper from last year's Graphic45 Christmas collection, Pollycraft "Bronson & Beaker Branch", prismacolor pencils and Memento markers, glue pen, VersaMark ink and Stickles Clear Rock Candy to add glitter to ground and snowflakes, Hero Arts CL343 Holiday Sayings, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder, CL234 Winter's Butterfly (snowflakes) inked in VersaMark and dipped in glitter, Nesties labels 18

Pink, Cream, and Gold

I so loved Amy's design at CASE Study this week, that I wanted to try it using more color.  I love the color choices at the Stampendous blog challenge for this month, so I put them together:

supplies: cream and a pearlized pink cardstocks, lifestylecrafts "Vine" embossing folder (found at Archiver's), Nesties labels 18 dies, Cuttlebug label die, Jane's poinsettia (see below) printed on vellum and colored from behind with a pink marker, Hero Arts CL343 Holiday Sayings, Versamark ink and Ranger Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder, gold-edged ribbon, gold pearls

Here's a close up showing my pink vellum poinsettia, which is a digital image from Jane found in her Vintage Christmas set.

CASE Study #69

It's been awhile since I've been able to play over at CASE Study.  This week our muse is Amy Sheffer. 

I was so intrigued with the layers of white that I thought I'd give this a try.  Mine is not as elegant, but more playful, using this digital Patchwork Robin by Suze at DieCuts & Doodles, coloring it with my Memento markers.  I followed Amy's example exactly.  

supplies: white cardstock, Digital Image "Patchwork Robin" from DieCuts & Doodles, Memento markersSizzix embossing folder "Swirly Vines with Hearts", Nesties Labels 18, Hero Arts CL464 Sending Holiday Cheer, VersaFine onyx black ink, red pearls, rusty-red ribbon

Peppermint Twist

 The Ribbon Carousel Challenge has the cutest photo inspiration:

The design team has some mighty cute samples, and I was inspired to play along too!

supplies: white and red cardstock, Hero Arts S5213 Dots and Flowers, CL562 Snowflakes, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder, CL343 Holiday Sayings, Adirondack Cranberry ink, Die-namics Decorative Doily die, ribbons from the Ribbon Reel, dotted red button

Cream, gold and pink

I came across this lovely color challenge at the Stampendous blog through Suzanne's blog.   Though we're not required to use Stampendous stamps, I was surprised to see that this lovely His Name Tree stamp is made by Stampendous, dated 2001. I haven't used it in years and was so pleased to see how nicely it came out using these lovely colors.  It's a fairly simple card because an extra sentiment isn't needed and the design even shows you where to place the gems!  I simply stamped it in Versamark, embossed in Ranger's Super Fine Detail Gold powder, and then added lots of pink pearls and gems, and a bow made of seam binding dyed with spun sugar distress ink, centered with a brad from Suzanne.  

Some happy news!

Hi everyone!  I'm so pleased to tell you that I'll be a guest designer at the Simon Says Stamp challenge blog all this month of December!  Many thanks to Joy Taylor for recruiting me - I know we're going to have lots of fun!  I hope you'll join me every Wednesday this month as I play along with the Design Team!

This week, Joy has provided a beautiful photo montage:

{images courtesy of Pinterest}

Beautiful, isn't it?  My eye went right to the music and the many greens, so here is my take on it:

I used these Hero Arts stamps: Classic Holly, Music Background, and Sending Holiday Cheer, these Spellbinders Nestabilities dies: Classic Oval Large and Scalloped Oval Large.  I also used old paper distress ink for the subtle music behind the holly branch, and I coated it with Glossy Accents to give it dimension.  

I hope you'll join us this week at the Simon Says Stamp blog - there's a $50.00 gift certificate up for grabs from the Simon Says Stamp Superstore!

                            

A pocket card for Christmas

Shari Caroll has a wonderful technique video this month at the Hero Arts Blog, showing us how to make a pocket card, to present a gift card or cash.  I couldn't wait to try it!

supplies: cream parchment, red and green cardstock, Hero Arts CG222 Music Background, Adirondack Cranberry ink, H5261 Three Flourishes, CL288 Scallop Borders, CG291 Three Dotted Flowers, VersaMark ink and Ranger Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder, pine sprig punch, jingle bell, red metallic ribbon

Inspired by Fashion

Moxie Fab World has a challenge tied into its newest publication "Get Inspired Card Creations".  Here's the photo inspiration:

Love this shade of green and there is just something about houndstooth.  Since one of my favorite stamps is this pattern, I couldn't wait to have a stab at this challenge:

supplies: cream and pale green cardstock, Hero Arts K5157 Houndstooth, VersaMagic Tea Leaves ink, AR137 Script Messages, VersaFine Olympia Green, Papertrey Ink Beautiful Blooms II flower dies, Spare Parts pearl brad (thanks, Sue)

Pastel snowflake wreath

supplies: white, aqua, lime, pink, red cardstock, EK Success snowflake punch, pastel gems, Hero Arts LP169 Bird Trio, VersaFine onyx black ink,  CL558 Snowflake Ornaments, broken china distress ink, teal silk ribbon

Here's a card for another anniversary challenge at Ellen Hutson's CLASSroom, this one a color challenge by Julie Ebersole, using these colors:

Julie's sample used snowflakes, too, and evidently they influenced my thought process.  

Christmas Robin

At Ellen Hutson's CLASSroom, Julia Stainton has given us a cute sketch for their 5th Anniversary Celebration.  Here's my take on it:

supplies: red and green Core'dinations and parchment cardstock, design papers from The Paper Studio (music) and graphic 45's "Christmas Past Collection", Penny Black 30-058 Jolly Friends, and Hero Arts CL460 Joy to All, Versafine onyx black ink, Prisma colored pencils, glue pen and prisma glitter, red button, natural twine, punched leaves, Nesties Labels one dies, fired brick distress ink

Here's the sketch:

Buttons!!

Hi everyone! I'm back today to share a project for this week's Lily Pad Cards challenge, sponsored by Simon Says Stamp!  This time we are to use buttons.  I've always wanted to do one of these button-filled hearts, and here was my chance!   Here is my card.

supplies: red and white cardstock, various red and white buttons, pearls, red and white baker's twine, Hero Arts CL163 Always Hearts, Adirondack Cranberry ink, Spellbinders Nestabilities Scallop Heart dies

Please visit Lily Pad Cards to see what the other DTs did this week, and then link up your creation for a chance at a gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp!  

Skipping Stones Designs sketch challenge

supplies: white and dark aqua cardstock, Hero Arts CG377 Merriest Christmas Wishes, Our Daily Bread Designs "Peace & Joy" (snowflake), Brilliance Peacock tri-color ink, tiny buttons, Jillibean Soup twine

I found the most darling sketch this morning at the Skipping Stones Designs blog!

You must go see what the design team did with it - so many wonderful adaptations!  I thought I was done making cards until after Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't resist this one.  And I know I'll use it many more times in the future; I've already saved it in my sketch file.  It's one by Chan Vuong.  Thanks, Chan!

From the Heart

supplies: white cardstock, Echo Park Country Drive and BoBunny Avocado Dot dps, Hero Arts CL406 SparkleClear Buttons, CL163 Always Hearts

Just sharing a reject I recently submitted to a magazine, to fit their sketch.  I've done a similar card, but with solid papers, and I loved this little floral from Echo Park!

 I'll be missing here for awhile, as we celebrate Thanksgiving with our family this week.  I've been busy with a big project that I can't share yet, but it's finished now, so I hope to get back into challenges and such next week.  Have a wonderful holiday, my US friends!