Inspired Designs

A Ghastly Glimmer

It is hot, hot, hot here today!  It is a nice change from the rain and gloomy days we have had the past few weeks.  Needless to say, I didn't get to make my challenge card until late this afternoon.  The pool was calling my kids name and I had to oblige.  

This card is for the Clean and Simple "show us your bling" challenge.  The layout of my card is clean and simple but I might have a few more layers than I should.  I did stay away from ribbon and other embellishments and chose only to focus on the "bling" component of my card. 

I have been rolling around ideas for a technique card for the From the Crypt set for awhile now.  I wanted to use a color combo and that a bit of a "darker" feel to it and I think rich razzleberry, basic grey and basic black capture the look I wanted.  I really wanted the skull image from the From the Crypt set to stand out on my cardfront so I embossed it with black ep.  I matted this with basic grey and basic black mats.

The emblem image from the same set was stamped in basic black on the basic grey mat.  It gives the cardfront some subtle texture and it doesn't overpower the main focal point.  I added the "Happy Halloween" sentiment from the All Holidays set in the lower right corner of the mat.  I matted this stamped layer on rich razzleberry cardstock and attached it to the basic black cardbase.  I used dimensionals to adhere the layered skull image in the upper left corner of the cardfront and I added a clear rhinestone to each eye to make the skull look spooky.

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Stamps: From the Crypt

Ink: Versamark, basic black

CS: Rich razzleberry, basic grey, basic black

Accessories: Heat gun, black embossing powder, dimensionals, clear rhinestones

Watercolored Beauty

I was so excited to see that Joanne (sleepyinseattle) was the featured stamper for the SCS challenge today.  Joanne is a regular challenge particapant and I always enjoy seeing what she has created. 

I decided to CASE and modify this card - Autumn Traditions - of Joanne's.  I kept the same square card base but I slightly modified the layout.  I still have same amount of layers but I changed the dimension of them and omitted the scalloped edging on one mat.  I also added a ticket corner punched element on my designer paper mat and altered the placement of the brads from where Joanne's were originally placed.

I decided to use one of my new favorite color combo's - rich razzleberry, barely banana, pale plum and orchid opulence. I added some black into the mix to make the other colors pop.  I accented the card with black organdy ribbon and tied it on the other side, opposite to what Joanne had done on her card.

Finally, I changed the focal image on my card to the rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral set.  I embossed the image with basic black embossing powder and watercolored it with rich razzleberry, pale plum and barely banana.  I love the way the colors blend into each other with the re-inker watercolor technique.  Every rose turnes out differently.

I hope you are all having a great Sunday.  The weather is gorgeous here and I am hoping I get a round of golf in today and maybe a little dip with the family in the local  swimming pool later.  

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Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral

Ink: Versamark, rich razzleberry, pale plum, barely banana

CS: Whisper white, shimmery white, basic black, rich razzleberry, barely banana, basic black, cottage wall dp

Accessories: Heat gun, black ep, aquapainter, dimensionals, ticket corner punch, vintage brads, black organdy ribbon, water spritzer

Bellacor Daisies Vase

Do you ever get in a stamping rut?  I have been struggling to create the past two days.  Yesterday I was so gung-ho to do the Limited Supply challenge and absolutely hated what I created.  It ended up in the trash.  I thought today would be different but I can't say I particularly like what I made for the Inspiration challenge either. 

My card is based on this vase by Bellacor.  I had originally envisioned a tall, skinny layout for my card but switched to a square one instead. I think I would have been happier with smaller daisies and a tall, skinny layout instead.

I must admit that there are two things that I do like about this card. I do like the matting I did on the curly label punched sentiment.  The barely banana mat is made from a curly label punched piece of barely banana cardstock.  I ended up trimming off the top and bottom 1/3 and adhered them to the back of the stamped whisper white curly label punched image.  I also like my rendition of a Pretties Kit daisy.  I ended up trimming the petals to mimic a daisy and I added a glittery sugar coated Doodlebug Designs brads to the center of it.  

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better stamping day for me.  I always enjoy looking at the Featured Stampers gallery - so many great ideas and inspirations! 

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Stamps: Cute & Curly

Ink: Bashful blue, so saffron

CS: Whisper white, barely banana, bashful blue

Accessories: Big shot, daisies #2 diecut, whisper white organza ribbon, curly label punch, spong dauber, pretties kit, doodlebug sugar coated brads, dimensionals

Waterlily Picnic Basket

This basket has taken me all day to make.  Luckily I made the waterlily last night or I might not have gotten it done for my hostess for tonight's technique class.

The picnic basket is one of Lauren Meader's Timeless Templates which can be purchased through Papertrey Ink.   I modelled my basket on this adorable one that Lauren created.   I used pale plum, barely banana and rich razzleberry cardstock along with some gorgeous dp from the Cottage Wall designer paper series from SU!  My husband resized the front mat for me so I could create a triple mat.  I accented the mats with summer sunrise ribbon from PTI.I added a strip of scallop punched barely banana cardstock to the top edge of the basket.  I think it adds a great touch.  The two handles are comprised of strips for pale plum and rich razzleberry cardstock.  I added layered boho blossoms at the base of each handle with a soft subtle brad to complement the barely banana color in my basket.

Here is a close up of the waterlily on the top of the basket.  If you haven't tried to make one of these stunning flowers yet you just have to do it!   You can find directions on Connie Collin's blog - here.  She provides a great video tutorial on how to make them.  

My flower sits on mats of barely banana and cottage wall dp.  These are adhered to the top of the rich razzleberry basket cover.  I am just so pleased with the results. I hope my hostesses love their gift this month!

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Stamps: None

Ink: None

CS: Rich razzleberry, barely banana, pale plum, cottage wall dp

Accessories: Big shot, daisies #2 die, Lauren Meader's picnic basket template, summer sunrise ribbon, boho blossom punch, soft subtle brads, sticky strip, scallop edge punch, tombow multi-adhesive, dimensionals

Celebration Blooms

This card is a complete CASE with some very slight modifications of Heather's wonderful card, which you can find here.

I love the fold of the card and the sweet banner image she created and thought it would look good in the new incolors.

The base of the card is dusty durango with rich razzleberry and pale plum highlights.  I love the look of the double mat on the thin panel with the piercing on the original so I added the same elements to my card.

My image was watercolored with various SU! colors and incolors and matted on a dusty durango circle and a rich razzleberry scallop circle.  The banner consists of pale plum and rich razzleberry cardstock.  The punched end was created using the photo corner punch and I added a white jumbo brad for contrast.

The base of the card is 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and it was scored along the long side at 2 1/8" and 4 1/4".  I don't venture into different folds on cards often but I really love the look of this one. 

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Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful, A Little Birthday Cheer

Ink: Basic black, pale plum, rich razzleberry, mellow moss, old olive, dusty durango

CS: Whisper white, dusty durango, rich razzleberry, pale plum, dusty durango dp

Accessories: Big shot, nestabilities, photo corner punch, 5/16" jumbo brads, aquapainter, crafter's tool kit

An Apple A Day Backpack

The painting is not quite done but I am taking a break for a couple of weeks and getting back into stamping and prepping for my technique classes.

Today's technique challenge on SCS involved making the cutest backpack box.  I have admired these sweet little creations for awhile now and this challenge gave me the push to make one.  I thought I would make mine a school-themed backpack considering my twins will be heading back to school at the end of the month.

I used a couple of apple stamps from PTI's Teacher's Apple set for the main images on my backpack.  The detailed apple image was randomly stamped on the real red pocket and backpack in real red ink.  I decided to make the flaps gable green to provide some contrast. I added some real red faux stitching (poorly done I might add - I'm not happy with it) to the front of the flaps.  Real red eyelets and real red grosgrain ribbon with green embroidery thread ties complete the accents on the flaps.

Real red eyelets and real red grosgrain ribbon were also used to make the straps on the back of the pack.  A small apple image was stamped in real red, chocolate chip and gable green and cut out with a white border around it.  This was dimensionaled off the small front flap.  I inked the "thanks" sentiment from the Thank You Kindly set with a real red marker, stamped it on scrap whisper white cardstock and punched it out with the small oval punch.  It was layered on a large gable green oval and a real red scallop oval.  This was popped off the middle of the top flap.  Magnetic snaps were used to hold the flaps closed.

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Stamps: Thank You Kindly - SU!, Teacher's Apple - PTI

Ink: Real red, chocolate chip, gable green

CS: Whisper white, real red, gable green

Accessories: Crafter's tool kit, real red eyelets, real red grosgrain ribbon, magnetic snaps, green embroidery floss, dimensionals, small and large oval punch, scallop oval punch