I’m so happy that I was able to play along in Beate’s “Be Inspired” Challenge this week! Just look at this gorgeous inspiration piece.

(Click to enlarge.)

Here is the card I made for it.

First I chose a designer paper with a floral pattern and colors similar to the inspiration piece. I think the embossing helps to complete the look of the frosting. I thought this beautiful image from Flourishes “Fantasy Floral Garden” set was a perfect match to the paper, too. I colored it with SU! markers and a blender pen, a white gel pen and Sakura’s Stardust Pen. I love this Stardust pen. It is so much easier to use than other glitters as it is so easy to control where you want the sparkle to go. And it dries really quickly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve added glitter in the past only to smear it as I’m trying to do something else with the card!

Hope you can all play along today! Check out the other cards made by the Inspiration Challenge Team:

Charmaine Ikach

Danielle Lounds

Dawn McVey

Jennifer Buck

Stamps: Flourishes “Fantasy Floral Garden” and “Flourished Words”
Papers: Very Vanilla, Ruby Red, DCWV Textured Mat Stack, K & Company DP
Inks: Always Artichoke Classic and Markers in Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Ruby Red
Accessories: Ric Rak, Brads, White Gel Pen, Stardust Pen, Cuttlebug, Birds & Swirls Embossing Folder

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SEATTLE COPICS CLASS!!

This Thursday there is a Copics class being offered here in Seattle that I am going to. I have wanted to try coloring with Copics for some time but have been too scared to try them on my own. I hope Marianne doesn’t regret her decision of “No Experience Necessary” for participants. I have warned her that she may change that policy after having to deal with a certain “coloring challenged” student in this Thursday’s class! But I’m really excited and really looking forward to it!! And I think there may still be a few spaces available if you live in the Seattle area and you have been wanting to try these markers. Here is Marianne’s blog I Like Markers.

It’s Tuesday and time for another one of Beate’s “Be Inspired” Challenges. Here is a picture of her inspiration piece. (Click on it to get the full sized picture.)

When I saw this challenge piece my first thought was how clean and simple my card was bound to be. Well…

Somewhere along the way that clean and simple look got kinda lost! I’m sure it is all those felt flowers with an acetate and white card stock backing. But they sure were fun to play with! Someday I will get the hang of quick and clean, but not today. lol

Stamps: Sentiment from SU!’s “Older and Wiser”
Papers: Night of Navy, Ballet Blue, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, DP from Basic Grey’s “Boxer”
Inks: Night of Navy
Accessories: Felt Flower Fusion, Brads, GG Ribbon, Acetate, Scalloped Circle Punch, Corner Punch, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Take a look at this inspiration piece! Oh Beate, this was a fun one!

There was so much to choose from, but I settled on the orange, yellow and green color combination. And I couldn’t get my mind off of that big ole flower at center stage, either.

So that became my main focus. For the wood grain panel I used an embossing plate from Spellbinders on some striped dp. After the grain was embossed I ran my Close to Cocoa ink pad over it. I love how it turned out even if I ended up covering most of it with the flower.

How does Beate’s inspiration piece inspire you?

Stamps: Ginormous Flowers, Seeing Spots, Older & Wiser, Flannel Plaid (All stamps are from Stampin’ Up!.)
Papers: Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Basic Black, Whisper White, DP from My Mind’s Eye
Inks: Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: GG Ribbon, Brad, Gel Pen, Cuttlebug, Spellbinders Embossing Plate, Circle Punches

I love playing along with Beate’s Inspiration Challenges. This week the inspiration piece is this beautiful bed linen.

Here is the card I made for it.

The coverlet inspired me to use an embossing plate from Spellbinders that I bought several months ago and still had not used. I colored in the leaves on the main image using a blender pen and reinkers. See those tiny little Raindots on the flower centers? Aren’t they cute! The sentiment is from Flourishes “Many Sentiments” set.

And I also wanted to share this wonderful Mother’s Day card that my DS and DDIL, Kimberly, made and sent to me.

I just love the way she stamped the sentiment in the corner where the designer paper has been torn away. And isn’t the sparkle on the bodice such a sweet and perfect little detail. I love this card!

Inspiration Card:
Stamps: SU! “Artfully Asian”, Fourishes “Many Sentiments”
Papers: PTI White, SU! True Thyme and Going Gray
Inks: True Thyme Classic and Reinkers in True Thyme and Going Gray
Accessories: Spellbinders Embossing Plate, Cuttlebug, SU! Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Raindots, Primas, Blender Pen

Mother’s Day Card:
Stamps: SU! “Blooming With Happiness”

It’s Tuesday and this week I remembered to make a card for Beate’s Inspiration Challenge! Yay!! Both the topiary and the sentiment are from my new “Siberian Iris” set from Flourishes.

Sewing is not my thing. (I’ve been told that some people actually do it for enjoyment!) But I decided to give it a try on this card. Well I can say that at least I love the look if not the process of the real stitched border. The topiaries are stamped directly onto the designer paper. Oh and before I forget here is Beate’s inspiration piece. It is a print from Coldwater Creek.

Stamps: “Siberian Iris” from Flourishes
Papers: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey DP
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Jet Black Stazon and Markers in Ruby Red, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Sage Shadow, Handsome Hunter, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: White Gel Pen, Ribbons, Clip

Here is my card for Beate’s Inspiration Challenge this week.

And here is the inspiration piece. It is a Lanie Loreth Print. First off I have to say how much I LOVE this print! But, I really struggled with this challenge and here’s why. When I am given an inspiration piece I like to go somewhere with it. In other words I try not to just duplicate the piece itself. With this piece I first tried a sky scene. Can you see those three big puffy clouds? But it just wasn’t working. Next I tried a water scene with sail boats. Yes… big white and yellow sails against the blue water.. Nope. Didn’t work either. And then it hit me. What exactly was I trying to do? Here Beate had given me a gift… a print with beautiful flowers and gorgeous colors. GO WITH IT!! Stamp flowers! lol So I did. And I’m much happier now.

All the inks used on this card are craft inks. Using my Stampin’ Spots in Summer Sun and Certainly Celery, I stamped and dragged them across the designer paper in those areas where I wanted to change the color of the background. I then stamped the solid flowers in Whisper White. While still very wet, I stamped over them with Summer Sun ink with the flower outline stamp. Then I immediately stamped the solid flower image again with Whisper White. I really liked the look and it put down a lot of ink on the paper giving the flowers some texture. I’m so use to using regular inks that dry quickly. Using the craft ink really tried my patience! After waiting 12 hours it was still wet! (Seems like a heat gun or even a hair dryer would have done the trick but I didn’t want to take any chances.) So I carefully added a few simple embellishments and pronounced it “done” before I ended up smearing the ink!

Stamps: Wild Rose, Blooming With Love
Papers: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, DP - NRN Designs
Inks (All Craft): Whisper White, Summer Sun, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Primas, Brads, Dotted Swiss Ribbon, Clip

An Edna Valley Giclee on Canvas is Beate’s Inspiration Challenge #9 this week. Since this is painted to look like a satellite picture of the earth to me, both cards I created today refer to the world in their sentiments. I was also inspired by the gorgeous rich colors.

Here is my first card.

The pear images were stamped directly on the designer paper from Fancy Pants. They were then cut out and adhered to Chocolate Chip card stock and then cut out again before adhering them to the background.

And here is my second card.

The multicolored background is a piece of fabric. It has a sticky back that is adhered to card stock. There was no company name on this fabric, but it was purchased at Ben Franklin. The plaid background is designer paper from Basic Gray. Oh and don’t you just love that black felt fusion lace! I just got if from Jacksonbelle Embellishments and couldn’t wait to use it. My DH rarely reacts to any of my cards, but he actually commented how much he liked this one!

Card 1
Stamps: Infinite Goodness, Define Your Life, Always, Sanded
Papers: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, DP from Fancy Pants
Inks: Timber Brown Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust
Accessories: Ribbon Originals from SU! “Jersey”, Brads

Card 2
Stamps: Rubber Stampede “Be the Change”
Papers: Basic Black, Really Rust, Barely Banana, DP from Basic Gray “Recess”
Inks: Jet Black Stazon, Really Rust, Only Orange Marker (Colored in sections of the fabric.)
Accessories: Fabric, Black Felt Fusion Lace from Queen and Co., Brad

Beate’s inspiration piece this week is this darling sweater dress.

Here is the card I made for it.

I have been in Mexico for the last 10 days and wasn’t sure I would have time to play in her challenge this week. But I did find the time and I’m so glad! It was such fun after not stamping for what seemed like forever! The dress is paper pieced with SU!’s “Prints” designer paper in Blue Bayou. I also pieced the purse and ribbon for her hair in More Mustard. The flowers on the ribbon and in the center of the Primas were punched from the designer paper.

Stamps: She’s All That
Paper: Barely Banana, More Mustard, Blue Bayou, SU! “Prints” DP
Ink: Blue Bayou, More Mustard and Not Quite Navy Marker (faux stitching)
Accessories: Hole Punches, Primas, GG Ribbon, Button Brad, Stickles

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* * * BLOG CANDY!! * * *

Drop by later this week for some

* * * BLOG CANDY!! * * *

I will be giving away the last of my 2008 SU! SAB Sets.

* * * BLOG CANDY!! * * *

For her inspiration piece this week, Beate has chosen this skirt from Coldwater Creek.

I have been trying to learn to brayer. When I saw this beautiful skirt I knew another brayered card was soon going to be attemped.

And I finally used my Build a Brad Kit. Nothing fancy.. just a plain piece of Taken With Teal card stock. But I love it. How cool to be able to match any card stock or color perfectly by making your own accessory with it.

Beate I LOVED this week’s inspiration piece. You pick ‘em good! I hope to be seeing a lot more of these colors in the next little bit as I’m headed off to Mexico for Spring Break. Will catch everyone on the other side!

Stamps: Essence of Love, Infinite Goodness
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Taken With Teal
Ink: Taken With Teal, Cool Caribbean, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Build a Brad (Pewter), GG Ribbon

How cool is this picture! It is a painting by Ivan Reyes. It is also Beate’s inspiration piece this week.

As soon as I saw this piece a couple of different cards came to mind. Both are very different styles. I couldn’t decide which way to go with it so I did both. The first one has a retro feel to it and uses DCWV’s new textured scalloped card stock. Isn’t it fun. There are page pebbles of varying sizes placed over the multicolored circles.

The second card was created by coloring the stamps with markers and the spritzing them with water before stamping them. This gives the images the look of being watercolored. It is also an SUO card meaning only Stampin’ Up! products were used.

Beate, thanks for another great inspiration piece!

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Card 1
Stamps: Sentiment Circle of Friendship
Paper: Old Olive, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange, Whisper White, DCWV Textured Scalloped Card Stock
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Page Pebbles, Ribbon from Michael’s $ Spot, Circle Punches

Card 2
Stamps: Easy Elegance (Retired), Lots of Thoughts
Paper: Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black and Markers: Old Olive, Summer Sun, Only Orange
Accessories: Black GG Ribbon, Gold Cording, Small Oval Punch, Small Hole Punch, Brad