Horsing Around in Nature - Inspiration Station Challenge

With a big smile, waving "Hello" to everyone! I hope you are doing well. 

It's time for a new challenge at:

Inspiration Station

This wonderful OLD Horse Image was stomping the shelves, begging to be used. It's at least 20 years old and never before used! This Magenta wood mount stamp is 4.25" by 5.5" so I placed it rubber side up, inked it thoroughly, and applied the card stock gently on top, rubbing it thoroughly with my fingers to create a complete image. Magenta's wood blocks are unusually thick, and I've found this is the best way to achieve a great inking the first time around.

The current inspiration board is:

I immediately accepted Mother Nature's invitation to ESCAPE into herself, and all that she has to offer. The path to embracing Nature (and all Creation) is to love all  her creatures and wilderness offerings. 

What does the photo inspire YOU to do?

After stamping with rich Acorn VFC ink, these horses were heat embossed with clear detail EP. Assorted DI inks (listed below) colored the image, with a few highlights done in watercolor pencils.

The edges were "distressed" with Versafine ink and heat set with a pretty, semi-transparent sage-mica powder. Up close, the edges are quite iridescent. 

Today's cameras are great, in that they capture the smallest of details, but they are also unforgiving because they can see colors, shades and intensities that our human eyes don't see in real life.

Copper Mirror CS was used in the frame with a strip of green vellum behind.

Thanks for popping by today!

Products: Stamps: Magenta 13116S horses, Hero Arts CL342 Just a Note, Papers: Pine, Green Vellum, Copper Mirror, River Rock, White, Inks: Distress in Old Paper, Rustic Wilderness, Crushed Olive, Stormy sky; Sentiment in Pinecone Brown VFC, Edges in Versamark for Sage Mica EP; image in Acorn Brown VersaFine Clair for detail clear EP; Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils; Memento Desert Sand Ink, Dies: SB Grand Labels Twenty-Three, IO Small Grass 178C

Challenges I would like to play in please!

1. 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #54 AG with Animals 09/25 (sep post)

2. NBUS #30 Anything never before used 10/1 (RW)

3. World Wide Open DT Challenge #8 AG DT 09/15 (sep post)

4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2135 AG 09/13 (sep post)

5. Simon Says Stamp It (9/6) Must ink stamp 9/13 (sep post)

 

Stamping hugs,

Color Yourself Happy with a freebie

 Greetings, Friends! Hoping you are doing well and keeping COVID-SAFE. I'm so grateful for your on-line friendship. 

Today we have a new Challenge happening at:

Inspiration Station

NOT just "another" inspiration board. 

It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - 

it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. 

What ignites your imagination today?

My thoughts went to Connie Griffin, with her daily coloring samples, and to my friends who do such beautiful shading and coloring in their art projects. I also liked that there were lots of colors, just like my coloring efforts below.

Crafter Extraordinaire Shandy gifted me with a fun Zen-style coloring booklet. 

Finished projects are intended to be mailed as postcards. In this instance, my Copic Markers bled through the cardstock, so I used it for card making.

Colored postcard is 5.5" x 7.5":

Then I cut the image in half:

A little embellishment with white gel pen and VersaFine Clair ink around the edges and framed with a 2 sided MS border punch, helped bring it to life. The sentiment is white embossing powder on turquoise vellum:

More white gel pens along the top and bottom:

Here is a plain white punched border:

Please join us this challenge with whatever inspires you!

Products:  Color Yourself Happy Coloring booklet of 5x7 post cards - Copic Markers - Distress Inks - VersaFine Clair inks - brads - White Gel Pen - Martha Stewart Geometric Frame border punch - Hero Arts CL342 sentiments, White detail embossing powder.

Challenges I would like to play in please:  

1. World Wide Open DT Challenge Blog #7 (July 15) AG DT 8/15 (sep post)
2. Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #190 C is for Colorful (sep post) 8/6
3. Inkspirational #244 Spots and Dots (inside images and on borders) 8/6 (sep post)
4. Cards 4 Galz #152 Dies and/or Punches ( Martha Stewart Geometric Frame border punch) 8/11
5. Aud Sentiments Challenges #280 AG plus a sentiment 8/8 (sep post)
6. Here is a Place to Start #8 What's your style? (I am a long time user of colored pencils and vivacious colors. I especially enjoy mixing them with alcohol inks and dye-base inks) 9/6
7. My Time to Craft #462 No Pattern Papers 8/6

My Gift to You

Please do not sell the Sentiments, but please Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google made, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope it serves you well!

Enjoy!

thanks for visiting today!

It's All About the Cupcakes! (and freebie)

Eek! Welcome, my friends!

House Mouse and Friends has an Anything Goes with Option of Food or Beverage challenge happening.  I'm playing with this cute image called Cupcake Belly. All three stamps were virginal, affectionately called NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff).

SB Grand Large Labels, SW Ornate Pierced Design were used to make the frame:

Because I use both, a friend asked what the difference is between PrismaColor colored pencils and Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils. I love both, and use both with Gamsol. The PrismaColor brand has a level of waxiness even after blended. The Caran d'Ache Luminance Pencils glide on very "creamy-dreamy" and do not have waxy-shiny finish. The Caran require a light touch (good for feeble hands), and blend more readily. That's my experience, anyway!

thanks for popping by today!

Products Used: Three Never Before Used Stamps - HMCP13 Cupcake Belly, freebie sentiment below; Colored with Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils and Gamsol and distress inks, Impression Obsession CAD Screen (on frame), Penny Black Sprinkles & Shine "Have your cake",  INKS: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Clair Cheerful, Scattered Straw, Salvaged Patina, Wild Honey, Antique Linen & Abandoned Coral Distress Inks, Paper: Lime Green, Melon, White, DIES: SB Grand Large Labels, SW Ornate Pierced Design, MS Swirling Lace PAP, Other: Copper Cosmic Embossing Powder, Party Hats, Yellow Glitter

My Gift to You:

A sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell the Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger in June 2020, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!

Playing in the following awesome challenges!

1. House-Mouse and Friends Monday Challenges #345 AG HM option: Food and Beverage 8/2 (sep post)
2. Never Before Used Schtuff #28 - never used the 3 stamps on this project 8/1
3. Paper Funday Challenges #31 - AG Summer Fun 8/1
4. My Time to Craft #464 No Patterned Papers 8/5
5. Color Throwdown #653 Color Challenge (sep post 8/2)

stamping hugs,

Treasures at Inspiration Station and a freebie

 Hello, Blogging Friends! Today we have a new Challenge happening at:

Inspiration Station

NOT just "another" inspiration board. 

It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - 

it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. 

What ignites your imagination today?

My memories wandered back to childhood days of warm sand, foaming ocean waves, and treasured shell hunts:

Stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne and heat set with clear detail EP, this shell collection was from a NBUS Inkadinkadoo wood mount Stamp from our local stamp store that went out of business in 2005. Using a blender pen and daubers, Pumice Stone, Black Soot, and Old Paper DIs were used.

Love all the shine in the embossing powder, making the shells and sand look wet.

Please join us this fortnight with your inspiration piece - remember, it's not just an "inspiration board". It's a board that inspires you in any way - emotionally, colors, themes, textures - whatever moves you!

Products:

Inkadinkadoo Sea Shells, Digital Sentiment, Clear EP, Nocturne Versafine Clair, Old Paper-Black Soot-Pumice Stone DI, Blender Pen, brads, vellum, white, black and kraft paper.

Dies: Sue Wilson Noble Ornate Pierced Design Dies.

My gift to you:

Please do not sell the Sentiment, but please Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google made, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope it serves you well!

Enjoy!

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. NBUS #28 Never Before Used Schtuff - my Inkadinkadoo stamp and the printed vellum 8/1 (comment on 3)
2. World Wide Open DT Challenge #6 (June 15) AG DT 7/15 (sep post)

3. Dies R Us #172 "AG with dies DRU sells" (Sue Wilson Noble Ornate Pierced Design Dies)

4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2127 "AG" 7/12

5. Crafty Calendar Challenge (July 3) "AG" 8/7

6. My Time to Craft Challenge #460 "All Things Beachy" 7/8

Stamping Hugs,

Inspiration Station's "BE KIND" board and freebies

Hello, blogging friends! 

You are cordially invited to play in the latest challenge at

Inspiration Station

NOT just "another" inspiration board. 

It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - 

it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. 

What ignites your imagination today?

My imagination immediately flew to KIND FRIENDS, such as yourselves.

I am inspired by the words and monochrome technique. The first card has two butterflies. They are covering up boo-boos from where I dropped my ink:

The next is my favorite. The white frame is popped up, and woven with pretty lavender satin ribbon:

Next is some thinner, dark purple satin ribbon woven around the frame:

Finally, I punched out a white glitter butterfly and colored it with purple copic markers to customize the look. You can also color the bodies and edges for dimension:

Interior:

Come on over and share what you are inspired to make!

Inspiration Station

My gift to you - A sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell the Sentiment. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger in June 2020, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!

This option is great for a card interior:

This option is better for centering in a die for a card front:

Two more sentiments, one with and one without the author's name:

Products Used: Dies: SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101, MS Butterfly Punch Papers: Purple Vellum, Lavender & White Glitter, Lavender, Purple, White, Stamps: (interior FSS Violets), Hero Arts C4210 Flourish Billow (background), Inks: DI Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord & Wilted Violet - Sentiments: by me - gifted above

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Paper Funday Challenges #30 AG with Sparkle and/or Shine (glittery butterflies and satiny-shiny ribbons) 7/4
2. Dies R Us #171 "AG with dies DRU sells" (I used SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101) 6/28 (sep post below)
3. Love to Craft Challenges #59 AG 7/1 (sep post 7/10)
4. NBUS #27 Never Before Used Schtuff - my SW Australian Background die set and my lavender satin ribbon 7/1 (comment on 3)
5. Love to Craft Challenges #59 Anything Goes (sep post on 5th) 7/5
6. A Bit More Time to Craft #142 Anything Goes (sep post) 7/1

Stamping Hugs,

On A Musical Note - Inspiration Station Challenge

Welcome, Friends! It's time for a new Inspiration Station Challenge! What fun to "interpret" this challenge's inspiration piece. 

The inspiration board this time: PSST! Remember! It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. What ignites your imagination today?

I was inspired by the colors, the music theme, and the fun melodies always heard on the carousel. Remember that reaching for the brass ring was only part of the fun - it was seeing the joy on the faces of fellow passengers and the whiz-by smiles of watchers standing nearby!

So much fun because I was able to hold ink pads AND stamps! (giggle)

This delightful card is 5.25" x 6.5". The black background was stamped with VersaFine Clair Charming Pink (just in case the color showed through the white detail embossing powder after the EP was heat set). The carousel horse was colored with Zig Watercolor pens and Distress Inks. The distressing around the image was done with both pink and black inks:

To tear the mulberry paper, a paint brush with lots of water was used. Let the mulberry paper absorb the water, and it is very easy to tear. Then I "rolled" the edges inward while they were still wet to give a little dimension to the layer:

Hope you will drop by and play in the Inspiration Station Challenge!

Products - STAMPS: Hero Arts C2916 Wishing You a Happy Day, JudiKins 2104J Music Notes, Inkadinkado Carousel 6-00716 - DIES: Memory Box Meridian Border, IO DIE062-F Flourish, Taylored Exp Banner Stacklets #1,  SB Edgeabilities Classic Petal E8-006, SB Labels 22 S4-346,  - INKS: VF Charming Pink, VF Nocturne, Distress Black Soot, Distress Kitsch Flamingo, Distress Tattered Rose, - PAPER: Black, White, Pink, Mulberry - OTHER: Zig Watercolor Pens, White Detail EP, Clear Glitter, Pink Glitter

One of my huge pots of Coleus Plants. In about a month, they will grow long spikes of purple flowers, attracting all kinds of pollinators. Hummingbirds especially love their flowers! The cascading "smiles" of salmon flowers are Angel Wing Begonias, with a few dregs of jade plants and snapdragon flowers (whispering their last breath due to the heat).

I would like to play in the following Challenges please:

1. Allsorts Challenge #624 Anything Goes 5/22 (sep post 5/21)
2. World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #5 AG for DT (sep post 6/12)
3. 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #50 Have A Critter 6/1 (sep post)
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2120 AG 5/24 (sep post)
5. Outlawz Monday Greeting Challenge (5/10 - 5/23) Use Dies (6/1) (used 5 dies)
6. Here Is A Place to Start #5 Anything Goes (6-7 check tabs)
7. AAA Birthday Challenges #25 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AAA! (5-30) sep post (6-7)

Stamping Hugs,

Lilacs celebrating new Inspiration Station Challenge!

 Yippee! It's time for a new Inspiration Station Challenge! Because my fumble fingers have not been cooperative, I am playing with more of the Nitwit digital products I've purchased... these cards are made with Lilac Blossoms Digital Set. Having been an avid rubber stamper for 30 years, it feels like I'm cheating by using such great digital sets.

The inspiration board this time: PSST! Remember! It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. What inspires you today?

Parts of these are digitally layered, and other parts are traditionally put together.

First, the composition was digitally arranged to my liking. Certain components were copy-and-pasted separately, so they could be fussy cut and popped up for dimension. That way, a "map" will show me exactly where to pop up the individual pieces:

Buttons were actually sewn in place on top of the digital button. 

The dark green button has been heat embossed with matching EP:

Distressed edges are heat embossed with a powder that contains fine mica:

I like the little purple dots in the card base:

A pale green Copic Marker was used on the Mother-of-Pearl button to give it a bit of a green tint. Because Copics are transparent, the Mother-of-Pearl still shows through the coloring:

Hope you will drop by and play in the Inspiration Station Challenge!

Products Used:

Dies: SB Grand Scallop Squares and SB Scallop Squares (small border)

Digitals by Nitwit Designs Lilac Blossoms Digital Set.

I'm playing in the following fun challenge:

Incy Wincy Designs Challenges (thru April 18) Borders and/or Bright colors 4/19

Spring Time Hugs,