Inspiration x 4

ETA: I just noticed my first anniversary of blogging is in two days! I thought it was more toward the middle of February! I'll have to pull some blog candy together! Stay tuned!

Ok are you ready for this long post? I don't know what happened to me today, but I was so inspired by the inspiration challenge today over at SCS. The inspiration was a website called Elum Designs and I must say WOW! I made four cards and each one really didn't take long to make at all! I also had a lot of time on my hands today...my DH is off skiing with Brad (his "little brother") and the boy scouts this weekend at Gore Mountain, which is in the eastern part of NY somewhere. So I have been enjoying my Saturday! Well, here we go!

Thanks

This was the first card I did. When I saw the inspiration piece, I immediately thought of this cuttlebug embossing folder with the vines and birds. I took my tangerine tango ink pad and applied the ink directly to the flat side of the folder. I sort of swirled the ink onto the folder instead of tapping it on so I wouldn't get any lines from the edge of the pad. I placed the piece of PTI white paper in the folder and embossed. I love the look, especially the white and tangerine...so fresh looking. I used a rectangular nestie to cut and emboss this piece. I then took a larger nestie and embossed the frame right on the base of the card, placed the tangerine piece inside of it, and stamped the sentiment. I received this stamp with my Verve order. This is what I did on the inside. You'll have to click on the picture for a better view, but I stamped my sentiment on the embossed frame (embellished with a flourish from PTI's Boxes, Bags, and Tags set) and left the other side blank (except for the bird, from a new Inkadinkadoo set) so I could write a message. Really easy card! On to the next card!




From Me to You
I actually used these two pieces as my inspiration for this card. I used the same technique as above for the center image. I used chocolate chip ink and the textile folder with soft sky cardstock. The rectangular nesties were also used again. Once I cleaned off the folder, I embossed a piece of soft sky cardstock for the large panel. The curly label punch was used for the sentiment. I sponged chocolate chip around the edges for more definition. This was the first time I ever made this bow. It's super easy and so pretty, I think! I used SU's chocolate chip grosgrain. I cut a piece long enough to go around the card to the back. Then I cut another piece and made a loop and fastened it with a large glue dot. I cut another smaller piece to wrap around the loop and fastened it with a glue dot as well. The bow was finally fastened to the strip of ribbon with another glue dot. I then added the dew drops. For the inside piece, I embossed just a portion of the left side and then, using the Scor-pal, I scored two lines. I left off a sentiment, as I don't know what this is going to be used for. I love the blue and brown together, don't you?














Butterflies Galore

This is one of my favorites of the bunch. I fell in love with this gift bag when I saw it. I went looking for my butterfly stamps and came across this one from Inkadinkadoo. It's called Patterened Bugs and the stamp is actually one long trail of different butterflies. I stamped it three times in pigment white ink and embossed it with white ep on PTI's aqua mist cardstock. I added the aqua mist swiss dot satin ribbon. Notice the bow? I told you I love that bow! I stamped these butterflies on the inside too in the aqua mist ink. I left off a sentiment on this one as well to use as a general note card. Love these fresh, springy colors! And now to the last one...phew!




Warmest Holiday Wishes
When I started making this card, I didn't think I was going to like it too much. I stamped the Wood Grain backgrounder stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms in chocolate chip on PTI white. Then I originally stamped the sentiment (from SU's retired Holiday Wishes) right over it (like in the inspiration piece) in red pigment ink and embossed it in red ep. It looked blah. So I stamped the sentiment in real red on a piece of white scrap, mounted it with real red, placed the brads in the corners and placed it over the top of the original sentiment with dimensionals. It looked to me like it had been nailed on a tree! I wanted to add something else, so I punched these ferns in garden green with a Martha Stewart punch. I'm lovin' this card. I think I may may more for my Christmas card challenge!

Well, I'm finally done! My fingers are sore from all the typing! Thank goodness I'm fast typer! Thanks for staying with me on this one, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!