Get Inspired: Rand Park Garden 08/24/13

There is a park about a mile from my home, called Rand Park. Every summer, civic groups in our community adopt a flower garden in the garden area. Last time I was there I think there were 20 gardens. This photo of a butterfly was taken in one of the gardens.
For my card I tried to make a hot pink and yellow flower out of mulberry paper. I used a couple of different flower dies to cut the hot pink. The yellow center was done by quilling a fringe. At first I thought one flower would be enough for my card, but it didn't feel finished so I made two smaller ones with yellow brads in the centers. I used the butterfly from Mark's Finest Papers set called Daffodil Greetings. I wanted it a little bigger than the stamped image, so I stamped it and scanned that into my computer using Microsoft word. I then enlarged the butterfly. I could have used word to make it smaller as well, but I didn't know that I wanted to make smaller butterflies when I printed it, so the butterfly in the right hand corner is the original sized butterfly from Daffodil Greetings and the itty bitty one is from Mark's Finest Papers set called Scenic Selections. I made this card for my daughter as she starts her second year of college. I used the sentiment from Mark's Finest Papers set called Be a Showoff. Friday is move in day for her, and I am going with her to help her unpack and get settled in. So that is why, if you happen to peek, that this is posted a day early I am going to be gone later and won't be around to post this later. I think the burlap and lace makes a great background don't you.

Butterflies & Dragonflies Week 2 08/17/13

I looked up the definition of inspiration this week and one of the definitions was to influence.
I was definitely influence by the photo that Cathy shared last week, even though my card only slightly resembles the photo. To me that is when the true inspiration comes when you can take a little piece and be influenced by it to create something ALL your own.
Here is the Inspiration butterfly photo and Cathy's dragon fly card.And here is my card. I wanted something with a branch. MFP has a really neat dogwood branch in DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS.
I stamped the blossoms and then I used MFP set called CRACKED HELLO. I then took markers and colored in where each little crackle met up with the lines of the dogwood blossoms. It is a little time consuming, but the end effect is so worth it. I then stamped butterfly using MFP set called SCENIC SELECTIONS. What was hardest about this card was taking my finished colored panel and cutting it into 3 pieces. I was so afraid that if I didn't cut it right the first time I would ruin about 2 hours worth of work. This card is going to make its way to my mother's house.

Butterflies and Dragonflies 08/10/13

Hi Everyone, Cathy here! Its Inspiration Saturday and its my turn to contribute some ideas to the Get Inspired page at MFP Speedy TV.

Yet again I've found another picture from Pinterest, but really its tough to resist! The below picture originally comes from french website called Serendipity, and this is actually a photo of a work of art by Julie Oger called "Branches with Butterflies". So lovely!

When looking at this picture, I could have easily made a card with some of the lovely butterfly stamps available with Mark's Finest Papers' stamps, but instead I decided to use the July mini set called "Dragonflies".

I started by stamping and embossing the larger dragonflies, colouring them, and adding some clear glitter pen, then trimming them out.

I then cut the card base and main panel, and randomly embossed the solid dragonfly images in black and gold. Some natural jute twine was added to echo the branch in the original picture. The larger dragonflies were added with foam tape.

The sentiment with a bit of added glitter finished the card front off. I left the inside blank so I can add a sentiment when I am ready to give it away.

This CAS card took more time than I thought it would, but I love the sparkly large dragonflies framed by the smaller black and gold ones. Are you inspired to create? If so why not let us know what you make in the comments below. In the meantime don't forget to come back here next week to see MariLynn's take on the image I've chosen!

Surprise Lillies 08/03/13

Hi Everyone, Cathy here! Happy Saturday! Welcome to our Get Inspired Coloumn! :)

My card this week uses inspiration provided by MariLynn last week, a photo of beautiful Surprise Lilies in her garden:

You can find MariLynn's card here. I love the muted tones she used in her card, they complement the photo very well. When I first saw her photo I thought I might use a similar colour pallet and a vintage feel, but in the end I decided to use soft colours similar to the photo, but with a white base and background panel to keep things a bit more crisp.

You can see I used a composition reminicent of the photo, and I really love how the blossoms are bunched together in the photo so that was the effect I was going for. The stamp for the flowers is not actually a flower stamp, it comes from a MFP mini set called "Wings".

I stamped the wings on vellum, heat embossed them, and coloured the back side of the vellum sheet before fussy cutting them out. Turned on their sides I love how the two wing stamps look like flowers! I also love how the slightly translucent vellum gives the flowers a softer feel. I wish you could see them in person because the photo doesn't really do them justice.

As I layered the flowers, adhering them with glue dots, I also added stems by adhering embroidery thread with liquid glue (I like Scotch Quick Dry but I think any liquid glue that dries clear would work well). A sentiment from MFP set called "Glad Glads" was adhered over the stems with foam tape and some gems finished off the card front. I left the inside of the card blank so I could add a sentiment when I'm ready to use the card.

I really love this card, and I love how when you look at both mine and MariLynn's card you can clearly see how we derived inspiration from the photo, but yet our cards are so different! Are you inspired to create? If so please link your creation below, we would love to see what you come up with!

So thats it for me this week! Next week I will have some new inspiration for you, see you then! :)

Get Inspired Surprise Lilies 07/27/13

The photo inspiration for my card is this photo of Surprise Lillies.
Surprise lilies start growing in Spring, but don't blossom. The plant even looks like it dies and then in August, it seems like overnight the lilies come up and bloom.This photo was taken in my yard a couple of years ago.
I used the lilies from Mark's Finest Papers set called BLESSINGS
The butterfly is from MFP set called DAFFODIL GREETINGS
and the sentiment is from MFP set called GLAD GLADS.
I stamped the lilies and water colored them. I fussy cut them out and added glitter to the centers. I glued a button to the backs of the flowers to give them dimension. Pearls, Pearl stick pins and brads finish off this card.

Yellow Bicycle (Week 2) 07/20/13

Last week Cathy picked a photo of a yellow wall with a bicycle for the inspiration photo. She made a great bicycle card with little bike paper clips. I went a little different way.
I kept with the yellow and black color combo and the layout. I even embossed the brick wall as well, but I changed the image into a sunflower instead of a bike.
I used Mark's Finest Papers set called BRING ON THE SUN. I added dazzling diamonds to the bee's wings to add some shimmer.

Yellow Bicycle 07/13/13

Hi Everyone, Cathy here! Its Saturday which means its time for a dose of weekly inspiration to get your crafty juices flowing, and it's my turn to provide some. :)

If you've read this column before it will not surprise you to learn that I found today's picture from Pinterest, which is a great source of all kinds of inspiration. The below picture originally comes from a Tumblr page called The Bicycle is Art. Feel free to click over there to see the other great bike inspired art they've collected.

I love this picture - the simplicity of the bike against the textured yellow wall. This is the card I came up with:

I started with the yellow base, and cut a panel for the front that I embossed using a Tim Holtz folder in my Cuttlebug. I added a bit of ink to highlight the texture and added some orange bakers twine.

I foam taped the panel to the front of the card, and punched a piece of cream that I stamped with a sentiment. I attached a bicycle paper clip and foam taped the sentiment and bike over the twine. Some gems finished the front off.

I kept the inside simple with a panel of cream and sentiment. I used two of Mark's Finest Papers sets "Cracked Hello", and "Classic Dad".

I enjoyed making this card so much I also made a green version:

These were really fun to make. Are you inspired to create? If so why not let us know what you make in the comments below. In the meantime don't forget to come back next week to see what MariLynn does with this bright image! :)