Inspired by...Karen!

This week's fantastic featured artist is Karen from Ontario! Her cards are real gems and I am thrilled to share some of them here this week. Karen's work is always so eye-catching, balanced, and fun--check it out on her PHOTOSTREAM, I know you'll be glad you did! :) Here's our first inspiration card by Karen:

There is so much I love about this card of Karen's that I don't know where to begin! Let's start with the bright, vibrant colors. They really do make me smile. :) I love how she has colored in those flowers, too. And speaking of the flowers, her stamping is wonderful. The way she has layered and masked really takes her design to the next level. Finally, the overall layout of this card is very inspirational. The center panel with the flowers around the bottom and sides lends itself to any card stamped with big flowers.
Here is my take. I was especially inspired by Karen's overall design, but I switched the colors up a bit on mine:

The flowers were stamped on white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and were colored using colored pencils. After coloring the flowers, I distressed the edges using Brushed Cordroy Distress Ink. The center panel was layered on top of a piece of white cardstock which has been embossed and lightly distressed with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

Thanks for popping by! I can't wait to share Karen's next inspiration card. It's a total STUNNER!
All Stamps Hero Arts (F5429, CL156)

Happy New Year and some POD inspiration

Happy New Year! I just can't believe it is 2011; can you? I have been reading some really great posts about the new year and wanted to share a couple of links. THIS post by Dawn McVey is such a great look at new years resolutions. I also love the idea of choosing a word for the year, as Ali Edwards talks about HERE. I am a perpetual planner, always plotting in my mind what I need to do next whether it be at work, around the house, creatively...and I know that often I don't pause and enjoy the moment enough. That being said, I have decided that my word for the year will be ...
content

"The man who counts his blessings far sooner than his burdens and seems to always have enough, that man is content."
Here are some dictionary definitions of content---
*showing satisfaction with things as they are

*form of fulfillment characterized by peace of mind
*heightened sense of appreciation - love that!

Speaking of being content :) , here's a picture of my hubby and I taken on Christmas eve. I figured it was time to post a more recent picture of myself as I will be headed to CHA this month and no one may recognize me with my longer hair and new glasses! :) And, yep, you heard me right-- I get to go to CHA!!!! I'm thrilled! :)

So, how about you? Have you made any resolutions for 2011?

Now, if you've made it through all that rambling, I do have a couple of cards for you! These cards feature some of my favorite stamps from Purple Onion Designs and one of my favorite stamping buddies, Joy Taylor. Here is Joy's eye-catching card that was my inspiration (talk about gorgeous distressing!):

On my card I used Vintage Butterfly and the Stems and Grass Set: Here's my take:

Thanks so much for making 2010 such a rewarding and inspired year on the blog-o! I can't wait to see what 2011 will hold! :) HUGS!

New Hero Stamps in the HOUSE!

I finally got a chance to play with some new Hero Arts stamps on these two cards! :)

Both cards began entirely as white paper. To color the images, I first stamped them in light ink (Tea Dye Distress Ink) and then colored on top of the stamping using colored pencils. I added a light layer of Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink on top of my coloring. On the floral card, I also stamped the Hero Arts grid background after coloring using Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. I removed some ink with a baby wipe before stamping. The green ink used on the background of the card with the leaves is Forest Moss Distress Ink, both for inking the the paper and stamping the Envelope Pattern background.

Thanks for popping by! See you next year :) with a fun Purple Onion Designs card.
All Stamps Hero Arts (Card #1: S5435, CG248, CL491) (Card #2 CL497, CL477, S5507)

Wanda *Day 5*

**OOPS--I scheduled this post and put the wrong date...we'll just pretend it's Friday...LOL**
Click HERE, or scroll down, for Thursday's post.

Well, it's Friday and so I'm sad to say it's our last day of inspiration with Wanda. It's been such a treat to share her talent this week! Thanks, Wanda for playing along. ;) And remember, you can always check out more of her fabulous cards on her PHOTOSTREAM and BLOG. Okay, this just couldn't be prettier! First of all, Wanda's coloring on the tulips is perfection!! And talk about an eye-catching background...the text paper is wonderful. Finally, I love all of the finishing touches Wanda has added to this card-from the ribbon to the heart charm, it all adds up to a beauty!!
Here is my take using another Tiffany Doodles digi image: Thanks again for visiting and commenting this week! You guys are the best!!! See you Saturday with some more inspiration...Purple Onion Designs style! :)
Stamps: Floral Image (Tiffany Doodles), Hero Arts (CL367, CG125)

Wanda *Day 4*

Not much time to type today but I had to pop in and share this lovely set by Wanda:
And here's my take:Stamps: Branch, leaves, and flowers (Purple Onion Designs), Hero Arts (CG152, CL342, CG125)

Wanda *Day 3*

I LOVE this next card by Wanda:This is so cute I could just squeal! :) I love the perfectly colored images on the circle-very unique. And the colors are so fun. Lately I just can't get enough of orange and teal. You just can't help but smile when you look at Wanda's card!

Here's my take:

I stamped the floral image on the white circle (Copic Express paper) using Mementos tuxedo black ink and colored with Copic markers. The dots were added with a fine tip black pen. (Thanks, Kathy, for the dotting inspiration!) I then distressed the circle using brushed corduroy distress ink. The orange background began as white paper and was colored using rusty hinge and brushed corduroy distress ink. Then I flicked it with water. The card base is white cardstock, distressed with broken china and brushed corduroy distress ink.

Thanks for looking!
All Stamps Hero Arts CL250, CL400

Wanda *Day 2*

Here's our next inspiration card by Wanda: Such a charmer! I love all of the vintage layers on this cute card. The vintage bird, flowers, torn paper, flourish background...they are just so sweet! I also love the way Wanda has added the sentiment on the torn and layered pieces of paper.
Here is my take. I was especially inspired by the vintage bird piece on Wanda's card:

And that beautiful bird stamp is another digi image from Tiffany Doodles.
**Edited to add: I'd had a few questions on how I colored the bird. It was printed with black ink on white cardstock and I colored the bird using prismacolor colored pencils. I then distressed the entire piece using brushed corduroy distress ink. The script was stamped using brushed corduroy distress ink the flourish was stamped using pumice stone distress ink. The green background also began as white cardstock and was colored using forest moss distress ink.**
Thanks for visiting!
Stamps: Bird (Tiffany Doodles), Flourish and Text (Hero Arts K5344, S5449)