Brit *Day 2*

Here's our next fab inspiration card by Brit:

Don't you love her circle background? You can learn how Brit designed it by watching her video HERE. The imperfect look of the circles coordinates well with the rustic look of the kraft paper on which she has layered her birthday cake. And while we're talking about that cake- check out Brit's paper piecing! WOW, WOW, WOW!

Here's my take. Brit inspired me to make some circles of my own. First, I used a small circle punch to create a circle "stencil." Next I used Distress Ink and that stencil to create my circle background. Too fun!

Thanks for looking! See you tomorrow with another creative card by Brit!!
All Stamps Hero Arts: CL250, H5350

Inspired by...Brit

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend--I can't believe that it is already November! What happened to October??!!! I'm so excited to announce that our next featured artist is...Brit Swiderski! Brit is not only a super talented cardmaker and scrapbooker, but she also is a natural at tutorial videos. I always find tutorials to be super inspiring, so I will be linking you up with some of Brit's this week. Here's our first card by Brit:
I love this warm, red and yellow butterfly card! Brit's watercoloring is amazing. You can learn all her secrets by watching her tutorial video HERE. I love how Brit has combined stamped images, punches, gems, and patterned paper into such a beautiful, cohesive card. And the design of Brit's card is so eye-catching!!
Here is my take. I was inspired by Brit's watercoloring, so I went for that look on my card. I inked the gorgeous wildflower stamp by Hero Arts using Distress Ink and heavily spritzed it with water before stamping.

Thanks so much for stopping by! And if you just can't wait until tomorrow to see more of Brit's work, you can always hop over to her great BLOG.
Stamps: Flowers (Hero Arts CG170), Sentiment (Unit IB-20)

Southwest Stamping Class

Are you all as happy as me that it is the weekend?!! :) These are some cards I made for my next class at my LSS, Mementos. There is a big demand this time of year in my neck of the woods (or maybe I should say in my "neck of the desert" LOL) for Southwest classes. I had fun stretching my creative muscles to use some stamps I wouldn't normally pick out. And I have to admit, it was kind of refreshing! Here are the cards:

Thanks for looking and for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful, creative weekend! HUGS!

Shari *Day 5*

As I typed "Day 5" as the header for this post, I must say I was quite bummed to see the week of inspiration with Shari coming to an end. :( BUT on the bright side, we can continue to enjoy Shari's lovely creations on the Hero Arts blog and website and on Shari's personal blog.

Here's our last inspiration card by Shari: Incredible, fun, cute...I could go on and on describing this card by Shari! This bright little cityscape just makes me smile. I think we should start painting our towns like this in real life! Okay, back to the card. :) I really like the way Shari has added dimension to this stamp by "popping up" several of the buildings. And, like always, Shari hasn't forgotten the finishing touches, including the subtle flourish stamped in the background and the string embellishment!

Shari's fun coloring really inspired me to try a new color scheme on this Artist's Butterfly by Hero Arts:

BIG, HUGE thanks to Shari for allowing me to share her work on my blog this week! And thanks, as well, for the inspiration you provide to all of us in the Hero Arts fan club!! :)

All Stamps Hero Arts (H5426, K5344, CG211, CL342)

Shari *Day 4*

Check out this amazing card by Shari:

The layers on this card are simply stunning! And Shari has done it again with fabulous color choices! I love the mix of teals, purples, and blues with a touch of green. The shape of this card is very eye catching as are Shari's butterfly and flower embellishments!
Here is my take: And I finally found a good use for my set of Martha Stewart markers I bought ages ago and have never really used. I used them on this card as a direct-to-stamp marker. Just color right onto your stamp, spritz with water a few times and then stamp on paper. Too easy. :)
All Stamps Hero Arts (CL351, CG170)

Shari *Day 3*

Here's our next inspiration card by Shari:

The first thing that caught on my eye on this card is the awesome dimension that Shari gave to the flower image. Isn't the design of this card perfect; too? I love the long, vertical layers on the bottom, especially the textured piece of red/pink paper next to the text scallop. Finally, the subtle polka dots stamped behind the flower add a charming touch to this card.

Here is my take. I used Shari's overall design/layout but switched up the colors on mine to go with the sunflowers. (And don't ask me what happened with the flower centers and glossy accents...LOL. They looked normal until I got them out in the sun for the photo. I guess I'll call it an UNhappy accident!!)

All Stamps Hero Arts (CG197, S5420)
Oh, before I forget, if you have some extra time, I have a card posted on the blog for my local scrapbook store, Mementos. Here's a peek. You can visit the Memento's blog HERE to see the entire card.
Thanks again for visiting! See you tomorrow with another fantastic card by Shari!

Shari *Day 2*

First of all, thanks ssssssoooooooooooo much for all of your truly wonderful comments yesterday for my Hero Arts blog day with Jennifer McGuire. You are all the absolute best and your support continues to overwhelm me. Your kindness is simply amazing and means so much to me.

Here is our next inspiration card by Shari: This card is such a cutie! And boy does it show off Shari's coloring skills. The shadows and highlights on her stamped images are terrific. And have you ever noticed that Shari has such a knack for choosing interesting color schemes? All of her color choices have that special *something* that makes her cards stand apart. I love the grey and brown tones on this card. Finally, this card design is extra fun and lends itself to being used with many different stamp sets. The kraft panel that extends to the top of the card is the perfect little "home" for many different images.
Here is my take:

Please know that while I haven't had hardly any time to comment on your blogs, that I am still visiting you and enjoying all of your creations, my friends! Thanks for continuing to visit me! HUGS!
All Stamps Hero Arts (CL272, CL383, S5435)