The Write Stuff

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

One of the most often asked questions is “Where do you get your inspiration?” It’s a good question but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. For me, it usually starts with the image then an idea will usually follow. This idea is almost always connected to color. I love color.

The idea for this card started with the image of the nest and the picture that kept appearing in my mind was Robin’s egg blue eggs. As I thought about it, I remembered this pretty ribbon I bought last week. Ah hah! The ribbon is the color I saw so the connection was pretty obvious. After that, the rest sort of fell in place. I continued the theme with the fleur de lis embossing folder on the background. It looked a little plain so I added some redwood brown embossed diamonds randomly on the turquoise blue.

The nest image was stamped and I added just a little color using Prismacolor pencils. I cut it out with a Spellbinders circle nestie and used an out of the box Nestie technique I came up with last year. A little ink was sponged around the circle and I used the Labels 3 to cut the brown frame and used foam tape to give the image and frame a little lift.

The sentiment was done the same way and cut out using the smallest Quickutz oval that I extended to go the length of the sentiment. It’s attached to one of the Spellbinders Fancy Tags. Underneath the sentiment and wrapped on the sides of the frame is the ribbon that inspired the colors.

I’m also including this in Sunday’s Featured Stamper challenge. It’s a little late, but Congrats to Barbara! I chose her Holiday Cheer to case. I changed the size and image, moved the circle to the top and reduced the size of the sentiment. But I kept a similar color scheme and circular image panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please be sure to stop by the ODBD Blog for all the latest. Remember to keep your eyes open; inspiration is all around us!

Supplies:
stamps: ODBD- Nest
paper: redwood brown, turquoise blue
ink: Adirondack ginger
accessories: Prismacolor pencils, ribbon, Cuttlebug fleur de lis embossing folder, Spellbinders small std Circles, Labels 3 and Fancy Tags sets, foam tape, Quickutz nesting Ovals set

Time again for the Divine Divas Inspiration Challenge! Today we have a cute image from Better Homes & Gardens.They have some really cute ideas over at BH&G. These little gift containers they made are such a great idea.

For my project, I decided to do something I rarely do: make a 3D object. Since the inspiration was containers for gifts, I decided to do the same. It also gave me a good excuse to play with my new Cricut! This little bag was an item included on one of the cartridges so it made my project really easy.

After I cut the bag, I cut two pieces of white card stock to fit the front and back. I stamped various Valentines phrases with red and pink inks then sponged some of the inks around the edges and rounded the top corners. A paper crimper was used on the pink band and a border punch on the red band below it.

The two sentiment tags were cut with the Cricut and I used a Bow Easy on the bow (this is only way I can tie a decent bow, lol).  I think this will make a sweet little gift bag for someone special! Finished bag is 5 inches tall, 4 inches wide and 1 3/8 inches deep.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please be sure and visit the rest of the team to see what sweet treats they have for you to see. We’d love for you to join in on our challenge and if you upload to SCS, please put DDIC in your keywords.

Lori (chanteuse)
Chris (glowbug)
Anne (jdmommy)
Donna (donnarie)
Kerri (girlydecou)

Supplies:
stamps: Hero Arts, Anita’s (Inque Boutique), Studio G, All Night Media
papers: white, pink, red
ink: Ancient Page cardinal and pink pizzaz, Printworks English Rose, Memories pastel pink
accessories: paper crimper, ribbon, Martha Stewart double loop border punch, Cricut, Bow Easy

(This is also included in the Creative Belli challenge: CBC84 and The Pink Elephant challenge: TPE52)

I have some pink, cotton candy sweet Hugs & Kisses to show you over on the DRS blog. Please come on by tell me what you think.

Are y’all ready for some beautiful new images AND a chance to win a fabulous Gift Certificate? Well, if you arrived here from Lorelie’s blog, then you’re in right place. If not, you’ll need to go back to the beginning and start from the Our Daily Bread designs blog. We’re having a Scripture Hop and you’ll need to collect the Secret Scripture words in the correct order.

You have until Thurs. Feb 4th at 8:00PM EST to complete the requirements to be eligible to win. There will be THREE BLESSED WINNERS… who will each receive a $15.00 Gift Certificate to the Our Daily Bread designs Store to go toward the stamps of your choice! Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualified entries.

Here is what you need to do to be eligable to win:

• Hop from blog to blog in the order given below, writing down the secret words you will find clearly written in their post, and leaving a comment on each blog.
• Return to the Our Daily Bread designs Blog and leave a comment that you completed the hop and left comments for each designer.
• Email Grace at: gnywening@yahoo.com In the email, give her the secret words you found in order …. they will spell out a Scripture verse.
• For an extra chance to win, send her another email telling her the Scripture reference where the verse can be found.







If for any reason a link is broken, simply return to the Our Daily Bread designs Blog to see who is next on the list, leaving a space for the missing words.

I started this card last Thursday after I saw the Ways to Use It challenge where we were challenged to use fabric. That had me thinking what would the bird look like stamped on fabric? Would the Prismacolor pencils work on fabric? Only one way to find out. I used to sew a lot, but hardly ever now. After digging around, I was able to come up with some thin, cotton fabric. As long as I was using fabric, I thought I’d go all the way and drag out the sewing machine and some buttons.  So I stamped the bird onto the cotton using VersaFine onyx black ink.  Just to be safe, I heat set it. It also looked kind of wrinkled but I drew the line at ironing. Sewing and ironing all in one day? I think not. Sounds too much like actual work.  I spritzed the cotton with water, smoothed it with my hand and dried it with the heat gun.  (BTW, this is my preferred method of ironing shirts out of the dryer, too. Just minus the heat gun part.)

On to the coloring using the Prismacolor pencils. Works great, I was happy to see. I used a Spellbinders rectangle nestie to cut part of the way thru the cotton. It was enough to let me rip the edges in a straight line. Then I removed some of the threads all the way around for the fringe effect. Did the sentiment the same way. Backed them both with card stock and used a feather stitch to go around them. I used larger Nesties to cut the rectangular layers.

After attaching the two patterns of dp to another piece of c/s, I stitched around the edges. I could not find the right color of buttons, so I took some translucent white buttons and colored them with Sharpies then stitched them on.

Now the Secret Scripture words you are looking to gather from me are Of Man. From here you will need to hop on over to Becca’s blog. I know she’ll have something fabulous for you!

Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck to you!

Supplies:
stamps: ODBD – You Will Find Refuge set
paper: sky blue, red ticking stripe (Dasher from Melissa Frances), Sisters’ Polka Dots and Summer Days Paisley(both are Wild Asparagus from My Minds Eye), thin cotton fabric
ink: VersaFine Onyx black
accessories: buttons, Sharpies, sewing machine, Spellbinders rectangle nesties, foam tape, Prismacolor pencils

Happy Sunday! I made this one for a couple of challenges at SCS: today’s Featured Stamper (congrats, Nicole!) challenge and Betty’s Stamping in Time (SNTODBD02) challenge featuring Our Daily Bread designs images.

For the FS challenge, I chose Nicole’s Crimson Silhouettes to case. I changed the images, colors and turned it on its side, but I kept the oval centerpiece w/ a rectangular shape beneath it.  I’m using images from  ODBD’s Sing to the Lord set. The bird, sentiment and one extra flower were all stamped in dk red. I used Prismacolor pencils to add some color and before you start wondering, I have no idea what kind of sparrow this is supposed to be.  I just colored him to go with my dp, lol. Oval Nesties and the out of the box Nestie technique was used for the bird image. Graduated sizes of ovals were used for the additional layers (I used both the Large Petite ovals and the Small Petite ovals to get these sizes) and I layered them offset toward the top of the ovals. All the ovals are backed with some thin chipboard to give them added dimension. A little soft sand ink was sponged around the edges of the image oval.

On the soft yellowish print layer, I added some doodling with a burgundy Micron pen. On the burgundy band, I used a branch border folder to emboss it. The sentiment was cut out of the box as well and attached to a burgundy layer.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to check out Betty’s challenge at SCS or on the ODBD blog.  You can enter to win a fabulous gift certificate.

Supplies:
stamps: ODBD- Sing to the Lord
paper: white, dp (all are Basic Grey from the Boxer6×6 pad)
ink: Ancient Page bordeaux, Memories soft sand
accessories: Prismacolor pencils, Spellbinders oval Nesties sets, Cuttlebug border folder (Just My Type), burgundy Micron pen