Inkspirational Challenge #299 - Clean and Simple (Optional - Inspired by a Movie) - Be Awesome Today - Watercoloured Sunflower

Hello,

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #299, where our challenge for the next two weeks is CAS - Clean and Simple - with an optional twist of Inspired by a Movie. Loads of choices, right!

I watercoloured! Yes I did! I'm not exactly sure which company made the sunflower image; it was part of last year's Crop and Create event. I finally got around to painting it with my distress inks then some splatter with gold paint. So easy and, for a change, I like the results. The sentiment is a Tim Holtz sticker.

A reminder of what we'll be looking for with your Clean and Simple designs:

✅ One main focal point

✅ Lots of OPEN space (doesn't 'have' to be white)

✅ Minimal Layers

✅ Minimal Embellishments

Looking forward to seeing your CAS cards in the gallery, with or without the twist.

Thank you for dropping by!

Just Us Girls Challenge #698 - CAS Week - Sport theme - Hockey Card (Spellbinders, Catherine Pooler)

Hello,

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #698 where Sue, our lovely hostess, has selected a sports theme for our Clean and Simple cards.  

Today marks our final challenge with amazing guest designer, Stephanie Lanzalotto,  Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing incredible inspiration with us over the month; we hope you'll be a regular player in the Just Us Girls gallery. 

Yayyy! Finally I have some hockey themed images for my hockey-playing nephew who, obviously, is #22 on his team. Numbers and # are stitching dies from Spellbinders; the skates, puck and stick from Catherine Pooler. No stitching for this guy card, though; I think the pattern looks 'ice-ish' as is. I wonder, with a few revisions, if I should make cards for his entire team...and then there's my niece's ringette team to consider. We shall see; the CAS design makes everything pretty simple. 

What sports will you be playing for this challenge?

See you in the gallery.

Thank you for dropping by!

Just Us Girls Challenge #697 - Mood Board - Give Thanks Stylized Poinsettia Quilt Top and Felt Apples (Concord and 9th, Poshta Designs)

Hello,

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #697 where, as this week's hostess, I've selected a fall-themed mood board as inspiration. We're seeing and feeling signs of autumn here in my part of Canada, with a briskness in the morning and evening air, the beautiful changing colours of the leaves and the slightly cooler temperatures.  Fall-oriented foods are making an appearance in various shops as well, especially those featuring apples and pumpkins. Hopefully, you'll be inspired by one, or more, of the seasonal images, colours and vibes in the image

Once again, we're delighted to have our September guest designer, Stephanie Lanzalotto, joining us. 

As filled-with-inspiration as the board is, it took me several failed tries before I landed on something I liked. My attempts at distress-inked maple leaves were a disaster; my plans to 'bake a pie' went haywire. Finally, I decided to focus on the pretty autumnal colours - pale greens, rust, red, shades of brown, ivory, burnt orange - found throughout the images and created a 'stylized leaf' with Concord & 9th's Poinsettia Quilt die. Joining my card are two felt apples I stitched, using the dies from Poshta Design. These are just way too cute - and I have several more sets awaiting their turn with needle-and-floss.

I'm excited to see your mood board inspired cards/projects in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by!

Lindsey's Legacy Hop - That Was So Sweet Of You Garden

Today, we are hopping in memory of our dear friend and fellow card maker, Lindsey Martin-Penny, who sadly passed away last year from a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Lindsey’s husband, Burke, thought it would be a great time to sell off her many craft supplies, with all of the proceeds going towards Lindsey’s Legacy Fund for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research in cooperation with The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

The purpose of this hop is to honour Lindsey, celebrate her life and all that she loved, as well as to spread the word to raise funds for clear cell ovarian cancer research.  You can help in one of several ways:

1. Purchase a Flat Rate Mailer stuffed with loads of fabulous craft supplies.  These can only be mailed within Canada and there will be no tax receipts provided with the purchase of these boxes.  A box of craft supplies would make a great gift for yourself, a crafty friend or a child/classroom.  For details about the boxes and how you can go about purchasing one, please email lindseyslegacyfund@rogers.com with the message "Craft Box" or visit Lindsey’s original blog, Bashful Blogging.  Every craft box purchase in September will be entered into a draw and one lucky winner will win a $100 gift certificate to Scrap ‘n Stamp.

2. During the month of September, shop at Scrap ‘n Stamp using the code LINDSEY10 at checkout.  You will get 10% off your purchase (sale items excluded) and Scrap ‘n’ Stamp will donate 10% of their proceeds to Lindsey’s Legacy Fund.

3. Any donations over $15 made directly to Lindsey’s Legacy Fund will receive a digital tax receipt.

4. Repost this hop on your social media and encourage others to share!

In addition to sharing details about this beyond worthwhile cause, we are also sharing cards made to honour our very-much-missed, very-much-loved friend. Lindsey's love for family, for her cat, Duncan, for reading, for teaching and for crafting are well-known. 

Perhaps slightly less well-known was her love for baking (she shared several wonderful recipes with me) and gardening. Burke described her connection with plants the best: "She was also a great gardener. What she could produce from tiny seeds was always amazing. Her seven-foot high tomato plants are testament to her very green thumbs. No bedraggled indoor plant was beyond saving and our home showed it."  My card pays homage to this talent of hers...and I even water-coloured, something she did often, with style and flair.

Lindsey's family: I hope these veggies and cute critters bring a smile to your face and serve as a reminder of how deeply Lindsey's friendship meant - and continues to mean - to me and all of us who were blessed to know her.

Lindsey’s Legacy Hop begins at Emily Leiphart’s blog.  If you get lost along the way, please return to Emily’s blog where she will have the entire hop list.

How to hop:

💙 Like each post along the way

💙 Learn a little bit about Lindsey’s connection to that person

💙 Share this post and help us save lives

The next stop on the hop is Color Hues Challenge.

.  Please be sure to leave a comment at each of the stops where you can learn more about Lindsey’s life, loves and her legacy.

Thanks so much for hopping with us!

Color Hues Challenge #72 - A Special Challenge - Lindsey's Legacy Hop, featuring Red and Purple

 Hello,

We are posting our Colour Hues Challenge #72 a day early as part of a very special hop held in memory of our dear friend, fellow card maker and Design Team member, Lindsey Martin-Penny, who sadly passed away last year from a rare and aggressive form of Ovarian Cancer.   

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Lindsey’s husband, Burke, thought it would be a great time to sell off her many craft supplies. All of the proceeds will to towards Lindsey’s Legacy Fund for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research in cooperation with The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

The purpose of this hop is to honor Lindsey, to celebrate her life and all that she loved, as well as to spread the word to raise funds for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research.  To find out the many ways you can help click HERE.

In honor of Lindsey, the team, along with guests from Seize the Birthday, has created a variety of cards using her favorite color combo of Purple and Red.

No words can express how deeply I miss her every. single. day. She was a beacon of light in my life;  one who supported, encouraged, shared (her book recommendations and recipes were the best!) and, perhaps above all else, made me laugh. Her wit, sense of humour and all-around friendship were daily highlights. As for her crafting skills? Only awe-mazing. I'm lucky to have several of her fabulous cards in my home; a very special collection, indeed.

Anyway...the tears are falling. My red-and-purple card features my current obsession: Tim Holtz's Artsy leaves paired with the Texture Fades Layered Dots embossing folder. In real life, the card is quite pretty, especially with the shine of the gold leaf veins. I know Lindsey would love this set as much as I do. Because she was always wonderful in making/sending birthday cards to friends and family, near and far, that's the route I went, too.

Miss you and love you, always and in always, my friend.

Next on the hop is the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.  Please be sure to leave a comment along your hopping journey where you'll learn more about Lindsey’s life, her loves and her legacy.

You can find the hop list and details at Emily Leiphart’s blog. 

Thank you for hopping with us. We're looking forward to seeing what you make for this challenge using Lindsey’s favorite colors. 

The challenge will be open until September 28th @ 9 AM EST!

Thank you for dropping by!

Inkspirational Challenge #298 - Mood Board - Best Day Ever and Everything has Beauty (TH Artsy Leaves)

Hello,

Welcome Inkspirational Challenge #298. 

Time for a Mood Board challenge and this one, hopefully, will get your creative juices flowing. We were given permission to use this board from the designer who, in her original posting, described this transition from summer-to-fall board as being "bright and a little edgy but also rich and deep." Absolutely right! What catches your eye? The images? The colours (the designer focused on magenta, persimmon, powder blue and graphite)? So many possibilities....

Source

When I first saw Tim Holtz's Artsy Leaves, I figured I didn't need them; plenty of leaves in my collection. But...something kept calling me back and ohmystars. In LOVE! So glad I ordered them; they make me happy.

 

Two cards featuring leaves inspired by the colours in the left photo. Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord, Picked Raspberry and Ripe Persimmon for the ink blends and, though a bit hard to see in the photo, graphite mirror cardstock from Concord & 9th for the leaves' veins Waffle Flowers Postage Collage dies provided the backgrounds. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE these leaves? I do...most certainly do! They will be showcased on a few of my upcoming posts, just sayin' (as will some other new TH goodies...apparently I'm smitten with his stuff, of late).

Looking forward to your takes on this Mood Board!

Thank you for dropping by!

Just Us Girls Challenge #696 - Word Week - Moon - Halloween Night Moon Glitter Shaker

Hello,

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #696. Our lovely hostess, Bobby, has selected *Moon* for Word Week. Harvest Moon, Blue Moon, full moon, quarter moon...lots of possibilities. 

We're delighted to have Stephanie Lanzalotto joining us once again as our September guest designer. Her card is super cool, as are those by my teammates.

I've had Trinity Stamp's October Sky stencil for ages but haven't given it much play time. That changed when I happened upon Amy Rysavy's card here, which renewed inspiration to bring it out. I just followed her video (used similar supplies, minus her witch image and fabulous shaker bits) to create my simplified, glitter-only shaker card. No sentiment...I think it's pretty clear this is a Halloween card.

Looking forward to seeing your *Moon* themed cards in the gallery.

Thank you for dropping by!