The Inspiration Station Challenge #72 - April 2025

Hello Friends and Happy Monday!  Today is the 1st Monday of the month and that signals a new challenge at The Inspiration Station Challenge Blog.  We have a lovely inspiration photo for you this round, and it can be interpreted in so many ways:

For my design team project, I've created a card that could be used for Mother's Day.  I've left the inside sentiment blank until I decide what I'll use the card for.  My mother passed away in 2014 and my mother-in-law in 2010, so I may give this card to my granddaughter, so she can give it to my daughter for Mother's Day.

I've used the "Elephant Friends" Stamp set from Pretty Pink Posh and colored the 2 sweet elephants using Copic Alcohol Markers, the sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Using 2 sizes of the nesting Hexagon Dies from Hero Arts, I've cut panels and mats for the focal images and sentiment.  I've fussy cut the adorable critters and popped on foam pads, as well as the sentiment.  To give the critters a place to "sit", I've used 2 mirrored peel off strips from Love from Lizi.  

To add texture and interest to an otherwise flat white panel, I've embossed the panel behind the elephants with the Floral Fantasy embossing folder from Cuttlebug (an oldie but goodie!).  The designer paper is from Recollections and the finishing touches are silver sequins from my stash.  

The team and I hope you'll stop by the challenge this month and share your inspired projects.  We're always amazed at the creativity everyone shares with us, and we hope to inspire you with our projects.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Crafty Animals

Park Hopping My Happy Place - Dumbo Ride at Disney

A Place to Start

A Cut Above

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

613 Avenue Create

Dragonfly Dreams

Stamping Sensations

Polkadoodles

Gem of a Challenge

Critter Crazy

Word Art Wednesday

AECP All About Layering 1 - Budding Thanks

Hello Friends and Happy Thursday!  I have exciting news to report...I've been accepted to the Altenew Educator Certification Program and I'm over the moon about it.  I'm excited to start this journey of learning new techniques, re-visiting older ones and enhancing my knowledge and style.  So please bear with me, this is a long post :)

Today I began my first class titled All About Layering 1.  It's a great class and I will add that it's a Free class to everyone.  I have some knowledge of layered stamping however the class touched on tips and tricks I hadn't been using, which are helpful indeed. 

For my first project, I used the Altenew Budding Thanks Stamp and Coordinating Die Bundle to create my A2 sized card. To start, I organized the components of each layer on separate acrylic blocks and proceeded to stamp the images on snippets of card.  I used inks in shades of blues and teal greens to create 2 blooms and coordinating leaves.  I started with the lightest of the inks and worked up through a mid tone to a dark contrast.

I cut out with the coordinating dies and aside to work on the focal panel, which I embossed with a rope design embossing folder.  I wanted lots of white space but also wanted to highlight the rope pattern, so I ink smooshed with the same colors of blue used for the flowers.  I place a bit of ink on my glass mat and spritzed with water, taking my 3.75" x 5" card, I smooshed into the ink mixture.  After drying with my heat tool, I splattered with more ink and called it complete.

For assembly, here's a tip:  After arranging your focals, use Press and Seal Plastic Wrap to keep and pick up your arrangement in the order you have them.  I did this and it was awesome to only fiddle with placement once.  Once on the plastic wrap, I added liquid glue to the backs of the die cuts and placed on my focal panel.  I then carefully peeled off the wrap and Voila!  All set.

I stamped the sentiment from the same set, trimmed out and mounted on foam pads along with mounting the focal panel on a piece of fun foam cut slightly smaller than the panel, then placed all on the card base.  I almost called this assignment complete but once again I had to add something more...out came the sparkle...I placed blue sequins around for a final touch.  

The assignment is complete.  It was a great exercise in layering stamped images and now I'm ready to tackle assignment #2.  I hope you've enjoyed my post today, Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

Supplies Used:

Altenew Buddng Thanks Stamp and Die Bundle

Neenah Solar White Classic Crest 80 lb and 110 lb card

Catherine Pooler Inks

Embossing Folder by Cuttlebug

Glad Press & Seal Plastic Wrap

Art Glitter Glue Liquid Adhesive

Ocean Sequin Mix from Kat Scrappiness

**Challlenges Entered:

As You Like It - Use Press & Seal Plastic Wrap to hold arrangement together before adhering

Aud Sentiments

Outlawz Twisted Thursday

Creative Moments

Uniko

Paperminutes

Snarky Stampers

Sweet Stampin' - B for Buds

Altenew Inspiration Challenge - June

Happy Little Stampers Die Challenge

Don't Make It Complicated

Greetings and Salutations My Crafty Friends and Happy Tuesday!  Today's Card of the Day is a Clean and Simple Design featuring Rose Blooms and Buds, double stamping and embossing.

I started my card by stamping the images from the Altenew Life is Beautiful Stamp Set.  I decided to stamp with colored inks and come back around to stamp the outline over top using Catherine Pooler inks and Versafine Onyx Black.  I embossed a panel with the Cuttlebug Mosiac Embossing Folder and arranged the Floral Bouquet and Vase in the lower corner.  The sentiment is from the same Altenew set and to finish, I've added Black Faux Gems.

Thanks for stopping by; until next time. Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Crafty Sentiments

Try It On Tuesday

A Place to Start

Lemon Shortbread

The Flower Challenge

Beach Babe Dottie

Hello!  I'm back with another make and share.  Today's card features the Beach Babe Dottie from Bugaboo Stamps.  

This card is a Slimline card, my first ever!  I usually make A2 and Square cards but received a Slimline Die Set recently and wanted to try my hand at it.  This card measures 8.5"x 3.5" and fits into a Business Size (#10) envelope perfectly.  

I colored her with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers, added some Gelly Roll Sparkle Pen highlights to her hair, added some Stickles Clear Glitter Glue to her Earrings and Sandals (can't really see the glittery effect in this picture) and added sequins to polish off the project.  

This is a top (tent) folding card; I cut 2 panels for the base and glued them together at the top.  I hope you like her, Ms. Dottie celebrated the 4th of July in Style!

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Catch the Bug Saturday Challenge

All Sorts Challenge

Crazy 4 Challenges

Pink Gem Challenges

Snarky Stampers

Lil Red Wagon

Simon Says Stamp

Cute Card Thursday

Aud Sentiments

Creatalicious Challenges

Penny's Challenges

A Teapot Full of Flowers

Hello and Happy Friday Eve!  Today is a quick post to share my pretty teapot full of flowers.  The image is a Bugaboo Digital Stamp that I colored up with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

This card is a standard A2 size (4.25" x 5.5") that I layered a die cut of the same size.  I colored the die cut with Scattered Straw Distress Ink as well as inking the edges of the focal image with Peeled Paint Distress Ink.

I love Bugaboo images and this was also an easy one to color up if you are a newbie to alcohol markers like myself.

Thanks for visiting and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Card Challenges entered: Crafting By Designs, Little Miss Muffet Challenges, Crafting with an Attitude, Digi Choosday Week 28, Lemon Shortbread Challenge

Happy Hedge Hog Tuesday!

Hello All!  Hope your Tuesday is Terrific!

Today I'm sharing a challenge card I created using the adorable hedge hog from Penny Black and coloring with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

This card is a standard A2 (4.25" x 5.5"), card base is Neenah 110 lb. white card, patterned paper is a download from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine.  The embossed mat was inked using Distress Ink in Mustard Seed.

I die cut the fancy circle as well as added some dots and baker's twine to accent.  I hope you have enjoyed this sweet little critter and have been inspired.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!,

Donna

**Card has been entered into the following card challenges: Through the Craft Room Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty Sentiments, Lemon Shortbread Challenge, Retarte #124, Creates and Makes, Cardz TV Challenge #52, Crafty Catz #422

Lovely Lavendar and White Card with Matching Box

Hello Everyone!  I hope all is well with you and yours.

Today I have another card with matching box to share with you.  I couldn't resist creating this set using my favorite color which is Purple and all shades thereof.  This card measures 4.25" x 5.5" (A2).

The die cuts used for this card are the lace doily, the white background mat and the sentiment circle.  The sentiment is heat embossed with Ranger Gold Fine Embossing Powder.  The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon is from my stash (Wal-Mart I believe).

I dotted the flowers with liquid adhesive and sprinkled extra fine glitter on the adhesive.  The adhesive will dry clear and all that's left to be seen is the glitter.  This technique of using glitter in this way was inspired by Christina Griffiths at Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls.

The Box was made using heavy weight cardstock, Neenah 110 lb Solar White and Embossed Purple cardstock placed on top.  The box is finished off with a ribbon closure and the box measures 4.5" x 5.75", slightly larger than the card for a good fit.  *** Tip:  I used a circle punch to cut 1/2 circles from the sides of the lid in order to provide an easier opening of the box.

Both the card and box are being offered for sale in my Etsy Shoppe (link to your right - in the column).

That's all I have for you today; I hope you were inspired and until next time....Happy Crafting!

Donna

**  I support the following card challenges:  CardzTV Anything Goes Challenge #49

Create Your Own Backgrounds

Hello Everyone.  I hope you are well and happy!

Today I would like to share some cards I created using the Tim Holtz Distress Inks and water to create some gorgeous backgrounds for cards.  The cards are A2 size (4.25" x 5.5").

This 1st card was created using an unbranded Star die I purchased from AliExpress and Distress Inks in the following colors:  Candied Apple, Abandon Coral and Barn door.  I used an Embossing Folder with a Star pattern and my Cuttlebug to dry emboss the top mat which measures 4" x 5.25".

I placed the 3 inks on my craft mat at spritzed each with some water.  I then placed the white card on top of one color to pick up some color, rotated the card and placed on another and so on.  I dried with my heat tool and repeated the process until I was happy with the result.

I used the "left over" piece of star from the die cutting process to pop up on foam and placed in the middle of the cut out for some dimension.  I heat embossed the sentiment on Vellum, for the finishing touch and sparkle I added clear sequins here and there.

The 2nd card was a bit simpler in design using an unbranded dies from AliExpress and Distress Inks in the following colors:  Seedless Preserves, Peacock Feathers and Aged Mahogany.   I heat embossed over the word Lovely with Ranger Black Embossing Powder for some shine and thickness.  For the finishing touch, I used Tonic Nuvo Drops in Crystal for some interest.  

If I may say so myself, this is my favorite of the group!  This time I used the Distress Inks in the colors Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers and Chipped Sapphire to create this awesome background.  I ran the card mat through the Cuttlebug using an Embossing folder with a Burst pattern.  I die cut the middle and the dimensional piece with 2 unbranded dies from AliExpress.  The Dream wording is also an unbranded die that I heat embossed with Ranger Black Embossing Powder.  I again used Nuvo Drops in Crystal to add some interest. 

Last but not least, I wanted to see how the colors would look against a Kraft colored card.  The Distress Colors I used here were:  Mowed Lawn, Tea Dye and Spiced Marmalade.  I cut 1/2 inch strips and die cut a circle for the focal point.  The front of the card was embossed using an embossing folder with dandelion images.

The flower die cut was colored using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks in the colors Spiced Marmalade and Peeled Paint.  The sentiment was heat embossed with Ranger Black Embossing Powder.  I finished the card by placing Nuvo Drops in Bronze around the card.

I hope you enjoyed today's blog post and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

** I support the following challenges:  CardzTV Anything Goes Challenge #48, CardzTV Anyting Goes Challenge #49