Inspired by All the Little Things

Kimberly's Guest-Tracy McDonald, Iwannabuildamemory

LauraJane

Laura Janes's Guest- Ksenija Rizova, Sweet Kobylkin

Marcie Sharp
Sharp Designs

Marcie's Guest- Veronica Zalis, So Many Stamps So Little Time

Sheri Gilson

Sheri's Guest - Amy Tsuruta, Tsuruta Designs

Silke Ledlow

Silke's Guest - Laurie Schmidlin

Tracey McNeely

In My Creative Opinion

Tracey's Guest - Kay Miller, My Joyful Moments

Wanda Cullen

Cullen-ary Creations

Wanda's Guest- Teresa Kline, Paperie Blooms

And lastly, here is my card:

To The Full

We hope you will play along with us!

We will each be choosing an Inspiring Standout

Runner Up this week...then, as a team, we will choose

ONE MAIN WINNER and that person will join our team

for May as a Guest Designer for each May challenge!

The linky will close on Friday, April 7th at

11:55am. (PST)

Some simple rules to keep things organized and enjoyable:

Please use the graphic for your post and link back to this post.
Any posts that are offensive will be removed.
Please comment on the submissions of others...we all love the support!
Yes you can combine with other challenges but NOT other inspiration challenges please.
Have fun and challenge yourself!

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspiring StandOuts Challenge #49

Thank you all so much for joining us this week for the Inspired by Challenge #49. We loved seeing how you were inspired in all of your creative projects. These are the submissions that have earned a special Inspiring Stand Out this week. Please go ahead and display the badge on your blog.

A special thank you to Nancy Penir for being our Creative Guest this week!

These are the submissions that have earned a special Inspiring Stand Out badge this week. Please go ahead and display the badge on your blog!

Updated

Tracey's pick is #11 - Diana K

As soon as I saw Diana's card this week I could see how she was inspired by the inspiration photo. The sweet rabbit, the colours and the rustic frame all complimented by her unique blend of adding just the right extra elements.

Nancy's pick is also #11 - Diana K

Her sweet Easter scene with the perfectly framed bunny is adorable! Gorgeous bg too!

Since both Nancy and I picked the same card as favourite, that allows me the freedom to share my second pick with you, #4 - Colleen Begley.

I absolutely love that Colleen chose not to colour that fabulous bunny image in, the result paired with beautiful papers speaks to the rustic feel of the inspiration!

Congratulations ladies and make sure you grab your badge.

Thank you so much Nancy for joining me as my guest this challenge. Join our own Leigh Penner here in an hour for our 50th Challenge Celebration party!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Inspiring Stand Outs #48

There is still time to play with this week's Inspired By All The Little Things challenge! Scroll down to see the sweet photo that Tracey has chosen, and you can see what the design team has created. Meanwhile... I'm here with the belated "Inspiring Stand Outs" for last week's Galaxy sky challenge. Leanne & I have chosen our winners - ladies, feel free to grab our badge and display it on your blog.

Leanne has chosen: #1 Eliz Stewart!

"It has the wonderful colours from the photo, and those little bears are my favourite part! The sentiment makes me think of wee ones - very cute!"

Karen has chosen: #3 Pink Unicorn!

"This really looks like a fantasy/galaxy sky! I love the stormy feel to it!"

Thank you to Leanne Elliot for being my wonderful Guest Designer this week! Remember - you have until this Friday at noon Pacific to play along with the current challenge.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Inspired By all the Little Things #49 featuring Nancy Penir

Hello Tracey here and welcome to Inspired By All The Little Things! This is a weekly inspiration challenge blog and each week we feature a wonderful designer who inspires us as an artist!

This week I have invited the lovely and super talented Nancy Penir to be my guest.

Nancy Penir

I asked Nancy to share a bit about herself...

1. What is the name of your blog? When and why did you start it?

The name of my blog is artful-notions. Named because I originally thought I'd be posting all sorts of art related projects, but it's become a blog for my cards and a way to connect with all the other cardmakers. I started with a point and shoot camera, and soon bought and learned to use a camera with a good lens. What a difference!

2. What is your style of card making?

What style? A bit of this, a bit of that. Pattern combined with layers. Really love all styles. Traditional? Whatever comes into my head is the style of the moment. Learning and applying new techniques is such fun. Can't and won't be pinned down by a 'style'.
Oh, and if it doesn't please me, it doesn't get posted!

3. Who inspires you as a designer?

There isn't enough room to list them! And there isn't an end to who inspires. Sometimes it's the designer whose card is amazing. Another time it's the blog and challenge mistress who puts a smile on my face that lasts all day! (Darnell, you're a hoot) And other times, it's the business woman that has managed to bring all this fun to all of us (Nichole Heady). Especially the friends who create them. Oh, I love them all!

4. What sort of things inspire you as a card maker? Photos? Sketches? Other designers?

Layout, color and definitely photos. Sketches seem to confine. Much rather a rusty watering can with just picked garden flowers!

5. Share something about yourself that we may not know?

Some of you may know I've been blessed with a large family. 5 children, and 11 grandchildren. When my first grandson was on the way, my daughter and I searched for crib bedding, and couldn't find what she wanted. I've always sewed, so Grandma Nancy got busy and made a complete set for the nursery: bumper, blanket, crib skirt, including mobile and cushions for the rocking chair, even window coverings. It became a small business (Oui Baby) of custom bedding for friends and friends of friends, eventually taking me and my designs to San Francisco, Atlanta and Dallas gift shows! We converted one of the rooms in our farmhouse, so I could work from home. I worked, sewing and designing for about 12 years. So many great memories of owning my own business. I was very blessed to have a supportive husband and loved it while it lasted. My sewing machine is now devoted to cards!

Here is Nancy's card using this week's inspiration!

The challenge designers have also created a card for this week's inspiration! These ladies just inspire me SO much!!! I hope you will play along with us this week! We would love to have you join us!

Kimberly Lackenbach

LauraJane

Leigh Penner

To The Full

Marcie Sharp
Sharp Designs

Sheri Gilson

Silke Ledlow

Wanda Cullen

Culinary Creations

...and of course one from me!

Tracey McNeely

In My Creative Opinion

We hope you will play along with us!

The linky will close on Friday, March 31st at 12:00pm. (PST)

Some simple rules to keep things organized and enjoyable:

Please use the graphic for your post and link back to this post.
Any posts that are offensive will be removed.
Please comment on the submissions of others...we all love the support!
Yes you can combine with other challenges but NOT other inspiration challenges please.
Have fun and challenge yourself!

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Inspired By the Little Things #48

Hello and welcome to Inspired By All The Little Things! This is a weekly inspiration challenge blog and each week we feature a wonderful designer who inspires us as an artist!

This week as my guest designer, I have invited my talented cyber friend...

Leanne Elliott!

I asked Leanne to share a bit about herself...

1. What is the name of your blog? When and why did you start it?

Banking On Crafts http://bankingoncrafts.blogspot.ca/ I started my blog February 2, 2010 , when my friends figured I needed to share my cards/crafts with others, enter some challenges, and apply to be on some design teams. My friend Tamie picked out the name for me.

2. What is your style of card making?

I am not sure what the word would be for my style, maybe Lots of Layers, I do like adding lots of details layers to my cards, CAS is what I call hard for me, they are lovely, but all that white flat space scares me.

3. Who inspires you as a designer?

The design teams I am on, the talent is phenomenal and just amazes me to see what they create each week/month, so no one specific.

4. What sort of things inspire you as a card maker? Photos? Sketches? Other designers?

Sometimes I see nice ideas from Pinterest or Splitcoaststampers, but other times it just comes from my head, I envision what a theme or challenge is and I try to recreate it on paper, sounds corny I know. I also like videos with new techniques to try, and then put my own spin on it, sometimes it works other times it's a flop. If making a card for a specific person in mind, I go with what I think they like, my friend Lori likes coffee, so she would get a card with coffee cups/beans something like that.

5. Share something about yourself that we may not know?

I work in my home office, I have been working for the bank for 15 years as a Mortgage Specialist Assistant. So with crafting it has worked out well.

Here is Leanne's card using this week's inspiration!

The challenge designers have also created a card for this week's inspiration! I hope you will play along with us this week! We would love to have you join us!

Kimberly Lackenbach

LauraJane

Leigh Penner

To The Full

Marcie Sharp
Sharp Designs

Sheri Gilson

Silke Ledlow -- I'm on Spring Break :)

Wanda Cullen

Culinary Creations

And one from me - Karen Day

Karen's Creations

We hope you will play along with us!

The linky will close on Friday, March 24th at 11:55am. (PST)

Some simple rules to keep things organized and enjoyable:

Please use the graphic for your post and link back to this post.
Any posts that are offensive will be removed.
Please comment on the submissions of others...we all love the support!
Yes you can combine with other challenges but NOT other inspiration challenges please.
Have fun and challenge yourself!

Inspiring Stand Outs for Challenge #47

Thank you all so much for joining us this week for the Inspired by Challenge #47. We loved seeing how you were inspired in all of your creative projects.

A special thank you to Michelle Lupton for being our Creative Guest this week!

Both Michelle and I have chosen our stand outs!

These are the submissions that have earned a special Inspiring Stand Out badge this week. Please go ahead and display the badge on your blog!

Michelle's Choice:

Eliz Stewart

Michelle says: "I really like #8, Eliz Stewart - such fun making a rainbow from a piano keyboard!"

Karren's Choice:

Creamaria

"This card by Creamaria has it all! So much texture and interest and both the music theme and the rainbow colors were included. Fabulous card!"

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who played along with us this week! We will be back in one hour with a brand new challenge!

The next challenge goes live at 5:00 am PST.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Inspired By All The Little Things #47 featuring Michelle Lupton

Hello, it's Karren here! Welcome to Inspired By All The Little Things! This is a weekly inspiration challenge blog and each week we feature a wonderful designer who inspires us as an artist!

This week I have invited...

Michelle Lupton

I asked Michelle to share a bit about herself...

1. What is the name of your blog? When and why did you start it?

My blog is called "Handmade by Michelle" - I know, pretty boring, but when I started it, I was not really aware of very many cardmaking blogs. I only discovered the whole world of card challenges in July, 2011 after I started my blog in February 2011. I started my blog as a way of keeping track of my own cards, and recording where I got inspiration from.

2. What is your style of card making?

I like to try different styles, but I always return to CAS cardmaking. At the end of each year, I post a bunch of my favourite cards from that year to my blog, and from those cards, you can tell that I love white space, I'm not into a lot of layers, I love a rainbow and blues and greens, and I like using stencils and watercolours and Distress Inks. My latest love is Zig clean colour real brush markers.

3. Who inspires you as a designer?

Oh, there are so many! For techniques, I love Jennifer McGuire. For Copic colouring, I adore Kelly Latevola. For her use of colour and her inventiveness, Laura Bassen. For her mastery of soft and pretty, Debby Hughes. And for their versatility, Jessica Frost Ballas and Therese Calvird. I am also inspired by all my teammates at A Blog Named Hero, and at the Fusion Card Challenge.

4. What sort of things inspire you as a card maker? Photos? Sketches? Other designers?

Quite often, I am inspired by stamps and inks - I will often just grab a stamp and some inks and start from there. I do love looking through Instagram and Pinterest, and will often take an idea from another cardmaker - a way of using a product, or a technique, or a colour scheme - and try to use it without directly copying it. I used to always follow sketches to the letter, but now I am more likely to let the stamp guide what the card ends up looking like, rather than making the stamp fit a sketch.

5. Share something about yourself that we may not know?

Um, my Instagram profile says I'm a "card-making, choir-singing, cupcake-baking science nerd". I have also been described as having a serious case of introversion ;)

Here is Michelle's stunning card using this week's inspiration!

The challenge designers have also created a card for this week's inspiration! These ladies just inspire me SO much!!! I hope you will play along with us this week! We would love to have you join us!

Kimberly Lackenbach

LauraJane

Leigh Penner

To The Full

Marcie Sharp
Sharp Designs

Sheri Gilson

Silke Ledlow