Be Inspired

Hi everyone, it's Jennifer from Northwest Stamper!  Today is my turn to share some fun tips with you and as I wracked my brain trying to figure out what would be an interesting topic, I thought of one thing that many of us are always looking for.... new inspiration!

I am always looking for new ideas for color combos, layouts, and project designs.  It is so easy for me to get stuck in a rut.  But then one day I got a Crate & Barrel ad in the mail and I was struck by how much the colors in the display looked like Island Indigo, Elegant Eggplant, and Basic Black and just knew I had to keep it for inspiration.

Here is the card I came up with to share with you using the image above as inpiration:

I used the colors in the ad to start with.  And then I added touches like the rounded corners on the 1-3/8" square as a throwback to the pillows on the couch.  I also added the row of paper pierced dots on the left of the Island Indigo cardstock and then colored over the holes with a white gel pen to remind me of the rivets on the side of the couch.  See, lots of different bits of ideas.

Then when the next ad came in the mail, I had the same bit of inspiration and so I've been keeping these ads to help with more inspiration.  Like this one:

 So how about one more card... this time, one you could use for a guy or a girl in your life.

I was inspired by the colors (though I think our retired More Mustard would have been a closer match, but instead I used Crushed Curry).  I also loved the hexagon artwork on the wall on the right side of the ad and wanted to replicate that in my card.  I punched out the hexagons using the Hexagon punch and then edged them with the Gold Encore ink pad from the Holiday Catalog.

Other fun touches are the embossing with the Alphabet Press embossing folder and throwing back to the tablecloth by heat embossing with white embossing powder the Pleasant Poppies background stamp.

So, in addition to the great sketch, color, and layout challenges here on Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration, don't forget to watch for that unexpected inspiration in your everyday life!

Have fun and happy stamping!

Jennifer