I had so much fun playing along with the Etsy Inspiration challenge last week that I decided to give it another whirl. The idea behind these fun challenges is that each week a different Etsy store is selected. You can look through the store and choose something that inspires you. Create something based on the inspiration piece, and share it online, linking it up to the right places. If you'd like to learn more about the challenges, all of the pertinent details can be found below. Here's my card:
This week's Etsy store is Artistic Flair, which features fun fused glass pieces. I was inspired by two pieces - one for the dragonfly image and one for the colors and texture that I used on my card. Here are my two inspiration pieces:
I've been watching the dragonflies at the lake where we swim. There are some that are beautiful, vivid shades of blue and green. I'd love to capture the look of them! I've got two dragonfly stamps: one is very cartoony and the other, used on this card, is from the retired Infinite Goodness Hostess Set. A little too small for the look I was going for, but you've got to use what you have! This set of stamps was in my To-Sell box, and I'm sure glad that nobody's bought it yet!
Trying to capture the irridescence of the dragonflies that I've been watching, I first pressed the stamp onto my Versamark pad, then my Brilliant Blue Classic pad, then sprinkled with Irridescent Ice embossing powder. Here's a hint: if you don't have craft/pigment ink in the color you'd like to use for heat embossing, stamp first in Versamark; then in your dye ink. You'll have to clean your stamp after each impression to avoid getting ink into your Versamark!
I punched out the stamped & embossed dragonflies with the Curly Label Punch (#112208). To frame the punched paper, I used the coordinating die from Stampin' Up!'s Magnetic Movers & Shapers die set (#115953) for the Big Shot. I didn't cut full cards as this die is intended to do, but placed squares of More Mustard card stock over the Curly Label die (which is slightly larger than the punch) and ran it through the Big Shot.
The ribbon was attached using this Ribbon Tying Tutorial that I posted several months ago. I ran the Brilliant Blue panel through the Big Shot with the swirly embossing plate from the Stampin' Up Backgrounds I (#114512) Texturz set. To bring out the embossing, I sponged Very Vanilla craft ink lightly over the surface. This was all an attempt to approximate the texture of the inspiration piece.
That's it for the creative details. If you'd like to find out more about the Etsy Inspired challenge, or partipate yourself, visit the Heart Hugs Design blog. If you're participating, link your entry to the comment thread there and use the code EI46 if uploading your creation to a public forum like SCS or PCP. The featured Etsy store usually awards a prize to a randomly selected winner, so you might even win one of the pretties!
Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Certainly Celery, Brilliant Blue, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
Ink: Brilliant Blue, Versamark, Very Vanilla craft
Stamps: Infinite Goodness, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Background I Texturz plates, Movers & Shapers Magnetic dies, Curly Label Punch, More Mustard 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired), dimensionals, Irridescent Ice EP, heat tool











