kick start day 1

Yep, I couldn't resist another Online Card Class! This type it's called Kick Start and is aimed at getting you out of the inspiration slumps that we all get at times. I find applying myself to these classes really helps me to think more about how I'm creating rather than sticking to the same formula all the time. I'm hoping to post along with the classes as much as possible; here's crossing my fingers that I find the time :)

So today's class talked about finding inspiration and cataloging it. Let me deal with the latter first. I always have a word document open on my laptop. When I see something inspiring I copy the image to the document along with a few notes on where the inspiration was found and what element particularly caught my eye. Then when I need a little kick start I browse through the images and notes. For me this usually gets me out of my rut and back to the craft table!

As for inspiration, you should see the list of subscriptions in my Google Reader! I find browsing through blogland to be both inspiring and relaxing. For an added boost I love challenges and a favourite place to pop by is Moxie Fab World where you can usually find several ongoing challenges listed down the right side bar of their blog. Today I was inspired by the Jars of Joy challenge. In particular the coloured and patterned jars Cath highlighted such as these beauties:

This image inspired me to grab my latest favourite pad of patterned paper some stamps and dies and came up with this card.

The jars were obviously inspired by the above challenge but while browsing around Moxie, the card base paired with hints of blue were picked up from the current Tuesday Trigger although my colours were more muted. Finally, combining multiple jars in the card fitted with their look at the use of repetition in design. As you can see I find Moxie to be really inspiring!

Here's a little about my card. I white embossed the jar image onto patterned papers and die cut out. I die cut from cream card the flower image and coloured the stem with peeled paint Distress Ink then added multiple flower heads cut from more patterned papers. For the card base I used a base of Stampin' Up's summer starfruit over which I popped up a cream panel I'd stamped with Versamark Ink with Hero Arts newspaper background and then rubbed around the edges with antique linen Distress Ink. In the photo above if you look carefully you can just about see the newsprint but in real life it adds a lovely touch. I layered the jar images over the cream panel popping up the foremost one and adding a bit of twine and a die cut word.

Wow, this has been quite a wordy post for me LOL! Hopefully I will be back with more "homework" from my class but maybe shorter ones from now on :)

Supplies: Stamps - Stampin' Up perfectly preserved, Hero Arts newspaper background; Inks - Versamark, Distress Inks antique linen, peeled paint; Card - Stampin' Up summer starfruit, confetti white; Dies - Stampin' Up cannery set, Memory Box prim poppy, Simon Says Stamp oh happy day; Stampin' Up twine, Paper - My Mind's Eye the sweetest thing bluebell