Color Challenge by Cari Locken

Hi there everyone!

Well, after taking the summer off from being around here it's great to be back!! I hope that you've all starting settling into school/work routines again. I've been trying to get used to having all 3 of my kids in school now and I must admit it's been a huge change. I've enjoyed some quiet hours and have had some time to scrapbook as well.

I sometimes find it hard to get back into the groove or find that I lack inspiration. I have found the perfect place to get inspiration is from sketches and color challenges.

This particular picture below was my color challenge.

I decided to use the layout of the photos as part of my actual design. The colors were just so gorgeous that I used those as well.

Supplies used: Imaginisce (Birthday Bash papers & rub-ons), Core'dinations Cardstock, button (My Little Bit of Whimsy), Fiskars border punches

Hope you have a chance to play along with this awesome challenge!

Have a great weekend!

We Have A Winner!

Good afternoon! Happy 'Hump' Day - that wonderful time of the week where we turn the corner from being still close to Monday to closer to Friday! A perfect day to announce a prize winner! I put together the names of all the people who left comments and/or participated in challenges over the summer, and the name that I drew is 'kimosabescraps'! Congratulations! Please send us your mailing info and we will send off a humble yet happy little prize package. Thanks for visiting us!

Tag Card Challenge ~ Jo West

I love, love love making cards ... so I am thrilled that The Inspired Scrapper is now bringing you card challenges as well!  I hope to inspire you as well as gain inspiration from all you card makers out there.  This weeks challenge is to incorporate a tag ... any type of tag, into your card.  For this challenge I made 3 cards, all using different types of tags.

The tag as the sentiment.

For this super quick, like literally 5 minute card, I used a beautiful vintage inspired tag by Cavallini & Co.  I adhered a flower embellishment with a brad, and attached it to the card front with pop dots.  Simple and effective ... perfect for those little card emergencies we all have now and then ... I find it hand to keep a variety of pre-made tags around just for emergencies!

Tag as the main focal point.

I love looking at all of the beautiful digital art that is available online for purchase.  This tag is made by Land of Enchantment on Etsy ... all I had to do here is print and cut.  I went a little further and inked the edges heavier, and used a bit of glossy accents and glitter on the flowers, and then added a few embellishments of my own.  Again, another relatively easy card.

Tags as an accent.

Sometimes you just want to add a little something extra to that card you are making, without having to go to a great deal of time, effort or expense.  I used a little butterfly tag to do just that.  I simply grabbed a scrap piece of paper, punched out the tag, and stamped a butterfly on it ... although you cant see it in the photo it hangs by a tiny bit of bakers twine, and gives this card a victorian feel.  So easy to do...

So ... Tag ... your it!  Give tags a chance and use one on your next card project!

*NEW* - Card Challenges on Mondays!

Hello, good morning, Happy Monday! As I write this, I am sitting at my computer desk looking out of my upstairs stairwell windows, and let me tell you - it is a very grey, very rainy day in my little neck of the woods!

I interpret this kind of weather to be perfect weather for fixing myself a pot of tea and settling in for some paper play time! (While still juggling the schedules and demands/needs of a preschooler, a gradeschooler, and a highschooler!). But nevermind that, it's doable, right?!

Here at The Inspired Scrapper, we have decided to start posting card challenges every second Monday, with the hope that we can eventually step it up and host a challenge every Monday.

So, without further ado - our inaugural Monday Card Challenge is - Tag It!! Incorporate a tag (or tags!) into a card.

Chriss has provided an amazing example where, not only did she design a card using a tag, but the tag itself actually separates from the card and becomes a bookmark! Very cool idea - a gift and a card all in one! Imagine somebody's pleasure when finding this in their mailbox instead of just the usual flyers and bills?

My card sample is very straightforward and simple. Using a favorite Sizzix die and my handy, dandy Cuttlebug, I cut two different sizes of tags and stacked them, using foam tape in between the two tags to separate and differentiate the layers a little bit. I kept the card very simple with a lot of 'white space' - something I don't usually do. And - that's it! Sometimes going simpler is hard for me - I struggle with the feeling that I have to add more - more layers, more colours, more patterns...more something. I am going to force myself to leave this card as-is by writing a short note to a friend and popping it straight into the mail - no time to think about it! And, for my friend - 'happy mail' arriving in a few days for no reason except to say, 'Hi! I like you!'. I'm sure that she will be so busy smiling that she won't stop to critique my creative touches (or lack thereof!).



Care to join us in our 'Tag It' challenge? Leave a comment letting us know where to go to see your card(s) - we're looking forward to it!!

'Bye for now,
Jillian.

Tag Card Challenge by Chriss Hird

What a wet soggy Monday morning! Mondays should be sunny, with birds singing and the smell of fresh cut grass wafting along with the light breeze...wouldn't that be a nice way to start each week? But, back to reality, we do live in BC, so we're kind of used to soggy, right? So let's embrace it! These kind of days are perfect for pulling out your scraps to make a quick card or two. Cards are a great project for during the week because they can be quick and simple. You can also incorporate a card and little gift in one, like I did here. A card that uses a tag shape just says bookmark to me - I can't help it, my brain must just be pre-programmed to think that! (And I'm not even a huge reader!) Here it is:


The removable tag is the bookmark. There was another reason I decided to turn the tag into a bookmark as well. I don't know about you, but sometimes I have troubles parting with my creations, especially cards. I feel like I've put so much work into them, and chances are many will get thrown out after a week or so - ouch, right?! This way, the main part of the card, the part with all the hard work (and love) put into it is kept AND used! What a concept!


So on a dreary, rainy day like today, I hope you are able to find some time, a quiet moment, to make a card, read a book and listen to the raindrops! (And of course, as I finish typing this, the sun comes streaming in my window...you gotta love BC!!)

Autumn Is In The Air! Challenge Link...

While I'm not quite ready to close the door on summer, and in this part of the world, summer hasn't quite closed the door on us, it's still safe to say that autumn is in the air! It's such a lovely time of year, isn't it? And can you say photo ops?! What does Autumn bring out in your creativity?

Please scroll down to see what Jo, Karen, and Chriss have created for your viewing pleasure! And please, share yours with us!

Fall is in the air - Jo West

For me, fall is all about change ... a change in climate, bringing in a sweet coolness that ends summer.  A change in routine as we kiss the lazy days of summer goodbye and start back to school or work ... a change in the scenery as the leaves slowly start to turn ... a change in wardrobe as we guard against chills, a change in the offerings at the local farmers market ....  change touches us all in the fall ...

With that in mind a created a fall layout ... not about change ... but by changing (or altering as we say in the paper craft world) almost everything used in this layout.

I loved the scalloped paper by WRMK but I wasn't a fan of the centre ... so i changed it by cutting out the centre.  The tag title ... was a tag but it was quite large so i cut it up and saved the rest of the tag for use on another project.

The flowers .... just a paper bag, some inexpensive lace, a brad and a die cut machine.

The metal dragonfly ... was just a little rusted dragonfly ... I changed it's appearance with paint and glimmer mist ... it still retains it's vintage appeal only now it looks like it has a patina.

So join us in this challenge ... Fall is truly in the air ... what can you create to celebrate Fall .... and what can you "change"?