Diva Inspiration Challenge

Hi Stampers! My Diva Sisters invited me to play the Diva Inspiration Challenge (IC). I have to admit, I tried the IC before but didn't enjoy it. I stressed over trying to re-create the inspiration item instead of letting my own creativity take the lead. Once I became more comfortable stamping my own ideas, the challenge was FUN!

So, this card was inspired by this beautiful photograph of treetops and blue summer sky. I imagine the photographer was standing with her head way back, holding the camera up high to get this shot. She was likely inspired by the bright colors that remain at the end of summer and maybe a little dizzy too.

But, anyway, I wanted my card to reflect the feel of autumn in Erie, PA. The dominant autumn hues are the warm reds, oranges and golds which I translated to SU! colors: So Saffron, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede. For the focal image of my design, I chose the Medallion stamp set since it reminded me of the swirl pattern in the photograph. See the complete Supply List below:

Stamp Sets: Medallion (115223) and Grateful Greetings (Holiday Mini 116511)

Cardstock: So Saffron (105118), Soft Suede (115318), Very Vanilla (101650)

Inks: So Saffron Craft (105237), Dusty Durango Classic (115654)

Other: Soft Suede 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115612), Gold Elastic Cord (Holiday Mini 109867), Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (109130), Embossing Buddy (103083), Powder Pals (102197) Heat Tool (100005), Stamping Sponges (101610), Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads (109110), Stampin Dimensionals (104430)

Click here to Shop Now!

To make this card, ink the Medallion stamp with So Saffron Craft Ink and stamp on Very Vanilla CS. Quickly sprinkle the image with Clear Embossing Powder and then set with the Heat Gun. Ink a Stamping Sponge with Dusty Durango Classic Ink and rub over the entire area of the Very Vanilla CS from the middle out toward the edges. Sponging in that direction provides the deeper Dusty Durango in the middle of the image and lighter shades toward the edges. Once you've inked to your heart's content, remove the ink from the embossed image by gently wiping with a tissue. This is the Emboss Resist technique since the embossed image resists the classic dye ink.

The sentiment is from the Grateful Greetings stamp set which is a must have for your sentiment collection. I used Paper Snips (103579) to trim the sentiment into a banner which I embelished with a Rhinestone Brad and popped up using Stampin' Dimensionals.

I had fun making this card and playing along with the Diva Inspiration Challenge. Please post a link to your creation on the Diva page. Thank you for stopping by and Happy Stampin'!