When inspiration strikes...

You just have to go with the flow! That's what happened to me this evening, and such a happy time has been had as a result. I have a few birthdays coming up in the month of June for some lovely ladies in the We love to send a RAK group on Papercraft Planet, so I was needing to find some inspiration from somewhere. Where better to look than on our good friend Blogger?

Browsing around (as you do), I saw the Clean & Simple Challenge, and thought "hmmmm, I could do that", then when I saw the entries on Mr Linky, I saw this one and the rest, as they say, is history. So with inky fingers and embossing powders galore I have 3 cards to show you this evening :)

This was the first one I made - I used a piece of card and low tack masking tape, to mask a band across the front of a plain white base card, then using Tattered Rose Distress ink, I distressed above and below the band. The sentiment is by Stampin Up and has been heat embossed in gold ink/clear powder. The flower image was an attempt at shadow stamping, and I know if I try to replicate it, I'll never manage it again! I inked up my stamp and stamped it once on scrap paper. I then stamped it again without re-inking just slightly to the left of the original image, again on the scrap paper. The stamp still seemed to have a fair bit of ink on it (Versamagic Pearlescent Poppy), so I thought I would stamp it for a third time, onto my card, and this would be the shadow image. Well, on the second stamping, it must have picked up ink from the first stamping but just on the right hand side of the stamp, so on it's third stamping, it has kind of made it's own shadow. I liked the effect, and I've just left it as it is!

With the second card, I got a bit more carried away. I did the same masking technique as previously and used a crackle effect background stamp with versamark ink and clear embossing powder to make the pattern. This time I used Wild Honey Distress Ink and worked this over the top of the embossed pattern. The Happy Birthday was stamped in dark blue pigment ink and embossed with clear powder, and the butterfly was done the same way, but on a bit of scrap card, and then cut out and mounted on a foam pad. The ribbons were a bit of an afterthought, and I probably shouldn't have bothered with them at all.

And finally #3. Same mask. Clear embossed Anna Griffin flourish stamp and Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The three birdies clear stamp was a gift from a lovely lady Down Under, and I can't remember who it's made by. I've stmped it using Versamagic Pearlescent Ivy and again clear embossed it. Same Stampin Up sentiment as before but this time its stamped in silver and clear embossed.

Bet you're glad to finally get to the end of that one, eh? I would like to enter all or any of them into the following couple of challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers - Embossing
Clean & Simple #140

As I mentioned, I got the idea for the Distress Inking above and below the masked border from this blog, and as it's written in German and I can't find the translate button, I do hope that the lady doesn't mind me being inspired by her artwork. My sincere apologies if this does happen to be the case. Still trying to work out how to leave a comment on her blog......