Monday, October 29, 2012

Inspiration Hop, Day 1 Stately Flowers 5 and Vogue Vases 2

Good morning!  The Design Team for Gina K. Designs welcomes you to another fabulous Inspiration Blog Hop! Gina and the Design Team will inspire you with many beautiful ideas, and as you hop through their blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each of them because  a few random comments will be chosen and those stampers will each win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! To see the full list of winners, check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops.

First up, we have my newest stamp set from Gina K Designs, Stately Flowers 5.  This is the fifth in a series of hand drawn official state flowers, and is available for purchase in both premium quality clear photopolymer and red rubberThis set includes flowers for Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Kansas, but the mistletoe and sunflower have been specifically grouped together with all your upcoming fall and winter holiday cardmaking needs in mind, and the sentiments to match!

I predict you see will lots of expertly colored versions of the large sunflower in our hop today, it seems to be the "favorite" so far and I also believe it is one of my best illustrations to date. ( A couple hours making all those dots paid off! Such a happy flower, I like to use these all year on cards.)  Since I have done a few Copic versions of it myself for the blog, I wanted to go a little more whimsical today and stamp it on a patterned paper instead, with just bit of green Copics over the stem and leaves and darker yellow at the middle, allowing this plaid to show through.  No paper piecing, just one cut cut image!  Paper is from the GKD Poppy Prints Designer Paper Pack

The trick was lining up the pattern in the plaids when I added this cropped strip to the side, as well as stamping the image with the lines at right angles so the pattern wouldn't go wonky at a tilt when I went mount it on my card! Isn't that fun with a big ol' button in the center? (and some gray bakers twine) Card base is Honey Mustard.   Chevron is from my Pretty Patterns set, stamped in Memento Cantaloupe.
If you wish, you can add some piercing and faux stitching with a Toffee Crunch marker to step it up (but all the "men folk" here in my house preferred it without!)

This next card was inspired by a quick trip to Target last week! Walking through the store, I spied this funky banner above the girls department, white with gray, pink, red and black line art flowers, and knew it would translate beautifully to a card!
 
 Collage stamp a background with the small sunflower using Memento Love Letter, Rose Bud, London Fog and Tuxedo Black on layering weight White CS, then add your sentiment.  TIP: After using the ScorBug embosser and Scor Buddy for piercing the gray mat, I put the brush tip of a black marker into each hole to help them pop.
 I stamped two more sunflowers on cuts out I made with  the coordinating Silhouette cut file for the set and colored them with the Copics you see pictured above.  Love these unconventional colors, who says they're just for Fall?  Cardstock is Pure Luxury Black Onyx, Moonlit Fog, and Passionate Pink.  (By the way, I got to attend a Design Camp last week, and HOT PINK is the HOT color for 2013! Use a touch of it everywhere!)


Finally, I challenged myself to see how CAS I could go with this set for Christmas cards in a pinch!  I hadn't used the smaller mistletoe image yet, and I gotta say, I like how this turned out! Just some Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Ivory, a strip of adhesive rhinestones, Memento Rhubarb for the sentiment and Tuxedo Black for the image.  The scale here I think is key: tiny rhinestones, tiny image, delicate fonts, but a luxurious heavy creamy cardstock like this is a must if you are going to go this simple.

(Too CAS for you?  Hey, you might get a card like this if I run out of time after all the Christmas baking!)

****Now can you help me welcome some super special guests?  ****
*I am honored and delighted to have two of my stamping idols*

Beate Johns
and 
Laurie Schmidlin 

joining in our hop and designing with Stately Flowers 5 this month!  Huzzah!
Can't wait to drool over what they made, please check those links and leave them some love! Thank you, ladies, for sharing your talent and ideas!  I'm thrilled with your enthusiasm for these flowers!:)

Next up, we have Theresa Momber's follow up to the one of her bestselling sets, Vogue Vases, yep it's Vogue Vases 2! (also available in red rubber) I adore stamping with sets like this, so fun to mix and match!  These new additions are slightly smaller but also have a simpler, earthier quality than the fancier vases and arrangements in the first set.


As much as I love her scenic sets, these vases and additions are super cool for CAS cards, check it!

 Stamp the bold and line art vases in Tuxedo Black on Pure Luxury White Base Weight CS. The vases are great for paper piecing and shading with markers, but I love the simplicity of just black on white.  Trace flower additions loosely with markers and add silver adhesive nail heads to the centers for shine and dimension.  Isn't that a sharp card? But super simple?!  I love how the curves of her vases nest into one another, what a cool look! Check back as I plan to make some fun patterned background with these vases, no flowers required.
(Now I don't know why everyone was reading so much into my card at the party and asking if I was "the black sheep of the family" at the release party because of this one vase, LOL!  Thank you, but NO, I am the apple of my parents' eyes, hee!)
Awesome set, Theresa!!


Now please check out the rest of our fabulous design team's newest creations, you won't want to miss a single post!  Don't forget to leave comments for more chances to win a fun grab bag of card making goodies!
Thank you for visiting me today!

82 comments:

  1. I love how you have stamped that sunflower on the dp, tis gorgoues!

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  2. gorgeous cards. love your new set and i love how you lined up the dp stripes on the first card(fun!)

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  3. Am loving this new flower set! Beautiful, my friend!!! Thanks for sharing :)

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  4. your cards turned out beautiful

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  5. Your cards are beautiful! I love the red, or second cards. Stunning!!!

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  6. Oh my goodness! Love your creations!!

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  7. Beautiful! Love the pattern matching with the sunflower!

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  8. Such fantastic cards! Your CAS mistletoe card is breathtaking!

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  9. Wow! LOVE all your cards. LOVE that you incorporated the chevron strip in the first one, the funky colors of the second and the CAS look of your third card.
    Hugs and smiles

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  10. Ooooh, gorgeous! I love Stately Five. I think it is my new favorite!

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  11. Melanie, first of all...your new set is SOOO gorgeous!! And your cards showcase the versatility of this set SO well! I just love the non-traditional colors on the second sunflower card! So fun!!

    Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of the hop!

    Hugs,
    Laurie

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  12. Well that's just genius, that's all. That is over-the-top genius!!! Gorgeous card and so creative. But I love all of them, just beautiful!!

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  13. A paper pieced flower, brilliant!!! All your cards are stunners Mel!!!

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  14. Love your stamp sets and your cards are absolutely Stunning.
    ColleenB.

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  15. They're all awesome cards! I love the plaid sunflower. The pink and gray card with its collage background is wonderful. Thanks for the great inspiration.

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  16. Beautiful cards. Love the idea of stamping the sunflower on the same pattern paper. I love the simplicity of the Mistletoe card. Wonderful!

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  17. Great cards! Lovely coloring jobs!

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  18. Love the idea of the second card!Great projects!

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  19. Your cards are absolutely fantastic. I love the paper pieced flower one and that mistletoe one is super cool. I think that is such a delightful and clean and easy design for Christmas giving. Thanks for inspiring me. I have to use that set still and I had to have that one because it features South Dakota's state flower.

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  20. Gorgeous cards! Love your stately flowers!!! Totally love the sunflower stamped on plaid & fussy cut!

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  21. First let me say thanks for making such an awesome new set of stamps!!! YOU ROCK GIRL!!! And second, I just love the color combo you used on the second card!! And third, AWESOME JOB ON ALL THE CARDS!!!! Keep the creative juices flowing!!! I for 1 really enjoy everything you come up with! Thanks for giving ME some awesome ideas and inspiration!!!

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  22. Gorgeous samples, Mel! You sure know how to create flowers!!!

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  23. great cards Mel- and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mistletoe one, I think its perfect!

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  24. What a wonderful set of cards! Love the colors and especially the paper pieced flower. Gorgeous!!!

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  25. I REALLY like your flower set....especially the sunflower...one of my favorites! Thanks for sharing.

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  26. Love all of your cards. They are beautiful, but your son flower is to die for!

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  27. I absolutely love this new set of Stately Flowers. I think they are your best yet. And what fantastic samples for us. The paper pieced flower is so adorable. And the mistletoe on the chain - brilliant.

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  28. Wow, Melanie - as always I am blown away by your gorgeous work! Your cards are simply beautiful! I really like the sunflower card and how you made the plaid line up with the background strip and the flower. Also, great colouring (as usual) on all the cards. Fabulous work! Thanks so much!

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  29. Mel, I love all your cards!! The CAS Merry Christmas is so adorable and fantastic!! CASEing it :)

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  30. Wow, Melanie, these are all so beautiful and creative. I couldn't wait to get to your blog to see what you came up with for your own design. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. Melanie, I just love your stamps. You have given us some absolutely beautiful images to work with. Your cards are just beautiful. TFS

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  32. Love the sunflower stamped on the DP paper! That makes such a pretty card!

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  33. sooo CAS! and stamping the flower on the background paper is brilliant!
    than k you!
    Holly

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  34. WOW! I love the sunflower for Thanksgiving. What a great idea! Your artwork is amazing and so are your cards! Love the elegance of the Christmas card and the other two are just gorgeous.

    Hugs,
    Snoopy :D

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  35. Oh wow, these are all so beautiful, but I have to say the collage card is my favorite

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  36. Love this sunflower image and the others on this site. Really want to tru your tip of stamping on patterned paper and lining up with border. So neat! Those vases are great; so many ways to use them.

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  37. Melanie, I love your stamp designs. You are a favorite. Louise

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  38. Love your Target inspired flower card, Mel, and the patterned sunflower is awesome! Thanks for another fabulous flower set! I adore your CAS cards, too!

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  39. Beautiful beautiful cards, you are so talented, thanks

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  40. Congratulations Melanie! More winners!!!! I would have never thought to use plaid pp for a flower & coloring the center like that! Brilliant, as your cards are stunners!!!

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  41. Great projects! I love the new sets, they are so pretty!

    Carol B
    ciaoitalia2007(at)gmail(dot)com

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  42. Melanie,
    Fabulous cards!! Very inspirational.
    I loved that you stamped on the patterned paper!! Love the way you hung the mistletoe on the Christmas card!! Thanks for sharing your talents!!!
    Barb

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  43. loved the cards. Thanks for sharing.

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  44. LOVE the CAS!!! These stamps just make it happen :D

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  45. Love the pattern paper in the 1st card, and stunning simplicity in the last

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  46. Beautiful cards love the sunflower and the vases super cute. thanks for sharing

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  47. Great stamp set Melanie! Love how you stamped onto the pattern paper and the CAS designs. Great color combo for the second card.

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  48. All four cards are wonderful. I love the 1st on with the dp sunflower. love the second one with all the flowers, but, I'm so loving the mistletoe card, CAS. beautiful. And of course the 4th one is very pretty.

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  49. Love, love, LOVE the stately flowers stamp set! Your cards are stunning!

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  50. I love the sunflower card. Your idea of stamping on the plaid and then matching it up to the strip of plaid paper is excellent!

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  51. Wow, really stunning work today! I love the look you created with the collaged sunflowers. And the card you created with Theresa's set has an amazing impact too!

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  52. Great paper pieced sunflower. I also really like the two very simplistic cards. The rhinestones set both of them off so well, as does the single black base.

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  53. Love the whimsical and the pop of color. Beautiful cards

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  54. Melanie, I love your simple style. I love how the sunflower blends into the patterned paper on the side.

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  55. Awesome! love the little chevron on the sunflower card!
    Paper Hugs,
    Jan

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  56. Lots of wonderful cards--love the plaid sunflower.

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  57. Oooh Melanie, I'm in love. . . . with your sunflower! Fantastic job!

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  58. The plaid sunflower was terrific anf great job lining. The mistletoe card is so pretty too. Also thanks for the tutorial on coloring. I always can use help with that.

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  59. Too funny. I love your simple mistletoe card! Beautiful! These are all stunning, and yet another reason that I will have to buy this stately flowers set!

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  60. I always look forward to the diversity of style with your cards and you didn't disappoint here! Love them all but have to say the 2 super clean styles are beyond gorgeous, especially your mistletoe card...WOW!

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  61. I love how you did the first one! They are all great cards!

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  62. I'm loving your Stately Flower sets, and the ways you use them. Plaid sunflower? Interestingly done! Keep up the good design work! I love them.

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  63. Lovely cards. My favourite is the sunflower card. I like how you thought "outside the box" and coloured in shades of pink instead. Very striking with the black and grey.

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  64. Beautifully done Melanie and love your newest stamp sets. You are right...that yellow sunflower is a happy flower, I love that card.

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  65. OHHHHHHHH that plaid sunflower is pure genius!!!! I love that!!! And of course....pink sunflowers...now that hot pink trend is one I can do!! LOL

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  66. Beautiful work. Love the bold colors. The kistletoe is my favorite.

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  67. LOL! I always leave here with my jaw hanging open!

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  68. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Love the paper piecing on the sunflower.

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  69. very nice. Such great ideas thanks for the inspiration.

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  70. i love how you added the unexpected. Thanks for sharing. i am your newest follower

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  71. Your cards are beautiful. I love most of your work

    Blessings,
    Kat

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  72. Your cards are just beautful.

    Blessings,
    Kat

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  73. You can never do a too CAS card for me!That's my favorite one of yours today!

    Kris in Alaska
    funamom at yahoo dot com

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  74. Stunning cards, Melanie! I would never have guessed that is faux stitching on your first card! And I absolutely love your sunflower card!

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  75. Love,love your cards Melanie so gorgeous !I love the sunflowers one! Glad that hot pink is next year's color, just love that color!

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  76. STUNNING! You did a beautiful job showing the beauty of your set and the For You card is so sweet and lovely!

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  77. Wow how Beautiful love all of the cards the colors and the layering is so perfect. thanks for sharing

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  78. I love all your stamps and would own every set if I could afford them all! I particularly like your pieced sunflower card So used to piecing things like clothing, or hot air balloons, etc, that using a patterned paper for something like a realistic flower never occurred to me. Love it!

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Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)