Inspiration Hop, Day 2: Under the Sea and Enjoy the Journey

Welcome to Day 2 of our Inspiration Hops with the Gina K Designs team! As you hop through their blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each of them because we will choose a few random comments and those stampers will each win a grab bag of deeply etched, pre-cut Gina K. Designs stamps! 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 Theresa Momber's new Under the Sea set(available in clear or rubber), perfect for summer! My husband has had marine aquariums as a hobby for over 25 years so he will love all the gorgeous sea life in this set! I decided to use the sea turtles today, don't have any in my collection!
Create a simple, sponged background with Memento Bahama Blue on Pure Luxury White and stamp on the seaweed randomly in Bahama Blue and Bamboo Leaves. Stamping off to get a second shade will create a lot of depth. Add the smaller turtle and a few fish silhouettes. Finally color and cut out this cute turtle! I was looking for some bubbles in the set and then realized a little bling here and there for sparkle would be so much better! "Just keep swimming!"

Come back this week for more samples with Theresa's set. My blog feed is working again, yay!
Next we have Rupa Shevde's Enjoy the Journey (available in clear or rubber), what a great travel set! After staring at all the images and greetings for a few minutes, I decided I wanted to make shaped card, look how simple to make this suitcase....
First, score Pure Luxury Tan Leather cardstock and fold to create a side fold card. cut off about inch of the folded side. This will leave you with a front and back panel that you know you will fit in a envelope. Round the corners with a small corner rounder punch. Then cut the folded part for your handle. Round the corners and cut out the inside in a U shape. Sponge Vintage Photo Distressing ink all over to add depth and bring out the beautiful grain of the leather cardstock.
Open the handle and put a little adhesive at each corner.

Gently fold back together with pressing together, hold the front and back of card together to make sure they are lined up, then pinch the handle closed over the front and back and old for a few seconds to let the glue set.
Now add some little details to finish the case, like piercing the corners with the Scor-Bug and Scor-Buddy, add adhesive nailheads for bling. I also collage stamped the compass to add interest.
Stamp on the globe in black and then stamp again on white CS and color. Cut out the colored image and adhere with pop dots over first image so you can see those lines encircling the globe.
Create tag from leather and white cardstock and stamp greeting.

Please enjoy the rest of the hop, thank you for visiting!

• Gina K
• Theresa Momber Illustrator- Under The Sea
• AJ Otto
• Cathy Tidwell
• Deb Felts
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Lori McAree
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Suzanne Dean
• Tina Gilliland
• Vicki Dutcher

Inspiration Hop: Stately Flowers 4 and Ticket Trio

Good morning! I hope you were able to attend our release party yesterday, and welcome to our first day of Gina K Designs Inspiration Hops with the design team! As you hop through their blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each of them because we will choose a few random comments and those stampers will each win a grab bag of deeply etched, pre-cut Gina K. Designs stamps! 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 the latest in my Stately Flowers series, Stately Flowers 4 (available in clear or rubber). This set contains 8 images-5 flowers, 3 butterflies (butterflies!!) and 13 sentiments (9 greetings, including the very versatile "To:" and "From:" for tags!), and 4 state names- Hawaii, Ohio, West Virginia and Washington.) While I *love* the last couple sets I've released, it was hard taking a few months off this Staely Flowers series so I'm glad to be playing in the flowers again! Thanks to ALL of you who wrote to Gina and me asking when it was coming back, hope you love the new set! :)

These blooms are terrific for inchies! I thought these little vignettes, or "moments in time"(which are actually 1 1/4 inchies here, that's my smallest square punch!) were perfect with this new sentiment, Cherish every moment!

Cardstock is Pure Luxury White, Key Lime, and Black Onyx. It's hard to see in he photo but I outlined the flowers with coordinating Stardust pens and added Inkssentials White pen to the butterfly wing spots, really makes them pop!

And here is the full card from my sneak peek the other day! Base is Pure Luxury Wild Dandelion, scored on the sides to add interest. love all these colors you can make these flowers! Anyone want me to post a Copic coloring tutorial? TIP: Cut on the lines in between the petals when you are popping these flower images up, this allow you to add more shape and curve to each petal, pulling and pushing them out and in with your fingers for a more dimensional, realistic look.
The next card uses the carnations and a little distressing inks sponged on to add warmth to the white mat. The torn edge and reveal of white goes so well with the jagged carnation petals and adds texture.

I couldn't resist adding this little branch (free file included with machine!) I cut from Pure Luxury Grass Green CS with my Silhouette Cameo that I showed you a few weeks ago, it goes so nicely with all these florals!
The smaller carnation is perfect for popping up over the carnation buds on the larger image to add dimension and variety. There are so many ways to color carnations, and you can use one marker to get a realistic look, don't even need to blend!
It will be hard not to add a butterfly from now on to all the Stately Flowers cards I make! (full card using this embossed background next week)

Hope you love the three in this set, although I read while drawing the series there are NO butterflies in Hawaii? Rosy, can you confirm?? :) I will try to resist the impulse, but with the hibiscus only! ;)

Finally a couple "no color" examples: hibiscus stamped in Memento Tangelo and Pear Tart. Butterflies stamped in Tuxedo Black on Pure Luxury Key Lime and Blue Raspberry cardstock. Love how quickly these large flowers can a make a colorful, no coloring required background, with lots of detail!
Sentiment is stamped on Pure Luxury Turquoise Sea and cropped with a Circle Nestabilities. Base is Sweet Mango.
And last, I had to try making a little distressed Kraft tag with the rhododendron! Tutorial coming soon, plus a distressed embossed card to put it on, grab your distressing inks!
You may have seen these designs at the party, tell me below in the comments which is/was your favorite! :)

Next up, we have Ticket Trio (available in clear or rubber) from Tami Mayberry.

I decided to make a Girls' Night Out card with the pink chevron DP from the Gina K Pure Luxury Sunshiny Day pack. Cardstock is Pure Luxury Passionate Pink, Smoky Slate, and Black Onyx.
I don't currently have dies to cut these stamps, so instead I stamped them out side by side on a strip of cardstock in black, then pierced dots in between to perforate with my Scor-Bug and Scor-buddy, and trimmed the corners with scissors. The gray mat is Cuttlebugged with Seeing Spots and embellished with adhesive rhinestones.
Thanks for visiting and please enjoy the rest of the hop with our team and these two sets!!!

• Gina K
• Melanie Muenchinger Illustrator – Stately Flowers 4-you are here!
  
• Tami Mayberry Illustrator – Ticket Trio
• AJ Otto
• Carolyn King
• Cathy Tidwell
• Deb Felts
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Lori McAree
• Sharon Harnist
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Vicki Dutcher

Finally, please subscribe to my blog today! The feed has not been updating properly for the past couple weeks, but I am hoping it will work itself out shortly! Using both the Following option and Feedburner subscription I hope will allow you to get posts without missing something important. Thank you very much!