For Your Inspiration Challenge #3 - Sunshine and Smiles!

Hi Everyone, 

There is a wonderful new challenge blog that is just beginning called For Your Inspiration - where every two weeks there is a wonderful inspiration picture provided and you create anything you want based on that inspiration (whether it is sewing, paper, jewelry, etc!) One project will be chosen for each inspiration and that lucky person will be the Lovely Lotus for that week's challenge. 

This week, I have the total honor of being their guest designer and I was so excited when I saw this beautiful inspiration picture for this week's FYI # 3 Challenge :

Isn't it just gorgeous!?! As soon as I saw this picture I just fell in love! It reminded me of when I visited Lake Como in Italy - the blues and yellows from the sun just immediately took me back to such happy times and memories that I couldn't wait to make a happy sunshiney card! I knew I wanted to create a scene similar to the picture above and used one of my favorite Verve Stamps: Let It Shine! This set is truly so happy and has soooo many yummy suns :) perfect for a sunshiney card :)

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Let It Shine! from Verve Stamps

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bahama Blue and Danube Blue

Paper: Crate Paper and blue paper from Prism papers

Dies: Charming Oval Die from A Cut Above from Verve Stamps

Accessories: Scallop punch from EK success, wave punch from Fiskars, Martha Stewart edge punch, liquid pearls (buttercup), dimensionals, sponger and ribbon from stash

I loved making this card - I tried to use similar blues and also tried to use some golden yellow in the waves to mimic the sunshine on the lake. I sponged some clouds and stamped the sun from the  Let It Shine! stamp set and then stamped it again by popping it up on dimensionals. I finished it off with some liquid pearls and some ribbon from my stash. I stamped the sentiment (by mixing three different inks) onto a newly released die from A Cut Above dies from Verve Stamps: Charming Oval Die.

I adore challenges like this because it totally opens the window of creativity - you can create anything with how this inspiration picture inspires you! I can't wait to check out the cards created by the amazing design team from the  For Your Inspiration Challenge blog! 

A huge thank you to Stephanie for allowing me to be the guest designer today! Thank you! I can't wait to play along with the future challenges!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)