A Blog Named Hero challenges you to go CAS!

Hi friends!

It's time for a new challenge over at A Blog Named Hero and this time we're asking you to go

and again we're playing with the delightful

this month and it's so super easy to make cards with these stamps, they practically make themselves!

Here's a sneak peek of my card,

and as always we're offering up a

thanks to our delightful sponsors

 head on over to the blog and check it out! You could win :)

We'd love to see your entries.

See you again soon!

Linda x

Hero Arts Cling Stamp GRATITUDE BACKGROUND cg644	Hero Arts Mix Layering Papers MIDNIGHT Hues PS697	Hero Arts Shadow Ink Pad WET CEMENT Mid-Tone AF213	*Neenah Classic Crest **110 LB** SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper Pack 25 Sheets
3M Scotch DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE Permanent	Lawn Fawn STITCHED HILLSIDE BORDERS Lawn Cuts Dies	Copic Sketch BLUE BLENDING KIT Markers	Copic Sketch PINK BLENDING KIT Markers
Copic Sketch Marker BLENDING TRIO 1 Set One 53454	Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad VF-82

InLinkz.com

Joy Taylor Week 3!!

Hi everyone!!

We're back with another gorgeous card from our dear guest blogger Joy Taylor!

Here it is:

Beautiful isn't it?!

Here are the steps Joy took to make it--

Cut white card stock to form the card, using another piece of white card stock cut slightly smaller then the card front and using the Hero Arts, Branch and Flourish Tree inked with Versamark, stamp onto the white card stock and emboss with white embossing powder. 

Next, taking the Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and Foam Blending tool, cover the entire card stock by blending the ink over, making an emboss resist finish.  Once happy with the look, take the Hero Arts, Magical Background stamp inked with more Tumbled Glass and stamp directly over the image, giving it a tone on tone effect.

Add more Stormy Sky Distress Ink around the edges of the image, wipe excess ink off over the embossed area using a baby wipe to make it stand out more.

Add Liquid Pearls, Silver Pearl to the tree and leave to dry. 

Taking more white card stock, tear along one edge to form snow peaks, add touches of Stormy Sky to the torn edges and adhere under the embossed tree. 

Lastly, add a sentiment the bottom of the snow peaks, adding rhinestones either side of the sentiment and adhere the image to the front of the card using foam dimensionals.

This is a great way to use different techniques to create a fun card!

Here are the tools she used to create it:

Copic Marker X-Press Blending Card
Stampendous Stamp N Stuff Embossing Powder White Opaque
Hero Arts Magical Background Stamp
Hero Arts Branch and Flourish Tree
Hero Arts Sending Holiday Cheer Stamp
Memento Tuxedo black ink
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Tumbled Glass
Inkssentials Foam Blending Tool
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Stormy Sky
Ranger Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls Glue
Tsukineko Versamark Watermark Ink
Hero Arts Clear Gemstones
Glue Arts Mounting Adhesive Squares Well did you love it as much as us?! Till next time Dear Friends-- Take care and Happy Crafting! Linda

Guest Blogger Joy Taylor!!!

Hello friends!!

I'm super excited today because we have a good friend of mine as a guest blogger- Joy Taylor! 

excited!!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist it when I did a google image search of "excited" and saw it was a crocodile!)

Joy will be with us every Wednesday throughout October, sharing her beautiful creations and if we're lucky, she might even let us in on some handy techniques and hints *wink*.

This is the lovely Joy

Now, if any of you frequent the Hero Arts group over on flickr, you'll know exactly who I'm talking about.  Joy is not only one of the nicest ladies around (and a fellow Australian :)), she makes EXQUISITE cards that are very simple but super elegant and eye-catching.  She's also a current Hero Arts Hostess! *impressed applause*

Given that a lot of you are beginner card-makers, we thought it would be great for you to see that with just a  little technique know-how and some simple steps, you too can make a glorious card. 

So now, it's over to Joy...

Hi everyone!

I live in a small town, in Southern New South Wales with my partner Darryl and our furbaby, Roly. I currently work part time, but like all us crafters would love to see my passion for the craft to turn into my daily job…oh to dream!

I have been crafting especially stamping on and off for about 16 years now and absolutely love it, although I love all crafts, stamping is my passion, I love to create and have fun with the craft, learning new techniques as I go along.

Just recently my partner allowed me to take ownership of one of the spare rooms that we have in our house and he has built all of my craft furniture custom made for my passion for crafting.  I love that I have everything at my finger tips and come and go as I please, it really is my little haven and I adore my space.

I currently design for a company in New York and just recently, have been asked if I would like to try out designing for Jay Gee’s Nook, and I have to say that I am thrilled and honoured to be asked, I am excited and looking forward venture ahead.

I have met the most amazing people through the love of this craft and ones like the lovely Linda who asked me to do a bit of Guest Blogging for this amazing company that supports Celiac and Behcet's Disease.  I have a family member who has Celiac Disease and felt I wanted to give back a little and well this is my way.

My hope is that I inspire you to create and have fun crafting as much as I do!

Here is my card;

Here's a step by step of what I did:

1. Cut white card stock to size.
2. Blend Black Soot Distress Ink over the entire front of the card.
3. Stamp the Hero Arts Canvas Stripe Background stamp using Memento Tuxedo Black ink over the top.
4. Using a Spellbinders, Label 8 die cut a second piece of cardstock and stamp the images (from the Hero Arts What’s Perking stamp set.)  
5. Colour them in with the Copics. 
6. Use Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks and blend over the top of the die cut to give a more aged look. 
7. Adhere the die cut to the front of the card, adding white string to the bottom to finish the card.

And here are the tools I used to create it;

Copic Marker X-Press Blending Card

Spellbinders Label 8 Die
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
       Ranger Distress Inks - Black Soot, Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy

Stamps- Hero Arts Canvas Stripe and Hero Arts What's Perking
Copics - B97,B95,B93 and YG25, YG23,YG21
Others:

Sanford Signio White Uni-ball Pen

Twine,

3L 3D Permanent Foam Squares

Ranger Inkssential Foam Blending Tool

--ooOOoo-- 

So how did you like Joy's card?! We'd love to hear comments, thoughts etc.  Joy will be back next Wednesday with another gorgeous creation!

Till next time lovelies, take care!!

Linda x

Guest Blogger Virginia Lu and a Challenge!

Hi there friends!! Happy Wednesday!!!

Today I'm SO excited, because we have a special friend of ours visiting, Virginia! 

this was me when Virginia agreed to be a guest blogger :)

Virginia's blog HERE is just fantastic and her creations are even more so.  She's not only funny as all get-out and sweet, thoughtful and just all-around lovely, she's SUPER-creative!!

I check in on Virginia's blog daily (even though I'm signed up for the alerts when a new post comes up, I can never wait!) and I'm consistantly amazed and impressed with not only how versatile Virginia's style is, but what comes out of her inspiration!  

I'm a very "literal translation" kind of girl (maybe it comes from learning languages?!) so when I see an inspiration photo, my 'translation' into a card is usually quite similar to the original. 

Here's an example: I recently participated in the etsy inspired challenge, this was my inspiration photo:

which is from the amazing Becky Kazana's etsy shop (HERE).

and here's what I made:

See what I mean?! LITERAL.  I saw flowers, I made flowers, I saw yellow, I made yellow.  lol!  (You can see the full details of this card HERE)  

But Virginia?! Nuh-uh. She's AMAZINGLY creative and participates in challenges constantly, which has made her a truly innovative cardmaker. 

SO, when she agreed to be a special guest on the a2z blog, we were so excited!!  Virginia's cards are rarely super-extravagant, they're almost never highly embellished.  They're clean and simple, they're sweet and fun and kooky (just like Virginia I think!!).  Hopefully seeing some of her creations will inspire those of you who lack experience (or are just a bit low on mojo).  I know I've used her creations as inspiration MANY times.

Therefore, without further ado, I give you Virginia's first specially designed for our blog Halloween Card "Boo!";

 

See what I mean?! Simple, effective, funny, kooky--FABULOUS!!

Here are some step-by-step instructions straight from Virginia:

1. Stamp house in Versamark and emboss in white on black card stock

2. Cut the house and set it aside

3: Distress the pumpkin color card stock with Antique Linen

4: Run the bottom throught Cuttlbug with Bubbles folder

5: Use hard surfaced sponge and lightly colored the pop-up bubbles

6. Stamp the ghost images in black and cut them out.

7. Plaace all pieces and plan out for space to sentiment

8: Stamp BOO with the Alphabet set and trim and layer them in squares.

9: Apply Glossy Accent on the eyes of ghosts and the letter BOO

and how about this one "

SO CUTE!!! This is my favorite of the two, only because a) I giggled when I saw that little guy sitting in the tree and imagined his crazy high-pitched voice saying YOO HOO!!! and b) that's pretty much what I look like when I wake up in the morning :)

Again, here are some instructions:

1. Stamp house in Versamark and emboss in pink on grey card stock

2. Cut the house and set it aside

3. Distress the grey color card stock with Weathered Jeans 

4. Stamp the pumkins in black card stock and cut out.

5. Stamp the pumpkins in green using masking technique

6. Adhere the pumkins with pop dots

7. Emboss the little owl in white and stamp the branches (using makers or small cubes of ink)

8. Attach raffia at the bottom, place the houses with pop dots

9. Apply Stickles in background for the starry sky

--ooOOoo--

NOW--usually, we give you a list of links for the exact products you'll need to recreate a card or project.  But this time I want to do things a little differently. You will still get a list of products, but the main Hero Arts Stamps that I've listed are slightly different than those Virginia used.

I've done this, because rather than having you all go out and copy Virginia's gorgeous cards down to the letter, I thought--this blog is called "Creativity and Inspiration".  So that's your Challenge--be inspired to make your OWN version! Change things up, make the house different or the tree or the owl a little different, anything!

Use these cards as INSPIRATION for your own creation to come out, not a carbon copy of Virginia's.  Trust me, you'll feel better about it if it's truly yours. 

THEN, we'd love it if you either emailed us with photos of what you make, or uploaded them to our flickr gallery! (Just search on flickr for a2zscrapbookingsupplies)--of course, we'd also love it if you'd join our flickr group!

Show us how someone as amazing and inspiring as Virginia, has inspired you! (I know she'd love to see it too!)

So here are the links:

Stampendous Stamp N Stuff Embossing Powder White Opaque

Tsukineko Tuxedo Black ink

Tsukineko VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad

Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen)

Cuttlebug Swiss dots Embossing Folder 

Hero Arts Country Pumpkin Stamp
Hero Arts Two Houses Stamp
Hero Arts Owl-oween Stamp
Tsukineko Tuxedo Black ink  

Copic Markers

Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents

Tim Holtz Distress Ink  (Faded Jeans)
Ranger Frosted Lace Stickles  

umm, how perfect is this?!

Now:  do like the poster says!! GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS!!!

A huge thank you to Virginia for these gorgeous creations.

Talk to you soon lovelies--can't wait to see what you make!

Linda xx