Clean and simple advanced - meet Wenche:)

Lately I've been drawn to the clean and simple style. It's a style hard to manage for me, and I'm so amazed by what others are able to create. The Norwegain scrapbooker Wenche is probably one of the best I like at this style.



What I really like is her way to use colors and the fun pictures she takes of her two boys, just look at this:



This is probably one of my favorites:)
Look at that little Winnie-the-Pooh, eating his yoghurt. Translated the title is: "Winnie-the-Pooh doesn't only eat honey":)


With so little Wenche creates the most beautiful LO's, less is certainly more in her albums!



I certainly recomend a visit to her blog to look at all her work! It's a lot of inspiration there!

Such a talented lady!

I am of course, talking about Stephanie Garbett! I have been following her blog for a long time now, and was thrilled when she became part of the Scrapbook Magazine DT, meaning we could all admire her fabulous Scrapbook pages even more!

Stephanie has a unique style, and her scrapbook layouts are instantly recognisable. Always incorporating her trademark stitching techniques, her work is bold. colourful and captivating. I can not count the times I have taken a second and third look at a page and seen yet another detail I didn't notice before.

By now you have probably seen some of Stephanies fabulous work somewhere, but if not, she is also on many other design teams, including Scrap, Paper, Scissors and Scribble, Scrabble.

This talented lady's work is sure to have you scrolling down for more, so free up some time (you will need it!) and sit down to admire the work on Stephanies blog, 'Stephanie Garbett'

Carries Cages

Let me introduce ... Carrie, a wonderfuly talented lady, whos work has been a love of mine for a long while now, sure to make your jaw drop! Her creations and range of crafts is amazing, she can work wonders with any medium and what she can do with ink and paper, well I will leave that for you to enjoy looking through.

So pull up a seat and prepare to be amazed, Carries blog is one that will have you visiting again and again! Enjoy! xx

A Load of Old Pickle..........

I don't know about a Load of Old Pickle but there is certainly a Load of New Cards over at Kerry's wonderful blog. I loved the fresh colours and feeling of lightness in her creations. Her designs and beautiful colouring all add to the beauty of her cards. I really like the areas of white space she creates on her cards too. Pop over and visit Kelly HERE.

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The amazing Irene Tan.

Every once in a while, an artist who really inspires us comes into our crafty lives. Someone who not only makes the most stunning pieces of art work, but who you can constantly learn from.

For me, this person is the extremely talented Irene Tan.

A mother of two from Malaysia, Irene Tan is a most gifted artist, who as she says, "loves the beauty of combining art and creativity with the magnificent world of scrapping and crafting."

This is so apparent when you look at her many gorgeous makes on her blog, which if you spend the time to study each one, you will see just how much time and care Irene must put into them.

Irene is always coming up with new techniques using a myriad of materials and ideas to achieve her breathtaking makes. What i like about Irene is that she is only too willing to share these techniques, so there is always something to learn from.

Even as a long time fan of Irene's work, i found myself unbelievably sidetracked looking through her blog whilst writing this post. Far too many lovely projects to look at, which is never a bad thing! From scrap booking and card making to altered art, Irene has something for everyone.

So pop over to Irene's blog "Scrapperlicious" and spend some time admiring her work, without which the world would be a much duller place!

Thank you Irene.

Cool Catz

Teresa is so talented that when she has a new idea she literally makes it come to life!!

Here she wanted to make her layout look like the pages of a book opening to reveal it's contents. The design of this layout always makes me go Wow, It is so 3D it nearly comes out of the screen! Her attention to detail is incredible just look at the little hand-cut birds on the bottom...so cute and so clever.


More amazing layers and hand-cut letters, flowers and hearts of every size and style.

Teresa made this layout to show off her new coffee mug......it must be some special mug to be given the Catz grand treatment!! Look closely and you'll have a hard time figuring out where the layers start and end.

So please click HERE to visit Teresa at "Scrap-This" where you will discover that not everything is Black and White but it is also pinks, greens and blues and pretty rosy from where I am sitting.

OutsideThe Lines ....

this is an amazing blog owned by Linsey, omg I must of lost hours trawling through her blog finding scrummy cards like these ....

To wonderful creations like these .....

Pop on over to Linsey's blog Outside The Lines and say Hi!!!

xxxx

schwooo! by stampinangie

Hi everyone! Today I get to bring you another one of my favorite paper crafters. Angie Tieman and her blog, schwooo! by stampinangie. This first card was published in the January/February issue of Paper Crafts magazine. Gorgeous!

I just love Angie's style. I've been admiring her work for almost a year. I always look forward to seeing her new creations. I'm inspired by everything she makes.





















I love the distressed edges and the use of pom poms.













I love her layouts and the perfect use of embellishments.



















This last card is one of my new favorites. I love the woodgrain paper and the stitching.


Make yourself of cup tea or coffee and enjoy Angie's work today. Have a good weekend everyone.

Hello, Come On In, Welcome to Funky Phresh

If you want to take a trip HOME, then pull up a chair and let's visit this amazing blog together. I don't think I've ever stumbled upon such a place that made me feel this way. It's like going back home for awhile. I want you to meet Nathalia and her beautiful creations. Not only will you see her love of crafting but her love of family and life jumps off the pages as you go along.
I can honestly say she can do everything. Take a look at these beautiful cards. So many patterns and layers and techniques to admire. You can't take it all in with a glance, if you are like me you want to put them up to the light to be able to see every little fold and crease. Not only do we get a pretty picture, we get many pictures and angles and tutorials that tell us exactly how she made them.




Did I mention shapes?? Thought not. Nathalia has no favorite shape, be it square, round, oval, or boxed, she never misses a beat.





If the card doesn't fit, never mind, she will create a gift bag.



I'm so glad I happened upon Nathalia's little house on the web. She is such an awesome artist and I'd like to thank her now for allowing me to share her creations with all of you. Thank all of you for visiting with me today and be sure to visit her blog. She has so much more to share. This was only a glimpse into her beautiful world.
You can also see her creations at The Cuttlebug and Caardvark's challenge blogs where she is on both design teams.

Inspiration Jumping out of this blog

I wanted a certain shaped card for one of my projects so I googled it, this wonderful blog came up in the search and I found what I was looking for!!!

Mel Stampz is a blog owned by the wonderful Mel as well as being a wonderful crafter herself (lots of her work features on the blog) she gives tutorials, links to other amazing blogs, etc

Mel has all the posts put into categories, which is a fantastic way to find what you are looking for. Here is just a small picking of photos from her blog ....





As you can see Mel gives fantastic photo details, she also lists all the materials you will need, she even lists the materials that she used. There are 27 photos for this tutorial.











Did I mention there are 100's of links to other places where you can find templates, tutorials, videos, etc on Mel's Blog.

Do go check out Mel Stampz, you will be amazed at all the Inspiration there is on this blog.

xxxx

Introducing Inger Marie...

I recently stumbled across Inger Maries blog recently and was captivated by the beautiful Designs she produces. She is a cardmaker who also makes boxes, decorates eggs and much more.

Inger Marie started blogging in January 2007 and each piece she shows us is just as spectacular as the last.

She was introduced to stamping by a friend and has never looked back. She now spends all her free time making cards, and is talented enough to be part of the Magnolia DT!

So pop on over to her blog 'Inger-Marie-Kortdesign' and catch up on two years worth of delightful and inspiring work.

Introducing Dustin Pike...

While blog hopping over the last few weeks I have noticed a sudden abundance of the very cutest dragons imaginable appearing on many crafter's cards. Eventually I followed a link and found myself looking at the art work of Dustin Pike.

Oh wow I didn't even know I liked dragons quite so much until I saw these these cuties. Dustin draws other cute creatures too...

Many of Dustin's images can be bought from his Digi store, but he also very kindly shares some of his creations for free. Oh I love that word! Dustin has what he calls 'Give away Wednesdays' where he draws an image especially to share with visitors to his blog.

I understand from Dustin's blog that he will soon be releasing his own range of rubber stamps. I can't wait to see those.

I do hope you will pay Dustin a visit (he got some bad news on Monday and this would probably be a good time for some support) and take a look at his wonderful designs. Dustin is certainly someone to watch over the coming months.

Allow me to introduce you to Tiffiny Sawyer

Now I have been a bit lazy lately and have let my fantastic team do the all of the featuring but I came across Tiffiny's blog and knew I had to share some of her wonderful creations with you all

I absolutely love her style and could have featured EVERY creation but then you'd have no reason to go and check out her fantastic BLOG would you ;)

Liz from Primoriginals!!

I absolutely LOVE Liz from Primoriginals!! Her use of color and sweet characters always make me happy. Please take a look at her amazing work and prepare to be inspired!

Thanks for Looking,
Shonna
Twisted Figures

Liz Weber's blog!!!

Here is a sampling of the GREAT projects by Liz Weber at her blog called "OUR WONDERFUL WORLD".

I am sure you will agree with me that Liz's work is awesome!!! Go see more for yourself and get INSPIRED!!! Oh, and she creates wonderful sketches too!!! Thanks Liz for the inspiration!!!

Let me introduce you to 'One Messy Crafter'

I was sat quite happily eating my bowl of cheerios and blog hopping when I came across this little gold mine of delights. I actually put my bowl down (a rare event) so that I could look through the gorgeous creations by Annika .

I just fell in love with this gorgeous card, such attention to detail and fabulous colours.

Stunning inside and out with pretty finishing touches.

This card really made me smile, again more fabulous embellishments and wonderful details continued through the whole card.

Grab a coffee and pay this wonderful messy crafter a visit . Who cares about the mess when such amazing cards are created!

Marcea -x-

Happy Thoughts and Inkspots

Jeanette Comerford is no stranger to Inspirational, as she was featured back in Oct. of last year. I would like to feature her again because she is definitely an inspiration. I became a follower of her blog Happy Thoughts & Inkspots a while back and she has been an inspiration to me. Not only is she a talented stamper but also an amazing and sweet Christian Lady.
She is on several design teams and I have the privilege of serving with her on the Sweet 'n Sassy DT. Her cards are always so detailed and her coloring is amazing as you can see in her work featured bellow.








Please take the time to stop by her blog Happy Thoughts & Inkspots to see more, you too will be inspired by her beautiful work.

HELLO DOLLY ....

One of the many blogs I follow is Dorthe of Den Lille Lade, Dorthe is a Mixed Media Artist from Denmark. Dorthe creates the most exquisite dolls, she has a passion for all materials, her love of fabrics, metal, wood. papers, buttons, jewellery all come together in creating these amazing pieces. If you haven't stopped by her blog before ... I urge you to hop on by.




A beautiful Sea Fairy Doll


Meet the purpose doll named "Spring" ... aren't those colours so perfect for this seasonal doll


Created using driftwood from Dorthe's local beach.


Dont you just love this hot pink witch doll.



Another witch doll who has a passion for dancing ....


Dorthe also creates fabric art ... I just love this fabric wall hanging, the texture and softness of this piece makes it look like it is from decades gone by.

Analise's sweet and sugar creations

There is always a moment when a girl needs some sugary sweetness. When I feel this urge, I go visit Analise. Her blog is 100% sugar! She's the queen of pink and blue, and her creations are pure sweetness. Every single thing she does is incredibly cute.

Her style is definitely vintage, like a sweet perfume reminding old good time, when life was easier... Her creations are amazing because you can feel that every single piece of stuff is lovingly chosen. Analise is in love with vintage craft material, and if you go visit her blog, you'll understand quickly how far goes this love.

If I have to give a prize to the sweetest banners in the world, the ones she creates would easily win! I highly recommand to discover the details on those banners below. I adore the pink string candies, the fabric hearts, the ballerina, the tiny candles, and ok, every single piece!

My all-time favorite, I wish I can show it bigger :

Visit Analise's blog for full details, and prepare yourself to a flood a pink sugary sweetness. I'm not joking! And beware... that's addicting! :)

A New Design

Ashley Newell is one of my favorite paper crafters. You need to check out her blog, A New Design. She is amazingly talented! I love her style. It's fresh and young. She recently started filming YouTube videos.

Look at this first card. Like a lot of her work, it looks like it came out of the pages of Cards or Paper Crafts magazine (her work has been published in both magazines). I need to make a birthday card for my niece. This card is good inspiration for me.

This next card is stunning. I never thought to combines those colors together. I love all her details.



If you are a fan of Papertrey Ink, you will love Ashley's work even more. She features of a lot of their stamps, papers, inks and ribbons in her designs, like the following gorgeous creation.















This next card is very fun too. I love stitching on cards. That yellow trim is fun.


















Isn't this layout super cute? Ashley's husband, Mac, is a professional photographer. Ashley helps Mac during his photo shoots. Here's a cute layout of Layla, a child Mac recently photographed.

I love these Prima-style lollipop flowers Ashley made. I also love the way she used ribbon to make the stems.


Thanks for looking at just a small sample of Ashley's work. Check out her blog today and say Hi. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Joey's Wonderful Stuff!!

I love visiting Joey's blog - Her cards are fresh, fun and she has so much up to date gorgeous stamps. Her style is clean with great layering and beautiful colouring.

So much cute images under one roof, a very talented lady indeed..

I love how she just adds that extra little touch to her cards which just makes you say " Aww I wish I'd thought of that!!"

You can hop over and visit Joey's Stuff HERE

Go For A Visit To Olde Country Creations

I have loved being able to share blogs that I find. There is so much talent, it is incredible. I also love that I am always able to find new blogs that I start following. I have found a card blog that I love, and I absolutely must let you know about it :) I have followed her blog for a while because she creates cards, but do not take that lightly. These cards are exquisite. Each card she puts so much of herself into. I think what stands out the most to me is her eye for embracing the little details that she places on each creation. She has a knack for seeing the one object that is needed to make a great project, extraordinary. The colouring always perfect, the sentiments always suit the image, and her cards will leave you wanting more. So, I am very honored and proud to introduce Tonya from Olde Country Creations. Ok, so yes, obviously a Texas girl would go with the Country Creator! Do not be misled, though. The olde and country are really not the most appropriate terms for her cards which exude more of a vintage, shabby, sometimes contemporary appeal.
Here are a few of her fabulous cards. Go check her blog out so you can take a peek at everything that she is up to, and you can also browse through her gallery.








I hope that you enjoy Tonya's cards as much as I do. She has such amazing talent. Maybe she can send me some of it :)

Meet Francielle - the queen of details

In april 2008 there was a pregnant woman in Norway who got addicted to scrapbooking.
Oh well, we've all been there, but when I look back at my first LOs I get quite embarrest comparing it with Francielle's beautiful work.
Just look at the progress she've had - this is a LO she posted in her blog in November 2008:
And this is the most resent one in her blogg:
Francielle shows us that she masters the layered techniques:
and the more clean and simple:

What really amazes me though is her details. Her work is filled with small details, with small symbols and tokens. Details is not for me - but looking at these just makes me want to spend hours and hours on my work playing with the small things:


This is one of my favourites:)
A rather simple LO, with a few special details:


Keep up the good work, Francielle:)

Have you seen Michelle's blog?

The moment I saw this card I loved it. Its so pretty and girly plus the fact that its been created by recycling a container is a huge plus for me.

Michelle's blog is called Twisted Chick Creations and is a wonderful blog to visit for inspiration. You can visit her blog by clicking on the link here.

Carols Paper Pantry

Now that sounds like a cupboard full of yummy and interesting things....and believe me it really is!

Carols blog header was the first item that grabbed my attention....little miniature houses set inside the reverse of a canvas. It still makes me go "WOW" everytime I log on.

It turns out that Carol is a bit of an expert at making houses, she teaches classes at her local scrap shop. To see more of this house click HERE

Her super pretty Princess Carriage book is a must see HERE

And when Carol isn't making miniature houses and mini-books she turns her hand to gorgeous layouts like this one!

To visit Carols Paper Pantry click HERE and say G'Day to Carol in Australia.

Step Forward, Rachel!!

This is a small introduction to Rachel, and her blog at Creative Flight. She is a teacher in Leeds, England - she does not tell us much about herslf in words, but her work speaks to us as it is so sensitive and beautiful. I came upon her blog, by chance, finding the above postcard in a challenge list. I have visited a lot since then, and have derived so much inspiration from it, I just had to share.

This 4x4 is delightful, and I feel as if I have seen this view from the canal. I MUST have the linen-look background stamp she used here!!

I think Rachel is the queen of texture. These examples are great samples of her techniques. This ATC used moulding paste, and she stamped into it. Another super facet of her blog is that she explains to us what she uses and how - SO useful, I think!!

She is brilliant at soft, gentle and dreamy, as above and just as fantastic at brash, bright and full of pattern, as below, where she was working in the style of Teesha Moore - I think she captured it SO well, don't you?

Finally, let me share one more piece with you. Rachel created this lovely butterfly and it just captures her beautiful style and sense of balance and colour. Please go and have a look at her lovely work. These are only pieces from April, so you have loads of treats in store, if you go with time to browse further. ENJOY!!

Love and light

Frankie

xx

Here's Kazan...again!

When I found Kazan Clark's blog 'Nunu Toolies' I just had to contact her about featuring her here straight away. Unsuprisingly she was actually featured here last year, but browsing through her blog, there's no way I can not let you see examples of her more recent work. This shaped card was the first thing to catch my eye. It is so delicate and beautiful.

Kazan has a passion for Art, which she expresses through her cardmaking and scrapbooking. She is on a number of Design Teams, including 2sketches4U and Spellbinders. She has had work published in many different magazines, which is no suprise.

When I asked Kazan to describe her inspiration she said this...

'I love to create so when I see gorgeous projects on blogs, magazines or in stores the ideas start rolling. I go all day thinking about a card, layout or project and then once I start the creative process I can't stop - I will work on it until it is complete. I love to work with fellow designers or on a Design Team. It motivates me to stay on top of my game and give a project my best. The friendly competitive nature of challenges also fuels me and gives me creative energy.'

Notice the real twig she has used on this Valentines card? Such an original idea!

And I just adore this 3D photo frame below. Which Mother would not love to receive this as a gift?

So pop on over to Nunu Toolies and refresh your memory, or discover Kazans gorgeous work for the first time...either way, she will not fail to impress you!

Another fantastic card blog

Murielle's Le blog de Scrapmumur. This blog is bursting at the seams with the most beautiful card techniques. Muriell's colouring of her images are perfect. Her cards are out of this world, so much work and detail has gone in to making every single one. Not only are the fronts of the cards spectacular, but the insides are also beautiful.

Murielle does

Stylish and elegant (I adore this card)

Light and airy (aren't the colours stunning)





Bold and boyish (Aren't these two perfect for little boys)









Pink and girly (this is just so, so, girly)

There is so much inspiration and talent in this blog, be sure to delve deep into Murielle's blog. Among the many beautiful cards there are .....

Gift boxes



Shaped mini albums



This amazing 4 piece canvas (I know what I want to do for this Christmas now, wow)



And a scrummy calendar

If you have a couple of hours to spare spend it going back through Muriell's blog, you WILL NOT BE disappointed.

xxxx

Another Gold Mine...6 Wacky Women

I'll never forget the first time I happened upon the blog of 6 Wacky Women. They are a group of friends that together, make up an amazing, talented circle of artists, each one delivering her own special talent to the mix. What I'm sharing with you today I'll title, Karen's Pergamano. Take a look at this first snowflake. I remember saying out loud to my computer..."Oh My Goodness". Have you ever seen anything more delicate or beautiful?



This is called Pergamano or parchment paper craft. I have read that Spanish nuns created this craft sometime during the 16th. century. On my list of things to do, this is definitely number one.



This technique is used mostly for greeting cards but can be used in so many ways I won't even try to name them. Take a close look at the tiny details in each pattern. I can't wait to get the tools to give this a try.



I read somewhere that this is also called "fine embroidery". If you are in a hurry, I would suggest you try something else. Some patterns can take many hours to complete.



I encourage everyone that happens upon this feature to take a trip to Canada ( by blog of course), and check out this amazing art. Every card, quilt, book marker,and ornament are pure perfection. Karen doesn't just throw anything together...she CREATES. When I log on to my pc everyday this is usually my first stop. Be sure and read every post. Believe me..what you see is definitely not what you get (there is so much more and she shares that with everyone). The many layers of each creation is awesome. I hope you all enjoy this blog as much as I do. Thank you 6 Wacky Women , for sharing such talent with the world. Personally, I can't wait to see your post for today.

Check Out Chris' Blog!

I recently came across this amazing blog and have been in awe of the beautiful projects Chris has shared with her readers. This wall hanging in particular really caught my eye -

To check out more of Chris' work you can visit her blog "Creative Journey" by following the link here.

Scrapping with Marla

Gorgeous Mini Book

While blog hopping at the weekend I came upon this Norwegian lady's blog. Her gorgeous layouts and cute photos just jumped right out at me. The layering and texture is just gorgeous and the smaller close up shots show everything off perfectly.

Marla uses such wonderful embellishments from clothes pegs to mesh and multiple layers of papers and paint..

Stop on by and visit Marla HERE, there is so much gorgeous layouts and there are cards too!

Welcome to Kris... another Inspirational Artist

I am proud to present Kris, whose blog, Nostaligic Collage, is so well worth visiting. Kris is an artist from Colorado in the United States. She is a stamper, par excellence, and loves vintage, nostalgic, retro and collage, hence her blog title! Amongst other things, she likes to make moos and twinchies, which she then often adds to an ATC, like the example above.

I love this postcard, which Kris made for a Sunday challenge. It is so well put together and so pretty, don't you think? Such soft, appropriate colours for "Swan Lake".

Kris has such a great style, and a fabulous eye for composition and balance - as well as a "thing" for Marie Antoinette!! The arch was made for an arch challenge, and the set of ATCs were a swap. They are so well matched, yet very individual.

I can not do justice to this published artist, here, in such a few pictures, but I hope you agree with me, that her work is fantastic, and that you go along to her blog, and have a time to browse. Oh! and congratulations, Kris, on your blogaversery on your second blog!!

Love and light

Frankie

xx

Lene's Stempelkrok blog .....

I have just found this blog just last night and luckily Lene has given me permission to feature her fantastic cards on the Inspirational Blog, Lene's cards are just sooo amazing, I love everything about the way she makes her cards.

The embellishments, the papers, the colours and of course the way she colours her cards. I am not going to a lot of writing in this post, I am going to let her wonderful cards do the talking. I didn't realise how many cards I was saving, so instead of me waffling on, I will let you look at the many beautiful cards that Lene has made. Enjoy!

If you do get a chance to visit this amazing blog please do so!

Inspiration At The Paper Posey

This is my second post, and I am so excited to share with you tdoay this amazing woman, and the creations that she handmakes. They are not only inspirational, they are glorious. Each detail is precise, every piece of glitter perfectly placed. Her eye for the littlest item was a marvel. Her creations are more like masterpieces than just crafts. I would like to introduce you to Shellye from the Paper Posey and The Papered Cottage. I was very blessed to become acquainted with Shellye, and even though I loved her layouts and such, I was very clueless as to what she was most capable of. One day, while blog browsing, I came upon hers. She had posted some of her amazing creations, and I was fascinated and overtaken by the beauty. The complete vintage, intricate designs capture a time period long forgotten. In each design, you can see how delicate she has been with each creation. Here, let her work speak for it self:






If after experiencing these, you would like to discover more about Shellye and her designs, please click on the links above. Let me say also that the genuine beauty in her creations is because it is directly linked to her own.

Thank you, once again, for stopping by. I hope that you haved enjoyed Shellye's work as much as I do, and I hope that you will visit her links as there are more treasures waiting.

Stamparadise...

A good friend of mine led me to this wonderfully talented Japanese artist at Stamparadise. Toriko not only creates beautiful cards, but (and this is the part that totally blows me away) she also hand carves the stamps herself.

Check out the beautiful detail on the stamp below and the two beautiful cards Toriko has made using it.

Another of my personal favourites was this beautifully delicate rose - simply stunning.

There were so many wonderful examples on Toriko's blog that it was hard to choose which to show here - so do pay her blog a visit and check out her other creations for yourself.

Enjoying the Journey

I would love for you all to meet Donalda Cox the blogger behind Enjoying The Journey, She is a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 6 but loves to stamp in her spare time and does a wonderful job at it.
I had stumbled across her blog a while back and love to pop in from time to time and see what she has created. She does a lovely job of coloring her images and she is part of a new challenge blog starting soon "Just Magnolia" which will make its debut this Friday with it's first challenge so you will want to stop in and see what she comes up with for their first challenge.

Here are some pictures of her beautiful work

Lovely Coasters

Easter Card

Daisy

Gorjuss

For more inspiration visit her blog Enjoying The Journey

The stunning work of Paulien van den Bosch.

As a new member of the Inspirational team, but long time visitor to the site, i thought i had seen most of the amazing paper craft artists out there. However this week i discovered the work of a fantastically talented lady called Paulien van den Bosch.

Paulien is from The Netherlands, and is a mother of 3 who makes the most gorgeous creations out of whatever she touches.



By no means a stranger to Inspirational, Paulien has been featured here before, however her work is so gorgeous, i felt some of her other pieces needed to be seen too.

How sweet is this below?





Anyone who can make something as lovely as this, from something as plain as a piece of cardboard, gets my vote every time!





As with many crafters from The Netherlands, Paulien's attention to detail, and the freshness of her work shines through for all to see.



I often hear Inspirational team members say they struggle to pick pictures to showcase, when there are so many amazing pieces in one blog. Paulien van den Bosch is no different. Her blog is gorgeous to get lost in, and just when you think you have found something stunning.....another great piece pops out at you!

So take a trip to Paulien's blog here, i promise you'll find something to inspire you

Introducing the Wonderful Leanne Ellis.....

This talented artist and illustator might not need many introductions to a lot of you as she is well known for her distinct style of Sugar Nellie stamps such as "Blossom" and "Fizz". Leanne Ellis's blog is crammed full of amazing artwork with beautiful detailed illustrations of stunning wistful images.

Leanne is currently finishing off some more designs for Sugar Nellie so watch this space!

I got lost in her blog and am now following it for sure....

Here are some of her distincitve pieces..

Aren't they great - so pull up a chair and prepare to spend some time browsing the wonderful world that is La-La-Laillustration.

Ohhh! to have just a teency weency piece of this lady's talent!!! One can dream!!!

Gabrielle's gorgeous creations!

Yesterday I stumbled across a blog that I had never seen before. And let me tell you I nearly fell of the chair when I saw all the beautiful creations she have made! Such a pretty mess the blog is called and I think you'll be very sorry if you don't pay her a visit. I have really struggled to just pick out a few of her things to show you here, as soon as I had picked out five of them I found five other ones that was just as beautiful, so head on over and have a look for yourself!








So head on over to Such a pretty mess and leave Gabrielle some love ♥

Eleonora's Enchanting Blog..

As soon as I visited Eleonora's blog I was entranced by the wonderful cards she had made using swirls and flowers. Her style is just beautiful as is her blog. I love how she uses chalks to colour some of her flower stamps and boy! does she have some wonderful stamps.

Take time to browse through Eleonora's Blog - there are some wonderful creations hidden away - Beautiful work Eleonora!

Meet Ania and her Amazing Artwork....

Since I started browsing blogs for my first Inspirational post, I have always found myself returning to Norwegian crafters. Their style is beautiful and this lady is no different. Ania is a Mother of 2 who produces scrapbook pages, stunning minibooks, occasional altered pieces and also takes some wonderful photos.

Her style shows signs of vintage mixed with a modern twist. She uses bright colours with distressed effects, producing wonderful outcomes...

So pop on over to Anias Blog and take a peek at her gorgeous works of art, all tucked away in between some lovely photo's of her friends and family.

Willow & Paisley

Willow & Paisley, isn't that that a great blog name? Charlene "Char" Austin is one of my favorite paper crafters. She lives in Canada. I've been admiring her work for about a year. I love her clean and simple style, mixed with a romantic and shabby chic look. I'm always in awe of her work. Several of her cards have been published in Card and Paper Crafts magazines. She's on the Elzybells Design Team and features a weekly color challenge called the Loonie Stamper's Challenge.

Look at this first card. I commented on her blog that it screams "publish me!" The layers of lace along with the heart and the bling are just irresistible.

Edited to Add: I had to remove Charlene's card that I featured here because it's going to be published in the September issue of CARDS magazine. Sorry!

Here's her most recent work. Isn't that baby card just precious? I bought the "ABC123" EK Success paper punch today at Michael's just because I saw Char use it. I never do that!

I love cork and crocheted flowers! Look at this yummy creation. Beautiful!

I love the look of stitching (both real and faux) on cards. It adds such a great look. This card is another good example of Charlene's style.

I'm recently found the Chloe's Closet collection of items by Making Memories at my local store. Look at how Char used them in this card.

I hope you love her work as much as I do. Stop by her blog and say Hi. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Megs place

My second post as a member of the team and I have to say I am really enjoying searching for inspirational blogs, there are so many great ones out there!

The blog I'm featuring today is Meg's Place her cards are just so cute and don't you just love the layering she uses!

This window card is just adorable! It is so clever and cute.



I love any cards that feature cute little animals and these are just a few examples of her darling work.

A lady who really needs no introduction!

Well, looking through the blog, I can't believe that this person has never been featured on Inspirational, so you can tell how excited I was to be able to bring her to your screen.... who am I talking about? The absolutely fabulously mega talented Jo Kill.

I have been hooked on her blog since the beginning of time - well, 2006 to be precise.. lol.. and it has been an absolute pleasure to see her talent come on so much. Her work is often featured in magasines, and I'm sure you'll recognise the individual style.

The cards that Jo makes are exceptional, and have that unique and wonderful look to them... enough said, I will leave you to treasure these samples, and I really thank Jo for letting me feature her on here... go see here blog HERE.. it is brilliant!

Introducing Karen Valentine...

Karen may be a newcomer to the blogging world, but oh my she has some wonderful work to share and her blog is certainly one to watch as it grows.

Karen says of herself 'I have always been an artist of one kind or another. Paper Arts, collage, mosaic and scrapbooks are currently my passions.' Well that passion certainly shines through in everything she undertakes.

Check out these beautiful fridge magnets...

and this gorgeous friendship card ...

But I suppose the thing that really took my breadth away was the work going into this beautiful brick floor - to see the before and after do visit Karen at the Valentine Studio .

I shall certainly be putting the Valentine Studio in my favourites and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Karen's fabulous work over the coming months.

Hanne/Papirdilla

will be my next feature here on Inspirational. She's pretty new in the blog world and has only blogged since January this year, BUT the things she shows off in the blog are just AMAZING!!! She's got such an eye for colors and vintage/shabby and I'm in love with the things she does! Let me show you some of it:








Didn't I tell her she was good!!! Now pop over to her blog and leave her som love! You can find it HERE! Hope you'll have a good time there ♥
Ewonne
xx

MY FIRST FEATURE ARTIST....DIANE DUDA!

Are you ready to enter the world of magical whimsy???? Diane Duda is a Mixed Media Artist who creates paintings that make you want to jump into her world and stay for as long as you can. She creates all different whimsical creatures such as frogs, penguins, bunnies as well as beautiful girls and even some boys here and there. I will let you check out her art yourself, but enter at your own risk...you will be hooked! Click here to enter.

Thanks for looking!!!

Shonna

Welcome to Kersten, My First Inpirational Choice

Welcome to my first choice as a team member. I would like to introduce you to the work of Kersten, who is a teacher in Alaska. Her work has such style and she uses colours and images in interesting ways. I cannot do her justice here, so please go and visit her lovely, inspiring blog, Altered Gypsy, and browse through her exquisite work.


She says she really enjoyed having a go at shrine art, and submitted several pieces for her various challenges. Here are just three of them.

Kersten is also into making Gothic Arches - this is where I first saw her work. She makes really unusual arches, and her ideas are always interesting and "different".

Here are some other of this artist's pieces. She brings the same imagination to altering a tin, making a "Maison" etc. I think you will not be disappointed if you take a cup of tea and browse for a while around Kersten's blog... ENJOY!!!!

Frankie

xx

Introducing Hilde...

Upon discovering the beautiful style of Norwegian crafters, I stumbled across Hilde's blog, jam packed full of gorgeous pieces to admire and be inspired by.

Hilde is a wonderful scrapbooker, a talented card maker, and also makes amazing altered pieces...

Just look how beautifully she has decorated this wine bottle. Who would not be delighted to receive this as a gift?

...and considering this talented lady started showing the world her creations on her blog in 2006, even then she had the most wonderful pieces, like this decorated tin below, so grab a cuppa and browse Hilda's blog, Stempelgalsverden, meaning Stamp Gals World...there is 3 years worth of inspirational crafting to catch up on!

All the things I love .... and so will you!

So here I am, my very first post for Inspirational, sharing the wonderful creations that inspire us all and make us want to be better crafters. I wanted to share an incredible crafter with you all this evening. Many of you will already know this lady, have seen her work and drooled over it. For me, it is my special way of saying thankyou to the person who first introduced me to stamping and who nagged me to start my own blog! I owe so much to her ..... who is it ?? ..... there can be only one person ...

BEV ROCHESTER

Bev is undoubtedly one of the most amazing artists around at the moment. Her creations are breath-taking and it was so hard to pick a couple of her creations to share with you.

Bev usually favours Distress Inks and twinkling H2O's to colour her images although every now and again she will dust off the prismas. Her colouration is always perfect and she uses the most wonderful colour combinations.

Another of Bev's 'trademarks' is her use of flowers .... here is a gorgeous close up. Her attention to detail is second to none and is evident on all her creations.

Bev is also on several DTs including the fabulous Whiff of Joy. I adore the way she uses embellishments - definately more is more!!!

One final piece of eye candy .... and as the sentiment says 'so glad we are friends'. Please stick the kettle on and make a cuppa, then settle back and enjoy Bev's blog , you may be there some time so make sure you take the biccies too!

I hope you have enjoyed this little taster of Bev's work. I know I certainly did!

Marcea

-x-

Join in with the Inspirational Craft Raffle !!

Welcome to the first Craft Raffle on Inspirational, I would like to Thank Sarah from UK Art Raffle as I got the idea to do this from her wonderful site and she generously gave me permission to do my own.

The theme for this raffle is SPRING (As in the season)

All types of crafters are welcome to join in

The raffle will take place on 30th May 2009 and the winner will be chosen ranomly using random.org

To take part in the raffle you simply send an item to me that has been hand crafted by you, remembering to send your details on a seperate piece of paper incase you are a winner. It would also be nice to attach some details to your item so that the winner knows where the piece originated from, maybe your name & email address or web site... this is optional.

This is open worldwide so everyone is welcome to join in but please note that I live in England so that is where you will be sending to.

IMPORTANT: Please understand that I will be sending the winning parcel/s at my own expense, therefore please make sure your craft item measures no more than 4" x 4" in size and is not too bulky or heavy

Also please note that I cannot be held responsible for any items that are lost in the post

If you would like to join in please email craftraffle@gmail.com

Terrific Vintage / Shabby Chic Layouts from Susan Lui

I recently ‘hopped’ to the amazing blog of Susan Lui (Sue) from Singapore, and I instantly fell in love with her terrific vintage / shabby chic layouts. I like how she uses the design papers. Aspecially how she cuts out the details. That has to be hours of work. Please have a look of some of her recent work below, and for more inspiring work please visit her blog here.

LEMONCHOLY'S STUDIO ....

I recently was introduced to this wonderful artist named Kecia Deveney, this lady's artistic talents know no bounds. Kecia creates the most amazing projects using a variety of mediums. If you haven't visited Kecia's blog before click here.

and here is a sample of some of Kecia's amazing jewellery pieces ....

Treasures To Discover

I am so excited to share my crafty discoveries with people all over the world. That's what the Inspiration blog is all about. My first contribution is the first blog I ever really visited when I started on this wonderful journey. The artist, Annette, has no idea how talented she really is. That just amazes me. I have never seen anyone go into such detail creating one item. I have several to share with you.

The first one is for valentine treats. She doesn't just throw anything together, she uses many different techniques for each treasure. I think her sewing machine is her best friend and she loves working with felt. You can visit her blog here

The next thing to share is some of her tags. On these she crackled the wood,used white German glass glitter, added a nest and egg to finish it up. The colors are so soft and springy. AMAZING DETAIL.



What about these Lovey Bunnies?? Would look great hanging from an Easter Basket handle.



The next one is a Christmas ornament, a wooden stocking. I love pink for Christmas and I must say this is unique. What tree wouldn't feel all dressed up with this hanging from it's branches?




Did I mention that she makes "regular" cards also??? Thought not, but then there is nothing "regular" about anything she creates. This card is beautiful in it's simplicity. I bet we would all like to get one like this in the mail.




Last but certainly not least is my favorite.This card is different from any card I have ever seen. This amazing owl is made with felt feathers, cut out and colored by hand. When I first saw this my mouth dropped open and it still does. It looks so real. The magestic, snowy owl. Just think of the time she put into this one card. Truly amazing.


That's all the sneak-peeks I have for you today. Don't take my word for it though, visit her blog Who knows, maybe you'll want to add some of these treasures to your very own.

Graziella's creative bubble

This is my first contribution for Inspirational as a team member, woohooh I feel a little shy!
I choose to present a french artist whose creations are going to melt your heart. Graziella is a scrapbooker who has a feeling for sweet textures and little charming details. All of her creations can transport you in a sweet and warm world.

This article doesn't do justice to the details she can bring into her creations. You'll be amazed at everything you'll discover on her blog. She has the ability to find the perfect little detail that makes her creation so original. All of her minibooks tell a wonderful story. I can't advice you enough to visit her blog and discover the inside of these albums.

I love how she adds her own custom embellishments. Sewed items in fabrics you'ld love to touch, and the cutest polymer clay items. It makes all the difference. Graziella is truly an accomplished artist.

A visit into her world (her "creative bubble" as she calls it) will give you the need to try "something different" and you'll come back full of new inspiration!

Have you seen Joanne's blog?

I found Joanne's blog by accident last week and have enjoyed visiting it to see the new projects she has been adding ever since. This card really drew my attention -

and this one as well -

You can visit Joanne's blog by clicking the link http://www.stampedbyhand.blogspot.com/ or here. I promise it will be a trip you enjoy.

Welcome To Mama Dini's Stamperia

Well, this is my first post as a member of the Inspirational Team, and before I continue I just want to say thank you Julie for giving me this amazing opportunity. I am honored and humbled to have been chosen. Thank you.

Okay, well this is NOT about me :) This is about Dina aka Dini. She is the woman behind Mama Dini's Stamperia, and also the CSSC (which stands for cyber-stamping sisters in Christ)
Dina is a stamper, but do not take that lightly. Dina's cards and stamped images are so stunning. Her coloring is perfect, the shadowing flawless. Each detail is thought out as carefully as one would choose an outfit for a child on Sunday morning. Each card and creation she makes is truly original and unique. No two of her designs look alike. I fell in love with her work, and I couldn't wait to share. Here are some of her fabulous cards:





Not only is her work absolutely amazing, but she is amazing. Her husband, herself, and their 4 small children are missionaries right now in Indonesia. She is not only inspirational in crafting, but she is an inspiration in real life :) Please make sure and drop by Dina's blog and tell her hi. One of her little boy's just had surgery, so keep them in your prayers.

Thank you so much for joining us, and I look forward to sharing many more Inspirational Craft Blogs with you :)

SUE'S ALTERED CREATIONS

Jabberwocky aka Sue Roddis is an artist I have admired for some time now, her creativity and unique designs are simply stunning. Sue is an inspiration to stampers and altered artists alike. Here is just a small sample of Sue's fabulous creations. Enjoy.

Aloha and Have You Seen Jen Tapler's Work?

We must be in a Hawaiian state of mind today here at Inspirational, because both Rleen and myself are bringing you paper crafters from the great state of Hawaii. Jen Tapler lives in Maui (my favorite place in the world). She is one seriously talented lady. She's on several design teams, including Verve Stamps and Paper Craft Planet.

Her Halloween party invitation was recently published in You're Invited (A Scrapbook Trends publication).

She's a scrapbooker that easily goes between the traditional, hybrid, and digi scrapping worlds.

Over a year ago she started stamping and making cards and she's completely talented in that area too! A lot of her designs incorporate paper that she's printed from digital designs. This is one of my favorite cards.

I love the altered art she creates.

One of my favorite things about Jen is her passion. She raises awareness and money for the Alzheimer's Association. Her father suffers from the disease. Right now, Jen has a Blogoversary Challenge to benefit the Alzheimer's Association. You have until tonight (Friday, April 3, 11:59 PM Central Time, GMT - 5) to enter. In early May she's having she a Stampin' Out Alzheimer's event to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association.

Check out her blog today. Mahalo (thanks)!

Denise Stunning Creations

Aloha everyone! Today I want to introduce Denise from Denise Loves Stamps. She lives here in Hawaii. Denise is wonderfully talented and creative crafter. I love all her stunning creations. Don't you love these cute cards with cute images?

Check out these beautiful Easter boxes with Hello Kitty. I love all her paper craft with Hello Kitty. For the tutorial check here it's easy to follow. I'm sure you'll love it!

Denise is a great jewelry designer too. Look at these gorgeous beads jewelry she designed. For more of her stunning creations go and check out her beautiful blog it's full of inspirations.

I hope everyone enjoy what I share today. Have a fabulous day! Don't forget to go and say Aloha to Denise :) Thanks!

Distressed Stamper

If you visit Kathy's Blog Distressed Stamper you will find absolutely some of the most Stunning and Gorgeous work. She is a Sugar Bowl Sweetie and if you visit her blog you will see why. She watercolors all of her images and she does such a beautiful job. She also has that certain style that catches your eye. I have been an admirer of Kathy's work for a while now she is such an inspiration to me and I know she will be to you as well.

Here is some of her work.

Stop by Kathy's blog often for more inspiration.

Gorgeous Whimsy

......Sarah's Blog "Whimsy Dreams Studio" hosts creations that are all uniquely stunning.......I have been admiring her work for a long time now. Her wonderful creations are so enchanting yet all so unique, each one standing on its own. Her mix of mediums, textures and designs is aw-inspiring & a real inspiration. Guaranteed to make whom ever looks on smile!



Here is some lovely pictures showing Sarah's wonderful creations!



Enjoy looking at Sarahs blog one I am sure you will keep returning to visit! Have a lovely day!

Linda's Amazing Cards

I'm sure everyone knows Linda from Linanna Designs . I've been following her for a while now, every time I visit her blog she amaze me with all her gorgeous cards. I love her coloring and all her designs, her cards are always an inspirations. She's so talented and creative, she makes the stunning cards.

This is one of my favorite, please check the details here . I LOVE all the details of this stunning card. And check out the other gorgeous cards below.

Please stop by and check out more of Linda's amazing cards. I'm pretty sure you love what you'll see as much as I do. Have a wonderful day!

Jennie

a.k.a Deleelsia is a fabulous cardmaker that I've been inspired by for a long time now! She makes the most beautiful cards, and she never seems to stop amazing me! Here's a little teaser of all the beauty you can find in her blog!






So be sure to stop by at Jennies blog and have a look at all the beauty in there! :o)

Simply One of a Kind...

Chrissie at Simply One of a Kind describes herself as 'a retired infant school teacher, who is still not adverse to a little cutting, sticking and colouring'. Well in my opinion all those years of cutting and sticking have definitely paid off, because she creates the most wonderful cards.

Sometimes using and combining the most beautiful subtle colours together ...

and at other times going for bright and beautiful.

Check out this ladybird card and her wonderful 'Happy Easter' card.

Do visit Chrissie at Simply One of a Kind to see more of her fantastic work - you will not be disappointed.