Photo Inspiration

Hey All! Thanks for coming! Today's post has a new idea for me which I'm excited to share with you! I also have to tell you about another wonderful RAK I received. So, on with the post!

Lots of you have been so kind in complimenting me on my photography. It is something that I have loved doing for the past 4 years or so, and I am always looking to improve that art. When I look at some of the pictures I take, the first thought that comes to mind with some of them is "Wow, that would make a cool card!" Well, I took another one of those pictures the other day, and I decided instead of "thinking" I would use the photo as the basis of the idea for my cards. That's why I'm calling these cards "Photo Inspirations". Here is the first photograph, and then my interpretation of it as a card. . .



And the card. . .



I love this new stamp I bought (bird on weeds). It is a Penny Black, and I am getting so addicted to their stamps. I used my Cuttlebug embossing folder for the embossing, and my Nesties to do the scalloped oval. Added ribbon and the pearls, matted everything in black and mounted the bird on the weeds image with foam tape. The other bird image is by Inque.

OK, the next photograph. . . I loved the colors of this tree, and how they contrasted so beautifully with the bright blue sky. The leaf colors were stunning:



And the card it inspired. . .





The tree stamp is another Penny Black stamp that I picked up a few days ago. The minute I saw it, I had a ton of card images in my head. I stamped the image in dark brown Colorbox ink on a speckled tanish paper, then sponged the top of the image with yellow, orange, and red Colorbox ink. I mounted it on brown and orange cs and then gave it some depth with foam tape. I cut the leaves out in the corners from a printed piece of paper and stuck them on with glue. I used the corner of a petal from a flower punch to get the corners cut then added the brads. I then stamped the acorn image onto orange cs with the same dark brown Colorbox ink. I cut it out with the scalloped Nesties, added a dark brown eyelet and attached it to the ribbon with some metallic copper cord. The acorn image is by Inkadinkado.

This was so much fun to actually put the photographic image into a card form. I'm going to do this more often. If any of you would like to try this, feel free! I would love to see what you come up with on these two pictures. Give a link to your creation in the comment section below. I would love to take a look. I had thought about making these a challenge, but then I think there are so many challenge sites out there that one more would just be silly. So, if you want to play along with me, that would be great. I'm just kinda doing this to inspire some cards for me. But if my photography inspires a card for you, go for it!

Last but not least, I got the most wonderful RAK in the mail a few days ago. It came from my very new blogging friend Karen at 6 Wacky Women. You have to go see the blog! When you see the card she sent me below, you will want to jump over and take a look at all the other great creations she has posted! I had seen a card she had made featuring the stamp set she ended up sending to me as a gift, and just had to have the set! So I emailed her and said I wanted to order it. She said their store had one left and she would get it out to me. I asked her for the price and how I could pay for it, and she never answered. So, a few days later, I sent an email to her asking again how much and how to pay for it. The little sneak emailed me back and said she hadn't gotten around to typing up an invoice, but she would send it soon. A few days later the package arrived and it had THE MOST ADORABLE CARD included with the stamp set stating that it was a gift to thank me for telling people about their blog. I was stunned, then burst out laughing that she had me fooled the whole time! Thanks so much Karen and Cathy! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness! The card and the stamp set are below:



Is this not adorable????



Look at that little face!!!!

Here is the stamp set she sent me:



It's by Magenta and it is called a puzzle stamp. Is it not wonderful??? I'm a lucky guy!

Well, that's it for this post. Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget the pic of the week. I just have to be a proud dad and post this year's Autumn picture of my boys. Take care all, and I'll see you on your blogs!


Best,
Curt O'Brien


"God help me be the person that my dogs think I am."