Stamptember Video

Hey folks!  Just wanted to let you know that I have a video up over on the Simon Says Stamp blog today for STAMPtember!  I hope you go check it out!!

ric#68

Hey there  :)

Today's card is for the new Runway Inspired Challenge.  This time, we are using a shoe!  LOVE them (I actually just recently bought a pair of cork shoes, but they didn't have a cool diamond pattern like these!)

source: shoes.stylosophy.it

I knew I had some old cork sheets lying around somewhere, so I dug them up and made this sweet card:

Please visit my fellow Runway girlies to see their lovely creations!

Karolyn Loncon - Paper Therapy

Lindsay Amrhein - Note To Self

Mayuri - Candles in the Garden

Taheerah Atchia - *Fill Your Paper With The Breathings of Your {Heart}*

Gayatri Murali - Handmade by G3

Aga - Just Made From Paper

Kristen Foreman - Kristen Foreman Designs

Thanks, and enjoy your day!

getting to know me

Good morning!  My post today is a bit different than my usual...Taheerah Atchia nominated me to participate in the Getting to Know Me blog hop.  I am SO honored that she thought of me!  Thanks, T!  If you don't know Taheerah, she is an extremely creative card maker.  She loves technique-driven cards, and they always have her signature artsy flair.  Pop by and say hi!  You can see her blog hop post HERE.

As part of the hop, I get to answer the following questions.  I hope this gives you a bit of insight regarding my creative process!

• What creative projects are you currently working on? 

I always have a handful of projects I'm working on at one time.  I like to pop from thing to thing!  My blog readers get to see all of my paper crafted projects, but you might not know about the things I do behind the scenes.  I love to make jewelry, sew, paint, and make fun things for my classroom.

I'm currently working on my next cosplay costume (LOTS of sewing), sewing a dress (for fun), a plush toy for my friend's baby, making a card for later in the week, and refining designs for the next Altenew release.  And this week I might try to do some paintings inspired by the new Spring fashions that have been making their way down the runway the past few days for New York Fashion week!  Many of them are amazing!

• What inspires your designs? 

Well, fashion does! :) I love running the Runway Inspired Challenge, because it pushes me to try new and trendy things that I might not otherwise think to do myself- such as mix prints or try new color combos!  I'm also very inspired by the work of others.   I follow many blogs, and just seeing something beautiful can get me itching to create - even if I don't use any of the elements in my project.  I try to work on some kind of project every day, so during those times when I hit a creative block, perusing my favorite sites/blogs/Pinterest really help get the juices flowing again!

• What method / process (if applicable) do you apply to each of your creative projects, and how long does each project take to complete? 

It's always a bit different! If I have some time, I might draw a sketch first- I like that I can test out a few  ideas before committing them to the card.  Other times, I have a particular product I need to use (such as for a DT/guest spot), or something new I just got that I'd like to use.  In those cases, I'll grab some coordinating paper, inks, stamps, embellishments, and see where that takes me.

If I'm making a video for a card class, I always pre-plan.  In rare cases, I'll even create the card first, and then re-create it for the video!  I'll do this if I'm trying out a new technique and don't want to be experimenting for the first time on video.  When I do videos for my YouTube channel, I'm a bit more casual, and not too worried about stumbling or making mistakes.  What you see for those is always the first attempt! :)

• If you had to describe your 'signature' style, what would it be? 

Clean and Simple!  No surprise there, hehe.

• What three crafting tools/products can you not live without?

Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer.   This thing is incredible!
Teflon Bone Folder.  Total life changer.
Scissors.  Scissors are important for paper crafters, right?  I'm partial to the non-stick Cutter Bees. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I get to nominate some friends to play along!  One of the perks of running my own challenge is that I can pick my favorite designers to be on the design team.  I am so lucky to have both of these ladies on the DT, and everything they make is just so inspirational!

Lindsay Amrhein:   Lindsay has such a fun and effortless style.  Her cards never look over-worked, even when she includes a lot of detail.  She has a lovely eye for color, and her creations always put a smile on my face!  She goes above and beyond for the Runway Challenge, and can pull off a wide variety of design styles.  She's also a sweetheart! :)

Agnieszka Malyszek:  Aga's projects just ooze style.  She is one of my CAS idols!  Her use of white space is incredible, and her photos make the cards look like they come from a high-end stationery boutique (LOVE the tilted envelope behind each one!).  Aga has been on the RIC design team since our first challenge, and I'm thrilled she has chosen to stick with me this long!  Love you, Aga!

Check out their blogs next Monday, so you can learn more about these fabulous designers!

Peace out! :)

CASE Study, and sneak peeks

OOOH!  I'm so happy that I had time to play along with this week's CASE Study challenge!  The muse this time around is the ever-so-lovely Debby Hughes.  Check out her inspiration image:

I used the same Altenew set, Persian Motifs, to create my CASE:

I embossed the flowers onto smooth bristol then watercolored them.  The sentiment is from Birthday Bash, and I stamped it in grey ink so it wouldn't contrast too much with the flowers.

The card above, as well as 2 more (including an interactive card!) can be found on the new Altenew Blog!

ric#67

Today is the first day of school...yay!   I always get excited to see the kids again, but it also stinks because it takes me at least a week to get back into "school mode."  My first week back usually consists of naps every day after work- do any of you other teachers out there have similar first weeks? :)

Today we have a new challenge up at the Runway Inspired Challenge.  Check it out:

source: style.com

I was mostly inspired by the bold black and white- I went with polka dots on my card, although the model's outfit looks like it has a twist on houndstooth (I zoomed all the way in to check it out!).

The stamps are from Altenew- I refrained from using flowers because I wanted to think a bit outside the box :)  I hope you choose to play along - you can win a prize from Simon Says Stamp - but also make sure to visit the DT:

Lindsay- Note To Self

Tasnim Ahmed - Cards & Bookmarks

Karolyn Loncon - Paper Therapy

Gayatri - Handmade by G3
Mayuri - Candles in the Garden

Taheerah Atchia - *Fill Your Paper With The Breathings of Your {Heart}*

Aga - Just Made From Paper

Kristen will be joining us later in the week!

Later, gators!