I had a little time this afternoon so I had a go at the challenge over at Global Design Project, where this week they are case-ing the designer Jessica Williams:

I don't get the opportunity to play along at GDP as much as I'd like but they do have some great challenges and I particularly like the CASE The Designer ones. Inspiration can strike in many ways and I think this type of challenge is a great way to create something that is clearly inspired by one person's work yet is wholly your own. It also makes for an interesting blog post (hopefully!) that explains where the inspiration for your own take on the original work came from. So, without further ado, here is my card:

So how did Jessica's card inspire me? Read on to find out:

Layout - Whilst I love the layout of Jessica's card, I decided this was one of the things that I was going to change. I used this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday for my card.

Colours - Jessica's colour combination is not one I would ordinarily have chosen, so I decided to work with it to see where it took me. I kept Sahara Sand for my base, although I did major on Watercolour Wonder as opposed to Calypso Coral though, largely on account of my choice of ribbon. Whilst this ribbon is rather wide for a card bow, I liked the rather fancy bow that Jessica used on her card and decided to use my ribbon to make a similar statement. Likewise, whilst I incorporated the black and white colours of Jessica's washi tape borders, I chose to use some Everyday Chic Designer Series Paper for the twin panels on my card. 

Wreath and Sentiment - I recreated the wreath on my card, but instead of using the 'Timeless Love' stamp set, I created my own using the flowers and leaves from the Sale-A-Bration set 'Botanicals For You'. I was also inspired by the sentiment of Jessica's card - I chose one from the 'Suite Sayings' stamp set that has a similar tone. 

Here is the visual summary of the supplies used to make today's card for you to save for easy future reference:

I hope you like my card and found the explanation of my creative process insightful. I'd love to know what you think of my CASE of Jessica's card; do leave me a comment below - I read and appreciate them all!

I'll be back tomorrow with another couple of projects; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Botanicals For You Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Suite Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Big Shot	Everyday Chic Designer Series Paper
Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	Basic Black A4 Cardstock
Sahara Sand A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Good evening lovely readers! I have had a busy day with the second of this month's technique classes this morning and a Spring concert for one of the James Juniors this afternoon. Today I'm sharing a card I made for this week's challenge over at TGIF Challenges that was also one of the cards I made with the ladies in my card class this morning. I haven't played along with the TGIF team for a while and I couldn't resist this week's sketch:

My card features all of the products in the Botanical Gardens bundle offer (buy all 3 and save 15%) - Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper, Botanical Blooms stamp set and Botanical Builder Framelits Dies - and features a fun technique. Here is my card:

Today's card is a celebration of the Botanical Gardens product suite, but there are three things that really make it special:

Customised Designer Series Paper - The paper I used for the background on my card is one of a number of patterns in the Botanical Gardens Designer Series paper pack that can be customised using the Botanical Blooms stamp set. Many of the leaves and flowers can be stamped with veins and stamens in the colours of your choice to create a variety of different looks. I had great fun adding detail to my background and this best thing is, this can be different every time. 

Fuss-free Flowers - I just love the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies for limitless floral creative possibilities, yet the two things that really make these fuss-free can't even be seen on this card: the Big Shot Die Brush and the Big Shot Precision Base Plate. Both perfect for working with intricate dies, they really do enable these flowers to pop out easily, no wax paper required. You may think you don't need these items, however whilst you could use a standard or magnetic platform, you will definitely get better results using these tools. My customers keep telling me this too, so impressed are they with the results.

A Free Sentiment - The sentiment on my card is from the Sale-A-Bration set 'Botanicals For You'. This stamp set co-ordinates with the other Botanicals products and is available free with a £45 spend before the end of the month. The Botanical Gardens bundle costs £46.75, so if you buy the bundle, you can get this set for free too - bargain!

Here is today's visual summary of the key products used and top tip for easy reference:

I hope you like today's card; I have two more to share this week using this product suite that were also makes in my technique class today, so stay tuned for those. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Botanical Blooms Photopolymer Bundle	Botanical Gardens Cardstock Pack	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock	Botanicals For You Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Big Shot
Precision Base Plate	Big Shot Die Brush	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	White Perfect Accents	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad
2-1/2" Circle Punch	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Rhinestone Basic Jewels	Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad

It's Wednesday - hurrah! Today I have a card for this week's challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches where they have the following sketch to work with:

I turned the sketch through 90 degrees for my card today and used the large sentiment from the 'Botanicals For You' Sale-A-Bration set, paired with some Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper and yes, another of those flowers made using the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies - I just can't get enough of them! Here's my card:

I just love the different flower combinations you can make with these framelit dies! Whilst I do have something different to share with you tomorrow, rest assured you haven't seen the last of these yet!

That's all from me today; I'll be spending the day in my office - I'm hoping for a productive one! I'll be back tomorrow with a card for this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Botanicals For You Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Botanical Builder Framelits Dies	Big Shot Die Brush	Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper	Big Shot
Ovals Collection Framelits Dies	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)
Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock	Hello Honey A4 Cardstock	Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock
It's My Party Enamel Dots