Do you every feel like your crafting mojo is gone, with no hope for return? Or maybe you have been so bogged down in the day to day chores and challenges that life brings every day that before you realize it, the week (/month!) is gone and you didn't even think about getting crafty, let alone find any inspiration? You're not alone.
I work a full time job (often 60 hours a week), juggle a house, a stepson and am nearly 7 months pregnant. I crave me time and crafty time but when I do get it, I often fizzle. My mind is racing ahead to the next week and my next bunch of 'to-dos'. My card project ideas are often hastily grasped at in the hour or two slot I managed to grab. Not great for the inspiration muscle flexing!
But a couple of days ago, when in the shower, I had a bit of an epiphany. Those of you who follow my blog will know I've been in Acadia NP in Maine for a week. One evening my husband, Hank my stepson, and I were in a restaurant, and I looked down at the place setting and saw this:
It's a table mat (and yes that is alcohol free beer!) that i felt drawn to, it just reminded me of a card - or one I should make. I snapped a photo, the food came and I promptly forgot about it.
On my return home I was having a shower and started getting that sinking feeling - you know the one - the 'I've been on holiday but now I have to go back to work' feeling. I started going into my usual routine of what I had to get done and what likely had hit the fan while I'd been away when i went to grab the shower gel. And I noticed the packaging. And it was sooooo pretty! And that's when it hit me.
I don't have to find the time to come up with card ideas or get inspired looking at pinterest (although I do like to do that), I can be inspired everyday just by the things around me even if I'm doing something mundane, like laundry, or grocery shopping, or taking a shower! Won't those things seems so much more interesting if, when I'm doing them, I'm looking for inspiration! I may actually look forward to my weekly trip to the supermarket.
So I'm going to test my theory. Starting today I'm going to look for inspiration in my day to day life - not on Pinterest, or by staring at my craft supplies, or a blank piece of card stock, but by what I do every day.
If you want to join me, I would LOVE it. Tag your inspired pieces on Instagram with #everydayinspiredcards and lets all get our crafting mojo on overdrive . Spread the word - I've not set myself a time limit for this, I'm hoping it will become second nature in time. Like going to the gym (LOL!). I may even pick a favorite(s) for a crafty prize or two :)
So let's get back to the Acadia place mat shall we? Here's a closer look:
And here's the card I came up with:
I used the In Bloom: Addie's Garden stamp set from Winnie & Walter. It really couldn't have been more perfect! I arranged the stamps how I liked them (including masking some areas with Inkadinkado Masking Paper) and stamped using my MISTI.
I then used my Kissho Gansai watercolor paints (LOVE - 72 colors :DDD) to paint in the flowers and leaves. I think the colors are a pretty good match for the inspiration image.
Once it was dry I trimmed down the piece to 4" x 5.25". I heat embossed the sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Hands of Time stamp set in Ranger Superfine gold embossing powder onto a strip of vellum, and then popped up the whole piece using 3M foam tape onto a 4.25" x 5.5" natural colored card stock (it is from an old Neenah collection).
So that's it! I didn't have to stare too long at the blank paper and although it was watercoloring which can be time consuming, the whole card only took me around an hour - I just knew what I wanted to do!
Please join me by tagging your pieces on instagram using #everydayinspiredcards - I can't wait to see what you come up with. Join me tomorrow to see what I did with the shower gel :D
