Inspiration with For the Birds

When I give my friends and family hand-made cards, they often seem to think I have ideas just spilling out of my head. But here's a secret: I don't. When I sit down to create, I might have a notion of a particular stamp set or color combo I want to use, but rarely do fully formed card ideas pop into my head. (And when they do, they usually seem to end up looking different on paper anyway.) More often I just start creating and see where I end up.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: For the Birds, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Soft Sky, Real Red card stock
Ink: Jet Black StazOn; markers: Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Marina Mist, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky
Accessories: Large Polka Dot embossing folder, Scalloped Tag Topper punch, Banner punch, Subtles Candy Dots, Real Red 1/4" cotton ribbon, Dimensionals

If I'm short on ideas one trick I use is to pull out a stamp set with images I can color. Once an image is colored, it's easy to turn it into a clean and simple card. Just choose two of the colors in the image and use one as a layer behind the image and one as the card base. You can stop there and call it done, or keep playing with your layout. I made this card a bit fancier by embossing the card base, making the focal image a tag, and adding a few embellishments. I used two card stock banners instead of a mat around the focal image, and I also omitted the greeting that is part of the image and stamped a different greeting at the bottom of the tag.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: For the Birds
Paper: Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Hello Honey, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Jet Black StazOn; markers: Hello Honey, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Clear buttons, crochet thread (DMC), Island Indigo 1/4" cotton ribbon, Cloudy Day embossing folder, 3/4" circle punch, paper-piercing tool, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Another way to get my stamp mojo flowing is to recycle a layout I've used before. It's fun (and at times a little cringe-inducing) to go back and look at my old cards. Sometimes I still love them; other times I wonder what I was thinking. But it's all part of the creative process. Last year I made a birthday card with the For the Birds stamp set that I really liked. Keeping that card in my head, I created this new one. I kept the same basic layout, but I changed the colors, modified the embellishments and added layers.

Do you have tricks that you use when you need some stamping inspiration? Share them in the comments below -- I'm always looking for new ideas!

Thanks for stopping by!