- Susan R. Opel
You know what’s fun to me about Halloween? I love the opportunity to dress up like somebody else while giving it my own twist.
Take last year for example. I dressed as Hester Prynne, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (forgive me – former English teacher here!).
Instead of dressing like a full-fledged Puritan woman, I incorporated my chenille cheer letter from elementary school (the scarlet letter) and wore pearls to represent Hester’s daughter Pearl.
Halloween 2008 – dressed as Hester Prynne
Every issue of Paper Crafts magazine gives you the opportunity to dress up your cards with your own unique twist. Have you ever browsed through a Paper Crafts magazine or special issue and created a card or project inspired by one of the designs you saw in the publication? Maybe you took the design of a birthday card and made it into a Valentine, or maybe you switched up the colors to take a Mother’s Day card to a Father’s Day card. We want to hear your story and see your creation!
Here’s what I’m talking about. I love this project by Cari Fennell in our September/October 2009 issue on page 42.
Cari Fennell’s Chic Halloween Card
The design is timeless and can be recreated in a variety of ways. I decided to turn it into a Thanksgiving card that I can send to my parents. Mine isn’t quite as pretty as Cari’s, but you can see the correlation (I hope!).
Susan R. Opel’s Give Thanks Card
So I introduce to you Inspired By!
Thumb through the pages of a Paper Crafts publication (magazine or special issue) and create a project inspired by one that you see. Submit an image of your Inspired By project HERE, tell us where we can find the original in our magazine, and you just might have your card featured in the Paper Crafts Connection section of one of our issues. Why not give it a shot?
To celebrate this week of Halloween festivity, I have a prize package of spooky projects from Melissa Phillips and Mary Bieber that were featured in our September/October 2009 issue for one lucky commenter.
You could win all of these projects by leaving a comment!
Leave a comment and tell me about a project that you’ve seen in the pages of a Paper Crafts magazine that you are inspired to recreate with your own twist! All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Wednesday, Oct. 28th.
Get Inspired by Paper Crafts magazine!
Susan
It’s hard to just pick one. I do love “Jingle All the Way” on p. 37 of the Nov/Dec issue, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the cards on p. 28 (The Chic of Shabby) in the same issue. Thanks for the opportunity to win some fabulous gifts.
Are you kidding–PaperCrafts is my number one inspiration so almost ALL of my cards are adapted from its pages! My most recent project is a set of gift tags using Melissa Phillips’ The Chic of Shabby, Nov/Dec 2009 (pg. 28). I love the way the tags turned out.
How funny – i am a huge Melissa Phillips fan, but don’t always have all of the supplies to recreate her projects. So I am looking at modifying several of her submissions in the Nov/Dec issue!
I use your magazine to get great ideas that will inspire me to make a card that’s somewhat like yours, but then make it my own. You have little techniques that I never would have thought of on my own (I guess that’s why YOU work for the magazine and I don’t). I never make a card exactly like yours (I don’t have the exact same supplies, or I would probably), but you definitely inspire me!!! I twist and turn your ideas, and presto change-o, I have something unique that my friend or family member will love!
I use your magazine to get great ideas that will inspire me to make a card that’s somewhat like yours, but then make it my own. You have little techniques that I never would have thought of on my own (I guess that’s why YOU work for the magazine and I don’t). I never make a card exactly like yours (I don’t have the exact same supplies, or I would probably), but you definitely inspire me!!! I twist and turn your ideas, and presto change-o, I have something unique that my friend or family member will love!
Melissa is fantastic. I just love her style!
I saw Not a Creature was Stirring Card, and was inspired to make the arch rival of the mouse —my adorable cat! His silhouette is simple, spotted animal print paper is easy to find (He’s a Bengal cat), and he would make an adorable subject for a card. I love the idea of the rope tail, but I will change it to look more cat-like. Thanks for the inspiration.
I would have to say any of the Christmas boxes/bags, or any of the seasonal bags/boxes I love to create from the PaperCraft Mag. Thanks for this chance
!
Inky Hugs,
Catherine
catlevy@eastlink.ca
How can I pick just one? I’m tempted to recreate every single thing in the whole magazine!
I love recreating the cards from your magazine and this issue has some great “scraplifters” that I will do!
In the holiday issue, I’m inspired to re-create the jingle bell door thingies!! I’m dying to make some for my girls’ teachers!!
Actually, the Halloween cards are what got me moving on creating my own! I wasn’t sure if I would do any this year, but the great samples in the magazine made me want to jump right in!
I love using your magazine for inspiration. The Holiday issue has lots of inspiration that I would like to use to put my own twist on. I really like the gnome for the holidays on page 25. It could be fun with many types of cards. What fun.
I’ve been using Paper Crafts for my inspiration since its beginning. I have every issue…so I have recreated many, MANY cards from them. Most recently I’ve been making my holiday cards using the Card Creations Vol. 7, esp. page 51 (b-day cards) and page 115 (actual Christmas cards). I also am using the new Holiday Cards issue extensively. Who could ask for better inspriation (and might I say “lifting”). Thanks so very much all of you!!!!
I love reading the magazine for card ideas, but especially gift packaging ideas much like the one showcased today! Thanks again for sharing!
I love your magazine for ideas. I have probably use the special issue of 225 cards and gifts the most recently. I have used several ideas from the magazine for gifts. After reading your magazine I will never look at product packaging in the same way. I am a hoarder now–I keep and reuse everything.
your magazine inspires, or should i say “challenges” me, to use color combos that i normally would not use. kim kesti’s mother’s day card in your may/june issure on page 29, is an example. orange, gray, and black isn’t something i’d think of for mother’s day, but her card works!
I loved the bag, tag and card section in the last Paper Crafts issue and have been using some of those samples to create my own sets! I always find lots of inspiration in my magazines!
I would so love to receive gifts made by either of these ladies!!!
Blessings,
Christine
I find all kinds of inspiration in every issue. I look for my favorite designers and stamp sets. As a big fan of PTI, I love seeing projects I know I can “recreate” using stamps I own. For example, in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue, Betsy Veldman’s Holiday Tea Sampler caught my eye. The PTI tea kettle stamp is one of my favorites, so I loved that page. Picking just one favorite…impossible…I have so many pages clipped and filed in an Inspiration folder. Thanks for all the great ideas!
I love the pretty bags and tags you guys always have featured. What a wonderful way to make a simple gift more spectacular!
Your gift tri0, a bag, a tag and a card gave me a great idea for my stamp club presentation in December. I’m sure the ladies in my club will enjoy the project.
I really can’t just choose one design. They all inspire me & I know I will try to re-create them all one of these days. Everyone is just sooo talented!
I love anything with a clean, simple style.
I was also inspired (what do you know) by the card you posted of Cari Fennell’s. I loved the classic orange and black color combo. Here’s the link to mine just in case, I actually just made it yesterday. http://taylorstamped.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-week.html
I love the holiday cards and the color combos. The projects are great!
I absolutely LOVE Melissa Phillips. Her work is amazing. She is truly inspiring.
Thanks for the chance to win.
I love to make cards to send to family and friends. I love Melissa Phillips’ work. Thank you for the giveaway!
Your magazine has inspired me to try color combos that I wouldn’t have thought of! And Melissa Phillips just oozes inspiration!!! Thanks so much for the chance to win those goodies- they look AWESOME!
I know many of my ideas are inspired by…it can stay with me for a long long time too! Lately though with the influx of so many great ideas on the internet, it’s been harder to remember which ones I want to create (ore re-create in my own version). I like the idea of “INSPIRED BY” though – that’s so fitting for crafters!
I agree with so many of the comments about Melissa Phillips. I try to recreate so many of her projects that have been published in your magazine. She is abosultely my favorite card maker. I follow her blog everyday and I think is a very sweet and creative woman.
I also love all of Melissa Phillips projects…the tags are right up my alley…love to take small gifts and jazz them up with the packaging and tags, etc. Thanks for all of the inspiration your magazines give to us.
I love your take on Cari Fennell’s Chic Halloween Card. Great design! I liked the Recycled Christmas ATC Cards idea – who doesn’t have old Christmas cards to use?
I love all Christmas card ideas. I enjoy your magazine and blog. Thanks for a chance to win.
Great job on your “inspired by” card Susan! I totally “see” it girl!
I remember a l/o on a card by Anabelle O that inspired me…..but by the time I was finished….it sure had my own twist. lol
There are really too many to pick from. I’m inspired by many projects in all of the great Paper Crafts Magazines. When I find projects that really grab my attention (which is often) I usually find some way of combining the best elements from each of the different projects I like (instead of copying the project as a whole, which is ok too). That way I get a completely customized project that I can fall in love with. Thanks so much for all the hard work you guys do to bring us each issue. And thanks to all those who submit their work for us to drool over!
I actually love that Halloween card you shared. The tulle is absolutely the perfect touch! I actually recently made a very similar card. I need to make some more now that I have seen that tulle. So many amazing projects!
I am always inspired by Kim Hughes’s shaped cards. I hope to step out of the box and try one of them one day!
Definitely the Hallowe’en cards…I just love making them! They are an unexpected treat for someone to receive!
awesome projects! love them all, thank you so much for the inspiration
sorry, i don’t have a Paper Crafts magazine, but I would love to try Teri Anderson’s tip on decorating the treat itself (orange pops), previous blog post. very simple, quick and easy. definitely a keeper tip, especially since my kids and i have to rush working on some treats to give away on Saturday
I look forward to receiving each issue of Paper Crafts. I love looking for ideas that I can use for inspiration. While I always wish I had the same paper, stamps & ink or embellishments used in the pictures, I seldom do and so I “make do” with what I have and adapt as necessary. Be Merry Trio in the Nov./Dec. issue is a good example. I prefer more traditional colors, so I’ll use paper in various shades of red and green and white and use the Santa design on the bag for a card instead.
Pingback: Something’s in the Air « Paper Crafts Connection
I love you in your smart costume!!! And you’re SO right, that card’s layout is TIMELESS!
LOVE your costume!! Too creative! And that sticker is the perfect touch!