Week 3 with Gingersnap Creations

This is my third week with Gingersnap Creations, and this week is all about an inspiration challenge. The Gingersnap girls picked "crowns" as the inspiration for this challenge. For the month of February, the Gingersnap Creations DT has an overall theme of Royalty with a focus on adding shimmer and sparkle to their art for each of the weekly challenges.

I will be honest and tell you that I freaked out when I saw that "crowns" was the challenge this week. I don't have any crown stamps, I don't collect crown charms, what am I supposed to do?? I actually went "shopping" in my Mom's craft room for crown stamps, and I did find a couple. But when I was cleaning up my own studio on Saturday afternoon, I ran across my old Tim Holtz grungeboard that I haven't used in ages. Lo and behold, there is a crown shape within the 5 sheets of grungeboard.

When I sat down to create my card, I just wasn't inspired by the stamps that I "stole" from my mother. My mind kept wandering back to the grungeboard crown. This bird collage stamp from I Brake for Stamps was out on my table, and an old song popped into my head - "4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie, when the pie was opened, the birds began to sing, wasn't that a lovely thing to set before the king?"

Okay, so the bird is blue, not black, but this challenge is all about inspiration and seeing where it leads you. I painted the grungeboard crown and swirl with some Gold Creative Inspirations Paint, and I added a blue rhinestone brad to the center of the crown.

Do you recognize the gold mesh in the background? Remember the big Magic Mesh craze from a few years ago? I stocked up on several different colors of mesh and it was fun to pull it out and use it here. I distressed all the edges and used the Torn Frames technique from Technique Junkies on the blue layer behind the bird. I love the contrast of the lace versus the hemp twine, the gold paint versus the distressed edges.

Would you like to play along with the Gingersnap Creations challenge? Create something that fits the inspiration challenge with crowns, add some sparkle, and enter it into the challenge over on the Gingersnap Creations blog. Come on back next Wednesday to see my last creation as a Visiting Artist with Gingersnap Creations.


Stamps: Bird and Cherry Blossom collage from I Brake for Stamps - use code SAVE10HOLLY to save 10% off your order
Ink: Marina Mist, Antique Linen distress
CS: Marina Mist, White, Soft Suede
Creative Inspirations Paint: Gold
Other: May Arts lace, hemp twine, Tim Holtz grungeboard, blue rhinestone brad, gold Magic Mesh, distress tool, sponge
Technique: Torn Frames from Technique Junkies