Hello, hello crafty stamper friends!  I'm so happy that you are here to check out our Creative Inking Blog Hop for the month of April!  I'm really excited with this month's hop because we are doing something that I haven't done in a while...work with a Color Challenge!  I am in love with the color choices...don't they look super yummy?!!  Reminds me of a beautiful bucket of Sherbert.  Oh my, and I may have to run to the store and get some when I'm done with this post.  hehe!

You may be starting from here at my blog, Lori Mueller - Stampin' Dreams, or you may have come here from the talented Sandy Mott's blog. Please be sure to click the 'Next' button (found below) to move along the Creative Inking blog hop. If you get off track at any time, the full line up below will help you move along from blog to blog.

Instead of creating a card that was making me hungry for Sherbert, I decided to make a non-traditional graduation card.  I receive a lot of requests to custom make graduation announcements and coordinating Thank You cards in their school colors, so it was a lot of fun to play with new colors for the same occasion.

Creative Tips:

• Pear Pizzazz sets the stage with the cardbase...mainly because I knew that I want to incorporate a flower of some sort into the focal point area.

• The Very Vanilla piece was remnant from another project, which worked perfect for me to accent it with the Writing Notes Background stamp.  It was inked in Basic Gray, stamped off once onto scrap paper, then a second stamping onto the Very Vanilla layer.  I was not worried about getting a full image of the stamp; therefore, the reason you see some lighter inked areas.  Kind of like a worn notebook.

• Now to add color!  I love Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and will miss it dearly.  Yes, it is on the Retirement List.  I used a couple of the images to add the yummy colors of Peekaboo Peach and Flirty Flamingo.  Again, I did the first stamping onto scrap paper, then stamped a 2nd time onto the Very Vanilla layer.  I did not want the stamping to overpower the focal point I had in mind.

• Add the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits diecut in Pear Pizzazz to bring the challenge together.

• The die cut flower comes from the Succulent Framelits Dies.  That, too, has landed on the Retirement List!  I got a lot of use out of this die set that I know I will not be able to part with it.  Before setting it into place, I added some Copper Metallic Thread to help tie in the strip of Copper foil layered with the Very Vanilla panel.

• You can't have a graduation card without a sentiment of good wishes!  This one comes from the Suite Sentiments stamp set...again, this set is on the Retirement List, too.  Inked in Soft Suede and backed with some Peekaboo Peach 5/8" Ruched Ribbon and a strip of Flirty Flamingo cardstock.  Set in place with Stampin' Dimensionals.
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Soooo, what do you think?  Clean, simple, and oh-so pretty.  Don't forget!  If you don't have any of the products I used, you'll want to make sure to submit your order...everything is while supplies last.  I hope you will give it a try.

I'm anxious to jump on this "Designer Series Paper Showcase" to grab my own inspiration from the rest of the group.  You'll want to make sure and hop on over to Linda Bauwin's blog...she is one creative cookie, I tell you. Click on the 'Next' button and you'll be at your next stop.  If you get lost or sidetracked, please come on back and follow the list of participants shown below.  Have fun filling your inspiration bucket...don't forget to come back real soon.  :)

Creative Inking Blog Hoppers