When I saw the theme was Maps for this week’s Inspired by Challenge, #IB406, I felt completely justified in saving the old maps my husband was going to throw out. Perhaps you also hoard things thinking they’ll come in handy one day for a craft project? It’s so satisfying when you realize you have just the right application for them.

I created His and Hers birthday adventure cards for my daughter and son-in-law. Their birthdays’ are one day apart and they always go on an adventure together (we get to have the grandkids). This year, they are heading up to Northern California and beyond. Have you ever traveled Hwy 395 along the Eastern Sierra Nevadas? The desert turns into gorgeous forest and lakes along the journey (traveling south to north).

The “His” card was created with my July 2025 Hero Arts Card Kit of the Month called “Let’s Go.” I’m so glad I finally had an opportunity to play with it.

The “Hers” card was created by piecing together pieces of the California map, so you definitely don’t want to follow this map. I used Papertrey Ink products to create this beautiful forest. The forest dies are called Through the Forest, florals are Into the Blooms: Mixed Bouquet, and both cards have sentiments from the Destination Sentiments Stamp and Die Collection.

I’m eager to see how the theme, colors, or sketch inspire you this week. ~MarDi

It was hard to choose a winner as all the cards were so pretty!

Mary Reiner

This is just so amazing! The use of the sketch, the colours and all the wonderful texture! Congratulations Mary!

Don’t forget to play along this week!

This week’s challenge is all about maps, and I had so much fun putting my own spin on it. I went with a colorful shaped globe card, a big happy heart and a little reminder that wherever the adventure takes you…let the fun begin!

A very fun challenge and definitely one that made my crafty heart happy!

~Cathy

Hey, happy Friday. I love this week’s theme. I love to travel, and having a daughter who lives in Germany means we travel at least once a year to Europe. I was inspired by the theme and the sketch.

For my card I used the It’s Time to Travel collection from Echo Park and paired it with the Happy Retirement stamp set from Unity. I retired from teaching full time, and just substitute teach at my old school so we are able to travel anytime of the year. But, hubby is retiring anytime now, so I made this card for him!

Once I had the pattern paper adhered and stitched I then went through the It’s Time to Travel sticker book, adhered some stickers to scrap paper, cut out stapled the stamped sentiments and mounted on foam squares. I then just added a couple more stickers to finish it all off.

Do you like to travel? Where is your next trip going to be?

Can’t wait to see how you are inspired this week.

Welcome to Inspired By Challenge #IB406!

This week we’re inspired by maps! I love the soft, slightly vintage feel of this inspiration photo — the weathered frames, muted blue and grey tones, and those wonderful old maps.

You might be inspired by the maps themselves, travel or adventure, the soft blue/grey colour palette, vintage style, or the three horizontal panels in the sketch. A sentiment about a journey, friendship across the miles, or a favourite destination would work beautifully too.

As always, you can follow the inspiration closely or simply choose one little detail that sparks an idea and make it your own. Check out what the design team have created this week:

Kelly Schirmer

Von Marie

Cathy Harper

Amy Tsuruta

Laurel Seabrook

MarDi

Now it is your turn. We can’t wait to see what you create! Join us for #IB406, tag @inspired_by_challenge and use #inspiredbychallenge. After linking up your card, be sure to share it in our Facebook group too! 

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

Hello, it’s Amy @craftee1. Today’s card was inspired by this week’s theme + colors:

I combined the following Brass & Bliss Craft Co products:

• 3431 BFF Phrases #2 | 4×8 stamp set
• 5811- 02D Whisper Blossom | die
• 5012D Nested Circles Sm Stitch | die
• 5119D Nested Cir Scallop w/Holes | die

That sentiment cracks me up and because there isn’t a chicken on the card but flowers, I’m hoping that it would make the recipient chuckle. This particular stamp set has some great sentiments:

Do you ever get up in the morning and look in the mirror and think, “that can’t be accurate”.

I can’t wait to see how you’re inspired!

Thanks for stopping by!

Some links may be affiliate at no extra cost to you:

https://linkdeli.com/widget.js?id=f5e8378456858c916708

Hello everyone. Von Marie here and I’m so excited to be on the blog today. I can’t believe it’s September already! Well we have a fun New challenge this week Rolling Pins #IB405.

Let’s Get Started:

Well I was inspired by the Rolling Pins, Colors, and Card Sketch. I chose these cute images from Lawn Fawn A Creature Was Stirring. Not sure I used this set before but it’s really cute. It did not have a rolling pin though so I got that image from Hero Arts What’s Cookin? I stamped all my images using my stamping Platform and Memento Tuxedo Black Dew Drop ink. I colored with my OLO markers to color and I will have those colors on my video if interested. Then fussy cut my images using my scissors.

I then cut my white cardstock panel to 4 x 5 1/4. I used Lawn Fawn’s Large Mini Slimline Stackables dies for the columns according to the card sketch. I cut 2 of those out with my die-cutting machine. I ink blended using inks Altenew Frayed Leaf ink cube and Pinkfresh Studio Warm Buff ink cube. I felt like the pink was used on my images even if it is more pink than the photo. I glued all to a A2 gray card base 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. Sentiment strip is from my stash.

 I had so much fun making this card now it’s your turn to make a card.

How are you inspired? Watch my video here

Crafty Hugs

Von Marie

Rolling pins is the theme this week! I took inspiration from the theme, colors, and sketch. I made good use of my stash with this fun card, pulling out some oldies and some that just look like oldies.

This is the second time I’ve combined the Butter My Biscuit stamp set from Unity Stamps with this Lawn Fawn rolling pin. It just looks like she should be holding one in her hand. Her expression makes it hard to know how she intends to use it.

The sentiment, “A Party Without Cake is Just a Meeting,” is from a very old Hampton Arts set. “Hooray it’s Cake Time,” is from MFT Stamps. The banner dies are Paper Smooches, the botanicals are Spellbinders, and the lacy edger is Martha Stewart. I told you there were some oldies in here. That’s what makes the challenges so fun, being inspired to use those long neglected stamps and dies.

Patterned paper also helped to bring this fun card to life.

How does the photo, theme, sketch, or colors inspire you? We would love to see. ~MarDi

Kate

So many amazing things to love here! All those scrumptious cookies and details…now I can’t wait till Christmas 😂 Congratulations Kate!

Don’t forget to play along this week!

This week we had a charming and rustic set of rolling pins to be inspired by! I was immediately drawn to the woodgrain and the hand-painted eucalyptus leaves and papery white flowers!

I used The Greetery’s “Capsule Basics” dies to cut woodgrain cardstock which was embossed with the “Rosemal Reflections” embossing folder. I cut leaves with the “Eucalyptus” die and white flowers from vellum with “Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Amaryllis.”

Also from The Greetery, the lovely “Scripted Sentiments” on an “Oblong Octagon Label” framing a piece of patterned vellum. Another star of the show is the amazing Sizzix 3D Textured Impressions folder called “Lace” by Eileen Hull. It is so detailed and fabulous, I never want to cut into it!

We can’t wait to see how you are inspired this week. Thanks for stopping by!