How often do you find yourself wanting to create a very special card or gift for an upcoming occasion and just can’t think of an idea that works? You may have tried making what you have pictured in your head and then when you see it in front of you, it just isn’t what you expected. This happens all the time for me and I often toss out the original idea and have to start fresh. Back to the drawing board! This is when creative block sets in and I need some inspiration and a new idea.

Go through your supplies to find ideas and inspiration

The first thing I do is look at my stamp sets and dies. Usually, the card you want to make is for a holiday or occasion, so start there. Let’s say you need a birthday card. Pull out all your birthday related stamps, dies and embossing folders. Next, pull out some Designer Series Paper (DSP) or also known as patterned paper. This is where a lot of “ah-ha” moments set in where I remember that I probably bought that paper because it would work for a birthday card. Finally, pull out any coordinating inks and card stock that would coordinate with the paper. 

Grab your Stampin’ Up! catalogues

Old or new, doesn’t matter. You can look up the stamp set you want to use if you know what catalogue it was from. There is always a card or project using your stamp set in there. If it’s an older set and you don’t know what catalogue it came from, just pick up any catalogue and start flipping the pages. Something will jump out at you that will spark an idea or have a design layout that will work.

Start sketching

Pick a stamp or two that you are drawn to. Draw a few boxes on a piece of paper and begin sketching a few layout ideas. It is important here to keep it simple. Boxes, squiggles, circles, and lines are all you need. Try to come up with two to five sketches. One or two of them will feel right, to begin with.

Make a decision and go with it

Choose your layout, choose the paper, decide on your ink colour and start layering the elements to match your layout ideas. Move the elements around and trust your instinct. Don’t forget to take a picture of the layouts you like. I find if I like something and forget to take a picture, I have a hard time remembering what the ideas I liked were.

Browse the internet for ideas and inspiration but with a time limit

If you still need a bit more inspiration and direction, take a quick look at creative resources for paper crafters on the internet. Some ideas are:

• Google image search
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Give yourself a time limit of 15 to 20 minutes. Spending too much time browsing will distract you and may even overwhelm you.

Try these tips out when you’re struggling. If you don’t find the inspiration or an idea you were looking for, I’m positive that you’ll have found multiple other ideas for cards that you will want to make soon.

Have fun!

Dawn