After some thought and consideration, the time has come to retire Inspiration Elevator. But before we go, we need to hold a big retirement party, so we've invited everyone who's been involved with Inspiration Elevator back for one last reveal, and to our delight most were able to accept! We are so delighted to have so many IE alumni along this month! Thank you to each of you for helping us end our elevator ride with so much fun and creative energy!
This month's challenge is posed by one of IE's co-creators and team admin, Ann.
This month's challenge is simple, but I hope, challenging as well.
Here's the challenge: Inspiration Elevator launched on May 15, 2012 and at that time, we explained our purpose as, "Welcome to Inspiration Elevator! What a thrilling day! Today is the launch of Inspiration Elevator (IE), a challenge blog created by my dear friend Christa Uttley and me. We chose the name Inspiration Elevator because it is our intent to raise our creativity to heights through challenges issued every month. We want to raise our designs from the ordinary to the extraordinary. We hope you'll join us on our journey!
IE is a group of like minded scrappy friends who want to raise the bar in their own creative process through unique challenges that we issue to each other once a month. These won't be run of the mill challenges and we hope you'll join us each month and be inspired by the creative designs we've created."
That vision has remained unchanged over the last (almost) 3 years. The challenge this month is to just create - no holds barred. Take some time, or challenge yourself to do it in 1/2 hour if time is tight, but think about what you'd like to create if there were no agenda, no design team requirement. In other words, create for you, and enjoy the process!
I haven't been taking much time to create lately, my scrap space is in the process of being moved and everything is packed up. With it not handy, I have really only been creating when pressed to, like for our IE challenges. So, this time, I made sure I started early enough to have time to find supplies, enjoy creating my page. I allowed this photo taken this past fall by the talented Pam Stortz to lead my creative journey.
I decided to print a large version of the photo. We had a challenge to work with a few months ago, and I wanted to try it again, since I often work with 4 x 6's.
The background page was gessoed and then a light wash of 3 colours of watercolours was brushed on in bands - it's subtle, but I like how it picked up on the fall colours in the photo, and paled the stark white page.
From cork to beads, there's lots to create visual and tactile texture, and keep an earthy feel.
The felt leaf stem was coloured with gelatos, and the metal plaque was altered with gesso and spray inks. It reads "Life is not a journey but a destination", which seemed an appropriate message for the theme about growing up and making decisions.
We hope you'll take the time to hop through and visit each of our participant's blogs, beginning with our guests, then our current team, and finishing off with our co-founders. Feel free to leave comments and lavish each one with appreciation for all that they each brought to the Inspiration Elevator challenge over the last 3 years!
Ann Jobes (so glad you made it!)
I know I am greatly indebted to each of these incredibly talented and wonderful women, and humbled to have been a part of this. Inspiration Elevator has been a fun creative journey. Thanks to each of them, and to you who take the time to follow along each month.
Blessings,
Ann
What a beautiful fall page Ann! Amazing as usual!
Thanks for the last 3 years here at IE. I have learned so much from you,! Yes, you gave me the messy fever! And I love it! Thanks for all you have done to make this a wonderful place to create!
Posted by: Lisa Schill Moen | February 15, 2015 at 09:00 PM
LOVE the big photo...that was one of my favorite challenges...thank you for everything the last three years..it's been an awesome ride!
Posted by: Lisa Spiegel | February 15, 2015 at 07:15 PM
sooo gorgeous!!! LOVE the fall colors and large photo on the page!!! totally amazing!!! thanks again sooo much for letting me be apart of the team, I have really enjoyed it!!!
Posted by: wendipooh13 | February 15, 2015 at 03:46 PM
Such a goreous fall page, great elopements and depth!
Posted by: Laura Whitaker | February 15, 2015 at 02:22 PM
Lovely and thoughtful as always Ann. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to be a small part of what you created at Inspiration Elevator. Hope your scrap space will be unpacked soon and you will be creating and inspiring again soon!
Posted by: Denise Morrison | February 15, 2015 at 01:09 PM
Beautiful colour as always Ann, particularly love that leaf stem and the oversized photo. So glad you got to just 'play'....beautiful result!
Posted by: D | February 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM
Well my friend, here we are at the end of an era and your design really reflects the journey we set out on 3 years ago. I love your photo choice and size (Go Big or go home!) and the little bits of genius always reflect your truly artistic style. Thank you for all the hard work you have put in over the years. We have been so lucky to have you steering the ship and keeping us all on course. xo
Posted by: Cuttleyc523 | February 15, 2015 at 11:44 AM