Thoughts on Inspiration—How it transforms into card
The purpose of this post is to share thoughts on inspiration. Most magazines ask designers to include information regarding the inspiration for a project in the introduction of the article. 
I find writing the introduction to be particularly difficult. This is due to the fact that designing tends to be more about the process than just a single spark of inspiration.
Card Making Example
This card is an a good example. The inspirational idea for this card was to stamp the focal image on decorative paper. However, this idea does not make a complete card.
Here is where the process begins. I tested the green marker on the paper to see if it would cover the decorative paper. It did. I was able to move ahead with the design idea. I colored the leaves and stem were using a green marker. However, during the process I noticed something. The gold from the decorative paper wasn’t covered by the marker, but it added interest. So, I decided it was okay.
The next step I took was to create a sense of unity in the design. I chose cardstock in orange and green for the background elements. At this point , I took a step back and determined that something else was needed–something gold. The idea of using a snowflake cover-a-card stamp with gold Pearl-Ex popped into mind. The card was then mounted on a black panel in order to frame the image.