From Courtney's Closet #40 - an inspiration challenge

(ETA: Photo of Courtney added! I'm also leaving the one of just the outfit, since it shows the details much better - you should be able to click on it for a larger view. And I just have to add, why oh why won't my sweet girl ever look at the camera and smile?? *sigh*) Welcome to another week of From Courtney's Closet, where my card inspiration (and hopefully YOURS?!) comes from one of my daughter's cute little outfits. So I don't know if you've noticed this, but I have a little self-imposed "rule" on my FCCC posts. I am a big fan of challenges - I often have trouble making a card without relying on a sketch or color challenge! But for FCCC cards, I don't allow myself to play OTHER challenges. These cards have to be "all me". Well... this week I'm breaking that rule! :-) This card is my take on *my* favorite blog challenge, the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge! This week the movie was The Lion King. I hadn't planned to feature this outfit for a while yet - Courtney hasn't actually ever worn it - and I even forgot to put her in it today to get a photo!! I'll edit in a photo of her wearing the outfit tomorrow...! But when I saw that the movie was The Lion King, I just had to pull out this outfit and play along!!! I just LOVE this one - it's another hand-me-down from our friend Rachel, made by Gymboree, and I loved it back when I saw Rachel wearing it!! So cute! The giraffe and zebra stamps I used on my card are from an *old* Stampin' Up set called Wild Things. The bird is from Wild About You. And FYI, I also have SU's In The Wild!! Can you tell I love animal stamps?? Especially safari-themed animal stamps made by SU?? LOL! And even though the type of animals in each are virtually the same, the look of each set is completely different, so there's no way I'm ever getting rid of any of them! I cut out the tree on the card by hand, and ran the green parts through my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder for a little more dimension. I also used the Distressed Stripes folder on the vanilla panel, and sponged it with brown ink. I tried to mimic the sun with my sentiment circle. So what do you think? Feel like making an African safari-themed card this week? Or is there anything else about this outfit that inspires you? If you make a card, link it up in my Mr. Linky below!!

Last week's cards were all *SO* amazing!!! I really struggled to pick my favorite, but I think it has to be Betty's card. I just love her fun little scottie, and that funky tree, and the cool papers she used! Betty I'll email you the sidebar blinkie that says you were featured here, and would love it if you choose to put it on your blog!Thanks to everyone who played last week! And thanks everyone for stopping by today!

• Stamps: Wild Things, Wild About You from Stampin' Up, sentiment from Inkadinkado
• Paper: Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Old Olive, Garden Green, Very Vanilla, K&Co Marcella DP
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Memento Coffee & Tuxedo Black
• Accessories: Cuttlebug & Swiss Dots, Distressed Stripes folders, circle punch, Janome Sew Mini & brown thread, CTMH rick-rack, sponge