Friday, February 26, 2016

Just Add Ink Turns #300 - Just Add a Sketch

WOO HOO! Its Just Add Ink time! This week at Just Add Ink we are celebrating our 300th Challenge with a sketch challenge. It's a fantastic achievement and I'm so excited to be a part of it!


I've been staring at the sketch all week trying to nut something out. Usually I find the sketch challenges come to me quite easily but this time it wasn't to be the case. I tried a few different things but nothing seemed to be coming together like I had imagined. I put my card aside and thought something might come to me if I leave it for a while.
Something caught my eye this morning when I was getting my kiddies up to get ready for school and I thought that might work. I actually walked past some prints that I have hanging in my home with some butterflies on it and really loved the colouring of them and then the card all went from there. I really love it when the inspiration hits you like that from random things.


I cut the butterfly out vellum and then sponged Soft Suede, Early Espresso and Melon Mambo over the butterfly. Try to be a bit gentle when sponging over the die cut butterfly. If you are too quick and a bit heavy handed you can rip and tear the butterfly and then you'll have to start all over again. I may or may not had to sponge about 3 butterflies due to tearing them. Just sayin'.


On the circle behind the butterfly I've stamped and embossed one of the splatter images from Gorgeous Grunge with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. You could get a similar look by flicking the Gold Wink of Stella Brush on the card stock too.


The fleur-de-lis image is from the Timeless Texture stamp set. And did you notice that strip of gold glimmer? That's the new Sale-a-bration FREEBIE the Metallics Glitter Tape. You get three rolls, one of each colour, gold, silver and white so it can go with any of your creations. Its fantastic and so sparkly and the best thing is that you don't even have to cut it you can just tear it like Washi tape. So easy. Loving it!

To make this challenge a little bit more special there are prizes for the 3 winners of this challenge. The usual challenge rules apply -
  • Create a card, layout or 3D project using our challenge as inspiration.
  • Link your post, NOT your whole blog.
  • Your project must be new, created for this challenge and combined with no more than 5 other challenges.
  • Please mention JUST ADD INK in your blog post and provide a link so others can come and join in the fun too.
  • Please DO NOT use your challenge entry as self promotion. We are here to have fun and encourage creativity.
  • We reserve the right to remove links that do not comply with the above guidelines.
  • The challenge closes each Wednesday at 10.00 pm (AEST) Australian Eastern Standard Time.
 So why not get a start on your weekend and celebrate with us at Just Add Ink by getting your creative juices flowing and enter in this weeks challenge. Head on over to Just Add Ink for all the details on how to enter. Remember you've got to be in it to win it! 

So looking forward to seeing your creations! 

Last but not least make sure that you check out the rest of the fabulous creations from the rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team and show them some comment love! We so love to know what you think of our creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by!


Sunday, February 21, 2016

Can You Case It? #108 - Birthday Blooms Sketch Challenge


Hello Everyone! Happy Sunday! Welcome to a new challenge at Can You Case It? A sketch challenge. And this week I kept to the sketch pretty much as it is. I know right! Don't fall off your chair that I kept to the sketch. I'm usually the first one to change it up a little.


I've used the Birthday Blooms stamp set and used it for a bit of water colouring. I do love to colour. I find it very relaxing and calming (when everything is going right and I'm not in a hurry to create a card). You don't need to buy one of those intricate colouring books, just stamp a few of your favourite images and get colouring.


I've used Blushing Bride and Watermelon Wonder to colour the flower. I coloured the Blushing Bride first and then a light layer of the Watermelon Wonder. I didn't want the Watermelon Wonder to be too bright and take over the whole image. Just a subtle bit of colour.


Do you notice the white striped card in the background? It's one of the cards from the Sale-a-bration Memories in the Making Project Life Speciality Card Collection. You can get this card kit for FREE. For every $90 AUD you spend (before shipping and handling) you can get this card collection for NOTHING!!! How awesome is that! Ask me how you can get yours TODAY. These cards are great as an added element on your cards or use them in your Project Life albums.  This striped card is perfect for a bit of a colour resist technique but I wanted to keep it white and keep the subtly if the white stripes. 


I embossed the Birthday Bloom image with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder first before I coloured it.  I find embossing an image first before you colour it in helps to stay in the lines and you don't have to be as careful when you are colouring. I love the beautiful outline that the gold embossing gives to the image. 


Its all finished off with some Gold Metallic Thread, Basic Rhinestones, Gold Foil Doilies and some Basic Gold Metal Buttons.

Why not take the time today to have a bit of a creative 'me' time before another week back at work and school and enter this weeks sketch challenge at Can You Case It?  I can't wait to see your creations!

Make sure you check out the awesome creations that the Design Team have created this week show them some comment love! We really enjoy the comments that you leave us.

Thanks so much for stopping by!


Friday, February 19, 2016

Just Add Ink #299 - Just Add Inspiration

Hello there and welcome! It's time to Just Add Ink and what better day to start a new challenge than on a Friday when you have the whole weekend ahead of you to create. This week at Just Add Ink we are just adding some inspiration with an inspiration pic. It's pretty, its pink and its summery. All the things I love!


I was really taken with the pink and green colour combo in the picture and used that as my starting base and then I had a play around with the Botanical Builder Dies.
 I only got them the other day and couldn't wait to get creating. I wasn't so keen on these dies when I first saw them but as it always goes I've seen some amazing creations with them and then just had to get them.


I've layered a few of the flowers on the front. I've sponged the edges of each item just to give them all a bit of dimension and depth. I've had my first attempt at machine sewing on my card. Please be kind! I've borrowed my mums machine, Thanks Mum, to see how it would go before I look at getting my own. It is a little wonky but with some more practice hopefully it will get a little straighter! I'm going to have sewing on everything!!! Ha! I actually threaded the Metallic Gold Thread through the machine and it worked so well!! Looks so pretty!


Make sure you check out the Just Add Ink page to check out all the inspiration from the rest of the design team and then have a go at playing along!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Monday, February 15, 2016

The Stamp Review Crew - Sale-a-bration 2016

http://stampreviewcrew.blogspot.com/2016/02/stamp-review-crew-2016-sale-bration.html

Welcome to another Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop! I can't believe that we are already half way through February and on to out second hop for this month. This hop we aren't using a specific stamp set, we are going with the theme Sale-a-bration 2016. We could choose whatever we wanted from the Sale-a-bration offerings so that you can see what fabulous products you can choose as your freebie item and some awesome things that you can create with them.

I've gone with a stamp set that will be available from 16th Feb - 11th March 2016, called Pedal Pushers. Super Cute!! It has 11 stamps in the set and comes in photopolymer so that you can easily line up the images to create your tandem bicycle built for two. I've actually used all the images from the set so that you can see how awesome a set it really is!


I've kept the same layout for all the cards but just changed them all up a little bit to make them all slightly different too.





I really hope that I've shown you some fun and funky ways to use this set and remember if you want to get your hands on this set spend $90 AUD on any Stampin' Up! products and this set can be all yours for FREE! Who doesn't love a freebie or two? Only available till 11th March 2016, to get yours ASAP before this fabulous set is all gone!

If you are following through on the hop Click on the Next button below to bring you to Betty Traciak
http://kittystamp.blogspot.com/2016/02/stamp-review-crew-2016-sale-bration.html

Or If you are hopping in reverse click here to hop on to Yapha Mason.

http://yaphamason.com/blog/2016/02/14/stamp-review-crew-sale-a-bration-edition/

To see the full list of participants click on the header at the start of this post or visit the Stamp Review Crew site.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
If you would like to purchase and of these items used then just click on the image and you will be directed to my online store. (Australian Residents Only)
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Sunday, February 14, 2016

Can You Case It? #107 - Colour Challenge

Hello and Welcome! I'm so happy you have stopped by here today! It is Sunday so that means its time for a new challenge at Can You Case It? A colour challenge!!


When being on a Design Team and you are given the run down of the challenges in advance. Sometimes you just look at it and you know instantly what you want to create other times you usually look at for hours and hours and the inspiration just isn't coming to you. Lucky for me this week it wasn't the latter. I just looked at these colours and knew that I wanted to do some colouring with the Rose Wonder set. I could have chosen the safer option and used white as my base and coloured on that but I had seen (probably on Pinterest. He, He) that you can colour on Crumb Cake or Kraft for the non-Stampin' Up! people out there. 

I first embossed the Rose Wonder image onto the Crumb Cake with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. That big rose it just amazing and this stamp set, I love it! So that you are able to colour on the Crumb Cake you need to put down a layer of Whisper White Craft ink with your Aqua Painter or Blender Pen.This just 'seals' the card stock just a little so that you can lay down some colour. It wont be the same as water colour paper but it gives you to wet the card stock a little more than normal before the paper starts balling and piling.


Before you start colouring you need to make sure that your Craft ink has completely dried. Otherwise you'll just be mixing around craft ink, classic ink and water. You'll end up with a big mess and not a pretty one either.


Put down your colour next. I just treated it like I do when I water colour. Using my aqua painter I started at the edges and then pulled the colour in. The only tip is have your aqua painter a little wet but not too much. You don't want the colour so wet that it ruins your cardstock straight away because you've used too much water. You can go over the colour you've put down a little before you damage the cardstock, just don't make it too wet.


It's probably really hard to see but I finished off the rose and the leaves with a fine layer of Stella, of the Wink variety. That stuff is so pretty and you just need a thin layer for some beautiful and subtle shimmer.

Are you ready to play along with this weeks fabulous colours? Click here to see the rest of the Can You Case It? Design Teams Creations and how you can enter this weeks challenge. 

Can wait to see what you come up with!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!



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Friday, February 12, 2016

Just Add Ink #298 - Just Add V

Yay! It's Friday, the end of the working week and also time for a new Just Add Ink Challenge. Both equally exciting! This week we have Just Add V. When I first saw this challenge on our list I must have had my strawberry blond hat on (sorry to the blonds out there) and had and extremely blond moment and went, "What? V? Why V? ... What can I create on my card that begins with V?" It then dawned on me, almost like a bolt of lightening to my brain and I actually said this to myself  "Duh, you idiot, Valentine's. Of Course." I did feel like a little bit of a, as my kids would say a 'Doofus'. 

I've used the Little Letters Thinlit Dies to create a bit of a Kiss, Hug, Kiss, Hug kind of card.


I do love to make cards that don't actually use a stamp set but uses some of the other fabulous accessories and tools that Stampin' Up! have to offer. Like the Big Shot, Thinlits, Framelits, Punches, Speciallity Papers and Trims. Don't get me wrong, I love the stamps too, but I love that you can create a fabulous card without them also.


Don't you just love the pops of Red Glimmer? So sparkly! 

If you find some time to get creative this weekend, we'd love to see your creation over at Just Add Ink. Your creation doesn't have to be a Valentine's creation it can be whatever 'V' that inspires you, vase, vest, violet, vellum, vintage. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Sunday, February 7, 2016

Can You Case It #106 - Happy Birthday Mum!

Hello and Happy Sunday! I hope that you are having a fantastic day! Welcome to another Can You Case It? Challenge! This week is a sketch challenge and my card today is dedicated to a very special person in my life, my Mum.


 Last Friday my mum celebrated a very special birthday. She might not like it if I tell you her age. So I wont. (He, he). She didn't want a party but we went away camping with Mum and Dad, my two brothers, my sister (and partners and kids) and some of mum and dad's closest friends for the weekend enjoying each others company, spending time in the sun and at the beach and just having a fun weekend together.

I've changed the sketch a little and the orientation of the card but still trying to keep the basic design principles.


I've used the very pretty DSP Birthday Bouquet and mixed it up with the Number of years stamp set and the Large Number Thinlit Dies. I've cut the numbers out with the Gold Glimmer Paper and they look so pretty and sparkly!


Its all finished off with some of the Pool Party Glitter Ribbon, Bow Paper Clips and an Iced Rhinestone. The whole card is so sparkly. Love!

Are you ready to take on this sketch challenge? Looking forward to seeing your take on the sketch.
Head on over to Can You Case It? to see what the rest of the team have created this week! I'm sure you will be inspired!

Thanks so much for stopping By!

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Monday, February 1, 2016

The Stamp Review Crew - I Think You're Great Edition

http://stampreviewcrew.blogspot.com/2016/02/stamp-review-crew-i-think-youre-great.html

Welcome to another edition of the Stamp Review Crew. Thank You for stopping by today! We are using the fabulous set from the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue, I Think You're Great.

If you're not sure who we are, we are a group of International Stampin' Up! demonstrators and we have a blog hop of the first and third Monday of each month. Each hop showcases one stamp set and we like to show you lots of different creative ways to use it!

Remember, if you get lost on the hop click on the banner at the top of this post and this will give you the list of all the 'hoppers' in The Stamp Review Crew.
It's a fun set and is great used with the 'kissing' technique as shown in the Annual catalogue. Kissing is where you ink up a solid image and a patterned image and press or 'kiss' the two inked up images so that the patterned image imprints on the solid image and then you stamp the 'kissed' solid image on your project and it gives the image a whole different effect. Fun to do and worth a try.


I haven't used the 'kissing' technique today but I have used the patterned images to create my own DSP as such.

I repeatedly stamped the line image down the side of my card in Mint Macaron ink and then the other patterned images I stamped on Crushed Curry cardstock with Crushed Curry Ink. I love the tone on tone look and how gorgeous is that colour combo. Mint Macaron, Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo. Some of the new products from the Occasions Catalogue co-ordinate perfectly with that colour combo and look awesome!

I've embellished my card today with the Metallic Foil Doilies, the new Bakers Twine, Silver Sequin Trim and some Silver Sequins from the Metallic Assortment Sequins.

Such a fun and bright card! I love it! 

Next on the hop is the creative Nancy Smith. Click on the next Blog Button to hop on to Nancy and show her some blog hop love. 

https://iguanastamp.wordpress.com/2016/01/31/stamp-review-crew-i-think-youre-great

If you are hopping in reverse click here to hop on to the wonderful Dawn Tidd.
http://tiddbitsfromdawn.typepad.com/tiddbits-from-dawn/2016/01/the-stamp-review-crew-i-think-youre-great-edition.html

Thanks so much for stopping by!


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The Inkreators Blog Hop - Occasions Catalogue 2016


Welcome to the first Inkreators Blog Hop for 2016. I'm so glad you could stop by and visit out blog hop today. Today's hop we are focusing the new Occasions Catalogue and all the most fabulous products in it. I hope that you have been inspired so far.

I'm using the ever most beautiful stamp set and thinlit bundle Rose Wonder and Rose Garden and I've got two creations for you today, one a bit more modern looking and one just a little bit pretty.

I've seen a lot of marble and pastels in home decorating at the moment so I wanted to try and combine the two in my first card.The Sale-a-bration DSP Perfectly Artistic is 'perfect' to help me with my creation. Did you know that if you spend $90 AUD on fabulous Stampin' Up! products you can get this DSP for FREE? Contact me on how you can get your hands on this fabulous paper!


I've used the Basic Grey sheet from the Perfectly Artistic DSP and layered that on some Smoky Slate cardstock. And how stunning is that die cut rose with the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper. I suppose this card might be a bit pretty too.


My second card is quite simple in it's execution but I think that is quite pretty and stunning. I've just die cut 6 of the smaller roses in Blushing Bride and then adhered them on to Blushing Bride cardstock for a tone on tone look.


I've then used one of my favourite sentiment from the set 'Fear Not'. I've embossed this with Black Stampin' Emboss Powder to give the sentiment a rich 'blackness' to it. So pretty.


It's all finished off with a little bit of Blushing Bride cotton ribbon. It was very hard for me not to add lots of layers and bling but I really love the simplicity of the card and to let the sentiment stand out and speak for itself.

I really hope that I've given you some inspiration for this fabulous bundle. I had lots more ideas but I ran out of time. Might have to save them for another time.

Click on the Next Blog button on to the most awesome Lauren to see what she has created.

 http://lovelifelauren.squarespace.com/journal/2016/1/31/inkreators-blog-hop-occasions-catalogue

Thanks so much for stopping by!


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