JAI 49 - just add summer

Hi all,

hope you all had a lovely Christmas filled with lots of fun, relaxing, good food and family! Despite the weather being a bit so-so we did manage to make it to the beach at least once over Christmas which the kids loved (and pick up a little bit of sunburn - ouch - but only a little). The beach to me really is the essence of summer and that is what the challenge from Just Add Ink is about this week - Just Add Summer! Despite all this talk about the beach my card was inspired by something else - more butterflies than I can ever remember - swirling around the garden and once when we went for a walk through the National Botanical gardens literally a whole swirling whirly mass - it was just like walking through a butterfly aviary!! The ones in our garden are a striking black and orange so that is the colour combo I went with.



I started by stamping the gorgeous little graphic butterfly (All a Flutter) repeatedly in black across Whisper White. Once I filled up the panel, I added a die cut Pumpkin Pie butterfly,which I also embossed, then I layered over some striped Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, then added another All a Flutter butterfly but this one I coloured using my aquapainter. The final touch was to add a black flower button tied with some linen thread. The image panel was then layered onto a Basic Black mat and then the Pumpkin Pie base. The inside was finished off with another coloured butterfly swirling its way across.

Most unusually for me I didn't add a sentiment but I liked the way that it looked and figured adding one would spoil it! So have you had any butterflies swirling past you yet this summer?? My gorgeous Miss 5 can keep herself occupied for an hour racing around the garden trying to catch one! So if you have time this week why don't you add some summer too (whatever hemisphere you are in) and link your creation back to Just Add Ink.

Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year to you all too :)
Kim


Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: All a Flutter, Baby Buttons Bits (PaperTrey Inc)
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies BigZ die, Vintage wallpaper embossing floder, Pumpkin Pie 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, Linen Thread, Neutral button, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, Double sided tape (non SU!)

Merry Christmas

Hi all,

just dropping in quickly to wish everyone and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for your comments I don't often get the time to reply to let you know I appreciate them but I do very much!! I have included two of the cards I sent out as my Christmas cards this year below and I won't blather on in my usual way today but the details will be in the recipe.



Take care,
Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Snow Swirled, Many Merry Messages, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: White Craft, Real Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Eyelet border punch, 1/2" circle punch, Dashing DSP (R), silver brad, White embossing powder, Dimensionals, Double sided tape, SNAIL adhesive

Happy Days

Morning all,

I'll try and make this one a quick one - we have another busy day ahead - I'm really looking forward to some relaxing over Christmas though. I needed a card for my Mum and Dad for their wedding anniversary - it'll be 56 years Thursday - so this year I went a little vintage (ish).




I started by stamping my car on some Newsprint DSP and also onto Very Vanilla cardstock. Trimmed out some of the Newsprint sections and added them to the Vanilla base. Added some colour for the wing mirrors and bumper bar. Then I added a stamped number plate. I also added some half pearls for the headlight - I love the glow you get from them - very appropriate - and it also means I can add my card to the current Passion for PaperTrey challenge (add pearls) hi ladies :). I cut my car out with a circle nestability, off centre, and added a scalloped mat. For the base of the card I started with Riding Hood Red, then a layer of Basic Black, then the top layer was Very Vanilla, which I impressed with the Bookprint impression plate. I added some restrained sponging around the Vanilla layer in Riging Hood Red. To finish off the front I stamped the sentiment, curved to fit around the car element, add some ruffled ribbon, and a vintage brad. This was my first time to crack these open (love them and have been hoarding) but for Mum and Dad - well only the best! The inside I finished off with the same layering added a central sentiment element that seem to tie in with the anniversary them " Live, laugh, love".

Thanks for visiting in this busy Christmas season :)
Kim

Recipe:All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride (PaperTrey Inc), Round and Round (PTI)
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Basic black, Very Vanilla
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
Accessories: Bookprint Impression plate (PTI), Classic and scalloped nestabilites (Spellbinders), Scalloped oval punch, Word Window punch, cream half pearls, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon (R), Ribbon Originals (R), Vintage brad, Aquapainter, sponge dauber, Dimensionals, Double sided tape

Inkspirations 52 - Christmas Gift Blog Tour

Well hello there and welcome to the Inkspirations Christmas Gift Blog Tour!!


You might have come from Rebekah Steven's blog or be starting with me, either way the tour will work as, the tour is a circuit.

So have you been busy making some crafty goodies for some special people in the lead up to Christmas?? This being my little Miss 5's first year of school I had my first opportunity to make some thank you gifts for her teachers. The idea for this gift actually came from a Christmas in July blog hop (how appropriate - eh!) and I stored it away for use at the end of the year. Back in July Bev Watt, posted a great idea of recycling some coffee jars (luckily my DH is a coffee drinker and we buy that coffee brand anyway) and dressing them up with DSP. So I saved up some coffee jars and here is what happened to them.


And some close ups of the tags



I used different DSP for each but the basic pattern was the same. Punch bottom edge of DSP with a border punch (I used a different one for each jar), wrap DSP around the jar. Add on a decorative strip of embossed matching cardstock. Decorate the lid, using the lovely Joy at Christmas stamp from Perfect punches and layer on top of complementary die cut/punched cardstock. My special touch was to really dress up the jars with tags. First a little scalloped circle one with each teacher's initals - blinged up with lots of rhinestones. Then I cut two larger tags (Sizzex die) the top one I embossed with the alphabet pattern then add a stamped and coloured embellishment. This tag could be recycled by the teacher - to give to someone else as a gift or perhaps use as a bookmark. I cut an identical that was tied behind on which I wrote a thank you to the teacher. The tags were tied with silver cord onto the larger ribbon bow that dressed up the neck of the jar. Once all the decorating was done I filled up the jar with a yummy selection of chocolates. The teachers seemed to be really pleased with their presents which was nice :)

Thanks for visiting - don't forget there are still lots of wonderful idea left for you to see - so please continue on with the blog tour. Your next stop is Deb Speijers. (http://www.stampandscrapwithdeb.com/)

Kim

Recipe:
Stamps: Perfect Punches, Whimsical Alphabet Uppercase SU! (R), Tiny Treats: Christmas (PaperTrey Inc)
Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Cherry Cobler
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobler, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Holly Jolly DSP, Ski Slope DSP, Dashing DSP, Red and Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, Silver cord (R), Scallop border punch, Eyelet border punch, Scallop Trim border punch, Sizzex tag die (Scallop combo #2), Scallop circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1/8" circle punch, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" circle dies (PTI), Bookprint Impression plate (PTI) Rhinestones (Kaiser), Double sided tape, Dimensionals

JAI48 - Just add a sketch

Hi there,

how is everyone coping with the lead up to Christmas - kind of crazy and leaving you breathless!! - yep I know the feeling. This week we have a sketch challenge for you at Just Add Ink but so you might find the time for it we have it running for two weeks. Here's the sketch.


Now for some reason I struggled with this sketch - I think perhaps its because it didn't seem to have a clear focal point - so in the end I kind of made my own. I'm still not 100% happy with the overall outcome. Here it is so you can see for yourselves.



For a change - I didn't make a Christmas card - I needed one for a baby girl. So I started with a Riding Hood Red base and then added a Regal Rose mat. For the top layer I used some old DSP patterns in pinks, I also did some (occaisionally wobbly) ziz zag stitching around this layer. Next I stamped one of my baby Tee's onto some matching DSP. Trimmed it out, and layered on some white trimmed out sections. I coloured the star on the Tee with a Ruby Red marker (I still haven't updated my markers - soon I hope!!) then added some crystal effects and sprinkled over Dazzling Diamonds. The baby Tee was "hung" off the sentiment that I stamped directly onto the DSP. It dawned on me when I was making this that with a clear mount stamp you can, to a certain degree adjust the shape. So I pressed mine down in a bowed shape onto the acrylic block. The main hazard is possibly getting some side imprints from the crumpled up edges of the stamp - hence the little butterflies flying above ;) I anchored my sentiment banner with buttons and then added a labelled tag to each. For something different I just added a few folds to my ribbon running along the bottom. The large scallops for the bottom border I created by chopping apart a couple of punched fancy flowers. I saw this idea somewhere in the last few months but I didn't tag it and can't remember who posted it - my apologies. The inside was finished off to match. This one is already winging its way to the UK.

Thanks for visiting and if you can snatch a momment in the lead up to Christmas or perhaps have some chill time after why don't you have a play with the sketch and link your creation back to Just Add Ink.

Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Baby Tees, Curly Cute, Tiny Tags
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip and Ruby Red markers
Accessories: Button Bouquet (R), Fire Rhinestone, Ruby Red brad (R), Berry Bliss and Sweet Always DSP, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Medium Jewelery Tag, Fancy Flower punch, Scallop border punch, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Embroidery thread, Crystal effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Double sided tape, Dimensionals

JAI 47 - Just add a colour combo

Hi there all - again ;)
when I first saw the Just Add Ink colour combo challenge this week - so bold and bright I was a bit stumped, now I could have opted out as its my week off from the DT, but I was lucky enough to get some inspiration from a comment my Miss 5 made, more about that later. First here is the colour combo.

And here is the Christmas card I made using them.



Literally while writing up this post I realised I made a big Oops. I was positive the combo used Real Red so that's what I used. The outcome would still have been the same but I would have changed the ribbon to the retired Riding Hood Red taffeta. So read on for the Real Red version....

When I first inked up my Aviary set I made a little thank you card for Miss 5 to take along to a friends house when she was invited for a tea party - she loved it but did say "why is the owl in the cage Mummy". That got me to thinking how could I set the birds free. Then as I was putting Mr 2 to bed and turning the combo over in my head the idea of using the cages to make a christmas tree dawned on me, and even better to use the birds as ornaments!

So I started out by selecting the smallest Aviary cage - I needed to fit three across the bottom. Which was the next step, stamping three cages (definitely use the Stamp-ma-jig for this) then two above then one for the top of the tree. Then I stamped a couple of birds in Daffodil Delight and two in Tempting Turquoise and that cute whimsical owl in Real Red. I made things easy for myself by punching out the birds using a 1/2" circle punch (and of course ornaments are usually round ;) I added a little silver cord loop to each ornament, and add them to the tree with dimensionals. I added a star to the top, embellished with a brad and stamped a stand for the tree, added the sentiment and some 1/8 Real Red taffeta to finish it off. The image panel was layered onto a Real Red base. The inside was finished off simply to match - with a nice sentiment and some more of the birds. I had fun with this one and have already delivered it to some good friends who I thought would appreciate the quirkiness of the card.

Thanks for visiting in this busy Christmas season, and don't forget if you can squeeze in the time this week why don't join in with the challenge this week too.
Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Aviary, Many Merry Messages, Tree Trimming Trio
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red
Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray
Accessories: 1/2" circle punch, small Star punch (R), Silver cord (R), 1/8" Real Red taffeta, Dimensionals, Double sided tape

Inkspirations 51 - Gingerbread Man 2010

Hello again,

its not often I post twice in one day but I managed to get my card finished for this weeks Inkspiration challenge. So what challenge did Keesh set this week - ahh a nice sketch. Here it is.


I couldn't resist turning to a very cute gingerbread man stamp. That led me to think Soft Suede - its actually a very gingerbready colour! After scrouging around my DSP collection I settled on Sweet Slumber as I thought the warm - yet Christmassy colours suited my gingerbread man. So here he is.



I started with a Riding Hood Red base, layered that with a So Saffron mat, then two different DSP patterns as per the sketch. To cover the join (and cause it looks good) I added some dotty Soft Suede grosgrain ribbon (and a bow). My gingerbread man is framed in the circle feature of the sketch, stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla, then layered onto a Riding Hood Red scalloped circle mat. I added a couple of RHR buttons to finish the gingerbread man off and then mounted the circle panel up on dimensionals. The last thing to add was the sentiment - using a couple of stamped jewelery tags threaded through the Soft Suede bow. The inside was finished off simply to match.

I was quite happy with this turned out - I could almost describe it as tasty ;)(Ok may'be if you were a caterpillar)

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Holiday Button Bits (PaperTrey Inc), Tiny Treats: Christmas (PTI)
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Medium Jewelery Tag, Circle nestabilities, Sweet Slumber DSP (R), Soft Suede dotted grosgrain ribbon, RHR buttons (Button Bouquet)(R), red embroidery thread, Double sided tape, Dimensionals, Tombow

Guess what I did Saturday night

Hi there,

well rather unexpectedly a box of some delightful new crafty goodies arrived on my doorstep last Saturday and I couldn't resist playing with them once the kids were tucked up in bed that night. I had a purpose in mind too - which helps - we were going to a Christmas coffee get together with some good friends Sunday and I wanted to make some little treat boxes for the kids. Here's the end result. First a close up of the girls boxes. And a close up of the boys boxes


The boxes are fusion of SU! and PTI. To start with I used a the Favor it 2 box die to cut the boxes out (you need two per box) Baja Breeze for the boys and Real Red for the girls. (I decided to use some retired SU! DSP Ski Slope to decorate the boxes hence the colour scheme.) I labelled the boxes using first a Mat Stack 1 die cut (stamped with the matching Mat Stack stamp from Tiny Treats: Christmas) then different Limitless Layers 1 3/4" circles for the girls and boys. Lastly I added a stamped and coloured image from Tiny Treat: Christmas - santa for the girls and seriously the cutest reindeer ever for the boys. I coloured the Santa and reindeer in using SU! markers. The last touch was just a few rhinestones to bling them up a bit - a very important detail according to my Miss 5 (she made sure the girls got three rhinestones on theirs!) I used a cello bag filled it with a few home made Christmas biscuits we'd made Saturday afternoon and some little chocolate Santa's. Then tied it closed with some dotty Real Red ribbon.

It was a labor of love - but fun I have got to say :) and the kids loved them which definitely makes it worth while!! Christmas is everywhere in blog land at the momment but since these are mostly PTI I thought I might add them to the Passion for PaperTrey Christmas challenge - cause there was passion involved in their making and a very late night!

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: SU! and PaperTrey Inc
Stamps: Tiny Treats: Christmas (PTI)
Cardstock: Real Red, Baja Breeze, Whisper White (all SU!)
Ink: Real Red, Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Close to Cocoa, YoYo Yellow, Brocade Blue
Accessories: SU! Ski Slope DSP (R), Real Red stitched dotty grosgrain ribbon, small cello bags, Sticky Strip, 1 3/4 " circle punch, Dimensionals, PTI Favor it Box 2 die, Mat Stack 1 die, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" circle dies

Just Add Ink Swap Blog Hop

Hi everyone,
well welcome to a special event that the JAI team are running - a blog hop. There are 14 stops on the hop (Just Add Ink and the 13 design team members) you can start anywhere as the hop goes in a loop. The link to the next JAI blog (Paula Dobson) is at the bottom - just click on the end swap hop button and that will take you straight to Paula, and of course you can do the hop anytime!

So why are we hopping? Well back in August one of the JAI team came up with the fun idea of doing a swap among the design team. The idea being to use as much material (colours and stamps) from the new catalogue that was to be released on Sept 1. Which, once the swaps were exchanged would give us all some wonderful examples of what you can do with the new goodies. So we each made mulitple copies of our card and sent them off to the rest of the team. Now when I started thinking about what I wanted to do - an idea popped into my head - and I just had to run with it. Well let me show you the end result.

So what popped into my head?? Well the idea for the background. Any guesses how I did that?? Ah well I won't keep you in suspense :) I used one of the inchie stamps from the Level 2 hostess set Cute by the Inch. The important thing is to worked out the centre of the Crumb Cake mat, mark that and stamp out from there. With each subsequent stamp linking together to make the pattern. It was time consuming but once I had tried it and liked the effect I had to do it!! The Crumb Cake mat was layered onto a Marina Mist mat and then onto the Whisper White base. Over the Crumb Cake mat I added a wide strip of cardstock vellum to which I added a central glittered strip. The vellum was fixed the Crumb Cake layer with four silver brads. In the centre of the card I cut a Marina Mist decorative tag, layered that with a wide oval stamped with one of the gorgeous ornate wreaths from Style Beautiful (in Early Expresso) then up on dimensionals added the friend sentiment in Marina Mist. The inside was finished off simply to match.

It turned out quite elegant I think - kind of a clean modern take on vintage! Definitely something fun to experiment with.

Well I hoped you liked it :) please continue on with the Blog Hop (just click on the next button) and that will take you to the next JAI blog. If you have time please visit the rest of the team cause I can honestly say the swaps were awesome!!




Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Style Beautiful, Cute by the Inch, Vintage Vogue
Cardstock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Ink: Early Expresso, Marina Mist
Accessories: Cardstock vellum, Sticky strip, Dazzling Diamonds, Stamp-ma-jig, Silver brads, Lots of Tags sizzlet, Wide Oval punch, Dimesionals, Double sided tape

JAI 46 -just add critters

Hi everyone,

well for a change I don't have a Christmas card for you today. Why? well we have a fun challenge for you at Just Add Ink this week - its just add critters! Now I'm not saying you can't make a critter inspired Christmas card - its just that the first critter idea that popped into my head was Noah's Ark and I just had to see if I could make it work. Here it is.




I've seen side step cards around in blog land off and on and it was on my list of try sometime, and it occured to me that the steps would be a great way to showcase my parade of two by two animals. To find the instructions I just Googled and in the end I followed some simple instructions I found on Marelle Taylor's blog here. So I started by cutting and folding a Marina Mist base, as per the instructions. Next step was all the animals - two tortoises in Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss, two lions in mix and matched More Mustard and Cajun Craze, two giraffes in Pumpkin Pie and Tangerine Tango and two monkeys in Early Expresso and Chocolate Chip - a tree for the monkeys (I hand cut the trunk and then added lots of punched "foliage" as well as some apples ;)
I also added some grass to the two lower levels, for the tortoises and lions to walk through. Of course I also needed an ark! So I stamped my boat on Whisper White and Pumpkin Pie, then cut out some of the white sections and pieced them onto the Pumpkin boat. I adhered my boat about half way up on the small full height section of the side step card, leaving enough room to add a sentiment below, and a bright yellow sun to shine down from above. I also added some vellum cardstock below the boat to be the "sea". The last finishing touch was to add dabs of crystal effects to highlight bits of the boat and the animals. It was a bit tricky but I finished off the inside too.

I was very chuffed to get high marks from all the family on this one - even my DH - so this one is a keeper and most likely destined for my Mr 2 when he turns into Mr 3!! early next year.

So I hope you liked my whimsical critter take on Noah's Ark - if you have time why don't you join in the Just Add Ink challenge this week too.

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Fox and Friends, Party this Way, Wild About You (R), Boatloads of Love (R)
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss (smooth and textured), Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cardstock Vellum
Ink: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Early Expresso
Accessories: Boho Blossom punch, 1/4" and 1" circle punches, Word Window punch, Scallop circle punch, Little Leaves sizzlet, Real Red brad, Crystal Effects, Dimensionals, SNAIL, Double sided tape