JAI 66 - just add a flower

Well hello there,
I've been busy working on convention swaps, future JAI challenges and just enjoying some time at home over Easter! I hope everyone had a good Easter and enjoyed some chocolate - my two little ones are old enough now to really get the "we are allowed to eat lots of chocolate at Easter" for the first time and needless to say enjoying it! I did enjoy seeing their delight in the couple of Easter egg hunts they had - I think that's one of the joys of parenting - to experience the world through their joy and excitement.

Anyway on to this weeks Just Add Ink challenge - this week the challenge is to just add a flower (for Mother's day, May 8 here in Aus). In my case my Mum's birthday is actually about a week earlier so my flower was made for her birthday card. Here it is.

I must admit to being rather smitten with the Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla and Basic Black combo - its just so elegant and stylish! So I couldn't resist buying and using some of the Love Letter DSP. First I cut my flower layers using a BigZ L die from DSP. I sponged the edges of the petals and crumpled them up. Then layered them up with dimensionals, then misted with silver glimmer mist. A gorgeous antique brad finishes it off. I used more DSP for the bottom card front panel. At the top I embossed some Very Vanilla with the Finial Press embossing folder. More DSP was used for some leaves for the flowers I also added some black swirls. Finishing touches include a scallop trim dividing border and I dug out some pewter hodgepodge as a frame for the sentiment. Oh and I sponged around the edges of the front with some distressing ink - although its hard to see it in the photo. The inside was finished off simply to match. I'm pretty sure Mum will like it!

Thanks for visiting and why don't you add a flower this week!

Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
Accessories:Love Letters DSP, Finial Press embossing folder, Antique brad, Fun Flowers BigZ L die, Two step bird punch, Pewter hodgepodge (R), Swirls and Scribbles sizzlet, Scallop Trim border punch, Silver Glimmer Mist, Chai ink (PaperTrey Inc),Double sided tape (X Press), Dimensionals

JAI 64 - just add using a chocolate bar to inspire you

I love chocolate, I really. love. chocolate! Have I got your attention ;) Well if you do too then Just Add Ink has a special challenge for you this week. We want you to pick your favourite chocolate bar and pull the colour combo from the wrapper and use it to create your challenge entry. For me it was a toss up between Lindt balls (love the way they just melt in your mouth - ahhhh) or Cadbury's Old Jamaica Rum and Raisin (my mouth is watering just at the thought!!). I just wasn't in a blue/silver/white mood so I went with the dark delectable yumminess of the Rum and Raisin. Here's a pic of what the packaging for it looks like. And here is what I created. The main colours seemed to be a dark brown, a rich yellow and a strong purple. So I translated that into Early Expresso, More Mustard and Elegant Eggplant. Having got my hands on the new Eat Chocolate set - well I just had to use it (oh and I might add there are some elements of a sneak peek for one of my convention swaps in here too!). So I started with a Early Expresso base, then added a white mat, and an embossed Elegant Eggplant top layer. Over that I added a Top Note die cut which I stamped to create a text style background DSP in More Mustard. Next for the focal element I used markers to ink up the three little chocolates and their frame, then punched it out with the decorative label punch (gorgeous!!). I punched an extra Expresso die cut to frame the inked one. Finally the finishing touches - a rhinestone, some luscious satin Early Expresso ribbon and a More Mustard button! So there you have it a rich dark card reflecting a dark rich chocolate - yum!





Thanks for visiting and have some fun turning your favourite chocolate colour combo into a papercraft creation :) Kim





Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted


Stamps: Eat Chocolate Cardstock: Early Expresso, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Early Expresso

Accessories: Top Note die, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Decorative Label punch, Early Expresso satin ribbon, More Mustard button (R), Jewels - rhinestone, Dimensionals, Double sided tape (X Press), SNAIL adhesive

JAI 63 - just add inspiration

Hi there, well this week our challenge for you at Just Add Ink is to add some inspiration using the - well shall I say bright picture Delys picked for us this week. Here's the pic. Has the picture finished bouncing off the back of you retina's yet? I did warn you it was bright but fun too and full of things to inspire. Not surprisingly I came up with something bright to match.

I decided to go with a scallop circle card - something fun and a little different to match the picture - so a Real Red base and then, a Daffodil Delight mat. I finally had my first chance to pull out Sweet Summer and do some watercolouring. So I stamped (and masked and trimmed out) a row of flowers and sat down for some relaxing colouring in fun. I had to add some of those stripes from the picture so I added a couple of scalloped borders below the flowers and then one of Old Olive leaving just a bit of the Daffodil mat at the bottom to add a sentiment, which I did at the very end. One consequence of that last minute - yes a sentiment can go there decision was that the block rolled just a bit and left a streak of Real Red on the olive scallop above - grrrrr - but I took a deep breath and said - a, it just shows its home made, it still looks good, mantra! To finish off the front I added a little bees to buzz above and bird peek about under the flowers and a Daffodil bow. The inside was finished off with another flower and bird to match.

Thanks for visiting, and if you have the time or can't get that photo out of your head (lol) why don't you have a go at the challenge this week. Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted Stamps: Sweet Summer, Teeny Tiny Sentiments Cardstock: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive Ink: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Stazon Black Accessories: Scallop circle die, Scallop border punch, Daffodil Delight narrow grosgrain ribbon, watercolour paper, Circle nestabilities (Spellbinder), Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, Double sided tape.

Inkspirations 64

Hi there,

between a hefty household dose of germs and just being plain busy I haven't had the chance to play along with an Inkpsiration challenge for a few weeks - but an idea struck me after I saw the colour combo this week and so I decided to make the time! The colour combo is just perfect for the lovely Autumn weather we are having right now. Here it is. Aside from Autumn I thought the colours made me think lion - Rrrrrrrrr :) So I pulled out Fox and Friends and set about making a birthday for a little boy.

I settled on a Cajun Craze base, then a More Mustard layer, the next layer was split, embossed Whisper White at the top and Cajun DSP for the bottom with some Poppy Parade ribbon to cover the merge. For the main panel I stamped three lions, one in each colour as well as some spares that I then used to trim out manes and faces from so I could layer them over the base lions with dimensionals. I matted the lion panel and added some buttons to the top left corner, and used a round Happy Birthday sentiment on the bottom right. Then right at the end, once everything was stuck together I added the piercing frame around the main panel - sometimes you just know you need to add something!

I think the colours work well but my only reservation is that the birthday sentiment is too big and overpowers the lions a bit. Ah well I suspect little boys aren't quite as critical as me ;) The inside was finished off to match with another lion.

Thanks for visiting,

Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Fox and Friends, Party Hearty, Think Happy Thoughts (R)

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Whisper White

Ink: Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Regals DSP pattern stack, Regals buttons, Pure Poppy button (PaperTrey Inc), Poppy Parade ribbon, 3/4", 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Dimensionals, Double sided tape (X Press)

JAI62 - Just add a box or a bag

Hi there, well welcome back for another Just Add Ink challenge. This week we have something fun for you - we want you to Just add a box or a bag! Making 3D items was something I was originally quite daunted by but I have discovered its actually not that hard - and so much fun!! Now I just happened to have a yummy Lindt bunny sitting in my cupboard at home (how did that happen????) so I decided to make a box for it. Clear of course. I started by looking at my bunny and working out how big the box needed to be (12 cm sq height/length and 6.5 cm depth). Then I decided to play it safe and work out my template on paper first, just as well as it took me a couple of goes to get all the details worked out, and how to fit the box pieces onto the acetate sheets. Having done that - it was actually quite a quick process to cut out the two acetate pieces, score them and stick it all together using a mix of Sticky strip and glue dots. To decorate the box I used a grass border punch to create some grass for the bunny of course, and this also served to hide the glue dots holding the flap closed. Next I cut a 12 by 12 cm sq of Whisper White and using a punched scalloped circle set about creating a blue cloudy sky to go behind the bunny. This also served to hide the sticky strip holding the sides together! Lastly I wrapped some Old Olive ribbon around the top, added a bow and a tag built out of various punched and die cut layers. The tag had to have a bunny on it of course! Now I know what is going to happen to the bunny (yummy yummy in my tummy) but who would I give the box too?? While I love my gorgeous little munchkins, when it comes to chocolate they have absolutely no interest in the packaging. So I bought another bunny (no not for me ;) and delivered box, bunny and little eggs to my Mum and Dad just to say - I love you! Thanks for visiting, you can tell from my extended babble this week that I'm geting over that nasty flu - yahoo :) Hope you get the chance to add a box or bag this week and join in the fun! Kim Recipe: All SU! unless noted otherwise Stamps: Tiny Treats Valentine (PaperTrey Inc) Cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive Ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist Accessories: Acetate (book binding cover), Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, DSP (retired SU!), Sizzex Tag Scallop Combo #2 die, Blooms die cut, Copics, Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Linen thread, Martha Stewart border punch, Glue Dots, Sticky Strip, Dimensionals