JAI #353 Critters

Hello there,
this week has been a bit rough. Our dearly beloved fur baby, our 18 year old cat is not well. Perhaps, appropriately this weeks Just Add Ink challenge is kind of about him. This week Karren suggested a fun one for us all. Just Add Critters. So find all those animal stamps and get to work!

The cattery we take our boy to when we go away is run by dedicated, passionate and truly caring people and they were super helpful when we had to make some last minute adjustments to our Christmas booking last year. So as soon as I saw this stamp I knew I had to make a thank you card for them.

Our boy is a chocolate Burmese so I tried to colour the cat on the top of the heap a bit like him. In his younger years he definitely wanted to be top cat! I coloured my heap of cats with copic markers and I had to add some tassels - cause what pussy cat can resist a tassle!

Don't forget to check out the fun array of critter cards from the Just Add Ink DT this week.

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Labeler Alphabet, Art Impressions Stackers - Cat
Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Copic markers, Banner framelits, Woodgrain embossing folder, Neutrals DSP stack, Basic Black baker's twine, Smoky Slate thick baker's twine, Copper metallic thread

JAI #352 Colour

Hello there,
well I had a HUGE week at work so I am really pleased that it's almost the weekend. Sleeping in and catching up on crafting are very high on the schedule! Before things went crazy busy I managed to make my card for this week's new Just Add Ink challenge. This week Nikki wants you to Just Add a Colour Combo. It kind of make me think of spring! Here are the colours.

And here is what I came up with.

I couldn't resist playing with colour gradients again - so an ombre effect for the background was my first goal. But first, to add interest I sponged the background with versa mark through a stencil, clear embossed it, then used the sponge brayer. I cut a circle offset from this and replaced it with a sentiment panel, framing the sentiment with an abundance of Flirty Flamingo flowers. A little strip of DSP to one side adds some contrast and a scattering of sequins add some bling. 

This is a lovely colour combination and the design team have out done themselves so don't forget to check them all out and then come back and join us!

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Flower Patch, Birthday Blooms
Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Flirty Flamingo, Smoky Slate, Versamark
Accessories: Flower Fair Framelits, Layering Circles framelits, Carried Away DSP, Happy Patterns Decorative mask (R), Smoky Slate embossing powder (R), Clear embossing powder, Smoky Slate thick baker's twine (R), Metallic sequins, Sprinkles embellishments, Dimensionals, Tear and tape

Colour INKspiration 06

Hello there,
well a crafting window of opportunity opened for me Sunday afternoon so I was able to join in with the Colour INKspiration blog hop for the new challenge (06).

If you are hopping your way around the blog hop, you will have arrived from Monique Fielder's blog and I'm sure you were delighted by her project! If you are starting the hop here but would like to go to the start at the  Colour INKspiration challenge page over on Facebook, just click the link or banner up top to be redirected and ask to join the group, that way you can load your projects directly to the Facebook group and join in the fun every 2nd and 4th Wednesday.

Here's the INKspiration swatch for the new challenge - the colours are gently intense this time!

The two blues made me think sky and that naturally led me to balloons. What could be better than gilded coral balloons floating across the sky!

I started by watercoloring my background (I embossed the clouds first). I also used a sponge brayer to colour a piece of whisper white in a gradient of Calypso Coral, then embossed gold balloons over the top and die cut them out. I just needed one large balloon, so I die cut that from Calypso Coral, clear embossed the front and backed it with vellum - oh and added gold tassels. Can you imagine how pretty that would look floating across the sky! A little twine bow and some clear accents (white ones with the backings peeled off) finish the card off. 


The challenge runs till April 3. Hope you can join us ! Now next up, on the blog hop is Jacque Williams in New Zealand. Enjoy!

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Lift Me Up
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Vellum
Ink: Night of Navy, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Versamark
Accessories: Up and Away thinlets, Gold foil, Gold, Clear and White embossing powder, White Baker's twine, White Perfect Accents, Dimensionals, Tombow multi, Tear and Tape

JAI #351 "L"

Hello there,
well having survived my germs I'm back to busy, busy, busy again. But not too busy for the new Just Add Ink challenge! This week Tina is asking us to Just Add 'L". Yes, "L". That means you must add as the main element of your project things that start with "L". That could be the colour lime, or a lemon, ladybug, lamb or light bulb or a card fold like a lever card or a luminary. There are so many possibilities!

Here's what I came up with.

In the end I decided to keep my card monochrome and let the detail from the leaves be the star. Those earthy tones were a great counterpoint to the glimmer banner sentiment, which adds lots of shine and shimmer. So much so that I didn't add any sequins - shock and horror - I know - no sequins!!!

Do go check out the rest of the JAI DT for lots of fun "L" inspiration. Hope you can join us this week!

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Botanical Blooms
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Garden, Green, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Botanical Builder Framelits, Hello You thinlets, Silver glimmer, Clear Wink of Stella, Tombow multi, Dimensionals, Tear and Tape

JAI #350 Sketch

Hello there,
well I find myself laid up with a horrible head cold this week probably a legacy of last week being pretty stressful (our beloved 18 year old fur baby was having some health issues) and busy (training at work and then running classes on Saturday. Both of those were fun and interesting, but they take a lot of energy investment). Luckily, I was able to craft ahead for this week's new Just Add Ink challenge. This week we want you to Just Add a Sketch from Chantell. Here it is.

And this is what I came up with.

As soon as I realised I wanted the bottom portion of the sketch to be a field of flowers I got to work stamping and masking (post it notes were my go to for this). This is going to pink loving friend so I decided to keep the foliage black and white rather than introducing any greens. To get the slight blur in the Melon Mambo detailed layer I just quickly swished over my base Pink Pirouette layer with a damp aqua painter before stamping. To glitz it all up I added gold stitching, gold wink of stella splatter and sequins.

This is a super versatile sketch! Do go check out the rest of the JAI DT for some fabulous inspiration and then join in the challenge.

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Crazy About You, Penned and Painted
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Shimmery White
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Stazon Black, Versamark
Accessories: Gold glimmer paper, Neutrals DSP stack, Gold embossing powder, Gold wink of Stella, Metallic sequins, Sewing machine, Fine tip glue pen, Dimensionals, Tear and tape

JAI #349 Inspiration

Hello there,
well not much has changed; however, our weather has moderated - yippee - I'm loving the more mellow temperatures but I'm still busy, busy, busy. I did have fun putting together something for this week's new Just Add Ink challenge. This week Patrice has suggested a very colourful Just Add Inspiration challenge. Here's the inspiration picture.

And here is what I came up with.

The inside.

Funnily, as soon as I saw the inspiration picture the first thing I thought of was using the new succulent set from Stampin Up! Originally I had intended to have my shelves all on one side with the rainbow of coloured succulents trailing down. But, somehow it didn't look right and I needed to find a spot to fit in the sentiment too! Then the idea of putting the sentiment on a shelf occurred to me. That and staggering the shelves was the solution! I also added some substance to the shelves by glueing together three layers of cardstock. The difference is subtle but it does make a difference. Finishing touches included a rainbow of sequins, liberal application of wink of stella and some little random dots of colour.

The JAI design team have some wonderful projects to get you inspired so do check them out and then join us for the challenge!

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Oh So Succulent, Hardwood
Cardstock: Smokey Slate, Whisper White
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Calypso Coral, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Cucumber Crush, Tempting Turquoise, Perfect Plum, Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Succulent Framelit dies, Brights DSP stack, Silver glimmer paper, Crushed Curry baker's twine, Tombow multi, Fine Tip glue pen, Tear and Tape, Dimensionals, Sequins (Miscellaneous)