JAI 128 Just add inspiration

Hello there,
well I have to be honest I breathed a sigh of relief when school holidays ended here this last weekend. I've discovered I am much more of a creature of habit than I suspected as I found the disruption to my usual routines, and stamping time not the easiest to deal with. So now that regular programming has resumed ;) at home, I can stamp again - insert happy dance here ;)

Ok this week at Just Add Ink we have an inspiration challenge for you. Originally I found inspiration challenges some of the hardest to do - where do you start?? But I've found over time they've grown on me and I love the fact that they give you a starting point but you can take it where you want!! So here is the gorgeous vibrant picture we have for you this week.

And this is what I came up with.

I think the main thing that struck me about the photo was the bright colours, flowers, and the striped pattern on the vase, so those were the elements that I wanted to use somehow. For some reason my gut was telling me to go CAS which is not the path I usually take and using lots of white space is also very challenging (usually I run screaming in the opposite direction - lol). But after one rejected dud I came up with this and I still really like it a week later :) There is just enough texture in this to keep my detail craving heart happy and I liked how I took some of the CAS ideas I've seen out in the blog world and used them to create my flower and who doesn't enjoy playing with twine :)

No inside pic this week - basically because at the momment it's still all white, although I do have another "flower" to go inside, just haven't worked out exactly where.

So why don't you see where our inspiration picture can take you this week ;) Have fun!
Thanks for visiting,
Kim
Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Button Buddies, Curly Cute
Cardstock: Whisper White
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
Accessories: Stripes embossing folder, Dotted scalloped ribbon border punch, Corner punch (R), Lucky Limeade twine, Double sided tape, Dimensionals

JAI 110 Just add a sketch

Hello there,

welcome back for a new Just Add Ink challenge. This week we have a sketch for you.  To be honest this sketch really did my head in. I really struggled with how to work with this layout. In the end I had to toss my first go and thankfully I was much happier with my second. It was well and truly a challenge! So are you intrigued? Want to see the sketch? Here it is. Just add a border around it, not sure why its dropped out of my graphic.

I found it easiest to deal with by rotating the sketch so the three box elements were at the bottom. Here's the outcome - second time around.

I'm definitely going through a bit of butterfly phase at the momment and this card was no exception! I started  by stamping a background pattern of butterflies. Overlaid that with vellum cardstock to mute the pattern, so that the central coloured panel would pop more. To secure it I stitched a border around with my sewing machine. Then I coloured the butterflies in the top panel with ink from the ink pad lids and a blender pen.  To add a sentiment I used a double ended banner with the sentiment over the top of the coloured panel.  The three box elements of the sketch become butterflies. I reckon my butterfly embosslit is worth its weight in gold! The inside was finished off with a few extra little coloured butterflies.

Thanks for visiting, and do give the sketch a try! And check out the rest of the DT there is some great inspiration on offer.

Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Kindness Matters, Curly Cute

Cardstock: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Perfect Plum

Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive

Accessories: Vellum cardstock, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Double Ended banner die (PaperTrey Inc), Silver brads, Blender pen, Dimensionals, Double sided tape (X Press) 

JAI 93 - just add a colour combo

Hello there :)

welcome back for another Just Add Ink challenge. This week we have a colour combo (and yep umm I did come up with this one!).  Here are the colours.

The first thing that popped into my head was gelato icecream. So what flavours? Well Mambo would have to be watermelon, the celery - perhaps pistacio or lime - but I must admit - Pool Party had me stumped - not to many foods appears on your plate blue!! Any suggestions? But in the end I went with flowers as I had a new (free!! ) flower set - Fabulous Florets (prize patrol at Regionals yah :) - just calling my name to play with it. So here is the outcome.

I coudn't resist rock and rolling again - it adds such a great random shading effect. So first up I inked up my solid flower in Pool Party and then rock and rolled in Melon Mambo - alot of times. Then I trimmed out a whole bunch of different layers for each flower (alot of times - lol - its a good idea to do this watching tv! but the end effect is worth it). I also stamped and trimmed out one foliage spray for layering as well. The layers were piled up on dimensionals, and once they were finally placed I also went around each petal with a glitter pen which if you catch the light the right way really adds a lovely sparkle.  The rest of the card is pretty straightforward using a recent Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge sketch (#133) as its starting point. So Mambo base, then Pool Party mat, then DSP (old and new), I zigzagged around all that to add some subtlish detail (subtle cause the thread was white and mostly disappears). The flowers are framed with a Blossom Spellbinder diecut and the sentiment was added on a flag ended banner - Melon Mambo embossed (more new stuff to play with :) A few hot pink pearls finished off the front and the inside was finished off to match.

I certainly enjoyed playing with some new stamping stuff and this gelato rainbow of colours. Thanks for visiting and I hope you get the chance to play along this week :) and don't forget to check out the rest of the design team!

Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Curly Cute

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Whisper White

Ink: Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Certainly Celery, Versamark

Accessories: Flirtaceous DSP, Fall Flowers DSP (R), Melon Mambo scalloped dotty grosgrain, Melon Mambo embossing powder, Blossom and circle nestabilities (Spellbinder), Doubled ended banner die (PaperTrey Inc), Pink pearls (Kaiser), Spica glitter pen, sewing machine, Double sided tape (X Press), Dimensionals

JAI 88 - just add a die cut

Hello there,

well today Just Add Ink has a challenge for you that is dear to my heart. It is just add a die cut. I LOVE to die cut and emboss and rarely produce something that doesn't involve one or the other, or even better both!! My die collection is needless to say rather extensive :) So really adding a die cut wasn't much of a challenge for me, rather it was working with pinks perhaps?? that I struggled with this time - in fact this card was my second go at the challenge as something just nagged at me (couldn't figure out what!) with my first effort. This one got the thumbs up from my Miss 6 - no surprise when its a combination of pink, butterflies and lots of shimmer and bling (smile). Ok here it is.

I started with a big die, the Scallop square card base, and finished by embellishing with tiny little die cut butterflies! So a Pretty in Pink base, layered with a Shimmer white mat, an embossed Pretty in Pink top layer. I made sure to only embossed the upper and lower areas as I wanted to leave a clear area to stamp and emboss the sentiment. The embossed areas were also misted with Frost White shimmer mist. Lastly the front was finished off with a row of bejeweled Shimmer White butterflies and a white taffeta bow. On the inside I added another row of butterflies but this time in pinks. 

So minimal stamping in this one, but lots and lots of shimmer, shine and bling - and some die cutting of course - lol!

Thanks for visiting, don't forget to go check out the other DT offerings they are just fabulous as usual!

Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Curly Cute

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Shimmer White (PaperTrey Inc)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Versamark

Accessories: Scallop Square BigZ die, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Final Press embossing folder, Clear embossing powder, White taffeta ribbon, Frost White shimmer paint, Isocol, Sticky strip, Jewels - rhinestones, Double sided tape

Fancy fold blog hop - JAI 74

Hello there - welcome to the Just Add Ink Fancy Fold Blog Hop.

You may have come from Bronwyn Eastley blog, wasn't her Funky fold just stunning!! If you are starting the blog hop here, thats fine too, it works as a circuit so you can start at any of the stops.

TRISHUTTER CARD

Today I'm going to show you a Trishutter card, a fold that's been on my list to try for quite a while so I was delighted with the excuse to make one (in fact I made two!!). This is the end result.
Closed

Open

So how do you make a trishutter card? Well a great starting point is the Splitcoaster's tutorial, click HERE. I have also added some basic instructions and metric measurements below.

Step 1.
Using a 30.5 cm (12 x 12') piece of cardstock, cut a 30.5 by 15.2 cm piece (12 x 6 inches)
Step 2.
Along horizontal length score at 5.1, 10.2, 20.3 and 25.4 cm (2, 4, 8, 10 inches)


Step 3.
Now turn your cardstock 90 degrees and 3.8 cm(1 1/2 inches) in from each outside edge carefully cut between the first and last score lines (see S1 and s4 on the picture below).

Step 4. Fold. Not sure there is any easy way to describe how you fold the cardstock - but a picture tells a thousand words so hopefully the picture below will explain everything.

Step 5.
Trishutter card closed - now it's time to embellish!

Now I did say I made two didn't I? Well here is a sneak peek of it, I'll leave the full reveal for another time.


Thanks for visiting, next stop on the blog hop is the very talented Paula Dobson blog where she has another awesome Fancy Fold for you to try.

Just click on the blinkie below to take you there -


Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Curly Cute
Cardstock: Blue Brocade, Certainly Celery
Ink: Blue Brocade, Versamark
Accessories: Sarah DSP (long retired SU!), Small star punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Mat pack and piercing tool, Certainly Celery taffeta ribbon, White embossing powder, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinder), small ric rac border die (PaperTrey Inc), medium scalloped border die (PTI), Linen and Canvas impression plate (PTI), Flower die, felt and button (PaperTrey Inc), Dimensionals, Double sided tape (X Press)

Make it Monday 1 - Thinking of You

Hello there,

well this is turning out to be a bumper week on the blog! Yes I do have something else to show you - Mr almost 3 who was feeling very poorly with a cold (which he has now oh so kindly passed on to Mum) actually had a nap Tuesday - and I set straight to work to have a go at the very first PTI Make it Monday challenge. The first technique/ challenge was to use a sentiment collage on your card.

So I pulled all my PTI sets out of the cupboard and started thinking - and decided to go with a thinking about you card! Once I had Tiny Treats Valentine out and On My Couch I just couldn't go past putting that very cute little doggy on the couch.




OK I started with Chocolate base, then added a layer of Aqua Mist, my sentiment collage was added to the bottom of the Aqua panel all stamped in Chocolate except one key sentiment in red. For an accent I added a little red heart next to it and a couple more brown ones else where in the sentiment collage. For the upper half I used some white cardstock impressed with the Linen and Canvas impression plate. I added a scalloped strip of Happy Spots patterned paper over the join. For the focal point I used a Mat Stack 3 die cut, over that I added a couch die cut from Happy Spots paper. To give the couch some shading I used a copic (BG11). I stamped the little dog and coloured him in with copics (E35, 37,39 R29), cut him out and used dimensionals to sit him on the couch. The final accents were a cluster of buttons, all threaded with bakers twine, and some more bakers twine wound across the die cut. Oh and I added a little glaze to the two red hearts.

My DH is likely to do some travelling later this year - so I'm thinking this might be good card to write and tuck into his suitcase to open while he is away.

Thanks for visiting,

Kim

Recipe:
Stamps: On My Couch, Tiny Treats Valentine, Through the Trees, Blooming Button Bits (PaperTrey Inc), Curly Cute, So Happy for You (SU!)
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Stamper Select White (PTI), Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red (SU!), Tuxedo Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Copic markers, Happy Spots patterned paper (PTI), Mat Stack 3 die (PTI), On My Couch die (PTI), Linen and Canvas Impression plate (PTI), Scallop border punch (SU!), Bakers twine chocolate (PTI), Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy and Spring Rain buttons (PTI), Two step owl punch (SU!), Aqualip/Glaze pen - clear (Sakura), Dimensionals (SU!), Double sided tape (X Press)

Inkspirations 52 - Flying By Birthday

Hi all,

ahh time to get back into the groove with challenges :) This week was the first week back for the Inkspiration challenge and well I had to play along. This week it was a colour challenge - here are the colours Keesh picked.

I decided to start working on building up my stash of birthday cards as I suspect I will need a few as the year rolls on as the kids attend birthday parties. I also had a super cute little aero-go-buzzer (otherwise known as a plane) stamp that I thought would be perfect. So here's what I came up with.



I started with a Baja Breeze panel and embossed that with the Cuttlebug Rellie Rave folder - makes a nice swirly background - think swirly winds. OK then I stamped the outline plane image - coloured it in using Riding Hood Red, Peach Parfait and a tiny touch of Baja Breeze. The trimmed it out. Next I cut some lovely fluffy white clouds out of white PTI felt. I used Tombow to stick my clouds to the embossed panel and then added my little plane up on dimensionals. To finish the front off I added a birthday banner embellishing it with some Baja Breeze buttons. The front panel was mounted onto a white mat and then a Baja base. The inside was simply stamped with the solid plane travelling across the card.

Kind of simple but a good one for boys I think - may'be even big boys ;)

Thanks for visiting,

Kim

Recipe:
Stamps: Fly Away, Curly Cute
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Peach Parfait
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Peach Parfait, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Cloud dies (PaperTrey Inc - PTI), White felt (PTI), Cuttlebug Rellie Rave embossing folder, Button Bouquet buttons (SU! retired), red embroidery thread, Tombow, Dimensionals, Double sided tape (X-Press)

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 44 - Just add a colour combo

Hi all,

did you have a go at last weeks Just Add Ink Christmas challenge? we had some awesome and inspiring entries! This week of course we have a new challenge for you - it's add a colour combo. Here are the colours.

Now I have to admit these are not colours I would naturally gravitate to, although having said that they do go well together. To me they said "earthy, something natural" and with that thought my mind turned to a lovely Aussie wildflower set we have in the SU! catalogue (Edited to add: oops retired now). Here's the result.



One of my starting points for this card was wanting to make the checkboard weave backing panel to the image. But can you believe it took me three goes. In fact I nearly had a whole panel of strips woven together before I realised that it wasn't checkerboard - a BIG doh momment!! Before I wove the Wasabi and River Rock stips together I ran them through the crimper and also gave them a good scrunching up as I really wanted to get some texture in there as well as softness. The focal image was done very simply by stamping the Waratah image in versamark and embossing with white embossing powder. I worked out where I wanted the sentiment strip to run and then added some piercing detail to the image panel as well. That was then matted onto some Whisper White and then mounted onto the woven panel of Wild Wasabi and River Rock. Which was then mounted onto a Choc Chip mat. Originally I had planned to have this just added to a Whisper White base but once I'd put it there is just seem to float on the white - it didn't feel anchored. So changed the card base to Choc Chip, then added a white mat and then...finally added the woven mat and image. The last thing to do was add the sentiment - and for this I got to use a one of my new sets with a lovely simple but ornate and flowing font. I stamped that in Choc Chip, mounted it up on dimensionals and added large Choc Chip brads to either end. The inside I finished off simply with three more Waratahs.

So - what do you think? I like the clean but textured style in all honesty its not one of my favourite pieces of work. But then again may'be I'll change my mind with some more contemplating ;)

Thanks for visiting and why don't you give this colour combo a crack this week and link up your creation to Just Add Ink.

Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Bloom Away (R), Curly Cute
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, River Rock, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Accessories: White embossing powder, Mat pack and piercing tool,Jumbo brad 5/16 Chocolate Chip, Crimper, Dimensionals, Double sided tape.