Inkspirations 53 - Froggy Thoughts

Hi all,

despite Keesh posting a really nice sketch I was stumped this week. No aim or image was capturing my imagination. In fact I had pretty much decided to just skip this week when all of a sudden I discovered purpose and image!! First here is the sketch for the Inkspiration challenge this week.


First up purpose - its kind of a serious one. My Dad is going to have some surgery soon, and he will be in hospital for a good week and then will have a several months of recovery. So I decided to make him a card that he can get while he is hospital to, I hope, cheer him up a bit. I went poking through all my DSP looking for something blokey but cheerful and happened on Good Morning Sunshine and it seemed perfect. (Funnily enough I have hardly used any as I just couldn't figure how to use it, but this weekend I used it to make two cards for Dad - I'll be posting the second in a few weeks). Ok after all that rambling here is the card.



Ok a Pacific Point base, cut square (4 1/2 inches/ 11.5 cm), layered with some birdy DSP, this was pierced around the edge. Then I layered a panel with another DSP, and cut the panel base for the image in Pacific Point. For the image I stamped the "frog" image in Versamark on watercolour paper, then embossed with black embossing powder. I watercoloured the image using ink pad lids and my aquapainter. I also pierced around the edge of the image panel and watercoloured up to that to make a border. Once the colouring was dry I added some clear glaze to the frogs eye and light blue glaze to the centre of the flowers. To finish it all off I pulled out some more of my retired stash - some Pacific Point ribbon and a Kiwi Kiss corduroy button, tied and adhered those below the image, as per the sketch, and added a sentiment. The inside was finished off with another frog inside.

So something to cheer my Dad up and hopefully you too :)

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless otherwise mentioned
Stamps: A Flower for all Seasons, Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss (R), Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss (R), Daffodil Delight, Versamark, Going Gray (R)
Accessories: Watercolour paper, Black embossing powder, Word Window punch, Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon (R), Kiwi Kiss corduroy button (R), Good Morning Sunshine DSP (R), Light blue and Clear Glaze Pen (non SU!), SNAIL adhesive, Double sided tape, Linen Thread

JAI 35 - just add sympathy

Hi all,

this week challenge for Just Add Ink is to just add sympathy. So far I've never actually had to make a sympathy card to give someone so I decided that was a good time to try. My end result is actually my second go at the challenge (if I get time I'll post my first card at the end too). So here is what I came up with.

I kept it reeaalll simple - which is itself a major challenge for me. So I started with a white base, then added a Brocade Blue layer, then the top mat - Whisper White again, pierced all the way around the edge. The stamping - well three trees - the trunks are all Basic Gray and canopies Brocade Blue. Stamped over to the left hand side to balance up the sentiment, also in Basic Grey. The inside was just simply stamped with three trees to match. So end result - muted but not gloomy (I hope). My first try at the challenge was alot more florally - using Mellow Moss and Pale Plum - must have been my week for reaching for retired colours.

Thanks for visiting, and why don't you have a go and link your creation back to Just Add Ink!

Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Whisper White, Brocade Blue
Ink: Basic Gray, Brocade Blue
Accessories: Mat pack and piercing tool, Stamp-ma-jig, Double sided tape

A Little Something

Hi all,

sorry for the absence lately - I've been busy, busy, busy.

Busy at home (almost finished my swaps for convention - two more sleeps till I head off to Sydney - yahooo :), busy at work, and on top of that sick as well. Not alot of fun when your busy :( But feeling much better now....

Since I won't be posting a challenge card again this week, I dug a little something out of my archives. I made some bookmarks to go with family Christmas presents last year, using the template in the SU! demo magazine late last year. They slip over the corner of the page you are up to. My apologies for the crappy photos but I took them late at night just before I was going to wrap up the presents.

The scallop trim you see on all the book marks is actually made by punching out scalloped squares, tucking them into an internal layer, making sure they are level and overlapping.

Finally I want to finish by posting some blog awards I received recently. First the Sunshine award from the lovely Susan Hogan - thanks for your kind words Susan :)

The beautiful blogger comes from the lovely and talented Gardenia Pepworth - thanks so much :)



For the award I have to tell you 10 things about me
1. I love dark chocolate
2. I was really proud of myself yesterday for hemming two pairs of pants, since I've been using my sewing machine recently on cards I figure I should also use it for its intended purpose ;)
3.I have a chocolate Burmese cat who snuggles into bed with me every night.
4.My favourite colours are blue and green
5. I love reading fantasy/sci fi and will read the same book again and again. I've just started on my Terry Pratchetts again.
6. I started going to the gym this year, and despite regular chocolate intake ;) have lost 5-6 kilos so far - very happy about this!
7. I'm going to my first SU! convention in 3 days and am very excited about meeting so many of the creative people I've met through my blog.
8. I've almost finished knitting a jumper for my wonderful Miss 5, that was another project put on hold while I was making swaps.
9. I had to get my first pair of glasses this year
10. Lastly but most important I have wondeful family and home - my handsome hubby, a gorgeous Mr 2 and beautiful Miss 5 and my wonderful parents as well. Dad is even picking me up from the bus when I arrive in Sydney for convention!

Wheww that was hard. Ok there are some really talented lovely people I would like to pass the awards on to.

Sam Post

Makeesha Byl

Kate Lewis
Liam Pucher
Since Gardenia Pepworth sent me the Beautiful Blogger I can't pass it back but I can send on the Sunshine Award with thanks!

Thanks ladies for the inspiration and thanks to all my visitors I'll look forward to getting back to the regular programing ;) so to speak once Convention is over.

Bye...

Kim

Rustic Daisy

Hi all,

well I'm back to post my challenge card this week. I was able to combine two great challenges again this week. The inspiration challenge set by Makeesha Byl and a sketch challenge from the Just Add Ink team.

Well the picture certainly set me on a path of thinking about brown tones, contrasted with some lighter details. After some pondering I decided on using Upsy Daisy and the emboss resist technique. Here's the result. (Weirdly the Choc Chip actually looks purple in this first shot).

Unfortunately in the first shot you can't see the embossing so here is a second shot to show you that.

And of course the inside, nice and simple I just stamped off Upsy Daisy laterally.

I started with a Very Vanilla base, I inked up Sanded with Soft Suede, stamped off once, and it was still quite dark on the Vanilla but I was happy with how it looked. It toned down the brightness of the base. For the main panel I started with a Soft Suede base. I wanted larger softer scallops (in contrast to the scallop border punch along the base of this so I used my corner rounder punch. Then for the feature panel I started by spritzing the Very Vanilla cardstock with Choc Chip and Close to Cocoa to get some speckle detail. Then inking up my Upsy Daisy stamp in Versamark I stamp it over the speckles. Then clear embossed it. Next I sponged Soft Suede alonge the bottom edge, lighter as I got further in. Next I used Choc Chip at the very top of the panel, lightening that the further I went down and layering it with Close to Cocoa. Once I was done with all the sponging, I capefully wiped any ink off the daisies. The embellishing detail for the main panel is a string of buttons, that are all tied and knotted together with the same embroidery thread, then Tombowed in place. The main image panel was mounted up on dimensionals. Lastly the sentiment was stamped (in Suede) on the base Very Vanilla layer, in a word window shaped ink free space (made by stamping the background over a temporarily adhered word window punched shape).

Hope you like it more than my beloved Miss 5 who said it wasn't "pretty" and that I had used "yucky" colours! Luckily enough I have a somewhat different opinion of the end result :)

Thanks for visiting,

Kim

Recipe: All SU unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Trendy Trees, Sanded
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Accessories: Colour spritzer tool, Corner rounder punch, buttons (local craft shop), vanilla embroidery thread. Tombow, sponges, Clear embossing powder, Heat Gun, Dimensionals, Double sided tape, SNAIL adhesive.

Three times the inspiration

Hi there everyone,

Not quite sure what got into me this week, but in the little snippets of free time I managed to grab from work and looking after my two darling little munchkins I made three cards for Makeesha Byl’s first challenge for 2010. I must have really missed doing them – waving hi Keesh. This was a colour challenge – so here is Makeesha colour selection.


Card One

Sorry about the crooked card but it was the best pic

This was my original idea for the challenge. But it has evolved from my original concept. OK I started with a Very Vanilla base, stamped that with En Francais in Cameo Coral (originally I had planned to keep it plain but I struggle with keeping to the clean and simple). The image panel has four flower stems stamped in Chocolate Chip. The flowers are a mix between stamps and buttons, some of the buttons have pink rhinestones adhered and some are threaded with coloured thread and a couple of buttons I left plain. The finishing touch for the stamped buttons was some dazzling diamonds which gives them a real glittering glow. The top of the image panel I scalloped with the scallop edge punch and at the bottom I added a base of Cameo Coral, used the Apron Lace punch (originally I had planned for the lace pattern to be at the bottom but it just looked better this way so thats how it ended up). Then I wanted to try making a pleated ribbon embellishment to go over this. I started by putting on some double sided tape then carefully pleating my ribbon over. That attached the ribbon but it still needed to be stitched flat. This was my first time trying to sew on cards, and I like it! It won’t happen too often as I have to haul my machine out of a cupboard plug it in etc etc but it’s certainly worth it sometimes. The inside was just finished off simply.

Card Two

This one came to me in a flash of inspiration while I was putting my Mr almost Two to bed. I realized that the colours could work really well for a tree going through all the seasons. It was actually a very quick card to make. I just stamped my tree trunk four times then inked up the tree top, progressively in So Saffron and then Cameo Coral. I decided to add the sentiment to the “winter” panel. Then a quick punch, punch, punch, punch and I had my images. I made a Choc Chip base – its just a small note card really, about 3 by 3"2'. I scored a line up the top and two below where the tree panels would go. Then I added a Saffron brad to the o in “you” and mounted all the panels on dimensionals. To give the whole card a lift I added dazzling diamonds to all the little leaves on the trees – nice. The inside is just simply stamped with another tree.

Card Three

Another crooked card - sigh

This one was quite experimental for me, but I certainly had fun trying new stuff and I think it turned out quite well. I started by getting out a selection of grosgrain ribbons in Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla and So Saffron. I laid them out and decided on a transition from lighter to darker moving from top to bottom. I got a panel of cardstock the right size covered it with double sided tape then stuck all my ribbon down. Next more experimenting with the sewing machine – I stitched a border all the way around the panel. Tucked all the ribbon ends under and that was done. I decided to go a bit flamboyant for embellishments (not naturally me). I made three “poofy” paper flowers, I seen them on Dawn McVey’s blog recently and she made a little video and how she makes them. I used a mix between Vanilla stamped with Cameo Coral (mostly stamped with En Francais) and some Cameo Coral stamped with Cameo Coral. The biggest flower was made using my scallop circle punch, the two smaller one by using the smallest scalloped circle nestability die. There are five layers to each flower. I finished each off with threaded buttons. In the top left corner I added the sentiment – a rub on – it worked no problems although I was a bit nervous about transferring it to ribbon. To highlight that and balance the big flowers I added three buttons, two just threaded and one finished with a bow. I used DMC embroidery thread for all the buttons (I have quite a stash as my embroidery is a rather neglected hobby of mine at the moment). I didn’t check what the DMC numbers were – sorry. I was just trying to find the best match I could. Hmm I should mention the base, the ribbon panel was adhered to a base of Cameo Coral stamped with En Francais. Ok final touches , a couple of leaves to add to the flowers, stick everything down, glue dots for the buttons and I am upgrading the flower adhering method to sticky strip the double sided tape can’t handle the weight of the flowers in this heat – did I mention our air conditioning broke Saturday afternoon. Its already 30oC in the house at 1 PM today – urggghhhhhh.

Thanks for visiting and sticking through the post - see you soon I hope

Kim

PS: Cameo Coral is growing on me - who would of thought!

Recipes: All SU unless otherwise noted
Card One
Stamps: En Francais, Eastern Blooms, Everyday Button Bits (PaperTrey Inc)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Cameo Coral
Ink: Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron
Accessories: Button Latte buttons, buttons from assorted craft pack from Spotlight, Kaiser Pink Rhinestones, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Fiskars Apron Lace punch, Two way glue, Dazzling Diamonds, DMC embroidery thread, Double sided tape, dimensionals, Tombow glue (stick buttons down), a sewing machine.

Card Two
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Cameo Coral
Ink: So Saffron, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 1 ¼ inch square punch, So Saffron brad, Dimensionals, Two way glue, Dazzling diamonds

Card Three
Stamps: En Francais, Floral (R), Petals Pizzazz
Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Very Vanilla
Ink: Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Grosgrain ribbon – Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Scallop Circle punch, Scalloped circle nestability, Scalloped Edge punch, Chit Chat rub on, Assorted buttons from craft selection (Spotlight), DMC embroidery thread, Glue dots, silver brads, Double sided tape, dimensionals, a sewing machine, no dazzling diamonds ;)

My first suite challenge

Hello there again,

Yes, I got another challenge stuck in my head this week, I decided to have a go at Dawn McVey’s Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge for the first time. Here’s her colour pick.
I have some recently acquired Lemon Tart buttons (PTI) and found they match fairly well to SU Barely Banana or Saffron. I went with the banana, I also decide on using Baja Breeze as the aqua, largely because I had more accents that match with it, although I suspect a lighter shade of aqua might have been nice to use. Here’s the end result.

Ok starting with a Chocolate Chip base I added Barely Banana layer, then on the right hand side a Baja layer that had been cuttlebuged with the Swiss Dot folder. For the left hand side panel I stamped some Confetti Cream with tiny Choc chip dots (using PTI’s Polka Dots Basics). Over the meeting point I added a card length strip of Chocolate Chip that had been scalloped down the RHS. I added a strip of Baja satin ribbon over that. For the image panel I used another PTI stamp from Every Button Bits, I inked up three of the four flower stems and stamped it onto some Confetti cardstock. Two of the flowers are lemon tart buttons and the last is a Baja corduroy button with a smaller lemon tart button layered onto. All the buttons were threaded with linen thread, and then stuck down with Tombow glue. The button panel was layered on some Chocolate chip and then placed so that the scallop centre element added a decorative finish to its RHS. The sentiment is from SU’s Trendy Trees. I stamped it in Choc Chip on Baja then used the Word Window punch to punch it out, added a So Saffron brad to the “o” in you. The both panel and sentiment were mounted up on dimensional.

The inside was as usual finished off simply with some more flowers using punched cardstock and DSP for “button” flowers.

Hope you like, and thanks for visiting.

Kim

Recipe: All SU unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Trendy Trees, Everyday Button Bits (PaperTrey Inc), Polka Dot Basics (PaperTrey Inc)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana, Confetti Cream, Baja Breeze
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss dots folder, Scalloped Edge punch, Word Window punch, Baja satin ribbon (Valet Ribbon Originals), Lemon Tart buttons (PaperTrey Inc), Baja Breeze Corduroy button (R), So Saffron brad, Linen thread, dimensionals, Tombow adhesive, SNAIL adhesive, double sided tape.

Wishes on a Wing

Hi there,

I know, I know that strictly speaking helicopters don’t have wings but it just wouldn’t have sounded the same as wishes on a propeller!

Onto the card, this is for some old friends of ours in the UK, as you can guess from the colours and presence of the helicopter there are some small boys involved too. The helicopter stamp actually comes to me courtesy of another small boy – my little almost two. I had just bought a little stamp kit from a toy shop for both my munchkins with the intention of perhaps bestowing them on their soon to be birthdays. The ulterior motive is so they have their own stamps and don't want to use Mummy's precious stamps and ink pads. As soon as I started this card I knew I wanted a helicopter for it, so Iucky I did!

It looks a bit brighter in real life - it was just too shady in the garden, when I was photographing it this morning, for the colours to really be true to real life. I did actually try a brighter yellow on the card but found I was happier with the effect of Barely Banana.

OK I started with a Tempting Turquoise (TT) base adding a strip of old Petals and Paisley DSP. Then I added a layer of Green Galore, I scalloped the bottom and added some DSP – from the new Kaleidoscope DSP. Then I added a layer of Barely Banana then Whisper White. At the top of the White layer I added a small strip of scalloped TT, and some TT grosgrain ribbon. Finally on the Whisper White I stamped the helicopter in TT, then again on some scrap White. I trimmed out the second, coloured in a small dot with my Banana marker and then stuck a clear droplet over the top. The paper toiled helicopter is adhered above the stamped image with dimensionals. The helicopter tows a “thinking of you” banner, tied on with some silver cord (R). The last touch is some piercing around the edges of the image panel.

The inside is finished off fairly simply – some scalloped TT with some Petals and Paisley DSP and a Green Galore helicopter heading up into the sky.

Thanks for visiting :)

Kim

Recipe: All SU unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Trendy Trees, helicopter from kids stamp kit from local toy store
Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Barely Banana
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, Kaleidoscope DSP and Petals and Paisley DSP (R), Barely Banana eyelet (R), Silver cord (R), Clear Droplets (Kaiser), Tempting Turquoise narrow grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive

Party Time Part Three

Hi there,

Yep I’m still posting about my first workshop. Today I want to show you the thank you card and little pressie I made for good friend, very talent stamper and now upline Sam. Sam very kindly provided any supplies I didn’t have and needed to both prepare for, and use for the workshop.

The choccie pack


The card is a different colour version of one I made for an earlier Inkspiration sketch challenge. For Sam’s card I have added an extra layer and omitted the black brads from the two upper corners. The flower was created using one of the Trendy Trees stamps. I first stamped it in Whisper craft ink onto Riding Hood Red cardstock, then dusted with white embossing powder. For the centre of the flower I first inked up the stamp in versamark and then in Riding Hood Red before dusting with clear embossing powder. Then using the 1” circle punch I just punched all the circles out. For more in depth details please go back to my original post. The only other difference is that I used Candy Lane DSP for both panels of the card. Finishing details include lots of piercing, some black gingham ribbon and a black brad.

To accompany the card I bought some very yum chocolates and made a little package to surround them. I cut a strip of Riding Hood Red that was the same width as the choccie pack, then scored it twice at the bottom about 1” apart to make a little base. The cut another strip of cardstock to make the flap that was attached at the top of the back. The flap is secured with an adhesive Velcro dot. I rounded the front of the flap by placing a cup over the end then using my craft knife to follow that guide – it worked quite well!! Some more Candy Lane DSP decorates the bottom of the front and then flap section is decorated with a little scalloped circle element, continuing the Trendy Tree theme. This time I rocked and rolled the tree top stamp, inked in Pink Pirouette, in Riding Hood Red.

Recipe: (All SU unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: White craft, Versamark, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: White and clear embossing powder, Candy Lane DSP, Black gingham ribbon, scallop edge punch, 1” circle punch, word window punch, corner rounder punch, black brad, mat pack and piercing tool, dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, double sided tape.

Party Time Part Two

Hi all,

Well in this post I want to show you the second make and take card from my first workshop. Since I showcased Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red and the eyelet punch in the first card, for my second I decided to go with Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze and the scallop edge punch.

As you can see I made two colour variations again, the Riding Hood Red/ Kiwi Kiss was my original concept but since I wanted to use different in colour I went with the Kiwi/Baja version. Using the scallop edge punch to make “frame” was an idea I first saw on Ngaire Anderson's blog, but rather than making it a complete frame I left one end open so I could tie the bottom of the card in to the top. I could never find again the blog where I first saw Bloom Away stamped in a monochrome format but not long after Marelle Taylor also posted some monochrome stamped images on here blog here.

So details, well the base card is stamped with Sanded, it provides a great backdrop to Bloom Away. Then I’ve placed a layer of white between the Kiwi and Baja to accentuate the frame and divide the colours. The Bloom Away waratah was stamped in Kiwi (twice but one is for the inside) then cut out. That is mounted on dimensionals on a Kiwi panel with rounded corners. A knotted Kiwi striped grosgrain ribbon separates the image and sentiment. The sentiment is framed and mounted on another strip of Kiwi cardstock, the ends of which have been round off using the 3/4" circle punch. Finishing touches include piercing the scallops and the bottom edge of the Baja layer and adding silver brads to the two upper corners.

Recipe (Card one)
Stamps: Sanded, Bloom Away, Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze and Whisper White
Ink: Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, Corner rounder punch, Word window and 3/4" circle punch, Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, mat pack and piercing tool, dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.

Recipe (Card two)
Stamps: Sanded, Bloom Away, Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red and Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, Corner rounder punch, Word window and 3/4" circle punch, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, mat pack and piercing tool, dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.

A Trendy Flower

Hi there,

for Makeesha sketch challenge this week I finally managed to break out my Trendy trees stamp and some of the new in colours and I really enjoyed using both. This was one of those idea you come up with in your head and when you convert it to paper it actually worked - yippee. First here is the sketch, and the card will follow.

A side view to give you a glimpse of the inside.

I went with greens and blues for this one as I wanted to use my Urban Garden DSP and the black and white gingham check ribbon inspired me to use black to accent all the features. Really this card is about embossing, punching and piercing. I had read how you can use craft ink and just pour embossing powder onto it, so that's what I tried. First I stamped the tree top with white craft ink, then just to make doubly sure I poured over white embossing powder - it worked a treat! Once I had embossed all the petals I just punched them out. I clear embossed as well on the Baja panel with the same tree top stamp. The flower stem was an idea I had seen some where and some time in blog land, sorry I can't remember, and was made by using the scallop edge punch on both side of the same strip of cardstock, you just need to remember to offset it on the second side, to get the ric rac effect. The sentiment was punched out with the word window punch, and I made a little frame for it by cutting a strip of card stock just a bit wider and then used the corner rounder punch to get the pointed ends. Piercing, ribbon, and some black brads finish it off.

Recipe: (All SU unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Card Stock: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Basic Black and Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, White Craft, Versamark
Accessories: Urban Garden DSP, Clear and White Embossing powder, Heat Gun, Mat pack and piercing tool, Black Gingham ribbon, 1" circle punch, word window punch, scallop edge punch, corner rounder punch, Black brads