JAI 100 Just add crowns blog hop

Well hello there and happy 2012!

After a short intermission for Christmas and New Year I’m back with a bang ;) The Just Add Ink team have decided to start the year off by celebrating our 100^th challenge with a Blog Hop. The theme of the blog hop is to Just Add Crowns (think royalty related theme). You may have just come from Kathy Tanner’s blog, if not make sure you go and check out her very cute princess! You can start the blog hop here, with any of the DT members or at the JAI blog. Because this is a special occasion we are also offering prizes!! – one for commenting on all the DT blogs and one for the winner of the challenge.

When the theme was set for this blog hop one idea immediately popped into my mind, something special I had been saving up to try for my gorgeous girl and seeing as her birthday is coming up it was the perfect time. Now kings and queens (who of course wear crowns, have to keep their crowns somewhere safe don't they ;) - and of course that would be a castle!! I first saw a castle card on Liam Pulcher's blog here and followed her link back to Deneen's tutorial here. I printed Deneen's templates two to a page, so approximately half size. I wanted my finished card to be as close to a standard A5 size, so once I cut out the template pieces I just widen them to 4” for each panel that way I could cut all three panels from one 12x12 piece, and just score the folds.

The glittery 7 surprise

The front and back unfolded

Close ups

Since this is my special little girls birthday card I went with a colour combo that would appeal to her tastes – well the pink (Regal Rose) and yellow (Daffodil Delight) do - although she is bit iffy on the Expresso! So starting with a Regal Rose base, I covered the front and back inside panel with DSP (Sweet Stitches), I also prepared a layer of impressed Expresso for the back panel that the front door opens on to. I sandwiched a bit of decorative scalloped trim in between some of these layers. Finally I added one more panel of Expresso for the turret roof. This probably sounds confusing so please do look at the photos. Then I added lots and lots of bling, and garlands of little flowers, with more bling!! Some vines and more flowers finish off the front, and yes those woodgrain doors do open to a little extra glittery surprise! The final touch for the top is a flag to fly from the turret – with a crown (of course ;) and more bling. I kept the layers on the inside pretty flat, a panel to write our birthday message and a large decorative embossed Happy Birthday (yes I’m still loving my coloured embossing powders J). The card opens with a kind of zig zag motion. I can tell you my kids were both entranced and my Mr almost 4 is lobbying hard to get a castle card for his birthday too!

Now don’t forget to keep going through the blog hop and join in the challenge. Next stop is Mae Collins, just click on the blog hop button below to get to Mae’s blog. All the DT blog links are on the JAI blog if there are any hiccups too.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy this right royal occaision J
Kim

Recipe: All SU! unless other wise noted

Stamps: Perfectly Penned, Create a Cupcake,Tiny Tags
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Daffodil Delight, Early Expresso, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose, Daffodil Delight, Versamark
Accessories: Sweet Stitches DSP (R), Swirls scribbles sizzlet, Timeless Type alphabet sizzlet, Itty Bitty shapes punch pack, Woodgrain and Linen/Canvas Impression plates (PaperTrey Ink), Double ended banner dies (PTI), Mat Stack 1 and Mat Stack layerz dies (PTI), Corner rounder punch, Dotted Scallop ribbon border punch, Jewels – rhinestones, coloured rhinestones (Kaiser), Pretty in Pink brads, Butter embossing powder (Zing), Fine supernova glitter, Big Shot adhesive sheets, Double sided tape (X Press), SNAIL adhesive, Glue dots