Just Add Ink #253 - Just Add Inspiration

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Good Friday morning ~

It's time for a brand new challenge over at Just Add Ink and this week Nikki has given us a pretty funky inspiration pic to work with.  Here I am playing with tilted panels again lol.

I popped my Basic Black card base through the Big Shot using the Large Polka Dot embossing folder before spritzing with a little Smooch for shimmer.  The added panels are Smoky Slate and Whisper White.  I had wanted to use Melon Mambo ink on my accents, but had to go with Strawberry Slush instead as my MM ink pad was playing silly games and not inking nicely.  Have since rectified that with a brand new one!

If you'd like to play along with our challenge this week, below is the inspiration pic for you.  Choose whichever elements inspire you - it could be colours, butterflies, pom poms, water....you name it, whatever you see in the pic. Head over to JAI and check out the design team projects for other ideas. There are some pretty fabulous creations this week, and I so love how we each come up with quite different designs and ideas using the same starting point.

Righto well I have a busy day ahead, and I'm off to Dendy Premium tonight for a luxurious movie experience.  Love that place, and love the menu/service more!

Hope you've all got an awesome weekend planned!  Thanks for stopping by today.

Just Add Ink #238 - Just Add a Sketch

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Happy Friday friends ~

A new challenge over at Just Add Ink rolls around again.  This week Kim has given us a sketch - I love it so much I've used a variation of it for several cards now.  None of which I've blogged :(

A dear friend up in Queensland needed a card for her mum who was visiting to celebrate a milestone birthday.  This is what I made for her.

I flipped and kind of mirrored the sketch for my card - a bit of creative license lol.  I used the Wisteria Wonder Blendabilities and had some fun colouring one of the flowers from the Secret Garden stamp set.  It seems to be my go to set these days despite owning too many flower sets.

Pop over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration.  Here is the sketch if you'd like to play along with us. Remember you too, can use your own creative license :)

A very happy Halloween to those of my friends and followers who celebrate it.  We don't officially celebrate here in Australia, however, it is becoming a little more popular each year.  I do make sure to have a little bowl of chocolate treats at the door just in case :)

Enjoy your weekend!

The Creative Blog Hop & Freshly Made Sketches

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Good Monday morning lovely blog friends ~

Today I'm taking part in 'The Creative Blog Hop', a hop that happens every Monday where crafters from all over the world share a little about themselves and their creative processes.  A fabulous way to get to know each other, and make new friends!

I was tagged by my lovely friend Nikki over at My Sandbox.  Nikki and I are on the Just Add Ink design team together and while we don't live in the same State we do get to catch up online a lot, and in person each year at Inspire, Create, Share (Convention).  Love her!  She is such a positive, kind person and is always smiling!  Beautiful inside and out for absolute sure.  She is also a fabulously talented paper crafter.

As part of the 'blog hop' there are four questions for me to answer...I'll keep them short and sweet!

1.  What am I working on now?  With twin toddlers in the house my crafting time is fairly limited (I tell myself it won't be forever) so I tend to only manage my design team commitments these days. Right now I'm trying to get ahead on a few projects, so you'll just have to come back and visit each Friday to check them out *wink*.  If you read my last Friday post you'll know I had a special skype crafting day with my BFF.  We chose to use the Freshly Made Sketch - FMS154. Here's what I came up with.

All is Calm designer paper, Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White cardstocks

2.  How does my work differ from others in my genre?  This is a hard one to answer...when thinking of my response I considered some of my favourite paper crafters...and realised their work is so consistent and definitive that I can pick it anywhere!  That is definitely not me.  I truly don't think I have any particular style.  I would say that my 'usual' style is Clean and Simple, with lots of white space.  However, every now and then I come up with random 'busier' creations.

3.  Why do I create what I do?  I get such pleasure in being able to take cardstock, inks and a few stamps and create something 'wow'.  I absolutely love to give handmade and it makes me feel so great to make others happy.  A lot of what I create doesn't make it to my blog, usually because I'm time poor and not too flash in the photography department lol.  Here are a few 'magnetic fridge pegs' I altered and packaged for a friend to use as gifts recently.

Covered in Sweet Sadie Washi Tape & smothered in Crystal Effects - pic not so great, sorry

Packaged in Glassine Bags 

4.  How does my creative process work?  I find inspiration in many ways.  Using SU products is a huge step in the right direction because everything coordinates and it takes the hard work out of it. I'm a matchy matchy girl too so that's even better!  Most often I am working to the specific requirements of design team projects, however, I love browsing other blogs and Pinterest for great ideas and of course when there is new product to play with it's even more fun!  I always start with a clean desk and clear away before beginning my next project.  Everything in my craft room is tidy and organised - control freak much?  Yep definitely.  Probably the most disappointing thing I find is when I have an idea in my head and I just can't make it work on paper - fortunately that doesn't happen often.  What works best for me is to mull my 'card' or 'idea' around in my head overnight. When it comes time to sit and play it usually comes together nicely.  I find colour combos the most difficult.  Odd really isn't it? I'm still trying to work out why that is!

Here is a card I made a little while ago.  I coloured the Secret Garden flowers with Cherry Cobbler blendabilities and added a little Wink of Stella to the petals.  The sentiment is from Verve.

So there you go...I hope that's given you a little insight to me.  As part of participating in 'The Creative Blog Hop' I get to tag some of my favourite paper crafters.  Unfortunately due to being super busy and lacking precious time the lovely ladies I tagged couldn't make the deadline of next Monday 29 September to participate and share their own Creative Journeys.  I want to share their names here anyway because they are each very talented and fabulous friends, all of whom I have met since starting my paper crafting journey 8 years ago.  Please do go check them out!

Trish - Spring Blossom Journey (also known as BFF)
Melissa - Bee Divine Designs
Delys - Little Scraps of Paper
Deb Fearns 
Mae Collins

Secret Garden - birthday and engagement

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Hello!

Goodness me I really didn't mean for it to be so long between posts.  I'm surprised I have any followers left...so glad you stuck with me.  I've had an awful sinus infection the past two weeks.  I'm on my second course of antibiotics and the Dr says I should only have another week or so and I'll start feeling better.  I've been miserable so it can't come soon enough.

I've hardly been near my craft room the past few months, however, a few days ago I really needed to get a couple of cards made.  So tissues on hand I set to it...I ended up with four of the same in different colour combos, but only have two to share today because the others are already in the post.  I have absolutely no creativity in me at the moment so these are CASEd from the lovely Narelle Farrugia over at Stamplicious.  I love all of her work!

 

Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla and Sahara Sand.

 

Black and Very Vanilla, with a touch of Pear Pizzazz.

I made a card each in Pool Party and Elegant Eggplant as well.  This is the card I CASEd from Narelle - as you can see I didn't stray far from the original.

I really hope to be back soon to show you more - I have birthday cards for nieces and nephews due, and of course Gorgeous Kid has a big milestone birthday next month!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you're enjoying a relaxing, crafty weekend.