Just Add Ink #528...Just Choose Two

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Hello & happy Friday ~

We have a brand new challenge kicking off today over at Just Add Ink. This week Jan suggested we choose two of sequins, ribbon or metallic foil.

I made a start on my Christmas gift giving. Here are the gift card pockets I made using the long retired Mini Treat Bag Thinlits with the current Neutrals DSP.

The gorgeous little gnome is a die from Simon Says Stamp & comes in two sizes. This is the smaller of the two. There are so many variations you can put together to make him look totally awesome! On the reverse side I have stamped To: & From:

For the inside I created a card for writing a Christmas message & on the back of that I made a little pocket for the gift card to slip into. You could fold cash neatly into this too.

Here are all four together - Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Mossy Meadow & Merry Merlot. My photo colours are a little off as I'd lost light when I took the pics.

We'd love you to join the challenge too so pop over to JAI & get some inspiration from the design team then link up. We really enjoy looking at your blogs.

Thanks for stopping by. If you'd like measurements or a bit more of a how to, then just get in touch & I'll happily help.

Enjoy your weekend.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #391 - Just Choose Two

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Hello, & happy Friday ~

The last weekend before Christmas! Have you been amidst the Christmas crazy lately? I have! Lots of creating, shopping, planning...& still more to do. I'm well behind with actually writing in the cards I've made for family & friends  :(

We have a fun new Choose Two challenge from Kim over at  Just Add Ink today. I took the opportunity to pretty up some more of my Christmas gifts with jute twine & cute little tags.

If you look closely you'll see I've added some gold twine & a couple of little gold bells that were available in the last Holiday Catalogue. I always hoard embellishments. Time I use some of them up...

If you're not too busy with all the extra running around & chores that this time of year brings then join us over at JAI for some crafting fun. You could always use this challenge to catch up on your last minute Christmas handmade gifts & packaging. Or there's always New Years cards....Please note that this challenge runs through to the 3rd of January, 2018.

My in-laws are joining us from Interstate for Christmas, hopefully the weather won't be too scorching & it will be a relaxing & fun day with full bellies. However you celebrate Christmas, I hope it's the same. Enjoy this special time with family. Merry Christmas, & thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog over the past 12 months, & extra thanks to those of you who stop long enough to leave some comment love. It's nice to know people still make the time.

See you next year!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #389 - Just Add Inspiration

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Good Friday morning friends ~

Welcome to our latest challenge over at Just Add Ink. Kelly has given us a great inspiration pic. Being so close to Christmas I'm still working on all my packaging so today I'm sharing a little Pillow Box all fancied up with designer paper, burlap, ribbons & trim. Inside is a gift card to the Dendy Premium Cinemas here in Canberra - a luxurious way to enjoy a movie on date night. Hmmmm I should be gifting this one to myself....

At the recent Stampin' Up! On Stage event in Melbourne I was lucky enough to room with a few fabulous ladies, one of which was the super talented Narelle Farrugia (that woman seriously cracks me up, she is too funny). It is a tradition for 'roomies' to give each other small gifts, & Narelle's was packaged very similarly to what I have done here. So my version is a CASE of hers (slight differences in designer paper & washi but basically the same - why change it if it ain't broken I say). Narelle graciously allowed me to share with you all because I didn't have time to get a different project ready. It has been super busy for weeks now, & I know I'm not alone in this! I'm not sure if Narelle blogged her original gift box to us roomies but pop over to check for it.

Hopefully this close up shows you the different layers of cardstock, designer paper, ribbons & trim (each of these items are current & can be purchased, except the corrugated c/s used for the Pillow Box itself).

If you've still got some Christmas crafting to get done, pop over to JAI & pick up a few card & packaging ideas. Don't forget to take a pic of your work & upload to join the challenge fun & share your ideas with us all. Here is the inspiration pic for you.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'm off to have my hair done shortly, then I'm out with the girls for dinner tonight. Tomorrow I have Elf duty at Little Athletics with the twins, & on Sunday I'm off to see Mama Mia the musical - very much looking forward to that. I hope you have something nice planned for your weekend!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #387 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Happy Friday ~

Welcome to the latest Just Add Ink challenge. Nikki has given us a festive colour combo this week....very fitting for this time of year.

I've taken one of Stampin' Ups! retired white gift boxes (2016/2017 Holiday Catalogue - I hoard all things craft) & dressed it up with designer paper & a heat embossed poinsettia - stamped in Cherry Cobbler, then again with Versamark & Clear Embossing Powder, I did the same with our new leaf punch (oh the convenience!) & added the lovely mini sequin trim. Fairly simple but dresses up a little gift really well I think. These boxes are going to contain some chocolates for the teacher aids in the twins classrooms.

Do you still have Christmas goodies to create? We'd love you to join us at JAI for some crafting fun, although keep in mind it isn't a Christmas specific challenge.

It was absolutely awesome & so much fun to spend time with my beautiful crafting friends at On Stage in Melbourne a fortnight ago. The time goes so quickly though...so a few of us have decided a road trip to meet halfway is in order sometime during February. We've found a nice spot with water close by & I just can't wait!

Gorgeous Kid finished Year 11 exams this week so no more school for him until February next year. He told his boss he's available for extra work & they've already taken him up on it. He hasn't had a day off yet lol.

Patrice x

Santa's Elf - Color Throwdown

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Happy Monday afternoon lovelies ~

Surprise surprise I'm popping in with a quick share...I had so much fun colouring the cute little Elf from MFT's Santa's Elves set for my design team project last week that I coloured another.

I used the colours from CTD421 and the sketch over at Just Add Ink - great sketch, Narelle!  I can't tell you the last time I entered a challenge other than JAI.  This was fun.

There's a lot of shadow on my pic because it's overcast here today & I just took a quick snap on my phone.  That or not get it up in time.

Anyway head over to both challenge sites & check them out for yourselves.  You may find some inspiration....

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #339 - Just Add a Sketch & a Graduation pic or two

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Hello & happy Friday friends ~

I've been unexpectedly absent for a couple of weeks.  Most would know of the earthquakes frequenting my homeland of New Zealand over recent years.  Unfortunately this time someone very dear to me, and my family, died while evacuating her home.  Jo-Anne left behind two beautiful (adult) daughters and a loving partner.  It was a real blow and I've just been really sad.

Crafting is a great distraction when time allows, and so for the new sketch challenge Narelle has given us at Just Add Ink this week I got out my Copics and coloured this cute little Elf.  How sweet is he?

I'm not entirely sure I got my light source right, but I enjoyed the colouring process so I guess that's the main thing, right?  He's more vibrant in real life but I had to brighten my pic a bit so lost that in favour of less shadow.  There's lots of shimmer on that subtle yellow background.

The design team have created some gorgeous cards this week so do pop over to JAI and check them out.  You can link your own creation up there too.  Here's the sketch.

Well the countdown is on to Christmas, eeeeeek.  We've been flat out with Gorgeous Kid's formal, the twins preschool concert, and just yesterday their daycare graduation....next week we have a preschool party, GK's awards presentation night and then his Year 10 graduation....it's all going on.

We did manage to get the tree up and decorated last night - whooop whooop that's kinda huge for me. I'm a bit bah humbug with all that stuff.  The Mister will have to decorate the house (yes we live in a street that is frequented A LOT at this time of year) next week as he's heading off camping with the kiddos this weekend - yay for me, I'm catching up with girlfriends, crafting, reading and generally just hanging out.  Soooo looking forward to it.

I really will be back with my roomie gifts from On Stage last month and one or two other shares as well.  Have an awesome weekend, and thanks for taking some time out of your day to visit me here.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #336 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Happy Friday crafty friends ~

On Stage Live has been and gone and I have to tell you that I had a wonderful time in Brisbane last week/end.  It's always great to catch up with old and new friends.  There was plenty of time to play with lots of exciting new craft items, socialise, eat and of course chat into the wee hours.  Trips like these are exhausting and as such I slept a full 13 hours straight when I got home late Sunday afternoon. Oh Em Gee that never happens.

I had some lovely time with my godson who I am going to call LC (Little Cutie) on my blog from now on - you'll need a pinned list of acronyms soon enough to follow my chatter.  We had some special time together over ice cream! Something his mummy and I always enjoy when we get together.

There is a new colour challenge starting today over at Just Add ink.  Nikki is asking us to add Mint Macaron, Blushing Bride, Night of Navy & Smoky Slate to our projects this week.

The centre panel of Navy & White is popped up on fun foam - love the even dimension it gives.   I matched my copics as best I could to the challenge colours, and used the sweet Christmas set Merry Mice. I used a mask and my airbrush for the soft background blue/grey colouring (mainly because I didn't trust myself to have a light enough hand).  The little splatters you see are actually where Stella has taken the ink away - a reasonably happy mistake I guess.  In real life this card is pretty and sparkly and I just love him - the inside greeting is Merry Christmouse!

Head over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration, and hopefully you'll find yourself wanting to play along with us.  I know there is a new stamp set (not yet available) used on one of the projects - this was written in a sing song voice that I just can't convey in text :(

Before I go here is a pic of some of my favourite people, taken last Thursday at the end of the first General Session. It was hard to get everyone together at the same time for pics.  We did have a number of present and past JAI team members together at dinner on Saturday night, however, those pics are on someone else's device.  Perhaps one of them has posted on their blog today.

From Left - me, Nikki, Kim, Narelle and Kelly

I'll be back in a few days to share my roomie gifts with you.  Right now I'm preparing for my dear friend Andy to arrive from New Zealand.  We're having a lovely long weekend together.  Enjoy yours!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #333 - Just Add G

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Happy Friday friends ~

I had a great day at Floriade with a friend yesterday.  The sun was shining, the crowds were busy at work and school and the flowers were blooming.  So much colour and prettiness in one place.  We enjoyed lots of laughs and some delicious treats along the way.

We have a new Just Add Ink challenge starting today, suggested by Tina.  We're adding anything 'G' to our projects. I've gone with green and gold using the Pretty Pines Thinlits from the Holiday Catalogue.

I was lucky to find a couple of tiny little gold bells in my stash - they're the same size as the (red & silver) bells in the Holiday Catalogue - and I tied them on my twine with some gold metallic thread. My centre panel is popped up on dimensionals - in my case fun foam because I love how sturdy it is for large mats/panels.

In this close up you can see the shimmer I added to my card.  Second Christmas card for 2016 made. Yay me.....but better get a wriggle on because this year is moving along A LOT quickly.

Well my Saturday is going to be spent at the preschool cupcake stand at the local voting poll tomorrow.  I'll be busily baking most of today and the four other parent committee members are popping over to mine this evening and we're going to be icing and decorating a good 400 odd cupcakes.  Hope you have something fun on your weekend agenda too.

Special birthday wishes to my beautiful godson on his second birthday today.  Mummy is passing on lots of smoochy kisses and cuddles from me (in addition to the skype session this morning where I got to watch him open his pressies).  Love him!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #325 - Just Add a Sketch

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Whoop whoop it's Friday ~

I'm doing the happy dance.  Had the greys (hair) taken care of last night, heading out to double birthday dinner celebrations with lovely friends tonight, last footy game tomorrow and Gorgeous Kid's birthday (16 can you believe it? where did that time go?) on Sunday so a little more celebrating.... I've got a pretty good weekend lined up.

Today I'm here to share a simple card I've made for the new Just Add Ink sketch challenge, from Tina.  I'll add the sketch at bottom for you.  I've used a new set called Seasonal Bells, from the upcoming Holiday Catalogue.  Once again quite a difficult card to photograph - it's all shimmery and pretty irl.

I heat embossed the bells in silver and added the adorable little bells, also new!  My mat layer and swirl (from Cupcake Cutouts Framelits) uses the lovely red foil we had last Christmas - I always keep a stash of the good stuff.

If you'd like to join the challenge fun pop over to JAI and grab yourself some inspiration.  The design team have a lovely variety of cards using the sketch.  You're sure to want to get inky!

Short and sweet from me today.  But guess what?  I've finally started sorting the New York piccies. It took me some time to actually download...well truthfully Brian did that, not me.  But I now have them on my computer too.  Slowly coming along with learning to navigate the iMac as well.  I'll have something for you next week for sure.  Until then....

.....enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by today.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #293 - Just add a Gift Card - photo heavy

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Wow ~ one week until Christmas!  This year really has whizzed by.  I'm looking forward to a little downtime over the Christmas/New Year break.  It will be nice for us all to be home together, relaxing, playing and enjoying some quality time.  I'm also looking forward to finally reading the latest Michael Connelly novel, The Crossing.

We have a timely challenge for you over at Just Add Ink kicking off today, and going for two weeks. Kim has us creating Gift Cards.  So if you've got a few last minute gifts to prepare why don't you pop over and join the challenge?  The design team has a bunch of inspiration to get you started.

I needed four gift card holders and matching cards which seemed a lot of work when time is in very short supply at the moment,  What to do?  Combine them of course.  I used a fabulous tutorial by Diane Barnes of Colour Me Happy for a 'no cut patterned paper folder'.  Sooooo simple, sturdy and fabulous!

Be warned - I'm a huge fan of non traditional Christmas colours.  I should also add that these all look waaaaay better in real life - blame the lousy photographer :o)

Coastal Cabana & the little elf from Christmas Cuties, coloured with copics

A masculine gift gift card holder using long retired designer paper & silver accents

Island Indigo and Peaceful Pines for a teenage boy

Strawberry Slush with a beautiful big glimmer poinsettia - it caught the light and it's hard to see the two different glimmer papers, and the plain silver foil leaves

This is what the inside looks like - a place for your gift card on the left (I've popped a piece of c/s there for photographic purposes) and on the right there is plenty of space to write your message

This is what the back looks like - I've adhered the ribbon closure with a little blingy brad

If you pop over to Di's blog to check out her no cut patterned paper folders you'll see just how much inspiration I drew from her.  Thank you, Di, for always sharing your talents and tutes with us.

Righto, it's too early to wish you all a Merry Christmas yet, so I will be back next week with another little Christmas treat share.

The Just Add Ink design team ladies will return with a brand new, fun challenge for you on Friday, 15 January 2016! Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Just Add Ink #292 - Just Add Inspiration

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Good morning ~

What a gorgeous sunny day AND it's almost the weekend!  Nikki has given us a beautiful inspiration pic to work with for the new challenge over at Just Add Ink this week.  I'll add the pic a bit further down for you.

Being the silly season and all that, I've been short on time recently - like everyone else I'm sure.  I let the DSP do the work for me this week - and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it.  Once again my trusty Mini Treat Bag thinlits came to the rescue and I've created a little gift card holder.

Here is the inspiration pic if you'd like to join the challenge fun - I just love the touch of class that Silver gives.  Pop over to JAI and check out the gorgeous line up of projects the design team has created.

We had Gorgeous Kid's award presentation night earlier this week, today he's off at Big Splash water park celebrating end of school year and early next week he gets to check out the new Wet 
'n' Wild park in Sydney.  I tell you it's definitely a kids life!  We have the twins day care Christmas party tomorrow and a bunch of other events over the next week.  Phew, I haven't wrapped any of my Christmas shopping yet and I'm still furiously working on my handmade pressies.

I hope your Christmas preparations are coming along smoothly.  Thanks for stopping by today :o)

Just Add Ink #291 - Just Add anything with C

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Happy Friday friends ~

I'm starting to make headway with my Christmas cards - probably won't have nearly enough to send out but I'm feeling better that I have a stash growing at least.  Lol.

We have a fun new challenge over at Just Add Ink kicking off today, suggested by Tina.  If adding anything with C is as popular as adding anything with W was a few weeks back, I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

I've used my Christmas Cuties stamp, to make a Christmas card, and I coloured it with Copics. Lots of C's here. So.... my colouring isn't fantastic, but I enjoyed doing it and that's the main thing! Believe it or not I did colour the white areas, you just can't see the subtlety in the photograph.  Was a bright day when I took the pic.  My die cut 'merry' is layered over the lovely SU red foil and popped up on dimensionals.

We'd love to see what you come up with this week.  Pop over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration - there are lots of lovely ideas.  Your creation can be anything that includes something with C - theme, technique, papers....whatever you like.  I'm looking forward to visiting your blogs so be sure to link up.

I'm still furiously working on my felt projects most evenings and hope to show you a few pics in the coming weeks. I've also found a new love....Jamberry.  OMGoodness, such cute cute designs and lots of fun to play with.  Have you found Jamberry nail wraps yet?

Just Add Ink #289 - Just Add Music

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Happy Friday friends ~

Phew it's been a hot week here in Canberra!  Beautiful if you can stay indoors and enjoy the air conditioning.  Not so much fun for all the school kids getting to and from school on their bikes.

The new challenge over at Just Add Ink this week is to add Music.  I pulled out some papers I've had in my drawer for years - I think they're Echo Park - and used my new Festive Flower Builder Punch to create this gorgeous big bloom.  I've added a couple of dimensionals within the layers of my petals for a more full flower.  Lots of fun.  Does my layout look familiar?  Hehe I made this card whilst making my card for last week's sketch challenge and liked it so much I continued along the same vein.  So easy.

Christmas card number two done!  Eeeeek I need to get busy on a whole lot more yet.  Instead I've been playing with felt this week, doing a bit of beading and working on some little Christmas gifts for the lovely ladies that work so hard at the Childcare Centre the twins attend.

Hope you find some time to join the challenge fun this week.  Pop over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration and link your creation up.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy your weekend!

Just Add Ink #288 - Just Add a Sketch

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Whoop whoop it's Friday ~

Welcome to a brand new sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink today.  Narelle is our sketch whiz and I love what she's given us to work with this week.  I've had a little crafting hiatus recently and so when I pulled out some paper and ink I was pleasantly surprised to come up with my very first Christmas creation of the season in no time. Yay me!

I mixed up my purple hues a little, using Blackberry Bliss c/s and ink and Rich Razzleberry dsp. They totally look the same on this card irl.  I've added some silver c/s, twine and little Glimmer stars to bling things up a bit.  Simple but sweet!

If you'd like to join the challenge with us, pop over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration. We love visiting your blogs and seeing all your creations.  Here is the sketch for you:

We had a little family outing to the Queanbeyan Show last weekend.  It was on a much smaller scale to the Royal Canberra Show, however, they still had all the same rides, animals, sideshow alley and food! Bonus was that the cost was half!  We got the kids faces painted for free, and they were able to hold baby chicks and guinea pigs etc. It was a lot less stressful than the hectic pace of the larger Shows we've been to.  Will definitely go again!

Just Add Ink #270 - Just Add Inspiration (Christmas in July)

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Happy Friday ~

Welcome to the brand new challenge over at Just Add Ink.  Nikki has given us a lovely Christmas themed inspiration pic this week.  I've used the traditional Real Red and Old Olive for my card - mainly because the inspiration pic calls for that.  Typically I prefer non traditional colours, pink, silver, blue... Here I've white heat embossed my sentiment and added a little silver glimmer heart, along with bling of course.

No news from Borneo this week.  This poor old mum is missing her boy big time!  GK has been in the Kelabit Highlands jungle trekking for most of the week, and as at yesterday he will have arrived at the small village of Pa'Umor to complete the community project phase of his expedition.

FYI - Pa' Umor village is a 60 minute walk east of Bario, which is an upland settlement in the Kelabit Highlands, very close to the international border between the Malaysian state of Sarawak and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan.

If you'd like to play along with the challenge this week, below is the inspiration pic.  Choose any of the elements that inspire you to get crafty.  Don't forget to check out the JAI design team projects if you need a head start.  I'm really looking forward to seeing all of your Christmas projects.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Canberra is expecting snow, brrrrrrr.

Just Add Ink #246 - Just Add Giving & a Tutorial - photo heavy

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Happy Boxing day morning ~

So how was your Christmas day?  Mine was just perfect!  Most of the family are interstate this year so it was a nice quiet day with a visit from dear friends, chatting, relaxing and lots of yummy food. We were lucky not to have our usual extremely hot weather, instead it was a little overcast yet warm.

Brisbane was great! It was just lovely meeting BFF's little bundle of joy - he certainly is a cutie.  No bias here of course *scoff*.

This is our last Just Add Ink challenge for the year, and it's only fitting that Mae suggested we add Giving.  This current challenge will run for two weeks over the Festive Season while the design team take a break and enjoy family and friends at this special time of the year.  That means you have lots of extra time to get busy creating. Head over to JAI for some inspiration.  We'll be back in January with a brand new blog hop challenge.

I've made some money wallets - cash always looks better when it's dressed up a little don't you think?

Pink Pirouette and the pic below shows the inside.

Coastal Cabana (excuse the wonky ribbon - I was in a mad rush trying to photograph as we've had really dull weather lately)

One for a girl and one for a boy!

Here is a quick tutorial if you'd like to make a few of your own.  Be gentle this is a first for me ;)

If there is anything you need clarification on please leave a comment or shoot me an email and I'll get back to you asap.  See you for our next challenge in January if not before.