Just Add Ink #567...Just Add Inspiration

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Hello lovelies ~

We have a brand new inspiration challenge kicking off over at Just Add Ink today. Nikki chose this one for us, I'll add it for you below.

I was quite stumped as my least favourite colour is Cajun Craze & this picture looks to have a lot of it. I went with the colours & florals in the end.....& I'm still having a love affair with the now retired True Love designer paper. Anyone else grab several packets like I did?

With a Navy base & Cajan/Vanilla mat popped up for dimension I've used my copics to colour, hoping to get a likeness to the colours in the image. I sprayed liberally (of course) with shimmer.

Now as a little bonus let me show you the first card I made. My printed version showed the cushion & vase as quite blue....but my screen showed a more turquoise colour. Of course I was working off my paper schedule when I first made my card. The second (above) was put together at the very last minute when I realised the anomaly. Thank goodness all my bits & pieces were still scattered on my craft desk, so it was a matter of quickly colouring a new image & fussy cutting. Phew just in the knick of time.

They've photographed differently too, one being in daylight, the other at night. Sigh.

If you fancy joining the challenge this week, here is the inspiration image for you to work with. For further inspiration head over to JAI & check out the design team projects.

Photo Credit: https://roundecor.com/

Well as at 5pm yesterday Canberra has entered a 7 day lockdown. Our first Covid case in over a year presented. I'm taking this as an opportunity to catch up on things I've been leaving for a 'rainy day'. I don't think the kids are thrilled about home schooling....perhaps the new teacher has something to do with that lol.

Last week my beloved Mac computer had a meltdown so I ended up biting the bullet & purchasing a shiny new one. I'm still getting my data moved over & had a 'mare of a time uploading my pic/s yesterday. Will make the transition across a priority over the next few days.

As of Wednesday just gone, I'm fully Pfizer vaccinated too. Yay me!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #563...Just Add a Sketch

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Hey there ~

Welcome! We have a new sketch challenge kicking off today over at Just Add Ink. Jan designed this one for us. I love the simplicity of it. Being a CAS crafter I find the 'less is more' sketches much more fun to use & I tend to get a lot more created. A great example is that I actually made several projects on the same day using this very sketch. Go me!

I chose to share this one for the challenge as I've been dying to use these sweet Ombre Gift Bags since I received my preorder. And I'm having a bit of a love affair with the new Artistically Inked suite. Here I've stamped the small flower in Polished Pink, & added a gold foil leaf from the coordinating Artistic dies. So simple.

If you'd like to join the challenge with us, pop over to JAI to grab all the details. There is some lovely inspiration from the design team too. Here is the sketch banner for you.

School went back for Term 3 this week, but during the holidays the twins & I spent a week at our coast cabin. There were 16 children in all & they had so much fun riding bikes, building fortes, making sand sculptures & hanging out together. I enjoyed plenty of time with all the other mums too. We bbq'd together, enjoyed the fire pit & took lots of walks to the local cafe. I'm sure all the dads had a nice quiet week at home without us :)

Thanks for stopping by & hope my simple little project inspires you to get inky this weekend.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #557...Just Add Inspiration

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Hi there ~

Welcome to a new Just Add Ink challenge week. Rachael has chosen the inspiration image for us.

I recently received a stunning floral, very pink & pretty belated birthday card from a dear friend that I haven't managed to catch up with in person for sooooo long. My card today is inspired by hers, particularly the layout, while also using the brickwork, leaves & some of the colours in the image we're playing with, of course. 

I heat embossed the flower from the Elegantly Said stamps & fussy cut to my heart's content. I love these tones of grey, white & the new In Colour soft succulent. The In Colour jewels are a perfect finishing touch.

If you'd like to get crafty with us then pop over to JAI & check out what the design team have created. Here is the inspiration image...we'd love you to join the challenge fun.

Our landscaping job is still ongoing, we're into the third month....the pavers are down, the steps have been demolished & rebuilt & all the new furniture has been ordered. I am yet to find the perfect water feature...stay tuned. I can't wait to share the before & after pics. GK has decided he'd like to come home & host his 21st party here now! lol

Hubby & I are off to the tropics next week for a little holiday. I'm looking forward to thawing out & meeting up with our beautiful friends T & C - certainly don't get to see them often enough these days.

Have a fabulous weekend & thanks for stopping by.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #549...Just Choose Two

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Hello from beautiful Fraser Island ~

Kelly has given us a Choose Two challenge over at Just Add Ink today. Of course I went for the petals & leaves...that's a no brainer for me.

I used Magenta Madness for the first time on this card, along with the Forever Fern stamps. A few gold accents lifted the all white background. My mat layer has been run through the Subtle embossing folder.

Once again this pic was taken on a dull overcast rainy old day.

We love you joining our challenges so pop over to JAI to check out the design team inspiration & details. Here is the banner for you.

We've just had a wonderful family Easter weekend down at the coast. The weather was superb....almost like the summer we never really got. There was lots of beach time. Lots of socialising & relaxation....& of course lots of chocolate!

Here are some pics from one of my early morning walks.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #537 - Just Add Family Blog Hop

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Happy New Year!

As we do every year, the Just Add Ink team is participating in a Blog Hop. With the absolute crazy that has been the last 12 months our theme is Family! We've been separated, had important events put on hold & generally had our routines thrown up in the air....

One of the biggest impacts to our family this past year was losing both of our beloved fur family members within 10 months of each other. Our beautiful Lilli girl & Humphrey bun. They have left a gaping hole in our hearts!

LOVE really is a four legged word.

I've coloured up a few MFT images, keeping the card base super simple. I really like the Oh So Ombre designer paper SAB freebie! All the blending is done for me :)

If you'd like to join the challenge fun this week & share one of your own family projects, pop over to JAI & check out all the details. 

To continue the hop click on the button below to visit Kelly.

Thanks for stopping by today. Stay well.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #530...Just Add Stamps, Ink & Paper

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Happy Friday ~

We have a new challenge starting over at Just Add Ink today. Rochelle has asked us to add Stamps, Ink & Paper - it was so hard not to use die cuts, & embellish...I do love some bling. In fact I ran into a little trouble with my first card (will attach at bottom) so had to make another at the last minute. I guess that's why it's called a challenge :)

I've fussy cut some of my favourite designer paper - Best Dressed & used a sentiment from the matching Dressed to Impress stamp set. Lighting not so great as we've had so much rain of late, which means cloud & dull skies.

I rarely take a pic of the inside of my cards, so here it is.

And here is my original card - I realised I couldn't use heat embossing so went with Craft white ink. Which was lovely & crisp initially, but a few days later had faded & become a little blotchy, as you can see. So I quickly whipped up a reverse colour version. I've since added versamark over top of the white ink (super easy to line up photopolymer stamps) & heat embossed so it wasn't a wasted card.

Pop over to JAI & be inspired by the design team offerings. We'd love you to join the challenge fun with us...here is the banner for you.

In other news 2020 strikes again. We have to say goodbye to our beloved bunny, Humphrey today. He has developed kidney disease & just the last few days is deteriorating. We don't want him to suffer, or have a poor quality of life. He's been with us for almost 7 years so we're very very sad. Here he is enjoying some leaves off one of the trees in our yard (he's a free range bun & uses the small doggie door to come & go as he pleases - he really has had the best life).

Here he is chilling in the lounge room with us watching tv. 

I took this pic today, of him lying upside down like a baby in my arms. He's the most placid, snuggly not so little guy. Always up for a cuddle. He's got a few grey hairs these days as he's quite old for a bun.

Well that was rather photo heavy, but I'm feeling all sentimental & just had to share him one last time. 

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #526...Just Add Inspiration

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Hello there ~

Happy Friday! Just Add Ink is kicking off a brand new Inspiration challenge today - chosen for us by, Jo.

I was inspired by the beautiful blue & green in the image (see at bottom of post). After stamping the flowers from Tasteful Touches in Blueberry Bushel I spread the ink across the petals with an aqua painter. My leaves are from the Beautiful Friendship stamp set, in Garden Green & Granny Apple Green inks. I love how the colours really pop off the Whisper White card base. My sentiment has been heat embossed in gold.

I really struggled to get a good photograph this week as we've had overcast days & lots of rain. Good soaking rain for the garden so no complaints. What you can't see in my photo is all the pretty shimmer :(

Here is the image we're working with this week. Pop over to the JAI blog for all the details & join us for the challenge.

Today is officially the last day of school holidays for the twins. Hard to believe they're about to start their fourth & final term of Year 3. Little Miss has just finished reading James & the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl so tonight we're going to watch the original film as a family.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you & yours are healthy & well.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #524...Just Add a Colour Combo

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Hello & happy Friday ~

We are kicking off a brand new challenge over at Just Add Ink. This week we have a colour combination from Jo - Rococo Rose, Merry Merlot & Mint Macaron. Full disclosure - Rococo Rose is probably my least favourite SU colour of all time.

I started with the Merry Merlot card - so rich in colour - & then decided I needed to try it out in the Rococo Rose. Not bad. I was completely inspired by one of Heike's lovely clean cards using the versatile Forever Fern stamp set. 

Perhaps Rococo Rose is one of your favourite colours? Why don't you pop over to JAI to check out the design team inspiration & join the challenge fun with us this week?

Today I'm off to see a movie with a friend - I'm not sure I've even been to a picture theatre at all this year. I'm looking forward to catching up with a group of girlfriends for lunch tomorrow & who knows what Sunday will bring... School holidays begin this afternoon so I'm looking forward to a more relaxed fortnight ahead.

I hope you are keeping well. Thanks for stopping by today.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #522....Just Add a Sketch

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Hello & welcome to my share for this week's Just Add Ink sketch.

Funny story as to how this card came to be. There has been a lot of talk in our house about my husband's Covid beard these past six months of working from home. I don't particularly love it but he has put a lot of effort (& new products) into learning how to care for it - which I tease him about endlessly. I had the gnome stamps sitting on my craft desk one day & he commented that they were super cute. The joke between us was that he looks a bit like these little gnomies nowadays.

Soooooo a gnome card it had to be. His beard is quite grey, with only a smattering of dark hair in it. I tried to replicate it in my colouring....didn't quite achieve the same look with copics but he'll think it's funny when he receives this card for his birthday next month.

The twins think the centre gnome looks just like dad!

I've backed my Whisper White c/s panel with Granny Apple Green dsp & raised it on foam, leaving the matching c/s on the base layer. The sentiment is heat embossed & also raised.

If you'd like to join the challenge fun this week, here is the sketch for you. Pop over to JAI & have a look at the design team inspiration.

Here is hubby in all his bearded glory - good comparison do you think? Hehehehe.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you are all well, happy & healthy.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #508...Just Add 'F'

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Hello & happy Friday ~

We have a lovely new challenge over at Just Add Ink today....Tina is asking us to add an F to our crafty projects. Think floral, fragrance, foliage, french, favourite.....lots of ideas.

I was super keen to use the Dressed to Impress stamp set for this challenge, however, I was very late to loving that one & ordering it (despite being quite the shoe queen myself) & it didn't arrive in time for me to use that cute little fragrance bottle sooooo I went with my standard floral :)

I've used the Bloom & Grow set, layered on black foil & I even used a sentiment beginning with F - trifecta! There is some lovely shimmer on this card, however, the photo didn't actually capture it well. Now that the cooler weather is here it's difficult to work around the bright sunshine of a winter's day, & the dark that descends far too early in the afternoons.

Head over to JAI to check out the design team inspiration & hopefully you'll join us for this fun challenge.

It's another long weekend for us, second in a row. Hubby is off camping & 4WD'g with our youngest, & I'm staying home where it's warm & comfortable. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time lazing around with my book, playing in my craft room, eating snacks instead of preparing full meals....ah bliss I'm so looking forward to a quiet weekend on my own.

Enjoy your weekend however you are spending it.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #506....Just Add Inspiration

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Hello & happy Friday ~

Welcome to a brand new challenge week at Just Add Ink. Nikki has given us an inspiration pic to use for our creative projects this week.

Now I'm not going to lie, I started & stopped several projects for this one. It kind of did my head in a bit....I guess that's what happens when you have spare time.....I definitely think I create better under pressure with a very short deadline. I had the embossing paste out, little jar images, lots of different foliage & florals....but I wasn't happy with any of it. Put all that aside, grabbed this image (from Avery Elle) & my copics & had this card whipped up in no time.

I chose to let the colours inspire me here. I've used a Blackberry Bliss base, with a layer of vellum & Whisper White run through my Subtle embossing folder. The floral image is heat embossed in gold, & I've used the little navy Happiness Blooms enamel dots to embellish.

If you'd like to see what the rest of the design team has put together for this challenge, head over to JAI for some inspiration & join the creative fun this week. Here is the pic for you.

With isolation restrictions being eased worldwide I hope that you are all well, & enjoying a little more freedom. My family is still staying close to home for now. We're off for our flu shots (finally) this afternoon!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #500...Just Add a Die Cut Word - Blog Hop

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Happy Easter long weekend ~

Welcome to Just Add Ink's 500th challenge! We've been offering challenges weekly for 10+ years now & I joined the design team just 6 months in at challenge #26. I've had a couple of breaks over the years....because, well....life! I can't stay away for too long though because these gals are more family than friends to me.

Anyway the whole team decided it would be fun to mark the occasion with a blog hop. Yay! Hops are always fun. This week we're adding a Die Cut Word suggested by Jan.

I pulled out some long forgotten stamps - The Sweet Life by PTI - & wanted a bold colour on my all white base - Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry & Blackberry Bliss. I used gold foil for my sentiment (the remaining part of the sentiment 'YOU' is on the inside of the card). During these weeks/months of isolation I'm trying to send more cards...so my friends know I'm always thinking of them even if we can't catch up in person.

Here is the banner. It would be so good if we fill that gallery to the brim this week to mark Just Add Ink's special milestone. So head over to the blog & check out the details, create your own project &B link it up.

Next along the way is Kim with a fabulously happy card to share. Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely Easter, hope the bunny is good to you, & most of all take care & be safe.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #496...Just Add Inspiration

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Happy Fri-yay friends ~

It's new challenge day over at Just Add Ink & Lou has given us a beachy scene to be inspired by this week. I'll add the image at bottom for you.

Going through all my stamp sets & designer papers I was quite miffed not to have any water or beach images in my substantial stash. Hmmmmm so I decided to go with the colours of the Inspiration pic & 'sort of' re-create the scene. I found this dsp in the Floral Romance pack of papers, tore it up (eeeek I find that so hard to do) & added it to my Crumb Cake base layers. And of course the flowers are from the Tropical Chic set - love it - I used Crushed Curry & Peekaboo Peach inks!

I really need to work on my photography skills....but once again was rushed to get it done before losing light. That's only going to get worse going into winter......I really need to up my game.

Head over to JAI to check out all the details & join in the challenge fun. Here is the Inspiration pic for you:

Keeping it short & sweet as we had a death in the family yesterday & I'm quite distracted. Thanks for stopping by.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #479 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Hellooooooo ~

Is there anybody out there? Long time no post or card share! I'm not sure where I got up to last year....so to cut a long story short I had a nasty accident in January 2018 breaking a few bones in my lower back. The healing process was long. So long. In that time I lost all inclination to play in my craft room. Earlier this year I tried....but absolutely no creativity was happening. I even considered packing it all up & not looking back. I took up crocheting & knitting again. This satisfied me, however, I was still purchasing all the new stamps & inks as they were released so they really were taunting me.

Another blow for me was Gorgeous Kid (now 19 years old) joined Defence & left home in early January this year. I was super supportive & very happy that he knew the direction he wanted to take after graduating Yr 12. BUT I didn't actually consider how much our family would change with him gone. I worried about the extreme training he was undertaking. And I pined for him. We had next to no contact with him for the first few months. So. Very. Hard. I'm happy to say that ten months down the track we've settled into a new normal & although we don't see him often (he's posted in Brisbane until end of December) he's doing very well. I'll share more next post.

Earlier this week I put together a card using the gorgeous colour combo that Jackie gave us to work with over at Just Add Ink. My beautiful friend, Kim, had given me a set of 'Life Changing Blender Brushes' for my birthday back in March & I was itching to use them. Somehow it all came together - I think I need to thank Jackie the most, because if there were any more colours in this combo I may not have even attempted. My confidence in my card making abilities has been shattered.

So my plan is to continue to create cards & share here & over at JAI. I hope that it works out that way at least. Even though you haven't 'seen' me for a long time I have actually been helping the admin team behind the scenes so I've been across the challenges & in very regular contact with all my dear friends at JAI. Some of you will have noticed I pop up with a comment on your blog now & then too :)

If you've made it this far, here is the card I made. A base of Whisper White, a bit of sponging using Coastal Cabana ink, some assorted die cuts & a little bling. Simple. And a good start back into it for me.

Here is the colour palette. We'd love for you to join the challenge. Click here to head over to the JAI blog for all the design team inspiration.

Until next time....thanks for popping by & catching up.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #412 - Just Choose Two

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Hi there, & happy Friday ~

We're back with a new Just Choose Two challenge at Just Add Ink today. Lou has given us this fun (& possibly messy) one.

I made two same but different cards because I initially went for my nice safe, just retired - sniff sniff, Pink Pirouette. But I really wanted to give the new Soft Sea Foam a whirl too.

I created a circle stencil using punches & dies to brayer my ink on, then I splattered my silver Wink of Stella, added some silver thread & heat embossed the sweet little butterfly from Butterfly Basics, cutting a vellum layer to soften it.

Same as above but this time I paired the soft green & gold. So simple. And I love them both.

Come join the challenge fun with us. Pop over to JAI for some awesome design team inspiration, & all the details on linking up your project.

We've had a lot going on in our family lately & time is short so no news from me today. Thanks for stopping by.

Patrice x