Friday, June 27, 2014

Just Add Ink #220 - Just Add a Sketch

Good morning ~

We have a sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink this week, courtesy of Kim.


I consulted my trusty Colour Coach for the colours I've used on this card.  The base is Smoky Slate, with a Soft Sky & Whisper White mat and a pop of Calypso Coral.  The leaves are Basic Grey I and wanted to use the same for my sentiment, however, I found the ink pad was completely dry!  That has never happened to me before and I think it's because the cover had a small crack in it :(.  I guess my next Stampin' Up! order will include a new Basic Grey ink pad lol.  Goes to show how long it's been since I've used that particular ink though.  Ooops.

I also used the Hardwood, Petite Petals and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets and the Petite Petals and Boho Blossom punches.

If you'd like to join in the challenge fun this week pop over to JAI and check out the sketch, and the gorgeous design team inspiration this week!

Hope you've got something fun lined up for the weekend.  Whatever you get up to, enjoy!!!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Just Add Ink #218 - Just Add a Colour Combo

Happy Friday peeps ~

The end of the week is here, and although it's been a short one I'm glad for the weekend.  I feel extra tired this week, sigh.

With the 2011-2013 In Colours retiring at the end of June Kim set the Just Add Ink challenge this week to use three of the five retiring colours.  I chose to go with Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green.


I've used a brand new stamp set called Amazing Birthday (which we received at Convention a few weeks ago).  I popped some of the sentiment up for dimension since I've created a pretty CAS card.  Head over to JAI for all the challenge details and inspiration.  Hopefully you'll join the fun this week and link your own retiring In Colour creation up.

Thanks for stopping by today, and as always thanks for taking the time to leave a comment - I do enjoy reading them.  It really makes my day to know that someone has stopped by to look at what I've been up to.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Just Add Ink #217 - Just Add Cupcakes/Cake/Dessert - warning photo heavy!

Good Friday morning ~

Thanks to Nikki our delicious challenge over at Just Add Ink this week is all things yummy and sweet.  You can't half tell I have a super sweet tooth can you?  Lol.


I had a little fun with this card - the icing to be precise!  At our recent South Pacific Convention attendees were lucky enough to receive a packet of Calypso Coral Blendabilities.  Whilst I haven't used them to colour an image yet, I did colour the fabric flower above, and a few pearls and gemstones.  How cool!  I am pleasantly surprised at how well the colour took and stayed on!

You'll notice a number of retired items on this card, starting with the Simple Birthday Thanks stamp, the flower from the Pretties Kit, and the Presto paper which I sponged Calypso Coral ink onto.  I find it difficult to get rid of crafty goodies just because they've retired.

My pic may look a little 'in your face'and bright.  That's because I had my computer rebuilt and I'm using a whole new photo editing package - and I don't like it :(  just yet.  I'm sure I'll get used to it but for now it's trying my patience.

If you'd like to join the sweeeeetest challenge this week do head over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration then link your yummy creation up - you can add cupcakes, desserts and sweets of any kind.

I did say I'd post a couple of Convention pics, although being the lousy photographer I am I didn't really take many. Some of you may have already seen these floating around the place.

Some of my gorgeous JAI team mates, L-R Nikki, Christine, Patrice, Paula, Tina, Delys, Louise, Narelle and Kim.

Enjoying the Bjorn Again tribute band, L-R Kelly, Di Barnes, Kim, Narelle, Paula, Patrice, Bronwyn, Sam Post.

 
Silly selfies a little later in the evening, L-R Bronwyn, Patrice, Sam.  We really took them for you Jodene.

Thanks for stopping by to visit, enjoy your weekend!

Friday, May 30, 2014

Just Add Ink #216 - Just Add Watercolouring

Happy Friday beautiful blog friends ~

Well what a whirlwind couple of weeks I've had.  Exhausting but soooo much fun.  Last week I spent five days in Melbourne at the South Pacific Inspire. Create. Share. Event (previously known as Convention) with some of my favourite friends - the gorgeous and super talented JAI gals.  We had lots of fun together ... shopping, dinners, and late nights up chatting ... once I sort though some photos I'll post here for you.

This week over at Just Add Ink the supremely talented Paula has given us the challenge to add 'Watercolouring'. Much as I'd love to say I'm good at it, I'm still quite the amateur.  My card is pretty simple and I used a technique I saw used recently on the logo of an online watercolour for card makers class.  I didn't actually do the class but loved the bright pop of colours used.


Here I've used the reverse side of Glossy White c/s (it holds water a lot better than Whisper White c/s) and heat embossed my sentiment.  Then using an aqua painter I 'painted' on some Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Strawberry Slush inks before giving it a liberal spray of Champagne Shimmer Mist.  I don't mind this card - not bad for a beginner!

If you'd like to have a play with your inks and brushes, pop over to JAI and check out our current challenge.  We love to stop by and visit your blogs so please join the fun and link up your creation.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I've switched to Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm a bit behind the times....and I've only just discovered Bloglovin'.  If you've noticed a change to your 'follower' numbers it's probably due to my switching over - from my Google Dashboard to Bloglovin'. Rest assured I am still following all my favourites, just in a new and super easy way.  If you haven't tried it go check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Just Add Ink # 214 - Just Add a Sketch

Hello friends ~

It's Friday!  That means we have a brand new and fun challenge for you over at Just Add Ink.  Kim gave us a sketch this week.


I struggled with this one and threw a few early attempts in the bin.  So wasteful!  I ended up with a Basic Black base and a mat of the lovely Silver Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.  I heat embossed the flowers onto Vellum with Melon Mambo e/p and the sentiment with Silver e/p.  Using the Pinking Hearts Border punch (retired) I made a strip of Vellum and Smoky Slate to tuck under my sentiment panel.  I'm not entirely thrilled with this card but I do like the colour combo.

To check out the sketch and see what the rest of the design team has provided for your inspiration this week head over to JAI.  Hope you find the time to get inky and join us.

I cannot believe Convention is in less than two weeks.  Eeeek!  Melbourne here I come!  So exciting!  I get to see some of my beautiful crafty blog friends from Australia and New Zealand all in one place.  I don't usually make swaps because I get bored re-creating the same cards, however, I do always participate in our JAI team swap - and mine are all done woohoo.  Will share some pics after Convention.

Hope all is well in your world.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Just Add Ink # 213 - Just Add Inspiration

Hi lovely blog friends ~

It's Friday thank goodness!  The weather here in Canberra took a nasty cold turn yesterday, brrrrr bring back Summer I say!  I'm already missing wearing shorts and jandals.  It's going to be a looong cold Winter this year I think.

At Just Add Ink we have a totally gorgeous inspiration pic provided by Nikki this week.


So much to choose from - chevrons, flowers, spots, gold, pink, white, blue, cake ... just scrumptious.  As soon as I saw this one I knew I wanted to use the beautiful packaging that Stampin' Up! has to offer - the Tag a Bag Gift Box.


This little package has been sitting on my desk for weeks waiting to be photographed.  It is awkward and the weather has been ho hum so I procrastinated for ages.  Still not sure I did a very good job :(


I managed to incorporate a lot of the elements that I wanted to.  Using Whisper White, Pink Pirouette and Soft Sky card stocks, and the new Spiral Flower die I made a lovely little cluster of flowers and topped them with Large Pearls.  I used my glue gun to adhere the flowers to my paper doily and chevron ribbon 'belly band'.  Can't wait to fill this little box and pass it on.  I love giving 'hand made'.

Pop over to JAI and have a look at all the other beautiful creations the design team has made this week for your inspiration.  I do hope you play along with us, and look forward to seeing lots of loveliness linked on the blog.

Busy Saturday for us this week as Gorgeous Kid has a birthday party and then we're off to Flip Out with friends, before dinner at our house with said friends.  Have a really enjoyable weekend!  Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave me some comment love - I do enjoy reading them.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Just Add Ink # 212 - Just Add a Colour Combo

Happy Anzac Day ~

How many of you Aussies and Kiwis were up early for the Dawn Service this morning?  It's usually bitterly cold but always lovely to see such a good turn out at the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra.

We have a gorgeous colour combo this week over at Just Add Ink, courtesy of Delys.  Using Baked Brown Sugar, Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla here is my card.


If you'd like more info on the products I used to create this card please shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll get back to you.  I'm keeping this short and sweet for the moment as I'm super tired.  I really shouldn't be as we've been enjoying two weeks of school holidays and I love the non routine of it - in saying that I do love when school goes back and we get our routine back.  I think it's just packing school lunch and constantly trying to come up with a decent variety of foods that drives me nuts.  I don't think I'm alone in that!

Pop over to JAI and check out the design team inspiration.  We've all created quite different cards this week and they really are lovely.  Get out your stamps, markers, whatever you love to use in your craft space and join the challenge fun with us.

Enjoy the long weekend and thanks so much for stopping by.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Just Add Ink # 211 - Just Add a Sketch

Happy Easter Friday ~

Ahhh bliss, I'm having a quiet day pottering in my craft room!  THAT hasn't happened in a very long time and I'm so looking forward to it.  Gorgeous Kid is off at a mate's house and the place is all mine. I'm ignoring the housework, and I got the washing up to date yesterday - bonus!

We have a new challenge over at Just Add Ink.  This week Paula gave us a sketch to play with.


Can you believe this is the FIRST time I've used any of my In Colour Ruffled Ribbon?  Talk about hoarding it just to look at!  To colour my flower I used a dauber and sponged Strawberry Slush ink, and Pear Pizzazz on the leaves - a different way to colour if you're short on time.  Even though I have the matching die I decided to fussy cut this one as my sponging had gone past the outer edge of the image.  The designer paper is from the SAB Sweet Sorbet range.

To check out the sketch, and lots more design team inspiration head over to JAI.  We'd love to have you to play along with us.

I hope you all have a really wonderful Easter and enjoy extra family time this long weekend.  Thanks for stopping by today.