Just Add Ink #487 - Just Add a Sketch

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Happy Friday friends ~

I've had such a busy few weekends....three out of six have been spent in Sydney. We've had a family wedding, a birth, lots of socialising & Christmas parties too & this weekend our big boy is coming home to Canberra from his posting in Brisbane. So excited to have him here for Christmas. The twins are beside themselves that they'll be seeing their big brother again.

Jackie has given us an awesome sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink this week. I loved it so much I made three cards in one afternoon using it. I'm completely drooling over the new designer series paper in the new mini catalogue. I've used the Best Dressed papers for my card today - how stunning are these blooms - with a base of Blackberry Bliss. The centre panel is popped up on fun foam & I've spritzed the flowers with champagne shimmer mist (this has to be my favourite item ever!).

With Christmas only days away I really hope you have time to pop over to the blog to check out the inspiration & join in the fun. Here is the sketch image for you.

However you're spending Christmas I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas to you!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #485 - Just Add One Layer

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Hello & Happy Fri-yay!

We have a new challenge starting over at Just Add Ink today, & Jan has asked that we create a One Layer Card. Sometimes that's not quite as simple as we think it may be. I can't tell you the amount of c/s I ditched while trying to get what was in my head onto paper. What I ended up with was not what I was trying to achieve lol.

Soooo I used my nifty new 'Life Changing Blender Brushes' to put down some green & yellow hues on Shimmery white c/s, then I heat embossed my favourite new stamp - Forever Blossoms - over top. Done. Easy peasy. I may have been overthinking this one, when really keeping it simple was the best way to go.

I ended up making a little set of 4x4 cards to package as a gift to use at a later date.

Here is the banner for you. Pop over to the JAI blog to check out the design team inspiration. There is a lot of variation of One Layer Cards to get you inspired.

I'm guessing I'm not alone in being crazy busy this month. Christmas preparations are well underway & each of my weekends is full. This weekend we're off to hubby's work Christmas party. Lawn bowls, followed by dinner. I've never tried lawn bowls before so it could be an interesting afternoon :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #483...Just Choose Two

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Happy Friday ~

It's an extra special weekend for me as Gorgeous Kid has come home for a couple of days! Yay!

Short & sweet post due to above :)

The new Just Add Ink challenge has been set by Di this week & she's asking us to Choose Two - Stars, Spots or Sparkle.

I had to photograph at night so you can't see all the Champagne Shimmer Mist sprayed liberally on my card. I love this new Forever Blossoms set I won at On Stage in Sydney last weekend. I haven't got the matching dies yet so coloured straight to my card front & fussy cut a little flower to pop up for added interest. I used Daffodil Delight & Old Olive Blends.

If you'd like to join the fun this week, pop over to the blog & check out the design team inspiration. Here is the banner for you:

I had an absolutely fantastic long weekend in Sydney last week rooming with some of my favourite people. Here is the Sydney contingent of Just Add Ink team members, minus Tina because we couldn't find her for the pic. We really needed her there though because she was wearing a gorgeous emerald green top & it would have worked so well in our photo.

And our Perth lovelies (I should have shared some of their 'hamming it up' pics lol).

We really missed Jan, however, she's been a busy bee of late & couldn't join us - unfortunately.

Righto, off to enjoy an extra special weekend with my big boy. Thanks for stopping by. 

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #482 - Just Add a Sketch

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Woohoo, it's Friday ~

I'm here to share my card for the new Just Add Ink sketch challenge that Jackie gave us to play with this fortnight. Yep you read that right. This challenge is open for two weeks, until 20 November, as many of the design team will be in Sydney next weekend for the Stampin' Up! OnStage event.

SU! events are so much fun.... new goodies to see & touch, meeting up with old & new friends.... my favourite part is spending real (not computer or phone) time with my JAI buddies. We have A LOT of fun together laughing & chatting until the wee hours, shopping, eating out.... it's the highlight of OnStage for me! This year we're staying an extra couple of days because it's always so rushed. Cannot wait!

I made a very pink card this week because my daughter is off to a birthday party on Sunday & this is perfect for her little friend. Using the Dino Roar suite & coordinating c/s colours (Flirty Flamingo & Lovely Lipstick) I created a little tri fold using some excellent instructions from Sharon Burkert, here.

Here is a little video to show the sparkle & how the card opens. Because, well.... I'm not a very good photographer. Thanks for the tip, Kelly.

Pop over to JAI & check out what the rest of the design team have created. Lots of loveliness to get you inspired. Here is the sketch.

Thanks for stopping by. See you in two weeks!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #481 - Just Add Inspiration

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Happy Fri-yay ~

I came back with another card to share :)

For this week's new Just Add Ink challenge, Nikki, gave us an Inspiration pic. I chose to ink up the new Stampin' Up! Christmas Rose set & colour it with my Zig Markers. They came up a little more vibrant than I was aiming for, & coupled with not photographing well my card really isn't showing its true colours here.

I've heat embossed the image on Shimmery White c/s - I find embossing really helps when colouring with water. The Gold Shimmer Ribbon & Glitter Enamel Dots are part of the brand new Christmastime is Here Suite available to customers today! Wait until you see the full Suite....gorgeous Designer Papers, & Dies to match both the Stamps & the Papers, plus lots more!

Here is the Inspiration pic & if you click over to JAI you'll see what the rest of the Design Team have put together to whet your appetite & hopefully have you joining in on the challenge fun.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I'll pop back in a few days & share the twins Halloween outfits & haul :)

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

Just Add Ink #410 - Just Add Inspiration

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Happy Friday friends ~

Back so soon? Yep, but you'll notice my cards are fairly simple & mostly white for now. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of crafting again. Thank goodness as it's my happy place.

The new challenge over at Just Add Ink this week is an Inspiration Pic from, Jo. I'll add it at bottom for you. I pulled out a gorgeous floral stamp called Fresh Bouquet from Inspired by Stamping that I've had waiting to be inked for almost two years now. Gasp!

After white heat embossing the image I used my SU Watercolour Pencils (& an Aqua Painter) to bring these lovely florals to life. I chose colours similar to those in the Inspiration Pic. Notice I even added a few enamel dots as per the spots in the pic? The sentiment was chosen because this is another card being sent to my dear 93 year old Gran in New Zealand.

Do you feel up to tackling this Inspiration & joining the challenge fun? Head over to JAI to get all the details. I look forward to seeing all the gorgeous projects you come up with.

I've been in hospital for surgery this week so this post was scheduled while I laze around in bed recovering. I did do something a little exciting last week though - had my hair cut short. I've always had medium to long hair (aside from a shorter style I tried about 4 years ago) so it's a big change for me. So far I'm loving it...sooooo easy to maintain.

 

Hehe don't mind the 'filters', it was night by the time I got home from the salon & the downlights were not playing nice.

Thanks for stopping by for a little look at what I've been up to. See you again soon.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #408 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Wow, hello!

It's been a long time! I had a nasty accident in mid January that put me out of action for the past few months. I've literally been lying on my side due to breaking my coccyx in three places. Yep, I do things properly! I've been working hard on my rehab, & finally last week I turned a corner in my recovery. I've ditched the walking stick. I'm learning to 'sit' again, & I can even drive short distances. So I finally have my independence back & I'm playing in my craft room again. Feeling very very rusty & there aren't too many original ideas flowing but I did manage to join my lovely Just Add Ink friends for this week's Colour Combo challenge, from Rochelle.

The colours are Powder Pink, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz, & Wild Wasabi. You can add a neutral too.

I love a shaker. I think my dear Gran in New Zealand will love this card too. I try to pop a card in the post to her every week or two. Happy mail brightens anyone's day! I coloured the 'new to me' Petal Palette flowers with my Watercolour Pencils (so I had to cheat a little on the greens) & an Aqua Painter. A simple, clean card.

Please pop over to JAI & check out all the gorgeous cards the rest of the design team have created this week. Join our challenge, we love visiting your blogs.

Let's hope this card is a sign of things to come & I'm back here again soon with another. Have a great weekend!

Patrice x