Just Add Ink #216 - Just Add Watercolouring

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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!

I've switched to Bloglovin'

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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.

Just Add Ink # 214 - Just Add a Sketch

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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.

Just Add Ink # 213 - Just Add Inspiration

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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.

Just Add Ink # 212 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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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.

Just Add Ink # 211 - Just Add a Sketch

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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.

Just Add Ink # 210 - Just Add Easter bags, boxes and baskets

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Happy Friday to you all ~

We've been having an unusually wet week here in Canberra.  I don't think I've ever seen it looking so green.  Much nicer than the usual burnt brown.  It's been perfect crafting weather, but unfortunately for me I've been flat out busy all week and NO time to play!

I'm here to show you my latest Just Add Ink project.  Kim suggested we add Easter bags, boxes and baskets this week.  I made a punch art bunny similar to this one I made a few years ago.  I tried a landscape version this time - it makes him look like a little fatty though don't you think?

The little guy above has a tummy full of chocolate so he really is kinda fat I guess!  The gusseted bag of eggs is secured under the folded Top Note piece.  I used Very Vanilla and Soft Sky c/s.

The design team has come up with all sorts of different Easter bags, boxes and baskets this week so head over to JAI for some inspiration and join our challenge fun.  You may even get to tick a couple of gifts off your Easter list in the process!  Always a good thing.

Have a lovely weekend.

Just Add Ink #209 - Just Add Layers

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Woohoo it's Friday again ~

Looks like we're in for a wet weekend.  The rain started last night and hasn't let up, although it isn't torrential - yet! Bit of a shame because I'm going on a Cruise this weekend as part of a friend's hen celebrations.  The wedding is in Fiji in a few weeks.

Something else that's exciting, well for me anyway is that I'm having all my hair cut off today.  I'm excited and a little bit nervous about it.  All that know me know I've had long hair all of my life.  BUT I'm over it and decided there is no point in half measures, may as well go all the way.  My main worry is that on a bad hair day I won't have the option of tying it back.  Yikes.

Anyway I'm sure you're all here to check out the new Just Add Ink challenge this week.  Delys wants us to add layers!  I find this a little challenging at the best of times.

Letting the gorgeous Watercolour Wonder dsp dictate my colour combo I've layered Island Indigo c/s on a Smoky Slate base.  I saw a fabulous flower over on Pinterest here and really wanted to make something similar.  As I don't have a Silhouette I had to go back to basics ... I cut a few Nestabilities Blossoms and 'softened' them using my bone folder.  I used a dauber to add Gumball Green ink to the edges, and then sprayed with Shimmer Mist which helped curl the petals up.  Finally I put Crystal Effects into the centre and added chunky glitter and some little clear beads - unfortunately the sparkly goodness can't be seen in my photo because I had to take the pic indoors at night.

So there you go, a few more layers than usual from me.  Pop over to JAI and see what the rest of the design team has created this week.  Hope you'll find some time to join the challenge fun.

Thanks for stopping by today ~ if the hair cut goes okay I may just share a pic.  If not, then I hope it grows back kinda quickly lol.  Enjoy your weekend!

Just Add Ink #208 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Good Friday morning lovely friends ~

I've got a super CAS (clean and simple) card to show you for the new Just Add Ink challenge.  Mae gave us a colour combo of Smoky Slate, Pacific Point and Calypso Coral this week.

I used my aqua painter to 'flick' ink across my background then I 'rolled' a couple of candles with some dsp scraps - love being able to use a few scraps up!  For the 'wicks' I added a little kitchen twine to the centres prior to gluing.

The rest of the design team have come up with some really cool projects using these colours - which kind of stumped me this week.  Head over to JAI and check out the inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I have a busy weekend ahead, hope yours is a good one!