JAI 178 - Just Add Snowflakes!

This week the challenge at Just Add Ink is to add snowflakes.  I'd just like to give a big shout out to Kim for providing me with what began looking like the hardest challenge ever.  Not because I had no ideas of what to do, but because it turns out that out of all of the hundreds of stamp sets I own, I only have 1, count it, 1 snowflake stamp.  And it took me ages to find it!!  I was just about ready to throw in the towel, when I spied the set on the floor (where else would you expect to find it!).  This is what I made

The snowflake is from an old US hostess set called Patterned Pines.  The DSP is from an even older DSP pack called Christmas Thyme.  This DSP had colours that coordinated with our (AUS) very first set of In Colours that were release back in 2007.  I know this because there is a big 07 on the ink pads.  See why it's goods to hoard things.

I used my Circle Nesties for the first time to make the window and the glitter frame.  Can I just say what an awful noise they made when cutting the acetate.  I truly thought that I had finally cracked my clear plates.  I also realised that I need the 'other' series of nestie circles so I can get the 'in between' sizes.  I think I would have preferred the glitter frame to be a bit thinner.  The sentiment is from SU's Sweet Essentials set and both it and the snowflake have been embossed with white embossing powder.

I think it's turned out quite cute and at least I can say that I have 1 Christmas card made.  Go me!

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team have created too.

Thanks for visiting

Supplies Used:  All Stampin' Up unless noted otherwise
Stamps:  Sweet Essentials, Patterned Pines (US Hostess)
Ink:  Versamark
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Silver Glitter paper, Bashful Blue (has that retired??), Christmas Thyme DSP (long since retired), Acetate (re-purposed clear stamp backing)
Accessories:  Big Shot, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

JAI #176 - Just Add Blokes

Hi, this week at Just Add Ink the challenge is to Just Add Blokes.  It's our sneaky way of saying those ever so scary words, make a masculine project. Now it can be for a boy of any age, but it turns out that I needed a Thank You card for one of our Auskick coordinators tomorrow night, so this is what I made.

I was inspired by one of the cards shown in the Summer Stamp Camp 2 class that I took a few week's ago.  It's quite sad that this is the only card I have managed to make for the class - it was 3 week's long and the live content finished last week.  Nothing like being on top of things :(

I stamped and embossed with White EP my newish Hero Arts background stamp on watercolour paper.  You can probably see that I moved the paper when stamping, but because this is a masculine card, I figured that I could leave it as is *wink*.  I then used my distress inks to colour the background - the technique has a name but it escapes me at the moment, sorry.  The sentiment is from SU's 'Dude, You're Welcome' kit, and it has been embossed with Early Espresso EP.  I just wrapped the vellum around the edge of the panel and adhered down on the back.  The panel is attached to the front of an Early Espresso card base using a whole heap of dimensionals.  :)

I really like making masculine cards - being in a boy dominated family, I tend to have to make a lot of them. The hardest thing about this challenge was keeping my mind on just one idea - I could have made more, I had so many ideas for things I wanted to do.  I did make another - it's funny how using the exact same inks gave the embossed panel a more feminine feel. I haven't finished it off yet because I'm struggling with the placement of the sequins that I want to add. Anyone got any ideas for making the 'random' placement look 'random' and good?

Gosh, Blogger is being such a pain - I'm sure I'm not the only person having troubles. I'm trying to type this up in HTML (which I know nothing about) so I can't add in any links or whatnot. Once Blogger sorts itself out, I will come back and edit.  I've now logged into Google Chrome and am having no problems now - stupid IE.

Well, that's it from me.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's submissions - lots of fantastic ideas for your viewing (and pinning) pleasure.

Thanks for visiting

Supplies Used:  (Stampin' Up! unless noted otherwise)
Stamps:  Dude, You're Welcome, Looped Flower Pattern (Hero Arts)
Ink:  Versamark, Peeled Paint Distress Ink, Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, Peacock Feathers Distress Ink (Ranger Industries)
Cardstock:  Early Espresso, Watercolour, Vellum
Accessories:  Heat Tool, White Embossing Powder, Early Espresso Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy

JAI 174 - Colour Challenge

This week at Just Add Ink we have a colour challenge, using a few of the new 2013 - 2015 In Colours.  Check it out

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with colour combo and then I saw this week's challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch! and it reminded me of a couple of dies that I had purchased and not used yet.  Here's what I made

I must admit, I got a bit ahead of myself making this card.  I was trying to follow the sketch but after several tries of different backgrounds, none of which were working, I was nearly ready to admit defeat and give up.  As a last ditch effort, I decided to spray a scrap of Baked Brown Sugar cardstock with some Very Vanilla mist that I had made up previously.  It was just what I was looking for.  The sentiment is from the Sweet Essentials set, a set I must really love because I keep trying to order it, even though I already have it.  It has been embossed, but I tried so many different combinations that I can't remember exactly what this is.  I think it was stamped in Versamark and embossed with the Vanilla scented powder.  It's actually my 'test' piece, so I could see what it would look like before I stamped it directly on the cardstock, but I really liked it, so I left it as it was.

The bird was diecut from Coastal Cabana cardstock and then shaded with a bit of Costal Cabana ink to try and add a bit of depth to it.  I've also added a teeny tiny pearl for its eye, in keeping with the use of Very Vanilla.  I really like how it has turned out, considering I was ready to bin it.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team have come up with - plenty of beautiful samples for you to be inspired by.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies Used:  Stampin' Up unless noted otherwise
Stamps:  Sweet Essentials
Ink:  Versamark, Coastal Cabana
Cardstock:  Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana
Accessories:  Big Shot, Very Vanilla reinker, Pearl, Sponge Dauber, Heat Tool, Vanilla Scented Embossing Powder, Mini Mister (Ranger), Woodland Branch die and Meadow Bird die (Memory Box), Quickie Glue Pen.

JAI #172 - Just Get Inspired!

Hello, this week at Just Add Ink, in celebration of the brand new Stampin' Up! catalogue going live in Australia/New Zealand, we are asking you to create something using the front cover of the catalogue as your inspiration

This is what I ended up making

This challenge started off a little hard for  me as I thought that I had a colour challenge this week and had something completely different in mind.  When I went to double check what the colours I needed to use were, I noticed that it had changed.  OMG, back to the drawing board.  I went looking for the Papaya Collage set that I thought I  owned.  Turns out I don't.  After a bit of searching through sets, I came across my PaperTrey Ink - Take Note set.  The frame was a bit small for a standard size card and also for the lined notepads that co-ordinated with this set so I used my paper cutter to trim it down to a size to suit the frame.  Then I went searching for something 'lacy' to represent the dress.  I didn't find anything lacy but I did find this new Chole stem from Memory Box - it's pretty, isn't it.

I embossed the frame in White EP and the Notes sentiment in Pool Party EP.  When I added the diecut, it looked a bit flat against the embossing so I added some Crystal Effects to it, after I had stuck it down.  Eeek!  It was a bit of a mission because of how fine the diecut is, but I was really happy with how it looked after it had dried.

Now to decide what to order now the catty has gone live.  This is the first time in 7 years that I haven't had my order planned and submitted.  Maybe this weekend I'll finally get some time to go through it to figure out what my 'must have's are.

Anyway, thanks for visiting and make sure you check out what the rest of the Design Team have come up with.

Supplies Used:  Stampin' Up! unless noted otherwise.

Stamps:  Take Note - Papertrey Ink

Ink:  Versamark

Cardstock:  So Saffron, Strawberry Slush

Accessories:  White Embossing Powder, Pool Party Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Big Shot, Chole Stem - Memory Box, Sticky Strip, Crystal Effects.

JAI #168 - Sketch Challenge

It's time for another challenge over at Just Add Ink.  This week we have a sketch to challenge you with.  Take a look

This past week I re-signed as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  The fact that I could get the pre-order stuff I wanted in my Starter Kit for only $169 was a bargain too hard to pass up.  And because it was a 'Starter Kit', it shipped really quickly so I was able to put some of my new goodies to use.

This was nothing like what I had planned, but when I was looking at the embossing folder, I just saw the pattern of the sketch in it, and a new idea was born.  I decided to use all of the new 2013 - 2015 In Colours - they are just so pretty.  The embossing folder, punch and stamp set are from the Quatre Fancy product suite.  All of these items will be available for purchase come July 2, 2013.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's submission - there are some awesome ideas for you

Thanks for visiting

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness

Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush

Cardstock:  Whisper White

Accessories:  Mosaic Punch, Rhinestones, Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder, Big Shot

JAI #164 - Sketch Challenge

And I'm back.  After a very long break from all things stamping, I've finally found some enthusiasm to get back down to the studio and get creative.  I guess it didn't hurt that quite a few new purchases have found their way into my studio - maybe that was the push I needed.  Anyway, this week at Just Add Ink, we have a sketch challenge for you.  Take a look

Cool sketch, hey?  Lots of possibilities with this one.  During my break I took a couple of classes from Online Card Classes - one of them was Pattern Play - which was a class full of tips & tricks for using patterned paper.  I must have learnt something because look at what I came up with.

This patterned paper is as old as the hills. It's from 2009 I think - from SU called Flamingo something or other.  I also have a matching beach towel that I got from Momento Mall when I attended Convention in Canberra that year.  I have quite a few of these 'bold' papers and I thought this sketch would be a good way to use some of it up.  It took me ages to line those squares up and much to my disgust, they are not quite perfect.  I have since come up with another, better idea, so I will give that a try next time.

I was going to add a sentiment but I decided to leave well enough alone.

Well thanks for visiting.  As Arnie would say, 'I'll be back', if not next week, then definately the week after :)  Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team have come up with - lots of gorgeous samples for your inspiration.

Catch you later

New Stuff

Here's a couple of cards I made with SU's new photopolymer stamp set - Designer Typeset (US/CAN only at this stage). 

I have stamped the banner image repeatedly and coloured in the triangles using my ProMarkers.  Whilst I really like who this has turned out, I've decided to cover the light grey and brown triangles with Ranger's Enamel Accents in White & Black respectively (when they arrive - like, hurry up and ship my order please).  With the sentiment being so black against the white cardstock, I think it will just pull the card together just that bit better.  The sentiment is actually a line image that I coloured in using the very FINE end of my black SU marker.  Doing that made me realise I need to bring my glasses home from work because my eyes were burning and running from squinting so hard to make sure I stayed in the lines.

Here's another one

Being made out of polymer means you can manipulate these stamps from their original form - see how I've curved the banner.  Again, the pennants were coloured with my ProMarkers and then I stamped the letters over the top.  I like the way the little, teeny-tiny letters were small enough to fit inside the hexagon.  I did rule a line to make sure I stamped them straight.

So what did I think about these photopolymer stamps???  Well, I liked them.  I'm an equal opportunity stamper and don't really care whether the stamps are clear, rubber, wood mounted, cling mounted etc etc.  I'm really only interesed in what the images look like and when I saw this set, I had to have it because it was so cute.  I've already got quite a few photopolymer stamps and I've never had any problems with them.  Safe to say, I can't imagine that SU would have gone down this road unless they were 100% sure of the quality of the product - too big of a risk for them to put out something out that was inferior.  Anything I didn't like??  Those little letters are small and will be easy to lose if you drop them.  They are NOT as small as a set I have from PTI and were actually quite easy to line up - I just eyeballed the placement of the letters in the pennants.  The other thing that I wasn't over fussed on was the thickness of the images.  They are quite thick compared to some sets I have and the thickness made me think that they looked a little coarse.  It suits the set but I hope some future ones are a little thinner and look a little more refined.

Anyway that's it from me tonight, Top Chef is about to start.

Adios and enjoy your week.

Online Card Classes - Pattern Play

A few weeks ago, I participated Pattern Play - an online class held by Online Card Classes to teach you how to actually use all of that Patterned Paper that is piled up in your crafting area (or overflowing onto the floor as the case may be).

I thought this was another awesome class, filled with great ideas - things that I would never have thought of doing and it all made to look oh-so-easy.  Day 3 of the class we were shown how to use Difficult to Use and Bold Patterned Papers.  I have quite a few of these.  A few years back (let's just say 6) I bought 4 or 5 Basic Grey 6x6 patterned paper pads.  I had all these great ideas of just taking the papers, adding them to a card front, adding a sentiment and calling them done.  Guess how many of these so called cards I have made using said paper pads?  I'll make it easy for you - nil, none, nada - until last week that is.

Kristina showed a great idea for using these papers and this is what I ended up making

I can't remember which pad this paper came from (and can't be bothered going downstairs to look, sorry).  The card base is Rose Red and I think from memory the strips were about 1.5" wide.  It was about 11 pm when I started on this card and I couldn't quite work out how to work out the spacing like Kristina did so I just cut mine, laid them out and then trimmed the card to fit!!!

The sentiment is from SU and punched out using a SU oval punch, which was a perfect fit for the frame, which is from PTI's Pretty Peonies set.  I recently purchased a Fiskars stamp press after seeing some nearly all the designers from OCC using it and I must say how much easier it was to line up the stamping onto the die cut.  I was very impressed.  The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't work out the best way to clean my stamps.  At the moment I'm pulling them off the press, and popping them onto another block and then cleaning using my Stamp Scrubber.  If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know cause I just know that one day the ink from that stamp I'm trying to clean is going to get on my fingers and I'm not going to notice and it's going to get onto that project that I've just finished after spending 12 hrs working on it!

And then last week (or maybe it was the week before) I received my SAB order from Felicity as well as an order from Simon Says Stamp (so I'm rolling in new stuff :)) and I put this one together

The DSP is from this year's SAB free stuff, as is the button.  I've used the Honeycomb embossing folder and die cut all those little hexagons using my Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Hexagons.  These are slippery little suckers and I'm sure there will be a post here lamenting the fact that one of them has gone walkabout and is nowhere to be found.  The sentiment is stamped in Saraha Sand and the twine in the button was SU White Baker's Twine that I coloured with a coordinating Promarker.

Anyway, I was kind of proud of my efforts to use use a touch of all of that patterned paper that I own.  I hope to put some of the other ideas I learnt in class to use some day soon.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

CTS #17

Hey there, long time, no see.  I've had a bit of an unplanned blog break because I have had absolutely no inclination to stamp or create at all.  It's been nearly 3 months since in ventured into my craft room, but after receiving some new goodies in the mail on Friday, it felt 'right'to be doing something crafty.

I have wanted to play along with CAS(E) this sketch for some time, however, when I looked at this week's sketch, I thought I'd skip over cause it looked a bit hard, and I wasn't really feeling it.  I thought I'd sleep on it and come back the next night, but before I knew it, I had come up with this

I've used some of my Christmas 'washi' type tape,  my new SSS stamp and die set  (I think it's called You) and a PTI set (Grunge Me maybe??).   Not much else to say apart from it was good to put ink to paper.  Since the football has started up again, I'm sure the motivation to craft will grow stronger again.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Espressions for You (Simon Says Stamp), Grunge Me (PaperTrey Ink)
Ink:  Real Red, Going Gray (Stampin' Up!), Tuxedo Black (Mememto)
Cardstock:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Big Shot, You Die (SSS), Quickie Glue pen, Silver Glitter 'washi' tape