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