JAI # 203: STAMPIN' UP! GINGHAM GARDEN GET WELL

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a sketch from Paula that lends itself to all sorts of possibilities!

Here's the sketch, to use as a starting point for your card/scrapbook page/other papercraft project:

 

 

I wanted to show some love to my Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper - it's so cute, and happy, but has been sitting unused in my craft room for a while.  Here's my take on the sketch:

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Express Yourself, Banner Blast (tiny flowers), Four Frames

Card: Island Indigo, Whisper White, Melon Mambo

DSP: Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper, Island Indigo Patterns DSP (retired)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Island Indigo stampin' pads

Other: Envelope Punch Board (to make paper bow), Daffodil Delight stitched grosgrain, Decorative Label punch, Delicate Details Lace Tape, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stampin' Dimensionals, glue dots, sponge daubers, Basic Rhinestones, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

 

 

Make sure you take a look at the rest of the Design Team's samples.  We hope you'll play along with us, too.

 

 

JAI #151 : NEW STAMPIN' UP! GOODIES!

This week at Just Add Ink, our challenge, courtesy of Tina, is to make a "shaped card".  When I told Ethan (my 12-yr-old) that I had to make a shaped card, he said "well, a rectangle's a shape, isn't it?!".  Oh, so I could've just taken my tried and true route after all???

I had a couple of ideas that just didn't make the cut.  In the end, I put to use my Ovals Framelits, that are new from Stampin' Up!, along with some pretty new items from the Artisan Embellishment Kit.  The colour scheme I've used is Primrose Petals, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.  Although the photo doesn't show it, the die-cut butterfly is spritzed with Champagne Shimmer spray.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments, Four Frames, Parlor Prints, Collage Curios

Card: Primrose Petals, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla

DSP: More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper

Ink: Primrose Petals stampin' pad and marker, Crumb Cake stampin' pad

Other: Ovals Framelits dies, Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack, Piercing mat & tool, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Modern Label punch, Artisan Embellishment Kit, Linen Thread, sponge dauber, Basic Pearls, Stampin' Distress tool, glue dots, Color Spritzer, Champagne shimmer spray

The rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team have some FABULOUS shaped cards to inspire you - please make sure you take a look!  We'd love to have you play along with us, too.

JAI #120 : AN INSPIRATIONAL PHOTO

This week at Just Add Ink, Jodene has provided an inspirational photo to set our creative juices flowing!  Here's the gorgeous pic:

My eye was drawn to:

• the vertical panelling on the wall;
• the soft, pastel, colours;
• the touches of yellow; and
• flowers in a vase.

Here is my 'inspired' creation:

Stamps: Four Frames, Best of Everything

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White

DSP: Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper, Wisteria Wonder Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party stampin' pads

Other: Brights brads, Mat pack and paper piercing tool, 1/2 " circle punch, Pool Party seam binding, Wisteria Wonder baker's twine, Petite Pennants Builder punch, Stripes embossing folder mini glue dots, sponge daubers, Decorative Label punch, Tombow liquid glue

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team samples over at Just Add Ink.  We've all interpreted this photo differently, and you'll just love the ideas everyone has!

We hope you'll play along with us this week.



JAI #107: JUST ADD .... NIKKI SPENCER!

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink is to case one of the gorgeous creations of the equally gorgeous Nikki Spencer, one of our Design Team members.

I decided to CASE this card, as I own, but haven't used, Stampin' Up!'s Build A Blossom stamp set and co-ordinating Blossom Petals Builder Punch.  I love the reds used by Nikki, but challenged myself to go with a blue colour scheme, as I rarely reach for blues.


Here's my version:

As you can see, I've used my standard top-fold A5 sized card (as opposed to Nikki's square).  I have difficulty tilting panels on my cards, so I placed the sentiment straight; perhaps I need to work on that neurosis!

Here's a closer look at the sparkly butterfly that is perched on the satin ribbon.  The stamped image was coloured in with markers, then spritzed with Champage Shimmer mist (shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol).

Stamps: Build A Blossom, Kindness Matters, Field Flowers, Four Frames

Card: Marina Mist, Whisper White

DSP: Marina Mist Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Bashful Blue stampin' pad and marker, Marina Mist stampin' pad and marker, Wild Wasabi and Basic Black stampin' pads

Other: Decorative Label punch, Blossom Petals Builder punch, Framed Tulips embossing folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Antique Brad, Champagne Shimmer paint, Basic Pearls, Crimper, sponge dauber, Bashful Blue satin ribbon, sticky strip, mini glue dots, paper snips

STAMPIN' UP! BLOG HOP, CHINESE WHISPERS STYLE

A while back, the gorgeous Sarah Klass talked on her blog about how a few people in a row all CASEd a card, and how different all the cards looked. She called it Chinese Whispers, like the kids' game.  My friend, and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Tina Gillespie, suggested a group of us give this a try, and we had a lot of fun with it.   Here's how it worked:

Tina started by making a card.  She emailed a photo of that card to the next person on the list. That person made a card that was inspired by Tina's, and then emailed a photo of their card only to the third person on the list.  On it went, until everyone had made a card.  Bear in mind that at no stage did we see the original card; only the one immediately before us on 'the list'.  It was fascinating to see how, by the time we'd worked our way to the last person in the group, the creations evolved.

Today we'd like to share that process with you.  It would be a good idea to start at Tina's blog, so you can see the progression.

The person whose card I was inspired by, was Di Dunk.  You might like to take a look at her card first, to see where my ideas came from.  If not, you can just check out my card, and follow the links around until you've visited all the people who took part.  The first cab off the rank was Tina Gillespie, and the  person who wrapped up the list of participants was Alisha Watson.


Here is my card:

Stamps: Just Believe, Four Frames, Parlor Prints

Card: Island Indigo, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Island Indigo, Basic Black and Lucky Limeade stampin' pads

Other: Beautiful Wings embosslits die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Decorative Label punch, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, Island Indigo designer brad, Scallop Trim border punch, stampin' dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini glue dots

I then emailed a photo of my card to Teena Pillar, who unfortunately doesn't have a blog.  Here is the card Teena made: 

Teena then emailed a photo of her card to Ros Davidson.  Click on the link to Ros's blog, to see how she was inspired by Teena's card.

We had a lot of fun taking part in this Chinese Whispers 'challenge', and hope you enjoy seeing the results!

Here is a complete list of participants:

Tina Gillespie - http://scissorspapercard.blogspot.com/

Kathryn Mangelsdorf - http://klm55.blogspot.com/

Christine Henderson -  http://www.livinglovingcreating.blogspot.com/

Sue Madex - http://www.madexcreations.com/

Genna Gifford -  http://www.genna.stampinup.net/

Elaine Hannam

Amanda Hill

Di Dunk - http://stampartbydi.typepad.com/my-blog/

Christine Blain - http://christineblain.blogspot.com/

Teena Pillar

Ros Davidson - www.rosdavidson.typepad.com

Nikki Sadler - http://www.inkyart.com.au/

Kathryn Ruddick - http://www.katlodesigns.com/

Di Gill - http://www.artwithgillycat.typepad.com/

Alisha Watson - http://www.ratherbstampin.typepad.com/

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR MY BOY

Ethan, my baby (even though he HATES me calling him that!) is 11 today.  He's almost as tall as his mother, but not too grown up for me to steal lots of cuddles ... even if his arms aren't involved.

The birthday boy requested a card that was "Crumb Cake, White and Blue".  "Blue" is pretty general, when it comes to Stampin' Up! colours, and I'm not sure if these are the blues Ethan had in mind, but here's the card I made for him.  The new hostess stamp set called Happiest Birthday Wishes features prominently - LOVE this set.

Here's a close-up of the sentiment.  Four Frames is one of my FAVOURITE new stamp sets; it can be customised in so many ways.  I stamped off some stars in Crumb Cake, overstamped the sentiment from Happiest Birthday Wishes, then used my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the frame over the top.  I punched it out with the Decorative Label punch, sponged the edges, and mounted it with Stampin' Dimensionals.  Cool, yes?

Stamps: Extreme Elements, Happiest Birthday Wishes, Four Frames, Pennant Parade

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise textured

DSP: Crumb Cake Patterns Designer Series Paper, Good Morning Sunshine (retired)

Ink: Crumb Cake and Tempting Turquoise stampin' pads, Pacific Point stampin' pad and marker

Other: Mat Pack and Paper Piercing Tool, Decorative Label punch, Cupcake Builder punch, Petite Pennants Builder punch, Stripes embossing folder, sponge dauber

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my little man!!  Thanks to Renee Van Stralen for the idea for this card :)

CREATIVE ELEMENTS - POPPY AND CORAL

Reading the title of this post, you could be forgiven for thinking I'm referring to two females.  However, I have combined a couple of Stampin' Up!'s colours to feature in my post today.  What a duo I've found in  Poppy Parade and Calypso Coral!  Calypso Coral is one of five new "in colors" that is being added to Stampin' Up!'s range on 1st September, when our new catalogue goes 'live'.  Creative Elements is one of my favourite new stamp sets from the new catalogue.

I am always inspired by the bold, clean, graphic creations of Dawn McVey - she has such a way with colour.  My starting point for this card was feeling inspired by Dawn's first card that you'll see if you click on her name. 

Most of the colour you see on my card is Poppy Parade.  I have stamped the flourishy frame, and a few little 'bits' (I think they're buds) from Style Beautiful, in Calypso Coral.  The other stamped images are Poppy Parade, and I used a blender pen with Poppy Parade ink to colour the outline stamp.

Stamps: Creative Elements and Four Frames (out 1st September), Clearly For You, Style Beautiful

Card: Crumb Cake, Confetti White

DSP: Poppy Parade Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade and Calypso Coral stampin' pads

Other: Sponge dauber, Decorative Label punch, Poppy Parade stitched-poly ribbon, Designer Frames embossing folder (out 1st September), Basic Pearls, stampin' dimensionals, mini glue dots, blender pen