JUST ADD INK #22

This week's challenge over at Just Add Ink is to use the following scrumptious colour combination in a papercraft project:







The only challenge, as far as I was concerned, was narrowing it down to one card - I **LOVE** these colours!!

After starting off on a completely different tack, this is the card I ended up with:





Stamps: Owl Together Now, Weathered, Picture This

Card: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss

Ink: Rich Razzleberry stampin' pad, Tempting Turquoise stampin' pad and marker, Kiwi Kiss stampin' pad

Other: Top Note die (cut in Big Shot), Fleurettes II (retired), Trio Flower Punch, Tempting Turquoise brads, Kiwi Kiss corduroy brad (retired), blender pens, paper snips, mini glue dots



It's a drizzly, grey day in Melbourne today so I hope you can see the photo clearly.  I think this card is pretty cute, even if I did have to explain to Ethan (9) what the sentiment means - he just didn't "get" it.  (Apart from that, he liked the card!)


 

"FLOWERY" CARD FOR A MAN ????

The team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators I belong to has an online forum, that is a great source of inspiration, support and laughter for all of us.  (Get in touch with me if you'd like to sign up as a demonstrator, and join in on the fun - you won't be disappointed!)

One of several challenges set on our forum this month is to make a card for a male, incorporating flowers.  This is one of the cards I came up with:





Stamps: One Of A Kind (sentiment), Boho Backgrounds, Fifth Avenue Floral, Life Definitions, Lovely As A Tree, Weathered

Card: Sahara Sand textured and smooth, Basic Black textured, Confetti White

Ink: Sahara Sand and Basic Black stampin' pads

Other: 1 3/8" circle punch, sponge daubers, dimensionals, paper snips, black brad (from vintage selection), black Jumbo Grommet, linen thread

I love these neutral colours together - what do you think?

GETTING READY FOR FATHER'S DAY....

I have been asked by a friend if I'd make some Father's Day cards, seeing as it's Father's Day next weekend.  While I was in the process of stamping out the fantastic sentiment from the Occasional Greetings stamp set, I decided to get a bit of a production line going.  I'm up to my fifth card, and need a little break, so decided to upload some photos to share with you.

The first few cards are made using the colours Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss, with either Whisper White or Very Vanilla as the neutral - such a beautiful colour scheme, and nice and earthy for cards for men.  This first card is all Stampin' Up! :



Stamps:  Occasional Greetings, Lovely As A Tree, Linen (retired)

Card: Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Mellow Moss

Ink: Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss stampin' pads

Other: Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Always Artichoke brads, sponge daubers, dimensionals, 1 1/4" square punch, 1 3/8" square punch

For my second card I combined Very Vanilla with the two greens.  On the main panel I stamped the trees first in Always Artichoke ink, then (using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig) slightly offset the image to the right, and stamped again in Very Vanilla ink.  I like the soft effect that resulted.



Stamps: Weathered, Occasional Greetings, Lovely As A Tree

Card: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss

Ink: Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke classic stampin' pads, Very Vanilla craft stampin' pad (retired)

Other: Dimensionals, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, corner rounder punch, edge distresser, sponge daubers, brads (not Stampin' Up!) from stash

The last card I'll share from my 'green series' incorporates Jumbo Eyelets, which are a favourite embellishment of mine, when it comes to cards for males.  They are so easy to set in place using the Crop-A-Dile - love that tool!  If you are tired of noisy or labour-intensive ways of setting eyelets, please talk to me - I can change your life in this regard!



Stamps: Occasional Greetings, Lovely As A Tree, Weathered

Card: Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Mellow Moss

Ink: Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss stampin' pads

Other: Dimensionals, sponge daubers, Jumbo Eyelets (set with Crop-A-Dile), string from stash



Finally, I have something completely different.  I recently bought a new Checkerplate embossing folder for my Cuttlebug - it's great!  It really does make silver or grey cardstock look like metal.  Here's what I made:



Stamps: Occasional Greetings, Weathered

Card: Whisper White, Brushed Silver, Riding Hood Red, Coredinations Black

Ink: Basic Black and Riding Hood Red stampin' pads, Versamark

Other: Jumbo Eyelet (set with Crop-A-Dile), 5/8" silver brad, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber, Cuttlebug and checkerplate embossing folder

The perfect way to spend a wintery Saturday

Hi folks,

It's a bleak, cold day in Melbourne today - perfect for spending time in my craft room, so that's just what I've been doing.  Yippee!  Working full-time, and trying to tend to the needs of the family, leaves little play time some weeks, and this past week has been one of those.

Yesterday afternoon we were all packed and ready to go away for the weekend, when I received a call from Ethan's school asking me to pick up my sick little boy.  Poor little thing is feeling pretty miserable, so we are staying home this weekend after all.  Hubby and eldest son are out watching a local football match, and Ethan is happy to snuggle on the couch and watch tv for a while, so I have been stamping.

I have a couple of cards to show you.  I've just got the Lovely As A Tree stamp set, which I have been wanting for a loooong time, so decided to use it on my Dad's birthday card.  (I don't think there's any danger of Pop checking out my blog before he receives this).  The main colours I've used in the card are Chocolate Chip and Old Olive.  I really love how the Old Olive paper from the Holiday Treasures Designer Series pack complements the tree image.  I've also stamped the Weathered background on a separate panel of Old Olive card, to help add to the masculine feel of the card.  I have stamped a tiny leaf from Lovely As A Tree onto olive card, punched it out and created a brad with my trusty Build-A-Brad set.  (It's been a few days since I've made a card with the BAB - didn't want you to think I was neglecting it, ha ha.)  The word "POP" is made using twill stickers, from my extensive stash of alphabet stickers that have been sorely neglected since I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!



Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, On Your Birthday, Weathered

Card: Chocolate Chip, Old olive, Close to Cocoa, Confetti Cream

DSP: Holiday Treasures

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa stampin' pads; Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke markers

Other: Sponge Daubers, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain, Antique Brass Build-A-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, Nestabilities (rectangle & scalloped rectangle), horizontal slot punch, twill letter stickers and decorative scissors (not Stampin' Up!)

I LOVE the colours in this next card; white, baja breeze and kraft is one of my favourite combinations at the moment.  I love the look of white ink on kraft, and am also very partial to Sahara Sand ink on kraft (great match).  This card is intended for my parents-in-law, who are about to take our family on a fantastic holiday - an incredible experience.  To create the background of flowers, I stamped off once onto scrap paper, so the impression on the card is subtle.  I think everything else on this card is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll desist from waffling, and just show you the photo:



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, En Francais

Card: Whisper White, Kraft, Baja Breeze

Ink: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand stampin' pads

Other: Eyelet border punch, sponge daubers, white embossing powder, Baja Breeze 5/8" striped ribbon, kraft taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

I have REALLY enjoyed spending a bit of time stamping today; I hate going days on end without making something.  I hope you enjoy looking at these cards; I sure enjoyed making them!

Christine :)