YET ANOTHER CRICKET-Y BIRTHDAY

Whilst I have learnt to be ruthless, in culling my Stampin' Up! supplies once they retire, there is one stamp set that is unlikely to leave my collection.  I am the only female in a cricket-mad household, and Stampin' Up!'s "Just Cricket" stamp set is well-loved and well-used!

Today is my first-born darling son's birthday, and - yet again - he gets a cricket-themed card.  Jack is well on the way to realising his dream of playing cricket at an elite level.  Recently he was selected to play in the Victorian under-17s cricket team, and we are incredibly proud of him and the hard work he puts in to reach his goals.

Here's the card I made, keeping it nice and simple, since it probably won't get more than a fleeting glance!

Stamps: Just Cricket (retired), Memorable Moments

Card: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Basic Black

Ink: Basic Gray stampin' pad, Versamark inkpad, Island Indigo stampin' pad, Basic Black marker

Other: Labels Collection framelits, Festive paper-piercing pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and paper-piercing tool, Basics Glimmer brad, Chevron embossing folder, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Basic Gray striped satin ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

 

 

There will be no special birthday dinner for Jack tonight, because he'll be ..... playing cricket!!  (It never ends!)

 

 

 



JAI # 143: STAMPIN' UP!'S BABY BUNDLE

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a colour challenge, set by Kim:

This one really had me thinking, and I had a few different ideas that didn't make the final cut!

I ended up making a baby card, in slightly non-traditional colours.  Even though the decorative strips at the top of the card look bowed in the photo, I can assure you they aren't!

 

 

Stamps: Baby Bundle

Card: Marina Mist, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso Core'dinations, Tangerine Tango, Watercolour paper

Ink: Timber Brown Staz-On inkpad, Sahara Sand and Marina Mist stampin' pads

Other: Blender pens, Houndstooth embossing folder, Labels Collection framelits, stamp-a-ma-jig, Marina Mist scalloped dots ribbon, Finishing Touches edgelits, Linen Thread, sponge daubers, Owl Builder punch (tiny heart), glue dots

 

 

If I hadn't used such sticky glue dots, given my time over I would've re-positioned the knot to sit beneath the Word Window - but, there was no moving it once it was stuck down, so this is how it will remain!

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team samples, to see the wonderful, diverse, ways of combining these colours.  The girls have some beautiful ideas.  We'd love for you to join us in this week's challenge.

JAI #142 : STAMPIN' UP!'S THE OPEN SEA

It has been a while since I've used The Open Sea, one of my favourite masculine stamp sets, so decided to use it for this week's Just Add Ink challenge.

Mae has come up with this great sketch for us to use as a starting point for a card/scrapbook page:

I have used for my card base the fabulous new Natural Composition Specialty paper from Stampin' Up! - can you see the embossed horizontal lines on the card front?  LOVE this heavyweight paper.

Stamps: The Open Sea, Bring on the Cake

Card: Very Vanilla

DSP: Natural Composition Specialty DSP, Comfort Cafe and Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Papers

Ink: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse and Cherry Cobbler stampin' pads

Other: Corner rounder punch, 3/4" circle punch, sponge daubers, Linen Thread, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Antique brad, blender pen, glue dot

 

 

 

The rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team have come up with some amazing cards using this sketch - you'll love the variety.  Be sure to check them out here, and play along with us, if you can!  We'd love to see your card based on this sketch.

 

 

 



CHRISTMAS CLASS CARDS

Try saying that title three times quickly!!  I thought I'd share with you a couple of the cards we made in my Christmas card classes this month.

This first one was a bit time-consuming, but well worth it; I'm pretty sure everyone who made it was happy with it.  I love it!  Stampin' Up!'s Ornament Keepsakes bundle makes it very easy to make great Christmas cards.  This is the front view, when the card is closed .....

 

 

....... but when opened, you can see it's an easel card:

 

 

 

 

Here's a full shot of the inside of the card:

 

 

 

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, Delightful Dozen

Card: Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Brushed Silver, Bashful Blue

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Midnight Muse stampin' pad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details, Basics Glimmer brad, White baker's twine, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Silver Stampin' emboss powder, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper-piercing tool, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots

 

 

 

 

The second card I have to share with you was made using the gorgeous Evergreen two-step stamp set.  We stamped the solid tree design in Crumb Cake ink, then gold-embossed the script overlay.  Lots of new bits and pieces on this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

..... and a close-up of the gold-embossing on the tree:

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Evergreen, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler smooth, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations

DSP: Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper stack, Champagne Glimmer Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Gold Stampin' Emboss powder, Labels Collection framelits dies, Holiday Collection framelits, Festive Paper-percing pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper-piercing tool, sponge daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Woodgrain embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Scallop Edge border punch Designer Sanding Blocks, Bitty Banners framelits dies, stampin' dimensionals, sticky strip

 

 

 

 

 

JAI #141 : A COLOUR CHALLENGE

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a gorgeous colour challenge for you.   Kathy came up with the suggestion of using these colours together:

 

 

I LOVE this colour combo, and have used it before - but not for quite some time.  You will be "wowed" by the rest of the Design Team's creations - and we look forward to seeing yours!

 

 

Here is my card, using Stampin' Up!'s Serene Silhouettes stamp set .... love.  The embossed panel below the flowers was created by rubbing my Crumb Cake inkpad directly onto the inside of the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  I ran it through my Big Shot, with a piece of Wisteria Wonder Designer Series Paper inside.  To soften the brown tones of the Crumb Cake, I spritzed the panel with Frost White shimmer spray (shimmer paint mixed with Isocol).  Isn't it pretty??

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the shimmer a little better in this pic:

 

 

 

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Petite Pairs

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Wisteria Wonder

DSP: Wisteria Wonder Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker, Wisteria Wonder stampin' pad and marker

Other: Boho Blossoms punch, Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon, Victoria Crochet Trim, Crumb Cake seam binding, Designer Printed brad, Basic Pearls, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Scallop Trim border punch, sponge daubers, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Frost White shimmer paint (mixed with Isocol to make shimmer spray), glue dots, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

 

 

Be sure to visit Just Add Ink to see what the rest of the Design Team have done with these gorgeous colours.  We'd love to have you play along with us!

ISLAND INDIGO CHRISTMAS OWL

I have a cute Christmas card to share with you today.

I challenged myself to use some of the paper from Stampin' Up!'s Festival of Prints DSP pad, that has Island Indigo and Cherry Cobbler patterns - a bit outside my comfort zone!

The owl stamp from Owl Occasions adorns an ornament cut with framelits; that, and the sentiment, is all the stamping on the card - I wanted the paper to 'do the talking'.

Here's a close-up of the paper, to show Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details dotted in the centres of the medallion shapes:

Stamps: Owl Occasions

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Island Indigo

DSP:  Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper stack

Ink: Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad and marker, Island Indigo stampin' pad, Sahara Sand stampin' pad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, sponge dauber, Linen Thread, glue dots, Adorning Accents embossing folder, Adorning Accents edgelits die, stampin' dimensionals

 

 

 

 

JAI #140 : JUST ADD CHEVRONS

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink, thanks to our lovely Trish, is to use chevrons on our papercraft project.   I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between zig-zags and chevrons, but think chevrons might be a repetition of zig-zags?  Whatever - they're very "on trend" in the papercraft world right now!

In an effort to gradually build up my stash of Christmas cards, to avoid the perennial last-minute-rush in December (happens every year, despite my best efforts!), I have created another Christmas card.  You'll be seeing quite a few from hereon in - just warning you.

LOVING Stampin' Up!'s Midnight Muse, and it goes so well with Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake.  These colours give a bit of a vintagey look to my card, I think.  I have included a length of stamped cotton ribbon (it's on p.20 of the Holiday Catalogue, if you're looking for it); the ink colour is muted, but I like that.

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, Mixed Medley

Card: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla

DSP: Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper

Ink: Midnight Muse and Crumb Cake stampin' pads
Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Basic Pearls, Delicate Designs embossing folder, Large Scallop edgelits, Basic Pearls, Chevron embossing folder, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, sponge daubers, glue dots, 3/4" Circle punch