SC 075/13: STAMPIN' UP!'S STIPPLED BLOSSOMS

I am really thrilled to have a Guest Designer spot at Sunny Challenges & Creations; a great Australian challenge site, that I've been closely involved with since its inception.

The current challenge, starting today (and spanning over two weeks), is to make a Get Well card ... there is no accompanying sketch this time, so let your imagination run free!  This is quite a timely challenge for me; I've scheduled this blog post for when I'll (hopefully) be coming home from hospital, after surgery. 

I am in LOVE with Stampin' Up!'s Stippled Blossoms stamp set - a "two-step" stamp set that gives a "wow" result every time it's inked up.  Once I'd decided I wanted to use Primrose Petals (one of the gorgeous In Colors from Stampin' Up!), I consulted my trusty Color Coach - that suggested Pink Pirouette would pair well with my chosen colour.  It's not a combination I would've thought to use, but I am quite happy with the result.  I've incorporated a couple of Basic Gray accents, as I thought black stamping would be too harsh.

Here's my card for this challenge:

Stamps: Stippled Blossoms, Perfectly Penned

Card: Primrose Petals, Pink Pirouette, Naturals White

DSP: Basic Gray Patterns Designer Series Paper, Twitterpated Designer Series Paper

Ink: Pink Pirouette, Primrose Petals, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi stampin' pads

Other: Labels Collection Framelits, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper-Piercing tool, Basic Pearls, sponge dauber, Pink Pirouette taffeta ribbon, paper snips, Simply Scored Borders Scoring Plate, Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue dots

We'd love to have you play along with this challenge.  You can check out the rest of the Design Team's cards, and link up your creation, here.

JAI #157 : JUST ADD ...... GREEN

In honour of St Patrick's Day, falling this Sunday, Mae has set a challenge at Just Add Ink to Just Add ... Green to your papercraft project.

Although I am proud of my Irish heritage, I have no need for a St Patrick's Day card .... often I'll make an effort to wear something green on March 17th, but in Australia we don't give cards to celebrate the occasion.  So, I've made a card with LOTS of green on it instead.

It wasn't until I'd finished the card that I realised I'd used retired Designer Series Paper.  I do try to use current product on the projects I share, but the starry paper is so darn cute that I've decided not to change it!  Here's my green creation:

Stamps: Perfectly Preserved, Curly Cute

Card: Gumball Green, Whisper White, Basic Black

DSP: Snow Festival Designer Series Paper

Ink: Gumball Green and Lucky Limeade stampin' pads, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad

Other: Cannery Set framelits, In Color Printed Designer brads, White Tea Lace doily, Gumball Green stitched satin ribbon, Basic Black scallop dots ribbon, Whisper White 1/8" taffeta ribbon, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots, paper-piercing tool

 

 

The Just Add Ink Design Team have come up with some great "green" projects, as a nod to St Patrick's Day.  You can check them out here.

STAMPIN' UP!'S EVERYTHING ELEANOR FOR STB #9

This week's challenge at Seize the Birthday is to make a feminine birthday card, using this great sketch:

My colour choices were decided for me when I picked out Stampin' Up!'s Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper to use .... LOVE the combination of Soft Suede, Cajun Craze and Very Vanilla.  Here's what I came up with:

Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Flowering Flourishes, Made for You

Card: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

DSP: Comfort Cafe and Cajun Craze Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Cajun Craze stampin' pads, Soft Suede and Cajun Craze markers

Other: Very Vanilla seam binding, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls, sponge daubers, paper snips, Window Frames collection framelits, Large Oval punch

 

 



SC 074/13: A STAMPIN' UP! EASTER CARD

With only a few weeks until Easter is upon us, Sunny Challenges & Creations is running a challenge to make an Easter creation, based on this sketch:

Last year my friend Judy let me use her Everybunny stamp set, from Stampin' Up!, to stamp out a few images.  They've sat unloved for a long time, but one of the cute images was perfect for this challenge, so I had a bit of fun colouring it in and creating a card.  I consulted my Stampin' Up! Color Coach, and decided on a colour combination of Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette and Soft Suede.

I have rotated the sketch, and taken a bit of liberty with placement of the sentiment .... and here's the end result:

Stamps: Everybunny, Wacky Wishes, Confetti

Card: Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Watercolour Paper

Ink: Jet Black Staz-on inkpad, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette and Soft Suede stampin' pads

Other: Blender pens, Cloudy Day embossing folder, Itty Bitty shapes punch, Basic Pearls, XL Oval punch, Victoria Crochet trim, Pink Pirouette taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber, stampin' dimensionals, multipurpose liquid glue, glue dots

 

 

 



JAI #156 : STAMPIN' UP!'S CREATE A CUPCAKE

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a colour challenge for you - one that was chosen by me (and boy, did I challenge myself with this one!).  Here are the gorgeous colours we'd like you to combine on a card or other papercraft project:

 

 

 

I had a picture in my mind of Red Velvet cupcakes, so went with that, and here's the card I came up with:

 

 

 

Stamps: Create A Cupcake

Card: Early Espresso, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla

Ink: Early Espresso and Raspberry Ripple stampin' pads

Other: Cupcake Builder punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, In Color Dahlias, Scallop Edge border punch, Cloudy Day embossing folder, Needlepoint Border embossing folder, Early Espresso 1/4" stitched grosgrain, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig

 

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's samples using this colour combination - they are gorgeous!

 

 

 



STB #8: STAMPIN' UP!'S PARKER'S PATTERNS BIRTHDAY

It's masculine birthday card week over at Seize the Birthday.  Here's the sketch to work from:

I've pulled out my Parker's Patterns papers again, as I'm finding they're great for cards for the men and boys in our lives.   This is the first play I've had with Stampin' Up!'s Canvas Creations.  I stamped the houndstooth pattern from Beyond Plaid onto a canvas square, using Versamark ink.  After white-embossing it, I sponged Early Espresso ink all over it to bring out the pattern.  A little fraying of the edges completed my focal square.

Might I say I am rather pleased with the button on this card?!  After punching out a 3/4" circle of Parker's Patterns paper, I adhered it with Crystal Effects to a Silver Designer Button, then covered it in Crystal Effects to create a gloss finish.

This card was made for my nephew who recently turned 16 .... I was a bit worried that it might be a bit "old man-ish" for his age, but it met with the approval of my 17-yr-old, so in the post it went!

Stamps: Beyond Plaid, For My Family, Memorable Moments

Card: Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso, Naturals White, Cherry Cobbler

DSP: Parker's Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake stampin' pads

Other: Canvas Creations, Houndstooth embossing folder, Silver Designer button, Crystal Effects, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Naturals Trim ribbon, Stampin' Distress tool, 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, sponge dauber, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals

STAMPIN' UP!'S PRINT POETRY FOR JAI #155

This week at Just Add Ink, Mae has set a sketch challenge:

 

 

I've taken a few liberties with the sketch, flipping it on its side, moving the rectangular panels, and not placing elements where the two 'tabs' in the picture are.

 

I just love the gorgeous, small-scale, patterns in Stampin' Up!'s Print Poetry Designer Series Paper stack.  The papers are perfect for card-making, and incorporate current In Colors.  I couldn't get a good photo of my card in my usual inside spot (for some reason, the Summer Starfruit was throwing yellow light all over the card!), so please excuse the background distractions!

 

 

 

 

Stamps: My Friend

Card: Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit

DSP: Print Poetry Designer Series Paper stack

Ink: Midnight Muse and Crumb Cake stampin' pads

Other: In Color Dahlias, Gumball Green and Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Fancy Fan embossing folder, glue dots, sponge dauber

 

 

The rest of the Design Team at Just Add Ink have come up with some gorgeous samples using this sketch.   Make sure you check them out; we hope you'll also play along with us!