STAMPIN' UP!'S REV UP THE FUN : JACK IS 18!!

This time 18 years ago, I became a Mama for the first time.  Wow - where have those years gone??!!  (The lament of every mother, I'm sure.)

Because I am ridiculously detail-oriented (sounds much nicer than  "anal", don't you think?), I have scheduled this post for the exact time Jack was forced into the world!  He was almost 2 weeks overdue, and still had to be induced .... a cautiousness (reluctance?) that remains in his personality.

It's rather customary for me to make Jack a cricket-themed birthday card, but this time I'm getting some more use out of the fabulous Rev Up the Fun stamp set, as he'll be sitting his driver's licence test next week.  The car he'll be driving looks nothing like the one on the card, but he likes turquoise, so the appealing colour will just have to be enough for him!

Stamps: Rev Up the Fun, Gorgeous Grunge, Off the Grid, Express Yourself, Memorable Moments

Card: Early Espresso, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Silver Foil paper

Ink: Early Espresso, Tempting Turquoise and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Silver and Tempting Turquoise stampin' emboss powders, Metallic brads, 1/2" Circle punch, Tasteful Trim XL Bigz die, Neutrals candy dots, sponge dauber, 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, 1 1/2" Circle punch (not SU!), Label Bracket punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin' dimensionals, multipurpose liquid glue

 

 

 

 

Here's a photo of the birthday boy, at a family celebration a few days early ... his "baby", Cricket the dog, had to get in on the action (hopefully Ethan won't notice that he's been cropped out of this pic!):

 

 

 

 

 

 



STAMPIN' UP! SECRET GARDEN FOR JAI #190

This week's Just Add Ink challenge, courtesy of Tina, is to "Just Add Masking" to your card or other papercraft project.  A popular masking technique used in stamping, is to stamp an image on card, and stamp it again on a sticky note.  Cut the image out (right on the stamped outline) of the sticky note and place it on top of the one you stamped on your card.  This allows you to ink up your stamp, and stamp it again, partially over the original image ... you lift the sticky note, and it looks like the second image is set behind the original one.  I hope this makes sense!

As soon as I saw this photo, of a beautifully dressed Maggie Beer, in the current Australian Women's Weekly, I knew what colours I wanted to use on my card:

I inked up one of the lovely large flowers from Stampin' Up!'s Secret Garden stamp set, using Tangerine Tango ink.  I covered the first flower with a sticky note 'mask', and stamped it again slightly offset to the right.  I made another sticky note 'mask' so that two of my flowers could be masked off at the same time, allowing me to stamp a third 'behind' them.  While the flower masks were in place, I stamped some foliage in Basic Gray ink.  To add a bit of bold detail, I inked up a smaller, solid, flower and stamped it over the top of each line image flower.  A Basic Gray candy dot finished off each flower.

Stamps: Secret Garden, Four You

Card: Basic Gray textured, Tangerine Tango textured, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink: Tangerine Tango and Basic Gray stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad, Smoky Slate stampin' pad

Other: Tangerine Tango stampin' emboss powder (sentiment), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Neutrals Candy Dots, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, sponge dauber, Squares Collection framelits

 

 

This card ended up being 15cm square, and I was able to make a lovely co-ordinating envelope (using Tangerine Tango paper from the Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper pack), with my new Envelope Punch Board.  LOVE that tool!

 

 

Make sure you check out the other examples of  "masking", from the very talented Just Add Ink Design Team.  We hope you'll join in the fun this week!

 

 

 



SC 91/13: REV UP THE FUN 18th BIRTHDAY CARD

I have not been able to create "just for fun" very much lately, and I miss it.  I checked out the current challenge at Sunny Challenges & Creations, and was inspired to make a birthday card for a special young man who is celebrating his birthday this week.

Here's the sketch to use as the basis for a card:

My Stampin' Up! Color Coach suggested I use Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler and Pool Party together.  Here's what I came up with:

Stamps: Rev Up the Fun, Memorable Moments, Gorgeous Grunge, Express Yourself

Card: Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party Core'dinations

DSP: Midnight Muse Patterns Designer Series Paper (retired)

Ink: Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Versamark inkpad

Other: Cherry Cobbler stampin' emboss powder, Deco Labels framelits, Regals candy dots, Itty Bitty shapes punch, 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, 1 1/2" Circle punch (not SU!), Chevron embossing folder, sanding block, sponge dauber, Stamp-a-ma-jig

 

 



JAI #189 : A COLOUR CHALLENGE

This week's Just Add Ink challenge, set by Kim, is to use this fabulous colour combination on your papercraft project:

 

 

I have decorated a box, to contain a set of five cards, all designed to match the box.  Here's the top of the box:

 

 

 

Stamps: Polka Dot Pieces, Chalk Talk, Dictionary

Card: Whisper White, Perfect Plum

DSP: Naturals Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper, Raspberry Ripple Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake, Perfect Plum and Raspberry Ripple stampin' pads

Other: Deco Labels framelits, Raspberry Ripple stitched satin ribbon, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, Basic Pearls, Bird Builder punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Label Bracket punch, sponge daubers, glue dots, multipurpose liquid glue

 

 

I then used common elements to decorate five basic "For You" cards, that I think would make a nice gift for someone.  I've used some Perfect Plum Designer Series Paper, Perfect Plum and Crumb Cake card, plus all the 'ingredients' used above.

 

 

 

 

Make sure you check out how the other Design Team members used these colours - there are some beautiful creations to inspire you.  We hope you'll join in the fun this week, and link up your card/project at Just Add Ink.

JAI #188 : JUST ADD GRUNGE

This week at Just Add Ink, our challenge (courtesy of Paula) is to "just add grunge" to your papercraft project.

This challenge was a great prompt for me to get an 18th birthday card made.  My eldest son and most of his friends turn 18 this year, and are going for their driver's licences.  This card is for one of Jack's friends. 

Stampin' Up!'s Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, and some distressing and sponging of the card edges, adds just the right amount of 'grunge' :

Stamps: Rev Up the Fun, World Map, Gorgeous Grunge, Four You, Memorable Moments

Card: Basic Gray, Island Indio, Smoky Slate, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray and Island Indigo stampin' pads

Other: Silver stampin' emboss powder, Regals candy dots, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, 1 1/2" circle punch (not SU!), Smoky Slate and Island Indigo Chevron ribbons, Stampin' Distress tool, glue dots

 

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team samples - LOVE their takes on "grunge".  We hope you'll play along with us this week!

 

 



JAI #187: A SKETCH CHALLENGE

It's challenge time at Just Add Ink, and this week Kim has come up with a sketch for us to use in our card-making or scrapbooking.

Here's my take on the sketch:

Stamps: Dictionary, Flower Shop, A Dozen Thoughts

Card: Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder, Very Vanilla

DSP: Naturals Composition Designer Series Paper

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar and Wisteria Wonder stampin' pads

Other: Pansy Punch, Subtles Candy Dots, Wisteria Wonder chevron ribbon, Baked Brown Sugar ruffle trim, Basic Pearls, sponge daubers

 

 

The variety of cards made, using this sketch, by the Design Team is amazing - so make sure you pop on over to Just Add Ink to take a look.  Even better, we'd love you to link up your own creation on the Just Add Ink page!

 

 



MY "HAPPY PLACE"

A few years ago I shared on my blog that I was the proud "owner" of a brand new craft room, as a result of an extension of the back of our house.  I moved from a tiny room into a spacious one, that was designed just how I wanted it.

I thought I'd share on here a few more recent photos, so you can see where I spend much of my life!  I love this room so much .... I leave only when I have to.

Here's a view of my room, from the door.  It's a lovely, light-filled room with an outlook over our nice, green back yard (but I can't show you a close-up because of the dirty windows, and the garden in need of a prune, LOL).

Next is my stamp storage shelves.  I took these photos to share on a group Facebook page, without tidying up first - so, you get to see my room as it usually is.  I am a "wannabe" super-organized person, but in reality am a very messy crafter.  I like to think that we creative types have rather chaotic minds .... wish I could "still" mine sometimes!!

Here's my fabulous ribbon storage unit, built to spec by my dear friend's super-handy husband.  What a wonderful gift - I love it.  (The straggly ribbons are evidence of my failure to tidy up before photographing!  But hey, this is how it always looks.)

Here's my inkpad storage unit, which is one of my favourite ever ebay purchases.  It came in raw MDF, and I spray-painted it to match my other white furniture.  Markers, and a "selfie", of the two of us taken at SU! Convention, by my friend Jodene, sit on top. :)

.... and, finally, my collection of punches, dies, trimmers and Big Shot:

I hope you've enoyed this peek into my craft room, as much as I love seeing where everyone else creates.