JAI #217: STAMPIN' UP! BIRTHDAY BASICS CUPCAKES

Nikki suggested this week's challenge at Just Add Ink, to "Just add ..cupcakes/cake/dessert" to your papercraft project.

I have had a bit of fun paper-piecing with the gorgeous Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper, and Another Great Year stamp set.  Here's the simple, but pretty cute (if I may say so myself, LOL) card I created for this week's challenge:

Stamps: Another Great Year

Card: Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla

DSP: Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper

Ink: Basic Black craft ink (retired), Crisp Cantaloupe stampin' pad and marker, Raspberry Ripple stampin' pad

Other: Clear stampin' emboss powder, Owl Builder punch (hearts), Raspberry Ripple stitched satin ribbon, Basic Pearls, Envelope Punch Board (corner rounder), glue dots, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, paper snips, sponge daubers

 

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's creations.  We hope you'll play along with us!

 

 



CALYPSO CORAL SECRET GARDEN - #2 IN THE SERIES

The other night when I had my first play with the new Calypso Coral Blendabilities, from Stampin' Up!, I coloured several flowers from the Secret Garden stamp set.

Here's a card I made, after stamping the gorgeous flowers onto a die cut piece I had lying around on my desk.  I've used Crystal Effects in the flower centres, and love how it gives depth to the ink colour.

Stamps: Secret Garden, Bring On the Cake

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White

DSP: Calypso Coral Designer Series Paper

Ink: Memento Black inkpad, Crumb Cake stampin' pad, Calypso Coral Blendabilities

Other: Subtles Candy Dots, Apothecary Accents framelits, Beautiful Wings embosslits, 7/16" Natural Trim, Basic Pearls, Crystal Effects, Sponge Dauber, Essentials Paper-Piercing pack

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately,  the Secret Garden stamps and framelits, and Bring On the Cake stamp set, are all retiring at the end of this month.  If you want to check out the retiring products, and perhaps even grab yourself a bargain, please visit my online store.

 

 

 

 



STAMPIN' UP! SECRET GARDEN IN CALYPSO CORAL

I recently attended Stampin' Up!'s fabulous Inspire.Create.Share.2014 event in Melbourne; as always, our annual Convention was A-MA-ZING. I was lucky enough, along with about 690 others, to receive some of the new Blendabilities alcohol markers!!  We received a pack of the Calypso Coral Blendabilities, along with a gorgeous stamp, as an all-attendee giveaway.   LOVE Stampin' Up!'s generosity.  As a result of this gesture on their part, it's entirely possible that the Australian/New Zealand blog world, of Stampin' Up! demonstrators, will in coming weeks be saturated with images coloured in Calypso Coral!  I have new colours on the way, so will try to mix it up a bit.

I'm a bit sad to see the lovely Secret Garden stamp set and framelits on the Retired List this year; they are available to buy only until the end of this month.  Our new catalogue, which launches 1st July, does however have a new, gorgeous, floral stamp set and matching framelits, so I won't be bereft for long!

One of my FAVOURITE things about now having alcohol-based markers in our range, is that I'll be able to custom-colour rhinestones, pearls, buttons, and other embellishments.  Check out how pretty these rhinestones look, coloured with the darkest of the three markers in the Calypso Coral Blendabilities pack:

I used the Blendabilities to colour both the flowers and the rhinestones.  Here's my card, in its entirety:

 

Stamps: Secret Garden, Blooming With Kindness

Card: Calypso Coral, Whisper White

DSP: Epic Day This & That Designer Series Paper

Ink: Memento Black inkpad, Calypso Coral and Basic Gray stampin' pads, Calypso Coral Blendabilities

Other: Adorning Accents Edgelits and embossing folder, Chalk Talk framelits, Secret Garden framelits, Delicate Details Lace Tape, Epic Day This & That washi tape, Calypso Coral baker's twine, Basic Gray stitched grosgrain ribbon, Basic Rhinestones, sponge dauber, Neutrals button (retired), glue dots

 

 

 

 

JAI #216: JUST ADD WATERCOLOUR

The challenge at Just Add Ink this week, suggested by Paula, is to "just add watercolour" to your papercraft project.

I had all sorts of ideas in my head, all involving the sweet Vivid Vases stamp set from Stampin' Up!  More than one of my creations ended up, totally overdone, in the bin - it just wasn't working for me!  So, I've gone super-simple with the watercolouring component on my card, and given more focus to colour.  I wanted to use two colours I seldom use - Rose Red and Crushed Curry.  Here's the final result:

Stamps: Vivid Vases, Lots of Thanks, Six-Sided Sampler

Card: Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Rose Red, Watercolour Paper

DSP: Rose Red Patterns Designer Series Paper, Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Rose Red, Crushed Curry, Old Olive and Soft Sky stampin' pads

Other: Aquapainter, Scallop Tag Topper punch, Crushed Curry chevron ribbon, seam binding (not SU!), Itty Bitty shapes punch, Ovals framelits, Circles framelits and Circles Nestabilities, Large Delicate Doilies sizzlits die, sponge daubers, Basic Rhinestones, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

 

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team's gorgeous creations ... some fabulous ideas to inspire you.

 

 



JAI #215: A COLOUR COMBO, PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS!

We have a colour challenge for you at Just Add Ink this week ... and because several of us on the Design Team will be attending Stampin' Up! Convention in Melbourne next week (woohoo!!), this challenge will run for two weeks.

Trish came up with this colour combo for us to use on a papercraft project:

Garden Green is a colour that I have always actively avoided (it's right up there with So Saffron, as one of my least favourite colours in the Stampin' Up! range).  I have to admit, though, that I'm warming to it, as a result of this challenge!

I decided to make a Christmas card, with subtle use of Baked Brown Sugar - it's in the Designer Series Paper, and was used for the tree trunk.

I have to say I was pretty happy with the way my sentiment turned out.  After cutting a "Merry" in Cherry Cobbler, I needed a bit of contrast against the background papers ... but a piece of Very Vanilla card was too heavy looking.  My solution was to cut a second "Merry" in Very Vanilla, and adhere the two words together, slightly offset - cool, don't you think? 

Here's a list of all the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card:

Stamps: Evergreen

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

DSP: Season of Style Designer Series Paper

Ink: Garden Green stampin' pad, Baked Brown Sugar stampin' pad (for sponging card and paper edges) and marker

Other: Expressions thinlits dies, Ovals Collection framelits, Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack and paper-piercing tool, sponge dauber, Regals buttons, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, glue dots, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

 

 

The rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team members have come up with some amazing projects using this colour combo, so be sure to check them out - here.  We'd love to see what you create with these colours, too.

 

 

 

JAI #214: STAMPIN' UP! RETRO FRESH REV UP THE FUN!

At Just Add Ink this week, we have a sketch (provided by Kim) to get your creative juices flowing.

We'd love to see a card, or scrapbook page, you've created using this sketch as your starting point:

 

This sketch was a real challenge for me, as I find it hard to "do" tilted panels!!  I took a bit of liberty with the angle of the top corner panel.  Here's the card I came up with:

 

 

 

Stamps: Rev Up The Fun, Express Yourself, Gorgeous Grunge

Card: Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla

DSP: Retro Fresh Designer Series Paper

Ink Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Baked Brown Sugar marker

Other: Burlap ribbon, Neutrals Candy Dots, 1/2" Circle punch, Modern Label punch, Essentials paper-piercing pack and paper-piercing tool, Brushed Bronze designer button, sticky strip, sponge dauber, stampin' dimensionals

 

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team's samples; they're fabulous!

 

 

 



JAI #213: AN INSPIRATION PIC

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink is to use a gorgeous inspiration pic, suggested by Nikki, to create a papercraft project.  It's a very pretty, chevron-y, challenge!

 

 

I took inspiration from the cushions, and used stamps with similar patterns to create gold-embossed designs on Whisper White card.   The light in my craft room is severely compromised (awaiting replacement of 3 out of 4 fluorescent tubes!), but I assure you the patterns on my squares are actually gold. :)

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms, Polka Builder Wheel, Positively Chevron, Happy Congratulations, Memorable Moments

Card:  Brushed Gold, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Pink Pirouette stampin' pad

Other: Chevron embossing folder, Gold Stampin' Emboss powder, 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch, Squares Collection framelits, Pink Pirouette taffeta ribbon, glue dots, stampin' dimensionals

 

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team's stunning creations; love them!  We hope to see you playing along with us.