JAI #148: A SPARKLY, BLINGY CHRISTMAS CARD IN BLUES

To close off the year of Just Add Ink challenges, we're asking you to join in with us and "Just Add Christmas" to your papercraft project.  Hopefully you're not all "Christmassed-out" already; this time of year gets so overwhelmingly busy, doesn't it?

The card I have to share with you today was inspired by my lovely friend Sue Madex.  Sue has shown some cards on her blog using a very cool, and very easy, technique -  reverse masking.  Now, I simply can't make one-layer cards, so I've tizzed mine up a bit - lots of bling and shimmer on this one!

I started off with a panel of Naturals White cardstock, and used the two torn edges of a piece of copy paper to mask off an area to be sponged and stamped on; Dotto (temporary adhesive) worked perfectly to keep the paper in place.  I sponged the area with Baja Breeze ink, then stamped three of the doilies from Delicate Doilies, using Marina Mist, Island Indigo and Midnight Muse ink.  After I'd left the ink to dry (for what I thought was long enough!), I overstamped  a few doilies in Whisper White craft ink, and sprinkled Iridescent Ice embossing powder over the top - thinking there'd be just a few sparkly doilies.  Well, here's proof of how great Stampin' Up!'s new inkpads are for embossing .... the embossing powder stuck to the sponged background as well, giving a lovely sparkly effect over the whole panel!  Take a look:

I ran some Multipurpose Liquid Glue along the top 'torn' edge, and adhered Silver Glass Glitter - sooo pretty.  A die-cut strip of silver glimmer paper, and a few rhinestones, added even more sparkle.

Here's the finished card:

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, More Merry Messages

Card: Baja Breeze, Naturals White, Island Indigo, silver glimmer paper

Ink: Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Island Indigo and Midnight Muse stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad, Whisper White craft stampin' pad

Other: White embossing powder, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Decorative Label punch, Adorning Accents edgelits die, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, silver Glass Glitter, Basic Rhinestones, stampin' sponge, sponge dauber, multipurpose liquid glue, sticky strip, glue dots

For even more inspiration for handmade Christmas projects, check out the rest of the Design Team's samples.    We have loved having you play along with our challenges this year.

Merry Christmas to you, and all of those dear to you.  We look forward to sharing more projects with you when we return from our break, on 18th January 2013!

 

 

JAI #147 : JUST ADD BALLOONS

This week at Just Add Ink, Trish has come up with a very cool theme .... just add balloons, to your papercraft project.

I have made a card for a little boy.  I don't actually know any kidlets turning 3, but the number of balloons I added to my card determined that the card would be for a 3 year old!

Starting off, I chose the cute starry paper from Stampin' Up!'s Snow Festival Designer Series Paper pack.  My Color Coach suggested I team Gumball Green with Marina Mist and Midnight Muse - and what a cool colour combination it is! 

Stamps: Button Buddies, Memorable Moments, Itty Bitty Banners, Owl Occasions

Card: Gumball Green, Whisper White, Midnight Muse

DSP: Snow Festival Designer Series Paper

Ink: Gumball Green, Marina Mist and Midnight Muse stampin' pads

Other: Labels Collection framelits dies, Bitty Banners framelits, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Square Lattice embosssing folder, 1" and 1 1/4" Circle punches, sponge dauber, glue dots, Post-It note (for masking), paper snips

 

 



JAI #146 : STAMPIN' UP!'S NATURAL COMPOSITION DSP - COLOURED

I've scheduled this post to publish while I am out of the country for a few days - hopefully I will return home to see that it has gone smoothly!

Kim has come up with a really lovely colour combination for this week's Just Add Ink challenge:

I have once again had a play with Stampin' Up!'s Natural Composition Designer Series Paper.  It is a gorgeous, heavyweight, paper with clear-embossed designs on kraft-coloured backgrounds.  For this week's challenge, I cut a panel of the floral DSP from the pack, and used my Pretty in Pink marker to colour a few of the flowers.  Here's a close-up:

 

 

After colouring the petals with my marker, I added some white dots to the flower centres, using a gel pen.  Clear Itty Bitty Buttons were then adhered to the flower centres.  Here is the card in its entirety:

 

 

 

Stamps: Petite Pairs

Card: Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White

DSP: Natural Composition Designer Series Paper

Ink: Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink marker, Signo White gel pen

Other: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Pool Party seam binding, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Itty Bitty Buttons, glue dots, edge distressing tool, sponge dauber

 

 

 

The rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team have come up with some gorgeous cards using this colour combination - be sure to check them out.  We hope you'll be inspired to play along with us!

 

 

 



STAMPIN' UP!'S HOLIDAY CATALOGUE : BLOG HOP

Today I'm taking part in a mini (well, really tiny) blog hop with a few friends who are also Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  A couple of ladies have had to pull out, leaving us with only four participants!  We have all made something using products from the Holiday Catalogue, that is current until the end of January 2013.  We'd love you to visit all our blogs, and leave some 'comment love' so we know you've been!

You may have come here from Nikki Sadler's blog ... but if not, no problems.  At the end of each team member's blog post, we have linked to the next person in the loop.  There are only 4 of us all up, so it's pretty hard to lose your way!

I have made a couple of Christmas cards to share with you.  I've used LOADS of new products.

Here's the first card:

 ..... and a close-up of the cute little owl, so you can see the Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details on the eyes:

Stamps: Owl Occasions

Card: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Baja Breeze

DSP: Snow Festival Designer Series Paper

Ink: Soft Suede stampin' pad, Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad and marker, Baja Breeze stampin' pad

Other: Holiday Ornaments Framelits dies, 1 3/4" Circle punch, sponge dauber, Modern Label punch, Adorning Accents edgelits die, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots

 

 

 

 

Here's the second card I made:

Stamps: Heart of Christmas, Scentsational Season, Netting

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso Core'dinations

DSP: Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Marina Mist and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Marina Mist marker, Versamark inkpad

Other: Sugar & Spice embossing powder, Labels Collection Framelits dies, Holiday Collection framelits dies, Owl builder punch, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, sanding block, Crumb Cake scalloped tulle ribbon, Marina Mist scalloped dots ribbon, Brushed Bronze designer button, sticky strip, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber

The next person on the blog hop list is Tina Gillespie - just click on her name, and you'll be taken to her blog.



Here is a list of all of the blog hop participants for today.  We hope you enjoy our projects!


Tina Gillespie http://scissorspapercard.blogspot.com

Margaret Knoops http://www.purplebuttons.wordpress.com

Nikki Sadler http://www.inkyart.com.au

Christine Blain http://www.christineblain.blogspot.com

JAI #145 : A SKETCH CHALLENGE

Mae has come up with yet another great sketch for us, at Just Add Ink, this week.

 

 

 

 

I've kept my card simple, to let the texture and patterns on the base card, and scalloped embossed strip, do the talking.

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Daydream Medallions, Bring on the Cake

Card: Midnight Muse, Island Indigo, Whisper White

DSP: Natural Composition Designer Series Paper

Ink: Midnight Muse, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake stampin' pads

Other: Floral Frames framelits dies, Large Scallop Edgelits, Delicate Designs Embossing folder, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, Brushed Bronze designer button, Midnight Muse dahlia, Paper Daisy, Corner Rounder punch, sponge dauber, glue dots, sticky strip

 

Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team's samples over at Just Add Ink.  We'd love to have you play along with us - show us how you've used this sketch, to create a card or other papercraft project.

JAI #144 : JUST ADD MUSIC

Trish has set the challenge at Just Add Ink this week, to "just add music" to your papercraft project.  I love the variety of samples our Design Team have made, and am sure you will too - be sure to take a look.  We hope you'll play along with us!

When I set to making a card for this challenge, I knew I wanted to use my Natural Composition Specialty paper - there are two sheets in the pack, that have music clear-embossed on kraft card.  Perfect!!  I've used the paper on the main panel, as well as for the centre ornament, on which I stamped the sentiment in Staz-On ink.  In keeping with the music theme, I also used my Music Notes wheel and Cherry Cobbler ink on the base card.

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages, Music Notes stampin' around wheel

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

DSP: Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Crumb Cake marker, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits, 3/4" Circle punch, Cherry Cobbler scalloped tulle, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, Linen Thread, Festive Piercing Pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper Piercing tool, Brushed Bronze designer buttons, sponge dauber, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Basics Glimmer brad, stampin' dimensionals, Finishing Touches edgelits, glue dots

 

 

 



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!)