JUST ADD INK #204 COLOUR CHALLENGE

Nikki has chosen an interesting colour challenge for us this week at Just Add Ink.  That is a nice way of saying that I really struggled with it!  Still, they don't call them challenges for nothing.

I hope that the combination of Pistachio Pudding, Crumb Cake and Gold have you running to your craft room, because we would love it if you were to join in this week!

Once I got my act together, I decided on a gift card and box.  I made the box using the new Scallop Tag Topper Punch and it wraps around two mini Chocolate bars.  I have stamped tone on tone Crumb Cake using the Peaceful Petals stamp set.  I carried the same theme over to that matching card.  I managed to include a little gold on the card in the form of sequins and Stampin' Up!'s Gold Foil.  Over all, I really like how this wee project turned out.  I hope you do too.

Check out the rest of the Design Team submissions and then enter your own at Just Add Ink this week.  See you there!

HOMEMADE GET WELL

Thankfully, I don't normally have a need for too many Get Well cards, but I did have to make one recently.  There is a little more to this card than first meets the eye.  Not only have I watercoloured it, but I have also made my own background stamp.

I really like how the tone on tone mosaic background looks on the base card and here is how I made it:

You know all that outline rubber that comes with your stamps?  Don't throw it away!!  If you favour woodmount stamps, then you are going to need a spare wood block to do this technique.  But if you favour clearmount stamps, then you will be able to use your Clear block, as I have done:

I cut my spare rubber into straight edged shapes, not necessarily squares or rectangles, and keep them in a clear mount case ready to use.  This time I chose to use the more regular shapes, stuck them on a clear block and stamped in the same coloured ink as the background card.

1.  Stamp Vivid Vases image in Black Staz On Ink on Watercolour Paper.
2.  Using an Aqua Painter, water colour the vases and flowers.  I also added a small shadow under each vase.
3.  Adhere the watercolour artwork to a card stock mat, then adhere this piece to the bottom half of the card, leaving the stamped mosaic background visible.

I also like to do the inside of my cards and try to carry the theme through as much as I can.  This stamp, however, is rather large and has quite a few vases on it.  I wanted just one vase.  Here is how I did that:

I still want to be able to watercolour this image, so I need to use Black Staz On Ink.  I don't have a permanent marker to isolate just one image, so I masked off one flower and vase with masking tape.

Then I carefully ink up just that one image with the Staz On Ink.  You will get ink on the masking tape.  That's what it is there for, to protect the surrounding images.  Before I stamped the image on my card, I removed the tape!

Then I coloured the image in as before with an Aqua Painter and ink pads.

Did you find this tutorial helpful?  I would love to hear your feedback!

WATERCOLOUR THANK YOU

Just a quick post to share a little Thank You card I made recently.

This is a simple one layered card with no bells or whistles.  I have stamped the image from So Very Grateful with Black Staz On Ink over a paper mask.  I removed the mask then stamped the sentiment from the same set in the clear space left behind.  I coloured the image using my ink pads and a Blender pen to pick up the colour.

BIRTHDAY MINION

Who wouldn't like to get a birthday wish from a Minion?  I have been seeing a few punch art Minions around, but I wanted a bigger one for the front of my card, so set about making my own.  I love the expression on this fella's gorgeous wee face!  It works perfectly with the sentiment from "Just Sayin'".

Isn't he cute?!  I am a little biased, I know.  I also came up with another little guy with two eyes, although I haven't put him on the front of a card yet!

I have written a 3 page pdf tutorial with step by step instructions and 12 photo's on how I created this little guy, not the actual card.  It includes instructions for a two eyed Minion and also a photo with the three Minions I have come up with at the end of the tutorial to give you a couple more ideas.  This tutorial is NOT an instant download, but I will email to you as soon as I see your purchase.  Please keep in mind time differences around the world.  Enjoy!

MY FIRST LOVE

It is funny where our individual art journeys take us as we evolve in our creative journeys.  My first love when making a card is to use sponging.  I haven't really done that for quite some time now as I explore the simpler side of card making.  I recently bought a die of a branch and as soon as I spotted it, this card popped into my head.

I enjoyed the whole creative process of making this card.  The hardest choice I had to make was which colours to use!  I am loving the purples and blues/turquoise together.  Here is a list of product I have used to create this card:

Stamps: By the Tide, Woodgrain, Wetlands
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Inks: Soft Sky, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Branch die (not SU), Sponges, Candy Dots, Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue

JUST ADD STRIPES

This week at Just Add Ink we want you to just add Stripes to your project.  It can be in the fine detail or it can be the main feature, as it is with my project.

I had a project in mind when I suggested this challenge.  Isn't it funny how our projects can take on a life of their own??  The project I ended up with is nothing at all like my original idea, but I love it anyway!  It is certainly appropriate for today too - Valentines Day!  Purely a happy coincidence!

I have used the same technique, inlaid die cuts, to finish off the inside too.

Here's how I created my card front:
1.  Cut strips of cardstock in the colours you want to use and adhere them side by side on a piece of copy paper.
2.  Cut a panel from this piece to the size you want on you card front.
3.  Select a sentiment thinlit or other die, position on your striped panel and run through the Big Shot.  Remove the sentiment. Tip:  Place a strip of waxed paper between the thinlit and your cardstock.  This will help the cardstock release from the thinlit frame.
4.  Cut another sentiment using Whisper White card.
5.  Adhere the striped card panel to your card front.  Adhere the Whisper White sentiment inside the sentiment space on the striped panel.  Here's a close up:

6.  I inked up the "you" from a thank you sentiment using my Stampin' Write Markers.
7.  Punch a heart from Red Glimmer Paper and adhere to your card front with a Dimensional.
Done!

So with stripes in mind, what are you going to come up with?  Upload your project at Just Add Ink!  We would love to see your design.  The DT have loads more ideas too, so go check them out as well!

A SUMMER WEDDING

Friends of ours recently celebrated their love by having a beautiful summer wedding.  Of course, I couldn't let that special occasion go by without making something just as special for them both.

I tried too coordinate the colours I used with the gorgeous deep blue the bride wore, but softened everything on a with Sahara Sand and Very Vanilla background.  I have also added Basic Pearls in the top left corner, but they are hard to photograph on such a light background!

As always, I think the inside of the card is just as important!

What better way to help the happy couple celebrate than with a bottle of Wine.  I opted for a bottle tag to match the card.  I hope this has given you plenty of Wedding inspiration!

Following on from my last post, I decided to use the same design using the Just Sayin' stamp set and coordinating Word Bubble framelits for this next card too.  I just flipped the card and used a different colour way instead.

This would be my personal favourite of the two.  I think the colours appeal more to me.  I have also used the same sentiment over and over.  I have used my Stampin' Write Markers to just select the words I wanted to use, not the whole sentiment, except on the side of the card.  This would make a great card for a departing workmate!

JAI #201 - A COLOUR CHALLENGE

Join me and the rest of the design team at Just Add Ink this week for a colour challenge.  Kim has come up with this super combo for us to use:

In case you haven't noticed, I am totally gaga over the Word Bubbles Framelits in our new Occasions catalogue.  I have so many ideas floating around in my head on how I would like to use them!  I also love that they coordinate with the Just Sayin' stamp set too!

What I like even more, is that I don't have to use those sentiments in that set.  Just by using my markers to ink up my bubble stamps, I can omit the sentiment on the stamp and insert any other sentiment that will fit!

So get your thinking caps on and join us at Just Add Ink this week!

WHEN SKIES ARE GREY

There is nothing more therapeutic than getting inky in the craft room when you are perhaps not at your best, which is exactly what I did yesterday.  I also had a friend in mind when I made this card, which came about due to the sentiment I used.

The SAB set "See Ya Later" is just so darn cute and FREE when you spend $110.  Find out more about SAB HERE.  I like the play on words and little images too.  I combined it with the Word Bubble framelit dies and came up with a winner!  I love this wee card.  I used the thought bubble framelit because of it's resemblance to a cloud, and then pierced around each cloud for added interest.  I have popped the entire white card off the grey card base with Dimensionals.  Enjoy!