Friday, January 26, 2024

Just Add Ink #686 | Inspiration Picture Challenge

 Hello there stamping friends! Happy Friday! Welcome and thanks for joining me on my blog today. Today we over at Just Add Ink have a fabulous inspiration picture challenge - Just Add Ink #686 | Inspiration Picture Challenge.


 How bright and vibrant are the colours in our inspiration picture?! Doesn't it just scream summer on a tropical island?! Being in the middle of summer here in Melbourne, I might just make myself a refreshing drink like that the next hot day we have. Looks delicious!

My cards for you today are focusing on those gorgeous, bold colours and I've combined two of my loves - cross-stitch and paper crafting.

The front panel of my cards has been cut from a die that puts all the little holes in for you so that you don't have to do it yourself. I bought the die a few years ago but I've got no idea where it comes from for you to create cards like this too. If found it amongst all my crafting stuff in my basket of dies that need to be put away with out any packaging on it. I had a bit of a Google search and I think there were a couple of companies that make a cross-stitch card die but if you were really desperate to cross-stich on you cards and you can't find a die you could always rule some lines and using a paper piercer you could put the holes in yourself.

The stitched designs on the cards are fairly simple but I wanted them as backgrounds rather than being an intricate detailed design. They didn't take me that long to do either. A couple of nights infront of the tv to do both cards. I think too because you aren't counting out an intricate design you can just quickly go through the stitches.

I used DMC six stranded cotton for the stitching but you could any cotton or yarn that you have on hand in your stash. I finished the cards off with some vellum, embellishments and a couple of sentiments from the Stampin' Up! Thoughtful Moments Hybrid Embossing Folder (say that 10 times fast, Ha!). 

I can't wait to make up some more designs in other colours. Watch this space! I'm sure there will be some more cross-stitch cards from me this year.

Go and check out the design teams take on this week's Inspiration Picture at the Just Add Ink Blog and then come and join in this week's sketch fun! I can't wait to see what you create.

 Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.


 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Just Add In #685 | Just Add Flowers Challenge Blog Hop

 Hello, hello, hello!  Happy Friday! Welcome and thank you for joining me on my blog today. I've  just had a very well deserved and much needed Christmas Break with my family and some time away camping in our caravan. Lots of fun in the sun, stand up paddle boarding, swimming in the lake, swimming at the beach, boating, knee-boarding, 4WD, reading a few books and lots of all-round summer fun! Was so good to be away in the great outdoors of Australia. Gosh I love summer! Back to reality now.

   Over at Just Add Ink, to kick off the first challenge for the year we are commencing 2024 with a blog hop to go with the new challenge. Our theme for this hop and the challenge is Just Add In #685 | Just Add Flowers. This is such a fabulous theme to kick start the Just Add Ink year! Every one loves flowers, well nearly everyone.

 I'm a bit of a sucker for a floral stamp and the new Enduring Beauty Bundle with coordinating masks in the Stampin' Up! 2024 Jan - April Mini Catalogue caught my attention at first glance.


 Super pretty right? I've used the stamp and masks on Crumb Cake cardstock today for a different look. I do love colouring images on Crumb Cake cardstock as I love how the colours of the ink look different as opposed to using Basic White cardstock.

All three cards that I've made for you today are all the same except for the colour combinations to colour the flowers. What's your favourite? I do love them all, of course, but the purple one is really standing out to me as my favourite.

Colours used
Flowers - Bubble Bath, Flirty Flamingo and Berry Burst
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow 


Colours used
Flowers - Lemon Lolly and Daffodil Delight
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow 

Colours Used
Flowers - Fresh Fresia and Highland Heather
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow
 

 To create the cards I stamped the floral image on with Versamark ink and then used Black embossing powder for the image outline. Then over the floral image I layered over the Enduring Beauty Decorative Masks to layer on the colour using Blending Brushes. Each mask has detailed floral designs that add depth and colour to your paper crafting projects. Use one mask alone to add a subtle accent. Or you can layer them to create a rich floral image of your own design. The masks definitely make colouring an image so quick and easy thats for sure.
 
I used three colours on the 'pink' card only due to the fact that I thought the Bubble Bath was too light against the Berry Burst so I went in again over the Bubble Bath with Flirty Flamingo to achieve a better contrast. 

All cards were finished off with a drawn border, Crumb Cake Splatters, Linen Thread, a Happy Birthday sentiment and some embellishments.

What colours do you think would work together when using the Enduring Beauty masks?

Next up on the blog hop is fabulous Nikki Spencer with her amazing creation. Make sure you click your way around to everyone on the hop as there are lots of gorgeous creations and lots of different takes on our 'Just Add Flowers' theme

 
 
Will you be entering our challenge this week? We would love to see your 'Just Add Flowers' creation. Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.
 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, January 5, 2024

Stampin' Fancy Friday | Kit Alternates Challenge

 Hello there stamping friends! Welcome, welcome! It's so good to have you here. I have a project for you for the first challenge of 2024 for the Stampin' Fancy Friday Design Team. If you've not seen us before we are a group of past and continuing Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team Members bringing our followers a fancy monthly challenge to inspire them to get creative!

This month we are creating alternate projects with any of the Stampin' Up online kits! We can use either past or present kits and to step it up from the original and add a fancy touch to it! 

I've used one of the more newer kits that is on offer from Stampin' Up! - Painted Wishes. Rich in watercolour designs, colourful florals, and heartfelt greetings, this kit includes the supplies to create nine all-occasion greeting cards that will make kind words flourish all around you! It also includes printed sentiments in English, French, German, and Dutch.


I've used some of the products from the kit to create an alternate birthday card for you.

 
I trimmed down three of the card fronts from the kit and added some Basic White cardstock to form the layers for the card. How pretty are the painted florals. I'm loving the bold and beautiful colours used to paint the flowers and leaves. It's a gorgeous colour combination!
 

I've used some embossing on the layers to add that extra bit of interest. The embossing folder used on the Pretty Peacock layer is one from the current Sale-a-bration offereings - Softly Sophisicated and the one used on the Petal Pink piece is from the Basics 3d Embossing Folders that is a current Online Exclusive offering. 


The sequins, gold cording and the Pretty Peacock Foiled Sentiment Label also all come from the kit. I layered the foiled sentiement label with some leaves fussy cut from one of the pre-printed and pre-cut pieces and layered it with a piece of the Vellum Basics Specialty DSP die cut with the new Perennial Postage dies.

I do hope you have been ispired by my alternate card from using the products in the Painted Wishes Kit. It is a gorgeous kit using it either with the way it was intended or by changing it up for your own creations. Either way you are going to have some beautiful cards.

Check out the rest of the Patterned Paper creations that the Stampin' Fancy Friday Design Team has made on the Stampin' Fancy Friday Instagram Account. This is where all their creations will be shared throughout the month, so make sure that you are following them to get all of the amazing ideas from all the different kits!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
Recreate this project at home using the following current Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store