Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Instagram Tip | Creating a Faux Stitched Border

Hi there stamping friends. Hello and welcome to my blog. I've got a fun technique/tip for you using Stampin' Up! products.

 
Do you ever want to add stitching to your projects but don't want to pull out the sewing machine? Here's and 'oldie but a goodie' technique for faux stitching to add some extra WOW to your next project.

Step 1 - Using a rule and a pencil, rule a faint line where you want your 'stitching' to go. If you want curved lines you can draw your lines free-hand.

Step Two - Place your cardstock on your Stampin' Pierce Mat and using your Take You Pick Tool, either use your ruler to evenly space piercing holes or pierce the holes in your cardstock free-hand along your pencil line for a rustic look.


Step Three - With your Stampin' Write marker on the fine-tip end, rule a line or free-hand draw your line along the pierced holes for the faux sitched look. Use any colour Stampin' Write Marker to coordinate with your project.

Step Four - Finish your card off by adding your base layers, sentiments and any coordinating ribbon trim and embellishments.


Stampin' Blends Used (From L to R)
Male Gnome 1 
Boots - Gray Granite Dark and Light
Hands - Petal Pink Light

Lady Gnome
Hat - Shaded Spruce Dark, Just Jade Light, Mint Macaron Light, Real Red Dark
Hair - Soft Suede Darj and Light
Face - Crumb Cake Light, Flirty flamingo Light, Petal Pink Light
Dress - Real Red Dark and Light 
Apron - Flirt Flamingo Dark and Light, Real Red Dark, Shaded Sprice Dark, Just Jade Light
Hands - Petal Pink Light

Male Gnome 2
Hat - Shaded Spruce Dark, Just Jade Light, Mint Macaron Light, Real Red Dark and Light, Calypso Coral Light
Beard - Gray Granite Dark and Light, Colour Lifter
Nose - Crumb Cake Light, Flirty Flamingo Light, Petal Pink Light
Boots - Shaded Sprice Dark, Just Jade Light, Real Red Dark and Light
Bauble - Mango Melody Dark and Light, Real Red Dark and Light
Hands - Petal Pink Light

I do hope that I've given you some inspiration for you to try this technique or reminded you of this oldie but goodie technique for you to use on your next project.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

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 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, September 25, 2020

Just Add Ink #524 | Colour Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! Happy Friday! Welcome and thanks for joining me on my blog today. It's so good to have you here.  I hope you're having a fabulous day and that you have all been safe and well. Today we over at Just Add Ink have another creative challenge for you. This week its a fanatstic colour challenge - Just Add Ink #524 | Colour Challenge.

 

Three gorgeous colours that can lend themselves to so many projects. I was thinking that it looked good for a Christmas project or something florally. The florals won out this time but I still might use the colour combo again for a Christmas project down the track.

 
My card for you today is mainly Shimmery White Cardstock and then little pops of the challenge colours. I've started the card with 3 base layers of Shimmery White Cardstock and then I've used the Many Medallion Die for a tone on tone layer. I also thought that the die-cut piece looked a little bit like a lattice panel that is used in the garden, so that was perfect to combine with the floral image from the So Much Love Stamp Set.

I've used the Rococo Rose colours to colour in the flower and then for the leaves I've used Just Jade Dark, Mint Macaron Dark and Mint Macaron Light Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers to colour the leaves. I know Just Jade isn't in the challenge colours but I like the look of using the Just Jade colour with the Mint Macaron and the way the colour goes from the dark to the light on the leaves. Personal preferance really.

I've then finished off the card with a strip of Vellum, so ribbon and trim in Mint Macaron and Rococo Rose and then layered the flower with some Shimmery White and Merry Merlot.

I do hope that I've given you some inspiration with this weeks challenge colours. Come and check out the rest of the amazing creations from the Just Add Ink Design Team using these gorgeous colours at the JAI Blog. We hope that you will join in this weeks challenge. I can't wait to see you join in and to see your fantastic projects for this weeks challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!
Live in Australia?
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Recreate this project using the following Stampin' U! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Blog Hop | Poinsettia Place Suite

Hello, there stamping and crafty friends! Welcome to this month's Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Blog Hop. We are getting our festivities on for you again by showcasing for you either the Trimming the Town Suite or the Poinsettia Place Suite. And do we have lots of amazing projects for you! I feel like everyone has upped the ante with their projects this month so I'm sure that there will be something in this hop that will give you inspiration in your projects.

International readers, please use the translate feature, found in the sidebar, to translate to your language.


As you can see I got the privilege of creating with the Poinsettia Place Suite. The products in this beautiful suite are the Poinsettia Petals Bundle, which includes the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set and the Poinsettia Dies, and then also the other products in this suite are the Poinsettia Place DSP,  the Plush Poinsettia Speciality Paper, the Beaded Pearls and the Real Red 3/8" Sheer Ribbon. Lots of amazing products for that classic Christmas Poinsettia projects.


While I love using the beautiful Designer Series Papers that Stampin' Up! has in their products range, my focus today is on the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set, the Poinsettia Dies, the Real Red 3/8" Sheer Ribbon and the Beaded Pearls.

I've decided for my projects today to team the Poinsettia Petals Stamp set with some of the Stampin Blends Alcohol Markers for a modern look to the classic, seasonal blooms of the Poinsettias. The bright red of the Poinsettia goes beautifully with Basic Black and Whisper White for a striking and eye-catching look.


For all three cards today I've used the same Stampin' Blends colours to achieve that uniform look of all the projects together.

Stampin' Blends Used :
Outline around Poinsettia - Pool Party Light

When colouring images with Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers I like to use three colours instead of the two suggested in the Stampin' Blends Dark and Light Colour Combos to achieve a bigger variation in colour from dark to light. Play around with colour combos and to see what will blend well together to help you achieve your desired look. You may even want to try and blend four markers together on your projects. There is no right or wrong.


For my first card, I've just stamped the Poinsettia image on Whisper White Thick Cardstock, using Memento Black Ink, just in a random pattern and then coloured in the images using Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers. Once all the Poinsettias were coloured I flicked Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder and the Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker for that fun splatter look. I've then used the Rectangle Stitched Dies to make a gorgeous stitched border and then finished off the card with some ribbon, trim, embellishments and the Merry Christmas from the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set.


My second card has the same Poinsettia images as the first card but this time after stamping and colouring them I've die-cut them out using the Poinsettia Dies and the NEW Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (which is amazing, by the way). The poinsettia blooms are then arranged on the card with the leaf image and one of the die cuts from the Poinsettia Dies and some ribbon, trim and embellishments. I've finished off the card by fussy cutting, with Paper Snips, around the Merry Christmas and arranged it on the card for the sentiment.


My last card starts with a Basic Black base and then I've die-cut a small portion of Whisper White Thick cardstock to stamp and colour on. Around my coloured piece, I've created a frame around it using the Rectangle Stitched Dies. This just adds more interest and texture to the card and creates for a fun look. 


Here is a fun tip for you - If you feel that your card is 'missing' something, why not add a little cluster of products on your card to add some for interest and texture. Here I've got some of the coloured leaves, ribbon, Gold Cording, die cuts and some of the Beaded Pearl embellishments. It takes your card from 'nice to 'something extra'.

Again I've finished the card off with ribbon, trim and the Merry Christmas sentiment which I've embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder

Next up on the hop with her super gorgeous projects is Stesha Bloodhart in the U.S. I think it was her projects with the Trimming the Town Suite that tipped me over the edge and made these products just 'accidentally' jump in my shopping cart to come home with me. 

I know I say it every hop but please make sure that you take the time to have a look around at all 16 Artisan Blogs for this blog hop. I'm sure you will be saying 'WOW, WOW, WOW" like I was for everyone's amazing creativity! You won't want to miss out!

https://stampinhoot.com/2020/09/artisan-sep-fb-2/




Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!
Live in Australia?
 Shop for Stampin' Up! with me 24/7

 Recreate these projects 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.

Just Add Ink #523 | Just Add 'A'

Hello there stamping friends! I hope that you have had a fantastic week and are having an awesome Friday. Can certainly feel that Spring is in the air here in Melbourne! The days are starting to get warmer and longer and there is blossom everywhere! My favourite time of the year! I'm a person who loves to see the definite changes from season to season. There is something in every season to love and to look forward to. Yes, even in winter!

https://just-add-ink.blogspot.com/2020/09/just-add-ink-523add-a.html

Because it's Friday, that means that is time for another Just Add Ink Challenge - Just Add Ink #523 | Just Add 'A'. It's one of our fun letter challenges - Just Add 'A'. You could incorporate your favourite stamp set starting with A, Animals, Aged or Antique looking cards, Alcohol Markers, a fun fold starting with A, whatever you desire as long as it fits into Just Add 'A'.

Today for my card I've gone for a CAS (Clean and Simple) card using products from the Stampin' Up! Artistry Blooms Suite, found in the 2020 - 2021 Annual Catalogue. Because the products from this suite can be quite busy together, I've kept the card quite stripped back but still trying to create a fun look. I do love to create cards that have lots of layers but also to make CAS cards that 'pack a punch'.


I've layered some Whisper White and Pool Party Cardstock for the base layers and then added a piece of the Artistry Blooms Designer Series Paper. This fantastic DSP is bright and bold and really is a statement all on its own. One side of this amazing paper has bursts of colour and the other side has softer gradients. It really is one of those pack os DSP that caters to all crafting tastes. To add just a little bit more interest I used the Stitched Rectangle Dies to create a framed panel.


The die-cut side panel is made from the Banner Blooms Dies. I cut two die-cut pieces and then trimmed them to fit, using only the top portion of the die, so that it would run down the side of the card, looking like a border piece. Over the DSP and the die-cut pieces I 'splattered' the Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, just to break up the bright white of the die cuts and the busyness of the DSP.


I've then finished the card off with the 'Hello Friend' from the Hand-Drawn Blooms Stamp Set, the Artistry Blooms Adhesive Backed Sequins, and what would have to be my all-time favourtie trim, Linen Thread.

I do hope that I've given you some inspiration for this week's letter theme. And some more inspiration on using the products from the Artistry Blooms Suite. Please head on over to the Just Add Ink Blog to see all the variety in the JAI Design Teams Projects and then come and join in the fun of this week's Just Add 'A' challenge. Can't wait to see what you create.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!
Live in Australia?
 Shop for Stampin' Up! with me 24/7

 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, September 11, 2020

Just Add Ink #522 | Sketch Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! I hope that you are having a fantastic week and a fabulous day! It's Friday, Yay, so that means it's time for another Just Add Ink Challenge - Just Add Ink #522. We've got another fun sketch for you. Fun for layering, repeat stamping, and images, whatever you so desire really.
https://just-add-ink.blogspot.com/2020/09/just-add-ink-522sketch.html
I've used this week's sketch for some repeat images and some colouring with Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers. All the main products I'm using today come from the Stampin' Up! Poinsettia Place Suite that you can find in the 2020 Aug - Dec Mini Catalogue. 


I first started with the colouring of the Poinsettia for my card. First, the image was stamped with the Tuxedo Black Memento Ink on Whisper White Thick Cardstock. If you are ever colouring with the Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers the Whisper White Thick Cardstock is the best one to use. With any other cardstock, the 'ink' from the Alcohol Markers will just bleed and run and will create one hot mess of your beautiful work. To colour the Poinsettias I've used the Poppy Parade Light and Dark Blends Combo and then added to that too the Dark Flirty Flamingo to get that beautiful graduation in colour from dark to light. The centres I used the Mango Melody Dark and Light Blends Combo.


Once the beautiful seasonal blooms were coloured I've die-cut them with the Poinsettia Dies and then adhered them on to cardstock. I wanted the Poinsettia to have the stitched outline on it as well as the square die-cut behind it, that is why I adhered it to cardstock first rather than just glueing the Poinsettia to a square piece that had been die-cut out first.


I've then layered the square pieces over a layer of the so very beautiful Plush Poinsettia Speciality Paper and then that has been layered on to some Whisper White Cardstock. Have use seen the Plush Poinsettia Speciality Paper yet? The flocked designs on white vellum look so beautiful as a background or layered over patterned paper. And I've seen today that you can colour the flocking designs using Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers for an even prettier and more beautiful paper.

 The card has then been finished off with some linen thread, Beaded Pearls, and the Merry Christmas Sentiment that has been embossed on Basic Black Cardstock and then fussy cut around.

I'm loving the beautiful simplicity of this card and also the gorgeous contrast between the bright red and the fresh, crisp white.

I do hope that I've given you some inspiration with this weeks sketch challenge and that you will come and join in this week's creative fun! Make sure you check out the Just Add Ink Blog to see the rest of the amazing projects from the JAI Design Team. Can't wait to see what your creations will be!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!
Live in Australia?
 Shop for Stampin' Up! with me 24/7

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.