TGIF Challenges | #TGIF342 Sketch Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! Today I'm playing along and entering my card in the challenge over at TGIF Challenges | #TGIF342 Sketch Challenge. I always love a sketch challenge and they really help to get the creative ideas flowing. Pick a stamp set or some Designer Series Paper and use the sketch to get your creativity going. 

Don't you just love this sketch from TGIF??!! It has a basic design element and then it gives you so much room to do what you feel lead to create. And as I was lead I used my creative license to change it up a little while still holding the basic design elements. And yes again, I'm using the Words of Cheer Bundle. I've really loved this bundle and have had so many creative ideas when using this bundle. To see my other projects using these products check them out HERE, HERE and HERE. I'm using a colour combo I used a couple of months ago again becuase I loved it so much - Soft Succulent, Polished Pink and Gold.

Instead of having an acutal circle on my card as per the sketch I've used he floral image from the Words of Cheer stamp set as my 'circle' element. I've stamped the floral image on Crumb Cake cardstock, heat embossed it with White Embossing powder and then coloured on the Crumb Cake Cardstock.

I just love to colour on coloured cardstock but sometimes when you try to do this with the ink colour straight onto the cardstock the ink colour changes and even gets a little lost into the cardstock background. The best way to colour onto coloured cardstock is to cover your image first with a Whisper White Craft Ink 'undercoat' layer and then add your chosen colour over top. Check out my Instagram Step-By-Step Tip I did a few years ago HERE on how you can achieve this different look.

I've used a combo of Linen Thread and the Gold Metallic Thread from the Retired Forever Greenery Ribbon Combo Pack for the trim across the card and then layered the 'Happy' from the Christmas Cheer Dies over top of that. I've die cut the 'Happy' with Vellum and Soft Succulent Cardstock.

I've then finished the card off with the floral dies from the Christmas Cheer Dies, using Soft Succulent, Polished Pink Cardstock and Gold from the Gold & Rose Gold Metallic Specialty Paper. In the die cut flowers I've added 2021 - 2023 In Color Jewels for that extra touch of bling and then layered the heat embossed Christmas over the 'Happy' die cuts. 

I just love how this turned out and the colouring on the coloured cardstock. If you haven't tried colouring on coloured cardstock before give it a go, you'll love the results.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | #TGIFC237 Sketch Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! Today I'm playing along and entering my card in the challenge over at TGIF Challenges | TGIF #237. I've not had much motivation to create the last few weeks. What I find what helps me to get out of a crafting slump is to participate in a challenge or two. And what better way to help get those creative ideas flowing is with a sketch challenge.

Don't you just love this sketch from TGIF??!! It has a basic design element and then it gives you so much room to do what you feel lead to create. 

I've decided to turn the sketch vertical and go for a Christmas inspired creation. I've pulled out the super cute #Elfie Stamp Set from the Stampin' Up! 2019 Holiday Catalogue. This is such a fun stamp set and fabulous for colouring!!

Because I've used bright and bold colours on the elf image I thought that it would pair well with a crisp white base layer. Too many colours on a card can sometimes be a hot mess. I've combined with the white a little bit of the Cherry Cobbler DSP from the Night Before Christmas 6" x 6" pack. Just enough pattern to not take over.

To create a snow fall look on the Whisper White, I've splattered Clear Wink of Stella and then  added a few of the Snowflake Sequins. Just a little bit of something to break up the white background and to add to the Christmas feel. 

I've then finished the card off with one of the sentiments from the #Elfie Stamp set and some Whisper White Baker's Twine and some Silver Metallic Thread. Super cute and Super fun! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | #TGIF233 Sketch Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! Welcome to my blog. Today I'm playing along and entering my card in the challenge over at TGIF Challenges | TGIF #233. It's been a few weeks since I've posted on here with my kids school holidays and then I wasn't feeling 100%, it made it difficult to get in the craft room and get creative. The kids are back at school and I'm feeling heaps better so this weeks challenge over at TGIF really helped to get those creative ideas flowing.

TGIF Challenges have a fabulous sketch challenge and I may have taken the sketch a little too literally. Which is not like me at all. I usually change up a sketch challenge and go a little rogue. The stripes and the flowers were just calling out for a black and white striped background with a big, bold flower from, still my favourite, Good Morning Magnolia stamp set.

I'm such a sucker for a striped background and the Black and White stripe is such a classic look and it goes with just about anything. I cut 15 strips of cardstock measuring 1cm x 10.1cm and then adhered them onto a cardstock base in the black and white stripe pattern. Over that I added a Gold Stampin' Emboss splatter  to give the stripes a 'modern' look.

Over the stripes I thought the gorgeous magnolia would be the perfect addition to the beautiful background. According to the all knowing Google, pink is one of the most common colours for magnolia blossoms. Don't you just love that big pink blossom against the black and white? Such a gorgeous contrast.

Stampin’ Blends used:

• Magnolia: Rococo Rose Dark ; Rococo Rose Light; Flirty Flamingo Light
• Leaves: Mossy Meadow Dark; Mossy Meadow Light
• Branch: Crumb Cake Dark; Crumb Cake Light

Because the striped background and the magnolia blossom are so striking, I felt the card didn't need much else other than the Hello sentiment, a little bit of ribbon and a light scattering of embellishments to finish it off.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | #TGIFC218 | With Sympathy

Hello stamping friends! Welcome, welcome! Today I'm sharing a project for the current TGIF Challenges | #TGIFC218 - With Sympathy theme. It is a theme that no one really likes to create for. We want to make cards for joyous occasions like birthdays and new babies and weddings. But really we should make the cards for the tough times too. 

It is important to have a few Sympathy cards in our stash so that we can send them when we need them. Sometimes it can be really hard to create them when we HAVE to.

Even though this is one of the cards that I had to create and get out in the post this week it really came together quite quickly.  I had some bits and pieces sitting on my desks from some projects where the ideas just didn't quite come together and had saved elements for another day.

I wanted this card to have a little bit of colour but still having a muted, not over the top look.  I started with the beautiful Perennial Essence DSP with the blue and purple tones and to soften the card added a layer of vellum.

Over the vellum is some Whisper White Flax Ribbon and Purple Posy Scalloped Linen Ribbon. With that is a piece of the Stitched Lace Die that I die cut again with the Stitched Rectangle and then layered with the Stitched Nested Labels die cut in Purple Posy cardstock.

The card is then finished off with a little bit of colour using the flowers from the Floral Essence stamp set. Two of the flowers I embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder on Vellum and then one, also embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder on Shimmery White cardstock.

 Just a little bit of Braided  Linen Thread and a Heat Embossed Sentiment to finish off the card and that's all that it really needs.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | TGIF #217 | Ribbon Ruffles

Hello there stamping friends! Welcome to my blog. Today I'm playing along and entering my card in the challenge over at TGIF Challenges | TGIF #217. This weeks challenge is all about the technique Ribbon Ruffles.

Ribbons are gorgeous to use on any card, which I love to do but when they are ruffled up they give any card that extra special look.

 I've gone for a CAS (Clean and Simple) card today only because I didn't want to cover the beautiful embossing from the Magnolia 3D embossing folder. How stunning is it??? I was really just playing around with the folder to see what I looks like when embossed and was really taken a back with how amazing it is and then my card just evolved from there. I just love the beauty in the simplicity of this card. What's the saying 'Less is More'.

I've created more of a fuller Ribbon Ruffle for my card with a needle and thread. I've sewed a simple stitch along the top edge of the ribbon and Once I was finished stitching the length of the ribbon, I pulled the thread taught to create the ruffles and tied a knot it the thread so that the ruffles didn't unruffle. The ruffle was then adhered to the card with tear and tape.

To add to my ribbon ruffle I layered a smaller piece of one of the Magnolia Lane Memories and More Card Pack cards, that I had trimmed off, and then accented it with one of the stickers also from the Memories and More Card pack. Layered then on that is some coordinating Magnolia Lane Mossy Meadow Linen Thread and the Enjoy Today sentiment from the Good Morning Magnolia Stamp Set. Got to love coordination and matchy-matchy!

Just a few little bits of bling to finish it all off. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | TGIF #205 Bonus week!!! It's a party! | Birthday Statement Stamp Set

Hello, hello stamping friends! Welcome to my blog. Today I'm playing along and entering my card in the challenge over at TGIF Challenges | TGIF #205. It's a super fun Balloon Party Theme.

When I saw the TGIF theme for this week I knew exactly which set I wanted to use and play along with for this challenge, Stampin' Up!'s Birthday Statements stamp set. It's got the balloons. decorations and flowers, perfect for a party. I purchased this set a while ago but just hadn't had the chance to ink it up. Till now.

I've kept my card fairly CAS (clean and simple) as this image from the Birthday Statements set is quite busy. All it needs is a bit of colour and a little bit of trim. I stamped the image in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. I used the Stampin' Up! Stamparatus Stamp Placement Tool when stamping the image so that I could repeatedly stamp the image, reink and stamp again to get a crisp, clean image with full ink coverage.

Once the Memento Ink dried I coloured the image in using the Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers. The colours I used were Flirty Flamingo, Highland Heather, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Granny Apple Green but you can use whatever colour combination you like. Or even try a different colouring medium.

Just a little bit of Linen Thread, Gold Metallic Thread, Gold Mini Sequin Trim and a Heat Embossed Sentiment to finish off the card and that's all that it really needs.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

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TGIF Challenges | #tgifc181 Sketch Challenge | Snowflake Showcase

Hello there stamping and crafting friends! Welcome, welcome! I'm joining in with this weeks challenge over at TGIF Challenges #tgifc181. Its a gorgeous sketch with lots of layering elements which just screams 'Rochelle' but as with most sketches I've changed it up. I've turned the sketch on its side while still trying to keep the same design elements as what the sketch has.

Today I'm using some products from the Snowflake Showcase Special Release, which is on pre-order now for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and will be available for customers to purchase 1st - 30th November 2018. There are two fabulous stamp sets, one amazing set of Thinlits, Snowflake Trinkets and the beautiful White Velvet Paper which is like a whole sheet of flocked paper. The whole showcase is just AMAZING! Check out the flyer at the bottom of the post to see all the fabulous products. I've used on my card today the Snow is Glistening Stamp Set, Snowfall Thinlits, White Velvet Paper and the Snowflake Trinkets.

I started with the spotty image from the stamp set that looks like snow falling and stamped a boarder around the Pool Party cardstock with Whisper White ink. The Pool Party piece is layered on a piece of DSP from the All is Bright Designer Series Paper. The white card base is just Shimmery White cardstock.

How gorgeous is the white snowflake? Super pretty and super soft! It's really hard to tell but it has been die cut out of the new White Velvet Paper. It is just stunning. This is one paper that you will have to see in real life just to touch it for that beautiful velvet feel. 

The smaller snowflakes come from the same thinlits set as the larger one, Snowfall Thinlits Dies. There are 20 dies in this set and they are perfect for layering. Some of the dies even die cut around some of the images from the two new stamp sets. So versatile. I've used some of the smaller snowflake dies, cut them out of Pool Party cardstock, sponged the edges with Whisper White Ink and then coloured over them with Clear Wink of Stella. The subtle shimmer of the Clear Wink of Stella goes perfectly with the subtle shimmer of the Shimmery White cardstock base.

The card is then finished off with the sentiment from the Snow is Glistening Stamp set, embossed in Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder, White Solid Baker's Twine, Braided Linen Thread, Copper Metallic Thread, Metallic Assortment Sequins and the Snowflake Trinket. All just so pretty!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy crafting! 

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 Recreate this card 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.

Available for customers to purchase 1st - 30th November 2018

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#TGIF129 | Sketch Challenge | Introducing Stampin' Blends

Hello and welcome!! It's time again for the most awesome TGIF Challenges challenge and this week its a fabulous, my favourite, a sketch!!!

It's pretty straight forward and you can make it as is or change it up a bit to make it what you want.

Ive pulled out an older stamp set today, Birthday Blooms, because I wanted to play and have a create with the new Stampin' Blend Alcohol Markers. While these marks are only available to Stampin' Up! demonstrators at this moment I wanted to whet your appetite to show you how gorgeous they are.

These markers will be available to customers sometime later this year but right at this moment there is no definite release date. Fingers crossed it is soon.

There are 12 colour combo packs, all with a Dark and Light Marker. There will also be an Ivory and Bronze marker which are great to get those skin tones and last but by no means least there will be a colour lifter. Lots of options! 

The colours that the markers will come in are Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie,  Rich Razzleberry and Smoky Slate.

I've used here today the Old Olive markers and the Pink Pirouette markers. I didn't even think but because the Pink Pirouette is a light colour it makes it quite difficult to photograph, well for me anyway. I hope that you can see the graduation in colour with the Pink Pirouette as it looks beautiful on the card in real life.

Birthday Blooms is perfect to use with the Blends as it is and open line image and gives you lots of fabulous options to practice your colouring skills. The way that the image is drawn it shows your where you should make the image darker or leave it a bit lighter.

When colouring with the Stampin' Blends I like to put a little bit of the dark colour down first and then use the lighter marker to blend over the harsh lines of the dark colour and draw some of that dark colour out and so it blends. When colouring though try not to put down too much colour as the colour from the markers may bleed out of the lines of the image. Maybe when colouring don't put the colour all the way to the edge of image. This will help if there is a bit of bleeding from the colour.

 

I really enjoyed playing and practicing with the new Stampin' Blends. I'm looking forward to practicing and playing with them more. Watch this space as I'm sure I will have lots more creations using the fabulous markers. And as soon as we get a date on their release for customers you will be the first to know. 

Make sure that you check the rest of the fabulous creations from the rest of the design team over at the TGIF Challenges Blog and come and join in with this weeks fabulous sketch challenge. Can't wait to see your amazing creations! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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#TGIFC113 | Technique Time | Bokeh

Hello, Hello! Welcome to the weekend and welcome to another TGIF Challenge. I for one am very glad its Friday. Just a little tired at the end of the week. The days here in Melbourne are a getting a little colder and I'm feeling like I want to hibernate till Winter is over. I might just hibernate in my craft room for a while. I'd be happy with that!

This week over at TGIF Challenges we are using the Bokeh technique for our challenge theme. This technique has been around for a while now. It is so much fun to do and you (usually) get fabulous results very time. 

Bokeh is a photography term which is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". 

The term comes from the Japanese word boke, which means "blur" or "haze". Check out these images here to see what Bokeh looks like. 

This blur or haze look is quite easy to replicate in the crafting world too. All you have to do is search Bokeh Technique for Paper Crafting on You Tube and there is a plethora of tutorials to show you how to do this fabulous technique.

Normally when doing the Bokeh technique most will do a watercolour wash first and then sponge the 'blurring' overtop of that, and I did originally start that way, but I thought why not use the Ombre DSP from the Color Theory DSP 6"x6" stack.

I've made some Bokeh cards before and I followed this tutorial that I found on Pinterest. Its very straight forward and really shows you how to do this Bokeh technique.

 I used the Layering Circle Dies and the Big Shot to cut me a circle template out of the Stampin' Up! Window Sheets so I had a few different size circles to sponge with.

With my circle template I used the Stampin' Up! Sponge Daubers and the Whisper White Craft Ink to add my 'Bokeh. I just tapped the white ink on the DSP with the daubers until I got the white coverage that I desired. Don't be afraid to overlap your circles as this is what makes the blur effect. You could just even 'stamp' down an inked up Sponge Dauber for that smaller circle size. Or if you wanted to go even smaller I have seen the eraser end of a pencil inked up and that 'stamped' down. Might have to try that next time.

To embellish my card and finish it off I've stretched out some of the new Copper Trim and then layered it with the Tranquil Tide Finely Woven Ribbon and the Black Mini Sequin Trim. How cute are those wooden hearts?? They are a new embellishment from the new Annual Catalogue - Hearts and Stars. They are etched wooden heart and star emebellishments and they are so very cute!!! Love them!!

Berry Burst

Tranquil Tide

Basic Black

Copper Foil

Click on the colour name to see all the Stampin' Up! products in that colour
 

I hope that I've given you some inspiration for the Bokeh Technique and I really hope that you will give this fabulous technique a go and join us for this weeks challenge. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

For all the details on this weeks challenge remeber to check it out at TGIF Challenges.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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#TGIFC109 Designer Inspiration - Rochelle Blok

Hello, Hello!!!! Yay! Its Friday! Fri-nally!! I just love the weekend. Spending time with my hubby and kids, not having to rush out the door for school and our routines and maybe even a sleep in or two if I'm lucky. Another fabulous thing about Friday is that its #TGIFC time. Whoop, Whoop!! 

This weeks challenge is a designer spotlight challenge and the design team is gaining their inspiration from ... ME!!! Super excited with this challenge and super excited to see how people interpret my designs.

This weeks card I haven't cased one card in particular but I added some of my favourite elements that I love to use on my cards and creations - vellum, stitching, lots of ribbon and trim, gold embellishments, layers, Wink of Stella, bling. Although if I had have used all the things that I love to used my card would have been one hot mess. 

I started with the furthest card on the right and that has lots of layers, all my favourite embellishments and all the things I love to put on my cards. I then thought once that was made, why not strip the cards back and step them up from Beginner to Advanced.

The first card is the beginner card. To start off all you need is a couple of layers, cardstock,  a gorgeous DSP, little bit of stamping and a little bit of bling. You really don't actually need that many products to make a beautiful card. Sometimes all you need to do is let the things like the DSP be the stand out in your cards. How stunning is that DSP by the way? Its the new Delightful Daisy DSP that will be available come June 1st!!! Put it on your wish list now! Seriously its AMAZING!!!

Next this card is stepped up a little with a couple of added layers, vellum and some embellishments like the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate and the Tranquil Tide 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon. 

Last is the card that I originally created. It still has the vellum layer but I've hand stitched around it with the Gold Metallic Thread. Lots of ribbon and trim, a leaf die cut using the Flourish Thinlits, stamped leaves from the Daisy Delight stamp set and the stamped off technique, gold ribbon and some gold sequin embellishments. All the things I love to create with. Pretty!

 The sentiment comes from the Swan Lake stamp set and on the inside of all of the cards it says 'may happiness follow'.  Perfect for some Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) cards.

How gorgeous is that daisy from the Daisy Delight stamp set? That too is available from 1st June. The most fabulous thing is that it has a co-ordinating punch!! Oh yeah!! Got to love SU's co-ordinating products. They are so good at it!! A fabulous thing about these products is that when June 1st comes around you can get the Daisy Delight stamp set and the Daisy punch a a bundle price saving yourself 10% off the retail price of the two products separately. Winning!!!

I'm in love with this DSP pattern. Just soft, gorgeous and super pretty! I'm a sucker for anything pretty!

Have you noticed the Gold Faceted Gems in the centre of the Daisy's?  They too are a new product. They come in the Gold like you see here but also Clear as well. I hope that you are putting all these new things on your wish lists so they are ready to go come June 1st! 

 Why not play along with us and show us your interpretation of my creations? I'm so looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Click here for all the details on how you can join in and for all the inspiration from the Design Team.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  (Australian Residents Only)

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