Just Add Ink #688 | Just Choose Two Challenge

 I'm here today to bring you my card for the NEW challenge we have over at Just Add Ink Challenges - Just Add Ink #688 - Just Choose Two Challenge. 

Today for our Just Choose Two challenge (to choose two items to feature on your project) we are choosing from Sequins, Stars or Stitching. I chose stitching straight off the bat and then added sequins for my Just Choose Two.

The sequins and stitching are accents to finish off my card rather than being the main element. I did think about doing another cross stitch card but I might save doing another one later on down the track.

I've gone for a Basic White and Fresh Freesia card today for a pretty and fresh look. I think Fresh Freesia is becomning my new favourite Stampin' Up! colour. Everytime I use it I love it more and more.

The butteflies all over my card are from the Stampin' Up! Paper Butterfly Accents. I love the contrast of these beautiful white butterflies against the coloured cardstock. Pretty! To add the stitching element used a (very old and retired) Stampin' Up! Essentials Paper Piercing Pack and a Piercing Tool to punch the holes and then with a needle and some retired Gold Thread I hand stitched the border. I used to do this quite a lot on my cards and I love the gorgeous look that the hand stitching gives. This is the next best thing to using a sewing machine on your cards.

Because I wanted the butterfly layer to be the main element to my card I really didn't want a large sentiment to cover them all. I've layered some Vellum Basics, Linen Thread, a small piece of the Perennial Lavender DSP and the Happy Birthday Senitment. The sequins come from the For Everything Fancy Sequins.

There are lots of AMAZING creations from the rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team on the JAI Blog. Go and check out to see what 'two' elements they all used this week and then while you are there you can see how you can enter your project. Can't wait to see what 'two' you used.

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

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.

 

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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?

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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.

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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

1.Kerry Parkinson

2. Kim Badelt

3. Jan McQueen

4. Di Barnes

5. Rochelle Blok - You are here

6. Nikki Spencer

7. Joanne Stubbings

8. Narelle Farrugia

9. Annie Alexander

10. Tina Gillespie

11. Lou Kitzelman

12. Chantell Randall

13. Tristan Dawes 

 

 

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?

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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.

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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?

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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. 

 

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Just Add Ink #684 | Just Add Traditional Christmas Colours

 Hello there stamping friends! I hope that you are having a fantastic week and a fabulous day! It's Friday, Yay, and that means it's time for another Just Add Ink Challenge - Just Add Ink #684 | Just Add Traditional Christmas Colours. Our last challenge for the 2023.

We are using traditional Red, Green, and Gold Christmas Colours for this challenge. Are you a traditional or non-traditional Christmas colour person? No judgement here! Ha!⁠ I love the classic look of these colours together and how festive they look. They really do just scream 'Christmas', don't they?

Today I've used some products Stampin' Up! Joy of Christmas Suite for my card. I love how the red, green, and touch of gold pop against the white base layers.⁠ 

With the foliage image from the Joy of Noel stamp set I stamped the image four times with Memento Ink and then coloured in the leaves and holly berries using Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers. I die cut the images out and then arranged them on the card to make an extra large wreath. Layered with the wreath images are also some die cuts that I would say look like Pine needles for some added elements and added interest to the wreath.

 

I stamped Versamark ink on Cherry Cobbler cardstock and then embossed it with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder for that beautiful tone on tone look to the Noel letters. I've then finished the card off with the Merry Christmas embossed sentiment, Loose Holly gems and a little strand of Gold Thread. While the gold thread may have retired years ago, it is one of those products that I will continue to use until I run out of it while at the same time secretly hoping that it would come back.

I do hope that I've given you some last minute inspiration for that last minute Christmas craft before Christmas Day

For some more red, green and gold inspiration go and check out the Just Add Ink Blog for more traditional Christmas colours creations and come and join in this week's colour challenge fun! I can't wait to see what you create. Remember that this is our last challenge for this year and this challenge will be open for 3 weeks till we return with more fun challenges in 2024.

 

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

 

Live in Australia?

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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

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Just Add Ink #683 | Just Choose Two Challenge

  Hello there stamping friends! I hope that you are having a fantastic week and a fabulous day! It's Friday, Yay, and that means it's time for another Just Add Ink Challenge - Just Add Ink #683 | Just Choose Two Challenge.

Today for our Just Choose Two challenge (to choose two items to feature on your project) we are choosing from Trees, Presents and Ornaments. Great elements to get those cretive ideas to finish those Christmas crating projects. As I've not got many stamp sets with these items I thought a little outside the square and made a Christmas Tree Ornament using Stampin' Up! cardstock. 

I've seen these Honeycomb Ornaments everywhere all over Pinterest in all different shapes and sizes but the tree shape was perfect for our Just Choose Two Challenge today.

They are actually quite easy to make. They just take a little time to put together and to wait for the glue to dry between each step. I made it a little easier on myself by scanning the out line for each cut out piece in my Scan n Cut and cut them out from there. Each tree needs 31 cut out pieces so it would take a while cutting them out by hand. By cutting them out on the Scan N Cut they are all cut out exactly the same and all uniform in size.Work smarter not harder I say. When I can work out how to upload the template on here I will and I'll make a tutorial for how to make them too.

I used Stampin' Up! cardstock to make the tree ornaments. I would say that you wouldn't wan't to use anything any thicker. I would have used Stampin' Up! DSP but I didn't have enough of the one design to cut out all the 31 pieces that I needed for each tree. How pretty would that look though with one pattern on one side and a different pattern on the other.

I used Stampin' Up! Linen thread to make the ornament 'hanger'. I cut 6 strands on the linen thread and plaited/braided them together to make a thicker 'twine' for the tree to hang from.

I hope that I've inspired you for our Just Choose Two challenge. There are lots of AMAZING creations from the rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team on the JAI Blog. Go and check out to see what 'two' elements they all used this week and then while you are there you can see how you can enter your project. Can't wait to see what 'two' you used.

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. 

 

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Stampin' Fancy Friday | Patterened Paper Challenge

Hello there stamping friends! Welcome, welcome! It's so good to have you here. I have a project for you 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 our theme is Patterned Paper AKA Designer Series Paper. 

 The team were asked to create a fancy project using any patterned paper you have! Current or retired. Your fav or maybe a pattern you find challenging to work with. Heck, even mix them!

Well I'm still on Christmas crafting so I've created a 'fancy' card usng the beautiful Stampin' Up! O Holy Night DSP.

 

I've actually created a card with a fancy fold for you today. I've used the Napkin Fold. Here it's all folded up and closed with the belly band. It really is quite an easy card to score and fold but once all folded together, decorated and embellished, looks quite intricate. I've made one of these before many years ago. Check it out HERE. You'll find how to make it there too.

A fancy fold card is the perfect way to showcase the amazing Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper. A card that gives you lots of layers and panels is perfect for using DSP. 

 The Basic White card base is a 12" x 12" sheet of cardstock trimmed down to 11" x 11". Once scored and folded I layered each section with cardstock and the O Holy Night DSP. 

 

 The centre panel and the belly band have also been accented with the O Holy Night DSP and the Night Divine Stamp and Dies Bundle. How stunning is that Nativity Scene?

 The belly band I've made with Crumb Cake Cardstock and then embossed it with the Stars at Night Hybrid Embossing Folder. I've embellished it with the Night of Navy & Gold Glittered Ribbon, some Natural Wavy Trim, and then a layering of die cuts, O Holy Night DSP and the sentiment from the Night Divine Stamp Set.

I added a panel on the back to write a message with some O Holy Night DSP and ribbon & trim.

This is one of those special cards that needs a hand made envelope (which I still have to do) and you give it to a special person. This is not a 'by mail' Christmas card.

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! 

 Want to join the fancy fun? Grab your stamping supplies, create a project based on the Patterned Paper challenge and then post it on Instagram or Facebook. Tag us or use #stampinfancyfriday when you share so we can 😍 at your project and share in our stories. Can't wait to see how this challenge inspires you!

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. 

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