Just Add Ink #368 | Just Add A Twist

Why hello there!! Welcome to another Just Add Ink challenge. It's a challenge with  twist as the heading suggests. It's also a fabulous challenge to get some more versatility out of our stamp sets. Just Add a Twist - Use a birthday set for Christmas. Some more Christmas in July fun! 

It does seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas but now is as good a time as any to get started on those handmade Christmas cards. It will be one less thing to worry about buy the time Christmas does come around.

I've created a floral Christmas Wreath for my card today using the Boxwood Wreath Embellishments and accenting it with the flowers from the Happiest of Days Stamp set. Fun right?

I've really layered my card up today with the Crumb Cake base layers, then the fabulous Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White Stripes from the Be Merry DSP and then the White Embossed Layer using the Sheet music background stamp. This background stamp teams up perfectly with any Christmas inspired creation. Over the white heat embossed layer I then flicked the brush tip end of the Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker for a fun splatter look.

Next out came the hot glue gun. You know there is serious crafting going on when the Hot Glue gun comes out. The Boxwood Wreath Embellishments come rolled up in a tiny wreath. So to get the bigger wreath I used 2 of the Boxwood Embellishments. Because these are a bit more of a bulkier embellishment they seem to stay put on the card the best with some Hot Glue.

Because the flower and the leaf is one stamp the best way to get the two lots of colour on it is to use the brush tip end of the Stampin' Write marker and 'colour' the stamp in. Once you've finished colouring remember to 'huff' on the stamp with your breath to re-moisten the ink after you've spent that time colouring in the stamp. Sometimes when using the markers to colour in the stamp it does take a little bit of time and then ink can dry out. So by breathing on the stamp once you've finished will help to get that moisture back to the ink and then you have the perfect stamped image.

 Embellished with Basic Black Baker's Twine, Gold Faceted Gems, Gold Glimmer Paper and Cherry Cobbler Double-Stitched Ribbon. So fun and festive!

Crumb Cake

Cherry Cobbler

Garden Green

Whisper White

Basic Black

Gold Foil

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

Make sure you stop by the Just Add Ink Blog to see what the Just Add Ink team have created for their Just Add a Twist Card. You won't be disappointed. Make sure you check out all the details for this weeks challenge while you're there and get creating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Colour Inkspiration Challenge #13 Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Colour INKspiration Challenge #13 Blog Hop. I have been part of this fabulous crew since it first started earlier this year but due to all my other Design Team commitments I haven't been able to participate till today.

You may have joined me here from the lovely Monique Fielder in Canberra, Australia or you have started here with me. Either way you are in for some creative inspiration!

Colour INKspiration is a Facebook based card Challenge group with a new Stampin' Up! inspired colour challenge each fortnight. Each colour challenge is kicked off with a blog hop from the Colour INKspiration Design team, with Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from Australia and New Zealand, showing you all their awesome creations to get your creative ideas flowing.

This new challenge is super gorgeous and super pretty and would work perfectly for a very literal interpretation of this challenge with the new Stampin' Up! Climbing Orchid stamp set and the Orchid Builder Framelits dies.

But I've chosen to use this colour combo with a different stamp set that is also new from Stampin' Up! - Lots of Love. It has that big, bold, make a statement sized sentiment and then some gorgeous floral images and some other smaller sized sentiments. Super pretty and super fun.

I started this card with a fun water colour background layer using a fun and very, very easy technique called Aqua Wash with a Zip lock bag and the Lemon Lime Twist Stampin' Write Marker. It really makes the water colour wash on your card backgrounds even easier to do.

Search in YouTube either Stamping Technique - Aqua Wash or Baggie Watercolor Technique and you'll see how so, so easy this is.

I sped up the drying time of my water colour piece with the Stampin' Up! Heat Tool and then using the brush tip end of the Lemon Lime Twist Marker, flicked it for a fun splatter over the wash and then on that spread the new Stampin' Up! Embossing Paste and the 'diamond' pattern from the Pattern Party Decorative Masks.

It might seem a lot for one background layer but it really does make for a lot of interest and texture and for a fun look to your cards.

I then used the large 'Sending lots of Love' sentiment to create a fun sentiment panel. This was stamped in Fresh Fig Stampin' Up! Classic Ink and the die cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies. I used the square shape to partial cut it and then this then turns it into a rectangle. The rectangle panel was then layered with the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate for more fun and interest.

Its all finished off with one of the floral and leaf images from the Lots of Love stamp set. I stamped the flower in Sweet Sugarplum and the Leaf in Wild Wasabi and then these were fussy cut out with the Stampin' Up! Paper snips. If you are after a pair of scissors for fussy cutting, I really can't recommend the Stampin' Up! Paper Snips enough. They are just the perfect scissors for a fussy cutting job.

The flower and leaf and then layered with Gold Metallic Thread, Burlap Ribbons, Sweet Sugarplum Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and Mini Gold Sequin Trim. Just some more elements to finish off a fun card.

Sweet Sugarplum

Wild Wasabi

Lemon Lime Twist

Fresh Fig

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

Thanks for joining us on the hop today. I hope that I've given you some inspiration today for this fun and pretty colour combo. I am so looking forward to seeing your interpretation of these colours.

Now on to Rebecca Scurr in sunny Queensland to see what she has created. I'm sure you will be amazed!!!

Rebecca Scurr

Click on the HERE for all the challenge details in the challenge Facebook group and to enter the challenge for yourself. Can't wait to see what you make of this colour combination!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Stampin' Up! Artisan Blog Hop | Introducing Carols of Christmas

Well welcome to you all today. We have a very special, super exciting hop for you today showing the early release of the ALL NEW Carols of Christmas Stamp set and Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies. NEW PRODUCT!!! Oh Yeah!!! Even more exciting NEW CHRISTMAS PRODUCT!!!! Yay!!! Christmas in July!

Stampin' Up! Demonstrators can now order this bundle in the pre-order period and make a saving of 10% when they do. It's a great time to start planning your Christmas Card classes or even have a Christmas in July class. Nothing like getting that head start on your Christmas creations.

These products are so very versatile and they team up so well with the Christmas products available in the 2017 - 2018 Annual Catalogue. Get prepared for the launch of this new product for your customers when it is available on August 1st.

As a customer you will be able to get this Carols of Christmas bundle as of 1st August and you will be able to make further savings on this bundle by using your Bonus Days Coupons. Make sure you Pin and save all these ideas so you are ready to go when the set and thinlits are available to you.

 Just a warning I've got lots of pictures today so grab a cuppa and a biscuit/cookie/Tim Tam or two and get yourself comfortable.

I've gone with some gift box packaging ideas for you today showing the fabulousness of this gorgeous bundle with that Christmas in July feel. You can never have too many gift packaging ideas I say and these boxes are very generous in size so you can fit a decent sized gift in them.

The first box uses the Poinsettia card builder pieces to make the Vellum layer and then the Peace on Earth sentiment embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder for a fun and special look to make this more 'Chrismassy'. The Poinsettia card builder pieces are two Thinlit pieces that you place in each corner of your card, run it through the Big Shot to die cut and then you place them in the other corners and repeat the process to complete the look in each corner.

 Its accented with the Burlap trim, Basic Black Baker's Twine and the fabulous new Boxwood Wreaths Embellishments all from the Annual Catalogue. Love the mix of the Boxwood Wreaths with the trim. Gives a modern and trendy look and feel to the gift box.

The second box gave my Stamp-a-ma-jig a real workout that's for sure. I stamped the small deer image all over the Basic Black 12"x12" Cardstock using Whisper White Craft ink and then embossed each one using White Stampin' Emboss Powder. While this process took a little bit of time to do I think the results are fabulous and make for a fun and festive look.

This box has also been embellished with the Burlap, Basic Black Baker's Twine and the Boxwood Wreath Embellishments and I've also added a piece of DSP from the Annual Catalogue DSP Be Merry DSP.

The front panel was stamped also with Whisper White craft ink and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss powder like the box but I then sponged the Whisper White Craft ink over the Basic Black panel for that Chalkboard look. All adorned with the little Holly image coloured with Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green Stampin' Write Markers, both from the Regals Stampin' Write Markers, to get the two coloured look.

I put the Stamp-a-ma-jig to work again for this box. There are two parts to each stamped image the 'wreath' comes from the Lots of Love stamp set. While the wreath had the words 'Thinking of You' in the centre of it, I used Washi tape to cover over the words when inking up the image and then removed the tape when stamping the image down to mask out the words. Once all the wreaths were stamped I then used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the Holly image in the centre of each wreath.  My Stamp-a-ma-jig has never been used so much in its life. Back to it's hiding place for another two years! Ha! Again this took a little bit of time bit I'm loving the look of the two images stamped together.

All finished off with so Burlap Trim, Basic Black Shimmer Ribbon and some Basic Black Baker's Twine. And again a chalkboard 'Deck the Halls' gift tag. It's making me wish it was closer to Christmas to put these under the tree.

Here are some more pictures to give a bit more of a close up of each box.

Here is as side picture of the boxes to show how deep the boxes are.  The finished boxes measure at 6 x 6 x 3″ (15 x 15 x 7.5cm) so they are a fabulous size for those gifts that are just that little bit bigger and need a special gift box to go with it.

I hope that I've inspired you with this new Carols of Christmas and Card Front Builder bundle. Make sure as a demonstrator you get it now or as an avid Stampin' Up! customer you have this on your wish list ready to go come August 1st!

 Just a reminder that these products are available to demonstrators only from 1st - 31st July and available to customers from 1st August. If you’re a customer and you just can’t wait, talk to your demonstrator about joining their team (or for information on joining in Australia, click here) and you can get it early too!

Now on the super amazing and wonderfully talented Shannon Lane in Canada for more inspirational and jaw dropping ideas.

Allison Okamitsu

Aurelie Fabre

Cathy Caines

Dani Dziama

Holly Stene

Jennifer Sootkoos

Jessica Winter

Katy Harrison

Kimberly Van Diepen

Louise Sharp 

Maike Ulbrich

Martha Inchley

Mercedes Weber

Mindy Bingamon 

Miriam van Eyden

Paula Dobson

Rochelle Blok

Shannon Lane

Sylwia Schreck 

Tanya Boser  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Live in Australia?
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  Recreate these gift boxes at home using the following Stamin' Up! products. Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

146036	Carols of Christmas Bundle (wood-mount)	$90.75
146037	Carols of Christmas Bundle (clear-mount)	$78.25
144674	Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies	$52.00
144801	Carols of Christmas Stamp Set (wood-mount)	$49.00
144804	Carols of Christmas Stamp Set (clear-mount)	$35.00

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Just Add Ink #366 | Just Add A

Hello stamping friends!! I'm super excited that its time for another Just Add Ink Challenge.  This week its Just Add 'A'. While this one did throw me a little as I didn't have any stamp sets starting with A, How weird is that? I thought more about the elements to go on my card for my Just Add 'A'

While we are right in the middle of Winter here in Melbourne my first thoughts went to the Autumn leaves and dies from the Stampin' Up! Colourful Seasons Stamp set and Seasonal Layers thinlits. I've also added the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate which is another 'A'element to my card.

For my colour combo I've gone for one today that Stampin' Up suggested with the release of their 2017 - 2019 In Colours. Stampin' Up! released this list, as you say, of possible colour combinations to go with the new In Colours. I thought the one circled would be a fabulous one to go with my 'A' theme. Perfect colours for Autumn! Although I've swapped out Pear Pizzazz for Old Olive. I just liked it better. That's all.

Fresh Fig

Calypso Coral

Daffodil Delight

Old Olive

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

I first started with the small Old Olive Ombre panel cut from the the Colour Theory DSP stack. I love the soft and subtle ombre on some of the DSP sheets. The graduation of colour is stunning! Once I had this ombre panel cut I then wrapped some Linen Thread to it and tied a Linen Thread Bow. Once the Linen Thread was adhered it was then layered with the Old Olive card base, the Shimmery White Layer and the Fabulous Foil Acetate Layer.

For the Autumn leaves I stamped the veins on the Fresh Fig one with Versamark and then heat embossed it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. The Daffodil Delight leaf I stamped the veins with Daffodil Delight Ink and embossed them with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. The last leaf is in Calypso Coral and die cut with the more intricate of the Autumn Leaf dies. I then attached the leaves to the Linen Thread Bow with glue dots after I tied them together with the 1/8" Gold Ribbon.

Once the leaves were stamped and die cut it was then really a matter of figuring out the rest of the layout and what embellishments to used.

In keeping with the Autumn colour theme and the use of some of the products from the Colour Theory Suite I finished off the card with some of the super stunning and super sparkly Glitter Enamel Dots. Due to the dots on the acetate layer being quite busy I didn't think the card needed much else other than a little piece of Fresh Fig ribbon and a sentiment stamped in Fresh Fig. How stunning is that colour by the way? I'm not normally a purples person but this dark shade of purple is beautiful! 

Be sure to keep a look out at my future blog posts. I'm going to try to attempt to make some creations using every one of the suggested In Colour combinations. Should make for a fun adventure!

I do hope that you will come and join us this week at Just Add Ink for our Just Add 'A' theme.  I'm sure you will come up with some A-mazing creations! Ha! See what I did there! He, He!! All the details for this weeks theme are over at the Just Add Ink Blog. Make sure that you check out all the amazing (yep I did it again, HA!) creations from this amazing Design Team. Gosh these gals are so clever!!! Looking forward to see what you bring with your A-game!! 

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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Stamp Review Crew | Labeler Alphabet

Hello and welcome! Its that time again! Third Monday of the month. Which means is Stamp Review Crew time! Oh yeah! Perfect way to start off the week with a fabulous blog hop.

If you are joining us for the first time we are a group of International Stampin' Up! demonstrators that show one Stampin' Up! stamp set at a time, every first and third Monday's of the month. Be sure to make your way around the hop by clicking the next button at the bottom of each post. If you get lost along the way click on the banner at the top of each post and that will lead you to the list of hoppers so you can continue seeing all the fabulous creations.

This hop we are using the Labeler Alphabet stamp set and I'm sure this fabulous bunch of crafters will show you amazing ways of how to use this stamp set.

It's got that label maker look but in a stamp set. A fabulous thing about this set is that it is a photopolymer set so you can see through the image for perfect placement when trying to line up all the images.

I've gone with a fabulous colour combo that I've seen with one of the new 2017 -2019 In Colours that looks just amazing. Basic Black, Lemon Lime Twist and Whisper White. Well in my case it's Shimmery White.

Basic Black

Lemon Lime Twist

Whisper White

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

I started off with using the Labeler Alphabet stamp set to make a background layer by repeating the words 'Happy Birthday'.

I did use the Misti and rule some faint pencil lines to try and get the lines straight. Some of the letters aren't quite in line with the others but I like that slightly messy look.

Once the background words were stamped I used the Basic Black and Lemon Lime Twist markers to do a little splatter flicking. You use the brush tip end and flick it out away from you using the marker lid. The small splatters are a fun look and add that extra something to any card.

I then cut two of the Happy Birthday Thinlit die in Basic Black and Lemon Lime Twist and layered them on top of each other. I cut the Basic Black one first and when I laid it over the Happy Birthday stamped background it got lost in all that black but layering the two colours on top of each colour really gives that die cut some definition.

Lastly I finished of with a piece of a sentiment from the Happy Celebrations set. The whole sentiment actually said 'Birthday to you' but I only wanted the 'To You' part so I only inked up the part I wanted with Versamark ink and then heat embossed it with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. I've embellished the 'To You' underneath it with the super gorgeous Black Mini Sequin Trim and a small piece of the Lemon Lime Twist Ombre Ribbon. Gorgeous!

I hope that I given you some inspiration with this set and I hope that you remember to use this one because it is a fabulous set! Perfect to make your own sentiments ans sayings.

Now on to Heidi Baks for her stunning creations!

Heidi Baks

Dawn Tidd

Thank so much for stopping by!

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Stampin' Up! Artisan Blog Hop | Happy Birthday Gorgeous

Why hello my stamping friends! So happy to have you here for this edition of the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Blog Hop. We are using the oh so fabulous and oh so versatile Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set. It is super cute, super fun, super pretty and a little bit girly too! All the things I love it a stamp set.

Another fabulous thing about this stamp set is that it is one of the amazing bundles in the 2017 - 2018 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue. WOOHOO! Buy the Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set and the Happy Birthday Thinlit Die together and get 10% off!!! WINNING!!

What a fun and fabulous bundle!

My cards today are a homage or a tribute to the new 2017 - 2019 In Colours. They are so fabulous! I love, love, love them. They are the best ones Stampin' Up! have had for a while where I love every single one of them!!! 

I've made 5 cards today using each of the new In Colours, so just be warned I've taken lots of photos. All of the cards are the same but they all have a different feel with each different In Colour.

I've stamped the In Colour Classic Inks on Crumb Cake cardstock and that gives the ink a different colour look again as opposed to stamping on Whisper White Cardstock. Just gorgeous!! Almost has that vintage sort of feel.

 Berry Burst

Fresh Fig

Lemon Lime Twist

Tranquil Tide

Powder Pink

Here is a close up of one of the cards to give you a better look at some of the finer details. The cards have all been stamped with this open floral image to create a fun background, sponged around the edges with Crumb Cake ink and then using the Basic Black marker and flicking the brush tip end, small black splatters all over the front. 

I then layered Whisper White cardstock and a piece of Vellum embossed with the Petal Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. The 'Happy Birthday' was die cut with Copper Foil. Make sure you use the Precision Base plate when die cutting with intricate dies like these. You'll get a better cut and you wont get those annoying little dots all over your die cut from the die. You'll get a smoother look die cut with the Precision Base Plate.

Each one is then accented with the fun and dotty balloon, stamped with Versamark Ink and then Heat Embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss powder. They are all then finished off with the black metallic thread, tying each balloon to the 'Happy Birthday' die for a fun birthday balloon look.

I'm so loving all these 2017 - 2019 In Colours. If I had to pick one to be my favourite, its like picking a favourite child, Ha!, I'm leaning towards Tranquil Tide with Powder Pink coming in a very close second. See I can't even pick just one I love them all that much! Which one is your favourite?

Berry Burst

Fresh Fig

Lemon Lime Twist

Tranquil Tide

Powder Pink

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

Now onto the other side of the globe with Shannon Lane in Canada. I'm sure she will have something with lots of colour that will sure WOW the socks off you! Love your work Shannon!

Allison Okamitsu

Aurelie Fabre

Cathy Caines

Dani Dziama

Holly Stene

Jennifer Sootkoos

Jessica Winter

Katy Harrison

Kimberly Van Diepen

Louise Sharp 

Maike Ulbrich

Martha Inchley

Mercedes Weber

Mindy Bingamon 

Miriam van Eyden

Paula Dobson

Rochelle Blok

Shannon Lane

Sylwia Schreck 

Tanya Boser 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Live in Australia?
 Shop for Stampin' Up! with me 24/7

 Recreate these cards at home using the following Stamin' Up! products. Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

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