Just Add Ink #154

 Hi there

It has been a race against time to get this card posted before the deadline of the Just Add Ink #154 challenge.  This week the challenge is to create a pop-up card.  I love making special cards and 3-D projects and I have been wanting to do one of these for a while.  I had the idea very quickly, but the execution took longer than I expected (I can hear 'just stick it down' echoing in my head!).  I think this is what you call a 'labour of love' as it will be my Mum's birthday in less than 2 weeks, so this one is for her.

I have used the beautiful 'Stippled Blossoms' stamp set which is perfect for elegant floral cards. The colour combos for the flowers are Pretty in Pink with Regal Rose highlights and Regal Rose with Rose Red highlights. The green combo is Wild Wasabi with Gumball Green highlights, which I was very happy with.

You will have to excuse the lighting in the photos as it was very gloomy in Melbourne this afternoon, so I had to use artificial light. This is the front of the card, which is 14cm x 14cm.

For the pop-up feature, I wanted a flower box full of blossoms and this is what I came up with.

The flower box has been embossed with the Woodgrain folder that has been inked with Soft Suede first. I die cut an oval and adhered it to the back of the flower box and used it as the base to arrange the blossoms. I think the Honeycomb embossed panel at the rear makes a nice backdrop for the blossoms and sentiment.  Overall, I was pretty happy with the result.

The mechanism is very simple, a couple of straight cuts through the centre of the insert as shown below. The only tricky bit is adhering the insert so that it folds properly, but stays upright when open. 

 

Project Details
Stamps	Stippled Blossoms, Bring on the Cake, Afterthoughts (Hostess, retired)
Card stock & Papers	Regal Rose, Rose Red, Bazzill Linen, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink textured (retired), Soft Suede, Subtles Pattern Stack
Ink	Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Gumball Green, Soft Suede
Accessories	Basic Pearls
Tools	Needlepoint Border, Swiss Dots, Honeycomb, Designer Frames, Woodgrain embossing folders,  Labels Framelits, Ovals Framelits, Limitless Layers Ovals (not SU), Ovals Die (retired), Beautiful Wings Sizzlit, Big Shot, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch,Wide Oval punch, Dimensionals, Stampin' Write Markers (Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Gumball Green), Stamp-a-ma-jig

Thanks for looking!

ETA: Thanks to the DT for choosing this card as the winner this week.

Merry Monday #51

Hi there

How quickly the week flies by and it is time for Merry Monday #51 challenge.  This is my last week as the Featured Designer and I want to thank Lesley for the opportunity to be part of the Design Team for the last month.  It has been a privelege to review and comment on the fabulous cards that are made each week for Merry Monday. I've also enjoyed the variety of challenges each week and will be continuing to participate as frequently as I can. It is a great way to build your Christmas card stash. I've made 10 Christmas cards so far this year - woohoo!

This week  is a Tic Tac Toe challenge where you get to choose 3 options to be included in your card. You can select the 3 in a row either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.  Here is the table:

I chose the PUNCHES - DIGITAL - CUTE options for my card. 

Punches - I have used a number of punches to create the sentiment and to round the corners of the card.

Digital - The main image is a digital stamp - 'Santa Marci', which I have printed onto Xpress-IT blending card and coloured with Copics. The thing I love about digital stamps is that you can adjust the size of the image before printing, which I have done here.   You can't really tell from the photo, but I had added crushed velvet flock to the 'fur' trim on the hat, dress and boots using my Quickie glue pen.  It  gives the card an extra touchable dimension.

I have earmarked this card for a couple of  little people who are amazed that a grown-up likes colouring as much as they do! 

Cute - I think the end result is cute, but I'll leave that for you to decide!

For the inside, I have used some more of the snowflake DSP and added the cute panda, which is also a digital image that I sized, printed and coloured with Copics.

 

Project Details
Stamps	Santa Marci & Panda Digital stamps (not SU), Snow Swirled, Mixed Medley (Hostess, retired)
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Snow Festival DSP (Retired), Brights Patterns Stack, Xpress-IT Blending card, scrap Red Glimmer paper
Ink	Real Red
Accessories	Red & White Bakers twine (not SU), 1/4" White Stitched Grosgrain ribbon, White Crushed Velvet flock (not SU)
Tools	Snow Burst Embossing folder (retired), Finishing Touches Edgelits, Big Shot, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, 7/8" Circle punch (not SU), Owl Builder punch (heart), Corner Rounder punch, Dimensionals, Stampin' Write Markers (Real Red), Quickie Glue pen, Copics, Computer and printer

Make sure you check out the inspiring samples from the Design Team.

Allisa Chilton
Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

Nina Forsyth

Wendy Aungst

Narelle Farrugia

Sue Joyce

Sherry Eckblad

Margaret Moody

Vicki Burdick

Have a great week.

Seize the Birthday #7 - Feminine

Hi there

The card I have for you today was made for this weeks Seize the Birthday # 7 challenge which is to make a feminine birthday card with this sketch:

I received the new 'Tea for Two' DSP late last week, so I decided to use it to make this birthday card for a friend.  It came together very quickly after deciding which papers to use and I had the flower already made.

For the inside, I have used markers on the flower stamp from the 'Oh, Hello' stamp set with some more DSP from the 'Tea for Two' pack.

Project Details
Stamps	Fourteen Phrases (not available for sale), Oh, Hello, Bring on the Cake
Card stock & Papers	Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Gumball Green, Tea for Two DSP
Ink	Calypso Coral
Accessories	Basic Pearls, Victoria Lace, Antique brads
Tools	Hearts a Flutter Framelits,  Delicate Doilies Sizzlit Die, Big Shot, Blossom punch, Fancy Flower punch, 5-Petal punch (retired), Bo Ho Blossoms punch, Glue dots, Dimensionals, Stampin' Write markers (Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade), Champagne Shimmer paint, Isocol

Thanks for looking!

ETA: Thanks to the DT for choosing this card to 'Take the Cake' this week.

Merry Monday #50

Hi there

It is time for this week's Merry Monday #50 challenge.  This week it is a theme challenge - ELEGANCE.

Definitions of elegance include  'tasteful opulence in form, decoration or presentation'.  When I think of elegance, I think of monochromatic designs and sparkle.  I love jewel colours for Christmas and together with silver and sparkle this is what I have for you today.  I initially chose Midnight Muse for the main colour with the silver embossed 'Star Tree' encased in silver glimmer. This stamp was given to me by a lovely friend and it is the first time I have used it.  It is very detailed, but heat embosses beautifully.

For the inside, I have used the same elements again in the reverse colours to maintain the elegant look.

This is a design that is easy to replicate, so I took the opportunity to make another two, also in jewel colours.  This one is in Raspberry Ripple.

This one is in Elegant Eggplant.

This one is in Island Indigo.

 

Project Details
Stamps	Star Tree (retired)
Card stock & Papers	Bazzill White Linen, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer paper
Ink	Versamark, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Elegant Eggplant.
Accessories	None
Tools	Nestabilities Ovals, Ovals Framelits, Delicate Designs Embossing folder, Large Scallop Edgelit, Big Shot,  Merry Minis punch pack, Dimensionals, Embossing Buddy, Silver embossing powder, Heat gun

Make sure you check out the inspiring samples from the Design Team.

Allisa Chilton
Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

Nina Forsyth

Wendy Aungst

Narelle Farrugia

Sue Joyce

Sherry Eckblad

Margaret Moody

Vicki Burdick

Thanks for stopping by!

Freshly Made #73

Hi there

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend.  Today I have a card for this week's Freshly Made #73 sketch by Jen  B. using a few more of the new toys that I have acquired recently.  I have a number of friends and family having birthdays in the next 6 weeks, so I'm taking the opportunity to get organised. Here is the sketch:
I have inked up the 'Stippled Blossoms' stamp set for the first time (how could I have waited this long??) using the small flower and leaves to frame the top of the panel. My half circle is actually a Labels framelit die cut as the sentiment didn't fit well into a circle.  The flowers are stamped in Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit which were stamped off for the lighter colour and then normal strength for the highlight. These colours were taken from the striped designer paper from the Print Poetry Paper stack, one of my favourite items from the Occasions Mini Catalogue.To finish off, I used the new Needlepoint Border Embossing folder.

 

For the inside, I've used the same designer paper and added the scallop needlepoint embossed border at the top. I love the elegant finish it provides.

There are a lot of inspiring creations waiting to be seen, so check out the entries this week.

Project Details
Stamps	Stippled Blossoms, Perfectly Penned
Card stock & Papers	Crumb Cake, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla, Print Poetry Paper Stack
Ink	Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Crumb Cake
Accessories	Basic Pearls, Resin flower (Artisan Embellishment Kit)
Tools	Lacy Brocade Embossing folder, Needlepoint Border Embossing folders, Lables Framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Glue dots

 Have a great week.

ETA: 

Many thanks to Jen B. for selecting this card for the 'Queen of Clean' this week. Woo hoo!