Beach Life for Me - Color Throwdown Featured Stamper

Howdy and welcome! Today's card is for Color Throwdown challenge #836 where I'm honoured to be Featured Stamper. 

Up in the northern hemisphere they're enjoying summer and these colours are absolutely perfect for that, aren't they? So bold and cheerful! I've used summer as inspiration for my card.

All the die-cuts were cut from white card and coloured with inks. That gorgeous large 'beach' die-cut is three layers and given an ombre look, which regular visitors will know I love to use on my large sentiments. The background was stamped with three inks using a sea sponge for a light, speckled effect I hoped would imitate sand but it's very subtle and you have to look hard to see it, lol. There are three shades of orange on the beach towel and I love how vibrant this is! All in all, a very fun card to make, with the added plus of giving me warmer days to look forward to as winter digs her claws firmly in, lol. 

Materials used:

• stamp & die combo - Oversized Beach (Waffle Flower)
• other dies - Lovely Layers: At the Beach (HoneyBee)
• inks - antique linen, dried marigold, spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, picked raspberry, brushed corduroy, picket fence (Tim Holtz distress), crumb cake (SU)
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, Dimensionals, craft foam, MISTI, white embossing powder, heat tool, sea sponge

I hope these colours inspire something in you too. Pop over to the Color Throwdown blog to see what their design team came up with.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Sweet Wishes

When Festive Friday Challenges decides to celebrate World Chocolate Day, who am I to argue? Never let it be said I neglected the opportunity to make a card with a chocolate theme, lol. I'm dovetailing it with Just Us Girls and Inkspirational challenges too, as they both have a stencil theme.

 

From the FF inspo list, I used brown, cream, cherries and a sweet sentiment.

I've layered the box of cupcakes, cutting two from kraft card and one from white, stencilling with a variety of inks. The sentiment comes from the same release. Anyone else craving a cupcake/some chocolate now???

Materials used:

• stamp & die combo - Hey Cupcake (Waffle Flower)
• dies & stencil combo - Boxed Cupcakes (Waffle Flower)
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, white gel pen, craft foam, Copic markers, Dimensionals, white embossing powder, heat tool

Have a sweet day and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Beach Vibes Only

It's been a while since I made a very clean and simple card but an idea popped into my head for a couple of CAS challenges so I went with it.

As I've been making lots of beach themed stuff lately (you'll see those in upcoming weeks), that was what came to mind.

I stamped the frame of the sunnies first then added the beach background, colouring it with Copics. My card background is a little bit of stencilled waves to add to the water theme, then some acrylic dots (clear and shimmery to look like air bubbles) and a sentiment rounded it off.

Materials used:

• stamp & die combo - Spectacular Adventures (Altenew)
• other - Copic markers, salvaged patina distress ink, blending brush, MISTI, Big Shot, Subsentiments Coastal (Waffle Flower), Dimensionals, opal rounds (SU), white gel pen, waves stencil

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

No Place Like Home - Just Add Ink Challenge #757

For this week's new challenge at Just Add Ink we have a gorgeous picture to inspire you:

As at the moment I seem to be surrounded by people acquiring new homes, I've made a shaped card to that theme. 

Loving the Mediterranean feel of the picture, I carried the blue and white colour scheme through to the inside, as well as patterned tiles and vines.

Materials used:

• stamps - Timeless Tiles (Stampin' Up), Paint-a-flower Carnations (Altenew)
• dies - Door Decor (Concord & 9th), Grapevine (SU)
• distress inks - prize ribbon, rusty hinge, bundled sage, peeled paint
• other - Big Shot, MISTI, frosted acetate, Dimensionals, blending brushes, Cajun craze ink (SU)

What does the picture bring to mind for you? We'd love to see your interpretation on our blog. You can also check out more samples from my fellow team mates here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Ahoy! Arrr you ready?

It's cold and wet outside - in other words, perfect weather for staying in and making cards. I had an idea for my first play with an add-on set of stamps and dies I recently purchased to go with my inquisitive seagulls. Please say a loud Ahoy! to pirate seagulls!!!

Their little faces arrr just adorable, even with an eye patch or pirate hat, lol. I made them a little 'grubbier' than usual as I figured pirates wouldn't bathe too often 😉. It was soooooo much fun making this! 

As I haven't yet decided what occasion to use it for, I haven't put a sentiment inside - that can be done closer to use.

Materials used:

• stamps - Treasure Hunt Sentiments (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Inquisitive Seagulls, Inquisitive Pirate add-ons (Waffle Flower), belt and buckle (stash)
• distress inks - antique linen, pumice stone, brushed corduroy, scorched timber, spiced marmalade, salvaged patina
• other - blending brushes, distress inks, Dimensionals, Big Shot, MISTI

I hope if your weather is nasty too, you've got something equally fun to play with. Thanks for swashbuckling by!

Cheers

Kerry

Gull-tastic Birthday - Just Add Ink Challenge #756

Friday means a new Just Add Ink challenge and this week it's time for a bit of fancy folding so you can...

It's been a while since I last made a card needing a belly band and initially I wasn't intending to play along, but I rewatched some fav YouTube videos recently and came across a gatefold card made by Ruth Hamilton that inspired me to get crafting.

Here's the front with the belly band on:

And on the inside...

I love aquas and teals, especially for a coastal theme, so used a variety of inks for my ocean scenes and repeated those colours when I stencilled the stripes to use as 'patterned paper'.  

This card is my entry for Seize the Birthday challenge #307 - Fancy Fold.

Materials used:

• stamps - Inquisitive Seagulls, Postage Collage Beach Days (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Oh Buoy (Spellbinders)
• inks - coastal cabana, summer splash (Stampin' Up), dew drops, teal cave (Altenew), frayed burlap, pumice stone, carved pumpkin (Tim Holtz distress), nocturne (Versafine Clair)
• other - blending brushes, two-step mixed stripes stencils (Waffle Flower), Dimensionals, Sidekick, MISTI, small banner punch, white embossing powder, heat tool

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Letters to You - Just Add Ink Challenge #755

Welcome back to my blog and another Just Add Ink challenge. This week it's a colour combo suggested by yours truly.

Here's my postage themed 'Hello' card using these colours.

The background is misty moonlight blended on white card then stencilled over with grit paste. The various envelopes come from two die sets and are edged and "addressed" in smoky slate. Each of the faux wax seals has three layers of clear embossing powder over the outer circle for a shiny, 'waxy' look. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Postage Collage, Postage Collage Winter View (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Postage Collage miniature, Envelopes, Postage Collage Mini Seals (all Waffle Flower), Hello (stash)
• stencils - Post Card (Stamperia), Postage Collage miniature (Waffle Flower)
• other - blending brushes, craft foam, Distress grit paste opaque (Tim Holtz), clear embossing powder, heat tool 

Visit the Just Add Ink blog to check out more samples to inspire from my team mates and if you do create, we'd love you to share it with us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

You Rock, Gullfriend

I'm joining the Color Throwdown challenge this week with a fun and playful card.  

The water and duck in the pic, as well as turquoise being one of the options, made me think ocean theme. From there it wasn't much of a leap to those irrepressible, irresistable, inquisitive gulls you've met here before. 

Aren't they a hoot? I think they have a bit of a Blues Brothers vibe going on with their sunnies, lol, hence the choice of sentiment. 

I began with ink blending my background, turquoise for the water and oranges for the sunrise/sunset sky or beach sand, however you'd like to interpret it. To make the sea foam I applied Versamark ink using a sea sponge then sprinkled with white embossing powder - love how wispy the effect is! 

Materials used:

• dies - Inquisitive Seagulls (Waffle Flower), Smart Glasses (Spellbinders), other glasses from stash
• distress inks - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, dried marigold, spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, antique linen, pumice stone
• other - blending brushes, sea sponge, white embossing powder, heat tool, Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, G09 Copic marker, sentiment strip (Paper Rose)

Also entering in Inkspirational Challenges, where the colours match their mood board. 

Hope your day rocks and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Thread That Binds Us

My younger daughter is celebrating a birthday today so I thought I'd show you the project I made for her. She's an enthusiastic sewer, often making garments entirely sewn by hand, so I've used a sewing theme for this decor piece.

The background was stencilled with the pattern repeated, the colours chosen to co-ordinate with her home. Although the sewing machine is a modern shape I wanted to give it an antique look, so die-cut in black and sponged the edges with white ink as well as highlighting the detailed decorative pattern with a white gel pen. 

I wanted the buttons to look wooden, so cut them from woodgrain card before colouring them. I used baker's twine on the cotton reels and threaded needle, gluing it in strategic places. The faux stitching around the border of the vellum - used to both mute the bright colours behind and to give a base for the focal elements - tied in perfectly. 

Materials used:

• dies - Sew Fun (Waffle Flower), Sewing Set (Our Daily Bread Designs), slimline stitched rectangle, Nothing's Better Than (retired SU)
• stencil - Patchwork (Waffle Flower)
• distress ink colours - wild honey, fossilized amber, lumberjack plaid, chipped sapphire, brushed corduroy, vintage photo
• other - Big Shot, white and black bakers twine, silver pearl, Dimensionals, wooden vignette tray (Tim Holtz), white pigment ink, sponge dauber, white gel pen

I'm happy with it and hope she will be too. Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kerry

May The Force Be With You - Just Add Ink Challenge #753

It's time for another creative challenge at Just Add Ink and this week Tristan gives us the following sketch to play with:

Here's my interpretation:

A very straightforward card; I stamped the images and coloured with Copics then inked lightly around the edges of each square before mounting them on black. For the background I stamped and embossed the sentiment first, then covered it while I splattered liberally with white paint, more around the outsides and lighter in the centre. What Star Wars enthusiast wouldn't love this? (Coincidentally, I made it on May 4th! 😂😂😂)

Materials used:

• stamps - Kawaii Force (C.C. Designs)
• other - Copic markers, MISTI, blending brush, fan brush, picket fence distress paint, white embossing powder, heat tool, craft foam

We'd love to see what you do with this sketch. Be sure to check out more samples on the Just Add Ink blog.

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Shake It Up on your Birthday! - Just Add Ink Challenge #751

Welcome! This week the challenge at Just Add Ink is to...

I made a birthday cocktail shaker.

The cocktail glass is made up of 6 layers, 4 of them for height as the die was too thin to use dimensional tape. For the background I already had an embossed piece on hand, so I sprayed it with oxides then once dry, ran a white pigment ink pad over random areas and distressed the edges. 

Materials used:

• dies - Olive Martinis, Christmas Cocktails (Spellbinders)
• Betterpress plate and die set - Cheers Sentiments (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - salvaged patina, peacock feathers
• distress oxide sprays - salvaged patina, kitsch flamingo, saltwater taffy
• other - Big Shot, sea level Sparkletz (Buttons Galore & More), glacier jewels (Pinkfresh), craft foam, acetate transparency, distressed tile 3D embossing folder (Stampin' Up), distressing tool

Check out more shaker cards over on the Just Add Ink blog and share your own creations in our gallery.

I'm entering this in the current Festive Friday challenge, with my picks being something shiny (silver foil card used for the glass and mat plus some gems), acetate window (for the shaker part), glass, drink themed sentiment. 

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kerry

Quilted Hugs

When I saw the picture and colours for this week's challenge at Color Throwdown, I immediately got an idea and today I sat down to make it happen.

Totally inspired by the quilted fabric in the pic, I broke out some new goodies for my card.

The same colour inks have been used throughout but for the quilted background I kept them light, going heavier on the stencils and die cuts. For the scissors I cut two, colouring them separately then attaching the red handle over the grey body. I had sew much fun putting this all together! 

Materials used - all stamps, dies and stencils are Waffle Flower:

• stamps - Postage Collage Sew Fun 
• dies - Postage collage die, Postage collage blocks die, Sew fun die, Tiny square texture die 
• stencils - Postage collage sew fun, Tiny square
• distress inks - barn door, tumbled glass, faded jeans, lost shadow, lumberjack plaid, hickory smoke, vintage photo, antique linen
• other - Subsentiments Quilted Diecut (WF), craft foam, Big Shot, Dimensionals, blending brushes, MISTI

I hope you have as much fun in your day. Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

You're Not Old - Just Add Ink Challenge #750

I thought the colour combo of this week's Just Add Ink challenge were perfect to use with a fairly new-to-me die set.

My immediate thought was 'retro' and as I do love me a cheeky or punny card, a sentiment that pokes light fun at aging seemed perfect. Here's how it turned out:

All the TV pieces were cut from summer splash then I added shading to some with the matching ink. The pink and peach pieces just needed a bit of sponging around edges, then it was simply a matter of attaching everything. 

Materials used:

• dies - Vault Atomic Retro (Tim Holtz)
• other - Sidekick, sponge dauber, craft foam, Dimensionals, corner rounder punch

I was thinking of sending it to my brother, whose birthday is today, but as he's younger than me I decided it was probably safer not to make fun of his age! Lol. There's more samples to inspire you over on the Just Add Ink blog.

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kerry

Let's Get Together - Just Add Ink Challenge #749

It's time for a choose two challenge with Just Add Ink and I just love our options this week!

I ended up with all three on my card.

I began with a piece of watercolour card which I sprayed with oxides, then stamped the coffee beans and stencilled splodges and coffee cup rings before adding some ink splatter. Next was more stencilling on opposite corners, this time with volume paste, and once that was dry I added my focal feature. The mini coffee 'posters' were distressed and inked around the edges. A few white splatters and sentiment were the finishing touches. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Coffee Cafe (Stampin' Up)
• stencil, cup, cake, posters - Coffee & Chocolate collection (Stamperia)
• distress products - oxide sprays in antique linen and saltwater taffy, distress ink gathered twigs, mini stencil splatters, picket fence paint
• other - blending brush, Dimensionals, craft foam, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, volume paste (Stamperia), heat tool, distressing tool, sponge dauber, paint brush
• layout inspired by a Vicky Papaioannou art journal page

I do hope you'll be inspired to create and join us in our gallery. Thanks for dropping by. 

Cheers

Kerry

Easter Blessings - Just Add Ink Challenge #747

Are you ready for another creative challenge with Just Add Ink? This week we have an inspiration pic for you.

It's been a long while since I used any of my Tilda stamps but I simply couldn't resist colouring this little sweetie with her (Easter) bunny, inspired by the adorable grey rabbit above.

I ink blended my background but the die-cut flowers and stamped image were coloured with Copics. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Tilda with her bunny (Magnolia Stamps), Itty Bitty Greetings (Stampin' Up)
• dies - Curio Spring Findings (The Greetery), Essential Arches (Spellbinders)
• other - Copic markers, craft foam, Dimensionals, blending brushes, distress inks, gingham designer paper (Stampin' Up)

What ideas does the inspiration pic give you? We'd love you to create and share with us over on the Just Add Ink blog, where you'll find more samples from the design team.

This card is also my entry in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, which is to use some patterned paper, and Time Out Challenges pick 2 challenge (I chose floral and arch).

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry