Love You - Just Add Ink Challenge #779

It's time for a sketch challenge with Just Add Ink and Jan gave us a very simple one to play with.

I opted for a Valentines theme with a quintessential couple.

The heart is distress spray stain and oxide on watercolour and my background teal piece was looking a bit plain so I stencilled lightly with matching ink and gave it a black edge. Mickey is offering a paper rosebud to Minnie.

Materials used:

• stamps - Short & Sweet (Stampin' Up)
• dies - Steamboat Willie Duo (Spellbinders), True Love (Tim Holtz)
• other - distress sprays and oxides (kitsch flamingo and picked raspberry), heat tool, Big Shot, wired paper rosebud, Dimensionals, craft foam, Diamond Motif stencil (Pinkfresh), blending brush

Check out what my team mates created for you on the challenge blog, and do share with us when you play along! 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

More Than Chocolate

Today I'm playing along with some challenges that have a love/Valentines/heart theme.

 
I've had this die set for some time and only ever used the outline heart piece, so spent a very pleasant day yesterday making chocolates, lol. I admit I had to watch some YouTube videos a few times to understand how to assemble them, but once I had it sorted in my head, I was good to go! 

Here's the cover:

And the inside:

Materials used:

• dies - True Love colorize (Tim Holtz), Love You More Than (Stampin' Up)
• inks - kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry, candied apple (distress), mocha, espresso (Altenew), silvery shimmer (Delicata)
• other - Big Shot, Dimensionals, blending brushes, computer & printer

(From the Festive Friday list, I used pink, ink blending, die cuts, love sentiment and hearts. Items picked from the Time Out list are red, heart and pink. And for Just Us Girls, lots of heart die cuts!)

All layers of the chocolate box were cut from red card and inked for shading (apart from that one pink piece on the front). The chocolates, including wrappers, were cut from white card and coloured using the inks listed. 

I had a ton of fun making this - it took quite a while, but compartmental making helped, for sure. A real labour of love - pun intended!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Sending Love - All About Challenges #2

It's time for a new challenge with All About Papercraft Challenges and this month it's...

My crafting journey began with scrapbooking, but discovering stamps - red rubber mounted on wood blocks in those days - got me hooked on cardmaking. They're so versatile!

For my project I've made a card with a faux postcard scene. Apart from the stencilling on the base card and a little masking, the rest is created entirely with stamps. 

My first step was stencilling the base card, then I cut the main panel to size. I began stamping with the four lines and the vertical break design using archival ink (to avoid smudging when I inked over them later). Then came the postcard header and the postage stamp, after which I stamped Bundle Girl. She's coloured with Copics, as are the hearts. I tore a scrap of paper to use as a mask for inking the ground and created another mask of the little girl so I could ink the blue portion. The sentiments in the lines were stamped next and the little heart and hugs and kisses in the "stamp" were my last step before mounting the panel on the base.

Materials used:

• stamps - Bundle Girl with Falling Hearts (Stamping Bella), Stamps #521 (Poppy Crafts), Sentiment Strips 2 (Altenew), Basic Sentiments (Pinkfresh Studio), Merci Beaucoup (Clearly Besotted), Hot Cocoa (Mama Elephant)
• other - postage collage colouring stencil (Waffle Flower), blending brushes, Copic markers, MISTI, craft foam

Pop over to the All About blog (just click on the challenge icon) to see more inspiration from my fellow design team members, then get out your stamps and join the fun!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Let's Go To The Beach - Just Add Ink Challenge #778

It's time for an inspiration/colour challenge with Just Add Ink and this gorgeous summer mood board.

My beachy mini slimline card was inspired by both image and palette.

I blended inks for my background then gave it plenty of water splatter. Once dry, I used a fine glue pen to dot along the edge of the 'sand' and added white embossing powder as a representation of sea foam. The shells were die cut and coloured with inks before being attached. As usual, there are two layers to my large die-cut sentiment and the stamped portion was white embossed on vellum.

Materials used:

• stamp/die combo - Oversized Beach Word (Waffle Flower)
• other dies - Seashells (Waffle Flower)
• SU inks - lost lagoon, crumb cake
• distress oxide inks - fossilized amber, barn door, dusty concord
• other - blending brushes, glue pen, white embossing powder, heat tool, water spritzer, craft foam

We do hope you'll be inspired to create and share, whether it's the image or the colours that spark your muse. Check out lots more samples over on the Just Add Ink blog.

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kerry

More Exciting News!

I'm thrilled to announce I have joined the Design Team at Tic Tac Toe Challenges. After a holiday break, the challenges will be ramping up again next month, where you get to choose 3 items from a grid to use in your designs.   

I'm looking forward to lots of fun creating and inspiring and hope you'll be back to join me in this new adventure.

Cheers

Kerry

Seasonal - Just Add Ink Blog Hop Challenge #777

Welcome to the Just Add Ink new year blog hop! I hope you have lots of fun hopping around to all the stops and getting tons of inspiration along the way. Whether you've come from Lou's blog or are starting here, you can follow links on each blog to move along to the next. 

The theme for our 2026 hop is:

As it's summer here that seemed the perfect season to choose, and to represent it I've incorporated tropical colours, frangipanis and a cheeky cockatoo.

The branch and flowers were coloured with alcohol markers, while the rest was predominantly coloured using inks and blending brushes. I die-cut two branches as they're so narrow, to give a bit more strength.

Materials used:

• dies - Flying High and Essential Arches (Spellbinders)
• stamps - Polynesian Paradise (My Favorite Things), Cheerful Chirps (Spellbinders)
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, foam pads, white embossing powder, heat tool, Copic markers

Just click on the blinkie below to be taken to the next blog in the hop, which is Tristan.

As you're doing the rounds, if for some reason a link doesn't work, head to the Just Add Ink blog to get a new link from there. Thanks for calling in and happy hopping!

Cheers

Kerry

I Knew You Could Do It

This week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches sparked an idea this morning, then that idea sparked another and before I knew it, I was making a card for two challenges lol. Cutting close to the wire for FMS, but I made it!

  

Here's my deceptively simple card - 

The background is distress spray stains on watercolour card and it took me four attempts until I was happy with it, lol - that's what I meant by deceptively simple! Once I had that right, the rest was easy. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Sentiment Strips 2 (Altenew)
• dies - Pooh & Friends Silhouette (Spellbinders)
• distress spray stains - dried marigold, ripe persimmon, barn door
• distress mica spray - flickering candle
• other - Big Shot, water spritzer, heat tool, craft foam, white embossing powder, MISTI

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Covered with Love

It's been so hot this week and today is expected to reach 43℃ (109.4℉) which is too draining to do much other than try to stay cool - and make a card, lol. I saw a challenge to use a cover plate so I thought I'd play along, but unfortunately I was too late to enter, lol. Not to worry, it gave me the oppotunity to try out a new die & stencil set Santa brought me (lucky me!).

Materials used:

• coverplate die - Cross Stitched (Papertrey Ink)
• die & stencil set - Rose Bouquet (Waffle Flower)
• inks - saltwater taffy (Distress), passion fruit (Pinkfresh), bamboo & parrot (Altenew)
• other dies - With Love Word die (Waffle Flower)
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, mounting squares, rhinestones

I hope you get the chance to craft today too. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Berry New - All About Challenges #1

Happy New Year! 

I'm thrilled to be starting off 2026 on the design team for a brand new challenge called All About Papercraft Challenges and the theme for our very first challenge is, appropriately...

For my project I chose the new-to-me technique of a folio journal using new products combined with some old favourites. 

This journal measures around 6" x 4 1/2". I kept it fairly simple as it was my first attempt, using papers, rub-on transfers and die-cut embellishments with a nature and strawberries theme.  

Here are the front and back covers

It opens up to this

The left flap opens up to reveal a pocket for tags. I made sure to leave blank spaces for journalling on the backs of tags, cards etc, as well as some of the pages. 

In the middle section I used a file folder as a flap, which holds three decorated cards.

The right side has a fold over portion and holds an envelope. Inside that is another decorated card with space on the back for journalling. 

I made the base folio journal following measurements and instructions from Julie at Camelia Crafts Designs (with a tweak or two). Follow this link to her YouTube tutorial if you're interested. 

Materials used:

• papers, rub-on transfers and die-cut embellishments - Nature's Haven collection (49 and Market)
• Tim Holtz dies - Collector, Postale, Specimen
• other - tag dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals, sponge dauber, brushed corduroy distress oxide ink, rub-on tool, bamboo cord, 

Click on the challenge icon to visit the All About papercraft challenges blog and check out what 'new' projects my fellow design team members created to inspire you. We do hope you'll join us and play along!

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Top Nine 2025

Can you believe it's the last day of 2025 already? It is absolutely true that the older you get, the faster the days, weeks and months seem to fly by.

Over on my Instagram feed, these are the Top Nine most liked projects I posted. Personally, I'd pick 4 of these for sure, maybe 5. How many of your own favs are in the list?

Cheers

Kerry

So Mush Love

I do enjoy using my papercrafting skills to make gifts for others and this particular project has been on the go for a while now, with me doing some compartmental making here and there to fit in around other activities.

It's my first time making altered embroidery hoops and I do hope the recipients like them. They're intended to hold a very special photo ... more on that at a later date.

My process began with applying gesso to the wooden hoops, then paint once that was dry and lastly some grit paste highlighted with crayon. The backgrounds were done with sprays of both distress and oxides, as were the leaves. I ink blended the 'shrooms and of course did some splatters with both water and paint. The parts that are overhanging the "photo" portion are free of adhesive so a photo can be printed to size and slotted easily in. Lastly I adhered some sisal threads and Spanish moss.

They can be hung on the wall or sit on a plate stand. These particular ones are 20cm hoops but they come in a variety of sizes and I recommend them as a great fun alternative to the usual photo frames. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and restful holiday season, however you celebrate, and thank you for your visits and support throughout the year.

Cheers

Kerry

Warm Wishes - Just Add Ink Challenge #776

It's time once again to Choose Two or More items to create with for the new Just Add Ink challenge.

I actually managed to incorporate all six options on my wintery Christmas card!

It occurred to me that snowmen would not want to hang their stockings by a fire (for obvious reasons, lol), so I figured they'd put them on the tree instead. Here are Chilly and Freezy doing just that. 

All the snow aspects - the ground, snowmen and snow on the tree - were given a  liberal spray with shimmer mist and I also used sparkle texture paste for the falling snow. Here's a better look at that shimmer:

Materials used:

• dies - stitched circle, Chilly and Freezy (Tim Holtz), Snowcapped tree (Waffle Flower), Fireside (Tim Holtz)
• other - blending brushes, shimmer mist, MISTI, foam squares, sparkle texture paste (Tim Holtz), Copic markers, distress inks, black rhinestones, speckles stencil (Tim Holtz), Big Shot, thick white bakers twine, Subsentiments Snow diecut (Waffle Flower)

I hope you'll pick two or more things from the list to create with and join our challenge. Check out the Just Add Ink blog to see which options my team mates chose.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge of Anything Christmas/Holidays
• Christmas Kickstart challenge of Anything Christmassy
• Double D challenges of Santa and/or Snowman
• The Four Seasons challenge of Anything Goes Winter

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Exciting news!

I'm proud to announce that I have joined the design team of a brand new challenge blog. It's called All About Papercraft Challenges and will be a monthly challenge for papercrafters of all kinds, with a variety of themes. 

Challenges will be on the first Friday of each month, so the first one will be 2nd January 2026 - which is only a matter of a couple of weeks away! 

I do hope you'll join me then and spread the word to all the crafters you know.

Cheers

Kerry

Christmas Celebration - Just Add Ink Challenge #775

Welcome back to another Just Add Ink challenge! This time around we're challenged to...

Can I interest anyone in an Elf Cocktail or Clausmopolitan?

Looks like a great way to celebrate! I don't think I can even remember the last time I had a cocktail of any kind, though I did have a mocktail when seeing Wicked: For Good recently, which was delicious. The green elf cocktail is witchy enough to pass for Elphaba, don't you think? (It is made from a Halloween set, after all, lol)

I did some white-on-white heat embossing on my background for added interest, coloured all the bits with distress inks and just layered everything up. Tons of fun!

Materials used:

• stamps - Christmas background (My Favorite Things), Overlapping Merry Additions (Waffle Flower)
• dies -  Olive Martinis, Christmas Cocktails, Boos Cocktails (all Spellbinders)
• distress inks - lumberjack plaid, aged mahogany, mowed lawn, rustic wilderness
• other - Dimensionals, MISTI, white embossing powder, heat tool, blending brushes, clear acrylic dots, craft foam

With so many kinds of celebration, we hope you'll have the chance to create and join our challenge. There's plenty more samples to see from my team mates over on the Just Add Ink blog.

Entering in the Christmas Kickstart challenge #105 and the Paper Players challenge #766 (left vertical row of white, Christmas and die cuts).

  

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Peaceful Poinsettia - Just Add Ink Challenge #774

It's time for a new challenge with Just Add Ink and this time anything goes as long as we ...

I made a simple Christmas card focused on dies.

This was very straightforward to create, the main work was in the colouring. I cut all the floral pieces from heavy watercolour card and used distress inks. Once I was happy with an arrangement, I began by adhering the poinsettia then tucked everything else behind or around it. The sentiment has multiple layers.

Materials used:

• dies - Festive Blooms (Concord & 9th), CZ Design Peace wafer die (Simon Says Stamp) 
• distress inks - worn lipstick, abandoned coral, scattered straw, antique linen, brushed corduroy, walnut stain, shabby shutters, peeled paint, twisted citron, mowed lawn, rustic wilderness
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, Dimensionals, craft foam, sticky mat, glue gun

I hope you'll have a chance to sit and create with dies and/or stencils over the next two weeks and join our challenge. Do be sure to check out more samples over on the Just Add Ink blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry