Congrats - Just Add Ink Challenge #744

This week at Just Add Ink it's a Choose Two challenge and the options are

It occurred to me I could combine two options - rainbows and flowers - in one fell swoop by using some very old but new-to-me things a friend sent, and that's how this card was born.

As I wanted the rainbow floral panel to be the focal feature, I kept everything else very plain and picked a versatile greeting that can be used for many occasions.

Materials used:

• other - congrats die (stash), floral 3D embossing folder (Stampin' Up), Big Shot, Scratch-Art card, nail buffer, craft foam

Check out more samples to inspire you over on the challenge blog and if you feel like creating, we'd love to see it. Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

How Eggciting! - Just Add Ink Challenge #743

Welcome to another Friday and a new challenge with Just Add Ink. We have a lovely sketch to inspire you this week.

So many ideas went through my head for this one but eventually I decided on a cute Easter themed card which combines two of my favourite techniques - an inky background and watercolouring.

I loved this stamp set when it first came out last year but somehow managed to resist buying it - obviously I'm weaker willed this year, lol! I did some masking to put the bunnies and eggs inside the transportation and rather than stamp the joiners, cut a thin strip of card and attached it on the back. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Carrot 'Bout You (Lawn Fawn)
• dies - stitched rectangle
• distress sprays/oxide sprays - salvaged patina, twisted citron, mustard seed
• other - Big Shot, craft foam, Dimensionals, white gesso, splat brush, waterbrush, post-it notes, distress micro glaze, Zig Clean Color brush markers, Frozen Delights inks (Altenew), stapler, MISTI

There's plenty more samples to see over on the Just Add Ink blog and we'd love you to join us and share what you make of this sketch.

Thanks for driving on by.

Cheers

Kerry 

For The Record

I think the folks at Festive Friday Challenges read my mind ... 

It's not long now until my SIL's birthday and I had decided to make him a music themed card as he not only plays multiple instruments, but also has an extensive vinyl record collection. Then I saw the current FF challenge ...

How perfect is that? I 'shopped my stash' for bits and pieces to create my card.

As you can see, from the inspo list I've used black, white, musical note, stripes, musical themed sentiment and vinyl record. 

Materials used:

• stamps/dies - Vinyl Style (Altenew)
• other dies - music notes and stave (stash)
• other - mini wheel stencil (Tim Holtz), blending brush, Dimensionals, Sidekick, craft foam

I hope he likes it! Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Tropical Friend - Just Add Ink Challenge #742

From the first time I saw this week's Just Add Ink inspiration pic - and every time since - I was/am instantly transported back to the outdoor seating area of my parents' home in Brisbane where they retired to from New Zealand. They've both been gone a lot of years but it was lovely to have those happy memories resurface, so even though it's not my rostered week, I couldn't resist playing along.

I just love layered bird dies - and colouring them - and this one is a particular favourite. The background foliage was cut from watercolour card I had sprayed with a mix of spray stains and oxide sprays. Everything else was cut from white card and ink blended. I heat embossed the sentiment on vellum. 

Materials used:

• stamp & die - Overlapping Hugs Additions (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Feathered Friends 9 (Papertrey Ink), all others from stash
• distress oxide sprays/spray stains - twisted citron, mowed lawn, salvaged patina
• distress inks - mustard seed, ripe persimmon, picked raspberry, seedless preserves, vintage photo
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, heat tool, Dimensionals, craft foam, black rhinestone, sponge dauber, white embossing powder

If you're inspired to create as well, we'd love you to share on the Just Add Ink blog. Check it out for more samples from the team too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Birthday Wishes and Cupcakes

Today's card is for two challenges, Inspired by... and Just Us Girls.

 

These challenges were the perfect excuse I really didn't need to bust out some goodies and play!

Materials used:

• dies - Postage Collage, Postage Collage blocks, Happy Birthday script word (all Waffle Flower)
• stencils - Postage Collage Cupcakes, Postage Collage Coloring, Confetti background (all Waffle Flower)
• inks - summer shower, seaside, coral reef, passion fruit (Pinkfresh), golden glitz (Delicata), twisted citron (Tim Holtz)
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, clear Wink of Stella

I chose colours that are festive but not too bold and added some sparkly touches on each panel for extra birthday zing. As usual there are two layers to the die-cut sentiment for strength and depth.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry 

Simple and Elegant - Just Add Ink Challenge #741

It's Friday, which means it's time for another challenge with Just Add Ink and our brief for you this week is to:

I made a soft-toned sympathy card - something we unfortunately often need to have on hand, especially as we get older. 

For my focal feature I used a stamp/die/stencils set from PinkFresh Studios. A few pearls were all the embellishments needed.

Materials used:

• stamp, die, stencil set - Butterflies in Bloom (PinkFresh Studios)
• sentiment stamp - Country Flowers (Stampin' Up)
• distress inks - antique linen, dried marigold, saltwater taffy, shabby shutters
• Altenew inks - alpine aster, soft lilac, lavender fields, deep iris
• other - blending brushes, pearls, MISTI, grip mat, Big Shot, craft foam, Dimensionals

Do visit the Just Add Ink blog for more samples of simple and elegant to inspire you and if you create, we'd love you to share in our gallery.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Sending Love - Just Add Ink Challenge #739

This week at Just Add Ink it's our choose two challenge and our options are:

For my simple card I picked colouring and a variation on thinking of you.

Materials used:

• stamp & die combo - Overlapping Hugs Additions (Waffle Flower)
• stencils - Postage Collage Roses (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Postage Collage (Waffle Flower), large love (stash)
• other - dye inks, blending brushes, Big Shot, mini pearls, Dimensionals

There's more samples to inspire you over on the Just Add Ink blog and if you do create, please share it with us in our gallery.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Hello

It's stencil week over at Just Us Girls and I'm playing along.

Also entering in Addicted to CAS challenge #275:

I began by cutting three 3cm squares and rounding opposite corners, then put them on my grip mat and used stencils for the water and land. The sky was blended with three colours and the birds were die-cut and given a little colour too. For the sentiment I die-cut three layers but used the third layer only behind "h", "e" and "o" to allow for the dimension under the "l".

Materials used:

• stencils - Uncharted Waters (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, shabby shutters, peeled paint, squeezed lemonade, saltwater taffy, picked raspberry, lost shadow, pumice stone
• other - blending brushes, grip mat, birds in flight die (Poppystamps), hello die (stash), Sidekick, craft foam, Dimensionals

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Floating By - Just Add Ink Challenge # 735

Welcome to Friday and a new challenge with Just Add Ink. This week it's a colour combo suggested by Rochelle.

With summer splash in there I immediately thought 'water', so created a fun pool/beach scene.

Materials used:

• stamps - Bubbles (Tim Holtz), You Autumn Know (Lawn Fawn)
• dies - Poolside (Concord & 9th)
• other - Big Shot, white embossing powder, heat tool, Dimensionals, MISTI, vintage gold wax (Art Alchemy), sponge dauber, craft foam

Check out more samples over on the Just Add Ink blog. We'd love to inspire you to create and join us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Oceans of Love

Which kind of challenges do you find the most ... well, challenging? For me it's often the sketches that stretch my crafting muscles more than others, so you may have noticed that I participate in sketch challenges much less often than, say, colour or inspiration ones. But this week the Freshly Made Sketches post caught my eye and sparked an idea ...

I flipped it 180 degrees and got busy getting inky, lol.

I began with embossing a piece of heavy watercolour card, then inked it and embossed again before giving it a water spritz. Love this new embossing folder from SU, those swirls are just gorgeous! Trust me, it looks even better in real life. The whale was just black and white card (obvs, lol) and the other die-cut pieces were coloured with distress inks. 

Materials used:

• dies - Whale in a Bottle (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, uncharted mariner, lucky clover, wilted violet, brushed corduroy, pumice stone, abandoned coral, hickory smoke
• other - Big Shot, Soft Waves embossing folder (Stampin' Up), water spritzer, blending brushes, Dimensionals, craft foam, clear acrylic dots

Hope you've had some crafting in your day and thanks for swimming by.

Cheers

Kerry

Beachy Delight - Just Add Ink Annual Blog Hop

With a whole new year of crafting to look forward to, at Just Add Ink we begin with an all-team Blog Hop to celebrate. We do hope you'll join us in creating and sharing, and our theme to inspire you is

Santa very kindly brought me a wonderful scrapbooking page kit so I've made a layout featuring my adorable grandson having a blast at the beach:

I used elements from the page kit but changed them up a little, adding some stamping and chipboard pieces.

Materials used:

• stamps - Gorgeous Grunge (SU retired)
• papers, chipboard pieces, die cuts - Summer Porch collection (49&Market)
• other - Dimensionals, sponge dauber, basic beige ink

The link below will take you to the next blog on our hop, which is Jan. Do please leave everyone some comment love as you browse through the hop. If you get stuck at any point, the list and links of all participants is on the Just Add Ink blog here. 

Thanks for calling in!

Cheers

Kerry

Nobody Can Be Uncheered With a Balloon

Especially a shiny red balloon!

In what I'm calling my Pooh series, I'm back with another card using Spellbinders Pooh Bear dies, this time featuring everyone's favourite depressive donkey. The quote from Pooh himself is very fitting for Eeyore and I'm thinking some (uninflated) balloons inside the card is a great way to send a simple pick-me-up.

I made some modifications to the die-cuts - I cut two heads, trimming the second to make a muzzle and inner ears. Apparently this colouring is more used for merchandise rather than the classic look from the books, but I think it gives him a bit more cheer. 

Materials used:

• dies - Tigger & Eeyore, Pooh & Piglet etched dies (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - kitsch flamingo, lost shadow, hickory smoke, candied apple, brushed corduroy, tumbled glass
• other - Dimensionals, craft foam, Sidekick, blending brushes, computer & printer, alpine aster ink (Altenew), clear embossing powder, heat tool

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Favourite Day

Drawn by the irresistable nature of a Pooh Bear, I've made another card for the Festive Friday challenge.

This time my picks from the inspo list are yellow, red, bear, colouring techniques and friend sentiment. 

Once again I die cut from heavy watercolour card and coloured on the more textured side to give a real 'fuzzy/furry' kind of look. Unfortunately I kept smudging black all over Pooh's face, so had to compromise and cut the black parts from black cardstock. (Yes, there were a few non-Pooh-approved words bandied around when things smudged for the second time! Piglet was definitely blushing.) This time I created Pooh's red shirt by cutting two lots of body and arms, then trimming them down. My sentiment is a Pooh quote, again typed on the computer in Pooh font. 

Materials used:

• dies - Pooh & Piglet (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - fossilized amber, candied apple, kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry, seedless preserves, brushed corduroy, tumbled glass
• other - Dimensionals, craft foam, blending brushes, Bubble Bath ink (Stampin' Up), Big Shot, computer and printer

I think I may possibly have one more Pooh card in me ... hmm, ok, maybe two. Stay tuned. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Silly Old Bear

The card I have for you today is for two challenges. Firstly, Festive Friday made my day, my week, my month, my year with their current challenge celebrating the incomparable Winnie the Pooh (yup, huge Pooh fan). 

And the Seize the Birthday challenge is to use something new. 

Coincidentally, just a couple of days before I saw these challenges I had ordered some Pooh Bear dies from the new Spellbinders release! Of course, their arrival was the perfect excuse to sit and play. From the inspo list for FF, I used yellow, bears, honey, colouring techniques and bees.

I die cut all my pieces from heavy watercolour cardstock and coloured with distress inks. While I wanted the honey drips to be shiny, I didn't have the patience to wait for glossy accents to dry (lol) so used clear embossing powder instead. My sentiment was done on the computer using Pooh font.

Materials used:

• dies - Pooh & Piglet, Pooh's Honey Pot (Spellbinders)
• distress inks - fossilized amber, wild honey, faded jeans, chipped sapphire, tumbled glass, prized ribbon, black soot, mustard seed, brushed corduroy
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Versamark ink, clear embossing powder, heat tool, computer and printer, sticky grip mat, craft foam

Thanks for dripping by (a little hunny humour 😉).

Cheers

Kerry

Live Gently

Happy new year!

I'm starting off 2025 with joining in the Color Throwdown challenge, and what a challenge it is! 

It was lovely to be getting inky and playing again and I just could not go past using a birdie die, one of my most favourite tools.

I used a circle punch to create a mask for the moon and blended two shades of grey and some black ink for my background, adding a touch of shadowing to the moon afterwards with ink leftover on the brush. My branch was die cut from black, the bird from white and coloured with inks, again in two tones of grey, black, and a touch of cream. These were mounted with dimension, as was the back panel, and the finishing touch was a sentiment sticker.

Materials used:

• card - white, black
• distress inks - lost shadow, hickory smoke, black soot, antique linen
• dies - layered chickadee (Simon Says Stamp), branch
• other - 35mm circle punch, moon mask (Tim Holtz), blending brushes, Dimensionals, craft foam, Small Talk sticker (TH)

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry