Beautiful Day

Welcome to another Tic Tac Toe challenge! This week we have the following grid for you to pick three-in-a-row:

I chose the middle vertical column of die cut/punch - embossing - layers to make a shabby/vintage easel card.

I worked on my card front first, choosing papers and distressing them before layering. The nest was die-cut from papers in the collection and given a little ink for shading, while the bird was cut from white and coloured with distress inks. Once they were attached I added the grasses, wheat sheaf and butterfly. On the inside I carried through the papers and distressed edges, heat embossed my sentiment and added the flower and leaf. Everything was given some white gesso splatters before assembly.

Materials used:

• stamps - Gnomes for Summer (CTMH)
• papers & ephemera - Whispering Way collection (49andMarket)
• dies - layered warbler (Simon Says Stamp), bird nest (stash)
• other - blending brushes, MISTI, Big Shot, craft foam, Dimensionals, clear embossing powder, heat tool, gesso, splatter brush, distress inks

There's more samples to see from my team mates over on the Tic Tac Toe Challenge blog and if you are inspired to choose a row and create, be sure to share!

Thanks for dropping by and have a beautiful day.

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

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

Monochrome - Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge

Welcome! It's a brand new Monday, which means a brand new challenge from the Simon Says Stamp peeps, where I'm guest designer for the month of September. 

This week our theme is MONOCHROME. I picked green as my colour of choice and had a lot of fun making this mixed media card.

I used papers, laser-cut elements and rub-ons from the 49andMarket Color Swatch Willow collection, Tim Holtz Exquisite stamp set, together with Specimen thinlit dies, also from Tim Holtz, and Simon Says Stamp Layered Hummingbird wafer die. 

Do head over to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog to see what the design team have come up with to inspire you.

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a fabulous $25 voucher to shop at the Simon Says Stamp Store - all you have to do is take out your crafting supplies, make something following this week's prompt, and link up at the bottom of the Challenge Blog post. You can join up to 5 times, giving you 5 chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance.

Feel free to leave me some comment love and thanks for stopping by!

Cheers

Kerry

Nature's Bounty

The theme over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge to TIE IT UP (ie use twine/ribbon/etc) inspired me to create this morning and as I was in a mixed media mood, I made a layered collage-style card with a nature theme.

I used papers and elements from 49andMarket's Curator's Meadow collection for my background, sponging edges with oxide ink. I replaced the white string on the tags with a twine that fit better and layered them up. The 'stamps' are washi tape from the collection, adhered to white, while the leafy branch is die-cut and coloured with more oxides. My nest is a cheap craft one cut down as it was too large and I painted some tiny eggs, hot gluing them all to my card. The last step, as always - cos this is me and mixed media, after all (lol) - was paint splatters.

Materials used:

• papers, tags, washi tape, ephemera - Curator's Meadow collection (49andMarket)
• card - crumb cake, basic white (Stampin' Up), watercolour
• distress oxide inks - walnut stain, peeled paint, forest moss
• distress paint - antique linen, walnut stain
• other - Dimensionals, blending brushes, sponge dauber, craft foam, tiny eggs (Tim Holtz Idea-ology), Easter mini nest (Anko), hot glue gun, Big Shot, twine, splat box, fanbrush, magnolia leaf branch die (Memory Box)

Hope you're getting some creative time too! Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Live in the Moment

Hello and welcome! The card I have for you today is for two challenges:

I chose the middle horizontal row of the grid - splatters, any sentiment, circle - and as luck would have it, items from my favourite-of-the-moment Curators Meadow collection use exactly the right colours of turquoise, yellow, brown and green. Here's my card:

I added touches of the challenge colours on my background too but muted them with gesso to allow the circles to stand out. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Create Happiness - Elements (Stamperia)
• card - watercolour, Curators Meadow (49andMarket), crumb cake (SU)
• distress sprays - antique linen, uncharted mariner, vintage photo
• distress archival inks - vintage photo, ground espresso
• circle punches - 38mm, 32mm, 1", 3/4", 1/2"
• other - water spritzer, white gesso, paintbrushes, white calligraphy ink, Dimensionals, Curators Meadow rub-ons (49aM), craft foam, sponge dauber, Small Talk stickers (Tim Holtz)

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Edited to add: My card was picked as the Designer's Choice for the Tic Tac Toe challenge. Thanks so much to the design team for this honour! 

JAI #622 - Just Choose Two

It's time for another Just Add Ink challenge and this week it's a 'pick two' variety.

I chose 'friends' and 'foliage' for my mixed media piece.

I can definitely picture these three birds having a good old natter as they perch there, can't you? Just catching up or maybe sharing where the best food supplies or nesting materials are. 😀

Materials used:

• stamps - Entomology (Tim Holtz)
• card - crumb cake and basic black (SU), Curators Meadow Solids pack and 6x8" Collection pack (49 and Market)
• other Curators Meadow Collection items - 12x12" Rub-On Transfer Sheet, Laser Cut Elements
• other Tim Holtz products - picket fence and frayed burlap distress paints, vintage photo distress archival ink, ground espresso distress oxide ink, rusty hinge distress spray stain, distress crackle texture paste, mini bubble stencil, palette knife, water spritzer
• other - sponge daubers, distressing tool, craft foam, Dimensionals, Wordies Sentiment Sheets - Friendship (Creative Expressions)

Head on over to the JAI blog to see which two items my team mates picked for their amazing creations, and of course we'd love you to 'choose two' and join us.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry