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

Let's Get Tropical

For some reason my blog title has been playing in my head to the tune of 'Physical' by Olivia Newton-John - and yes, I'm well aware that that dates me, lol. Let's get tropical, tropical, I wanna be tropical...'. That was so true last night when I began making this card, with rain pounding on my roof, wind rattling doors and windows and the heater chugging to keep me warm. A tropical escape seemed like just the ticket, lol. A lovely touch of escapism. 

This card is as close as I'll get to that for a while though, so I'll be sure to enjoy it. If you're languishing somewhere tropical right now, spare a thought for us winter-bound folks and have another umbrella drink. 

I'm entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which has LOTS OF LAYERS as the theme this week and the Happy Little Stampers ANYTHING GOES WITH DIES challenge. 

Materials used:

• card - basic white, basic black
• distress oxide inks - tumbled glass, stormy sky, mustard seed, picked raspberry, twisted citron, mowed lawn
• dies - Feathered Friends set 9 (Papertrey Ink), Essential Arches (Spellbinders), Tropical Leaf Bunch (SSS)
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, black gem, water spritzer, fan brush, Tufted 3D embossing folder (SU), YR16 & YR07 Copic markers, Wordies Sentiment Sheets (Creative Expressions)

I began with ink blending my bird using mustard seed and picked raspberry oxides. I'll admit to sneaking some Copic marker in there for the feet and beak - much easier on tiny fiddly bits. I prefer the dimension of a black gem for eyes rather than the small circle die cut piece (which I often lose anyway, lol). Once that was assembled I worked on my leaves and background, adding water splatters to both. After everything was attached on the arched background I decided I needed a simple base but with a little texture for interest, hence the dry embossing. Last was choosing and attaching the sentiment.

Hope you enjoy this touch of tropical in your day! Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

JAI #618 - Just Add a Colour Combo

Are you in the mood for colour? This week at Just Add Ink we've got a colour challenge for you - check it out:

I've made a mixed media card featuring a Splendid Fairy-wren (aka splendid wren/blue wren) as my focal point - specifically a male wren in his breeding plumage. Apparently, the rest of the year they're a dull brown! I love the pop of colour he gives to the neutral, earthy tones around him. 

I didn't have Pacific point - it's one of the very few SU colours I've never liked, so when I moved I just didn't bring any with me. I've used orchid oasis as my blue instead.  

For my greenery I began with some old olive cardstock then ink smooshed the matching ink over it, layering and drying until I was happy with it for variation and depth of colour. The background is watercolour card, again ink smooshed and stamped with crumb cake, while the bird was cut from basic white and coloured with alcohol markers.

Materials used:

• stamps - Music & Advert (Tim Holtz)
• card - crumb cake, watercolour, basic white, old olive
• dies - Feathered Friends, Holiday Greens, Mini Holiday Greens, Fall Foliage (all Tim Holtz), stitched rectangle
• inks - crumb cake, old olive (SU), antique linen, brushed corduroy, vintage photo (Distress oxides - Tim Holtz)
• other - blending brush, picket fence distress paint, paintbrush, black rhinestone, Dimensionals, Small Talk stickers (Tim Holtz), craft foam, orchid oasis Stampin' Blends, Copic marker B06, black marker

My fellow teammates have plenty more samples to inspire you so do check out the JAI blog, and of course we'd love you to join the challenge and see what you come up with for these colours.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Use Your Wings - CAS on Friday Challenge #214

For Challenge #214 Janneke has given us this great sketch:

I've taken a fairly liberal interpretation of the sketch, making an inky splodge background rather than a precise circle and using a tree branch as my horizontal line. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Tiny Text (Tim Holtz)
• card - early espresso, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - speckled egg, stormy sky, weathered wood, crackling campfire, walnut stain, vintage photo
• dies - Feathered Friends (TH), Colourful Seasons (SU)
• other - water spritzer, heat tool, MISTI, black rhinestone, distress crayons, sponge dauber

I do hope you'll take a look at the samples my fellow team members have made to inspire you and even be tempted to join our challenge. Just follow the link here.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry 

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like...

Christmas! 

Well, on this blog anyway, because this week I made my first Christmas card for the year. It was very much an experimentation with some new bits and pieces and I was more than happy with how it turned out.

Materials used:

• stamps - none
• card - crumb cake, cherry cobbler, basic black, very vanilla, whisper white, early espresso
• distress oxide inks - frayed burlap, spiced marmalade, festive berries, candied apple, hickory smoke
• Tim Holtz products - Holly collage paper, Timekeeper Bigz die, Feathered Friends dies, tarnished brass distress paint, distress collage medium, picket fence distress ink, black soot archive ink
• other - big Shot, sponge dauber, blending brushes, black rhinestone, branch die, large numbers dies, dimensionals

I did two layers of card for the numbers to give them more dimension and the branch is three layers, while the bird is raised. The collage paper is very thin, like tissue, so is glued to some whisper white to provide body. I cut the three layers for the bird from very vanilla then used inks and brushes to colour them. I'm really loving this little bird, so I think it's safe to say there'll be more showing up on cards again soon.

Usually I'd be starting Christmas card stamp-a-stack classes this month, so it feels rather strange not to be designing straightforward samples for my ladies. Mind you, some of them have already started on their holiday cards too - and one, in fact, has made her 30 already! That's what quarantine will do for you!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez