Perk Up! - Just Add Ink Challenge #762

Welcome! I couldn't resist playing along with the gorgeous inspiraton picture at Just Add Ink this week.

A warm blanket, hot drink and something pumpkin-y - muffins or soup, yuuuuuummmm! (You all know how much I love pumpkin!) Add to those a book or movie and you have the perfect way to snuggle up on these cold and dreary winter days - and we sure are getting plenty of cold and dreary at the moment, lol. 

My background is a quilt die and stencil combo which I am loving. On the coffee cup I masked with leaf die-cuts and inked over, then used some of the leaves as accents. For the pumpkins I inked over die-cuts and used some swirly vines I had left over from a previous card. Both parts of the sentiment come from a stamp set that retired years ago - just proving that when you keep things 'in case you need it some day', it can pan out! 😂😂

Materials used:

• stamps - Merry Cafe (Stampin' Up)
• die & stencil set - Tiny Square (Waffle Flower)
• other dies - Coffee Cup framelits (SU), Door Decor (Concord & 9th)
• distress inks - antique linen, wild honey, ripe persimmon, vintage photo, rusty hinge, spiced marmalade, dried marigold
• other - blending brushes, Big Shot, MISTI, craft foam, Dimensionals, mini library clip, banner punch, vintage photo archival ink

I must admit, for me the drink would be a chai latte, though I'd imagine the spices are similar to a pumpkin spice latte. Got me a craving for some pumpkin muffins now though...

See more creations inspired by our picture over on the Just Add Ink blog and if you make something yourself, we'd love you to share. 

Thanks for dropping in.

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

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

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

Christmas Wreath - The Card Concept Challenge #212

It's time for a new challenge with The Card Concept and this month the moodboard features a stunning Christmas wreath to inspire you. 

I chose to go vintage collage for my card which incorporates both wreath and tartan from the pic. 

I added ink to the background pieces to provide cohesion as well as enhance the vintage vibe. My wreath was cut from card coloured with various inks as well as some mica, so it has a lovely sheen and glow when it catches the light. For the bow I attached plaid washi tape to card and die cut from that. The stars were thick chipboard but I removed a couple of layers as I didn't want that much bulk; the chipboard sentiment strip I left as is, as it provides a nice base for the gentleman to stand on. 

Materials used:

• dies - Vault Collection Christmas 2021 (Tim Holtz)
• papers - Christmas backdrops (Tim Holtz)
• ephemera - Christmas ephemera pack, Baseboards & Transparencies Christmas 2023 (TH)
• other - antique linen and vintage photo distress inks, sponge dauber, blending brush, Big Shot, Christmas design tape (TH), distress inks and mica stains, Dimensionals

I hope the moodboard gives you inspiration for your own cards and that you'll share them with us over on The Card Concept blog. Do check out the samples from my fellow design team members. 

This card is also being entered in the current Christmas Kickstart challenge. 

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Thankful Blessings - The Card Concept Challenge #211

Hi there and welcome/welcome back! Today's card is for the new Card Concept challenge for November. Here's the moodboard:

I took those gorgeous autumn leaves as inspiration for my card featuring some very happy, free-flying mice, lol.

Lots of colouring and fussy cutting for this one, but they're so adorable, how could I resist? 

Materials used:

• stamps - You Autumn Know (Lawn Fawn)
• dies - stitched rectangle
• other - Copic markers, blending brush, white pigment ink, cloud stencil (My Favorite Things), Dimensionals, black marker, white gel pen, white embossing powder, heat tool, MISTI, craft foam

Do check out more samples from my team mates over on The Card Concept blog and if you're inspired to create, we'd love you to share in our gallery.

Thanks for floating by!

Cheers

Kerry

Let Life Surprise You - Just Add Ink Challenge #726

It's Friday, which means a new Just Add Ink challenge, and this time around it's an inspiration moodboard. 

I couldn't resist using the adorable little ginger kitten and tartan blanket as inspiration for a simple layered card.

Kittens are so playful and sweet, I challenge anyone not to go gaga over them, lol. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Three Little Kittens (Mo Manning), Tiny Text (Tim Holtz)
• other - Copic markers, blending brush, MISTI, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, craft foam, white gel pen, blue distress ink

Which aspect of the pictures makes you want to create? Whatever you choose, we hope you'll share and link up on the Just Add Ink blog.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Spooktacular Mummies - Just Us Girls Challenge #749

Welcome! I'm guest designer this month with the folks at Just Us Girls challenge and this week it's a moodboard to inspire you.

Here's a bigger version of the pic to make it easier to see and inspire:

I combined a few stamp sets for my card, wanting to have orange pumpkins but also I couldn't resist these adorable little mummies. They took a while to fussy cut and my aging eyes weren't happy afterwards, lol, but they are so worth it. I mean, how damn cute are they? (My favourite is the little guy bottom left contemplating that toilet roll 😂😂😂)

I began with blending my background blocks and doing the outside edge bits using stencils, then cut two of the blocks die from black card. The top one was cut again with the spider web texture die and I ran some white ink over it to highlight the pattern a little more and stop the black from being quite so intense. The sentiment strip was white embossed and also given some white ink edges. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Little Mummy Agenda (Mama Elephant), Frightful Little Bits  (Hello Bluebird), Postage Collage Spectacular (Waffle Flower)
• dies - Postage Collage Block die, Spider Web Texture die (Waffle Flower) 
• distress oxide inks - milled lavendar, wilted violet, carved pumpkin, picket fence
• other - Copic markers, blending brushes, Big Shot, Postage Collage coloring stencil (Waffle Flower), MISTI

Do check out what the design team created to inspire you, and hopefully if you make, you'll share it with us in the gallery.

Thanks for rolling on by.

Cheers

Kerry

Pumpkin Season - The Card Concept Challenge #210

Now that we're into October the weather here has finally realised it's Spring and is giving us fresh green grass and buds on trees, but up in the northern hemisphere they're celebrating Fall/Autumn, and that means pumpkins...

The pumpkins were my main inspiration but I also used the orange, black and steel grey/blue (from the buckets) as my colour palette and added touches of gold. 

I stamped and gold embossed the pumpkins, then watercoloured using oxide inks. Once dry I splattered liberally with brown, gold and white. The sentiment is also gold embossed and mounted on black then gold glitter.

Materials used:

• stamps - Pumpkin to Talk About (Simon Says Stamp)
• distress oxide inks - carved pumpkin, iced spruce, black soot, frayed burlap
• dies - stitched rectangle
• other - paint brush, MISTI, Big Shot, craft foam, gold embossing powder, heat tool, gold glitter card, white gesso, tarnished brass distress stain, fan brush

There's plenty more inspiration for you from my team mates over on The Card Concept blog, so do check those out, and of course we'd love you to create and share with us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #209

Are you itching for a challenge to get your creative mojo raring to go? The Card Concept challenges are back after the summer break and here's our first inspiration pic to springboard your ideas:

I used autumn tones and a floral theme for my card.

I added patches of crackle texture paste to the distressed background paper, coloured the die-cut flower using distress inks and painted the stem and leaves with crackle paint for the tiniest of fine cracks. Strips of co-ordinating papers form the stage for my die-cut sentiment and a few gems and gesso splatters added the finishing touches. 

Materials used:

• designer papers - Autumn Splendour (Mintay)
• dies - Sunrise Stem (Simon Says Stamp), Hugs (stash)
• distress inks - dried marigold, spiced marmalade, brushed corduroy, walnut stain
• other - Dimensionals, blending brushes, craft foam, white gesso, fan brush, gems, texture paste crackle (Tim Holtz), distress crackle paint (Ranger)

We'd love you to create a card inspired by our board and share it with us on The Card Concept blog, where you'll find more samples from my fellow design team members. 

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Vista View - Just Add Ink #716

It's inspiration week at Just Add Ink and here's the picture to draw that inspiration from:

The main two elements which inspired me are the gorgeous blue tiles on the step risers and the terracotta pots, which on my card became blue bricks and a terracotta planter. 

The brick wall was created using a stencil, Versamark ink and embossing glaze. I used the same shade of blue to colour my window frame, the top layer of which was cut from woodgrain card. I used acetate for the glass and vellum to give the impression of sheer curtains inside the house. For all the flora, I cut two of everything and coloured with distress inks then placed them in the planter, greenery towards the back and flowers up front, along with a few ferns and a butterfly. 

Materials used:

• dies - Vista View Window and The Botanical Solarium (both Spellbinders) 
• other - Versamark ink, uncharted mariner distress oxide ink and embossing glaze (Tim Holtz), blending brushes, Big Shot, Dimensionals, distress inks, acetate, vellum, woodgrain card

I haven't put a sentiment on it but think it would be useful for a number of occasions, especially to give to a keen gardener or someone who has just moved house.

Check out how my fellow team mates were inspired and of course we'd love to see your own creations in our gallery.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Ahoy - Just Add Ink Challenge #706

It's time for some crafty inspiration with a new Just Add Ink challenge! This week we've a pic (chosen by yours truly) to stir up those creative juices.

The cute little sailor hat and neckerchief on the dog inspired me to use a nautical theme for my card.

While the anchor, waves and gulls are die-cuts, I didn't have a die in the right size for the lifebuoy so made my own with two circle dies.  

Materials used:

• dies - Coastal Escape View (Spellbinders), Layering Circles (Stampin Up), Birds in Flight (Poppystamps), stitched rectangle (Paper Rose)
• Mintay - designer paper and cut-apart from the Marina collection
• other - linen thread, Dimensionals, craft foam, Big Shot, Copic markers

We look forward to seeing how the images inspire you. Check out more samples over on the Just Add Ink blog and thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #208 - Hello Summer

Got the winter blues? Cheer yourself up by using The Card Concept's Hello Summer board as inspiration for your cards this month!

My mixed media card was inspired by the colours and starfish.

I began by making the starfish using soft clay and a mould; once dry I coloured them with oxide sprays. More sprays were used on the teal background piece and mummy cloth, which I then interwove with a few fibres from hessian ribbon. For the foreground I used sand embossing powder over crumb cake cardstock - it's the first time I've used this powder and I was thrilled at how realistic it looks! I got out my stash of seashells, assembling those with the mummy cloth, starfish and some art stones/art pebbles. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
• card - distress watercolour (Tim Holtz), crumb cake and basic beige (Stampin' Up), vellum
• distress spray stains/oxide sprays - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, lost shadow, pumice stone
• other - silicone mould Sea Land - Corals and extra light soft clay (Stamperia), Sand embossing powder (Hero Arts), heat gun, art pebbles and art stones (Art Ingredients), mummy cloth (TH), hessian ribbon (SU), seashells, craft foam

I'd love to be walking along a warm beach right now, wouldn't you?

Check out more inspirational ideas over on The Card Concept blog. This is the last challenge before the US summer break, so no more challenges until September. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #207 - Red, White and Blue

This month at The Card Concept we're challenging you to draw inspiration from our red, white and blue mood board:

I was inspired by the bold primary colours of red and blue to create a card for a young child, also incorporating the stars and stripes.

Materials used:

• card - basic white, basic black, real red, starry sky, pink (Stampin' Up), striped paper (Etsy)
• dies - Dancin' Birthday Panda & Dancin' Birthday Dragon, Smart Glasses (Spellbinders), Celebrate (Tim Holtz), Large Numbers (Stampin' Up)
• other - Sidekick, Dimensionals, stars stencil, volume paste, palette knife, computer & printer

If you create anything inspired by our challenge we'd love to see it in our gallery. Visit the Card Concept blog to do so and to see more samples from my fellow design team members.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Lucky Enough - Just Add Ink #701

It's not my scheduled week to create for Just Add Ink but the inspiration picture spoke to me and I simply couldn't resist!

The vibrant colours peaked my interest, something about them just said life and joy to me, so I tried to think of something - or someone - to reflect this feeling. In the end I couldn't go past the incomparable Gladys, who just oozes vibrancy and love for life from every pore! Especially when she's going glam...

I used yellow and orange oxide sprays for my background then stencilled and stamped a few circles to echo those in the inspiration photo. The pieces for Gladys were coloured with more sprays, both ink and oxide, and for the top layer, a touch of shimmery mica. She's glammed up with false eyelashes and bright feathers. The quote chip is perfect for this young lady, don't you think?

Materials used:

• stamps - Timeless Textures (Stampin' Up)
• card - watercolour, black, beige, white
• dies - Gladys Colorize (Tim Holtz), stitched rectangles (Paper Rose)
• distress inks/oxides/sprays - mustard seed, saltwater taffy, ripe persimmon, kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry, cocktail party mica stain
• other - Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, Quote Chip - Labels (Tim Holtz), mini dots stencil THMS59 (Tim Holtz), feather trim, blending brush, Splat box, false eyelashes, Copic markers Y17 and YR04

What does our photo make you think of? Check out what the team came up with and if you're inspired to create, be sure to share it on our Linky.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #206 - April Flowers

Thanks for joining me for another challenge with The Card Concept. Hopefully our options will inspire you to create, whether it's for a birthday, wedding/anniversary, friendship, Mother's Day or perhaps just a 'thinking of you'. 

My clean and layered card was inspired by the gorgeous pink flowers.

My process was perhaps slightly different: I stamped the flower image first so I could then hold the background stencil over it and find what I considered the best layout to suit the stamp. With the stencil in place I coloured my pale blue background with dye ink, not worrying too much if I went over the stamped image because I knew I'd be using oxide inks to colour that, and they would colour over dye ink. Once the background was done I cut with the postage die and then used stencils to colour the image. Next I added the postage stamping, coloured my background piece, and die-cut a sentiment to fit perfectly within the delineated area, using vellum for the shadow so the stamped images beneath could still be seen.

Materials used:

• stamps - Garden Roses and matching stencils (Pink Fresh Studio), Postage Collage (Waffle Flower)
• card - distress white heavystock, vellum
• distress oxide inks - tattered rose, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, shabby shutters, peeled paint
• other - Postage Collage coloring stencils (Waffle Flower), blending brushes, MISTI, Blueberry ink (Altenew), Miss You die (stash), mounting foam

Check out my fellow team mates' offerings over on the Card Concept blog and don't be shy to share your own creations with us.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Just Add Ink #695 - Just Add Chocolate

It may not be my week to create for Just Add Ink but there was no way in the known universe I would miss the opportunity to ...

I mean, come on! 😂😉 CHOC. O. LATE.!!! 

A number of years ago (we're talking more than 10 years, ohmygosh) Just Add Ink had a challenge to be inspired by the wrapper colours of our favourite chocolate bar (yep, they seriously expected us to pick just one, lol). I was lucky enough to win that challenge, so the bar is set high to best that mouthwatering winner, lol! As luck would have it, I not-so-long-ago scooped up a number of items from Stamperia's Coffee and Chocolate range - serendipitous, right? You betcha whipped ganache! Here's my card, which I feel is perfect for many occasions (and do try not to drool all over your keyboard!):

Mm mm mm m mmmmm... 

BTW, while much fun was had, sadly no chocolate was consumed in the making of this card. I know, I know - I really didn't plan that terribly well, lol. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Sentiment Strips 2 (Altenew)
• card - basic white, early espresso
• Stamperia Coffee & Chocolate collection - stencil, paper and Collectibles
• distress oxide inks - Victorian velvet, vintage photo
• other - white gesso, distress opaque texture paste, craft foam, MISTI, Sidekick, blending brushes, sponge dauber, creamy caramel ink (retired), fan brush, water spritzer, Nothing's Better Than die (SU retired)

I started by applying some texture paste through the stencil, inking once it was dry. The 'chocolate' die cut word has three layers, darker behind for a bit of shadowing and lighter on top - I even dredged out a very old ink pad to try for a close colour match. The cupcake and chocs were fussy cut and sponged around the edges then raised at different levels for dimension. The splatters are watered down gesso and I couldn't resist using paper with just blocks and blocks of choccy over my base card.

Check out some more chocolatey creations on the Just Add Ink blog and if you're inspired to make, we'd love to see your work in our gallery.

I'm entering this card in this week's Color Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Love Every Minute

I'm back again with another entry for The Color Throwdown challenge - just kept getting ideas for these gorgeous colours - and this time I'm incorporating it with a second challenge, Inspired By.

And here's my card:

The flowers and leaves are watercoloured and I set them on some distressed woodgrain card for subtle, organic texture. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Do What You Love (Pinkfresh Studios)
• dies - Wildflower Stems 1 and 3 (Tim Holtz)
• other - woodgrain cardstock (Tim Holtz), Zig Clean Color real brush markers, water brush, distressing tool, Dimensionals, craft foam, Big Shot, opal rounds, white baker's twine, sponge dauber

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #205 - Spring Has Sprung

While we look forward to cooler temps here in Australia, the northern hemisphere is warming up and loving all the beauty nature brings with it in Spring. Spring Has Sprung is the theme for this month's inspiration challenge at The Card Concept and what a beautifully sweet mood board we have for you.

The birds, florals and colours all inspired my shaped layered card.

There are three layers of the 'hello' die for depth and I cut the little bird from the reverse side of the DSP to perch there. It's the perfect size and isn't it adorable? This card is 14cm tall and just 10.5cm at its widest point, so fits in a regular C6 envelope. 

I repeated some of the papers on the inside and left space for a handwritten message.

Materials used:

• card - boho blue, basic white, Flight & Airy DSP (all Stampin' Up)
• dies - hello script (stash), Bird House A2 cardbase (Honey Bee Stamps), Essential Arches (Spellbinder)
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, Dimensionals, sponge dauber

Check out what my fellow team members have created to inspire you over on The Card Concept blog, and thanks so much for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #204 - Winter Warmth

We've a brand new monthly challenge and inspiration pic for you at The Card Concept, this one entitled Winter Warmth.

There's certainly plenty of warmth going on around here, as February is the hottest month of summer for us. This week we've had more than one day of 37degC (98.6degF) temps so I am most definitely looking forward to the cooler days of autumn not far away (hopefully!).

The animal, trees and colours on the rug gave me an outdoorsy/nature vibe, which became the inspiration for my mixed media card. 

Curvy Girl was stamped on my background piece of watercolour card first then I sponged the clouds, sky and ground around her, and stamped her again on another piece of card. She was watercoloured using distress inks and after some fussy cutting attached to the background.

Materials used:

• stamps - Curvy Girl Loves to Hike (Stamping Bella), Spectacular Adventures (Altenew)
• card - pecan pie (Stampin' Up), watercolour, Happy Camper plaid paper (Etsy)
• distress inks - bundled sage, peeled paint, forest moss, stormy sky, spiced marmalade, wild honey, tea dye, rusty hinge, brushed corduroy, pumice stone, vintage photo
• dies - alphanumeric tiny type lower (Tim Holtz)
• other - water brush, mini cloud stencil (My Favorite Things), blending brushes, Sidekick, MISTI, vintage photo embossing glaze, heat tool, black archival ink

Hopefully some aspect of the inspiration picture and/or colour palette will make you want to create. If so, do share it with us on The Card Concept blog and don't forget to check out all the cards made by my fellow design team members.

Thanks for hiking by.

Cheers

Kerry