Just Add Ink #410 - Inspiration - Stitched All Around

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Welcome to this weeks Just Add Ink Challenge #410 - Just Add Inspiration. Can you believe we are almost half way through the year already? And, can you believe this is my 200th post!! Wahoo to me. Not bad considering I stared my blog in February last year and didn't know how to enter challenges or blog hop! My oh my how times have changed lol. I even put on my girl panties today and sent off my application for the Stampin' Up! 2019 Artisan Team! 

Anywho, enough about me - lets get back to the Challenge. The Just Add Ink Design Team have the most delicious inspiration picture for you to play along with this week. Wish my bedroom was as bright and colourful as the one below - don't think Hubby would appreciate it though, he may think its a tad too girlie......no? 

I have two cards to share today. For the first card, I picked a few of the colours from the inspiration picture to create the cards background panels - Flirty Flamingo, Pineapple Punch, Pool Party and Grapefruit Grove.

I added a few die cuts created using the new Stitched All Around Framelits. White Bakers Twine has been threaded through the circular die cut, tied off to the left in a bow. Pineapple Punch ribbon has been placed on top of the Bermuda Bay Banner and tucked underneath the sentiment is some Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon.

My second card uses the new Accented Blooms stamp set. I wasn't going to order this set until later in the year, but I am so glad I didnt wait. It may just be one of my new favies.

Onto shimmery White card, I splashed some Pineapple Punch and Lemon Lime Twist inks with an Aqua Painter. The Accented Blooms stamp was inked in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and coloured using Stampin' Blends. I have fussy cut and raised the image on foam strips.

The border stamp from Stitched All Around has been stamped onto Whisper White and fussy cut. A Gold Foil banner and Doily were tucked under the stamped images to finish off the card.

The Design Team at Just Add Ink have created some absolute stunners to inspire you. Be sure to check them all out - there are a few sneak peaks of new products and just all round amazingly beautiful projects.

We would love for you to play along with us. Create a project using the Inspiration Picture posted above, then add your project to the Just Add Ink Challenge #410 gallery here.

Thanks for stopping by today, until next time, stay crafty

Looking for fancy fold cards for that one off or special occasion? Check out the tutorials available in the AddINKtive Designs Tutorial shop by clicking on the image below.

Technique - Drawing on Stamped Images

Hello Crafty Friends,

I hope you have had a wonderful day. Mine has been a productive one - ticking items off to do lists is so rewarding, especially when they are things you have been purposely delaying. With the linen cupboard and pantry sorted I can now get into something I love - creating!!

Today's post is a collation of creations I recently shared on Instagram. All these cards use a technique that I totally enjoy as I am a doodler, especially when I am on the telephone. This technique is great for monochrome patterned DSP and also for some stamped images.

Simply take a Black Ink Pen and add details to stamped images. For these cards I have chosen the leaf and flower bud images from Cake Soiree and the small floral image from Petal Palette.

Small strokes of the pen have been added to mimic leaf veins and flower stamens. To compliment the Black Ink strokes, ensure you add other Black elements in small touches - I have used foliage stamps from Jar of Love and Cake Soiree stamp sets.

The images really pop when adding a lot of white space. I added some texture for this one with the Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder.

Something a bit simpler. Changing the colour combinations of the stamped images gives you so many different looks.

Again using texture, this time created using the Basket Weave Embossing Folder

Hope you are inspired to try this technique on stamps you own - and by that I mean the stamped images!!! Please don't draw on your actual stamps lol 

Until next time, stay crafty

Colour INKspiration #34

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Welcome to the Colour INKspiration Challenge #34 Blog Hop. You are currently visiting Jackie Aitken in Perth, Australia. If you are following the hop you may have arrived here having just visited the super talented Rose Packer.

We have a super stunning picture to inspire your creative juices for this challenge, which runs for three weeks. The challenge colours are: Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight and Basic Grey.

I adore this picture, in particular, the gorgeous architecture and the perfectly preserved 1950's American vehicles on the streets of modern day Cuba.  The buildings are just delightful colours, I especially love all the Pastel tones. Wouldn't this be a fabulous street to live on.  I dibs the Pink building! Lol

I decided to pull out a technique I haven't used in a while to create the "special effects" on this cards stamped images. I personally love the look this technique produces, especially on stamp sets I may have owned for a while that have been somewhat unloved or uninked recently.

I have stamped the small floral image from Petal Palette stamp set in Daffodil Delight, and the other images from Cake Soiree in Calypso Coral and Pool Party.

Then all I have done is simply take a black ink pen and draw in the details. I am by no means an artist and this is easier than it looks. Choose a starting point for contact and taper off your flicks. Think of veins and stamens that naturally exist on flowers and leaves and try to mimic those lines with strokes of the pen.

My top tip when using this technique is do all the drawing/doodling before you die cut/fussy cut the images. 

Here is a close up:

While I had the supplies out I decided to make an additional card with the Callenge colours. The second card is stepped up ever so slightly by adding a few die cut stitched shaped circles and some DSP (or in this case, cut up SAB Tutti Frutti card). Stitched Circle die cuts in Calypso Coral and Pool Party were tucked behind the panel of DSP. The Basic Grey strip was omitted and the decorative embellishments colours changed from So Saffron to Grapefruit Grove.

INKspired to join the challenge? It's so easy. Firstly, get some INKspiration by hopping around to see what all of the Colour INKspiration Crew have to show you. Then you have 12 days from today to make and upload your creation to the Facebook Colour INKspiration Group. You don't have to have a blog to participate but if you do you can link back to your post. Make sure you use all of the challenge colours. You can also use neutrals such as white, black, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake and Metallics. Not a member of the Facebook group yet? Just click here and ask to join Colour INKspiration, add the group to your favourites and share it with your crafty friends so they can join in the fun too. We can't wait to see what you create with these gorgeous colours.

Next up in the Blog Hop is one of our Guest Designers, Krissy Buck with her amazing creation. Be sure to hop all the way through, the Design Team and Guest Designers have shared some stunning projects, you may even see a few sneak peaks of new products that will be available 1st June.

Thanks for stopping by today. I appreciate you and the time invested to visit my blog. Wishing you a wonderful day. Until next time, stay awesome

Looking for fancy fold card tutorials using all Stampin' Up! products, be sure to check out the Tutorial Shop at AddINKtive Designs - click on the image below to be taken to the Tutorial Shop.

Jar Of Love & Cake Soiree

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Hope you are having a fabulous day.  I have a few cards to share with you today, but first I wanted to chat about a few changes I am making.

I have taken a lesson from the extremely busy Demonstrators in the blogging world - Batch Everything! Meaning, to save time, its more effective to complete tasks in batches. I have put this into practice and am discovering the benefits.

I make so many cards and paper craft projects that I don't have the time to write a blog post for every single item I create.  I do share these on other social media platforms such as Instagram and on my Facebook Business Page, as they just require posting a photograph which can easily be done from my phone.

What I have decided to do is collate all these creations and share them on a weekly basis through a single blog post, so that way, those that follow me solely through my blog are not missing out.

I have cut down a few of the cards from the Sale a Bration Tutti Frutti card and envelope pack and used them in the following cards:

Jar Of Love

Cake Soiree Stamp Set & Eclectic Layers Thinlits.

Cake Soiree & Artisan Textures stamp sets.

This Pocket Card uses Petal Palette Stamp Set and Memories & More Card Pack

I love Pocket Cards. They are quick and easy to construct using an Envelope Punch Board.  Plus, I love that there are two surfaces to decorate. The insert has the added bonus of space for writing a lengthy message or it can be made to house a gift card. Aside from fancy folds, these are one of my favourite style of cards.

Hope to catch you all again soon, until next time, stay awesome

Kelly's Stamping Friends - Birthday Blog Hop - Cosmetic Cards

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Welcome to the blog hop celebrating the gorgeous, lovely and talented Kelly Kent. Wahooo!!!! Happy Birthday Kelly!!!!  Hope you had a wonderful day doing what you love xxx

Hello, you are currently visiting Jackie Aitken in Western Australia. If you are following the hop, you may have arrived here having just visited my super amazing friend, Denita Wright-Smee. 

I created two cards to share with you today. These were a special request for friends of my daughter, who are all turning 18 this year.  She wanted something with a little wow factor but nothing with flowers!! That ruled out over three quarters of my stamp collection lol.  I decided to create two easel cards that had no stamping at all, die cut words have been used instead.

The first is a Eye Shadow Palette Compact

The card is a simple tri-fold that doubles as an easel card. Complete with eye shadows, applicator and mirror.

As you open the card, two panels reveal a space to write a greeting and the Happy Birthday Thinlit.

 I also made an Atomiser Card using the Hot Air Balloon Die from the Up and Away Thinlits. This easel card has been based on a design by Bronwyn Eastley at AddINKtive Designs.

The Atomiser folds flat for posting and has a message panel on the inside for a written greeting. I am currently in the process of making tutorials for these two designs. Ideally I would have liked to have had them available today....but life (sigh), so fingers crossed by the end of the week.

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y   K E L L Y ! ! 

Thank You for organising another wonderful collection of talented demonstrators to share and inspire others.  Have a wonderful evening, gorgeous xx

There are two blog hops lists for Kelly's birthday blog hop. Be sure to check them both out for double the amount of inspiration.  Up next in this group of Blog Hoppers is Narelle Simm. Enjoy x

If you get lost at any stage on your hopping journey, check the bottom of each blog for a participant list - this will help you along your way.

1. Kelly Kent
2. Lou Kitzelman
3. Jenny Hall
4. Denita Wright-Smee
5. Jackie Aitken - You are currently here.
6. Narelle Simm
7. Sandra Collett
8. Monique Fielder
9. Nicole Wilson
10. Siobhan Fitzsimmons
11. Jenny Hayward
12. Kathryn Mangelsdorf
13. Josie Dean
14. Peta Stephen
15. Kristel Rimmer
16. Kim Oliver
17. Denise Buetler
18. Jacqui Crouch
19. Tina Gillespie
20. Jan McQueen

Thanks for stopping by and hopping with us today, until next time - stay crafty

Stamping Sunday Blog Hop - Apron of Love

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Welcome to the Stamping Sunday Blog Hop. You are currently visiting

I am super excited to share today's post. If you follow me, you may have noticed a new Design Team Badge pop up on my sidebar. Today, I am participating for the first time in my new role on the Stamping Sunday Design Team.

Our brief for this months challenge, was to use a set/bundle that is carrying over from the current catalogue into the new Annual Catalogue, due 1st June.

My creations today showcase the Apron of Love Bundle. I was stoked on hearing the Apron Bundle was being carried over. I have used this cute little bundle so extensively, it had been one of my little goldmines for fancy fold card designs.

First up is a card I designed for my Mum for Mothers Day. I have actually made two of these, also creating one for my Mother in Law.

Its quite an intense little design, but I have simplified it from my original design so that I could create a tutorial. It is basic in design, allowing all the wowing through its decoration. It is 6" x 6" and does close flat for posting. Being on the larger size has its advantage, with a huge space for writing a lengthy message on the back.

The front:

The back or “message panel”

My next creation is for my Mother in Laws visit in June. She is coming all the way from New Zealand and will spend her birthday here with us in Perth, Australia.  I made a banner, using the Apron Builder Framelits and the Tabs for Everything stamp set.

I wanted something bright and colourful as the table settings and cake stand I will be using are plain white.  

A few close ups:

And teamed with some other hanging decorations created using the same colour combination.

Thanks for stopping by today, be sure to follow the hop all the way through, the Design Team have made some stunning creations to inspire you and to ensure you get more value from the stamps and bundles that are being carried over into the new Annual Catalogue.

If you get lost any where along the way, a full participant list has been added below. Enjoy x

You can find the tutorial for my Baked With Love Kitchen card featured in this post by clicking on the image below.