Be Inspired August Blog Hop

Hello Crafty Friends

Welcome to the Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop for August.  You are currently visiting Jackie Aitken in Western Australia. If you are following the hop, you may have arrived here having just visited Monica Gale. If you are just joining us, grab a comfy seat and be sure to hop all the way through for loads of amazing idea's and inspiring projects shared by the Be Inspired Design Team using this month's theme EMBOSSING.

I am a huge fan of embossing folders and adore how you can transform the look of an ordinary piece of card stock into something truly stunning that has texture, simply with one pass through my Big Shot machine. In saying that, I love heat embossing even more! I was hooked the very first time I heat embossed something and it still buzzes me out today. 

Today's card uses both types of embossing, - dry and heat. Starting with a Thick Whisper White card base, to this another layer of Whisper White which has been embossed using the Scripty 3D Embossing Folder. This is such a pretty and versatile Embossing Folder as sometimes I find patterns can be restricting. The cursive font is gorgeous and you can actually read the script!

Layers of Granny Apple Green and Coastal Cabana card stock have been adhered using Multipurpose Liquid Glue. The Shimmery White card front has been die cut using the Rectangle Stitched dies as were the Apple and Cabana layers. 

Using the leaf image, I have white heat embossed the Shimmery card stock and then given it a light wash of Coastal Cabana ink using an Aqua Painter. The stamped images have been coloured using Stampin' Blends, fussy cut and then adhered around the die cut sentiment with mini dimensionals. A couple of Artisan Pearl Embellishments were adhered to the centre of the flowers to finish the card.

That's it from me, crafty friends. Thanks so much for stopping by today. The Be Inspired Design Team appreciate the time you have invested to visit our blogs today, Thank You. Up next in this months Be Inspired Blog Hop is super talented Cathy Caines.

Blog Hop Participant List

Louise Sharp

Nadine Hößrich

Tanya Rees

Monica Gale

Jackie Aitken - That's Me 

Cathy Caines

Brian King

Stesha Bloodhart

Until next time, stay awesome and stay crafty

Colour INKspiration #52

Good Day Crafty Friends

Welcome to Colour INKspiration Challenge #52 Blog Hop. If you are following the Hop, you may have arrived here having just visited Rose Packer with her super gorgeous creation. 

The Colour INKspiration Team have the most delightful colour combination for you to play along with this fortnight - Early Espresso, Whisper White, Granny Apple Green & Soft Sea Foam.

Writing this post as I look at this plate of delightful goodies has made me realise how hungry I am. I could demolish quite a sizable portion of that plate!! 

Now before I share, I must confess this is the second version of this card - the first got ruined when I dropped the opened Early Espresso ink pad onto the corner of the original project. It got thrown in the bin and thanks to the ever patient, Rose Packer, I was able to whip up a replacement in time to join the hop.

My card starts with a tent fold Whisper White card base. To this I have added a piece of Soft Sea Foam that has been embossed with the Subtle Embossing Folder and then cut down slightly before mounting to the base with fun foam.

The card front has had white embossing paste applied through the brick wall stencil and left to dry before adhering a rectangle, stitched frame - created by using two stitched framelits, one inside the other. I ripped the corners because that is what I tried to do to rectify the "ruined project" and quite liked the look of it, so replicated it here.

A piece of Early Espresso card has been die cut with the branch thinlit from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits. To this Granny Apple leaves were fussy cut and adhered with Tombow. A few Soft Sea Foam flowers created using the Lovely Flowers Edgelit Dies have been added with Pearl embellishments placed in the centre.

Here is my card featured with one of my Hand Made Cold Process Soaps. The recipient loves Sandalwood so she gets this delicious smelling creation to accompany her handmade card.

I am lucky last in this fortnights Colour INKspiration Blog Hop. 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 Whisper White, Very Vanilla and Basic Black as well as Metallic s. 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.

If you have missed any of the creative and inspirational idea's shared in today's hop, be sure to head back to the beginning and start with Lou Kitzelman by clicking on the next button below.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. The Design Team members appreciate the time you have invested to visit our blogs to view our creations. Feel free to share some love and leave us a comment.

Until next time, stay awesome and stay crafty

Gingham Gala Card Collection

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope you have had a great week. I have a few cards to share with you today. They all feature products from the Gingham Gala Suite - the Butterfly Gala Stamp Set, Punch and the Gingham Gala 6" x 6" DSP Pack.

The Gingham Gala DSP comes is five beautiful colours - Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue and Lemon Lime Twist.

I made three sets of cards - I am on a mission to make and send loads of cards this year and to do so I need a huge stash ready and waiting for when things pop up.

The first set of cards also uses the diagonal striped DSP from the FREE Botanical Butterfly DSP Pack which is part of the Sale-A-Bration promotion. I have stamped the right hand side of the card front with the little butterfly stamps. I just adore the Rectangle Stitched Framelits, actually, I adore anything with stitching lol This card design uses these Framelits to cut the DSP, White White panels as well as the sentiment.

The butterflies for all today's cards have been punched from shimmery white card stock that had splashes of coordinating ink which was then stamped with the butterfly images in black ink.

For the next set of cards I have omitted the rectangles and replaced them with die cut circles. The Gingham DSP orientation has been flipped and the card front and white white circle die cut have been splattered with black ink.

The final two cards have had the DSP cut on a diagonal for something a little bit different from the other collection of cards. I intended on making this collection in more than two colours but realised I didn't have the matching clips so stopped at just the two.

The stitched label framelits were used for the die cut which holds the sentiment. And a FYI, this stamp set has been designed to coordinate with a punch and has two images - a large and small butterfly which is so handy. I did cut mine apart - every so gently as I wanted the option of stamping one image at a time.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I appreciate the time you have spent in visiting my blog. Wishing you a fabulous day. Until next time, stay awesome and stay crafty

Just Add Ink #441 - Inspiration

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Welcome to Just Add Ink Challenge #441.  One of our Design Team members, Jo Stubbings,  has chosen the most divine Inspiration Photo for us all to play along with this week. 

Would you like to join us? Use the photo below as inspiration behind a new creation and share it with us at the Just Add Ink Challenge Blog. 

Aren't the colours in that photo just yummy....and those cupcakes....oh my!!!! I have taken inspiration for my cards from the soft pastel colour palette of the cupcakes icing/frosting. A rainbow of delicate pretty colours that reminds me of unicorns, or something a unicorn would eat lol.

I love the Subtle colour family - it was the first collection of Ink Pads and Card stock I purchased when I started stamping a few years ago. I just adore Pink - especially pastel Pink. And I love it teamed with Soft Sea Foam (swoon). This collection of cards uses colours from the Subtle colour family.

The first card I made was a little 4"x 4" note card. I had a piece of Soft Sea Foam left over from a previous project which I decided to score, fold in half and use as a card base.

Such a little cutie, but it looked so small and insignificant when I was taking the photos for this blog post, so I put the camera down, went back upstairs and quickly made two other cards that could accompany the little note card.

The water coloured hearts were left over from a project I didn't end up using - these were created using the Meant To Be Bundle.  I whipped the whisper white card front through the Big Shot with the Subtle Embossing Folder before adhering the Blushing Bride Stitched Rectangle die cut frame with foam strips.  A heat embossed sentiment from the Butterfly Gala has been added over the frame and die cut hearts.

I liked the colours and frame from the second card, I decided to repeat these elements in the third card. This time I used the Tufted Embossing Folder for the card front, which has been slightly cut down and lined with Gold Foil Card stock before adhering to the Whisper White card base. The gold heat embossed and water coloured images have been created using the Floral Frames Bundle and the heat embossed sentiment is from the Amazing Life Stamp Set.

Be sure to stop by all the Just Add Ink Design Team members blogs for more inspiration using this weeks Just Add Ink Inspiration photo.

We would love for you and your crafty friends to play along, if you have a blog you can add your creation to the Just Add Ink gallery here. Don't have your own blog? No problem! Just send us an email  to  just-add-ink@hotmail.com with a photo attachment. We will upload it to our challenge entry blog for you.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Until next time stay awesome and stay crafty.

Everything I used to create the cards in today's blog post can be found in the supply list below.

Product List

Floral Frames Clear-Mount Bundle [148406] $75.50	Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies [148551] $61.00	Be Mine Stitched Framelits Dies [148527] $61.00
Meant To Be Cling Stamp Set [148626] $42.00	Layering Squares Framelits Dies [141708] $58.00	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129] $8.75
Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride [131287] $14.75	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] $17.00	Soft Sea Foam A4 Cardstock [147012] $14.75
Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $7.00	Basic Black A4 Card Stock [121688] $14.75	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132] $8.75
Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143706] $17.00	Basket Weave Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [146841] $16.00	Tufted Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [146335] $16.00
Pearl Basic Jewels [144219] $8.75	Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad [147052] $13.00	Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad [147103] $13.00
Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad [147102] $13.00	Heat Tool [129056] $50.00	Big Shot [143263] $159.00
Paper Snips Scissors [103579] $17.00	Foam Adhesive Strips [141825] $14.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $6.00
Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755] $7.00	Aqua Painters [103954] $20.00

Gingham Gala Suite - New Year - New Catalogue

Good Day Crafty Friends

Happy New Year. I hope you have had a fabulous festive season. If you were lucky you got to spend it with all your loved ones. We had absolutely brilliant summer weather over Christmas and New Years here in Perth, which was perfect for BBQs by the pool.

I am so excited for the coming year, the 2019 Artisan Design Team officially start today - yipeeeee!!  I am still pinching myself to wake up from this unbelievable dream! This year is the first Onstage Live in New Zealand, and even though I suffer from chronic travel sickness, I have committed to attending this amazing three day event. April cannot rock around fast enough!! I get to visit my hometown and all my family and friends - it’s been seven years so this aspect alone is going to be a highlight.

With the arrival of the New Year sees the arrival of the new Occasions Catalogue along with the Sale-a-Bration promotion.

And on top of all that, if you join Stampin' Up! during Sale-a-Bration you have the option to add this fabulous EXCLUSIVE Craft & Carry Tote.

If you would like to know more about any of the current Stampin' Up! promotions or would like a copy of the latest catalogues, please feel free to drop me a message and I will add you to my V.I.P. program which ensures you stay updated with the latest catalogues and promotional details.

I do love that a lot of the Sale-a-Bration items coordinate with so many products from the Occasions catalogue. One example is the Butterfly Gala Bundle which includes the Stamp set and duet punch. The DSP used in the card below is one of the coordinating products from Sale-a-Bration catalogue - page 9. There is also coordinating wooden butterfly embellishments. How cool is that, buy the Gingham Gala Bundle with the DSP and Ribbon and you qualify for one of the FREEBIES mentioned above. 

The second card has been created by adding splashes of ink to Watercolour Paper, allowing to dry overnight and then stamping the butterfly images in black ink before using the Butterfly Duet Punch. I have also used my favourite framelits - the Rectangle Stitched Framelits!! These are so cool, they leave stitching on both the negative and die cuts.

The Gingham Gala Suite is so easy to create with, the stamped images stamp a large and small butterfly in one go, with the punch doing the same - punching both images in one punch! Plus the Botanical Butterfly DSP that is part of Sale-a-Bration has so many butterfly images that the punch also cuts - how brilliant is that for coordination!!!

Product List

Butterfly Gala Photopolymer Bundle [150599] $61.00	Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper [149622] $0.00	Gingham Gala 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [148554] $19.25	Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins [148561] $13.00
Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock [121695] $14.75	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] $17.00	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755] $7.00

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