Just Add Ink Challenge

Its challenge time again over at Just Add Ink.  There's a sketch to inspire us this week.

I broke out the Daydream Medallions and some Pumpkin Pie bits and pieces - it's my Mother-in-Law's birthday at the end of the month and she loves the colour orange.

I'm not sure I could get much more Pumpkin Pie if I tried!  I threaded a little piece of cardstock through the lovely faceted button for good measure.

Off to find her a present now, trying to fill my day with things to keep me occupied.  It's exam day for my daughter Livs (she doing a Year 12 subject in Year 11 - alot of children do this), she doing a Psych exam this afternoon and my tummy is already churning ... what am I going to do next year when she has lots of exams to sit all at the same time?

Right off to shops I go.

Happy Stampin!

Nikki

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Just Add Ink Challenge #121 - Just Add Pearls

I have a few thank yous to send this month and as they are for fellow demonstrators I thought the new Reason To Smile set from Stampin' Up! was perfect to use.  Its been a while since I took part in a challenge - my first port of call when looking for inspiration is Just Add Ink - this week we are challenged to Just Add Pearls.

Riding Hood Red with Very Vanilla and a touch of Basic Black  and of course some pearls.  I've used the Designer Frames embossing folders to highlight the single flower.

The Reason to Smile set is a two step stamping process - the usual outline and a much softer solid image - I used the Stampamajig to line it up.

If you are lucky enough to be enjoying the long weekend perhaps you'd like to Just Add Peals too!

Til next time

Nikki

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1st Layout of 2012, 1st of 144 and 1st JAI Scrapbook Challenge

Yes this is the first layout of 2012.

All about what we did on the 1st of January 2012.

It is the first layout for my Twelve project .... only 143 to go :o)

So I think it qualifies as an entry for the Just Add Ink Scrapbook Challenge - Firsts or Ones.

I wanted to include a few pictures, but I only wanted to do a single page layout so I cropped them all and then played with them until they sat together well.  Of course colour was going to be an issue with this many photos so I flicked through the Stampin' Up DSP pages of the catalogue and found this piece from the Paisley Petals pack - matches well with KP's top and the fireworks - perfect.

I loved the concept of firsts and so all the journalling around the outside relates to this - Firsts on the First of the First of Twenty Twelve, Our First time watching the fireworks in Sydney, First Sadler - Petrie event of Twenty Twelve and First time visiting Bondi Beach on the First.  

A part of the Twelve concept is to 'colour code' each of the Twelve topics - so Holiday is my red orange topic.  Students are encouraged to use a small embellishment on the page in your chosen colour - so I've included some Real Red brads as accents - ordinarily I would have just chosen the Cajun Craze ones only but I like the contrast.

This was a super quick easy layout to put together.  Pop on over to the JAI scrapbooking challenge and why not put in an entry yourself - so much fun.

I am really loving the learnings of the Twelve course - I'll be back in a day or two with my second layout - one all about Me.

Happy scrapping.

Nikki

JAI 51 - A Colour Challenge

The lovely ladies at Just Add Ink have a colour challenge this week.  Such lovely colours - perfect for my new favourite stamp set Fast and Fabulous - a Hostess Level 2 set.

This style of watercolouring is so easy ... do you want to learn how to do it?

I'm running a class to show you how in the next couple of weeks.  You will make three different cards using the same stamp set and you can personalise them to suit different occasions.  

Watch out for class dates in my February newsletter.

Happy Stamping.

Nikki

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JAI Challenge #29

The girls at JAI have a colour challenge this week - I did like these colours when I saw them but I actually struggled to include Kraft - yes I know ... shock horror!

Now I am really not sure about this card ... I like the ribbon detail - that's been in my head for a little while now but I am not sure about the placement of the flower.  I've used the So Swirly wheel and a Rose Red ink pad for the background .... the floral stamp is from the Tiny Tags set  and the sentiment from Pocket Silhouettes ... you can see I fiddled with this for a while can't you.

The ribbon is the 1/4" grosgrain, I've knotted little bits along a main peace - Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla.  Oh and I've sponged a bit here and there too.

 

Happy Birthday Steven

Its not my brother-in-law's birthday yet - it's next week (OMG I am early for a change), but I am pretty certain that he doesn't visit my blog and so I am safe to show you my challenge entry to the Just Add Ink Challenge - just add stitching.

Inspired by Sue Madex's card for the Art With Heart team blog hop, I made this card using my favourite star punches - yes I know it looks nothing like Sue's card - but isn't that always the way - you sit down to make one thing and end up making something else - at least there are stars on it!

As I sat putting little cross stitches into the middle of the big stars .... and running a line of stitching along the bottom of the card it struck me that this is how my crafting passion began, that was nearly 20 years ago.  I used the mat pack to create a row of neat little holes - which I then ran a piece of Linen thread through.

And here is a close up of the stitching - just in case my Mum pops in to have a little look - she knows how good ..... hummm okay ... how bad I am with a needle and thread.

So Happy Birthday to Steven, brother of Paul, and Uncle to Olivia and Kieran .... lets hope he is celebrating this time next week.

 

Just Add Ink Challenge #9

This week'c challenge for Just Add Ink is a sketch and I thought I'd use it for a new scrapbooking page.  I have been wanting to use the new Tall Tales Designer Series for a while now ... and as there is only a few days left of the Summer Mini I thought I had better hurry up and open it!

What do you think?  I love elephants and queued for a while to be able to feed them at Australia Zoo in January of this year .... I really love the Earth tones of Old Olive and Chocolate Chip, just perfect for nature photos.

This is a double page layout as I wanted to use a few of the photos I had taken (I take heaps and heaps, so choosing just some is a very difficult task ;o))  .... here's page two.

I've used some Twill Tape and Short Order Alphabet to create a title.  If you haven't noticed the Twill Tape it's on page 150 of the IB&C and costs $11.50 for 8.2 metres - absolute bargain I think, I love to stamp on it - it looks really effective.

I've included some handwritten journalling and used Crystal Glaze for the words I wanted to stand out from the rest.  I've also used the standard brads from the Spring Mini which are still available for you to purchase.

I then cut out one of the elephants and (and a crocodile of course) and added it as an embellishment -Crystal Glaze features here too .... 

Don't forget to date your events ... in years to come I'll never remember it was this year's holiday!

So if you love the paper or want to give the Twill Tape a whirl contact your demonstrator - and if you don't have one you can contact me!

Back in a day or so with more from the Summer Mini - remember you don't have long and it will be gone forever.

 

      

Just Add Ink Challenge #7

Okay so I am little late off the mark joining in with the new Just Add Ink Challenge Site - I've been checking it for a few weeks now - have you visited the site yet?  There are some amazing ideas.  This week's challenge is a colour combination 

I've been playing with the Sweet Treat Cups and creating Easter cards - do you love the little bunny. I love punch art animals - and this bunny is just so easy - there are lots of examples of it around the net ... and in various different colour schemes too.  

I've used the large and small ovals, the new 1 3/4" circle and the 1/2" circle and the crop-o-dile to make the little eyes and nose.  Did I mention that I don't often use these colours?  Well I don't own the Pink Passion stamp pad so I had to make do with the Regal Rose - but I think it looks okay.  

With matching brads and designer series paper this card was so easy to make - and I've included a little slide out bit so that the recipient can eat the little eggs without needing to demolish the card.

Back in a couple of days with more Sweet Treat delights.