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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Inkspirations #41 - Flower Basket


This week Kirsty Brown is hosting the Inkspirations Challenge & has added the "twist" of watercolouring to the challenge.

Well, as you might be aware, watercolouring is one of my favourite techniques, so I wanted to play along.  Unfortunately I didn't get a chance 'til Thursday night, but here I am, all posted before midnight (just)....  whew!!  lol

Here is my little creation:-


Apart from the watercolouring, this card has taken a whole different attitude to my usual style.  For one, I have a mini mountain of DSP to use up & I have used a fancy DSP as the entire background.  Then I decided to go all frilly & girly, & use a paper doily as a mat & then I cut up another one to use as a border trim.  This is really "out there" for me.  Funny thing is, I quite like how it turned out.  :)

Here is the little girl close up, with her shiny shoes & sparkly hair, fussy cut & popped up on dimensionals:-


& here are those doily borders up close & personal:-


There is a teeny weeny pink rhinestone added to the sentiment, which has been punched with the brilliant mini jewellery punch.

Card Components
Cardstock:  Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Watercolour Paper
DSP:  Tea Party
Stamp Sets:  SU Tiny Tags, TGF Miss Anya
Inks:  Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Lavender Lace, Basic Grey, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, So Saffron
Other:  Paper Doilies, Clear Glaze Pen, Spica Glitter Pen, Pink Rhinestone, Tag Punch, Dimensionals, Grosgrain Ribbon

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

JAI #36 - Birthday Card & Bag


I have to admit that a look through my rather large stack of neglected DSP inspired me to create this card & bag:-




I used this week's JAI's sketch challenge as my starting point.  You can check out the sketch, the DT's inspiring work & all the entries HERE.

Usually I find patterned papers quite intimidating & tend to stick to the muted ones.  The colours in this print are gorgeous though, & I just happened to have matching, identically shaped, leaf brads in my stash!  How lucky was that?  As these were for my Dad, I used knotted twine over strips of cardstock, instead of ribbon.  The matching leaf stamp from the SU Autumn Days set has been used on the envelope & insert.


Card & Bag Components
Cardstock:  SU Crumb Cake (Kraft), Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke
DSP:  Autumn Traditions
Stamp Sets:  SU Autumn Days & Itty Bitty Backgrounds, PTI Through the Trees (sentiment)
Inks:  Versamark, Always Artichoke, Riding Hood Red, More Mustard
Other:  Kraft Giftbag, Kitchen Twine, Leaf Shape Brads, SU Pastels (Chalks), Corrugating Tool

Thursday, September 23, 2010

A Blog Award


Recently *cough, splutter* (was it really 2 weeks ago?) I received a lovely email with a blog award from Melissa.


The idea is to tell three things about yourself & pass the award on to five others.  Well, I have chosen the six Aus/NZ bloggers that you will find on my sidebar, as I visit these blogs regularly!  :)

I thought I would tell about myself by explaining why I have chosen the blogs of these very talented stampers.  :)

Here they are (alphabetically):-

Amanda Reddicliffe & Danielle Daws - Just Add Ink
Together Amanda & Danielle have created the terrific resource/challenge site that is Just Add Ink.  On Amanda's blog you will find beautiful scrapbook pages & on Danielle's blog you will find wonderful creations using the masking technique.  :)
 
Christine Blain - Happy Heart Cards
Christine uses brilliant colour combinations, inspiring me to move away from those "comfortable" colours.   Christine is also one of the members of the Helping Hudson Team who recently fundraised an incredible amount of money to assist young Hudson.  I'm sure many of you will know Christine by the lovely comments she leaves.  :) 

Lynne Armstrong - Doodlebug Designs
Lynne creates beautiful cards & fantastic off the page creations, featuring exquisitely hand coloured images with both Copics & Prismas.  Lynne is my wonderful partner in crime & we often bounce ideas back & forth.  BTW Lynne encouraged me to set up this blog - so you can thank/blame her. lol  :)

Marelle Taylor - ThINKspot
Marelle has a beautiful "clean" & crisp style & you will find lots of great little tips sprinkled through her site.  Marelle's was the first blog I was introduced to & I keep going back!  :)

Makeesha Byl - Inkspirations...

Makeesha's variety of stunning work has always blown me away.  Keesh (& her wonderful DT) provide lots of inspiration & motivation with the awesome Inkspirations Challenge every week and Keesh generously shares a multitude of tutorials on her site.  :)

Paula Dobson
- Stampinantics
Paula creates amazing sponged images & wonderful scenes featuring clever reflections.  You will also find great tutorials at Paula's site.  :) 

So to all of these ladies & to all the other bloggers who generously share their work, "THANK YOU"

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Inkspirations #40 - Cupcakes


Hi, this week Makeesha has set a colour challenge using Rose Red, So Saffron, Basic Grey & Whisper White.  You can see all the DT's inspiration pieces & join in the fun here

This is my DL sized card:-


I have used the new SU Level 3 Hostess Set called Playful Pieces for the cupcakes. 

I stamped the icing tops, then to make cutting them out easier, I punched them out with a circle punch & then trimmed the bottom scalloped edge with scissors:-

 
To make the pink patty pan I used the stamp kissing method & then added yellow to the flowers with a blender pen. 


When I stamped the yellow patty pans with the kissing method, I found they were way too light!  Instead I stamped the patterned rectangle, then I flipped the cardstock over & stamped the patty pan image.  Then I cut out the shape with scissors, flipped it back over & had a perfect patterned patty pan.  The patty pans have all been glazed & mounted to the card with dimensionals.  


I adhered the buttons (threaded with cardstock) & the pink heart (which is the head of a dressmaking pin) to the cupcake tops with crystal effects.  Then the tops were glittered & added to the cupcakes using dimensionals.

Card Components
Cardstock:  Rose Red, So Saffron, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Stamp Sets:  SU Playful Pieces, Something Sweet
Inks:  Purely Pomegranate (sorry, don't have any Rose Red), So Saffron
Other:  Dazzling Diamonds, Crystal Effects, Buttons, Pinhead (heart), Grosgrain Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware (button buckle), Dimensionals, Clear Glaze Pen

Monday, September 6, 2010

Just Add Ink #33 - Birthday Daisies


This week the ladies at JAI have another great challenge.  You can play along & see all the DT's wonderful inspiration pieces here.

Here is my entry for the challenge:-


Here is the sketch, which I have mirrored & then rotated 90 degrees:-


I have used a Crumb Cake (aka Kraft) card as a base which has been stamped in Versamark with the foliage from the Embrace Life Set.  This has then been chalked to darken the images.

The main daisy image has been coloured direct to rubber, using ink pads, markers & blender pens.  The sentiment panel has been stamped & then punched out with the curly label punch.  This has been popped up on dimensionals.

Card Components
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake (Kraft), Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Stamp Sets:  Inspired by Nature, Embrace Life, Cute & Curly
Inks:  Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, More Mustard, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Versamark
Other:  Curly Label Punch, Chit Chat Rub-Ons, So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon, Kitchen Twine, Dimensionals, SU Pastels (Chalks)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Inkspirations Challenge #37 - Oops Ellie!!!!


Makeesha's Inkspirations Challenge is being hosted by Chantelle this week.  Chantelle has a wonderful sketch which you can find on her blog & she also threw in an extra challenge of using polkadots!

Here is my dotty entry:-


I have used a rubber stamp called "Oops Ellie" by High Hopes.  Ellie has been coloured with Prismacolor pencils, had her toenails painted with white glaze pen & been popped up on dimensionals.  The pink panel that Ellie is sitting on has also been popped up.

Here is a closeup of Ellie & her shiny toes!  :)


Card Components
Cardstock:  Regal Rose, Whisper White
DSP:  Sweet Always (Rose), Retired ? (Saffron)
Stamps:  Oops Ellie by High Hopes Rubber Stamps, SU Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Inkpads:  Forever Black, Regal Rose
Other:  Prismacolor Pencils, Mineral Spirits, So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon, Pink Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals, White Glaze Pen, Yellow Split Pins, Round Tab Punch