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Friday, April 29, 2011

Inkspirations Challenge #67 - Strength & Hope

Well, it certainly has been a while since I was here last!  Like everyone else, I have had a couple of those really busy weeks where you don't seem to manage to get everything done that you would like to, so the blogging & commenting have been sadly neglected.  Hopefully I will get to have a big catch up over the next few days & see all the wonderful creations everyone has been sharing.

Anyway, this week Keesh has a great sketch to get the creative juices flowing:-


I have chosen to use the beautiful new SU set, Strength & Hope, a set which has been designed to help raise funds for Breast Cancer research:-


The main panel has been masked, sponged & stamped repeatedly with the powerful words from the Strength & Hope set.  The Navy panel has been stamped with the Very Vintage Wheel.  Here's a close up:-


Please make sure you check out the awesome inspiration pieces from the Design Team.  We hope you can join us at Inkspirations this week:-


Inkspirations Challenges Site Makeesha Brandi Carrie Cindy Helen Ilina Kirsty Lee-Anne Marisa Renée
*** Please also consider purchasing this set to help fight the battle against Breast Cancer. ***

Card Components:  (all SU)
Cardstock:  Night of Navy, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Stamps:  Strength & Hope set, Very Vintage Wheel
Inks:  Night of Navy, Pretty in Pink
Other:  1.3/4" Circle Punch (for mask), Satin Ribbon

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Playground Party Animals & A Colour Throwdown

I have a lovely collection of Dustin Pike's awesome digital images & decided to put some to good use making a Never Ending card.  This was such fun to make (& to play with).  You essentially have four "card fronts" to cycle through.  Here is my version:-
 





There are lots of tutorials available for this type of card, mostly for 6" square cards.  I adjusted the measurements to make a 5.1/2" square card.

I have combined two challenges that I haven't entered before to create this card:-



Love those party animals!  :)

Card Components:
Cardstock:  SU Taken with Teal, Pear Pizzazz (close to Celery), Express-It White
DSP:   Mostly SU (some retired), teal & celery grungy spot pattern from Kaiser
Stamps:  All Dustin Pike digital stamps (Zoo Collection, Freebies & Miscellaneous)
Other:  Copic Markers, White Glaze Pen

Friday, April 15, 2011

Inkspirations Challenge #66 - Butterfly & Bleach

Another great colour challenge from Keesh & the Team at Inkspirations this week:-


I have made a circular easel card using the Big Shot & the Scallop Circle Die:-


The background has been stamped with tempting turquoise & I have lightened up the blossoms by bleaching them out.  I used a blender pen to pick up some turquoise ink from the pad to add some depth of colour to the leaves & stems.

The butterfly has been stamped on vellum with versamark ink & then heat embossed in white.  It has been fussy cut & the wings curled to add dimension.  Some organza ribbon & turquoise pearls complete the card.

Hope you can join us this week  You can click on the link on my sidebar to enter the challenge & to check out the DT's inspiration pieces.  :)

(My apologies for the poor colours of the photograph.)

Card Components:
Cardstock:  SU Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Vellum
Stamps:  SU All A Flutter & Elements of Style
Inks:    SU Tempting Turquoise, Versamark
Other:  Scallop Circle Die, Robo, Pearls, Dimensionals, White Embossing Powder, Organza Ribbon, SU Modern Label Punch & Word Window Punch

Friday, April 8, 2011

Inkspirations Challenge #65 - Copic Bunny

Hi everyone, it's my favourite day of the week again - Inkspirations Challenge Day!  Here is this week's sketch:-


This is the most versatile sketch, as you will see if you check out all the lovely DT samples here.

I chose to do a rather bright, multi-patterned card this week & to top off challenging myself with that, I borrowed my daughter's Copics (*thanks sweetie*) & printed out this rather quirky little digi stamp by Zlateona Gocheva  (Zlateona Designs at CDAC) to colour.  This is how it turned out:-


Be gentle with me, it was my first major colouring exercise with Copic markers & I don't think I will be giving up my aquapainter any time soon, lol!!!

I pulled out a couple of goodies from "the olden days" - the white gel pen & the deckle edge scissors!  They added just enough interest to the die cut sentiment panel.  :)

Now, if you haven't done so already, go check out the awesome DT inspiration pieces!

Inkspirations Challenges Site Makeesha Brandi Carrie Cindy Helen Ilina Kirsty Lee-Anne Marisa Renée

Card Components:
Cardstock:  SU Pacific Point, X-Press It Blending Card
DSP:  SU Brights DSP Patterns, SU retired 6x6 Hostess Pad
Stamps:  Bunny by Zlatoena
Other:  Copic Markers, CM Circle Cutting Patterns, Deckle Edge Scissors, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals, Versamark Marker & Clear Embossing Powder, Vinyl, Robo

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Just Add Ink #62 - Blossom Box

Well, I hope you haven't fallen off your chair!  No, it's not Friday & yes, I am actually doing a mid-week post!.  :)

It's been ages since I have played along in the JAI Challenge & this week the ladies have a fantastic challenge to create a bag or box.

I was given the perfect inspiration to create a 3D item, when I was lucky enough to catch up for a wonderful lunch with the very lovely Christine Blain yesterday.  Look at these gorgeous blooms that Christine created (& sent home with me, along with one of her stunning cards):-


I was all inspired by these beauties to whip up a box this evening & opted to use the Pink flower to create this:-


I started with the lid, which was made from a 6x6 sheet of DSP, I centred the scallop border trim punch along each edge of the square & then folded each side down to give a 1" lip.  The box was made from one & a half sheets of cardstock, which has been stamped with the woodgrain stamp & sponged along all the edges.

I added a loop of Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon to the bloom on the lid, which has been raised on dimensionals:-


Thank you so much Christine.  :)

Box Components:  (All SU)
Cardstock:  Pink Pirouette
DSP:  Retired 6x6 Hostess Pad (Regal Rose)
Stamps:  Woodgrain
Inks:  Pretty in Pink
Other:  Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Scallop Border Trim Punch, Sponges, Dimensionals, Pearl, Fancy Flower Punch, 5 Petal Flower Punch, Boho Blossoms, Silver Brad (under Pearl), Sticky Strip

Friday, April 1, 2011

Inkspirations Challenge #64 - Autumn Medallion

Hithere, back again for another great Inkspirations Challenge. This week Keesh has set these colours:-


I would have loved to use SU's new French Foliage stamp set to make some Autumn leaves with these colours, but alas, I don't have it (YET!) :)  So I decided to drag out the Medallion stamp & create this:-


Now you may be wondering where the Poppy is, but it is there in the medallion, in between the Mustard & the Cajun.  To get this graduated effect, I inked the entire stamp with the Mustard inkpad, then using the Cajun inkpad, I inked around the edges.  Then I used a sponge, inked with Poppy to soften the area  between the Mustard & the Cajun.  (As I was sponging, I made sure to clean off my sponge before I inked it up again, so I didn't transfer any Mustard or Cajun ink onto the Poppy inkpad.)

To make the "spikey" Cajun ring, I used the scallop circle punch.  I punched my shape & then used a small amount of snail to attach it to a piece of scrap paper.  I then inserted this sheet back into the punch, lining up the inward points of the scallop with the centres of the original scallops.  When you punch it gives a nifty spiked edge.  This idea has been around for quite a while, but if you haven't seen it before, here's how it's done:-


As for the background, when I was rummaging through my ribbon collection I discovered a piece of tulle.  Always keen to experiment, I sponged through this with Mustard ink to get the cool background.  The entire main panel is raised with dimensional adhesive.  Take a look:-


Although this was not the first idea that sprang to mind when I saw these colours, I was really happy with the result.  :)

Make sure you go & check out what the rest of the team have created.  You will be amazed at the range of ideas they have provided with these colours!  Hope you can play along:-
Inkspirations Challenges Site Makeesha Brandi Carrie Cindy Helen Ilina Kirsty Lee-Anne Marisa Reneé
Card Components  (SU unless noted)
Cardstock:  Whisper White (oops, that should have been Vanilla!), More Mustard, Cajun Craze
Stamps:  Medallion, Vintage Labels, Kaiser Prairie Lane (inner circle)
Inks:  More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Poppy Parade
Other:  Scallop Circle Punch, 1.1/2" Circle Punch, Jewellery Tag Punch, White Grommet, Miscellaneous Ribbon, Dimensional adhesive, Tulle