JAI 758: Just Add A Sketch

 Hi!

Thanks ever so much for joining me for the new Just Add Ink challenge. This week Kim has designed a fun sketch to inspire our creativity.

I love using circles on cards, and that wee little bow? So sweet! I wanted to make a sewing themed card for a friend, so I went hunting through my extensive paper stash for some suitable paper. This gingham print from the Country Gingham DSP pack was the perfect choice.

The paper colour is Sweet Sorbet, thankfully I had some coordinating cardstock in my stash too. A layer of Whisper White under the DSP gave it a lovely pop.

The stamp set that I used is from Kindred Stamps, called National Sewing Machine Day. It's a great choice for a sewing themed thank you card! I used my Stylish Shapes Dies to crop the banners and the stitched circle. The solid circle is from the long retired Circles Collection Framelits.

The inside uses another sentiment from the Sewing Machine stamp set, a strip of left over DSP and some sweet die cuts from the Quilt Builder Framelits dies. I love it when different products from different companies work so well together!

That's all from me for this week, but we'd love to see what you make. You can see the rest of the Design Team cards over on the Just Add Ink blog, where you can also add your card to our Linky.

Bye for now,

Tina

AWH February Blog Hop: Sale-A-Bration

Hi!

Tonight the Art With Heart team are sharing creative projects using products from the Sale-A-Bration brochure. All Sale-A-Bration products are earned for FREE with sales of $90+ (AUD).

• If you spend $90, you get one free level 1 product. 
• If you spend $180, you get one free level 2 product, OR two level 1 items. 
• If you spend $270, you have the option to choose three level 1 items or one level 1 item and one level 2 item.

The Sale-A-Bration promotion is current now until March 31st. Be sure to request your copy of the brochure today.

Sale-A-Bration is also a great time to join our fabulous team. Ask any of the girls on the hop!

I decided to use the Tutti Frutti Cards and Envelopes to make a mini album for my Blog Hop project. I used 4 of the cards (one of each pattern) and 5 envelopes. You get 4 each of the 4 cards and envelopes, so there was still plenty left over from the set after I made my album. I also used another Sale-A- Bration item on the front of the album - the Celebrate You Thinlit dies - to cut the word celebrate.

This is the first page. The checked paper is from the inside of one of the envelopes. The right side page is formed from the Lemon Lime Twist card. I scored a line 1 1/2 inches from the bottom and folded it up to make a pocket.

I've followed a bit of a theme in decorating the album, using hearts in a circle on many of my pages as a decorative element.

The small blue dotty flaps on this page were made using another of the card bases. I cut a 2 inch section off to use as a page, and then used the rest of the card to make the tags for the LLT page pockets.

I used a retired Circle die to cut a scalloped circle from the Daffodil Delight card base. I edged the left side of the page with some doily offcuts I had floating around on my craft desk.

This middle page is the only page that doesn't use one of the Tutti Frutti Cards or Envelopes. It's a piece from the Tutti Frutti DSP pack. After I cut all my pages to size, I layered them and then used my sewing machine to stitch all of the layers together along the spine.

It was a lot of fun mixing and matching the patterns and colours for each of the pages.

The ribbons were a fun little touch to the pages to add to some of the pages. A lot of them I stapled to the page and covered with a circle/heart combo, but this Night Of Navy Seam Binding was threaded through a hole in the page.

I'm not sure yet how I'll use this album, but it will likely be for a birthday. I have kept all of the offcuts so that I can add more decoration to the photos once they are in place.

Well, that's it from me for now. I hope you enjoyed looking at my Mini Album. I can't wait to finish it with some photos. Now you're off to the blog of the lovely Monika O'Neill.

If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view the participants below:

Caroline Manwaring

Rachel Palmieri

Leanne Mitchell

Rachel Woollard

Fiona Ryan

Rebecca Jacovou

Kate Morgan

Alisha Watson

Claire Daly

Tina Gillespie

Monika O’Neill

Kim Dallinger

Ros Davidson

Sharon Davern

Catherine Proctor 

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #386: Just Add R

Hi!

This week's challenge is a fun one!

It's my turn to set the challenge, and this week at Just Add Ink I've asked you to add 'R' to your card. What does this mean? You just add anything R related to your card - note that I said 'related', not 'rated' LOL!!

You could use a stamp set that starts with R, a technique, a colour, anything, as long as it starts with an R. I always like to see how many of the feature letter I can get on my card for these challenges, and this time I got 2 (3 if you can stretch and call the Jute Twine rope).

First, and most obvious, is that I made a round card. So very easy with the Circle Framelits. I just cut my card to size, folded it, and then ran it though the Big Shot with the Framelit, making sure that the framelit hung over the folded edge to leave a hinge.

The second R is the robin on my card. I have no idea if it actually is meant to be a robin, but I'm going with it! The stamp is a little sneak peek of a stamp set that is coming out in the Occasions Catalogue in January.

Did you notice that the leaves on the DSP also followed the 'round' theme? It took a bit of measuring, but I cropped it from the middle of one of the sheets of DSP from the Painted Autumn DSP. I think it was worth the effort - it works so beautifully with the round card.

I cropped another little robin for the inside of the card. The sentiments I have used on this card are also a sneak peek, although they come from a different stamp set to the robin. Lots to look forward to in January!

In the meantime, why don't you play along with our R challenge this week? You can see th ret of the Design Team cards over at Just Add Ink, where you can also link your card.

Bye for now,

Tina

Circle Of Spring Butterflies

Hi!


Do you sometimes forget about your old favourites in the rush of new products? I know I do! It's often worth Getting them out and looking at them with new eyes. In this case, I pulled out my Fringing Scissors.

The colour combo is Dapper Denim, Peekaboo Peach and Whisper White. Don't they look great together? I love the way the fringing adds a fun, flirty touch to the front of the card.

The Thick Baker's Twine is a great way to finish a card, and is very cost effective. Bonus!

I quite like this colour combo - I think it would make a great masculine card too. What do you think?

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #320: Just Add A Sketch

Hi!


I'm so glad to be back card making for the Just Add Ink challenges. I only missed a week, but sometimes a week feels like forever!

This week it's a sketch challenge week, and it just happen to be one of my sketches. I really like this sketch, if I do say so myself!

I've been wanting to have a play with the new Places You'll Go stamp set, and the round element in this sketch seemed perfect for it.

It's Rob's birthday in a few weeks, and he's mad on anything to do with maps and globes, so this set was perfect to use on his card. I went with the colours in the Moroccan DSP, which were Dapper Denim and Emerald Envy with Very Vanilla.

I couldn't find a suitable sentiment amongst all of my stamps, so I needed to make my own. I went with the 'you are my' from Sunshine Sayings and then used Labeler Alphabet to create 'world'. Too easy! I used the new Classic Label punch to crop them, and then just hand trimmed the ends with my paper snips.

LOL, I did worry that adding the hearts to the inside of the card made it a bit too smoochy, but it is a card for my hubby for his birthday, so I guess it can be forgiven just this once!


Does the sketch capture your imagination? I really hope so! Pop on over to the Just Add Ink blog to see what the rest of the Design Team have made - they've done a great job, as usual.


Bye for now,


Tina

Zoo Babies in Pool Party

Hi!


Have you checked out the Retiring List yet? My go-to set for making baby cards , Zoo Babies, is on the list.

I used the Markers to Rubber technique on the giraffe to get the multicoloured image.

The stars were punched using the Confetti Stars Border punch. I also used it to decorate the inside of the card.

It's such a sweet stamp set. There are some super cute replacements in the new Annual Catalogue though!


Bye for now,


Tina

JAI #306: Just Add Sympathy

Hi!

Here we are again  - it's Friday, so time for another Just Add Ink challenge.

This week Jan has challenged us to Just Add Sympathy. I don't know about you, but I find these some of the most difficult to make, especially at the times they are needed. This was a good chance to get one made when I wasn't too sad and not feeling creative.

I went for a subdued colour scheme of Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Garden Green and Very Vanilla. I quite like that mix of colours.

The Hardwood background was stamped with Early Espresso ink on Sahara Sand cardstock. I love the old, weathered look it creates for the background.

I used my Thoughts And Prayers stamp set for the inside. It's an oldie, but a goodie, for sympathy cards.

As usual, the rest of the Design Team have come up with some fabulous creations for your inspiration. You can see them over at the Just Add Ink blog. I hope you can play along with us this week.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #303: Just Add An E

Hi!

Yippee! It's Friday! What have you got planned for the weekend? I'm just a bit excited to be going to see Bryan Adams at A Day On The Green tomorrow night. He's a big favourite of mine and I've seen him in concert nearly every time he's been to Australia. Can't wait!

But in the meantime, it's time for a new Just Add Ink challenge. This week it's one of my letter challenges, and we've selected 'E' for you. To enter, you just need to make a project that is somehow themed using the letter E. It could be a colour, like Elegant Eggplant, or feature something like an envelope, or use a stamp set that starts with E, like Endless Birthday Wishes. Easy, right!

I decided to create a project that was Eastern in feel. I love the Bohemian DSP for these types of projects, especially when it's teamed with Perfect Peacock.

I coloured the peacock with my Blendabilites and then used Glue Dots to secure an Expressions Natural Element (more E's!!) over the top.

I hope you can find something E related to inspire you this week.  See you over at Just Add Ink!

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #297: Just Add Colour

Hi!

Woo Hoo!  We survived the first week of school - how about you? There were a few new things for us to get used to this year - a new school, catching the bus, new uniforms - but we seem to have it all under control (touch wood!). But let's move on - it's the end of the week, so it's time for a new Just Add Ink Challenge.

This week Nikki has chosen a colour combination to inspire you.

As soon as I saw the combo I instantly thought 'baby card', so that's what I went with.

Polka dots are so cute on a baby card! This DSP comes from the Schoolhouse DSP pack.

I really love the way the Circles Framelits Die Cut fits nicely within the Deco Labels Framelit Die Cut. It makes an extra little feature on the front of the card.

How cute is that giraffe in Blushing Bride?

What do you think of when you see the colour combination? I hope you can share your creation with us at Just Add Ink.

Bye for now,

Tina

The Cardmaker's Children

Hi!

Do you know the saying about the cobbler's children? "The cobbler's children have no shoes". Sigh. I think the proverb could be applied to my house sometimes - the cardmaker's children have no cards. I often get so busy making cards for classes and other people that my own family tend to get neglected.  Today's cards are ones I made recently for Alex and Ada for their birthdays, which are in April and July respectively.  I know, parent of the year! To make matters worse, I showed them their cards and then told them they couldn't have them until I'd photographed them for blogging.  I think they are used to it by now!

Ada's card was made with the Hey Girl stamp set.  I would have been in big trouble if I'd used any other stamp set! I coloured it with my Blendabilities and then did a quick watercolour wash over the background, being very careful to NOT touch the Momento ink with my Aqua Painter.

Alex's card was CASEd from a fellow Demonstrator, Tracey Humphries.  I can't find a blog to link to though.  I saw her card in a closed demonstrator group. It's fantastically easy though - just the star within a heap of circles!  Awesome boy card.

EDIT: Tracey has a Facebook page here.

Having admitted being VERY late with my  two oldest children's cards, I will say that I was MUCH faster with Hudson's.  He turned 8 on Sunday and I made his card yesterday.  You'll have to wait until Friday to see it though, it's my Just Add Ink card for the upcoming challenge.

Bye for now,

Tina

AWH Blog Hop: Father's Day

Hi!

Today some of the Art with Heart Stampin' Up! team girls are presenting some fabulous Father's Day ideas to inspire you. We also have our brand new 2015 Holiday Catalogue available from 1 September, with some amazing Christmas inspiration for you. Be sure to request a catalogue today!

The Schoolhouse DSP was one of the DSP packs that first caught my eye in the new Annual Catalogue.  I've used my two favourite sheets on my card for today's Blog Hop.

Don't you just love the bikes?  They are so much fun! And I'm a real sucker for scattered polka dots. This card is a real departure from my usual masculine cards. It's so light and airy!  I usually go for neutrals with a splash of colour, but this card turns that 'rule' on it's head.

I really love the bold black matts, they add a cool touch of drama to the card.

The next stop in the Blog Hop is the fabulous Genna Gifford. She's bound to amaze and inspire you with her awesome talent.

If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view the participants below:

1. Tina Gillespie
2. Genna Gifford
3. Kate Morgan 
4. Jenny Van Dijk
5. Claire Daly
6. Judy May
7. Kathryn Mangelsdorf
8. Rachel Woollard
9. Ros Davidson
10. Kathryn Ruddick
11. Kayleen McLean

Bye for now,

Tina