JAI #523: Just Add A

 Hi!

Hooray for Friday! Friday means two things - it's nearly the weekend, and it's Just Add Ink time! This week it's one of my Alphabet challenges, and we are back to the beginning on the alphabet - Just Add A.

To enter our challenge, you just need to make a card with some sort of A element. It could be the name of a stamp set, technique, colour, theme - anything that you can think of that starts with A. Just make sure you let us know what your A element is. I decided to make an Asian themed card.

I won this Uniquely Creative stamp set, called Lucky You, in a Facebook competition quite a while ago. I hadn't used it yet, so this was the perfect opportunity. The prize pack also included some patterned paper with an Asian theme, so I decided to use it too. Can you see a sort of fan-like design on the paper? I used this particular sentiment from the stamp set, as it's an Affirmation - another A element for my card!

I coloured the dragon with my Balmy Blue, Night Of Navy, Bronze and Ivory Blends. I also used a Gold Sharpie to colour the dots and spikes on the dragon It's hard to see in the photo, but it gave a nice metallic look. He was popped up over a background on which I'd sponged a bit of Balmy Blue ink. A scattering of gold sequins finished off the front.

I stamped the dragon again on the inside, this time in Balmy Blue ink. A quick google search tells me that blue dragons symbolise new growth, good health and the approach of spring. I could do with a little of those!

Please head on over to the Just Add Ink blog, where you can see the rest of this week's cards. Everyone has interpreted the Just Add A theme so differently. I wonder how you will interpret it?

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #521: Just Add Inspiration

 Hi!

Yay! Today marks the start of a super long weekend, well, for me and the kids! Poor Rob still has to work on Friday and Monday, but the kids have pupil free days. It should have been the start of the Royal Adelaide Show, and even though it was cancelled, the kids still get the pupil free days. Hooray for a good weather forecast, so we can spend some time outside.

But let's get on with the show. This week at Just Add Ink Rachael has challenged us with this fabulous Inspiration Photo. I say fabulous, because who wouldn't want to sit and celebrate at such a pretty table? However, I really struggle with these photos, as I don't tend to make super girly cards. Then I remembered that I had some retired Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper and off I went!

I started by cropping the Glimmer Paper using a Uniquely Creative Die, called Stitched 3 Window Frame. I backed it with a piece of In Good Taste DSP that is probably meant to be plaster, but could also pass as cake icing!

The cake was from last year's SAB offering. There's no cake in the Inspiration Photo, but it looks like a celebration to me, and there has to be cake at a party - right? I coloured with with my Rococo Rose, Shaded Spruce and Granite Grey Blends with a Gold Foil stand. The Inspiration Photo uses Rose Gold, but I don't have anything in Rose Gold, so plain old Gold it is!

I created a softer version of the cake for the inside. This one was stamped in second generation Blushing Bride ink and coloured using a Blender Pen and my Blushing Bride, Soft Sea Foam and Grey Granite Ink Pads. I quite like how the softer flowers turned out!

What elements do you like in the Inspiration Photo? You could explore the colours, the theme, the glitter - the possibilities are endless! Pop on over to the Just Add Ink blog, where you can see what the rest of the Design team have created. You can also link up your card to enter our challenge.

Bye for now,

Tina