JAI 676: Just Add Inspiration

Hi! 

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a somewhat Halloween-themed Inspiration Challenge for you.

Or maybe you don't do Halloween, and you use other elements of the photo on your card. The colours and textures are great inspirations, too.

I did a little of both - Halloween for my main panel, and the gorgeous black & white plaid from the retired Pattern Party DSP in the background.

The main panel is a free colouring sheet from Kate Hadfield. I simply printed it to the size that I wanted, and coloured it with my Stampin' Blends.

The sentiments I've used are from a retired Stampin' Up! set, called Mr Funny Bones. A great set for Halloween!

We'd love for you to play along, even if you don't do Halloween. There's a lot more to take from the photo! You can see what the rest of the Design Team have used for Inspiration over on the Just Add Ink blog. You'll also find the linky so that you can add your card to our challenge.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI 546: Just Add Steampunk

 Hi!

Thanks for joining me for the new Just Add Ink challenge. This week Chantelle is daring us to make a card or project in the Steampunk style. It had quite a lot of the Design Team wondering what is Steampunk?

To me Steampunk is the blend of mechanical/industrial and arty/fantasy elements. Sort of the Industrial Revolution meets Alice In Wonderland, I guess! Either way, it was out of my comfort zone but I was bound to have a bit of fun with it. 

Cogs are a bit of a no-brainer for Steampunk, so I added a good handful to my background. I layered them over and under some DSP and a Memories and More card from the World Of Good Suite. The words are also from a M&M card. Texture is often used in Steampunk cards, especially corrugated card, which I used to layer under my main sentiment.

Let's talk about my butterfly. I googled some images/pages and found this one, which became the inspiration for my butterfly. I really love how the butterfly looks like it's made from metal plates, riveted together.

My only butterfly stamp was the one from A Touch Of Ink, so I stamped it in stamped-off Gray Granite ink. I then used my Copic Multiliner to draw in the plates and rivets, following the basic outlines from the stamp. Then I just coloured it with my Smokey Slate and Soft Suede Stampin' Blends.

I was very pleased with how it turned out! I reckon the seahorse from Seaside Notions would look pretty cool drawn and coloured like this, too.

I finished the card with some more cogs on the inside. You might be able to see the Wink Of Stella that I added to all the cogs on my card. I couldn't resist adding a top hat to the inside, either - it seems to be a common image used in Steampunk cards, although usually with the cool goggles over the top.

Overall, the Steampunk theme wasn't as scary as I though it would be. Have you ever tried it? Why not give it a go? You can link your card up over on the Just Add Ink blog, where you can also find the rest of this week's Design team cards.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #478: Just Add H

Hi!

It's Friday, which means that once again it's tie for then new Just Add Ink challenge. This week it's one of my Alphabet challenges.

We are challenging you to add H to your projects. It can be anything starting with H - a stamp set, a technique, a theme - your imagination is the limit. Just make sure that you clearly let us know what the H is in your post.

I have three H elements in my card: I made a Halloween card using Heat Reactive Foil and Heat Embossing. I don't usually 'do' Halloween, but I had seen this foiling technique and was keen to give it a go.

How cool does that look? I played up the black a little the I was editing the photo to give better effect to the copper foil. To use the foil, you basically print your design onto cardstock using a laser printer or photocopier. The foil reacts to toner, so it *must* be a laser printer or copier. You then place a sheet of the foil over the top, place all that between two pieces of copier paper and run it through your laminator. Done! Don't have a laminator? You can also use your iron. The foil sheet will peel away, leaving behind the foil where the toner has been printed. I have to confess that I didn't use the correct foil, and I ended up with some foil where I didn't want it. Thankfully, it wasn't thick and I was able to remove most of it with a sand eraser. I will definitely be off to Spotlight to grab some of the correct foil once the kids are back to school next week!

To finish the card I used Clear Embossing Powder to add the sentiment. I used two retired stamp sets, Layered Letters Alphabet, and Mr Funny Bones for the spiders. I didn't want the sentiment to take the focus from the scary face, which is why I used the Clear EP.

I used more spiders and a sentiment from Mr Funny Bones to finish off the inside. Now to work out what I'm going to do with a card for a holiday that I don't really celebrate!

Time now to head on over to the Just Add Ink blog, where you can see the rest of this week's Design Team cards, and enter your own in the challenge. I'm sure most of the DT thought I'd go with a Harry Potter card, so I'll bet they are surprised by the Halloween card I made! What will your 'H' card be?

Bye for now,

Tina