Spotlight on Nature JAI #739

Happy Friday and welcome! It's almost the last week of February and the end of summer here in Australia! Time is going so quickly this year and it is hard to believe it is nearly Autumn - and nearly Spring for those in the Northen Hemisphere. I hope that the year has been treating you sell so far.

This week at Just Add Ink ,we have a Choose Two Challenge from three options : Colouring, Thinking of you or Embossing suggested by Kerry. Our Design Team have made cards showing so many of the different options and funnily enough we also produced a bit of a similar colour theme despite this not being a colour challenge. 

Have a look at the JAI blog and see and we'd love you to join us too!

 For my card this week, I chose Colouring and Embossing.

The beautiful image is from the Spotlight on Nature stamp set and it is embossed with White EP on water colour paper. 

Then ink was blended onto the water colour paper in three different colours - Lemon Lime Twist, Coastal Cabana and Blueberry Bushel - in sections and wiped off the white embossed image. Then drops of water are flicked onto the image using a Water Pen and blotted off using paper towel.

Then the image is placed on some more Blueberry Bushel card stock dry embossed using an EF from my stash. It is so long retired that I can't recall it's name but it looks as though its a knitted background which is very current a the moment.

And this has it's corners rounded and then is added onto some Thick Basic White Cardstock.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set and is stamped in Blue Berry Bushel ink and then is Clear Embossed to help give it extra shine. The rounded corners on the sentiment strip and the Silver foil layer are created using Circle dies. Finally, some white twine and rhinestones are added too.

Thanks for stopping by this week. I hope that you are inspired to join in with us for this week's Just Add Ink challenge and I look forward to seeing what you Choose out of the Three options and what you decide to create!

'Til next time,

Jan

 

A Cocktails Kind of Day for JAI #737

Happy Friday and welcome! Happy Waitangi Day weekend to all the New Zealanders!

Well, the kids are all back at school now and the Universities go back next week. Looks like most people are returning to the working time table. Hopefully that still means there is time for you to join in a Challenge or few!

At Just Add Ink this week ur we have this thirst quenching Inspiration Image from Kim. 

Our design team have showed all sorts of ways to use this picture in your crafting from using the colours, the theme or individual elements and we hope that inspires you to join us! 

For my card, I had to think a little bit to come up with suitable images to use.

 I don't own any current fruit stamps and neither do I have the Saleabration Fruity DSP. 
So I was just going to go with the colours. But I wanted to include the ice cubes somehow...and then I remembered I still had this retired set, Nothing Better Than that has a stamp for the ice in the glasses.

The background is water coloured using Summer Splash (the name seems so appropriate for this image)  And I flicked some Wink of Stella into the background too.

To create the two-toned look in the glasses, I sponged a little Calypso Coral and then some Melon Mambo on top before stamping the insides. The lime and umbrella both have a similar process of two ink colours sponged on top.

And lastly, a little Fine Tip Glue Pen is applied to the Cocktails word, cut from Summer Splash card stock.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope that you feel inspired to join in the challenge with us at Just Add Ink.  I really look forward to seeing what you create each week as you inspire me too!

Until next time,

Jan

Card stock: Basic White, Basic Black,

DSP: In Colours 2024-2926 6x6

Inks: Momento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Calypso Coral, Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green, Summer Splash

Stamps: Nothing Better Than (retired)

Accessories: Die Cutting Machine, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Waterpainter, Wink of Stella, White Embossing Powder, Metallic Sequins, Fine Tip Glue Pen

 

Two Country Flowers for JAI #735

Happy Friday everyone. It's the last weekend before school returns after the summer holidays here in Victoria. I hope all your back to school organising has gone to plan and you can relax this weekend and join us for some crafty fun!

This week at Just Add Ink we have an elegant colour combo with a pop of colour for you from Rochelle. 

Our design team have created a fabulous array of projects which you can see over at the Just Add Ink blog and we'd love you to join in the Challenge with us!

I created two almost mirror image cards. Both using a half and half amount  of black and white.

The black teapot version was made first and then the white teapot version second.

The Black and white triangles were cut first. The black side here was run through with an EF and the white base card was stamped in versamark and gold embossing powder was heat set and the black layer added on top.

A further tea pot was stamped and die cut and the leaves were coloured with Copics in Summer Splash tones. The little die cut flowers are also amongst the dies in the set and some retired sequins are added on top. Ribbon and gold twine above the sentiment hopefully add a little softness and texture too. The sentiment is embossed with black embossing powder to help it pop on the Splash card stock.

And the black card is the same but opposite. I actually made this card first and wasn't quite happy with it and that helped me make the white embossed version. And then this card seemed better as it became a pair. There, I've shared the angst of design with you!😅

On this card, the white side was dry embossed and the black, base card side was stamped in versamark and gold embossing powder heat set.

The same leaves were stamped and coloured and the same ribbons and twine used as accessories. But this time there are no die cut flowers. I almost added a die cut gold tea pot...but that seemed a bit too much I thought lol! 

I often remember when creating, the words of fashion designer Coco Chanel, to" look in the mirror and take off at least one thing before you leave the house." I apply that to cards ...to help me not over accessorise them and keep them relatively Clean & Simple. I'm not sure I take enough off, but that is the theory!😊

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope that can pop on over to the Just Add Ink blog and see all the fabulous card from the rest of the team and also other entrants. And I look forward to seeing what you create with this elegant colour combo with a pop of colour too.

Card stock: Basic White, Basic Black, Summer Splash

Stamps: Country Flowers, Artistically Inked

Accessories: Die cutting machine, Country flowers Dies, Subtle EF, Black EP, Gold EP, Ribons, Sequins, Non SU: Copics

'Til next time,

Jan

 

Just Add Ink Blog Hop #734 Just Add Something New

Hello!! Happy New Year and WELCOME to the first Just Add Ink Challenge for 2025!!

As is custom at JAI, we are starting the year with a Blog Hop featuring the whole design team. 

So if you have gotten to me, then you are doing well and nearing the end of the happy hop we have for you! 

You may have come from the lovely Kerry Parkinson's blog and her fabulous Scrapbook pages or you may be starting here. I hope that you are able to grab a cuppa and sit for a few minutes and enjoy all the creativity we have for you. We hope to inspire you to new heights and that you will be keen to join in the challenge with us this week and hopefully throughout the year as well.

This week's Just Add Ink Challenge is to Just Add....Something New!! That could be a new stamp set or other crafty purchase. But it is not limited to that. You may want to add a new technique or colour combo that you've tried for the first time. Whatever Something New is for you, we would love to see it! Just pop on over to the Just Add Ink blog to see all the DT cards and also all the challenge entrants and there you can enter your own creation!

My card this week is a combination of two new things - I tried the fun new Friendly Seagulls Saleabration stamp set plus I also tried this 3D card fold which is new to me. So, two New Somethings from me.

The card fold I saw thanks to a FB live by Mitosu crafts. And the boys mention in their post that their version was inspired by Fiona Whitten. 

Above is the card lying flat for posting and it was so much fun to make for me! 

I don't actually have this stamp set yet. A lovely friend sent me some stamped images and I used almost all of them on this card - including fussy cutting the tiny fish - but I digress!  

I came to Australia 25 years ago this week from New Zealand. When I first got off the plane, my accent was pretty strong.  Every day, nursing and Dr colleagues at the hospital I worked at, would ask me to "say fish and chips" and burst out laughing at my "fush and chups" answer! It made me so terrified to go to an actual Fish and Chip Shop and speak to order that I couldn't for 2 whole years!!

When I saw this stamp set, it also reminded me of a NZ whale cartoon that went viral a few years ago too...so I was very keen to play with it. 😍

And here is the card when the recipient opens it and sets it up - it's interactive!

What was the right hand side on the front of the card is also the stand up pillar - or wooden post - for the inside of the card. 

This little seagull is so super cute with his beak full of chips! Yes, in New Zealand and Australia, but especially in NZ, we don't really say fries - exception maybe for those of a large franchise .... but we usually say chips. Or chups, according to the Aussies LOL!

The card design required a piece of card along the bottom third for the post to stand up vertically against and so I created a wooden "pier" to help feature more "chips" and the hungry seagull's friend. Let alone those individually coloured and fussy cut little fishes!! Yes, it can be done!

So thanks so much for joining us on the  Just Add Ink Blop Hop today!! I hope that you have enjoyed my fun little card as much as I did making it.

Next you are off to the wonderful Tina Gillespie and you will love her gorgeous card for this hop! I hope that you enjoy all the Design Team cards this week and I look forward to seeing the gallery full of all sorts of Something New creations!

Products used:

Card stock: Crumb Cake, Basic White, Basic Black.

DSP: Full of Life DSP (Sea/ Sky) In Good Taste (retired, for the pier and pole)

Something For Everything Ephemera Pack (Sun)

Stamp: Friendly Seagulls

Inks: Momento Tuxedo Black - Blends and Copics used to colour the stamped images. 

Sequins are from a long retired, loose pack of 100 In Colour sequins. I so wish that SU would bring these loose packs back. 

Blog Hop List:
Joanne Stubbings

Narelle Farruggia

Lou Kitzelman

Nikki Spencer

Chantell Randall

Tristan Dawes

Ann Alexander

Dianne Barnes

Kim Badelt

Kerry Parkinson

Jan McQueen - you are here

Tina Gillespie

Rochelle Blok

And if you get lost along the way or are ready to enter, head to the Just Add Ink Blog.

'Til next time,

Jan