Just Add Dimension - Challenge #5

Well, it's time for the next Just Add Ink challenge already. The challenges have produced so much inspiring work! This week the challenge is to add dimension. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with - it really opens up a lot of possibilites. Here is my project for this challenge:

As soon as I found out about the dimension challenge I know what I wanted to do. I have been decorating my daughter's bedroom and needed an artwork for one of the walls. I have already made some canvases, which you can see here, and wanted something that will coordinate with them. So, I took a shadowbox frame and made background from one of the fabrics used in the canvases. I then used the SU butterfly punch to punch out 9 stamped cardstock and DSP butterflies. Decorating each butterfly was fun. Some have been topped with the small butterfly image from Flight of the Butterfly, others with some tiny pink rhinestones, and the rest with buttons tied with linen thread. The butterflies are mounted with dimensionals but because the background is fabric I needed to add a little glue to help them stick properly. Overall I am thrilled with the result and can't wait to hang it.

I'd love to know what you think of my butterfly wall art. Thanks for looking!
Nicole

Materials
Stamps - Flight of the Butterfly, Great Friend, Ink - Regal Rose, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Cardstock - Regal Rose, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Accessories - buttons, linen thread, dimensionals, butterfly punch, (non SU - shadowbox frame, fabric, pink rhinestones)

Just Add Ink - A Colour Challenge

I'm back again with my next Design Team project for Just Add Ink. The entries for the sketch challenge last week were absolutely amazing! I have to admit I initially found the sketch a bit of a challenge, but to see what people have done with it made me realise what a great sketch it was. I think it may have been the circle that threw me a bit. Maybe it's time to invest in the Circle Scissor Plus!

The challenge for this week is a colour challenge - More Mustard, Rose Red, Sage Shadow and Kraft. I really like the combo but had to think a bit to work out how I was going to use More Mustard, not my usual choice of colours. Then I remembered I had some cute More Mustard buttons in my stash and it became a bit easier!! Just enough MM without being overpowering. Here are the colours for this week:

My card this week has a simple layout. I wanted to let the embellishments (the buttons and rhinestone brad) stand out a bit against the stamping. I think if was making this card again I would add some embellishment to the butterfly. Some tiny More Mustard rhinestone brads, maybe. So, here is my little card for this week:

Make sure you go over to Just Add Ink and see what the rest of the Design Team have come up with. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing your creations this week. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Nicole
Materials: Ink - Whisper White, Sage Shadow, Stamps - Great Friend, Short and Sweet, Cardstock - Rose Red, Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Whisper White, Accessories - Kraft taffeta ribbon, orange rhinetsone brad, More Mustard buttons, Stampin' Dimensionals, Linen Thread, corner rounder punch

Just Add Ink #3 - Sketch Challenge

Just Add Ink has had another successful challenge this week with fabulous entries for Just Add Hearts. It's amazing to see how different people interpret the theme of the challenge.

This week's challenge is a sketch challeng. These are one of my favourite types of challenges because often the difficulty I get when trying to make a card is deciding on a layout. With a sketch, it's done for you and you can concentrate on the colours and finer details. I have to say, though, that this week's sketch was a challenge for me and I tried a number of different things before I was happy. Here is the sketch:

And here is my card for this week:




It's the first time my Razzle Dazzle rubber has seen ink, even though I've had it since before Christmas and it was the perfect image to do some emboss resist with. The background of the card was stamped with Versamark above the ribbon for a subtle look and Baja Breeze on the bottom to make the image stand out a little more. I have not used Baja Breeze, Real Red and Whisper white together before but I think I kind of like it!! I hope you do too.
Be sure to look at all the design team inspiration and the entries for this week's sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink.

Thanks for looking and please let me know what you think of these colours together - fun and fresh or over the top?
Nicole

Materials
Stamps - Razzle Dazzle
Ink - Baja Breeze, Real Red, Versamark
Cardstock - Baja Breeze, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories - Real Red Spotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Baja Breeze button, linen thread, clear embossing powder, Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Just Add.....Hearts

I am back with my creation for the 2nd Just Add Ink challenge. Last week's launch was a huge success, with 51 entries into the challenge and so many amazing creations. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for this week's Just Add Hearts challenge.

I have been working on a bit of scrapbooking in an attempt to stick with my January goal of getting a few of my photos scrapped. My poor daughter's album is so far behind, it's something I really wanted to concentrate of before the new baby arrives (but I've spent barely any time doing it). So, you'll probably be seeing a bit more scrapbooking here in the coming weeks!

The photo I used show Maddy at her first birthday party having a cuddle with Nanny (my Mum). Now, if you asked Maddy what she is doing she would say 'cuggle', which is her word for cuddle. Cute!! I took the pink and browns from her outift and used those as the colours for my page. Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouhette, Rose Red and Kraft is my colour scheme. Here is my 8"x8"layout:

The top two hearts on the photo layer were created using classic ink, Versamark and clear embossing powder. The bottom heart was stamped with a dotted heart image onto Chocolate Chip patterned paper. I'm not sure how clear it is but the vertical strip is stamped with hearts using Versamark on Chocolate Chip cardstock, layered with the patterned paper and a Rose Red scalloped strip. I love my new Kraft satin ribbon, so had to add a bow using this.

Thanks for visiting and make sure you check out the work at Just Add Ink.

Nicole

Materials: Stamps - I {Heart} Hearts, Ink - Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouhette, Versamark, Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouhette, Rose Red, Kraft, Accessories - Chocolate Chip patterned paper, Kraft satin ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail, Square Scallop Punch, Scallop Border Punch

Just Add Ink Challenge Number 1

Just Add Ink has gone live and I was lucky enough to be awake after midnight last night to get a glimpse of Danielle and Amanda's fabulous work (pregnancy-induced insomnia!). The design team's work is amazing and it's great to see people involved in the challenges already.

The first challenge is a colour combo. These colours look so great together.And here is my creation. Can you tell butterflies are my thing at the moment? Hehe.

If you haven't already had the chance to go to the blog you should definitely go and have a look - lots of great ideas and a great launch prize up for grabs for those participating in the challenge.

I am about to start working on some scrapbook layouts so will be back to share those as soon as they are done.

Thanks for visiting,

Nicole

New Challenge Website - Just Add Ink

I am so excited to have been chosen as one of the design team members for a new Australian Stampin' Up challenge website called Just Add Ink. There are some fantastically talented demonstrators on the design team - I am slightly nervous about being among them but excited all the same.

I will be back tomorrow to share my first submission - a colour combo challenge - but you can see it first after midnight tonight over at Just Add Ink.

Bye!
Nicole

A baby gift

A friend from my antenatal mother's group recently had her second baby. She had a little boy and called him Thomas. I wanted to make a stamped gift for Thomas that could go in his nursery. I came up with this frame decorated with a stamped picture using my train stamps and Wild About You. I stuck with typical pale colours and Thomas' mum said it should go perfectly in his yellow nursery. I really wanted to cut out the animals and mount them wih dimensionals in a shadow box frame but could not find a suitable frame anywhere. I bought some at Kmart a few years ago and have seen them in Spotlight in the past. Target had them in brown but I really wanted white. Grrr. In the end I had to settle for a plain white frame. Luckily the picture still looks cute in it. I have decided I will make one of these frames for Maddy's room using butterflies. I will post a pic of that when it is done. Does anyone know where I can buy white shadowbox frames (or at least some with a little depth between the back and the glass) that don't cost the earth?

Thanks for looking!

Nicole