Monkeying Around for JAI 36

Wowee I'm running late with my entry to Just Add Ink's challenge this week. Here is the sketch for this week's challenge:

You know when you have one of those weeks where you look at a sketch over and over but you come up with nothing- well that was what happened to me this week. Until today when this little idea popped into my head.............

Project Recipe

Stamp Set:     Fox and Friends; Crazy for Cupcakes

Inks:              Regal Rose; Baja Breeze; So Saffron; Pear Pizzazz; Pretty In Pink; Chocolate Chip

Card/Paper:   Pink Pirouette; So Saffron; Whisper White; Pear Pizzazz; Baja Breeze

Accessories:  Big Shot & Alphabet Dies; 1 3/8" Circle Punch; Circle Scissors Plus (to cut So Saffron circle); Regal Rose 5/8' Grosgrain ribbon; Baja Breeze button; Crystal Effects

This card honestly took me FOREVER!!! I stamped those little monkeys on a range of different cardstock and in a range of different coloured inks until I finally settled on these colourful little monkeys. What do you think of this little colour combo??? They are the colours from the new Nursery Suite designer series papers. I think they are cute, cute, cute.

Ok time to post my card before I miss the deadline.

Come back Friday to see my super special surprise.........My chance to be this week's Inkspirations Guest Designer. Soooo exciting.

 

A Few Things To Send On Holiday

As promised I'm back again to show some of the things I have been busy doing over the couple of months that I have been missing in action.......

At the moment my parents are over in England visiting my youngest brother and his partner who are living over there. I am missing them but also feeling very proud of how well I am coping all on my own. Elliot and I are actually having a really great time, just the two of us. Anyway....before Mum left she asked if I could make a couple of birthday cards and one of my baby frames for her to take with her to gift while she is over there.

The first one is for my cousin's daughter, Amy, who will be turning 11. I had been wanting to give one of these lollipop cards a go ever since seeing THIS card by the fabulous Sarah-Jane Kale. I was planning to make the lollipop just the same as SJ did but after stamping out the swirly image from Trendy Trees I realised I don't have the one inch punch. Poo!!! So instead I punched out the 1&3/8" circle and ran it through the big shot using the polka dot embossing folder and then sponged Whisper White ink on top- WhaLaa!!! My own lollipop.

Project Recipe

Stamps Sets:      Party This Way

Ink:                     Regal Rose; Whisper White

Card/Paper:     Pink Pirouette; Regal Rose; Whisper White; Sweet Always DSP (retired)

Accessories:      13/8" Circle Punch; Big Shot & Polka Dot Embossing Folder; Scallop Oval Punch; Oval Punch; Paper Piercing Tool; Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon; 

The next card is for my brother's partner, Scott, who celebrated his 22nd birthday with Mum and Dad over there. Happy Birthday Scott- miss you xxx. I case'd a card from the front page of the new Idea Book and Catalogue for this one. After putting the piece of card with all the bits of DSPs lined up through the Big Shot it left this really cute frame which I then put inside the card (but forgot to take a photo of).

Project Recipe

Stamp Set:       Perfect Punches

Ink:                   Chocolate Chip

Card/Paper:   Crumb Cake; Baja Breeze; Sweet Slumber DSP (retired); Chocolate Chip DSP (retired); Parisian Breeze DSP (retired); Baja Breeze DSP (retired); Big Shot & Top Note Die; Designer Button; Linen Thread; Baja Breeze 5/8" Double-stitched ribbon

Last but not least is one of my baby frames that I made for Mum's best friend's brand new grandson, Thomas. The proud new parents and Nanny and Grandad all live in England at the moment so this special frame was bubble-wrapped and suitcase packed for its long flight. Little Thomas's nursery is apparently decorated in egg-shell blue and cream hence the beautiful colour combo I chose of Baja Breeze; Very Vanilla and Soft Suede. Too cute!!!!

Project Recipe

Stamp Set:        Fox and Friends

Ink:                    Basic Grey; Baja Breeze; Soft Suede; Crumb Cake

Card/Paper:    Baja Breeze; Soft Suede; Baja Breeze DSP (retired)

Accessories:     Scallop Oval Punch; Oval Punch; Various ribbons & buttons; Rub-ons

Wow that was a mammoth post wasn't it??? Hope you like what I had to show today. More to come.

More Every Moment Flowers for Inkspirations Colour Challenge 40

I'm back again..........told you I have been creating!!!

This card and the one in my previous post are creations from my weekend. I have used the gorgeous Every Moment set for this card too. This card I made for the Inkspirations colour challenge set by Makeesha this week.

These are the gorgeous colours for this week:



And here is my card:



Not sure if you can see in this close up but the butterfly and the centre of the flowers are shimmering with Dazzling Diamonds.



Project Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Every Moment; Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Ink: Basic Grey; So Saffron; Rose Red; Old Olive
Card/Paper: Basic Grey; Rose Red; So Saffron; Whisper White; Raspberry Tart DSP (retired)
Accessories: Aqua Painter; Dazzling Diamonds; White Gel Pen; Scallop Edge Punch; Fiskars Apron Lace Border Punch; White Taffeta Ribbon; Brights Buttons (gorgeous!!!); Adhesive Pearls

You may also notice that my little page in blogland is undergoing a little makeover (it's a work in progress) thanks to my fabulously talented and lovely brother, Brett. He's been doing all sorts of little bits and pieces for my inkyloulou business. Thanks Brett xxx.

Looking forward to seeing what you think of my card.

Will be back tomorrow to post some past creations.

With Sympathy- Just Add Ink Theme Challenge 35

Hello inky friends,

I hope I still have some inky friends after my very long absence from my blog. The last few months have been just a little bit crazy- moved house; market stall; Klass Act Team Day; 85 birth announcements; finally divorced; Father's Day; SU Regionals (40 swap cards); 3 baby frames; fun times with Elliot; cards, cards, cards; birthday party planning; parents overseas (very much a single mummy at the moment!!!)- you get the picture. It seems like a very long time since I have had the chance to create for the joy of creating and just for me. However, this week I have found the time to jump back into the swing of creating and I am loving it....absolutely loving it.

And what better way to enjoy creating just for me than to have a play with this week's Just Add Ink Challenge. I have been really missing entering the JAI challenges and have had to be happy with just looking at everyone elses creations.

So this week's challenge is a theme challenge- to Just Add Sympathy and create a sympathy card. I decided to use the 'Every Moment' stamp set we were given at Stampin' Up Regionals a couple of weeks ago. I, like so many others, wasn't too keen on the set when I saw it in the catalogue but after playing with it at regionals I am in LOVE with it!!! I am really practising my watercolouring when working with this set too. I also used one of the new Stampin' Up! colours too- Marina Mist- and I can already tell it is going to be a favourite- so pretty!!!

Here is my card:





Project Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Every Moment; Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Ink: Marina Mist; So Saffron; More Mustard; Old Olive; StazOn Black
Card/Paper: Marina Mist; Bashful Blue; Very Vanilla; Watercolour Paper
Accessories: Aqua Painter; White gel pen; Word Window Punch; Fiskars Apron Lace Border Punch; Paper Piercer; Adhesive Pearls


I hope you like it. Let me know what you think- I LOVE getting comments.

I am planning, over the next few days, to share some photos of projects that have been sitting here all lonely waiting to be blogged.