Friday 30 April 2021

Positive Thoughts for AYSI 249

 We've got a wonderful colour challenge for you this week - such a delicious looking combination!



I knew that I wanted to make a card that was delicate with a lot of open space but beyond that, wasn't quite sure. I stood in front of my stamp shelves and hoped for inspiration. Out popped a set I've not used in a while, Positive Thoughts

I totally love the maidenhair fern stamp. It's just so satisfying to stamp with and so pretty! I started by repeat stamping it in Mint Macaron, then lightly sponged over it with So Saffron and a blending brush. If you haven't tried using a blending brush yet, I'm sure you'll also find that to be a relaxing and satisfying experience.


The butterfly was stamped in Soft Suede and coloured using Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends.  I did cut it out using the corresponding die from Nature's Thoughts but as I didn't want the border around the edges, I fussy cut them off.  I layered on the tiny die-cut butterfly, cut from So Saffron.


I thought it was looking a little plain at this point, so I used the wonky-stitched edge rectangle die from Nature's Thoughts to cut out the centre of the card front, then placed it back in again. This had the effect of framing both the butterfly and the sentiment. You could try this with any decorative edged rectangle die.

We'd love to have you join us with this colour challenge and have you show us how you see it. You can see what the rest of the Design Team have done and link up your entry by visiting the As You See It Challenge site.

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar.


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Thursday 29 April 2021

Pretty Perennials for Colour INKspiration 98

 

Welcome to a new challenge at Colour INKspiration! This time around, I've had the pleasure of picking the inspiration, so I hope you like it.


If you haven't played with us before, we are a group of Stampin' Up Demonstrators from the South Pacific. Challenges are shown and entered via our Facebook Group page. If you don't belong, and would like to, click here. Don't forget to answer the two easy questions you'll be asked when you ask to join the group.

Each challenge, Top Picks and a winner are chosen by the crew and the winner offered a chance to Guest Design with us for a future challenge.

If you don't have an exact challenge colour, feel free to replace it with whatever you have that's closest. Black, White, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand and metallics are free colours, as are flesh toned Stampin' Blends.

I've used the Pretty Perennials bundle for this card because I love all the extra little bits and pieces the die set offers and I really like the water-coloured. textured look of the images. If you like this set, order it soon as it will be disappearing at the end of June.


The background has been embossed with the Painted Texture embossing folder. I'm in love with this folder!


After fussy-cutting the 'happy', I added in some shadowing in Gray Granite which not only tied the sentiment to the rest of the card but added some depth to the lettering. It's a simple, but effective, trick. 

We'd love to see what you make of these colours.

You can add your project, see the other entries and look at the Design Team inspiration by clicking here.

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar or clicking on any of products below.

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Tuesday 27 April 2021

Painted Poppies for Retro Rubber

 It's sketch week at Retro Rubber Challenge. Claire has put together a great one for us. Just remember that as this is Retro Rubber, we ask that you use at least stamp that's more than a year old and tell us the approximate age of it.


I reached for Painted Poppies, Peaceful Moments and the glorious Poppy Moments dies. I'm secretly pleased that they are now more than a year old, having come out in.... and also that these magnificent stamps and dies will be staying around for another year at least.

I started out with a grand idea, even going as far as making a lovely ink-smooshed ground in pinks and purples for the poppies. But with ANZAC Day fast approaching the poppies had me turning in a different direction entirely.

ANZAC Day is always a special time but with this being the first time in two years we've been able to gather together for it, it seemed especially poignant. I found myself thinking of the sacrifices of war and the importance of remembering it. I thought about my father who was conscripted from his family farm and sent to Egypt, Italy and Japan. Of my grandmother's only brother who went to the trenches in WWI and never came home. Of my husband's grandfather whose religious ideals wouldn't let him fight so he joined up as a Field Medic and ended up winning the Military Medal for valour under fire in rescuing the wounded from the battlefields of France. And somehow, those poppies ended up red.


Anyway, I used Poppy Red for the poppy base and Real Red for the outlines. The leaves are a mix of Mossy Meadow and Old Olive. I've used the about-to-retire Many Medallions die to create the trellis.


I'm also sorry that the Classic Label punch is retiring as it's perfect for cutting small sentiments like this one.  The strip of DSP is from the retired Peaceful Poppies DSP.

You can see what the rest of the team have done and link up your entry by visiting the Retro Rubber Challenge site.

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar or clicking on any of products below.