A New Ink on Life

04/27/2022

Be Inspired Design Team Blog - Miss You

Hi everyone and welcome to the Be Inspired Blog Hop! I am so excited to be joining some of my very talented stamping friends on this international blog hop. You are currently visiting Jennifer Picard in British Columbia, Canada! If you have been hopping along, you most likely arrived here via the incredibly creative Brian King.

This month our the theme for today's hop is Good Bye or Miss You! I recently started a new job and unfortunately crafting has been on the back burner for me. However, I thankfully had the Abstract Beauty Suite of products to help me whip up a cute and quick card!

The Abstract Beauty Cards and Envelopes are the perfect solution when you are pressed for time but want make a handmade card. The card front is preprinted, so that gorgeous watercolor wash you see is already done you you.

I layered on a gold foil piece from the Expressions In Ink Ephemera Pack that coordinates perfectly with the die cut hexagon. I then add a few stamped elements, some fine ink splatter, a little gold trim and a few Brushed Metallic Dots. A strip of Abstract Beauty Designer Series Paper anchors the cute, cheeky sentiment.

Next up on the hop is the fabulously talented genuinely lovely Angela Meiritz-Reid, I just know you will adore what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

Janneke Dijkstra - de Jong

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping.

Posted at 07:09 PM in Be Inspired Blog Hop, Cards, Stampin' Up! | Permalink | Comments (2)

02/23/2022

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop - Mini Catalogue

I know it's been awhile since I have posted, truth be told it's been quite awhile since I have stamped, but what better way to get back at it then using some beautiful new items from the January-June Mini Catalogue?! This month our focus is on the many amazing stamp sets that can be found in this anything but "mini" catalogue. I had a difficult time narrowing down what I wanted to use, but in the end as per usual florals won out;). I decided to use the stunning Honeybee Home Stamp Bundle.

When you have a beautiful stamp set and coordinating dies it really is easy to put together a pretty card in the matter of minutes. Which, after not creating for awhile I could use all the help I could get! I started with a Basic White card base, then die cut a scalloped rectangle from a piece of Simply Marvelous Designer Series Paper (ear it for FREE with qualifying purchase) using the Stitched So Sweetly Dies. Next I stamped one of the floral images from the set using Night of Navy Ink directly on the DSP. I then stamped it again on Shimmery White Cardstock and die cut it out. Using a Wink of Stella Glitter Brush I lightly blended some of the ink into the flowers to slightly colour them.

To add some more shimmer and shine I added a few die cut sprigs from Gold Metallic Specialty Paper and of course a few Iridescent Rhinestone Jewels for good measure. In person this card has such a soft elegance of shimmer, not an overwhelming in your face glitter, lol. Shimmery White cardstock has more of an off white tone to it so I added in some Vanilla Baker's Twine to tie it all together. All in all a pretty simple

Next up on the hop is the fabulously talented genuinely lovely Angela Meiritz-Reid, I just know you will love what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping. Remember it is the final days for Stampin' Up's Sale- a-bration promotion, you don't want to miss out!

Earn for FREE with $60 purchase

Earn for FREE with $120 purchase

Posted at 01:13 PM in Be Inspired Blog Hop, Cards, die cutting, Promotions, Sale-a-bration, Stampin' Up! | Permalink | Comments (3)

12/29/2021

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop -Birthdays

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you were able to make some cherished memories. I certainly had an eventful one, but that story will be for another day, let's get to this month's theme -Birthdays! With the New Year fast approaching now is a great time to get creating some birthday card to have on hand and ready to send out through out the year.

I decided to pull out some fun new product that will be launching on January 4th, along with some well love favourites form the Annual Catalogue.

We have had some very cold and snowy weather, which believe it or not even though I am in Canada, we are normally spoiled on the west coast with relatively mild winters. So I thought a pretty ink blended butterfly would be just the thing to take my mind of the frigid temperatures. I was so excited to use one of the new Layering Decorative Masks called Butterflies & Flowers. I blended both Calypso Coral and Pool Party Classic Ink to create the background of the butterfly image, then I spread a layer of Shimmery White Embossing Paste across the detailed portion of the butterfly mask. Paper Snips were used to carefully cut out the image.

I added a lots of layers behind the butterfly, adding more sparkle and shine with ephemera, ribbon and Shimmer Vellum. To create some major texture on the card I embossed a piece of DSP (spoiler alert this is a sheet from the new Simply Marblelous Pack that can be earned for FREE next month during SALE a-bration!) using the Merry Melody 3D Folder. Because there is so much going on with this card I really needed to find and simple classic font for the sentiment and this greeting from the Art Gallery Stamp Set was perfect.

Next up on the hop is the fabulously talented genuinely lovely Angela Meiritz-Reid, I just know you will love what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

Janneke Dijkstra - de Jong

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping and as always feel free to contact me if you have any questions about today's project.

Posted at 10:06 AM in Be Inspired Blog Hop, Cards, Stampin' Up! | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/27/2021

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Sweet Treats

This month's theme is all about Sweet Treats! Now I know Halloween is just around the corner, but to be honest now that my kids are all older I really do not do much in the way creating special treats for the occasion. I instead decided to focus on Christmas sweets and lately I have been getting back to scrapbooking, my first papercrafting love, so I decided to create a scrapbook page documenting our yearly tradition of baking ginger molasses cookies. These photos are from 2019 and wow has my youngest daughter ever changed since then, looking forward to documenting this years Christmas baking and comparing the two!

As I have mentioned many times before I am a lover of pretty patterned paper, but also a hoarder of them. So, what better way to start using them up than to use a full sheet for the foundation of this page? The 12x12 Designer Series Paper is from Painted Christmas and creates a beautiful frame for my Basic White Cardstock base. This page easily came together with the help of the Gingerbread & Peppermint Memories & More Card Pack. I just love how versatile these cards are, here I fussy cut, die cut and chopped up several different cards to create the main elements of my page. The word strip title was cut out from one of the 3x4 cards.

The tag hidden behind the photo was cut from one of the cards and acts as a hidden journaling spot. It can easily pull in and out from behind the picture. To add some interest and texture to the stark white background I pulled out a Blending Brush, Old Olive Classic Ink and one of the Stencils from the Adorning Decorative Masks. I then also repeatedly stamped one of the phrases from the What's Cookin' Stamp Set.

When making a layout I like to create little clusters of elements to tie everything together and give areas for the eye to focus. This little corner works perfectly with the theme of my photos. From the die cut cooling cookie rack to the oven mitt and metal spatula, this Memories & More kit is full of perfect little die cut elements and stickers.

Next up on the hop is the fabulously talented Tanya Rees, I just know you will love what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

Tanya Rees

Janneke Dijkstra - de Jong

Carolynn Sander

Brian King

Emma Goddard

Jennifer Picard (That's me!)

Posted at 02:00 AM in Be Inspired Blog Hop, die cutting, Stampin' Up! | Permalink | Comments (2)

10/22/2021

TGIF Challenges #339 - Technique Challenge Alcohol Blending

It's Friday and that means another great challenge on the TGIF Challenges Blog. We LOVE bringing you weekly paper-crafting inspiration, and are so excited to have you join us. This week we decided to feature a technique that has been quite popular the last few months and this challenge finally pushed me to give it a try. We are talking about Alcohol Ink Blending!

Now there are a few things that you will need for this challenge; 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol that is found in the first aid aisle of your local pharmacy or grocery store), alcohol inks/markers, paint brush or spritzer bottle, vellum cardstock and heat tool. But don't fret if you don't have the supplies or the time to create your own alcohol ink blending, Stampin' Up! has the gorgeous Expressions In Ink Designer Series Paper that has alcohol ink background patterns that are perfect for this challenge too!

I started with a piece of Vellum Cardstock and "scribbled" several different shades of green (shades listed below) Stampin' Blends Markers randomly all over the vellum. Next I took a Stampin' Spritzer that was filled with alcohol and spritzed it several times. Using my Heat Tool I then pushed the pooling ink around to help blend and dry it. I then layered on a bit more colour and repeated this process until I had my desired result. It was so fun to watch the pattern emerge and one of the cool things about this technique is that no two patterns will ever be the same. I then flicked on several splatters of Wink of Stella to give it some shimmer. Note, the vellum is not very porous so I again used the Heat Tool to help dry it. Once I had my little piece of art completed, I attached it to an Adhesive Sheet and die cut it using a Rectangle Stitched Die then mounted it on a piece of Basic White Cardstock.

I wanted the alcohol background to be the main focus, but still wanted to add some elements to complement it as well as bring some contrast. So I decided to add some texture by adding the pretty die cut trees that were die cut from the stunning Rose Gold Metallic Specialty Paper. The sentiment was stamped using Versamark Ink on Basic Black Cardstock then heat embossed with white embossing powder from the Stampin' Emboss Powders Basics. I then die cut it using the fabulous Tailor Made Tags Die. A few sequins and some bakers' twine ties it all together.

I hope you can join us this week and make sure to check out the TGIF challenge blog for some more awesome inspiration!

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping.

Posted at 06:00 AM in Cards, die cutting, Stampin' Up!, TGIF Challenges | Permalink | Comments (1)

09/29/2021

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Cute Critters

This month our focus is on Cute Critters! I couldn't help but to pull out the super adorable Penguin Playmates Designer Series Paper again. Especially since this awesome paper is available for FREE with qualifying purchase (minimum $60 CAD), but only for 2 more days, so if you haven't gotten your hands on it yet be sure to order before 11pm PST on September 30th.

For this card I gave my trusty Paper Snips Scissors a work out, they really are the best scissors for fussy cutting. I had a little fun with this design and chose a colour card base for a change, using Misty Moonlight Cardstock. Next I cut a large Crumb Cake layer and using the Snowflake Mask from the Adorning Decorative Masks I created a beautiful shimmery background. To achieve this I used a Palette Knife and Shimmery White Texture Paste with the mask and covered the whole layer then gently lifted the mask up. It really does create such a wow factor with little effort. When using texture paste I like to grab my Heat Tool and give it a little blast, this isn't necessary, but I am impatient and it does help it to dry faster.

The cute little polar bear and penguin were cut out from one of the patterns in the DSP, I also used two other patterns from the same pack. I just love mixing patterned papers! To keep in line with the snowy theme and add even more shimmer, I added in a beautiful iridescent foil snowflake from the Wonderful Snowflakes die cut paper embellishments. The sentiment is from the super versatile A Wish For Everything Stamp Set.

Next up on the hop is the fabulously talented Angela Meiritz-Reid, I just know you will love what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

Tanya Rees

Janneke Dijkstra - de Jong

Earn for FREE with $60 purchase

Earn for FREE with $120 purchase

Posted at 02:00 AM in Be Inspired Blog Hop, Cards, die cutting, Sale-a-bration | Permalink | Comments (1)

08/27/2021

TGIF Challenges #331 - Getting Wild with Nuts About Squirrels

For our last challenge of the month we have a theme challenge, so grab a stamp set or patterned paper with animals, leaves, animal print, whatever, and join us for this week's challenge!

For my take on the challenge I had to pull out the Nuts About Squirrels Stamp Set. I actually bought this stamp set with one thing in mind, to make a card for my bestie. Now you may be thinking awww how cute she must love squirrels, right? Actually she is terrified of them and may have actually called me on more then one occasion half crying when she was out somewhere and one or more crossed her path preventing her from getting to where she wanted to go. Now trust me, if she was really THAT petrified of them I wouldn't actually give her a card with one on it, but her distain for them has been a running joke for many years and I just couldn't resist.

In all seriousness though, who could think that this little guy was not adorable?! This stamp set is a two-step set, meaning the line are images have other solid images that fill them in, making "colouring" this little guy super easy. I fussy cut him out using Paper Snips to help bring him to life. I kept the card pretty clean and simple, starting with a Smoky Slate card base. The main layer is a piece of Basic White Cardstock, I lightly splattered some Early Espresso using a Stampin' Write Marker. Next I stamped the cheeky sentiment from Light Hearted Lines (this is a must have stamp set) in Early Espresso Ink.

To help the little critter really stand out I added Dimensionals to the back and then attached him to a die cut piece of Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper. This patterned paper was the perfect backdrop for this cute little guy. A little Linen Thread and a few gems and the card was done!

I hope you can join us this week and make sure to check out the TGIF challenge blog for some more awesome inspiration!

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping. And remember Stampin' Up's biggest promotion is going on now. It's SALE-a-Bration time, which means with your qualifying purchases you can earn FREE products!

Earn for FREE with $60 purchase

Earn for FREE with $120 purchase

Posted at 02:00 AM in Cards, die cutting, Sale-a-bration, TGIF Challenges | Permalink | Comments (1)

08/25/2021

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Sale-a-Bration Favourites

This month we are showcasing some of our favourite offerings from Stampin' Up's Sale -a-Bration Catalogue. This is the first time they are offering SAB during this time of year. It runs until the end of September, so now is the perfect time to earn free product while stocking up on some new goodies from the current Mini Catalogue.

There are so many amazing FREE items to choose from, so it was hard to narrow it down to just one favourite, but I could not resist playing with the adorable Penguin Playmates 12x12 Designer Series Paper. I am not usually one for cutesy images but this paper was impossible to say no to.

This card was super quick and easy to put together! The most time consuming part was fussy cutting those cute little animals, but my Paper Snips Scissors made that task a dream. I know people seem to have either a love or hate relationship with fussy cutting, but I am telling you these scissors make all the difference. I used three different patterns from the patterned paper to create my card. The Picture this Die was used to create the windows for the little critter to peek out of.

To add some texture and bling I used a little Basic Baker's Twine and some In Color Jewels. The sentiment was the only stamping on this card, I know shocking, right?! It is from the stamp set Whimsical Trees and was stamped in Fresh Freesia Classic Ink.

Next up on the hop is one of the sweetest people I know, the fabulously talented Angela Meiritz-Reid. You are going to love what she has to share!

Be sure to check out the full Blog Hop Line up

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping.

Posted at 02:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

08/06/2021

TGIF Challenges #328 - Delicate Dahlias

It's Friday and that means another great challenge on the TGIF Challenges Blog! We LOVE bringing you weekly paper-crafting inspiration, and are so excited to have you join us. This week we are hosting a fabulous colour challenge.

As everyone knows by now, I love flowers and one can never have too many floral stamp sets, right?! So when I saw this combo I immediately reached for the gorgeous new Delicate Dahlias Stamp Set. And what is even better than a brand new stamp set, earning it for FREE! Right now Stampin' Up! is having it's best promotion of the year, Sale-A-Bration and with qualifying purchases you can earn free products.

A Black and White colour combination can really make an impact, especially when you add in a pop of colour. Coastal Cabana is such a beautiful, bright and refreshing colour, but is one I rarely reach for, although after making this card I think I will be using it more often now. I really wanted to focus on creating bold contrast. This card is all stamping, no patterned paper to be found, which is definitely rare for me.

The card base is Thick Basic White Cardstock layered with a piece of Coastal Cabana. To create the large focal background layer I stamped the outline image several times using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. Next I stamped the solid image in Coastal Cabana Ink on a scrap of Basic White, then lined up the outline image and stamped over top of it. I know not everyone likes fussy cutting, but using my trusty Paper Snips made it quick and easy.

Here you can see the fine detail of the large flower stamp, I just love how much texture there is with this type of solid images stamp. To make the sentiment really stand out I stamped it on a strip of coloured cardstock then trimmed it to size. Next I tied a double bow with White Twine and attached it to a die cut piece of Basic Black Cardstock, then added the sentiment with Dimensionals. A few splatters of Wink of Stella and some Matte Black Dots finsih the card off.

I hope you can join us this week and make sure to check out the TGIF challenge blog for some more awesome inspiration!

All products I have used for today's project are listed below with a direct link to my online store for easy shopping.

Earn for FREE with $60 purchase

Earn for FREE with $120 purchase

Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/28/2021

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Designer Series Paper

Be Inspired Blog Hop header

This month is all about Designer Series Paper! I am a lover and hoarder of pretty paper, so this was the perfect theme for me. This month Stampin' Up! is also having a 15% off sale on select DSP, so now is the best time to stock and also use those gorgeous papers.

It is probably no surprise that I decided to show case the Hand-Penned Designer Series Paper (which also happens to be included in the sale). With it's range of delicate floral designs and neutral simple patterns, you will never run out of pattern pairings, perfect for any occasion. It is definitely one of my favourites.

Of course I had to pair it with the coordinating Hand-Penned Petals Stamp and Die Bundle. I also used the awesome Picture This Dies, they were perfect for creating a card using both the positive and negative die cuts. I don't know about you, but when I am buying new paper crafting supplies, versatility is a major plus. The more ways I can use something, the better.

For the first card I started with a Thick Basic White card base, then I added a piece of the gorgeous Shimmer Vellum in Fresh Freesia. Using the rectangle Picture This die, I cut out a piece of DSP and using the framed portion to layer on the card front, attaching it with Foam Adhesive Strips for added dimension. I next snipped a floral die cut from the Penned Flowers Dies into thirds and glued it into the "windows". the large floral image was stamped and coloured using a variety of Stampin' Blends Alcohol Markers.

Here you can really see just how shimmery the In Color Shimmer Vellum really is. I also added on some Baker's Twine in Very Vanilla from the Essentials Pack and a few Elegant Faceted Gems. I rarely create card with out a sentiment on the front, but this card was just so pretty the way it was and I didn't want to take away from the design.

For this card I also started with a Basic Whisper White card base then place a card stock that was embossed with the Bark 3D Embossing Folder. Next the die cut DSP rectangles were arranged and glued down. now comes one of my favourite techniques, stamping on patterned paper. I love doing this to add interest and dimension with out any added bulk. The way I used it here helps to instantly "colour" the stamped image and make the sentiment pop.