Beautiful Butterflies

Another Butterfly Easel Card ...

... using my Favourite Sale-a-bration Set, Bliss.

I added some Pearls, Embossed with Vintage Wallpaper EP ...

... and used the Colour Coach for an awesome Colour Combination!

Instructions to make one of these can be found HERE.

PS: I love Becky Roberts' version of these butterfly easel cards.

Aviary Make 'N' Take

Aviary Make 'n' Take

A recent hostess request was to feature the stamp set, Aviary from the Summer Mini Catalogue, as well as the Big Shot!

So this is the design I came up with for a simple Make 'n' Take. All of the ladies were keen stampers so I encouraged them to let their creative juices flow and the variety that came from the same kit was amazing! (more of that in a later post)



Here's the 'Recipe' -
Stamp Sets: Aviary, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Lattice Embossing Folder, Top Note Die, Modern Label Punch, Early Espresso Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Stamping Sponges


Happy Crafting!

Just Add Colour with a Mini Photo Wallet

Photo Wallet and Butterfly Easel Card

The Colour Combo for Just Add Ink's 57th Challenge

Butterfly Easel Card

I designed a butterfly easel card for my latest project at UStamp with Dawn and Friends using the Punch Bunch Stamp Set.

For this challenge I popped the little butterfly from the Bliss Set, added some pearls and stamped the gorgeous flourish from the same SAB stamp set to form the background pattern for both die cut butterflies. I also sponged around the edges with River Rock Ink.

PS: Thanks again to Nancy Riley for choosing this card as one of her iPicks for this week!

Inside the Photo Wallet

This would make a Lovely Hostess Gift
(especially for a scrap-booking enthusiast)

Complete with Photo Mats

Instructions for the Photo Wallet can be found HERE.

My Tutorial for the Butterfly Easel Card can be found HERE.

Project Recipe for Photo Wallet and Butterfly Easel Card
Stamps: Bliss (SAB), Fresh Cuts
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, River Rock
Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, River Rock (plain and textured), Whisper White
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Die Cut, Basic Pearls, RR and CC DSP from the Neutrals and Regals Pattern Stacks, Stamping Sponges, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you can make time for some crafting this weekend.

This is the last challenge that Amanda and Danielle will host for Just Add Ink before Delys and I take over the responsibility of hosting this fabulous challenge site! A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes over the last month to ensure a smooth transition. We won't say our goodbyes just yet but make sure you visit us again for next week's challenge where the whole DT will say their farewells!

My thoughts and prayers are with those that have been affected in some way by the devastating earthquakes that have rocked the South Island of New Zealand. Having spent a few days in the beautiful city of Christchurch, it is heart breaking to see the scenes of destruction and hear about the tragic loss of so many lives. I hope those that can, will join me in supporting Just Add Ink's appeal to send cards to those that have been affected by this tragedy.

Until next time,

Just Add a Sketch ... and some Coffee

Challenge #56 at Just Add Ink

Amanda, from Just Add Ink, has put together a great sketch for this week's challenge. Be sure to hop on over to the JAI challenge site to see all the other wonderful creations from the talented DT and to upload your own entry!

Just Add Coffee and a Notepad
(Now it becomes my 'Convention Survival Kit' ;)

Project Recipe
Stamp Set: Morning Cup
Ink: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Basic Brown
Card Stock: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Elegant Soiree DSP, Watercolour Paper, Aqua Painter, Stamping Sponge, Victoria Crochet Trim, Double Stitched Baja Breeze Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Sticky Strip
Non-SU: Coffee Bag, Note-pad, Upper Crest Border Punch (Fiskars)


Thanks for stopping by,

Punch Bunch Easel Cards

Punch Bunch Easel Cards

I was thrilled to be asked back to be a Guest Designer for the Oh My Word !! Edition of UStamp with Dawn and Friends. My tutorial was featured on-line today so I am excited to be able to release some photos of the cards that I created especially for this round.

If you know me well enough, you'll know that I love to make easel cards, especially scallop circle ones. When I was asked to think of a project, I started to think of other ways I could make easel cards using the Big Shot Dies that I owned. My mind is still 'ticking' with other possibilities but they will have to wait for another day!


Here's what I came up with -

#1 - Scallop Square Easel Card

#2 - Scallop Circle Easel Card
For my blog tutorial please visit -
http://addinktivedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/10/scallop-circle-easel-card-tutorial.html

#3 - Top Note (Horizontal) Easel Card/Photo Frame

#4 - Beautiful Butterflies Easel Card
For my blog tutorial please visit -
http://addinktivedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/butterfly-easel-card-tutorial.html

#5 - Top Note (Vertical) Easel Card

#6 - Scallop Envelope Easel Card

... and of course a box to keep them in!

If you'd like to know how to make these cards and many more exciting projects by other designers from around the world, click on the blinkie below to take you to the site where you can join up for this round. You won't be disappointed!

It was such a privilege to design for such a wonderful International Team and so flattering to be asked to be a Creative Crew Girl for the Oh My Word!! Edition. Sadly I had to decline the offer due to work and other DT commitments. 'Sigh!!' It's a pity the Summer Holidays only last so long! (I'm sure only a teacher and not a parent would utter those words!) When time permits, I'll be back to join in another round.

PS: Exciting! This post was featured on Late Night Stampers' Blog Finds for the Day.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting,

Just Add ... some Love and a bit of News!

Valentine Chocolate Heart Holders

Yes, there is a challenge happening at Just Add Ink this week - it's Just Add Love (Weddings, Valentine etc.)

It was an impossible week for me to try and get a challenge done and I hate letting down the team by not having something new to share today. However, LIFE HAPPENS!

So I thought I'd post some different pictures of my little Chocolate Heart Holders that I made in the last round of UStamp with Dawn and Friends, Year End Blow Out as a Guest Designer (The Oh! My Word Edition will go LIVE TODAY as well. Can't wait!)

Here's the link to the original post - Bliss Chocolate Heart Valentine Holders

Here's a couple of other links to some more Valentine's Day Projects -

Mojo Valentine

Heart Topped Box

That will have to do for now. I had a choice to either give my family take away for the third night in a row this week or get a card done for JAI #55. I opted to make Shepherd's Pie! Aside from the fact that after spending 4 to 5 hours on Tuesday with what I thought were a couple of great ideas in my head, they both turned out to be total disasters as my Mojo decided to go on holiday!

However, I know that a bunch of very cute little kids will be keen and eager to walk through the classroom door next Tuesday and will appreciate the fact that my new room will be in a less chaotic state than it was at the beginning of the week!

"So what's NEW?" (or NEWS in this case) Did you wonder about my blog post title?

If you haven't stopped by the Just Add Ink Blog, you should hop on over to see what's happening!


Hopefully, I'll be back with a NEW Just Add Ink Challenge to share with you next week!

Thanks for stopping by,

Beautiful Boat Harbour

If it wasn't for the graphic images portrayed on television, it would have been difficult to imagine that Cyclone Yasi was creating havoc in far North Queensland while we were holidaying in idyllic, Boat Harbour on the North West Coast of Tasmania last week.


If I was to be really honest with you, this was the ONLY day of beautiful weather that we experienced as you certainly can get four seasons in one day in Tassie! We did have windy days and heavy rain but nothing like what was going on elsewhere in the country.

It was good to get back on the Internet to see that my 'blogging friends' in QLD were safe and well and didn't experience any storm damage.

Australia has certainly had their fair share of fires, heat waves, storms and floods this Summer. Tasmania has only experienced minor flooding on the East Coast and parts of the North West and I guess I shouldn't complain that we haven't had much of a Summer in regard to warm temperatures this season but I'm guessing the thermometer will rise when the school year resumes! That's usually the way it works! 'Sigh!'

Just Add Ink Challenge #54 - Colour

Bliss Corner Bookmark

I decided to try something different other than a card and stumbled across a tutorial for a corner bookmark. I have, however, gone for the beautiful Sale-a-bration stamp set called, Bliss, yet again!! I LOVE it and I especially love the gorgeous colour combo for this week's challenge at Just Add Ink.

The Scrumptious Colour Palette

Beate Johns has a great tutorial in the resource section at Splitcoast Stampers on how to make a Corner Bookmark if you're wanting to give one a try. You can find it HERE.



I borrowed a very old copy of Pride and Prejudice that my daughter had bought from the Antique Emporium in Devonport to do my mini photo shoot.


Thanks for stopping by and thank you to all those lovely people that regularly leave a comment. I appreciate the feedback.




PS: Thanks again, to Nancy Riley for choosing this as one of her ipicks for #118. It made my day!