Less is More Weeks 286 & 287

Hi there

It's new challenge time over at Less is More.  Due to a few of the Design Team being away at the Happy Little Stampers craft retreat next weekend, this challenge will run for two weeks, so plenty of time for you lovely LIMettes to get your entries in!

So, what do we have for you this time?  Well, we're back with a Recipe challenge and we would like to see you use something...

Tactile

I have two samples for you, here's the first...

I took a panel of white cardstock and used an embossing folder to create the wavy background.  For more texture I used white embossing paste blended with some green and blue Distress Ink which is spread through a daisy stencil.  I then dotted on some Liquid Pearls on the flower centres and stamped the sentiment in black.  The panel was then popped up onto the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers - Next Level Wave
• Stencil: Imagination Crafts - Butterfly and Daisy
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: MFT - Beary Special Birthday
• Accents: Liquid Pearls - Lemon Yellow

Challenge entries:

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #209 - Add Some Texture

CASology - Week #207 - Rough

My next card is fairly simple but has tactile interest from the score lines, embossing and glossy enamel dots...

I started by stamping the flower in VersaMark before heat embossing with a lilac powder.  I then created some interest from the corner by adding some score lines.  The sentiment was heat embossed in silver, the panel popped up on 3D foam and a couple of enamel dots were added to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Beautiful Blooms I; Clearly Besotted - Fancy Sayings
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver; Personal Impressions - Pastel Lilac
• Ink: VersaMark
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Lilac Assortment
• Tools: Martha Stewart - Mini Score Board

Challenge entries:

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #67 - Clean and Simple

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #153 - CAS

Uniko - Challenge #34 - Flowers

My teamies, as always, have some great inspiration for your over at LIM and on their personal blogs so, if you have time, please do take a look.

Thanks so much for visiting today.

Less is More Week 285

Hi there

Apologies for the lack of blog posts, it's been a whole week since my last one.  I just seem to be busy all the time (but not doing anything particularly exciting!) at the moment.  I promise to try harder in future ;)

But I'm here today to share the next new challenge over at Less is More where we are back with a Theme challenge and this week it's...

Repetition

Feel free to interpret this however you like.

My first is a new baby card...

Pretty simple really, just repeated stamping of the elephants and ric-rac.  I added the sentiment in black as a contrast to the pink and grey and then added some clear gemstones for the elephants' eyes.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Jane's Doodles - Jungle Baby; Hot Off The Press - Stamped Stitches; Clearly Besotted - Little Onesie
• Ink: Versa Color - Petal Pink, Sky Gray; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Clear gemstones from stash

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #168 - Bling it up

Crafty Catz - Challenge #333 - Add Bling

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #153 - CAS

Brown Sugar - Challenge #207 - Baby/Baby Shower

Crafty Creations - Challenge #319 - Clean & Simple

And for my second card I used geometric die cuts in a repetitive pattern for a masculine birthday card...

I die cut the curved off squares from three colours of cardstock and adhered them in a repetitive pattern on the diagonal onto a panel of white cardstock.  To ensure the first row was straight I temporarily adhered a scrap of cardstock to the panel and butted the die cuts up to it.  I then just followed the pattern for each row, shifting them along each time.  I stamped the Happy Birthday in black and trimmed off the die cuts that were overlapping the edges.  I finished by adhering the panel to some black cardstock and then flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Die and Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania Solid Cardstock

Challenge entry:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #24 - No Designer Papers

I think this could be a really interesting challenge this week, so I'm looking forward to seeing your entries in the gallery.

Thanks so much for visiting as always.

Less is More Week 284

Hi there

Where does the time go?  Can you believe it's One Layer week again over at Less is More?  And for the theme this week we would like to see anything relating to...

Time / Clockwork

I was away last weekend and have had a hectic week with evening plans so just the one card for you this week, and I decided to go with a Party Time theme...

I started by stamping the clock and the hands, before masking it to stamp the balloons and strings.  The sentiment was then added to finish.  Nothing to explain really, just a purely stamped one layer card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Time to Celebrate, Let's Party; Winnie & Walter - Big, Bold & Party
• Ink: Memento - London Fog, Rose Bud, Grape Jelly, Bahama Blue, Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Crafty Creations - Challenge #319 - Clean and Simple

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #24 - No Designer Papers

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #201 - Anything Goes

Well that was a pretty short post for a change!  One layer can be pretty tough sometimes so it will be interesting to see what you come up with this week :)

Muse #173 - Just a Note...

Hi there

There's a new challenge just starting over at Muse and, following the recent departure of our wonderful teamie, Michele, we've had a bit of a reshuffle so I'll now be your designer for the first challenge of each month.

The challenge at Muse is to draw any kind of inspiration from the designer's creation each week, so this could be the layout, technique, colours...whatever you like really.  So without further ado, here's my card to hopefully inspire you this week.  I think this is a little different for me, ink blending and stencilling and not much white space.  It's always good to try different styles.

On a white cardstock panel slightly smaller than my card base I began by blending three Distress Inks to create the appearance of a sunset.  I then laid a stencil of stems over the top and blended with a purple, blue and black to create the silhouettes.  I stamped the simple sentiment in the top corner and mounted it onto a dark purple panel before adhering flat to my card base.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: STAMPlorations - ARTplorations Bloom Silhouettes
• Stamp: S P & Company - Just a Note
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania 

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #318 - Just add 'S' (stencil / silhouettes / sunset)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Virginia's View Challenge #22 - All About Colours

I'd love for you to play along this week and to see your interpretations.

Thanks for visiting, bye for now.

Happy Little Stampers July 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi there

The start of a new month marks a flurry of new challenges over at Happy Little Stampers and today I'm here to tell you about the July CAS challenge.  Here's the technique we would like to see used on your creations...

There are some video tutorials included over on the main challenge blog which will explain all about stamp kissing.  It basically involves 'kissing' two stamps together before stamping on your project.

This challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers and there is a great prize up for grabs too...

Here's my DT card...

I started with a white cardstock panel slightly smaller than my card base and sponged on a light blend of blue Distress Ink fading out from the bottom corner.  I then inked up my butterflies by inking up the solid stamps and then kissing with a script stamp inked up in a darker tone before stamping on some white card.  These were then cut out with their co-ordinating dies.  The sentiment was stamped in black (I masked the 's' of the word 'friends' when applying the ink) and a white die cut leaf adhered to the corner before the butterflies were popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass; Versa Color - Lilac, Grape, Hyacinth, Imperial Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Whimsical Friends; Clearly Besotted - A Better You (with co-ordinating dies); Stampin' Up - En Francais
• Die: Memory Box - Delicate Fern

There's lots of inspiration from my teamies over at HLS to get you started, and I can't wait to see what you create using this technique.

Less is More Week 283

Hi there

Wow, I can hardly believe we're back at the beginning of another month!  It's new challenge time once again over at Less is More and week one of the month means we're back with our regular Colour challenge.  And this week we would like to see...

Colours of your Kitchen

And we also have a new sponsor for July which is Happy Little Stampers.  So make sure you play along throughout July for a chance to win a prize ;)


If you've been a follower for a while you may remember I finally had a new kitchen installed last year so here's my card using my kitchen as inspiration - woodgrain units, black worktop, taupe painted walls and cream accessories.

For a change I started with a cream card base.  I also cut a panel smaller than my card base, masked an area using the aperture created with a die cut heart and stamped the wood effect with a taupe tone ink through the aperture.  I then stamped the sentiment in black, matted the panel onto a slightly larger panel of black cardstock and then adhered the leaf die cut from kraft cardstock.  

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax; Paper Smooches - Loopy Leaf
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Hardwood; Altenew - Beautiful Lady
• Ink: Versa Color - Umber; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Papermill - Ivory; Neenah - Desert Storm; Papermania - Black

And just to prove it, here's a reminder of my little kitchen! :)  And I take the photographs of my cards on a cupboard top in my lounge...I think there's a decorative theme forming, don't you?! lol

This should be a really interesting challenge, I can't wait to see your kitchen colours translated onto your creations.

Right now, I'm (hopefully if I haven't missed the train!) on my way to Bristol for Grillstock Festival.  My brother and sister-in-law are one of the Competition BBQ Teams, Riviera BBQ so I'm looking forward to enjoying the festival this year instead of just hearing about it.....no doubt I'll eat and drink far too much! lol

That's all from me for now but I'll be back later this evening to share the next CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.

Bye for now.