Less is More Challenge #387 - Sketch

Good morning

It's new challenge time over at Less is More and, as we haven't had one for a while, we have a Sketch challenge for you...

Skull and Cross Buns continues as our fantastic sponsor for the month of January, so don't forget, by playing along you're in with a chance of winning our monthly prize!

I have two sample cards for you today, the first uses a stencil and sentiment stamp from our sponsor...

I used masking tape to depict the shape of the sketch and blended with one shade of Distress Ink, before placing the hexagon stencil over the top and blending with the darker shade, adding more ink in some areas.  The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in white onto yellow cardstock and die cut with a sentiment strip die.  This was then matted onto black cardstock and trimmed before adhering to the card base.  The bees were then stamped, colour added using coloured pencils and some shimmer added to their wings using a sparkle pen.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Hexagon/Chevron Pattern
• Ink: Distress Ink - Scattered Straw, Wild Honey; Versafine - Onxy Black; VersaMark
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Retro Sweeties (sentiment); Craft Sensations - unknown name of stamp set (bees)
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Bees coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #324 - Clean and Simple

And my second card...

I inked the background through a stencil, but stayed away from the masks to avoid any harsh lines.  The images were stamped and die cut using their co-ordinating dies.  The flower was adhered flat to the base and the vase was popped up on 3D foam.  I finished by stamping the sentiment, nestled under the leaf.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Mini Stencil Set 14
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac; Altenew - Lavender Fields, Evergreen; Versa Color - Neptune; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous (and co-ordinating dies)

You can find more inspiration over at the main challenge post, where my fellow teamies are sharing their creations.  There, you can also reach their blogs where they may be sharing even more great projects.

As usual, the challenge will run for two weeks, so there's plenty of time to play along and link up.

Thanks so much for visiting :)

Rays of Love

Hi guys

I was busy cataloguing some of my stash recently and came across a die that has been in my stash for some time but only used once I think, and that was for a card I don't think made it to my blog.

There's usually someone shouting for a last minute Valentine's Day card so I thought I'd make another for my stash.

Here's it is...

I started by die cutting a white cardstock panel using a stitched rectangle.  I then die cut the heart rays detail.  I added some adhesive behind the panel, and after cutting the same detail from some red mirri card, I filled the apertures in the panel with the red hearts.  I then simply stamped the sentiment in black ink and adhered the panel to the card base popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Memory Box - Heart Rays
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Lovely Lilies
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Red mirri card from stash

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - January Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Time Out - Challenge #126 - Loving
Alphabet Challenge - U is for Use Some Stitching - Real or Faux

Thanks for visiting today, wishing you a fun week ahead.

CAS on Friday - Guest Designer!

Good morning

Today I'm super excited to be joining the wonderful team over at CAS on Friday as their Guest Designer after winning the Christmas Card Challenge last month :)

The cue word for the challenge starting today is...

Flowers

Here's my card...

On a white cardstock panel I stamped the lily images, which are from a layering set, the first one masked before stamping the bud.  The sentiment was then stamped in black ink.  I embossed the panel with a wave embossing folder and then adhered the panel to the card base popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Lovely Lilies
• Ink: Altenew - Mango Smoothie, Orange Cream, Firebrick Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers - Next Level: Wave

Thanks for popping by, I so appreciate your visits.  And thanks once again to Janneke and the team for inviting me to join them :)

Less is More Challenge #386

Good morning, crafters

I'm here today with details of the first Less is More challenge of 2019.

But before I give you the details I'd like to welcome three new fabulous ladies to our Design Team!  I hope you'll join me in saying a huge hello and welcome to Kylie, Michelle and Stephanie.  I'm sure most of you will be familiar with these ladies and their awesome talents :)

Right, here are the details of our Theme challenge...

Water in any of its forms....ice, snow, mist, liquid, etc.

Returning as our generous sponsor for the month of January is the fantastic Skull and Cross Buns, so by playing along in this month's challenges will give you a chance to win the monthly prize.

We also have a wonderful Guest Designer joining us for this challenge, a previous monthly winner, Viv of Daizy-Mae's Crafty Blog.  Please do pop over to her blog to say hi and check out her gorgeous card.

For my water themed cards I've used some products available from our sponsor. 

Here's the first, using water for watercolouring...

On a panel of watercolour cardstock I used a stencil and watercoloured through the word 'Love' with two shades of watered down Distress Inks.  The 'you' was stamped in black ink.  Before adhering the panel to the card base I blended the same two Distress Inks along the edge of the card base to add a little interest.  To finish I added a pink enamel heart.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Heart Pattern
• Stamp: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Hearts
• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accent: Enamel heart from stash

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #126 - Loving

For my second card I also used a stencil, but this time with the ghosting technique, misting with water...

On a panel of white cardstock I lightly blended two shades of Distress Ink in the centre before laying the stars stencil over the top and spritzing with water.  The water was then blotted away which lifts some of the ink.  Once dry I die cut the stitched oval from the panel and then stamped the sentiment through the aperture onto the card base.  The panel was then adhered on fun foam for dimension.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Stars 
• Ink: Distress Ink - Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac; Versa Color - Hyacinth, Sky Blue
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Twinkle Toes (retired)
• Die: Lil Inkers - Stitched Ovals

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Why not take a look at the main Less is More challenge blog, here, to see what my teamies have been creating for this challenge.  And don't forgot, the LIM challenges run for two weeks so there's plenty of time to create and link up :)

Happy Little Stampers January 2019 CAS Challenge

Hi there

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the start of 2019.  For the first time in years I was awake and with friends at the stroke of midnight instead of in bed looking at the inside of my eyelids! Yay!

Over at Happy Little Stampers the January challenges are just starting and today is the turn of the CAS challenge.  Here's this month's cue card...

I have quite a few rolls of washi tape but don't often reach for it so this was a great opportunity use some of my forgotten stash.

I die cut some white cardstock with a stitched rectangle and then added three strips of washi tape to depict candles.  I then went through my stash only to realise that the only flame images I have were far too small so instead, I used a Quickie glue pen to draw the flames and then adhered some gold glitter.  The panel was adhered to the card base on fun foam and the sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in white onto a strip of black cardstock. 

Materials used:

• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Washi tape from stash (apologies, unknown brands)
• Quickie glue pen
• Glitter: Nuvo Pure Sheen Glitter - Light Gold
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Happy Birthday (retired)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - CAS Game #130 - Three of Something

Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget that the linkies for all the Happy Little Stampers challenges (more will be launching over the next few days) are open until the end of the month.  I hope you can join us :)