Less is More Challenge #407

Happy Saturday, folks!

These weeks are absolutely flying by and it's time to introduce the new challenge at Less is More.  And yes, it's time.......we're back with our One Layer challenge!  Here is what we want to see for this one...

(Flowers, leaves, twigs, trees, etc.)

Our generous sponsor for October is Uniko, so by playing along automatically puts you in the running for our monthly prize, as long as you follow the challenge guidelines

I have two samples for you, both using beautiful stamps by Uniko.  Here's card one...

I added some masking tape to the top and left edges and did a little gentle blending just to define my corner design.  Then with the tape still in place I simply stamped the images and sentiment.  A super simple one layer card

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Winter Foliage, Most Wonderful
• Ink: Distress Ink - Bundled Sage; Altenew - Moss, Crimson, Evergreen; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #364 - CAS

Inkspirational - Challenge #198 - Mask

AAA Cards - Challenge #151 - One Corner (not twisting this time)

Stamping Sensations - October Trees - Trees and/or leaves and/or Autumn

And my second card...

I stamped the sentiment in the centre then created the winter foliage using lots of the teeny stamps in the builder set, all stamped individually.  I finished by adding a frame using score lines, so simple but just adds a little something to a flat one layer card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Christmas, Background Builders Vines:Winter Additions
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Evergreen, Grapevine, Moss, Forest Glades, Crimson

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #212 - Add a Sentiment

Thanks for taking a look today.  And as usual, more inspiration can be found over at the main challenge blog, courtesy of my fabulous teamies, and the challenge linky will stay open for the next two weeks.

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Four

Hi guys

I'm back a little earlier than I was last night!  In this post you'll find my final few cards made using products from the latest release at Honey Doo Crafts.

All the stamps and stencils from this release are already available to buy from the store, but if you want to see more of them they will be showcased on Hochanda tomorrow, Thursday 24 October at 12pm and 4pm (Sky 673, Freeview 85).  If you can't catch the live shows, they will be available on catch up at Hochanda's website.


Ok, so another of the new stamps is called Floral Turn Around and I've paired this with a sentiment from an existing set called Just in Case...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped and heat embossed the floral flourish image in gold.  I then blended over in three shades of Distress Ink, with the lighter of the warm tones in the centre.  I then 'painted' the flowers with water and blotted to lift the colour away.  I adhered the panel flat to the card, embossed the sentiment also in gold and blended the sentiment strip in the same way.  This was adhered on 3D foam before finishing off the card with some enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Turn Around, Just In Case
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Ripe Persimmon, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Enamel dots from stash

Challenge entries:

Allsorts - Challenge #542 - Add Something Gold and/or Silver

STAMPlorations - October CAS Card Challenge

Next up is another new set called Flower Burst, I've used the New Job set for the sentiment and also used the new Tartan stencil for the background...

I blended the whole of a white cardstock panel with Milled Lavender Distress Ink before laying over the Tartan stencil and inking through with Seedless Preserves.  I stamped the flowers, leaving the stamps in place in my MISTI, coloured them with ProMarkers then re-inked them before heat embossing in white.  These were then fussy cut, along with the leaves which were heat embossed on vellum.  After layering and adhering in a cluster I stamped the sentiment on a fishtail sentiment strip and slotted this underneath one flower to finish.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Tartan
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Flower Burst, New Job
• Ink: Distress Ink - Milled Lavender, Seedless Preserves; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #212 - Add a Sentiment

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #37 - CAS

STAMPlorations - October Stencil Challenge

And finally, I've used the Flower Burst set here again, with the new Retirement set and new Grate stencil...

I ink blended through the Grate stencil onto some blue cardstock and die cut with a stitched rectangle.  I then stamped and heat embossed the flowers and the sentiment in white.  I added some white to the petals with a white coloured pencil to make them pop from the background and adhered the panel on fun foam.  Some enamel dots were then added to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Grate
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Flower Burst, Retirement
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: White Polychromos pencil; enamel dots from stash

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope you like the new products as much as I liked making these cards and please do tune in to the shows tomorrow or catch up if you are able.

Have a lovely evening x


(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Three

Hi there

I'm back with more makes using the latest release from Honey Doo Crafts, apologies that this post is so late in the day!  I'll be sharing the last of my samples on here tomorrow, ahead of the shows on Hochanda on Thursday.

I'll get straight to it.  First up I've used the new Stitch in Time and New Job stamp sets...

I stamped and heat embossed the flowers and leaves from the Stitch in Time set, used the emboss resist technique to colour blend them with Distress Inks then fussy cut them out.  I masked three edges of card base and ink blended with Distress Oxide, fading it out down the card.  Finally, the sentiment was stamped in black ink before layering up the images and adding white enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stitch in Time, New Job
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn; Distress Oxide - Tumbled Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Lily White

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #212 - Add a Sentiment

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #37 - CAS

The next card also used the new Stitch in Time and New Job sets, along with the previously released Mesh stencil...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the flowers then masked them before blending the background with Distress Inks through the Mesh stencil.  I left the flowers uncoloured, just adding some purple colour to the centres with a coloured pencil.  I die cut the panel with a scallop border die and adhered the panel flat to the top edge of the card.  The stamped sentiment and some enamel dots completed the design and I rounded the corners to echo the scallops of the border.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stitch in Time, New Job
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink: Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Speckled Scallops Die Collection
• Accents: Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos pencil; Doodlebug Sprinkles - Silver

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #198 - Mask

My next sample uses the new Ribbons stencil, and new stamp sets Starry Eye and New Job...

I began by using the shifted stencilling technique with the Ribbons stencil, blending with two blue shades of ink.  I then die cut a section of it with a stitched circle die.  I then stamped and heat embossed the flowers onto some patterned paper and the leaves onto vellum before fussy cutting them out.  The stencilled die cut and the flowers were then layered up and adhered to the card base using glue dots before stamping the sentiment in grey ink.  I then added some Nuvo drops to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Ribbons
• Ink: Distress Ink - Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky; VersaMark; Memento - London Fog
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Starry Eye, New Job
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka Mon Amie
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Nuvo Crystal Drops - Antique Rose

And I've used the new Starry Eye and New Job sets on this card too...

These images are stamped, masked and heat embossed in white on coloured cardstock.  I've then added some shading with coloured pencils to the petals and leaves.  The sentiment has been stamped on a sentiment strip die and I've finished this simple card with some pale blue gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Starry Eye, New Job
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Caribbean Sky
• Enbossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips

I've be popping back on here tomorrow night to share the last of my samples, hope to see you then.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Two

Hi there

I'm back today with more of my samples using the latest product release from Honey Doo Crafts.

Amanda from Honey Doo also did a Facebook Live video last night which you can find, here, sharing all the new products and lots of samples.

In this post I've decided to share all my Christmas themed makes, made sense to keep these all together.  So, here goes.

This first card uses the new Gingham stencil, and the previously released Holly and Christmas Globe sets...

This card just evolved, I didn't really know where I was going with it when I started.  On a panel of white cardstock I squished VersaMark ink through the stencil and then heat embossed in silver.  I then masked off the rows and ink blended with Distress Inks.  I was going to just use it as a background panel but then had a brainwave that it looked like wrapping paper, so I trimmed it down and made it into a present!  I added the ribbon and popped it onto the card base on fun foam.  I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the holly, adding some Glossy Accents to the berries.  I then manipulated the curved sentiment from the Christmas Globe set and stamped the words separately on a die cut tag.  The holy and tag were then nestled under the bow.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Gingham
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Holly, Christmas Globe
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Glossy Accents, ribbon from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #170 - Plaid

STAMPlorations - October Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes

Next up is another of the new stencils, Stars, and a sentiment from the new Oh Christmas Tree set...

I used some new to my stash paste and glitter with this stencil and the sparkle is amazing in real life!  I spread the paste through the stencil onto black cardstock, sprinkled on the glitter and left it to properly dry before trimming the panel down.  I mounted the panel onto some holographic cardstock, just to have a little peeping through around the edges.  I heat embossed the sentiment in silver glitter onto a vellum strip and wrapped this around the panel before adhering to the card base.

I've purposely blurred the photo below, I think the bokeh effect really captures the colours and sparkle from the glitter...

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Glitter: Sweet Poppy - Crystalina Rainbow 
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver Sparkle
• Vellum and holographic cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Challenge #542 - Add Something Gold and/or Silver

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #132 - Monochrome

Happy Little Stampers - October Christmas Challenge - Twinkle

Next up I've used the Stars stencil again, and a sentiment from the previously released Christmas Quotes set...

This one layer card was so simple to make.  I masked off the edges of the card base and in blended from the edges inwards, fading out in the centre.  I then inked through the stencil with the same shade of ink, again, fading out in the centre.  I added a sweep of anti-static powder before then stamping and heat embossing the sentiment in silver.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Christmas Quotes
• Ink: Distress Ink - Chipped Sapphire; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver

Next is the new Oh Christmas Tree set... 

On a panel of black cardstock I stamped and heat embossed the tree in a sparkly powder.  The glitter particles in this embossing powder are quite chunky so I heated on the underside first to stop the glitter blowing away before the powder melted.  I heat embossed the sentiment in white onto some vellum, wrapped this around and adhered to the base on fun foam.

Again, I've blurred the photo below to try to capture the sparkle.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Midas Touch, Opaque Bright White
• Vellum and cardstock from stash

Challenge entry:

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #43 - Tree

Here is the Oh Christmas Tree set again, paired with a sentiment from the previously released Christmas Globe set...

Pretty much the same layout as the last card but this time I heat embossed with a pearl powder on deep red cardstock.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto the same cardstock and used a curved stitched die to create the sentiment strip which was popped up on 3D foam.  I then embellished the tree with some rhinestones.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Oh Christmas Tree, Christmas Globe
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges
• Accents: Mini rhinestones from stash

The next new set is Snowflake Flourish, paired here with a sentiment from the previously released Jingle Bells set...

I used one of my go too favourite designs for this card.  I added a strip of masking tape in the upper half of the card and blended away from the tape with lilac ink.  I then stamped the flourish and snowflakes in three shades of ink and added some splatters using a mix of silver mica powder and water.  The masking tape was removed and the sentiment stamped in black.  Easy peasy!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Snowflake Flourish, Jingle Bells
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac; Versa Color - Neptune, Mint, Lavender; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Honey Doo Crafts Mica Powder - Silver Sparkle

Challenge entry:

Inkspirational - Challenge #198 - Mask

And finally, I've used Snowflake Flourish again, together with the new Christmas Magic sentiment stamp...

I began with a die cut rectangle of pale lilac cardstock and stamped the snowflake flourish and sentiment in VersaMark ink.  I then used two shades of embossing powder, adding in sections before heating.  The panel was mounted on fun foam onto a larger die cut rectangle.  I added some mini rhinestones to the centres of the snowflakes for a bit of bling.  It was difficult to catch the two different shades of embossing on camera, you can just about make out the silver and platinum in the photo below.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Snowflake Flourish, Christmas Magic
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver, Metallic Platinum
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

If you made it to the end of the post, thanks so much for getting here, that was a bit photo heavy!

I'll be sharing more over the next few days ahead of the Honey Doo shows on Hochanda next Thursday, 24 October at 12pm and 4pm.

Enjoy your weekend :)

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection One

Hi guys

I've been busy behind the scenes recently making sample cards for the latest release at Honey Doo Crafts.  I'll be sharing lots of samples over the next week, ahead of their next showcase shows on Hochanda TV next Thursday, 24 October 2019.

The new release includes more fabulous florals that Honey Doo Crafts do so well, some autumnal themes, Christmas sets, sentiments and also some great new stencils.


Ok, first up is a card I made using new sets, Stars and Stripes and Pumpkin Corner...

I loved the design of the flowers in the Stars and Stripes set the minute I saw it and because the flower has only four petals I knew it would work well for a repeated background.  With a bit of measuring and a ruler and a pencil I set down some guidelines and then repeatedly stamped the same flower.  Once the stamping was complete I erased the pencil lines and coloured the images with ProMarkers.  To finish, I simply heat embossed the sentiment from the Pumpkin Corner set in white on a strip of vellum, wrapped this around the panel and adhered the panel to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Pumpkin Corner
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #132 - Monochrome

Sweet Stampin' - Autumn Colours/Harvest

For my next card I've used the Stars and Stripes flowers again but to create a completely different look, and the sentiment from the Retirement set...

I stamped and heat embossed the different sized flowers from the Stars and Stripes set onto vellum, coloured them on the reverse using Zig markers and then fussy cut them out.  On the card base I masked two edges and ink blended with some green ink just to ground the design.  I then layered up the flowers, arranged and adhered them to the base and popped in behind a few die cuts from the previously released Feathered Flourishes die set, also cut from vellum.  To complete the card, I used a fancy rectangular die cut, inked up the edges to match the ink blending on the base and stamped the sentiment from the Retirement set.  This was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Retirement
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Cracked Pistachio; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Vellum from stash
• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Feathered Flourishes; Spellbinders Nestabilities - Reverse Wonky Rectangles

Next up I used just the leaves from the Stars and Stripes set together with the Autumn Changes sentiment...

On a strip of vellum I stamped and heat embossed the leaves from the Stars and Stripes set in white.  I die cut a panel using a stitched rectangle die, masked a vertical section slightly wider than the vellum strip and ink blended this in autumnal colours before wrapping the vellum around and securing on the reverse.  I then stamped the sentiment called Autumn Changes using my MISTI, repeatedly stamping in varying colours of pigment ink to co-ordinate with the inked section.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Autumn Changes
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Frayed Burlap; Versa Color - Bamboo, Umber, Topaz
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entry:

Stamping Sensations - October Challenge - Trees/Leaves/Autumn

Next up is another autumnal themed card using new Autumn Colours and Pumpkin Corner...

I stamped the main image from Autumn Colours onto a white die cut cardstock panel and again on a scrap of cardstock, this one then heat embossed in copper.  I ink blended over the embossed image with Distress Inks before die cutting with a circle die.  The circle was then lined up over the main image and popped up on 3D foam.  The panel was matted onto a brown piece of cardstock and onto the base, and the card was finished with a heat embossed sentiment from the Pumpkin Corner set, and again die cut with a circle die.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Autumn Colours and Pumpkin Corner
• Ink: Versa Color - Bark; VersaMark; Distress Ink - Peeled Paint, Carved Pumpkin, Frayed Burlap
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Copper
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies

My final card for this first post used the new Palm Leaves stencil and the Autumn Changes sentiment...

I used the ghosting technique for my background here.  I die cut a cardstock panel then ink blended with Distress Inks before laying the Palm Leaves stencil over the top, spritzing with water and then blotting away the colour.  This panel was popped up on fun foam then the Autumn Changes sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in gold on some brown cardstock die cut with a fishtail die.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Autumn Changes
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Palm Leaves
• Ink: Distress Ink - Fired Brick, Brushed Corduroy, Forest Moss, Crushed Olive; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax

I hope you're loving these new products.  There's lots more that I'll be sharing over the next few days, I went a bit crazy and made lots of samples this time!

The shows will air on Hochanda TV here in the UK on Thursday 24 October 2019 at 12pm and 4pm. (Sky 673 / Freeview 85)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)