Less is More Challenge #409

Happy Saturday, folks!

We have a new Recipe challenge for you just starting over at Less is More, and it's an interesting one.  Here are the details...

For this challenge we are looking for you to use only one triangle from either of the following 2 layouts for your design.

 i.e. your whole design should be contained in the one triangle you select to use

The fabulous Catherine Pooler is our November sponsor...

...and just by playing along will put you in the running for our monthly prize :)

Our September winner, Tristan Dawes (Tinstar) is joining us for this challenge as our Guest Designer, please do pop over to her blog to check out her project and say hi.


For my first card I've contained my design in the top triangle of the first layout...

On a die cut rectangular panel I stamped the baubles image in black ink and coloured with ProMarkers.  The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in silver.  After adhering the panel on fun foam I then added some glue to the baubles using a slim glue pen and added some fine glitter for some sparkle.

Materials used:

• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Woodware - Reindeer Bells; Clearly Besotted - Ornamental Style
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Accents: ProMarkers; Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Frost - Frosty Dawn

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #368 - Holiday

{PIN}spirational - Challenge #252 - Photo challenge

Penny Black and More - November Challenge - Christmas

My next two cards are basically the same design, just using different colour palettes.  I have used the second layout, turned 90 degrees...

On a panel of black cardstock I spread some translucent paste through a tree stencil and sprinkled over with some fine green glitter.  Once dry I cut the panel down and added some red glitter glue to the 'baubles'.  The panel was adhered flat to a green card base and a sentiment strip added across the centre.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Imagination Crafts - Merry Christmas Trio
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Glitter: Sweet Poppy - Super Fine Satin Glitter in Moss Green
• Stamp: Paula Pascual - Christmas Messages
• Accents: Dovecraft Glitter Glue - Ruby

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #483 - 'Choose Two' (I chose spots and sparkle)

Uniko - Challenge #56 - Christmas (option: tree)

STAMPlorations - November Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes

And the second card with a similar design...

For this card I used a panel of teal textured cardstock and used the same stencil but this time added iridescent glitter....and I can honestly say it was a nightmare to photograph! :D  It sparkles beautifully in real life.  I adhered the panel flat over the entire surface of the card base then added the sentiment at the base using white pigment ink.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Imagination Crafts - Merry Christmas Trio
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Glitter: Sweet Poppy - Super Fine Satin Glitter in Crystalina Rainbow
• Stamp: Paula Pascual - Christmas Messages
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations in our gallery using the different triangles of these layouts.  And for info, this will be the last challenge at Less is More for 2019 to give the Design Team a little break in the lead up to Christmas.  

Perfectly CAS - November 2019 Challenge

Good evening

It's new challenge day at Perfectly CAS and for this month we have a super easy challenge for you.  A perfect opportunity to get caught up with your Christmas cards, just ensure that you keep your design to one third of the card or less...

A couple of month's ago I picked up some new products at the Creative Craft Show which I've used on this card...

On a panel of kraft cardstock I used a new holly border stencil, spread some texture paste through, then sprinkled with green glitter.  The sentiment was stamped in black then I left the panel to thoroughly dry.  It was then popped up on fun foam before I finished by adding some red Nuvo drops.  Unfortunately my 'berries' are more like splodges, does anyone else have problems with some colours of Nuvo drops being more gloopy than others?

Materials used:

• Stencil: Sweet Poppy - Holly Borders
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Glitter: Sweet Poppy - Superfine Satin in Moss Green
• Stamp: Marion Emberson - Sparkling Christmas
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Nuvo Crystal Drops - Autumn Red

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - CAS Game #153 - One Image (shimmer)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #463 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley - Challenge #213 - All That Glitters

STAMPlorations - November Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Challenge #457 - Add Some Sparkle

If you've still got Christmas cards to make for this year, why not use our guidelines and link up to the challenge, we'd love to see your creations in the gallery.

Less is More Challenge #408

Good morning!

Another couple of weeks has flown by far too quickly and I'm no further on with my stash of Christmas cards!  I really need to get a wriggle on but this next challenge just starting over at Less is More has added two more to my (very little!) 2019 collection!

Here's the cue card for this next Theme challenge...

For November we have a brand new sponsor, the fabulous Catherine Pooler!  So, as always, just by playing along will put you in the running for our monthly prize.

Ok, as I said, I have two card samples for you, here's the first...

For my 'torn' element, I used a torn piece of paper as a mask and ink blended away from it using pink ink.  I then laid a snowflake stencil over the inked space and ink blended again, this time with blue ink.  For my sentiment I stamped and heat embossed the 'be merry' in silver sparkle, die cut the words with their co-ordinating dies and popped these up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Oxide - Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass; VersaMark
• Stencil: Funky Fossill - Snowfall
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Merry Calligraphy (and co-ordinating dies)
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver Sparkle

Challenge entries:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #110 - Snowflakes
Alphabet Challenge - Q is for Quick and Easy
STAMPlorations - November Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes




I can't take credit for this next card as I actually saw this idea on Pinterest but thought it was great fun.  I saw the idea at Kate's Creative Space in a post from a few years ago where she used the same idea to make gift bags and tags...

The framed image is made up of torn strips of red, pink and watercolour paper, layered up to create Santa's face.  Using watercolour paper adds the texture required for the fluff on his hat and his fluffy beard.  I adhered these together then used two stitched rectangle dies to make the frame.  I just trimmed the edges away before popping the frame up on fun foam.  I used fineliner pens to draw the face and added the rosy cheeks by using chalk applied with a cotton bud.

Materials used:

• Cardstock from stash
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Chalk and pens from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #366 - Anything Goes

Time Out - Challenge #148 - Photo Inspiration (I chose red/white/fur)

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - November Challenge - Stockings/Winter Clothing (you don't get more wintery than Santa's hat!)

My teamies have created some great projects to inspire you for this challenge which you can find over at the main LIM challenge blog.  Just because we are a CAS challenge doesn't mean these techniques can't be used.  I can't wait to see what you create :)

Happy Little Stampers November 2019 CAS Challenge

Good evening, crafters!

It's time for the new CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.  The watercolour challenge for November is already up and running and the rest of our regular challenges, as always, will follow over the course of the next few days.

Ok, here's our CAS cue card, and it gives you all the perfect opportunity to get ahead with your Christmas cards, if like me you're way behind (no change there!)...

I wanted to use some stamps that I bought a while ago from Lili of the Valley when they were having a sale, I believe they only offer digi stamps now.  I think this probably reflects me when I was a child! haha

On a panel die cut with a stitched rectangle, the images were simply stamped and coloured with ProMarkers.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lili of the Valley - Stroppy Sentiments: Tis the Season, Stroppy Girl: Christmas Jumper
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Challenge entries:

Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #455 - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #462 - Anything Goes Christmas
Christmas Crafts All Year Round - November Challenge - Stockings or other Winter Clothing

My teamies are sharing some fabulous makes over on the main challenge blog, so do pop over there for more inspiration.

As with all the HLS challenges, the linkies will remain open until the end of the month, so plenty of time to play along.