Less is More Challenge #420

Good morning!

I honestly can't believe how fast these days are passing by during lockdown.  It's new challenge day again at Less is More!  And I can hear you all groaning as we tell you it's....One Layer Card week.  Here's the cue card...

And before I get to sharing my cards I'd like to welcome Jen Mitchell as our Guest Designer for this challenge.  I love Jen's CAS makes and she's one of our regulars at Less is More so please do pop over to her blog to see her card and say hi.

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

I've tried this shifted stencil technique a few times before and I think I love it most on kraft cardstock.  You begin by stencilling with coloured inks, I used Distress Oxides here in three graduating shades.  You then shift the stencil slightly and use white pigment ink.  Oxides can stay wet for a while so it's best to let the first layer dry before adding the white ink, and I find the best coverage of white is achieved by pouncing the ink with a sponge blender.  I finished with a simple sentiment in a fun font.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Clearly Besotted - Round & Round
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers; Hero Arts - Unicorn; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Sentiment Sampler

Challenge entries

Crafty Catz - Challenge #507 - Anything Goes (Spots and/or Stripes)
AAA Cards - CAS Game #165 - Up to One Third (Repeating Image)
CAS Stencil Challenge - May 2020 - Layered Stenciling
STAMPlorations - May Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes





And I used some stamps that are new to my stash for this second card, and it was our Guest Designer, Jen, that inspired me to buy this botanicals set after seeing some of her lovely clean and simple designs.  And she's used the same set for this challenge too...

I revisited one of my favourite layouts here.  I used low tack tape to mask off a horizontal section then firstly blended away from the tape using Distress Ink, fading it out.  With the tape still in place I then stamped the solid and dotted leaves.  To finish I removed the tape and stamped the sentiment.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Dot Botanicals, Leaf Canopy (sentiment)
• Ink: Distress Ink - Scattered Straw; Altenew - Mountain Mist, Lagoon; Versafine - Onyx Black

As always, the challenge link will remain open for two weeks.  And you can find lots more inspiration from my teamies over at the main challenge blog, and links to their personal blogs where they may be sharing more projects.

Honey Doo Crafts - May 2020 Release - Floral Arch and Around the Table

Hi there

In this post I'm sharing my final two sample cards using the new stamps from Honey Doo Crafts.

All the new products will be launched on Create & Craft TV tomorrow, 22 May 2020, the shows being at 11.15am and 3.45pm.  And they are also already available to purchase over at the Honey Doo Crafts store, here.


First up is a card I've made using the new Floral Arch stamp set...

The Bride and Groom image I shared yesterday is designed to fit within this arch but I chose to use the arch on its own here.  I stamped the image onto some clear vellum and heat embossed it in white before fussy cutting it out.  I then coloured in the wooden arch and voile swag on the reverse using Zig markers.  For my beach scene die cut panel I firstly blended the sand, the sea, and then the clouds with Distress Inks, using a stencil for the clouds (even through I covered most of them up!).  I then added the additional details to create the sand - a metallic and a black/white embossing powder, which I sprinkled on and then heat from the underside so it didn't get blown away by the heat gun.  And for the breaking waves I used embossing enamel, again heat from the reserve side.  A closer view of the 'sand' can be seen in the next photo...

To finish, I stamped the sentiment from the same set, adhered the panel on fun foam, and then adhered the arch using clear glue dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Arch
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Tea Dye, Salty Ocean, Tumbed Glass
• Stencil: MFT - Mini Cloud Edges
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Aztec Glintz, Salt & Pepper; Stampendous - Deep Impressions Embossing Enamel
• Vellum from Stash
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

And my second card uses a new set called Around the Table...

I began with a gentle blend of Distress Inks on my card base and then stamped the table and chairs image and coloured with ProMarkers.  I created a frame using a stitched rectangular die and adhered this flat to the card.  I used the Honey Doo Palm Leaves die and trimmed a section out to lay over one corner.  I finished with an embossed sentiment from the same set and popped this up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Around the Table
• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Pumice Stone; Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Honey Doo Crafts - Palm Leaves
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers

There is one extra new stamp set for which, unfortunately, I didn't find time to make a sample.  It's called Beach Hut and you can find it here.

Thanks so much for visiting and for taking a look at my sample cards.  I'll be back again on Saturday morning to introduce the next challenge over at Less is More.

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

Honey Doo Crafts - May 2020 Release - Bride & Groom

Good evening, folks

Tonight I'm sharing more sample cards using the new stamps from Honey Doo Crafts.

And just as a reminder, Amanda will be launching the new products on Create & Craft TV this Friday, 22 May 2020, the shows being at 11.15am and 3.45pm.


The new stamp set in focus here is called Bride & Groom.

This sample card is very simple but I love these neutral/vintage tones...

I began with a die cut panel and stamped both the image and sentiment, which is included in the stamp set, in a neutral shade of pigment ink then heat embossed it all in a pearl shade.  I added a minimal amount of colour to the happy couple, again in neutral shades, popped the panel up with dimensional foam and called this card done.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Bride and Groom
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: Versa Color - Vanilla
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl
• Coloured with ProMarkers

For my second sample I paired the stamp set with an existing stencil from the Honey Doo product range...

I started by stamping the bride and groom image on a die cut panel of white cardstock and then stamped it again on a couple of post-it notes to make a mask.  I used a heart die from my stash to create an aperture in a scrap piece of cardstock and blended through with a pale shade of Distress Ink.  I then laid the Honey Doo Floral Display stencil over the heart aperture and blended through with a different shade of Distress Ink.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set with a co-ordinating shade of pigment ink and heat embossed in clear.  The panel was adhered to the card base using fun foam for dimension and I finished by adding some shimmer to the bride's dress using a glitter pen.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Bride and Groom
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Display
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet; Versa Color - Ash Rose
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Accents: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Thanks for visiting, I'll be back again tomorrow with more samples ahead of the shows on Friday.

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

Honey Doo Crafts - May 2020 Release - Cherry on Top

Hi guys

I'm back tonight to share a couple more sample makes using another of the new stamp sets from Honey Doo Crafts.

And if you missed Amanda's Facebook live earlier this evening where she was sharing all the new products and samples, you can watch it back over on their Facebook page, here.


Ok, these are my cards using the new Cherry On Top stamp set...

I began by stamping both the image and sentiment in VersaMark ink on kraft cardstock but only heat embossed the sentiment at this stage.  VersaMark ink leaves a tone on tone watermark of the image.   Next I coloured in the cupcake by painting with a mix of Honey Doo mica powders and water.  These create a lovely shimmery effect.  Once dry I then re-stamped the cupcake in VersaMark (by leaving the stamp in my MISTI I was able to stamp in the exact same spot) and then heat embossed in white.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Cherry on Top
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Mica Powders: Honey Doo Crafts - Berry Red, White Opal, Purple Topaz, Green Emerald
• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm

For this next card I used the Cherry on Top stamp again, and some other existing Honey Doo products...

The cupcake was stamped in black and coloured with ProMarkers, I then fussy cut this out.  I used some stitched dies to create a frame and also used the Honey Doo Encircle die and laid a section behind the frame and adhered them all together.  I then added some patterned paper to the card base and popped the frame up on 3D foam.  The cake was then adhered over the top and a stamped sentiment strip added to finish, this sentiment being from the Honey Doo Just in Case stamp set.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Cherry on Top, Just in Case
• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Encircle; Clearly Besotted - Frame It; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Patterned Paper: Hot Off The Press - Floral Cardmakers Ultimate Pack (years old!)

Thanks so much for visiting, I'll have more samples for you tomorrow.

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

Honey Doo Crafts - May 2020 Release - Birthday Cake

Hi there

Today I'm sharing the first of some samples using the latest stamp release from Honey Doo Crafts.

Not only will Amanda from Honey Doo be showcasing them on Create and Craft TV this coming Friday, 22 May 2020 (11.15am and 3.45pm), she will also be sharing them with you on a Facebook live tomorrow, Tuesday 19 May 2020 at 7.00pm.  You can find their Facebook page here.

The new release of stamps are a little bit different to the well known florals by Honey Doo, this time being large, sketchy, very detailed images.


These are my samples using the new set called Birthday Cake...

I began by die cutting a panel of white cardstock (no surprise there!) and stamped the large tiered cake image.  I then stamped this a second time on a couple of post-it notes to use as a mask.  Next I ink blended through the Honey Doo Ribbons stencil using Distress Oxide inks.  I really like this technique when the focal image is so detailed, you don't necessarily have to colour it in, just add colour to the background instead.  To finish I heat embossed the sentiment, also included in the Birthday Cake set, in silver onto a strip of vellum, then wrapped this around the panel before mounting onto the card base on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Birthday Cake
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Ribbons
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Vellum from stash

This next card took a little time to create but I'm really happy with the end result...

I decided to go with the rainbow theme of the moment!  I don't usually stamp with Distress Inks but I love the vibrancy of the colours on this card.  I stamped the cake in blue first then using a mask, covered it up, shifted the panel across in my MISTI (a stamping platform really does help with even spacing) and stamped in purple, then masked the purple image, shifted the panel across again and stamped in pink...and so on right across the panel.  I trimmed the panel down, adhered some striped paper to my card base then mounted the stamped panel on top.  I decided to leave this one sentiment free.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Birthday Cake
• Ink: Distress Ink - Broken China, Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron
• Patterned Paper: MFT - Dots & Stripes Neutrals

And my final sample is something a little different.  At the start of 2020 I decided to try bullet journaling.  As May is my birthday month I chose this image for my May cover page!  It's a very minimalist design, just how I like it!  And with us having to be in lockdown for the last two months my whole journal has been very minimal, there's really not a lot going on!  Apart from a few collection pages and keeping up with a few birthdays, etc. my journal is really just a to-do list right now!

This was simply stamped before I trimmed away the outside edge of the page, and then very roughly coloured with some Tombow markers.  I wanted my journal to be more of a productive tool than a creative one, but some stamped images have crept in here and there :)  I'm still learning all about it so not using it to its full potential just yet, its a big learning curve but I love it so far.


I'll be back tomorrow with more samples for you.  And don't forget Amanda's Facebook live tomorrow evening when she will be showing you this new set, along with the rest of the release ahead of the Create & Craft shows on Friday.

Thanks for visiting x

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

Perfectly CAS - May 2020 Challenge

Hi there

I don't know about you but since we've been in lockdown I'm finding that these weeks are flying by so fast!

It's time for another new challenge over at Perfectly CAS and our theme for May is...

I've used one of my go to layouts for super simple cards for this one...

I often use this double frame design, the top die cut being popped up on foam.  The image was stamped using Memento ink, which doesn't bleed with alcohol markers, and coloured with ProMarkers.  I'm still toying with the idea of purchasing some Copics, I soooo want some but just don't know if it's and expense I can commit to, it would take me forever to purchase a decent selection!  The sentiment was simply stamped in black below the matted die cuts.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Under The Weather
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Thanks so much for popping by, I hope you are all well and managing to keep yourselves occupied at home.  I have plenty I can be doing but seem to have been in a very unenthusiastic mood for the last week or so.  Hopefully I'll find some motivation again soon.

Less is More Challenge #419

Hi guys

Another fortnight has whizzed by so it's new challenge day at Less is More.  And this time we have a Colour challenge for you...

A bit of trial and error was required for this one and it took three attempts for me to make this card, but I got there in the end, I think!

The problem I had was achieving a cream hue for my focal image.  The first ink I tried was far too yellow and the second one I tried was too beige, so I had to try a few ink colours and embossing powder combos before I got this result.  I used hammered cardstock for the base and image panel although it's difficult to catch on camera.  I used a stitched rectangle die for my image panel and stamped and embossed the glasses and bubbles.  I then added some colour using ProMarkers.  This was then mounted onto a mat of cream linen cardstock and both were popped up onto the base using fun foam.  I finished with a sentiment stamped in black.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax
• Stamps: Avery Elle - Sip Sip Hooray; Reverse Confetti - Clink
• Ink: Versa Color - Vanilla; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #256 - Celebrations

Thanks so much for visiting.  And don't forget that we had new members joining the Design Team last time so there's lots of inspiration over at the main Less is More challenge blog, here.

Good Luck in your New Home

Hi guys

Today I'm sharing a card I was commissioned to make for a friend a few weeks ago but I forgot to share it here.

It's very similar to card I made two years ago, here.  I just changed up the colours and added a cloudy backdrop.

I die cut a piece of watercolour card with a stitched rectangle as I wanted a textured background.  This was then ink blended with a cloud stencil.  I die cut the houses from kraft cardstock and adhered it along the base of the panel.  I then cut a tiny section using the same die, from coral cardstock, and die cut the heart from it and adhered it in place.  I finished with a sentiment which was made up from three separate stamps.  The 'in your' part of it was from a stamp saying 'good luck in your exams' so it just required a little masking.  Thankfully I catalogue all my stamps using Evernote which made finding the sentiment I needed so much easier!  The card was finished by popping the panel up on fun foam onto the card base.

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Happy Little Stampers - Village Die (retired); Lawn Fawn - Hearts
• Cardstock: Kraft - Neenah Dessert Storm; watercolour card from stash
• Stencil: MFT - Mini Cloud Edges
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Brush Sentiments; That's Genius
• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you're all keeping well and keeping yourselves occupied at home.  I actually have a week off work this week so hoping to find more crafty time.  See you soon :)

Happy Little Stampers May 2020 CAS Challenge

Hi there

I hope you're all keeping well during these very odd times!

I'm here tonight to introduce the May CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  And our cue word for this month is...

I think we could all do with lots of those right now!  I kept my card super simple but with some ombre stamping...

I started by die cutting a stitched rectangle and then, using my MISTI, stamped the smile sentiment multiple times in graduating shades, but didn't stamp the 'tittle' of the i.  Thanks goes to Laura Bassen for me knowing the dot was called a tittle!  When doing ombre stamping my preference is to use pigment ink, I find I get a better gradient that way rather than using dye inks.  To finish I stamped the smile emoji in place of the tittle and coloured it in with a ProMarker.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Smile; Clearly Besotted - Text Me
• Ink: Versa Color - Canary, Marigold, Orange, Opera Pink; Memento - Tuxedo Black

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of happy cards in our gallery this month so I hope you'll find time to play along.  As always, the challenge link will remain open until the end of the month.