Less is More Challenge #403

Hi there

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, I have been crafting away behind the scenes but haven't been able to share those makes yet.  Lots to come over the next few days though so stay tuned :)

Back to the purpose of today's post, and of course it's new challenge day over at Less is More.  And as August has an extra Satuday we have a Lucky Dip challenge for you this time.  Here is the cue card...

Funky Fossil Designs continues as our sponsor for this challenge so please do play along for a chance to win our monthly prize!

I only have one card to share with you this time but I'm excited to say...I have my first 2019 Christmas card in the bag! 

Here it is...

This was very simple to make.  I started with a stitched circle die cut and heat embossed the sentiment in copper.  This was then popped up on fun foam.  I then die cut the pine needles from green cardstock, the bells from silver mirri card and the bow from gold mirri card, and layered and adhered these in a cluster.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Copper
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles; Clearly Besotted - Tag Along Die Collection (bow); Marianne Design Creatables - Petra's Larix Larch; Xcut - Jingle Bells
• Cardstock from stash

I really appreciate your visits, thanks so much for stopping by.  Please do pop over to the main Less is More challenge post for more inspiration from my teamies and to see how they've incorporated metallics into their CAS creations.  And the challenge, as always, is open for a fortnight so there's plenty of time to link up in our gallery.  Hope to see you there :)

Less is More Challenge #402

Good morning!

Yet another fortnight has passed since the last Less is More challenge, so we're back with a brand new one today, and it's One Layer time! 

Although some crafters find one layer cards a bit tricky, the criteria this time should make this one a little simpler.  This time we want to see..

And throughout August our generous sponsor is Funky Fossil Designs, and the super talented Sarah Gray, is joining us once again as a guest designer.  And by simply playing along you'll be in with a chance of being our monthly winner!

I've used Funky Fossil stencils on all of my sample cards for this challenge.

For my first card I stepped out of my comfort zone of using a white card base, and chose the complete opposite...

Some of Sarah's stencils in the Funky Fossil store are supplied with both the negative aperture and the positive image.  Here I used the positive of the owl stencil and used some low tack tape to hold it in place on my card base.  I wasn't sure how well the ink blending would work as I used white pigment ink, as opposed to normally using Distress or dye inks.  I just needed to blast the surface with my heat gun afterwards to ensure the ink was dry.  I then used a circle die to create an aperture in some scrap cardstock, and with the owl still in place I blended the moon through the mask using silver pigment ink. 

I didn't want to risk warping my base by heat embossing the sentiment so I stamped the image with white pigment ink multiple times using my MISTI to ensure exact placement. 

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Owl in Flight
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn; Versa Color - Silver
• Die: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies
• Stamp: MFT - Grand Peaceful Wildflowers

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #354 - CAS

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes

For my second card I revisited one of my favourite layouts for one layer cards and used the ghosting technique...

With the card base laid flat I added some masking tape down the spine and across the top third of the card.  I then ink blended with green shades of Distress Ink.  The leaf stencil was then laid across the surface before spritzing with water and blotting away the colour.  To finish, the masks were removed and the sentiment was stamped in black across the centre.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Forest Foliage
• Ink: Distress Ink - Pine Needles, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Beautiful Friend

Challenge entries:

The Male Room - Challenge #117 - 6th Birthday

STAMPlorations - Summer Theme & Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

Finally, a card which was really quick and simple to make...

For this one, rather than inking through the stencil, I roughly inked a section of the stencil directly from pink and blue ink pads.  I then spritzed lightly with water and transferred the design to my card base.  I blasted with my heat gun to ensure it was dry, then overstamped the sentiment in black.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Geometric Star
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings II

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - CAS Game #146 - Made in Minutes

Please do pop over to the main Less is More challenge blog, here, for lots more inspiration from my teamies.  Just remember to keep your creations clean and simple, including the white space we love, and keeping to the LIM one layer rules.  I hope to see you in the gallery :)

Less is More Challenge #401

Good morning!

It's two weeks since the last challenge at Less is More, so of course, we're back with a new one for you.  It's the turn of our regular Colour challenge, here are the details...

For a fresh new month we have a fresh new sponsor!  If you've followed Less is More for some time you'll no doubt be familiar with our previous Design Team member, Sarah Gray, of Funky Fossil Designs.  She is generously sponsoring our August challenges so just by playing along you'll be in with a chance of winning our monthly prize!

Not only is Sarah guest designing with us for this challenge, we also have Alli C joining us who was our June Winner.  Please do pop over to see what she's created and say hi.


Ok, I have two sample cards for you, here's the first...

For this design I die cut a circle and stamped the sentiment across the centre.  I then filled in the gaps using the leaves, flowers and a few smaller stamped elements.  I coloured the images with ProMarkers then popped the die cut up onto a slightly larger circle using fun foam.  The two die cuts were then adhered to the card base.  I felt it needed a little 'something' more, so I used a white pigment pen and added some dotty accents to the flowers.

Materials used:

• Dies: Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies
• Stamps: Altenew - Painted Greetings, Doodle Blooms
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Signo Uniball Pen - White

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #352 - Make Your Mark

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes

For my second card I used one of Sarah's fab stencils as a background...

I die cut a panel with a stitched rectangle die then blended two shades of Distress Ink just through the central area of the stencil.  I die cut a leaf from orange cardstock and added some detail with a ProMarker.  I stamped the sentiment in black onto a stitched die cut strip then slotted it between the leaves and trimmed it off before adhering to the panel on 3D foam squares.  The who panel was then adhered to the card base on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Geo Diamonds
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Broken China; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Altenew - Leaf Canopy
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Creative Expressions - Laurel Leaves; Clearly Besotted - Frame It Die Collection (sentiment strip)

Thanks so much for stopping by.  My teamies are sharing some great projects over on the main challenge blog so please do pop over and take a look.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

Less is More Challenge #400

Good morning

It's new challenge day at Less is More and this will be our 400th Challenge!  I can hardly believe that when I became a member of the Design Team I joined for challenge number 225, back in May 2015!  Where on earth has that time gone?

So, let's get straight to it, and this time we have a Recipe challenge for you and it's all about using the little images in your stash...

Skull and Cross Buns continues as our sponsor for July so by playing along you are automatically in with a chance of winning our monthly prize.

Being a member of the Skull and Cross Buns Design Team was perfect for me as the majority of their stamps fit within the challenge criteria this week.  I have four samples for you, all showcasing SACB products.


Here's the first...

You'd be forgiven for thinking I've broken our rules with the dotted banner on this one, but I created this by using a little row of dots from the Planner Banner set, here.  I used my MISTI to ensure consistent placement across the card.  I stamped the little images within a square die cut and coloured with ProMarkers before popping it up onto another slightly larger die cut.  I finished by stamping the sentiment in lilac and added some shimmery sparkle to the bee's wings.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Planner Banner, Quirky Sentiments, Spring Motifs
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Heliotrope; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Alphabet Challenge - I is for Insect
CASology - Week 348 - Shimmer

I kept my next card super simple...

This is purely just a stamped sentiment surrounded by lots of other tiny images, all from the same stamp set.  To add some interest I used hammered cardstock for the base, which you can just about make out in the photo below, it was really difficult to capture it...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Modern Wedding
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Coral Berry, Forest Glades, Andromeda, Moon Rock

Challenge entries

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes
AAA Cards - CAS Game #144 - Maxi White Space

This next card is a CASE of a card I found recently on Pinterest by the super inspiring Donna Mikasa, you can find it on her blog, here.

I used emboss resist on the card base, stamping and heat embossing the images in clear embossing powder then blending over with Distress Oxide inks.  Then just simply adhered an offset panel flat to the base, with the sentiment stamped in black.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Crafting is my Super Power
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss

Challenge entries:

Try It On Tuesday - Colours of the Rainbow
STAMPlorations - Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

And finally...

I began by inking through a sun ray stencil and then stamped the palm tree image in black.  I die cut the scene with a circle die then heat embossed the sentiment in gold.  I sliced a strip away from the front of the card and stamped the tropical leaves along the edge of the inner part.  The die cut was then adhered overhanging the edge.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Clearly Besotted - Sunny Day
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party, Quirky Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark; Altenew - Frayed Leaf, Moss
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Die: Hero Arts - Infinity Circles

I think this would be a great opportunity to use the little images in your craft stash so why not join in by linking up to our gallery.  There's a fortnight to enter and you can find lots of inspiration from my teamies over on the main challenge post, here.

Less is More Challenge #396

Good morning, crafters!

New challenge day is upon us once again over at Less is More, and today we're back with a Recipe challenge.  Here's the cue card with details of what we want to see you creating and sharing with us...

We're specifying less than one third to be true to our challenge guidelines and our love of unpatterned/untextured white space.

Continuing as our sponsor for this month is the fabulous and generous CAS-ual Fridays Stamps

and don't forget, as well as our monthly prize, they are also offering the discount code below

So, without further ado, I'll move on to my sample cards.  And it appears my mojo has returned, I have four cards for you!!!

Here's the first, and my favourite of this batch of makes...

I began with the dragonfly die cut, cut from white cardstock.  I squidged my VersaMark pad over it, held it with tweezers and poured two different embossing powders over it.  I heated it to melt the powders then repeated the process twice more to create the glossy effect.  On the card base I blended through a leaf stencil with Distress Ink and stamped the sentiment in metallic pigment ink.  To finish I adhered the body of the dragonfly only, and manipulated the wings upwards for some dimension.

Materials used:

• Die: Clearly Besotted - Dragonfly Die Collection
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Peppermint Tea, Metallic Copper
• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Forest Foliage
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Lucky Clover; Versa Color - Bronze

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - CAS Game #140 - Up to One Third (not twisting this time)

Onto my second card, and some simple stamping and heat embossing...

I chose a teal card base and panel for this one.  Before stamping the images with VersaMark I treated the surface with an anti-static powder tool to avoid the embossing powder clinging to unstamped areas of the panel.  I used parts of the same floral image at the top and base of my panel, and heat embossed these along with the sentiment in white embossing powder.  Once cooled I used a soft cloth to ensure no anti-static powder remained on the panel.  It was then adhered using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Cardstock from stash
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Roses and Lilies; MFT - Grand Peaceful Wildflowers (sentiment)
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #98 - Monochrome Colour

I'm not loving this next one but thought I'd share it anyway..

I used a floral corner embossing folder on a white cardstock panel here and stamped the sentiment in pigment ink.  I adhered the panel flat to the card base then added some Nuvo drops to the centre of the flowers.  My drops weren't behaving and weren't coming out evenly so the look isn't really what I was going for but it's still quite a cute card.  I thought the embossing alone wasn't enough but perhaps it needed embellishing in a different way.  I might revisit this one :)

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Craft Concepts - Florette
• Stamp: Wplus9 - Strictly Sentiments
• Ink: Versa Color - Lagoon Blue
• Accents: Nuvo Crystal Drops - Carnation Pink

Challenge entries:

Alphabet Challenge - E is for Embossing Folder

For my final card I embossed a panel using a die set...

I used a set of dies, a tulip square and pierced frame, to emboss a panel using an embossing mat in my Big Shot.  I trimmed around the edge of the frame then die cut a slightly larger pierced square from purple mirri card.  I adhered the mirri square flat to the base then popped up the tulip square on 3D foam strips.  I used a bold sentiment below the focal point to finish the card.

Materials used:

• Dies: Creative Expressions - Tulip Flower Square; MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• White and mirri card from stash
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings II
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 520/1 - Happy Birthday 

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #32 - Embossing

There are so many ways to add embossed details to your cards.  If you need some inspiration please do visit the main Less is More challenge blog, here, to see what my teamies have been creating.  I'm looking forward to seeing your creations in our gallery, and don't forget, the linky is open for a fortnight so plenty of time to play along.