Less is More Challenge #395

Hi guys

These weeks are going past far too quickly, can you believe we're back with another new challenge at Less is More?!

We have a Theme challenge for you this time, here's our cue card with the details...

We also have a new sponsor for the month of May, the fabulous CAS-ual Fridays Stamps...

and as well as a prize for our monthly winner they are also offering a 15% off voucher for LIM participants...

Joining us as a Guest Designer for this challenge we have Helen, who was our monthly winner for March.  Please do pop over to her blog, here, to say hi and check out her awesome card for this challenge.


I only have one sample card for you this time, using stamps from our sponsor.  My mojo has decided to vanish lately and I've just had no creative imagination.  Hopefully it will inspire you a little...

I stamped the teacup image onto a circular die cut and coloured it with ProMarkers.  This was then matted onto a larger die cut from pink textured cardstock.  I die cut a stitched rectangular panel and added some triple score lines vertically and horizontally, these can be seen more clearly in the next photo, I couldn't get the camera to pick them all up when photographing from directly above...

I adhered the layered die cuts where the score lines crossed and then stamped the sentiment in black before adhering the panel to the base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays - Serendipi-tea
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies; Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Thanks so much for visiting.  Hopefully my creative mojo will return very soon and I'll be back to posting more projects.  You can find lots more inspiration for this challenge from my teamies by visiting the main challenge blog, here.

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection One

Hi there

I'm excited to share the news that I'm once again joining Honey Doo Crafts as a Guest Designer for their latest release.

There are ten new stamp sets, all lovely floral designs that Amanda and the team do so well, and all so perfect for Spring.

The new sets will be showcased on TV shopping channel, Hochanda on 3 April 2019 at 12pm and 4pm BST so please do tune in if you can (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).

Honey Doo are also doing a Facebook Live on 1 April 2019 at 7pm BST which you can find here where they will be showing the new stamp sets in full detail.


Ok, onto my first few samples.

This first card uses a lovely new set and I think it's my favourite from this release, called Repot Rose!...

Here, I masked off my card base and used the emboss resist technique where I stamped and heat embossed the image in white and blended with Distress Oxides.  I then die cut the top panel and created a circular aperture, stamped the sentiment from the same set and popped the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #334 - CAS

AAA Cards - CAS Game #136 - One Image + Spring

Next up is the Repot Rose! set again, but it looks completely different in a sepia design...

I used a cream base and panel here, stamped the image in Distress Ink and watercoloured, drawing in the stamped ink and adding more watercolour details with the same ink.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set in a co-ordinating ink and then added gold watercolour to the flower centres and some gold splatters.  Then panel was popped up on fun foam.  The gold detail can be seen more clearly here...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: Distress Ink - Gathered Twigs; Altenew - Espresso
• Paint: Gansai Tambi Watercolours

The following card uses a new set called Summer Blossom, and the sentiment from the Repot Rose! set...

On a panel of lavender cardstock I initially stamped the image in a pale grey ink, before adding some highlights with coloured pencils.  It's easier to add the detail before embossing the image and if using a stamp positioner such as a MISTI this allows you to restamp in exactly the same spot.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  The sentiment was stamped in a co-ordinating ink, the panel adhered flat to the card base and some jewels added to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Summer Blossom, Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hydrangea
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Grape Mix Jewels

My final card in this first selection uses a gorgeous new set called What's Up Buttercup?...

I used the same process as the last card for this image, stamping in a yellow ink first, colouring with ProMarkers and adding detail with coloured pencils.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  Some polka dot paper was added to the card base, and the panel die cut with a curved edge and adhered flat.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped in green onto a die cut oval and popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - What's Up Buttercup?
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hunters Green
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers and Faber Castell Polychromos
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges; Lil Inkers - Classic Ovals
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka

Challenge entry:

Allsorts - Challenge #513 - Use Yellow

Here's a snapshot of all the new sets...

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be sharing my samples using the rest of these new sets ahead of the TV shows on Hochanda on 3 April, so would love for you to pop back and take a look.

Enjoy your weekend :)

Poinsettia Ribbon

Hi guys

Apologies for not posting for a while, over the last couple of weeks I've been frantically making, writing and posting Christmas cards because, as usual I had nowhere near enough in my stash, I was about fifty short!

So I've been making a few multiples which I'll be sharing with you over the next week.

I love how the card I'm sharing today turned out, but I only made four of this one as it wasn't the ideal design for mass production.

Here it is...

I began by die cutting the poinsettia ribbon and I masked off the ribbon parts to enable me to blend the petals with Distress Inks, where I used two shades.  Once coloured I adhered the die cut to a panel of black cardstock which had been cut slightly smaller than the card base.  I then used a clear stamp which was manipulated to follow the curve of the die cut and stamped and heat embossed in gold.  The panel was then adhered flat to the card base.  To finish I added some gold Stickles to accent the centre of the flower.

Materials used:

• Die: Poppy Stamps - Poinsettia Ribbon
• Ink: Distress Ink - Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany; VersaMark
• Stamp: Hero Arts - Color Layering Christmas Tree (sentiment)
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Accent: Stickles - Gold

Challenge entries:

CAS on Friday - Challenge #148 - Make a Christmas Card #2

Happy Little Stampers - December Anything Goes with Dies

Cards in Envy - The Spirit of Christmas Challenge

Dream Valley - Challenge #192 - Christmas

Inkspirational - Challenge #175 - Anything Christmas Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I should have more to share with you over the weekend :)

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Bonus Card!

Hi guys

I have one more card to share which I made at the same time as my Guest Designer cards for Honey Doo Crafts, and using one of the stamps from the Brush Strokes set.

My inspiration for this card came from a beautiful photograph that my brother took last month, of the Hunters Moon rising over Torbay, taken from our home town of Torquay in South Devon.  I've included his photograph below my card photos.

I decided to use one of the brush stroke images to mimic the coast, but had to flip the photograph left to right because of the orientation of the stamp. 

Here's my card...

I began by die cutting a small circle from a post-it note and used the negative mask to blend the moon first with Distress Inks.  I then used the circle die cut mask to cover the moon and blended the background, then added another post-it horizontally to blend the line of the horizon with a darker shade.  I then used black ink to stamp the brush stroke 'coastline'. 

All that was left to do was die cut the inked panel and mat it popped up on another die cut frame and adhere to the card base.  I decided to leave this one sentiment free.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Ripe Persimmon, Squeezed Lemonade, Blueprint Sketch, Faded Jeans; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Honey Doo - Brush Strokes
• Dies: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies; Spellbinders - Classic Rectangles

And here is my inspiration, my brother's beautiful capture of the Hunters Moon...

If you are interested in photography you can find his Facebook page, here.

Thanks for your visit, I'll be back tomorrow morning with details of the next Less is More challenge.  Bye for now :) x

Happy Little Stampers October 2018 CAS Challenge

Hi there

As we're at the beginning of another month (!!!) it's new challenge time over at Happy Little Stampers, and the CAS challenge has just launched.  I'll get straight to the details...

The winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE THE RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

There are lots of different ways to use vellum and I chose to use it for a shaker card instead of using acetate, you get a lovely muted effect through the shaker window...

I started with a die cut panel and then die cut a circle aperture for my shaker window.  Before creating the shaker I stamped the sentiment on the panel in gold pigment ink.  On a piece of vellum I stamped the snowflake in VersaMark ink before heat embossing in silver.  I then adhered the vellum behind the aperture.  I attached foam tape all over the reverse of the panel, sprinkled a sequin mix onto the card base where the aperture would sit, and then adhered the panel, trapping the sequins inside.

I only realised when writing this post that the layout of this card is exactly the same as my HLS card last month, I clearly love this layout! 

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Circle Infinity dies
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Let It Snow
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Gold
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Eternity Ring shaker selection

Challenge entries

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #405 - Anything Goes (something beginning with 'S')

Please do check out my teamies' creations over at the main HLS challenge post, here, for some great inspiration of different ways vellum can be used.

The links for all the HLS monthly challenges are open until the end of the month so plenty of time for you to play along :)

Skull and Cross Buns - Create and Craft Launch

Hi guys

Hopefully you saw my post earlier in the week with the news that Skull and Cross Buns will be launching on Create and Craft TV here in the UK on Sunday 30 September....tomorrow!

Myself and the DT are so excited for Emily who has worked so hard for this opportunity, and we've been beavering away behind the scenes making lots of samples for her.

I have previously shared some samples using the stencil collection, here and here, and today I'm sharing samples using a couple of the stamps/stencil/embellishment bundles.

First up are two examples using the Tropical Party bundle, which includes the Tropical Party stamp set, leaf stencil and jumbo embellishment set...

On some watercolour cardstock I laid down the leaf stencil and sprinkled through it with some green and brown Brushos.  I then spritzed with water and removed the stencil and left the panel to dry before die cutting with a stitched rectangle die.  On a strip of vellum I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and heat embossed in copper.  This was then wrapped around the leaf panel and secured on the reverse, before adhering the panel flat to a coloured card base.  To finish I adhered the jumbo leaf embellishment from the set.

Materials used:

• Stamps/Stencil/Embellishment: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party Collection
• Ink: Brusho - Leaf Green, Emerald Green, Dark Brown; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Copper
• Cardstock and vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

Alphabet Challenge - 'N' for Nature

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Monochrome

I used the same Tropical Party collection for this next card...

I die cut a panel of cardstock with a stitched rectangle die and also cut a circular aperture.  The sentiment and leaf were then stamped on the panel.  I marked on the cardbase where the aperture would be before blending selected leaves from the stencil overlapped in different shades of green.  The panel was then adhered to the base using fun foam, before adding a die cut branch from brown cardstock and adhering the jumbo red parrot embellishment from the collection.

Materials used:

• Stamps/Stencil/Embellishment: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party Collection
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal, Sage, Olive; Distress Ink - Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn, Peele Paint, Bundled Sage
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies; Lawn Fawn - Winter Sparrows (branch)
• Cardstock from stash

And my final sample uses the I Believe in Unicorns bundle which includes the I Believe in Unicorns stamp set, rainbow stencil and jumbo embellishment set...

I inked through the stencil using Distress Inks in rainbow colours, shifting the stencil to cover the whole panel, before die cutting with a stitched rectangle die.  I also die cut a couple more panels using some cloud dies.  I adhered the rainbow panel flat to the card base and the first cloud panel flat over the rainbow panel.  On the final corner cloud panel I heat embossed the sentiment in silver and stamped the sleeping eyes in black.  This was then adhered on 3D foam before also adhering the jumbo purple unicorn embellishment from the collection.

Materials used:

• Stamps/Stencil/Embellishment: Skull and Cross Buns - I Believe in Unicorns Collection
• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black 
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Lawn Fawn - Puffy Cloud Borders

All of the embellishments are acrylic so I used Glossy Accents to adhere these to my projects, not only is it great for accents, it's works really well as a strong adhesive too!


Thanks so much for popping by today.  If you can tune in to Create and Craft tomorrow at 10am I know Emily would be so happy to have the support.  In the meantime, to see more great samples from the rest of the Design Team you can visit the Skull and Cross Buns Rubber Stamps Scrumptious Group on Facebook.

Bye for now :)

Skull and Cross Buns Launching on Create and Craft!

Hi there

Apologies for being so quiet with posts lately, work has been crazily busy and unfortunately, crafting and blogging has had to take a back seat.

But today I'm super happy to announce (if you follow me on Facebook and Instagram you may have already seen my posts yesterday) that Skull and Cross Buns will be launching on Create and Craft here in the UK at 10am on Sunday 30 September!  The lovely Emily has been working so hard for a long time to make this a reality for her great little company, and myself and the rest of the Design Team have been busy behind the scenes making samples for the launch.

You can find the Create and Craft article here.

You can tune in via Freeview 23, Sky channel 683, Virgin 748, Freesat 813, Apple TV and Amazon Fire plus watch live and 7 day catch up on www.createandcraft.com/gb/

Emily has put together some exclusive sets including stamp set, stencil and embellishment bundles, as well as a stencil bundle.

I shared some cards recently using some of the stencils, here, and I have a couple more to share below.

First up, I've once again been playing with the Large Mermaid Scales stencil...

On a panel of white cardstock I made a mask using a circle die and placed it over the edge of the panel.  I then blended within the circle with Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink before laying the scales stencil over the top and blending with three more shades.  After removing the mask I used a mermaid stencil and inked through this using black ink.  The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed onto a vellum strip which was wrapped around the panel and secured on the reverse, before it was popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Die: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity dies (used to create the mask)
• Stencils: Skull and Cross Buns - Mermaid Scales; Funky Fossil - Mermaids
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Black Soot, VersaMark
• Stamp: Skull and Cross Buns - Quirky Sentiments
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #311 - Anything Goes

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #77 - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Challenge #486 - Water or the Colour Blue

AAA Cards - CAS Game #124 - Imagine

My second card uses the Decreasing Circles stencil, but masked off to create a different effect...

I began by using a circle of scrap cardstock as a mask and position this with temporary adhesive towards the top left of the card.  I then used one row of circles from the stencil, masked with post-it notes, and blended Distress Inks through to create the gradient of colour, working my way around the circle.  I wanted to create the idea of sun rays from a central point, it's not perfect but not bad as I was just eyeballing it as I worked my way around.  I then removed the masked and stamped the sentiment and image in black, these from the Skull and Cross Buns Tropical Party stamp set.  I decided to keep this one as a simple one layer card.

Materials used:

• Die: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity dies (used to create the mask)
• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Decreasing Circles
• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Carved Pumpkin; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party

Challenge entries:

Use Your Stuff - Challenge #331 - Spots and Dots

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be sharing a few more makes using the upcoming bundles exclusive to Skull and Cross Buns and Create and Craft over the next few days, ahead of the launch on Sunday.

Happy Little Stampers September 2018 CAS Challenge

Good evening

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.

Can you believe it's the beginning of yet another month so that means it's time for the new challenges over at Happy Little Stampers!  I'm here to announce the new CAS challenge so I'll get straight to it.

Here's this month's cue word...

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE OUR RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

Ok, onto my Design Team card, and I've chosen the Dandelion Wishes stamp set to use here, dandelions are certainly wild in my garden!

I started with a die cut rectangle for my top panel and also die cut a circle aperture.  I laid this onto my card base and marked in pencil where the aperture would be so I knew where to ink blend.  Before starting the blending I cut a small circle to use as a mask.  I then blended a night sky using Distress Inks and inked up the 'ground' by using a post-it note and swiping downwards using a black ink pad.  I remove the circle mask and then stamped the single dandelion stem.  To finish, I stamped the sentiment onto the top panel and popped it up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies
• Ink: Distress Ink - Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Picked Raspberry; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Dandelion Wishes

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #307 - Make your Mark (ink sponging)

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge
AAA Cards - CAS Game #123 - Sketch
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

There are lots of ways to use this cue word, and don't forget, the challenge will run for the whole month so there's plenty of time to play along and link up.

Shifted Stencilling

Hi guys

I saw a new challenge over at Inkspirational this morning which is to make a card in ten minutes or less!  I find one of the quickest ways to make a card is to use stencilling.  This card took me 8 minutes 56 seconds!

I've been meaning to ink up this new stencil from Skull and Cross Buns for a few weeks so today it received its first inking.  You can check out the full range of their stencils, here.

This one creates such a fabulous background design and I chose to do shifted stencilling on this card, I love the shadow effect...

On a panel of kraft cardstock slightly smaller than the card base I first inked through the stencil with white pigment ink.  After cleaning the white ink off the stencil I then shifted it up and over slightly and blended with three colours of Distress Oxide ink.  I gave it a blast with my heat gun to dry the ink and added a little anti-static powder to the centre so I could stamp and heat emboss the sentiment in white.  I then popped the panel up on fun foam.  I love the way these Distress Oxides blend on kraft cardstock, they're still very new to me so I'm still experimenting :)

Materials used:

• Kraft cardstock:  Neenah - Dessert Storm
• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Decreasing Circles Stencil
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon; VersaMark
• Stamp: Skull and Cross Buns - Congrats Script Font
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White

I'm also linking up at the following challenge:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #302 - Make Your Mark


Thanks so much for popping by.