Less is More - Week 119 One Layer

Evening lovelies

I've found some time tonight to whip up a little card to take part in this week's challenge over at Less is More.  This week we are to make a one layer card and this is the brief...

Coloured Card Blank

"Yes that's right, none of your boring, white, ivory, black or kraft card blanks, we want to see you add some colour"

 

So, without further ado, here's my entry...

 

 

I raided my stash of card blanks and grabbed this one, I've not used a tall card for a long time and I actually really like them.  This card base has a lilac pearlescent finish so I had to think carefully about how to stamp it.  I only really have pigment ink but I've struggled with this on cards with a glossy pearlescent surface so I opted for VersaMark and then embossed with black embossing powder and it worked really well.  I then coloured the flowers with Letraset markers and accented the flower centres with Liquid Pearls.

 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Flower Doodles
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - Black
• Coloured with Promarker (Magenta) and Flexmarker (Wild Orchid)
• Accents: Liquid Pearls - White Opal

 

I'll be back in a mo with another entry, couldn't stop at one! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uniko Studio Design Team CASE Challenge

Hi there

So sorry I've not been posting on here lately, just seem to constantly be busy and had no time for crafting but last night I MADE TIME!

I had a little hop around the Uniko Studio May Design Team Blog Hop in which a previously released stamp set, Pure Florals: Gerbera, is being showcased.  This stamp set has definitely made an appearance on my wish list after seeing the fabulous cards made by the Design Team.

I then decided to take part in their CASE challenge to CASE one of the Design Team's cards.  I chose one of Amber's lovely cards.  I wanted to use an Uniko Studio product so as I only possess two stamp sets I had to go with the Bright Butterflies stamps, and they stamp beautifully.

Here is my interpretation of Amber's card...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko Studio - Bright Butterflies
• Ink: Versa Color - Lavender, Pink, Fresh Green; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (pink); black and white card from stash
• Embossing Folder: Cricut Cuttlebug - James' set (1 of 4 folders)
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels One
• Ribbon from stash

My card isn't a patch on that created by Amber but I had fun making it.  I've not used this many layers on a card for a while so had lots of fun :)

Here are Amber's gorgeous cards...

Thanks for popping by and hopefully I'll be back with a lot more to share soon.

Take care

I'm Still Here!

Hi guys

Just a quick post this morning to apologise for not being very active on here lately.  I've taken a week off work and have been getting out and about making the most of the sunshine.  I've just had a lovely couple of days in Cornwall with my other half just to feel like we've had a break.

I'm off out for lunch today with some friends to celebrate my forthcoming birthday on Tuesday.  We're then continuing with drinks this afternoon into the evening...not sure how long I'll last, can't party like I used to!  Gonna try my hardest to feel young as I'm now heading into the last year of my thirties.  Its the big one next year...yikes! :(

Its a gorgeous day down here in South Devon, I hope it is where you are too and that you all have a fabulous bank holiday.

Catch you soon

Muse Challenge #14

Morning crafters

Woke up really early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so decided to get up and put my papercraft head on.

Its the last day to get entries in for this week's Muse challenge and this week's muse is Virginia Lu who has created a gem of a card. 

I had a rummage through my stamps and just couldn't find anything I wanted to use....need to shop!  So, instead I decided to trawl through my very neglected patterned papers and found an unopened pack so got stuck in. 

This is what I came up with, I think its pretty clear where my inspiration came from, pretty much every element of Virginia's card!

 

 

The patterned paper has an off-white background so I started with a cream card base for a change, I think white may have made the paper look a bit grubby.  This design took a while to plan out as a fair amount of measuring was needed to get the four strips the same size and to ensure they fitted correctly.  Once the strips were adhered to the pink background card I ran the whole thing through my Big Shot using a circular die.  Once stuck to the card base I then stamped the sentiment through the window and also stamped a flourish to mirror the design in the paper.  A few gems were added to finish.

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Cream card base from stash; Bazzill Basics Premium Cardstock (pink)
• Design Paper: Dovecraft - Garden Party 6 x 6 Designer Paper Pack
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Happy Everything (sentiment); Marion Emberson - Just Because (flourish)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: XCut - Nested Circles
• Gems from stash

 



This is the beautiful card by this week's Muse, Virginia Lu...

After making my challenge card I was left with the cute little circular die cut so in true crafting 'I'm not throwing anything away' fashion, I made this card using the same materials.  The sentiment is from SP & Company 'Just a Note' stamp set.

That's all from me today.  Got a busy day, not doing anything exciting just mega busy, off here and there.  Thanks for visiting and I always appreciate any comments you take the time to leave.  If you get chance follow the link to the Muse challenge, there are some really stunning designs this week, its going to be a tough choice when it comes to voting!

Have a lovely Saturday :)

CAS One Layer Flower

Hi guys

A bit of a late one for me tonight but I wanted to take part in a couple of challenges, one of which ends tomorrow.

This card is very CAS for me but I thoroughly enjoyed creating it and it gave me another chance to practice with my ProMarkers and Flexmarkers.  I still don't have my markers organised so it took longer to find the right colours to blend together than it did to colour it in!

 

and a closer view...

 

 

 

I started by using a score board I got free with a magazine ages ago to create the embossed waves and dots at the top and base of the card.  Its not too easy to use as you have to place your card on it and try to find the grooves but it worked ok here.  I then stamped the image and sentiment with VersaMark and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  I love this gerbera image and it took a while to decide what colour to use.  I've seen alcohol markers used on kraft card before so thought I'd give it a go and I really like it.

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Kraft base card from stash
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - With Love stamp set
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - Black
• Coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers

 

 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

 

The Paper Players - One Layer Card

 

 

Addicted to CAS - Flower

 

 

Thanks for popping by, I hope to be back very soon with more to share :)

 

 

 





 

Fusion Card Challenge #3

Hi there

Today I've made a card for the challenge over at Fusion Card Challenge.  Unfortunately, I missed the first two weeks on this new challenge blog but when I saw the inspiration photo I really wanted to enter this one.  I love the colour combo, my bedroom used to be almost identical!

The idea of this challenge is to use the sketch or the photo as inspiration, or a Fusion of the two.  You can see the inspiration photo further down in this post.

Here is my card, I chose to combine the two inspirations to create a Fusion...

 

I used dies to cut out the leaves and flowers.  I have scored the black panel at the base to mirror the stripes in the inspiration photo.  Here is a closer view to show the detail...

 

 

 

Materials used:

• Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Leafy Accents; Sizzix - Flower Layers #6
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (pink); Black cardstock from stash
• Stamp: Marion Emberson Designs - On your special day
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Ribbon and dewdrop from stash

 

 

Here are the inspiration photos for the challenge...

 

 

Thank you so much for visiting and please leave a comment, your views are always greatly appreciated :)

 

Right, I'm off to bed!

 







Muse Challenge #13

Happy Saturday lovely crafters

Back today to share my entry for this week's challenge over at Muse.  I didn't think I was going to get this one made in time but I was wide awake at 6.30am today so thought I may as well get up and was in a crafty mood so here is my card.

I kept the layout and colour palette pretty much the same as this week's gorgeous Muse card by Marion Vagg.  Marion's card is beautiful, you can see it further down this post, and I don't think I've created anything nearly as stunning but I had a go with what I had.  I wanted to create some shading on the blooms but I only have pigment ink in my stash so I was a bit limited.  I wanted to use ProMarkers over the images to add some definition but I think alcohol pens can only be used with dye based ink, am I correct? 

So instead, I stamped the blooms with a pale ink, then re-inked a second time by just lightly dabbing with a slightly darker tone and lined it up and re-stamped over the top.  It didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped but still added a little more interest than having a completely flat colour.  I then die cut the central bloom and popped this up on 3D foam.

I've used the large rose from this set before (Clearly Besotted Stamps - Blooming Marvellous) but this is the first time I've inked up the little rose buds.  Aren't they gorgeous?

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Blooming Marvellous and Butterfly Wishes stamp sets
• Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Blooming Marvellous
• Ink: Versa Color - Olive, Petal Pink, Pink, Lavender, Grape; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Gems from stash

Here's the card by this week's Muse, Marion Vagg...

Thanks for popping by, and good luck if you are a fellow Muse participant, all the entries look fabulous this week.

Take care