Less is More - Week #268

Hi guys

It's new challenge time over at Less is More and we have a great Theme challenge for our LIMettes this week which is...

What's Outside Your Window

(you can use your imagination and dreams!)

We also have a lovely Guest Designer joining us this week, and someone from my neck of woods, Lou from A Devon Kitchen Table.  If you have the time please pop over to her blog and leave her some love :)


Ok, my first card is quite realistic for what's usually outside my window.  Until about a fortnight ago I think a day hadn't gone by this year without us having some rain!  Pretty normal for England so not just April showers!

On a white cardstock panel I masked a square and used Distress Ink to blend the blue background.  I then stamped the stems, flower heads and the raindrops.  After the mask was removed I stamped the sentiment and added some hand drawn dash lines with a black fine liner pen.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Evergreen, Rose Red and Sky Gray
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - A Little Something, April Showers Additions, April Showers II
• Pen: Derwent Graphik Line Maker

Challenge entry:

CASology - Week 189 - Doodle (hopefully my hand drawn dash lines will qualify!)

For the next card I created a view I would love to see from my window.  I live in a first floor flat and have a very small garden, and as there are lots of cats in my neighbourhood a bird bath wouldn't be a success!

I printed the digi image onto some white cardstock and coloured it in with my some Flexmarkers.  I used a stitched rectangle die to create the panel and stamped the sentiment before popping it up on 3D foam.  Super simple.

Materials used:

• Digi image: A Day for Daisies - Daisy Bird Bath
• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Doodled Flowers
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entry:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #16 - In the Garden

Right, I'm going to wind up this post as I'm having internet problems which is driving me mad.  Thanks so much for visiting today, I hope to see you in the gallery this week.

Eye, Eye!

Hi there

This morning marks a brand new challenge at Less is More and we've whizzed around on our rota and we're back with that challenge that everybody loves......ahem.....it's our wonderful One Layer Challenge!  And our theme is...

The Eyes Have It (something with eyes)

Please have a look at our guidelines here if you're unsure of our One Layer rules

I've got three cards to hopefully give you some inspiration this week and for two of these I've used digi stamps...go me!

Here's my first card...

I printed the monster digi stamp (part of a prize I won a while ago) together with the sentiment using font KB Noodle Monster onto some Neenah Solar White cardstock.  I then coloured him in with FlexMarkers using little flicks and dots to try to get the look of fur (not bad for a first try!).  I then printed him out again onto a piece of paper with a post-it note stuck in the same position and then used this as a mask while I blended the circle of dots through a stencil to create the the background.  Some glossy accents were then added to his big eyes to give a glossy embossed finish.

Materials used:

• Digi Stamp: A Day for Daisies - Monster Joe
• Coloured with FlexMarkers
• Stencil: MFT - Concentric Circles
• Ink: Distress Ink: Antique Linen
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #135 - Anything Goes (Happy Birthday)

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes Embossing

Happy Little Stampers - August CAS Challenge - Masking (playing for fun as I'm on the DT!)

My second card...

I only bought this stamp last week and couldn't wait to use it.  I stamped the owls image onto some Neenah Desert Storm cardstock (my fave kraft cardstock as it's quite light).  I then coloured the image in with some Derwent Coloursoft pencils.  I used a sponge dauber to add some white pigment ink through a cloud stencil and then added the sentiments, these from two Paper Smooches sets.  I then added Glossy Accents to all the eyes.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stamping Bella - Branching Out Owls; Paper Smooches - Chubby Chums and Sentiment Sampler
• Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - White
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft pencils
• Stencil: MFT - Cloudy Day
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #150 - Animals or Birds

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #294 - Critters

And a freebie digi for my third card...

I couldn't resist this little kitty when I found him as a freebie over at Opal Manor.  Those eyes just drew me in, it's such a cute image. So I printed him onto some Neenah Solar White cardstock and coloured him in with FlexMarkers.  The sentiment was then stamped alongside and that was it, finished.

Materials used:

• Digi Stamp: Opal Manor - Hang in There
• Stamp: Mama Elephant - Up and Away
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with FlexMarkers

Challenge entry:

CAS(E) this Sketch - Challenge #135 (I flipped the sketch from left to right)

I do generally struggle with digi stamps but on one layer CAS cards they are a good alternative and you're guaranteed to get a good impression (unlike my stamping skills sometimes as I still don't have that MISTI!) 

Please pop by my teamies' blogs as they'll have more samples to share with you.  Can't wait to see lots of eyes in our gallery this week! 

Have a great weekend.

Addicted to Stamps and More #142

Hi guys

It's that time of the week again where we have a brand new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.  This week we're back with another challenge where we would like you to...

Make Your Mark

Please use materials such as markers, paints, watercolours, chalks, sponging, etc. to make your mark on your project.

This week's sponsor is the fabulous A Day for Daisies and the prize for one lucky entry will be a $12 gift certificate!

Here is my DT card using one of our sponsor's digi images called Flowers In My Garden...

I've not used my ProMarkers and FlexMarkers for a while so I enjoyed colouring in this image.  I decided to layer up the image against the left side of the card, no idea why, I just went with the flow! Before adhering everything I first stamped the sentiment at the base of the patterned paper panel and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Then to finish I added a few Doodlebug Sprinkles.

Materials used:

• Digi Image: A Day for Daisies - Flowers in my Garden
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Sentiment Sampler
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Patterned Paper: Avery Elle - The Sorbet Collection
• Cardstock: - Bazzill Basics (pink)
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Lily White

I'm linking this card up at the following challenges:

My Time to Craft - Challenge #289 - Spring Flowers

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #370 - Clean and Simple

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Challenge #143 - Anything Goes

Why not pop on over to ATSM to see what else my teamies have to inspire you this week.  There are lots of ways to Make Your Mark so I hope you'll join us for this week's challenge.