Less is More Week #312

Hi there

It's Saturday morning so I'm back to tell you about this week's new challenge at Less is More.  It's the turn of our Theme challenge and this week we would like to see...

New Beginnings

I've had a case of missing mojo this week but I did finally manage to make two cards to share with you.  For my first New Beginning theme I chose a wedding card...

This was a fairly easy make.  I started by die cutting the pierced square and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in platinum powder.  The panel was then adhered to the base on 3D foam.  I then die cut the two laurel cuts from pearlescent cardstock and adhered these to the panel and added a couple of glitter enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax; Poppy Stamps - Peppini Laurel
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Love Blossoms
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Platinum
• Accents: My Mind's Eye - Antique Enamel Dots

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #75 - CASE Ksenija
Uniko Challenge #39 - Anything Goes with Optional Twist of Love
Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #180 - New Beginnings
CASology - Challenge #232 - Cut
Happy Little Stampers - January Anything Goes with Dies
STAMPlorations - January CAS Challenge - Option of Silver/Grey





For my second card I chose a new home card...

Another simple make, this time a one layer card.  The sentiment and the image were both stamped in black and I coloured the image with Derwent Coloursoft pencils.  A glossy heart embellishment was added as smoke coming from the chimney.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Succulents (sentiment); Woodware - Home Sweet Home
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Challenge entries:

Simply Create Too - Challenge #123 - New Beginnings
My Time to Craft - Challenge #337 - Something New

Thanks very much for popping by today and I hope you have the time this week to join us and take part in this challenge.

Happy Little Stampers December 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi there

And welcome to a new CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  For this challenge we would like you to revisit your favourite technique or product from any of the previous 2016 CAS Challenges.

This challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers and as always there's a prize for one lucky winner...

Over on the main challenge blog, here, we have included a list of all the previous challenges to refresh your memory, together with links if you need help with the techniques.

One of my favourite techniques is Ghosting.  Stencils are inexpensive so are great to add to your stash without breaking the bank. Here's my DT card, I decided to add another to my Christmas card collection and used one of the stamp sets from the lastest HLS release, Christmas Joy... 

On a piece of white cardstock I blended an area with Distress Ink in Festive Berries.  I then laid the holly stencil over it, spritzed with water, removed the stencil before leaving for a few moments and blotting away the colour with the paper towel.  I then flicked some splatters over it with a mix of perfect pearls and water.  Once completely dry I die cut a section of the red panel with a stitched tag die.  I then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in silver.  I stamped the holly images onto the card base in silver pigment ink and coloured the berries with a coloured pencil.  Finally, I tied some ribbon and thread through the tag before adhering the tag using some fun foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Festive Berries; VersaMark; Versa Color - Silver
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Festive
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Joy
• Accents: Perfect Pearls - Pewter; Derwent Coloursoft pencils; ribbon and thread from stash

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #71 - Christmas with Optional twist of Glitter/Shimmer
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #34 - Anything Christmas

Uniko - Challenge #38 - Christmas
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #222 - Make Your Mark (sponging and stencilling)
Creative Inspirations - Challenge #263 - Christmas Creations
The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #162 - Christmas and/or Birthday

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of these great techniques in the gallery, so why not join in!  The challenge will run until the end of December, and don't forget to check out the rest of the HLS challenges, all starting in the next few days.

Altenew Mega Challenge Blog Hop - Muse Card Club

Hello again!

If you missed my earlier post, today is all about this...

Altenew is teaming up with 18 challenge blogs for a MEGA Challenge Blog Hop to celebrate our wonderful crafting and cardmaking community, ahead of World Cardmaking Day on 1 October.

I'm lucky enough to be a member of the Muse Design Team and have been creating along with my teamies to take part in this hop, alongside all these fantastic challenge blogs...

You can find the start of this Mega Hop along with all the details, including prizes to be won, here.  Links to all the wonderful challenge blogs can also be found throughout the hop.

So all you need to do is grab any of your Altenew products, start creating and link up for a chance to win.

I used two of my favourite Altenew stamp sets on this card, Hennah Elements and Label Love...

I started by stamping with black ink and embossing with clear powder, then masking each image before repeating the process.  I then used coloured pencils to colour the flowers and leaves.  The label sentiment was then stamped and that finished this one layer card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Hennah Elements and Label Love
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

So, what are you waiting for?  Enjoy the hop and along the way you may discover some challenge blogs you've not visited before.

Get inspired and have fun!

Muse #177 - Belated Birthday Shaker

Hi there

Well, don't these months just fly by?!  It's time for me to be your designer over at Muse for this week's challenge.

This is a card I made for a friend.  I knew I wouldn't manage to see her on her birthday so I made this belated card as I knew she'd be receiving it late.  I'm not sure I've seen a shaker card at Muse before and I've only ever made a few so I thought this might give you some inspiration, as well as a few other elements which might catch your eye.

Here it is...

I started by cutting a panel of white cardstock slightly smaller than the card base, die cutting the stitched aperture and then stamping the sentiment below in black.  On the card base I marked in pencil where the aperture would be and then stamped the two butterflies. These were simply coloured with coloured pencils and a touch of Wink of Stella.  After erasing the pencil marks I then added the acetate and 3D foam to the panel, sprinkled some pink sequins and silver/holographic hearts over the butterflies and then encased these within the top panel when adhering it to the card base.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Peek-a-boo Window
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Beautiful Butterflies; Clearly Besotted - Fancy Sayings
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear; Sequins - Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Princess Shaker Selection; Heart sprinkles from stash

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #353 - Wild Card Week 'Girly'
AAA Cards - Challenge #70 - Stitching
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #204 - CAS
Allsorts - Challenge #374 - A Touch of Sparkle





Don't forget, at Muse you can take any inspiration from the designer's card, e.g. colours, layout, technique.  So, I'll look forward to seeing where this takes you.

Thanks for popping by today :)

Less is More Week #267

Hi there

I've just noticed, while quickly editing this post, that this is my 500th post!

Holy moly, no wonder I never seem to find time for the housework! :D

Today is the start of our next challenge at Less is More and we're back with the challenge everybody loves (or not!!), One Layer.  And this week's requirement is...

Sentiment Takes Centre Stage

We have Irina joining us as a Guest Designer this week, so if you have the time please drop by and leave her some love.

I've made a few samples for you this week.

This card is a CASE of a design I saw AGES ago by the fabulous Laura Bassen, here, I loved it and it just remained in my mind ever since.  I think the image stamps I've used are a little too large for this technique but I was struggling to find anything smaller in my (very messy at the moment) stash.  I cut a circle mask from a post-it note and stamped around it with the images.  Then removed the mask and stamped the sentiment...super simple!

Materials used:

• Stamps - Clearly Besotted - Flower Arrangement and It's Your Birthday
• Ink: Versa Color - various; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: X-cut - Nested Circles

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #246 - Pretty Projects
Crafty Creations - Challenge #310 - Sentiment as Focal Point
My Time to Craft - Challenge #316 - One Layer Only

I then realised that missing from my stock of cards are baby cards so I made these next two...

This was easy peasy.  I ran the card base through my Big Shot with a stitched rectangle die using a rubber mat so it embossed rather than cut.  I then simply stamped the sentiment in grey, I wanted to keep the feeling of the card very soft, and then stamped the heart in peach.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Cutie Pie
• Ink: Versa Color - Sky Gray and Seashell

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #104 - Pink and Grey
Addicted to CAS - Challenge #83 - Gift (baby)
Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #99 - Add a Sentiment
AAA Cards - Challenge #59 - Embossing






I think this next one would suit a boy or a girl, very handy to have in any stash!

I wanted to go super CAS with this one so kept everything off the edge in the lower corner.  I stamped the cutie giraffe then masked him off before stamping the flag sentiment so he appeared to be sitting on it.  I then coloured him in with coloured pencils.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Cutie Pie and Petite Plushies
• Ink: Versa Color - Mint; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Challenge entry:

Penny Black and More - March Challenge - Feature a Creature

I'm not overly pleased with this last card, the colours are all wrong but I thought I'd share it anyway...

I stamped the sentiment in blue and added the balloon in black before colouring with a purple FlexMarker.  I then roughly masked the images and stamped across the card using the grungy dots stamp, this in copper.

Materials used:

• Stamps: MFT - Brushstroke Birthday, Clearly Besotted - Petite Plushies; Stampin' Up - Gorgeous Grunge
• Ink: Versa Color - Indigo, Copper; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with FlexMarker - Imperial Purple

Challenge entry:

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #144 - Inspired by a Song (Kool & the Gang - Celebration)

Thanks so much for popping by.  If you have the time, why not visit my teamies' personal blogs, they'll have some great inspiration for you.

Happy Saturday!

Addicted to Stamps and More #176

Hi there

There's a new challenge just starting over at Addicted to Stamps and More and we're back with everyone's favourite challenge, the super easy...

Anything Goes

Just have fun and link up any crafty project you've been working on

Our sponsor for this week's challenge is the fantastic STAMPlorations and one lucky winner will receive a $10 gift certificate!


For my DT card I decided to have a play with a stamp set which has been waiting patiently to be inked up...

I stamped the floral image and the sentiment in black ink, before colouring in the image using my Derwent Coloursoft pencils.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam before I added a few irridescent sequins to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Fairytale Ending
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils
• Accents: Sequins from stash

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #155 - New (marriage)

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Flowers

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #342 - Florals

Crafty Catz - Challenge #306 - Flowers

Why not pop over to ATSM and see what my teamies have created to inspire you this week.  As it's an Anything Goes week there's a really fantastic diverse selection.

We would love to see you in our gallery this week.

Less is More Week 254

Good morning

Can you believe we've whipped around to another Saturday, I seriously need December to slow down as I still have soooo much to do before Christmas.

Well, as it's Saturday it's new challenge time over at Less is More and, oh yes, it's One Layer Card week again!  This week we would like you to create one layer cards with the following theme...

What's In My Stocking

We would love to see where this theme takes you but as I don't have a stocking anymore *sobs*, I created two cards simply featuring stockings.  Here they are...

This has to be CAS at it's simplest!  I stamped the stocking and the sentiment, coloured the image with ProMarkers and added some Wink of Stella to the white parts of the stocking.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Santa Baby
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Wink of Stella - Clear

Challenge entries:

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #403 - Add Some Glitter
Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #51 - CAS Christmas


And my second card...

I stamped this gorgeous image and sketchily coloured it in with coloured pencils, I think pencils were a good choice for this style of image.  Oh, to be a child again with the excitement of hanging up our stockings waiting for Santa.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lili of the Valley - Hanging the Stockings; Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Challenge entries:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #102 - Holiday Season
Without Words - December Challenge - Feeling Festive
A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #159 - Anything Goes Christmas
Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #153 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas



My teamies have more inspiration for you over at their personal blogs, we would love to see your creations this week and how you interpret the theme.

That's all from me today, I'm off to try to catch up with present buying and card writing.  And probably more card making as I'm sure I still don't have enough!

Have a great Saturday x

Let's Get Technical!

Good morning

It's Less is More new challenge time and this week we have a theme challenge for you.  And the theme for this week is...

Technology

Please remember to keep you creations clean and simple.

Not only did I struggle with the theme this week, my creative mojo decided to go for a wander to who knows where!  I did manage to create three cards to share with you though, so here they are...

I stamped the phone in pink and die cut with the co-ordinating die.  The rest of the images were stamped separately in various inks and the headphones onto a white cardstock panel.  I rounded the bottom corners of the card base and the panel to echo the shape of the phone, adhered the phone flat to the panel, and the panel was popped up on 3D foam

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Text Me (and co-ordinating die set)
• Ink: Versa Color - Opera Pink, Canary, Heliotrope, Turquoise, Sky Gray; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Tools: Tonic Corner Rounder

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
CAS-ual Fridays - Challenge #143 - Musical



I had the idea for this next card in my mind for a while after I saw the challenge theme.  It took three attempts for me to be able to actually translate it onto a card!

I masked off the V shape with post-its and the curves of the Wi-Fi logo were created using a straight stripe stamp which I manipulated into a curve. The three curves were embossed in platinum embossing powder.  Because I used a textured cardstock the embossing was a little uneven but I actually like the effect it created.  Instead of the usual dot at the bottom of the logo I changed this for a heart and this was also heat embossed.  The coloured cardstock was cut with a stitched rectangle and the computer generated sentiment (font - Frosting for Breakfast) was cut with a tag die.  As I changed the dot for a heart I thought this sentiment could perhaps be used for a Valentine's card, maybe?  A few glazed gems were added to accent.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Basic Stripes; Stampin' Up - Work of Art
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles; Clearly Besotted - Tag Along
• Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
• Accents: Papermania - Glazed Gems

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #280 - Glimmer


And my third card this week...

I found this cute digi image at Sliekje's Digi Stamps.  The images created by Angelique are gorgeous and have a sketchy feel so I printed this one off and coloured it in, very sketchy, using my Derwent Coloursoft Pencils.  I added a sentiment stamped in black and then cut the image down and framed it on two sides with black cardstock.  I then layered this up with some patterned paper which was cut using some fishtail dies.

Materials used:

• Digi Stamp: Sliekje's Digi Stamps
• Stamp: BoBunny - Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax

Challenge entry:

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Animal Magic



Technology is all around us these days so there should be plenty of ideas to give you some inspiration.  And my LIMette teamies also have some great inspiration for you so if you have the time, please pop by their personal blogs.

That's all from me at the moment, have a fab weekend.

Wishing

Morning fellow crafters

I'm so sorry it's been a whole week since my last post, this week has just flown by and apart from the cards in this post I've not managed to find any crafty time :(  That's just how it goes sometimes, I work full-time and some evenings just seem to disappear completely.  Oh well, I'm back now so I hope you won't be too hard on me! ;)

So, on with this post, and 8am on a Saturday can only mean one thing....new challenge time at Less is More.  'Yippee' I hear you cry, but when I tell you we're back to our regular One Layer Challenge you may not be so excited! Haha  And, our one layer challenge theme this week is...

Wishing

Please check out our guidelines here if you are unsure of our rules

So, let's get to it.  Here's my first card to whet your appetite...

I absolutely love these dandelions by Clearly Besotted, they are so dreamy and I always remember blowing dandelions in the wind and making a wish when I was a child.  I simply stamped the images in bright Versa Color pigment inks and then stamped the brushstroke sentiment in black.  Super simple! :) 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams; MFT - Brushstroke Birthday
• Ink: Versa Color - Olive, Magenta, Orange, Violet; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entry:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #300 - Something that relies on the wind

Now for my second card...

I stamped and masked the images from a very recently purchased stamp set using a waterproof ink and then coloured the images with some Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens and water.  I recently bought just a few of these pens and this was my first time using them, I really like them but a bit more practice is required to get used to them.  I then stamped the sentiment, from the same set, and finished off with a sprinkling of sequins.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Love Quotes II
• Ink: Archival - Jet Black
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Brush Pens
• Accents: Doodlebug sequins

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #39 - Make Your Mark
D J Kard Creations - NBUS Challenge #5 - Anything Goes (stamp set and Zig pens are both NBUS!)

And finally, card three...

I used a stitched rectangle die to create my de-bossed frame on my card base.  Within the frame I stamped the cake image and as the image was a sketchy style I decided to colour it in with coloured pencils, then covered in a layer of clear Wink of Stella.  The sentiment was stamped vertically and a few smooth silver gems added to accent.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Hero Arts - unknown set; Clearly Besotted - A Little Sentimental
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft pencils
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear; Gems from stash

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #140 - Anything Goes

Please drop by and visit my teamies at Less is More as they have lots more to inspire you, and we would love for you to play along this week.

I will definitely be back with more posts this week, let's hope my mojo is helpful too.  Happy Saturday everyone!

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.