Less is More Challenge #418

Good morning

I do believe it's Saturday!  Although I'm working from home at the moment I keep completely losing track of my days, I'm sure you're all the same.

If it is indeed Saturday then it's time for the new challenge at Less is More.  We have a Recipe challenge for you this time, and here is the cue card...

We also have some wonderful news....we have not one, not two, but THREE NEW DESIGN TEAMIES!  So please pop on over to the main Less is More page, here, to see who they are.  Welcome to the team, folks!


Ok, on to my sample card, and this is a bit different for me...

This was my second attempt at making this, there was a bit of trial and error involved!  I wanted to use one of my new Clearly Besotted stencils to create the drips of an ice cream topping.  I'm clearly thinking about food far too much while in lockdown, eh!  To create the chocolate waffle cone I used brown cardstock and an embossing folder then trimmed it into a cone shape.  The ice cream was a little trickier...I ended up using pearlescent pale pink cardstock which I partially cut with a cloud die and then partially cut the rest with a round balloon die.  It's far from perfect but I think it worked out ok.  I then used part of a splat in the stencil which I blended through first with pink ink before topping with embossing paste and then sprinkling with glitter.  Once dry, all that was left to do was mount it on a panel, trim off the bottom of the cone, stamp the sentiment and pop the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Cloud Trio and Blueprints 26 (partial dies used)
• Embossing Folder: Darice - Wire Fence
• Stencil: Clearly Besotted - Splat It
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Plushies
• Ink: Distress Ink - Festive Berries; Versa Color - Camelia
• Embossing Paste: Sweet Poppy - Stencil Dimensions Translucent
• Accents: Super Fine Satin Glitter in Crystalina Rainbow
• Cardstock from stash

Challenge entries

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #386 - Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers - April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge






Hopefully this theme will give you lots of options for themes and techniques you can use.  Looking forward to seeing your creations in our gallery.  And if you need some more inspiration, there's plenty over at the LIM challenge blog, just follow my teamies' links for more info on each of their cards.

Muse Challenge #285 - Forest Foliage Thanks

Good afternoon, crafters

It's the first Monday of the month and therefore it's my turn to be your designer over at Muse. 

It's certainly very autumnal here in the UK, it's chilly in the mornings and evenings now and the leaves are starting to turn so I chose an autumn theme for my inspiration card for this week's challenge.

I'm really loving stencils right now, and it's been a while since I've used texture paste on a card so I paired that with a gorgeous new to me stencil and came up with this design...

I temporarily adhered the stencil to a panel of white cardstock by using masking tape on the reverse, so as not to cover up any areas of the card.  I then squished three shades of Distress Ink onto a blending mat and mixed these, one at a time, with some embossing paste using a palette knife and then spread it randomly over the stencil until all of the cardstock was covered.  I then cleaned off my stencil and left the panel to dry.

I just love how much more muted these shades are when blended with white paste, completely different to their usual shades.  The following photo shows the embossing paste much more clearly...

Once dry I cut the panel down and adhered it to the card base popped up on fun foam.  I then die cut the 'thanks' four times, three times from white cardstock and once from green, stacked these up and adhered to the panel.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil Designs - Forest Foliage
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Ink: Distress Ink - Forest Moss, Brushed Corduroy, Spiced Marmalade
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Twice the Thanks

Challenge entries:

Uniko - Challenge #49 - Wonderful World with optional twist Thanks (the natural colours of autumn)

Allsorts - Challenge #487 - Autumn Glory

Alphabet Challenge - N for Nature

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

I hope my card will inspire you to play along this week, I'd love to see where it will take you creatively.  

Muse Challenge #241 - Leafy Thank You

Good afternoon

It's the first Monday of the month and therefore, once again it's my turn to be your designer over at Muse.

The idea at Muse is to take inspiration from any element(s) of the designer's card, i.e. colours, layout, theme, technique, etc.  And what makes Muse pretty unique is that the winners each week are voted for by your fellow participants, and as part of the rules we ask that you visit at least three other entrants to show some support.

For my design this week I've chosen to make another card appropriate for the season, certainly here in the UK the trees are become bare and the ground is covered with colourful leaves.  And hopefully the different elements will inspire you to play along...

I used an embossing folder to emboss the leaf pattern on a panel of white cardstock and adhered this to a green card base.  I then die cut a stitched sentiment strip from the same green cardstock and embossed the sentiment in white which I adhered to the centre.  Using my MISTI, I then inked up the leaves, overstamping multiple times to achieve the blend of autumnal colours.  This was then die cut with the co-ordinating die and popped up on 3D foam squares.

Materials used:

• Embossing folder: Darice  - Leaves Assorted Pattern
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips, Clearly Besotted - Little Things
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments, Little Things
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Mocha, Moss, Autumn Blaze, Grapevine
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Word Week #418 - Thankful

Altenew - November Inspiration Challenge 2017

Fusion Challenge - Autumn Leaves (I used the photo/not the sketch)
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Thanks/Thanksgiving

Thanks so much for popping by today, and I hope I've provided some inspiration for you to pay along this week

.

Less is More Week #316

Hi there

It's hard to believe it's Saturday again, but as another week has whizzed by it's time for a new challenge over at Less is More.  And this week it's the turn of our Theme challenge which is...

As Less is More are having a month long celebration for our 6th birthdaty, we have another sponsor and Guest Designer this week which is the lovely Shery Russ of STAMPlorations!

So be sure to play along again this week for a chance to win a prize, as with all our challenges throughout February.


So, on to my cards this week.  My first is a New Baby card as I thought these building blocks were ideal for our challenge this week...

I started by stamping the giraffe, before masking it and then stamping the blocks.  I watercoloured the images with my Zig markers before die cutting with a pierced square.  I stamped Welcome onto the panel and then popped this up onto the card base with 3D foam.  I then stamped Baby in pigment ink before heat embossing in clear and die cutting with the co-ordinating word die.  I die cut it again with fun foam and adhered alongside the panel.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Child's Play, Petite Plushies and New Baby
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Polar Blue and Charcoal#
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color markers
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax; Clearly Besotted - New Baby
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - February Watercolour Challenge - Anything Goes (optional dies)
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #229 - Clean and Simple







For my next card I used text speak for my alphabet...

I started by stamping the mobile phone in a pale blue/grey and added the text and emojis.  I then die cut the phone with its co-ordinating die before covering with VersaMark ink and heat embossing twice with clear embossing powder to give it a glossy finish.  I stamped and die cut the earphones with its co-ordinating die.  Before adhering these to the base I added some grey splatters just to add some subtle interest to the white space and then stamped the chevrons in co-ordinating colours.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Text Me; Happy Little Stampers - Mix Mash
• Ink: Altenew - Arctic; Versa Color - Camelia, Polar Blue, Canary; Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss

Challenge entries:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #39 - For a Man

CASology - Week 236 - Romance
Happy Little Stampers - February Challenge - Anything Goes with Dies





And my third card took me ages to make and I'm not very happy with it but I thought I'd share it with you anyway...

I started by embossing a panel of white cardstock with an alphabet embossing folder.  I then picked out some letters to make a word and went with 'BIG'.  This was my second panel as I used my first one to try colouring the letters.  After trying with markers and ink, neither were working so I started again and went with glue and glitter!  I used some turquoise glitter and mounted the embossed panel onto some glitter cardstock in almost the same colour (I forgot how difficult it is to capture glitter in a photograph!).  These were adhered to the card base and I finished by heat embossing the 'wish' in white onto some black cardstock.

Materials used:

• Stamp: MFT - Brushstroke Birthday
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Embossing Folder: Darice - ABCs
• Accents: Nuvo Pure Sheen Glitter - Turquoise
• Glitter cardstock from stash

Thanks so much for visiting today.  My teamies have worked wonders with their projects for this challenge so, if you have time, please do pop over to their personal blogs as there is often more inspiration to be found. 

Have a lovely weekend folks, today I'm off out with my mum for the day to the Crafts 4 Crafters show in Exeter.  It's not all papercrafts but I'm sure we'll manage to spend some pennies, I know I always do!

From Scrap to CAS - Another Quick Make

Hi guys

I'm back to share the second super quick card I made on Sunday using another leftover which was lying around on my craft desk.

You may recall this card (second in post) that I made for the current Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge where the technique this month is Embossing Folder Stamping.  When inking up and spritzing my embossing folder I made two impressions, each using a different side of the folder.  The results are quite different, this card shows the impression I created using the other side of the folder.

I inked up the embossing folder with two Distress Inks, spritzed lightly with water and stamped it onto my cardstock.  For this card I cut the panel down at an angle and adhered it to my card base.  I then added a thin strip of co-ordinating purple card from my stash to finish off the edge and stamped a simple sentiment.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Bold Daisy
• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry and Dusty Concord; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Flight of Fancy

Challenge entries:

Crafty Catz - Challenge #312 - CAS...no designer papers and no fuss

Allsorts Challenge - Week 351 - Birthday Wishes

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #198 - Clean and Simple

CASology - Week 186 - Distress

And just for fun (as I'm on the DT) I'll link up at Happy Little Stampers.

And if you want to try this great technique there's still plenty of time to enter the HLS CAS challenge, the linky doesn't close until the end of the month :)

That's all for now, I'll be back later with this week's challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Hope to see you then.

Happy Little Stampers February 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

We've got a new CAS challenge for you just starting over at Happy Little Stampers.  Our CAS challenges this year are technique based and this month we have a really fun one for you.

Happy Little Stampers are sponsoring this month's challenge and one lucky winner will receive a stamp set from HLS!

I had great fun with this technique which was something I'd never tried before, so I made two cards!  If you're unsure of how to do embossing folder stamping there are some tutorials included over on the challenge post to help you.

For this card I lightly inked up my embossing folder with two of my mini Distress Ink pads, spritzed with water and then stamped onto my card.  I actually found it easier to place my card over the open EF rather than lift the EF and stamp with it.  Once dry I cut the panel down with a stitched rectangle die and stamped the sentiment with the same blue shade of Distress Ink.  The rest of the sentiment was embossed in white onto a strip of navy blue cardstock and trimmed into a flag before adhering to the panel.  I added a few glazed stars and popped the panel up on 3D foam strips.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Stars Assorted
• Ink: Distress Ink - Blueprint Sketch and Crushed Olive; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Bold Birthday Sentiments
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: Papermania Sparkling Stars - Assorted Brights and Assorted Pastels

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (no topping this time)

Simply Create Too - Challenge #101 - New (new to me technique)
Pinterest Inspired Challenge - February Challenge - image

And a more feminine style for my second card...

I chose the negative side of the embossing folder for this one.  Try it both ways, you get very different effects.  Again I inked up my embossing folder with Distress Inks, spritzed and stamped onto some cardstock.  I cut the panel down and matted it onto some pink cardstock to frame it above and below.  This was adhered to the card base and the butterfly was stamped and die cut using its co-ordinating die, adhered on 3D foam and accented with some clear Wink of Stella.  The sentiment was stamped in black to finish the card.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Bold Daisy
• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry and Dusty Concord; Versa Color - Grape; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Birthday
• Die: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Dies
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #328 - Wild Card Week  - Tic Tac Toe (I chose Die Cuts/Stamps/Flowers)

The Paper Players - Challenge #280 - Tic Tac Toe (I chose Die Cuts/Pink/Girly)

So, why not have a go at this great technique and link up at the challenge blog.  You have the whole of February to play along.

Sketchy Time at Less is More

Hi guys

It's time for new challenge at Less is More and today we have a sketch for you.  It's super simple but can be interpreted in so many ways.  Here it is...

As always, please remember to keep your creations clean and simple.

I have two cards for you today using the sketch as my starting point.  Here's my first...

I cut a white panel of cardstock at an angle before embossing with a stripe embossing folder.  I adhered this to the card base and also adhered a thin strip of grey cardstock along the top edge.  I stamped the flowers and punched them out with the co-ordinating punch before adhering them along the grey strip with glue dots.  The sentiment was embossed in white onto some grey cardstock before cutting down and popping up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Stripe
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Petite Petals (and co-ordinating punch); Clearly Besotted - A Little Sentimental
• Ink: Versa Color - Magenta, Marigold; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Crafty Catz - Challenge #289 - Flowers

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #323 - Flowers

Colour Me...! - Challenge #85

My second card was made for a friend who is turning 40, we all like to think we are still 29, right? :)

I covered the card base with some patterned paper.  I then cut a panel of white cardstock at an angle and stamped the sentiment in black.  I die cut the panel using a flower die and a dash line die along the top edge and then adhered this flat to the card base and added a white Doodlebug Sprinkle to the centre of the flower.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Simple Stories - Enchanted
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Birthday Sampler
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Flower Arrangement; Paper Smooches - Dots and Dashes
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - White Lily

Challenge entries:

CASology - Week 160 - Number

Paper Smooches - August 16-22 Anything Goes

Please pop by my teamies' blogs linked up over at Less is More and give them some love, and we would love to see you in our gallery this week.  

I'm not sure I'll have anything more to share with you for a few days as I'm trying to have a bit of craft stash organisation time.  It's a work in progress but it's driving me bonkers not being able to find what I need easily so it will be worth spending some time on it.

Take care and have a lovely weekend whatever you're up to.

Spare Hugs!

Hi guys

This afternoon I found a lonely little 'hugs' die cut on my craft table which was leftover from when I made this card, the original die cut taken from the ombre panel, so I decided to use it up on a new card.

Here it is, with no stamping this time!

I dry embossed a white panel with a striped embossing folder and adhered this to the card base.  I then cut small panels from two patterned papers and used a corner punch to round the bottom corners and then adhered these together in line with the top of the card.  I then swirled around some white thread, laid this over the papers and used the die cut word to adhere the thread in place.  A little Doodlebug Sprinkle was added to finish.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Stripe
• Patterned Papers: My Minds Eye - Quite Contrary Summer Papers; Avery Elle - The Brights Collection
• Die: Lawn Fawn - Scripty Hugs
• Inks: Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Seedless Preserves
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Cupcake; Thread from stash
• Tools: Tonic Corner Rounder Punch

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - May CAS Challenge - Die Cuts/Punches

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #122 - Anything Goes (Feminine)

CAS(E) this Sketch - Challenge #121

Time Out - Challenge #30 - Home Sweet Home - inspired by pink/teal/flowers/stripes

Card Concept - Challenge #34 - inspired by pink/aqua/flowers/stripes - I think my card would fall in the Clean and Layered category

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 175 and 176 - hugs die cut and patterned paper offcuts


I think that's it for today now, I need to tidy my craft table before I can even contemplate making anything else! haha

Hope to see you again soon :)

Just for You - Colour Me...! Guest Designer!

Hi guys

Welcome to Week 2 of my Guest Designer role at Colour Me...!

Thanks to those of you that joined in last week, we had some fabulous entries for the Monochromatic Red challenge.  This week we have a striking colour combo for you, here it is if you fancy having a go...

And here's the card I made using these colours...

I started by stamping the gerbera image on some scrap cardstock in orange and then used a couple of my FlexMarkers to add some depth and shading.  On a separate piece I randomly stamped the flourish in the dark blue.  Both of these were then die cut using a tag die.  Next I cut a piece of white cardstock slightly smaller than my card base and then used an embossing folder to create the pattern.  I then took a strip of vellum, stamped the sentiment in the same dark blue ink before heat embossing with clear embossing powder.  I decided to use the debossed side of the panel as it had a softer impression than the embossed side, then wrapped the vellum strip around this, securing on the back.  The panel was then adhered flat to the card base.  I offset the two tags, adhered them together to stop them shifting and then added a twine bow before adhering to the card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko Studio - Pure Florals: Gerbera; Paper Smooches - Reflections
• Ink: Memento - Tangelo; Versa Color - Indigo
• FlexMarkers: Mandarin, Pumpkin
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear
• Embossing Folder: Darice - Wire Fence
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Scalloped Tag Die
• Twine: Hemptique
• Vellum and cardstock from stash

I would also like to link up at the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #51 - Tag

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Orange)

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #97 - Anything Goes

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #46 - Ribbon and/or Twine

If you want to have a go and need some inspiration, why not pop over to Colour Me...! where the Design Team have shared some great projects to get your creative juices flowing.  Full details of the challenge rules can also be found there.

I hope to see you there, thanks for visiting today :)