Less is More Challenge #373

Hi there

It's new challenge day over at Less is More and we're back with a Theme challenge for you for the fortnight ahead.  I'll get straight to the cue word...

Our sponsor for the month of June is Uniko, and one lucky winner will receive an in stock stamp set of their choice, so be sure to play along this month to be in with a chance!  And Uniko's lovely lady, Bev, is joining us as a Guest Designer this week so please do pop over and say hi.

I've got two sample cards for you using the Friendship theme, here's the first using a sentiment from Uniko...

I recently bought a few Distress Oxide ink pads (yes, very late to the Oxides party!) so wanted to give them a go with the ghosting technique.  On a panel of white cardstock I blended three colours together from the bottom corner, fading them out.  I then laid a floral stencil over the panel, spritzed with water, removed the stencil and blotted with a paper towel to remove some of the colour.  I love the subtle effects you get with this technique and it works great with Oxides as well as regular Distress Inks.  Once dry I prepped the panel with anti-static powder before stamping the sentiment and heat embossing in white.  The panel was then adhered to the base on 3D foam before adding some little trios of Nuvo drops. 

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Oxide - Shaded Lilac, Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio; VersaMark
• Stencil: Dutch Doobadoo - Flower Swirl
• Stamp: Uniko - Originally Organic Additions
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Accents: Nuvo Jewel Drops - Key Lime; Nuvo Crystal Drops - Caribbean Ocean, Crushed Grape, Morning Dew

Challenge entries:

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #21 - Use a Previous Challenge (I chose Challenge #14 - CAS) 

CAS on Friday - Challenge #134 - Embossing

For my second card I chose a cute image from Clearly Besotted:

On a panel of Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped the image and then watercoloured with my Zig markers.  The image was then masked to blend the grass and sky with Distress Inks, and I used a stencil to create some subtle clouds.  I stamped the sentiment, trimmed the panel down and adhered it to a green card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Best Friends
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass
• Stencil: MFT - Cloud
• Water coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Green cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Stamping Sensations - June Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #27 - Cute Animals

My teamies are sharing some lovely makes over on the main challenge blog if you need some more inspiration.

I hope you can play along over the next two weeks, it's always lovely to have cards for friends in your collection...just because :)

Seize the Birthday - Surprise Party Guest!

Hi there

I'm super excited today to share the news that for the next two months I will be your Surprise Party Guest at Seize the Birthday!

I love playing along with this challenge when I can and was so thrilled to receive the email from the lovely Nancy and would like to say a huge thank you to her and her magnificent Design Team for inviting me to join them.

Every challenge at Seize the Birthday is Anything Goes as long as it's a birthday theme and some weeks there are optional Toppings. This time the challenge is purely Anything Goes.

I wanted to use one of my new stencils recently purchased at a craft show so decided to go with the ghosting technique in zesty lemon and lime shades...

On a panel of cardstock I blended from top to bottom on one side with three shades of Distress Inks.  The ghosting technique works perfectly with Distress Inks so I laid my stencil over the blended area, spritzed with water, left for a few moments and then blotted away the colour with a paper towel, leaving the stencil pattern behind.  I die cut the 'you' and blended with the same colours, stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white on a strip of black card, and stamped the 'to' onto the inked panel.  This was then adhered to the base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron and Lucky Clover; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: Dutch Doobadoo - Flower Swirl
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Twice the Thanks
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Sentimental Type
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Green
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #231 - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting today and I do hope you'll play along at the Seize the Birthday challenge.  I'll be back in a few hours to introduce this month's new CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.

Less is More Week 277

Good morning

There's a new challenge just starting over at Less is More and this time we have a Theme for you.  We'd like you to include on your creation...

Something that Pops / Bangs

I had lots of ideas for this one but nothing much of help in my stash.  I did however manage three samples for you although not overly happy with two of them.  Once again, the last one I made is my favourite, this firework card.

Super simple to make.  I stamped the fireworks in three colours (the majority of which are actually stamps from a dandelion set!), added the sentiment in black and simply adhered the panel to the card base on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams, Window Dressing and It's a Celebration
• Ink: Versa Color - Opera Pink, Boysenberry and Mountain Lake

I'm going to link this one up over at Time Out Challenges to continue on with Sandie's birthday celebrations where the theme is CAS with the option of using purple.

I wanted to make a card featuring a Christmas cracker but was sure I didn't have any cracker images in my stash until I spotted this teeny one.  I'm not overly happy as it's not an image of it actually bursting but you get the idea!

I stamped the little cracker in VersaMark before heat embossing in gold.  I then masked it to stamp the bursting image behind in silver. I then stamped the sentiment, also embossed in gold before die cutting with a pierced square die.  The cracker was coloured with ProMarkers and I used a co-ordinating cardstock to frame the square before adhering to the card base on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Arctic Animals (cracker), Little Elves (sentiment), Dandelion Dreams
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares
• Coloured with ProMarkers

I loved the idea of this card but don't love the end result as it didn't translate how I saw it in my head.  Two for one on this one though, the champagne popping and someone has obviously popped the question for there to be an engagement! Go me lol!

I started by die cutting the heart from a piece of red cardstock and gently marked with a pencil where this would sit on the card base. Next I stamped the sentiment and the bottle, which I fussy cut as I didn't want the white edging left by the co-ordinating die.  I placed the bottle roughly where I wanted it and then masked a section of a stencil to create the bubbles.  The bottle was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Mr & Mrs, Je T'aime
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Silver, Atlantic
• Stencil: Dutch Doobadoo - Wavy Stripes
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania

My teamies have made some great cards this week so please do pop over and visit their personal blogs.  I'm sure you'll come up with some great ideas which will be translated much better than my cards this week!

Less Is More Week 276

Hi there

It's a new challenge week over at Less is More and I can see lots of fist pumps coming up as it's One Layer week!  Or perhaps not, more like heads in hands! lol  Our theme this week is...

At Sea

Please check out the one layer guidelines if you're unsure, here.

I must admit my creative mojo floated off somewhere this week and the first two cards I made I wasn't overly happy with so I left it another day and managed to create another which I prefer.  I'll share them all with you anyhow.

Here's the last one I made which I was happier with, although the first attempt ended up in the bin as I ruined it right at the end!

There were lots of steps to create this one.  I started by masking to leave the horizontal panel and blended firstly with a light green Distress Ink.  I then blasted with my heat gun to make sure the ink was dry, brushed my powder tool over to remove any static and then stamped the ropes in VersaMark.  I then removed the masks before heating embossing with clear powder.  I then replaced the masks and repeated the process, this time with a darker green ink which the rope images resisted, letting the lighter green show though.  I then repeated by stamping the wheels and clear embossing these also.  Then came a teal colour before stamping and embossing the anchors, and then I finished off with a dark blue ink.  The main thing to remember with this technique is to make sure your ink is dry at each step and you remove any static, otherwise you'll get embossing powder over your whole panel!  A simple sentiment finished off the card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clear Impressions - Sea Breeze (free with a magazine); Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish
• Ink: Distress Ink: Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Mermaid Lagoon, Chipped Sapphire; VersaMark; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Emboss It

Fusion - Port O' Call Polaroid (I went with the nautical theme of the photo)

This next card I was originally going to share over at the LIM post before I made the one above.  Good job I made another as teamie, Sarah G, has created a fabulous card with the exact same layout and colours!  What goes on in our minds, Sarah?! :D

More masking on this card as well!  I started by stamping the speedboat and then created a mask over it.  I also cut an oval aperture and used this as a mask to blend my sky and sea in two tones of blue Distress Ink.  I then roughly covered up the top half of the oval and used the inks mixed with water and splattered to create the spray behind the boat.  I also used a few splatters of just water which lifted some of the ink away to create the paler splatters.  I removed all the masks, stamped the sentiment, added minimal colour to the boat with some colouring pencils and then added Glossy Accents to the screen on the boat.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Need for Speed; Happy Little Stampers - Mix Mash
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Ovals
• Pencils: Derwent - Coloursoft
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #311 - Masking

The Male Room - Challenge #35 - Transport

I loved the idea I had for the next card but it didn't really translate as I wanted it to.  It's still fun and cute so I thought I'd share it anyway!

I started by stamping the turtle in waterproof ink as I knew I'd be colouring using water later.  I then masked him off and blended Distress Inks through two different stencils, shifting them slightly to create the layered waves and fill in the white areas.  The wavy dots don't really work but hey ho, I went with it anyway! I then removed the mask and replaced just a mask to cover his face, neck and left front leg before stamping the umbrella so the shade was behind him but I wanted him to be holding it (as turtles do!)  I then finished by water colouring him with my Zig pens and stamping the sentiment below.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Cool Dude; Mama Elephant - Up and Away
• Ink: Archival - Jet Black; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire
• Stencils: Dutch Doobadoo - Wavy Stripes; MFT - Waves
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens

Challenge entry:

Sunday Stamps - Challenge #126 - Create a Scene with a Sketch

Sorry for the long post, if you're still with me, thanks for getting through all that.  I like to explain how I make my cards and even though these look simple, one layer cards often have a lot more steps to create.

Please pop over to visit my teamies who have worked hard to create some great cards this week.  We know you lovely LIMettes won't let us down and hope to see you in the gallery!

Muse #129 - Thanks Touched with Gold

Good afternooon, Crafters

Mondays mark a new challenge over at Muse and I'm happy to be your muse for this week.

The idea at Muse is to use the Designer's card as the inspiration for your creation.  You can interpret it as you wish; using the colours, layout, techniques, etc.  You can find out more about the challenge guidelines here.


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

On a white cardstock panel I inked through a stencil with Distress Inks.  I then stamped with a dots stamp in VersaMark and heat embossed in gold.  I stamped the leaf also in VersaMark onto some clear vellum, heat embossed in gold and die cut with the co-ordinating die.  Next I die cut the 'thanks' from black cardstock.  The vellum leaf was adhered with a glue dot and the thanks die cut adhered over it.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam strips.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Dutch Doobadoo - Fabric
• Ink: Distress Inks - Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon; VersaMark
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Leafy Accents; Stampin' Up - Gorgeous Grunge
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Leafy Accents; Paper Smooches - Thanks
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #137 - Anything Goes

Simply Create Too - Challenge #92 - Anything Goes

Daring Cardmakers - Talking Texture

Time Out Challenges - Challenge #37 - 'Friendship is Golden'

Stamping Sensations - August Challenge - Anything Goes with a stamp and a die

House of Cards - August Challenge - Metallics

Phew, I didn't make this card with a challenge in mind so I think I've done pretty well to combine all those! :)

I've combined quite a few techniques on this card to hopefully give you some inspiration - stencilling, stamping, embossing, die cuts, vellum and metallics.  Or you could choose the layout or colours to inspire you.  It's always so great to see how the participants interpret one card to come up with so many wonderful creations.  I can't wait to see the gallery.

Thanks as always for popping by x

Exciting News!

Good morning crafters

Today I'm thrilled to be sharing some exciting news with you!

After spending a few weeks guest designing with the lovely ladies at Less is More I have been asked to become a permanent member of their Design Team...woohooo!!!

When Chrissie asked me I didn't hesitate to say yes.  Less is More is one of my favourite challenge blogs and one that I've tried to enter most weeks since I discovered the world of craft blogs and challenges so I'm absolutely delighted to be joining their little team.  I only hope I can match their standard each week and provide you with some inspiration.  Thanks so much Chrissie, Sarah and Anne for having me! xx

So, on to this week's challenge.  We are back with a Recipe challenge and we would like you to

Use some metal

Here are my DT cards to hopefully inspire you...

I stamped the tree from Clearly Besotted's Joy to the World set in Neptune Versa Color ink and heat embossed with some embossing powder by All Night Media called Crystal Sparkle.  The blue frame is actually white cardstock, inked around the edges and heat embossed the same way to match.  I added a silver star brad to the top of the tree and the sentiment is a metal bar embellishment which has an eyelet fastener on the back.  These metal embellies have been in my stash for years.

The dotted glitter cardstock is called Sherbert Pips by Kanban and is die cut using a pierced square by MFT Die-namics, as is the small white square.  Then, using some textured paper I layered it up to create a baby's nappy, using a circular die to cut the leg holes and folded the layers around and secured them at the back.  A small safety pin finished it off.  I then stamped the simple sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Little Onesie set.

I really struggle with masculine cards so I'm really pleased with this one.  On a strip of dark grey cardstock I used translucent embossing paste through a metal effect stencil by Dutch Doobadoo.  Once dry I added a hammer charm/brad (from my stash) to some co-ordinating grosgrain ribbon and wrapped this around, securing on the back.  This was then mounted on a strip of lighter grey cardstock and a simple sentiment was stamped to finish, this from Sentiment Sampler by Paper Smooches.

I'd like to link this last card at the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stencil It

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #87 - Embossing

Simply Create Too - Challenge #86 - Keep It Simple

Thanks so much for visiting today, I do hope you'll have a go at our challenge to use some metal, this certainly challenged me to dig deep into my stash and use some embellishments I always forget about.

I hope to see you soon.

To The Best Mum

Hiya

Well, I'm back as promised with the card I made this morning.

This is for my mum's birthday next week but I had to get a wiggle on as it had to be mailed to France.  Mum very rarely accesses the internet so hopefully she won't see this before her special day!

I've used more new products on this one too, I'm having great fun playing with my new goodies!

I used my Ink Dusters (yes, again!) to blend the ink through this fabric effect stencil onto some white cardstock and then stamped the flower image over this in black before die cutting the panel.  I adore this flower stamp, I've seen it used a few times in blogland so when I saw it at one of the craft fairs I just had to have it.  I then combined two stamp sets, both from Clearly Besotted, to create the sentiment and finished off by popping up the panel on 3D foam strips and adding some Doodlebug Sprinkles.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Dutch Doobadoo - Fabric
• Stamps: Penny Black - Dreamy; Clearly Besotted - For Everyone and The Best
• Ink: Memento - Grape Jelly; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Inkylicious Ink Dusters
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Reverse Wonky Rectangles
• Doodlebug Sprinkles - Lilac

Challenge entries are as follows:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #49 - Stencil

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #20 - 'Here Come The Girls ' (feminine/girlie project)

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #129 - Clean and Simple

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

Time Out Challenges - Challenge #15 - Stamping

{PIN}spirational Challenge - Challenge #125 - Any kind of project

Right, nothing more to share at the moment and I really must get back to sorting out my stash as it's gradually taking over my flat! :D

Take care