Less is More Week 281

Good morning, crafters!

Less is More has a great challenge for you this week.  We're back with a Theme challenge and this time the technique we would like to see on your submissions is...

Faux Bleach

I find this technique works best with Distress Inks.  These inks react so well with water and the colour lifting results can be really great.  If you don't have any Distress Inks just try what you have, you never know until you experiment!


My first card uses more stamps supplied by STAMPlorations, one of our lovely June sponsors.  Thanks again, Shery! x

On the card base I started by blending two tones of Distress Ink.  I then spritzed the butterfly stamp with water before stamping over the ink.  I held it there for a few seconds for the water to take effect and then blotted with a paper towel to remove the colour.  I then added a few splatters in coral and black to add some interest.  I die cut a white cardstock panel with a stitched landscape die to add a fun edge, stamped the sentiment in black and adhered the panel flat over the card base.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Dried Marigold and Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: STAMPlorations - Blossom Like a Butterfly
• Die: Poppy Stamps - Stitched Landscapes

Challenge entries:

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #430 - Little Bugs/Butterflies

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #85 - Butterflies

For my second card I used a tiny amount of selected faux bleaching...

On a panel of white cardstock I masked off the corner section with some post-it notes, hand cut with wavy edges.  The water droplets were then stamped with a waterproof black ink.  I then took a paint brush and some plain water to paint inside each water droplet and blot away the colour.  Some accents were then added with a white pen.  The sentiment was stamped in black before the panel was adhered on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Inkylicious - Water Drops; BoBunny - Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire; Archival - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Signo Uni-ball pen - white

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - June CAS Card Challenge - Anything Goes (Blue)

CASE this Sketch - Challenge #177 (I flipped the sketch)
Inkspirational - Challenge #111 - Masking

I used a stencil for the faux bleaching on my final card...

I blended three Distress Inks to create quite a bold inked area which I faded out across the cardstock panel.  Instead of placing the stencil down onto my project and then spritzing with water, I spritzed the stencil itself and then placed this over the inked area.  I wanted the positive design to be bleached instead of the negative design, you can get some great effects by using stencils either way. I carefully lifted the stencil and blotted away the watery ink with a paper towel to reveal the bleached design.  I trimmed the panel down slightly to trim away the dark inked edges (and a splodge I'd created from an inky finger! grrrr) and then stamped the sentiment in black before adhering the panel to the card base on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: MFT - Funky Florals
• Stamp: Altenew - Label Love

Challenge entries:

Virginia's View - Challenge #22 - All About Colours
613 Avenue Create - Challenge #180 - Anything Goes (create your own challenge - A2/Birthday/Stencils)
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
Penny Black and More - June Challenge - Flower Power




And, just for fun I'm also going to link these up over at Happy Little Stampers, June CAS Challenge which is ghosting - no entry as I'm on the DT!


My LIM teamies will no doubt also have more inspiration on their personal blogs so if you have the time, please swing by and see what they've been creating.

Can't wait to see what you create this week :)

Less is More Week 279

Hi there

The first Saturday of the month means that our new challenge this week at Less is More is a Colour challenge.  And this time we would like you to...

Use Some Purple

Our wonderful Sponsors for the month of June are Dies to Die For and STAMPlorations.  

For my first card this week I've used some stamps by STAMPlorations, sent to me by the super generous Shery!  Thanks so much for my happy mail, Shery!

I stamped the rose image with waterproof ink onto some watercolour paper and coloured it with my Inktense pencils and water.  I then stamped the sentiment from the same set in black ink.  The plan was to add diagonal stamped stripes to the corners but I messed up my stamping so I saved my panel by slicing off the two corners and then mounting it to my card base which was first covered with purple polka dot paper...phew!  I think I prefer this look anyway, so never throw away creations that could be used after all!  A few sequins finished off the card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: STAMPlorations - About a Rose
• Ink: Archival - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Patterned Paper: Dovecraft - Back to Basics IV 6x6 Designer Paper Pack
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Sparkling Rainbow Sequin Mix

Challenge entry:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #89 - Petals

I did a bit of masking to create this next monochrome card...

I started by masking a cardstock panel with the aperture created from a circle die, which I placed off the edge.  I blended within the mask with Distress Ink before splattering with water.  I left the bottom part of the mask in place but removed the top half before stamping the foliage in three different purple shades extending above the circle.  The sentiment was stamped in black before adhering the panel with 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Wilted Violet; Versa Color - Imperial Blue, Boysenberry, Heliotrope; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Meadow Breeze; Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings II

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Mask It

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Monochrome

CASology - Week #200 - CAS

Thanks so much for visiting today.  My LIM teamies and I would love for you to join in this week so if your creation is CAS and uses purple, why not link up?!

Hope to see you again soon.

CAS Neutrals

Hi there

I'm here to let you know that the first challenge of 2016 is just going live over at Less is More.  We're continuing with our sequence of themes and, therefore, as it's the first Saturday of the month we are bringing you a Colour challenge.  And our colour theme is...

Neutrals

Please remember to keep your creations clean and simple and be aware that a maximum of 5 challenges may be combined including ours.

I have two sample cards to share with you today, here's the first...

A super simple card but these are the kind I love more and more.  Just card and ink, with lots of white space.  On a panel I stamped the tulips in two neutral shades.  I then stamped the sentiment in black.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam.  

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Both Way Blossoms; MFT - Peaceful Wildflowers
• Ink: Versa Color - Cement and Bisque; Versafine - Onyx black

And my second card, I think neutrals are a great option for sympathy cards...

I used kraft cardstock for the base and panel here.  All the foliage stamps are from the same set.  The flowers in the foreground were heat embossed using white powder and the ferns behind were stamped using pigment ink, the darker was stamped off first to make it less intense.  The sentiment was stamped in the same dark brown.  The panel was then adhered to the base on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Meadow Breeze; Clearly Besotted - Many Messages
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Umber and Pinecone
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

House of Cards - January Challenge - Embossing and/or Colour Inspiration (I chose just embossing)

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #341 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #103 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - Challenge #305 - Anything Goes

So, if you haven't started getting crafty since the Christmas/New Year break, now is a good time to start.  We would love to see your neutral creations in the gallery this week.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Addicted to Stamps and More #170

Hi guys

It's time for another new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More and with winter and Christmas fast approaching we have a very seasonal Photo Inspiration Challenge for you this week.  Here's the pic to inspire you...

Kylie's fabulous company, Happy Little Stampers will be sponsoring this week's challenge and one lucky winner will receive a $15 gift certificate.

Here's my DT card, I used the colours, the twigs and the red spheres as my inspiration...

On a white cardstock panel I stamped the twiggy branch in the top left hand corner.  I then stamped the tiny bauble in red and its super tiny topper in black and then used a black fine liner pen and a ruler to draw in the string and tie.  Next I hand cut some post-it notes and used these as masks to create the snow banks, gently blending the ink upwards from each mask.  I then used a similar scripty sentiment which I stamped in red, and stamped the single star in silver.  The panel was mounted on 3D foam and finally I added some Glossy Accents to the bauble.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Inkylicious - Twiggy Branch; Card-io - Dotty Snowflakes; Clearly Besotted - Most Wonderful and Merry Little Christmas
• Ink: Versa Color - Pinecone, Scarlet, Silver, Smoke Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Glossy Accents and Derwent Graphik Line Maker pen

Challenge entries:

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #49 - Winter Wonderland

Crafty Catz - Challenge #300 - Winter

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #310 - Christmas

Thanks so much for popping by, and if you can, please take a look at my teamies' creations this week and see how the photo inspired them too.  We would love for you to join in at ATSM this week. 

Addicted to Stamps and More #158

Hi there

I'm back with my fortnightly midnight post which means there's a new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More.  And so, following our usual sequence of challenges, this week we are back with our regular challenge which is...

Addicted to Holidays

Please ensure your creation relates to a holiday/vacation theme or a holiday

such as Christmas, Easter, or any other national holiday.

Our sponsor this week is Stamplorations who are offering a fab prize of  a $10 gift certificate.

For my DT card this week I've gone with Christmas and yes, you've guessed it, I've been masking and blending inks again!  I hope I'm not boring you with these very similar cards this last week but I love how this one turned out.  

I masked a vertical panel on my card base and also die cut a small circle to create a mask for the moon.  I hand cut a mask from a post-it to create the snow banks and blended Distress Inks, starting at the top, working my way down just adding a little of the blue to create the snow drifts in the three lower sections.  I put the lower mask back in place to stamp the tree in black.  Once all the masks were removed I stamped the sentiment, also in black.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves, Black Soot; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Simply Trees; Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments

Challenge entries

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - Challenge #16 - Anything Goes

Simply Create too - Challenge #92 - Anything Goes

Moving Along with the Times - Snow in Summertime

One Layer Simplicity - Challenge #19 - Strip Down

AAA Cards - Challenge #46 - Maskerate/Masking

And just for fun (as I'm on the DT) I'm linking up at Happy Little Stampers August CAS Challenge which is Masking.

There's some great inspiration by my teamies over at ATSM so why not play along, if not just to get ahead on your Christmas cards!

Thanks as always for visiting.

Berry Nice!

Good morning crafters

It's 8.00am on a Saturday which means it's time for a brand new challenge at Less is More.  This week we're back with a colour challenge and we would like you to use...

Berry Shades

Please remember to follow our guidelines and keep your creations clean and simple, remembering to leave some white space.

Here are my cards to hopefully give you some inspiration...

I die cut a panel from a diagonal stitched rectangle die then stamped the sketchy heart three times in different berry colours.  This was pigment ink so I then heat embossed the hearts using clear embossing powder.  The panel was popped up on 3D foam and the sentiment stamped beneath. Easy peasy!

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Work of Art, Clearly Besotted - Sentimental Type
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal, Raspberry, Grape
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

Challenge entry:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

I decided to do some Distress Ink blending for my second card...

I masked off a rectangular panel with post-it notes and blended the background in two colours of Distress Ink.  I then used the used the ghosting technique by spritzing through a stencil with water and then blotting, to create the subtle chicken wire pattern.  Once dry I stamped the fern and then stamped it again without re-inking to create the shadow.  I then removed the masks and stamped the sentiment.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves; Versa Color - Grape
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Fern Leaves; SP & Company - Just a Note
• Stencil: The Crafters Workshop - Mini Chicken Wire reversed

Challenge entry:

Simply Create Too - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

And my third card...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the balloon in three different colours and then masked off one of them before stamping the strings.  I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white cardstock and heat embossed this with clear powder.  The white strip was matted on a strip of dark purple cardstock before adhering to the panel, and the panel was then adhered to the base on 3D foam strips.  I love this perfectly round balloon stamp and in these colours they really remind me of little cranberries and blueberries!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy; Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal, Raspberry, Boysenberry and Grape
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

I love these gorgeous juicy colours and would love for you to join us this week.  I think the gallery is going to look stunning!

Happy Saturday lovelies!

A Simple Sketch at Less is More

Good morning lovelies

There is a new challenge just starting at Less is More and this week we have something for you that we haven't seen for a while....

A Sketch!

All we need you to do is create a project using this sketch as your inspiration...

I have two cards to share with you today using the sketch as my starting point...

I die cut a curved rectangle from the top panel which was popped up on 3D foam strips after adhering some hot pink cardstock to the card base to show through the aperture.  I die cut the flower from white cardstock, adhered this over the aperture and accented with some clear Wink of Stella.  I then used the 'Thanks' word die to cut the sentiment from the same hot pink cardstock.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Dienamics - Stitched Rounded Rectangles (negative); Poppy Stamps - Small Posh Outline; Paper Smooches - Thanks Word Die
• Cardstock: Anna Marie Designs (white); Bazzill Card Shoppe (pink)
• Accents: Wink of Stella - clear

Challenge entry:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #90 - Clean and Simple

My second card didn't translate exactly how I envisioned it would but I'm fairly pleased with it...

I cut two small rectangular masks from a post-it note.  Once placed on the card base I stamped a brush stroke image in rainbow colours over the top.  I then removed the masks and stamped the sentiments in black where the masks had been.  I finished by accenting with co-ordinating Doodle Sprinkles.

Materials used:

• Die: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Brush Strokes; Woodware - Salutations
• Ink: Versa Color - Scarlet, Orange, Marigold, Fresh Green, Cyan, Heliotrope, Pink; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles

Challenge entries:

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #61 - One Layer
Loves Rubberstamps - Challenge #157 - Use a Die Cut (I used a die to create my masks!)
Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #183 - Happy Birthday

We'd love to see how you interpret our sketch this week and hope to see you in the gallery.  My fellow teamies have some great projects to share so I'd love for you to pop by their personal blogs and leave some love.

I hope to seen you again soon.

One Layer Chalk and Ink

Hi guys

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, I've actually made a card and written a post!

The chaos being caused by the new kitchen in still in full swing but I managed to grab a small space amongst the clutter and dust to make a card.  I couldn't let this week pass by without entering a card over at Less is More for their 4th birthday.  Less is More was one of the very first challenges I discovered and I'm gutted I've missed so many challenges so far this year, but hopefully I can soon get back to normal and get my craft workspace back properly!

It's a colour challenge at Less is More and they want us to use Pink and Grey on our creations.  So here's what I made...

I thought I'd reach for my chalks as I hadn't used them for ages so I masked off a rectangle and blended three pink shades with cotton wool to create the background.  I then simply stamped the silhouette, butterfly and sentiment in Memento ink and that was it, done :)

Materials used:

• Chalks: Craf-T Products - Decorating Chalk
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Meadow Breeze; Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Memento - London Fog

I would also like to enter this card at the following challenge blogs:

One Layer Simplicity - Challenge #13 - You Blend (chalks)

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #51 - Flowers

Thanks so much for visiting today, and I hope it won't be too long before I'm back with more to share.

Masculine Abstract Happy Birthday

Good morning

Today I'd like to share a masculine project, this is the card I made for Matt for his birthday yesterday.

I used a new stamp set by Inkylicious that I bought at a craft fair last month for part of this design, and I think it's a great option for a masculine card, something I always struggle to create.

I got my inspiration for this card a while ago when I spotted a similar design on Pinterest.  On a white panel I stamped the three brush stroke designs in different colours.  Then in charcoal ink I stamped the sentiment and the stripes.  This panel was then matted and layered first onto tan textured cardstock and then navy before adhering flat to the card base.  As this card was for my chap, I punched out a little heart, coloured this with a pale blue ProMarker and then adhered alongside the sentiment before accenting with Wink of Stella.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Inkylicious - Brush Strokes; Stampin' Up - Gorgeous Grunge; BoBunny - Sentiments
• Ink: Versa Color - Sand Beige, Atlantic, Sky Gray, Charcoal
• Die: Lawn Fawn - heart dies
• Cardstock: Papermania - Premium Textured Cardstock; white card from stash
• Other: Wink of Stella; ProMarker - Powder Blue

Challenge entries:

Brown Sugar - Challenge #118 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Challenge #253 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #96 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

Loves Rubberstamps - Challenge #125 - Anything Goes

Thanks for popping by today.  As we're off work for a couple of days me and the man are going out for breakfast today and then I want to go to one of our fairly local garden centres, they always have such lovely Christmas displays and of course, a craft section!  I'm not sure Matt will be impressed but he can make himself useful...holding my shopping basket while I fill it with pretty things! haha

Have a lovely day x

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

Happy World Card Making Day!

Hi guys

As most of you in blogland will know, today is World Card Making Day.  I hope you are managing to fit in some crafting wherever you are today :)  I've just been catching up on my Blogger reader and was thrilled to discover I've one last week's challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch with my little bunny card, here.  To win this is amazing as I was in awe of so many of the entries, it's made my day!

I planned to do lots of crafting today but so far I've been trying to have a good sort out of my stash, trying to organise it better.  I did make a card this morning, mainly because I had to get it in the mail by lunchtime, and I'll share that one with you a little later.  I then found a little space on my table so took a break from sorting and made this next card.

Apart from the ink I used to stamp the leaf and sentiment, everything else I used was bought last week at a local craft fair and used for the first time today, I'll explain all the products below...

I wanted to keep this one really simple.  I stamped the leaf in Memento ink.  I then used my new Inktense pencils and blended these with a little water.  Next I stamped the water droplet in the same ink as the leaf.  The stamp is a cluster of water drops but I just inked up one.  I tried to lift some of the colour so it would appear lighter through the droplet but once Inktense is dry there's no shifting it!  So it doesn't look exactly as I intended but by adding a touch of detail with a white pigment ink pen to lift it slightly, it looks a lot more realistic.  I then stamped the sentiment and was going to add a few ink splatters but decided to keep it super simple and let the leaf be the main focal point.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Inkylicious - Aspen Leaves and Water Drops
• Ink: Memento - Potter's Clay and Rich Cocoa
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Accented with Uniball Signo white pen

I would like to link up at the following challenge blogs:

Less is More - Challenge #192 - Colour challenge 'Autumn's Bounty'

One-Layer Simplicity - Challenge #10 - Turning to Fall

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge #97 - Autumn

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Autumn

Craft-Room Challenge - Seasonal Colours

That's all for the mo, I hope to get more crafting done and will be back to share the card I made this morning.

Bye for now

Friends Forever

Hi guys

I've got less than half an hour to spare to enter this week's Less is More challenge where the recipe is 'Mostly Words'.

My ink dusters were still to hand from my last card so I had another play with them tonight and created this card...

I started by laying the stencil over my card base and blending the pink ink with my Ink Dusters.  The sentiment was stamped in black and a mixture of pink and white sequins were adhered around it.

Materials used:

• Stencil: MFT Mix-ables - Checkerboard
• Ink: Memento - Rose Bud; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Stampin' Up - Stacks of Wishes
• Inkylicious Ink Dusters
• Doodlebug Sequins

I am also going to link this card up at the following challenge blogs:

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

Virginia's View - Challenge #8 - Clean and Simple

Amended to add to:
Time Out Challenges - Challenge #15 - Stamping (thanks Sandie!)

Right, off to link up!  Thanks for popping by, I hope to see you again soon.