Less is More Challenge #365

Good morning, crafters!

At Less is More we're continuing with our 7th Birthday celebrations this month and I'm back to tell you about the challenge for the next two weeks.

Once again we have Chrissie, Jen, Esther and Sarah joining in the birthday fun so please do visit their blogs following the links over on the main challenge blog, I'm sure they would love for you to say hi.

We have a technique for this next challenge which is...

As always, our challenges are looking for CAS (clean and simple) projects so please ensure you check out the challenge guidelines over on the main post.

We are also offering up a few prizes this month and these details can also be found over at Less is More.

For this two week challenge our wonderful sponsor is Seven Hills Crafts and we also have the lovely Tara joining in as Guest Designer.

Ok, onto my cards, and I have two for you this week.  Here's the first...

I had my first go at partial embossing for this one.  I had a few failed attempts that hit the bin, as I couldn't get my Big Shot sandwich right, and although this one isn't perfect I don't think with this design it needs to be.  You can find a link to a video I found from a few years ago by Kristina Werner, here, where she uses DIY embossing diffusers to emboss just part of a panel.  That's what I did here using a stack of die cut circles, although not very circular is it!  The photo below is a little clearer...

I adhered the panel to the card base on fun foam and die cut the flower from some cardstock I'd blended with Distress Inks and added a sentiment embossed in white onto a black strip.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Sizzix - Basket Weave
• Die: Wild Rose Studio - Dancing Poppies
• Ink: Distress Ink - Candied Apple, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet; VersaMark
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Message Me
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #279 - CAS

CAS on Friday - Challenge #126 - Dies
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Die Cut

I knew which embossing folder I wanted to use for my second card as it creates a scene whilst also leaving an area of white space, and this also created another Christmas card for my 2018 box!

This embossing folder was free with a magazine a while ago.  I decided to pair it up with a Christmas stamp set I didn't get around to using last Christmas.  I embossed a panel of cardstock slightly smaller than the card base using the woodland folder and stamped the musical notes on it before adhering to the base on 3D foam.  I then stamped, coloured and die cut the birds before adhering them on the tree branches.  A white embossed sentiment on a red strip finished the card.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Unknown brand - free with magazine
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Winter Sparrows (and co-ordinating dies)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - February Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes (not using optional twist)

Thanks so much for stopping by.  There is lots to see over at LIM, my teamies have created some beauties for you.  And don't forget you have two weeks to play along, so plenty of time to link up.

Less is More Week #350

Good morning, crafters

At Less is More this week we have that absolute favourite challenge...yes, you guessed it, it's One Layer week once again!  And here is the theme we want to see one your OLCs...

And we have the fabulous Uniko sponsoring our challenge throughout the month of October, and the lovely Bev is joining us as a Guestie again this week :)

I don't know what came over me recently but I've managed three card samples for you this week, and on one layer week too!

The photos look a bit washed out this time, apologies.  My lamp seemed to make everything super bright and I'm trying to get to grips with a different photo editing software.


Anyway, here's my first, and another to add to my (still very small) stock of Christmas cards...

I started by placing a stencil over my card base and blending the starry background with Distress Inks.  With the stencil still in place I masked off most of it, just leaving the three large stars.  I then spread some Nuvo Glimmer Paste over the stars.  You can see the shimmer of the paste better in the net pic...

Once dry, all that was left to do was stamp the sentiment.  Other than having bits of post-it notes in all directions for the masking stage, this was quick and easy to make.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Imagination Crafts - Starry Trail
• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Christmas
• Accents: Nuvo Glimmer Paste - Moonstone

Onto my second, and a super CAS purely stamped one layer...

First I stamped the sentiment, then the balloon string, followed by the layered stamping star balloon.  The small clusters of star, although you can't really see in this pic, were stamped in silver pigment ink.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Twinkle Toes, Let's Party Too; Uniko - Balloon Bash
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Volcano Lake, Lagoon; Versa Color - Silver

I'm linking this one up just for fun over at Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge where this month's challenge is One Layer - I'm on the DT so can't actually enter but don't forget you can link up your OLC star cards there too :)

And my third, another Christmas card, uses stamps which were recently free with a magazine...

I started by using a die to create the de-bossed landscape at the base of the card.  The star was then stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with glittery gold powder.  The sentiment was then simply stamped in black.  I think this is my favourite of the three this week but, unfortunately, the camera really hasn't picked up the sparkle from the star.  But I love the embossed detail, I think I'll be making a few more of these.

Materials used:

• Die: Memory Box - Quiet Cabin Landscape
• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Away in an Manger (free with a publication)
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Sparkle

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #145 - One Layer Card

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #263 - Holiday

Thanks so much for visiting today, I love to know you've popped by.  And please don't feel daunted by one layer cards, with a little pre-planning I can assure you they aren't scary at all!

Have a lovely weekend.

Muse #148 - Ditsy Floral Get Well

Hi there

It's time for a new weekly challenge over at Muse and I'm delighted that it's my turn to be your muse again.

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.

I decided to create a really clean and simple design for you this week, with little pops of colour.

On a horizontal strip I embossed the floral image in VersaMark before heat embossing with black powder.  I then coloured in the flowers with some brightly coloured FlexMarkers.  As it was a cheerful design I chose a get well sentiment (from the same set) which I also stamped on the same strip before mounting on some black cardstock and adhering flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Flower Doodles
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - Black
• Coloured with FlexMarkers

I am linking up this card at the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Flowers

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #342 - Floral

Crafty Catz - Challenge #306 - Flowers 

I'd love for you to play along at Muse this week and to see where my design leads you.

Bye for now

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.

Festive Feline

Hi there

Today I have another Christmas card to share with you, this time its the card I made for my Mum.

She is currently looking after a friend's house whilst also cat-sitting for three little fur balls so I thought it appropriate that I made her a card featuring one of our feline friends!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Molly and Baubles; Clearly Besotted Stamps - For Everyone; Marion Emberson Designs - Sparkling Christmas
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Folder: Free with a publication
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Ovals Large
• Coloured with ProMarkers and Flexmarkers
• Twine: Doodlebug - Brights Selection
• Gems: Papermania - Glazed Gems (Iridescent)

Challenge entries:

Merry Monday - Use an Animal on your Christmas Card

Less is More - Choose a Previous Challenge - I chose Week 120 Theme - Cats or Dogs

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Christmas card

Passion for Promarkers - Include a Sentiment

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Just a short post today as got a few bits and bobs to do before Christmas and I'm at work tomorrow - luckily only a half day though :)

I hope all your Christmas plans are coming together nicely - not long now! 

Take care

One Layer Thank You

Hi guys

After a lazy morning followed by cooking the Sunday roast I decided to spend some time crafting this afternoon.

There are three current challenges I've spotted today, all requesting One Layer Cards:

Less is More - One Layer Card: Thank you
CAS on Sunday - One Layer Wonder
My Time to Craft - One Layer or Less

*Update - thanks to Nancy I'm also entering this card into the technique challenge at Just Us Girls which is to create a background of words :)

I decided to have a go at creating a word background.  Only yesterday I watched a video tutorial by the awesome Jennifer McGuire and had this technique in mind when I created my card.  Jennifer is a-ma-zing, its well worth a visit to her blog if you haven't yet discovered her talents.

I raided my clear stamp stash and grabbed any 'thank you' stamps I could find and then used a square die as my guide and organised the stamps upside down within the square.  This is a lot more difficult than it looks!  Once sorted I transferred them onto my stamp press to keep the stamps in position.

I then used my square die with my embossing mat to create an embossed square on my card base, without cutting through.  I then stamped the various thank you images in four different ink colours.

I'm not entirely happy with the layout but not bad for a first attempt!  With so many different fonts, some having scroll details, it was quite a task to find a layout that worked so what looks like a simple card actually took a while to create.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Butterfly Wishes, Butterfly Wishes Additions, Honecomb; Woodware - Salutations; BoBunny - Sentiments Stamp; Marion Emberson Designs - It's all in the Words; Penny Black - Salutations; Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings; Hot Off The Press (name of set unknown)
• Ink: Versa Color - Magenta, Turquoise, Violet and Split Pea
• Die: Xcut - Nested Squares

I think I need a few more attempts at this technique but I'm really happy with the embossed square frame, great for adding interest to one layer cards.

Thanks for popping by and I hope to see you again very soon.

CAS(E) this Sketch #43

Good morning fellow crafters

I've got a horrible cold at the moment so got up early this morning as I couldn't breathe lying down!  So I had a little tidy up of my crafty mess that was left after making my last couple of cards and then made this card for the latest challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch.

Yes, its that Fancy Pants paper pad again but I love it and chose to team it up with a kraft card base as it works so well with the neutrals in these patterned papers...

 

And here is the challenge sketch...

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Card base - Papermania Kraft; cream cardstock from stash
• Patterned paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique
• Stamp: Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versa Color - Charcoal
• Button: Stampin' Up - Designer Very Vintage
• Ribbon from stash



That's all from me today but please pop back tomorrow when I will have some very exciting news to share with you ;)

Until then, take care

Inspired by.....#2

Good morning crafters

As promised, I'm back to share another creation in my 'Inspired by' series...

 

 

I decided to use a textured card base for this card.  At first I was trying a portrait layout but I couldn't find a design that I was happy with so I turned the base to landscape and I much prefer the result.

 

 

 

And this is where I found my inspiration...

 

 

 

 

MY LUNCH BAG!

 

 

I wasn't too sure about this card until it all came together at the end, but now I think the colours look great together :)

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (turquoise); white and red from stash
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Flower Arrangement and Leafy Accents; Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal and Turquoise
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Scalloped Ovals Large; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Flower Arrangement
• Punch: EK Success - Edger Punch Dotted Scallop

 

That's all for now folks, have a great day x

 

 

Inspired by.....#1

Hi guys

For a while now I've been taking notice of things around me day to day and thinking 'those colours look great together' or 'that design would look great on a card'.  So, I've decided to start my own little series of posts on my blog where I've been 'Inspired by' something I've got at home such as packaging or an item in my home, or out and about where I plan to start taking quick pics on my phone so I can return to them later for inspiration.  Basically like Pinterest I suppose but I wanted to get inspiration from around me rather than online.  My job involves sitting at a computer for most of the day so I wanted to gain ideas as and when I see them rather than spending even more time on my laptop surfing the internet.

So, here is the first card I'm going to share with you...(apologies for the dark photo, I'd lost most of the daylight by the time I took this so had to use my daylight lamp)

and this is where my inspiration came from...

 

A REALLY PRETTY LOO ROLL!

 

 

I had this particular stamp in mind when I saw the design but its smaller than I hoped it would be.  For my first attempt I tried paper piercing to create the grid but it overpowered the design so for my second card I used simple diagonal score lines.  A few gems and a yellow border finished off the card.

 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Flower Doodles; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Paired Up (leaves), Flower Arrangement (sentiment)
• Ink: Versa Color - Cyan, Fresh Green
• Cardstock: Base card from stash; Southfield - Premium Pure White Glass Smooth 200GSM; Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock
• Gems: Anita's Gemstone Wheel - Gold and Silver

 



No doubt I'll get inspired by more weird items as I go about my day to day business!

Thanks for popping by and it will be great to hear what sort of things have caught your eye and made you think 'oooh, that would look great as a card!'

Bye for now

Polka Dot Butterflies

Hi guys

Sorry I've not been around for a few days, I've had a very busy week at work and all I've been good for when I get home is crashing on the sofa!  However, I did make this card a few days ago for a good friend of mine to give to another good friend of mine :)

 

 

Firstly, I placed a mat of dark pink card on the white card base.  I then framed some patterned paper with white card and adhered this to the base.  I die cut some butterflies from the same patterned paper pad and then die cut some smaller butterflies from vellum and layered these over the top, adhering with small glue dots so it wouldn't be seen through the vellum.  I finished off with a die cut panel for the sentiment and embellished the layered butterflies with some gems.

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (pink); white cardstock from stash
• Patterned Paper: Pebbles - Sunny Side
• Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Butterfly Wishes; Spellbinders Nestabilities - Reverse Wonky Rectangles
• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versa Color - Mountain Lake
• Gems and vellum from stash

 

Hopefully I'll be less shattered and get crafting again in the next few days, I keep missing some good challenges!  Although, I've just 'spotted' (teehee) two challenges I can enter this card for:

 

Clearly Besotted Challenge - Seeing Spots

CAS-ual Fridays - Polka Dots

 

Right, I'm off to my comfy bed, promised myself an early(ish) night.

 

Bye for now x

 

 

 



Muse Challenge #22

Hi guys

We've had a dull and rainy morning here in the South West so I thought I'd spend some time creating my entry for this week's Muse challenge.

This week we were given a very clean and graphic design by Marion Vagg, which I've detailed further down in this post.

I was inspired by the horizontal banner of graduated blues and here is my card...

I had a vision in my mind of how this would look but after looking through my inks I only had three different shades of blue.  So the graduation didn't really work as I hoped but I'm still quite happy with the result.  Shopping list for next month...more ink!

I worked with the idea of starting out with big flowers in dark blue, graduating to small flowers in paler blue.  I edged the stamped banner with some score lines, not too easy to see in the photograph, and finished with a small sentiment and butterfly using the same blue shades.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Penny Black - T for Transparent 'Salutations' (2 larger flowers); Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings (sentiment, small flower and butterfly)
• Ink: Versa Color - Royal Blue, Sky Blue, Baby Blue
• Card base from stash

Here is the Muse card...

 
Thanks for dropping by today, its always lovely to know you've visited so please leave a comment, I appreciate them more than you know!

Bye for now

Muse Challenge #18 / Addicated to CAS #13 / Stampendous May 2013

Morning fellow bloggers

I made this card a couple of days ago but this is the first chance I've had to get it posted before the Muse Challenge ends later today.

This week's muse, Marion Vagg, has created a gorgeous bright card, it really stood out when it was initially posted at the beginning of the week.  I wanted to create something similar but wasn't feeling inspired by my floral stamps.  But then I remembered the Pink Petticoat stamps I went in search of recently as they were a free gift with Quick Cards Made Easy magazine (Issue 113 May 2013).  I think its still the current publication so go grab one, there was also a little pack of Pink Petticoat papers as a freebie :)

So, here's what I produced.  I decided to use the bright colours, the flowers and the sunshine yellow border of Marion's card as my inspiration...

 

 

I stamped the image in Versamark and embossed using black embossing powder.  I then coloured using Promarkers.  I decided on a square base card and wanted to keep it very CAS.  I think square cards look great with lots of white space.

 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Pink Petticoat - Pretty Potties stamps; Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - Stampin' emboss Black
• Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Premium Cardstock (yellow); Southfield - Premium Pure White Card 200gsm; Card base from stash

 

I really need to get myself one of those anti-static thingamajigs to stop the embossing powder clinging to other parts of the card.  I used a little brush to remove most of the unwanted bits but some I just couldn't remove without disturbing the main image.  Apart from that, I really like this little card, simple but cheerful :)

 

Here is Marion's stunning card, fab in so many ways :)

 

 

 

Update:

 

I posted this card very early this morning and wasn't really awake! So, I've since looked through some challenge blogs and am also entering this card for the following:

 

Addicted to CAS #13 - Birthday

Stampendous Impressions - May 2013 - Fabulous Florals

 

 

I'd like to say a massive thank you for voting for my Muse entry last week and for the Honorable Mention, it means so much to know that you like my cards.  Thanks for joining me today and please leave a comment, it really makes me smile to hear what you have to say :)

 

Have a fab bank holiday weekend whatever you're up to.

 

Bye for now

 



To My Brother

Hi guys

I'm here today to share a card I made for my brother's birthday.  I couldn't upload it until now in case he saw it (like he's going to be interested in cardmaking and view my blog anyway!!!)

I used one of my new Wild Rose Studio stamps and thought I'd have some more practice with my ProMarkers and FlexMarkers.  They are all mixed up in a box at the moment so its a nightmare to go through them and find colours that blend although I may have found an inexpensive solution in my hunt for marker storage.  I'll update you soon if it works! :)

Anyway, on to the card, and apologies again for the photography, I'm still trying to find an ideal spot to get the best light...

 

 

My bro probably won't be happy with the tubbiness of this little guy but I thought he looked quite similar! And anyway, he should be pleased as I've given him more hair! :)

 

I didn't want to overload the outside of the card so I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment on the inside.

 

I really struggle to make masculine cards with what I have in my stash so I thought this would be a good time to enter the latest challenge over at The Paper Players where the brief is to make a CAS masculine card.  I'm quite pleased with my colouring effort on this one so I'm also entering it for the I Love ProMarkers challenge which this week is 'Anything Goes'.

 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wild Rose Studio - Time for a Pint; Personal Impressions - To My... (Sue Dix)
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Reverse Wonky Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Cardstock: Southfield - Premium Pure White Card 200gsm; Card base from stash
• Design Paper: Hot Off The Press - Cardmaker's Ultimate Pack (Floral)
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Dew drops from stash

 

Thanks for popping by, I made another card for another challenge last night so I'll be back with that in a while once I've photographed it.

 

TTFN :)