Less is More Challenge #400

Good morning

It's new challenge day at Less is More and this will be our 400th Challenge!  I can hardly believe that when I became a member of the Design Team I joined for challenge number 225, back in May 2015!  Where on earth has that time gone?

So, let's get straight to it, and this time we have a Recipe challenge for you and it's all about using the little images in your stash...

Skull and Cross Buns continues as our sponsor for July so by playing along you are automatically in with a chance of winning our monthly prize.

Being a member of the Skull and Cross Buns Design Team was perfect for me as the majority of their stamps fit within the challenge criteria this week.  I have four samples for you, all showcasing SACB products.


Here's the first...

You'd be forgiven for thinking I've broken our rules with the dotted banner on this one, but I created this by using a little row of dots from the Planner Banner set, here.  I used my MISTI to ensure consistent placement across the card.  I stamped the little images within a square die cut and coloured with ProMarkers before popping it up onto another slightly larger die cut.  I finished by stamping the sentiment in lilac and added some shimmery sparkle to the bee's wings.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Planner Banner, Quirky Sentiments, Spring Motifs
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Heliotrope; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Alphabet Challenge - I is for Insect
CASology - Week 348 - Shimmer

I kept my next card super simple...

This is purely just a stamped sentiment surrounded by lots of other tiny images, all from the same stamp set.  To add some interest I used hammered cardstock for the base, which you can just about make out in the photo below, it was really difficult to capture it...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Modern Wedding
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Coral Berry, Forest Glades, Andromeda, Moon Rock

Challenge entries

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes
AAA Cards - CAS Game #144 - Maxi White Space

This next card is a CASE of a card I found recently on Pinterest by the super inspiring Donna Mikasa, you can find it on her blog, here.

I used emboss resist on the card base, stamping and heat embossing the images in clear embossing powder then blending over with Distress Oxide inks.  Then just simply adhered an offset panel flat to the base, with the sentiment stamped in black.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Crafting is my Super Power
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss

Challenge entries:

Try It On Tuesday - Colours of the Rainbow
STAMPlorations - Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

And finally...

I began by inking through a sun ray stencil and then stamped the palm tree image in black.  I die cut the scene with a circle die then heat embossed the sentiment in gold.  I sliced a strip away from the front of the card and stamped the tropical leaves along the edge of the inner part.  The die cut was then adhered overhanging the edge.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Clearly Besotted - Sunny Day
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party, Quirky Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark; Altenew - Frayed Leaf, Moss
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Die: Hero Arts - Infinity Circles

I think this would be a great opportunity to use the little images in your craft stash so why not join in by linking up to our gallery.  There's a fortnight to enter and you can find lots of inspiration from my teamies over on the main challenge post, here.

Designing for Honey Doo Crafts - Roses & Lilies and Garden Peony

Hi there

Ok, back this evening to share two final makes using more products by Honey Doo Crafts.  

And don't forget, Honey Doo will have feature hours on Hochanda TV tomorrow, 12 July 2019, at 10am and 3pm (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).  I know many of you will be working, as will I, so I'll be putting the shows on record to have a peak at later.  There will be lots of products available, demos by Amanda, and lots of samples from the whole of the Design Team.

Now, the two samples in this post may look a little familiar if you already follow my blog, and that's because I've made previous cards which are very similar (I've added some pics at the base of this post).  The two Honey Doo sets I'm using on these cards are Roses & Lilies, and Garden Peony.

Ok, first up is Roses and Lilies...

This card is similar to a one layer card I made back in May, here, where I also used teal cardstock and embossed the same image in white.  This time I stamped, embossed and fussy cut the image before adhering it onto the card over an offset panel of glittered polka dot cardstock in a similar tone.  I then simply finished with a sentiment stamped in black.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Roses & Lilies, Just in Case
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Glitter Cardstock: Kanban - Sherbert Pips (many years old)

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

Time Out - Challenge #139 - Inspired by Words

Next up is Garden Peony...

For this card the stamped and coloured strip was actually the waste from this card, here, which I made back in April.  So it's a kind of reversed version, with a coral coloured panel behind picking out the colour in the images.  The sentiment was heat embossed in white and the floral strip popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Garden Peony, Daisy May (sentiment)
• Coral cardstock from stash
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: Avery Elle - Dotted Border Dies

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #349 - CAS

Penny Black and More - July Challenge - Summer Colours

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - AG CAS

Here are the previous similar cards I made...

Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope you are able to tune in tomorrow to see what Honey Doo Crafts has to offer.  If you love florals, it's for you for sure!

Spellbinders - Designer Series: Flower Garden

Hi guys

I was recently contacted by the fabulous Yana Smakula on behalf of Spellbinders asking if I would like to receive some Spellbinders goodies in the mail to play with.

Of course, I didn't hesitate in saying yes so today I'm sharing a couple of cards I've made using some dies from the Flower Garden collection.

First up is a card using the Spellbinders Flower Garden Floral Panel Card Etched Dies...

I'm loving the blush shade trend right now so chose that for this card.  I die cut the main blush panel using the gorgeous floral frame and outline dies.  The cardstock I chose was from a set of blush and grey shades so I chose one of the mid grey tones to cover my card base.  I wrapped some blush toned organza ribbon around the panel before adhering flat to the base then die cut the tag from the same die set from the same grey cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment in white (this particular embossing powder is a very creamy white so co-ordinates well with the blush tone).  The tag was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Spellbinders - Designer Series Flower Garden: Floral Panel Card
• Cardstock: Papermania - Midnight Blush
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Scrumptious Script
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - White
• Organza ribbon from stash

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - May Challenge - Anything Goes with Dies

Next up is a card using some dies from the same Flower Garden Series, this time the Corner Floral Etched Dies...

I began by adhering some patterned paper to my card base.  Next I took a panel of white cardstock and die cut the scalloped border using a Spellbinders Edgeabilities die that's been in my stash for years, the Classic Scallop.  I then chose to use the inlaid die technique and die cut the rose and leaves from the panel.  Using a separate piece of cardstock I blended with Distress Ink and then die cut these out and replaced the pieces into the main panel, using an adhesive sheet on the reverse.  All that was left to do was to stamp the sentiment and then adhere the panel onto the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Spellbinders - Designer Series Flower Garden: Corner Floral, Edgeabilities: Classic Scallop
• Patterned Paper: Dovecraft - Garden Party
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Say It With Flowers
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - CAS Game #115 - Inspired by Nature
Allsorts - Week 467 - In The Pink
Time Out - Challenge #109 - Inspired by Words





Thanks for visiting today and I hope you've had a lovely weekend.  It's back to work for me tomorrow after a lovely week off taking a few days out here and there, and for once the weather has been great for the most part.  Let's hope it stays that way as it was a long time coming!

Bye for now. 

Muse Challenge #245 - Partial Die Cut Rose

Hi there

I'm thrilled to be your designer over at Muse again for this week's new challenge.

I made this card whilst at the Happy Little Stampers craft retreat last month when one of the techniques we were having fun with was partial die-cutting.

I hope there are a few different elements to inspire you this week.  I've included partial die-cutting, heat embossing, watercolouring and contrasting cardstock.  Or perhaps the floral theme, colours or layout will be your inspiration.

I started by stamping the rose in VersaMark ink onto some watercolour card and heat embossed in white.  I then watercoloured using my Derwent Inktense pencils.  I then partially die cut the rose with it's co-ordinating die and then made a vertical cut between the image with my trimmer.

I adhered some black cardstock to the card base and stamped the sentiment on the rose panel before adhering it popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Merci Beaucoup (and co-ordinating die)
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Watercoloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Cardstock: Daler Rowney - Aquafine, black from stash

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Penny Black and More - December Challenge - CAS

Thanks so much for visiting today, and I hope I've inspired you to play along at Muse this week.

Less is More Week #335

Hi there

Back with my second post of the morning, which of course is to announce this week's new challenge at Less is More.  It's week one of the month which means it's the turn of our Colour challenge, and this is what we want to see this week...

We have a fresh new sponsor for the month of July too, Happy Little Stampers, so be sure to play along throughout July for a chance to win our monthly prize!

Ok, onto the challenge.  I'm from the UK so obviously our flag, the Union Jack is red, white and blue.  But I really do struggle with this combo and so had a different idea, and that was to use the flag of England.  The red cross of St George on a white background also makes up the central cross of the Union Jack.

I've got two red and white CAS cards to share with you this week.  Here's the first...

I started by blending some red Distress Ink onto some cardstock before using the ghosting technique to create the faded pattern with a stencil.  The stencil is laid over the blended cardstock then spritzed with water before blotting with a paper towel.  Once dry I die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white before adhering a die cut flower onto the panel.  This was covered with some clear Wink of Stella and a single glitter dot added before the panel was popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Candied Apple; VersaMark
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Mini Stencil Set 10
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Merci Beaucoup
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles; Creative Expressions - Scribble Flower
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Silver; Wink of Stella - clear

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stencil It

The Card Concept - Challenge #76 (Style: Clean and Simple)
CAS on Friday - Challenge #111 - Flowers

And for my second sample this week I got all festive with a Christmas card...

This was super easy to make but I messed about for ages trying to figure out the placement.  I started out with a portrait card base but it worked so much better on a landscape design.  I simply die cut two holly leaves from white cardstock and adhered these directly to the base, then added enamel dots for the 'berries'.  A bold sentiment in red ink finished the card.

Materials used:

• Die: Tonic - Holly Leaf
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings
• Ink: Altenew - Velvet
• Accent: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Ladybug

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #114 - White on White

For more inspiration of our theme this week please do pop over to the main challenge blog and take a look at my super talented teamies' creations this week.  You won't be disappointed.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll be back tomorrow evening with details of this month's CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.

Less is More Week #325

Good morning

It's new challenge day at Less is More....yes it really is Saturday again!  And this week it's the turn of our Recipe challenge.  Here are the details...

The stripe(s) can be in any direction.

I've got three cards for you this week so I'll get straight to it.

My first one uses patterned paper for the striped element...

I adhered some striped paper to the lower part of my card base.  I then die cut a fancy border to a panel of white cardstock and stamped the floral design in co-ordinating colours.  The white panel was then adhered flat to the base.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up (unsure of colour)
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Bracket Edge Die
• Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders: Vines; Clearly Besotted - Many Messages
• Ink: Versa Color - Rose Red, Petal Pink, Olive; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #81 - Photo Inspiration (inspired by the red/pink palette and multiple small images)

A bit of masked, emboss resist for my next card...

After heat embossing my stripey stamped images in white, I cut negative masks from Post-it notes using the co-ordinating dies and then blended the presents and balloons with Distress Inks.  I then stamped the sentiment, die cut the design with a diagonal stitched rectangle die and mounted it on my card base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Laugh Out Loud
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Inks; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Inside and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #109 - Rainbow

And just basic stamping for my last card...

I stamped the stripey onesie before masking it and stamping the other two.  The stripes image was then stamped across the base of the card before adding the sentiment strip embossed in white on black cardstock.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Littlest Onesie, Basic Stripes
• Ink: Versa Color - Baby Blue, Mint, Bisque, Sky Gray; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

As always, I really do appreciate your visits.  Thanks so much and I hope you find time to play along this week.

Less is More Week 283

Hi there

Wow, I can hardly believe we're back at the beginning of another month!  It's new challenge time once again over at Less is More and week one of the month means we're back with our regular Colour challenge.  And this week we would like to see...

Colours of your Kitchen

And we also have a new sponsor for July which is Happy Little Stampers.  So make sure you play along throughout July for a chance to win a prize ;)


If you've been a follower for a while you may remember I finally had a new kitchen installed last year so here's my card using my kitchen as inspiration - woodgrain units, black worktop, taupe painted walls and cream accessories.

For a change I started with a cream card base.  I also cut a panel smaller than my card base, masked an area using the aperture created with a die cut heart and stamped the wood effect with a taupe tone ink through the aperture.  I then stamped the sentiment in black, matted the panel onto a slightly larger panel of black cardstock and then adhered the leaf die cut from kraft cardstock.  

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax; Paper Smooches - Loopy Leaf
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Hardwood; Altenew - Beautiful Lady
• Ink: Versa Color - Umber; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Papermill - Ivory; Neenah - Desert Storm; Papermania - Black

And just to prove it, here's a reminder of my little kitchen! :)  And I take the photographs of my cards on a cupboard top in my lounge...I think there's a decorative theme forming, don't you?! lol

This should be a really interesting challenge, I can't wait to see your kitchen colours translated onto your creations.

Right now, I'm (hopefully if I haven't missed the train!) on my way to Bristol for Grillstock Festival.  My brother and sister-in-law are one of the Competition BBQ Teams, Riviera BBQ so I'm looking forward to enjoying the festival this year instead of just hearing about it.....no doubt I'll eat and drink far too much! lol

That's all from me for now but I'll be back later this evening to share the next CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.

Bye for now.

Less is More Week #272

Hi there

At Less is More this week it's the turn of a Theme challenge.  I thought this one would be simple but I did have to think and plan a little before I started on my DT cards this week.  We would like you to...

Use 3 Stamps

Don't forget to keep your creations clean and simple and

link to no more than 5 challenges, including ours.

I have three cards to share this week, here's the first...

For this one I decided to stamp everything in black, keeping the colour to the background.  On a panel of white cardstock I inked three Distress Inks through a dotted stencil.  I then simply stamped the leaf, butterfly and sentiment all in black before adhering the panel to my card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Dot Fade
• Ink: Distress Ink: Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves and Chipped Sapphire; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Stamps: Marion Emberson - Just Because; Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings II

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #129 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #171 - Anything Goes

For card two I tried a little masking with clear embossing powder...

Using my Mini MISTI (yes, I'm absolutely loving it!) I started by stamping the butterflies in two sunny shades before stamping the co-ordinating top layer in black.  I then went back, positioned the original stamp in the same position before inking with VersaMark and heat embossing with clear powder.  This would then act as a barrier for the next step.  I tore the edge of two large post-it notes and masked to leave a diagonal strip which I then ink blended with two shades of blue Distress Ink.  Once the masks were removed I flicked and blotted with some water and then added some ink splatters using the same inks.  The sentiment was added to finish.

Material used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - A Better You; Altenew - Painted Greetings
• Ink: Memento - Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards - Game #62 - Anything Goes

One Layer Simplicity - Challenge #26 - As You Wish

STAMPlorations - April Challenge - Theme & Sketch

I did a little more emboss resisting on my final card...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the leaves in VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  I then blended over with green Distress Ink. I then filled in the gaps by stamping the triple dots in black.  I adhered the panel to my card base and adhered black strips above and below the panel.  A teeny sentiment was then stamped before a few smooth gemstones were adhered to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Natures Treasures II, Balloon Bash (dots); Altenew - Hennah Elements
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink- Bundled Sage; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: Smooth gems from stash

Thanks so much for stopping by.  My teamies have created some lovely examples for you this week and we'd love for you to join in with the challenge this week.