Less is More Week 253

Well, here we are, into December already and I'm panicking as I'm nowhere near to being organised for Christmas!

It's new challenge time at Less is More and as it's the first Saturday of the month we have our regular Colour challenge for you, and this week it's the following combo...

Blue and Green

As I'm so behind with my Christmas cards you would have thought I would have made a couple more to add to my stock, but no, I made a birthday and a thank you card!  Honestly, where's my brain?!

Anyhoooo, here are my samples for you this week...

I started by making a stencil using a leaf die and sponged green Distressd Ink through it onto a cardstock panel.  I then stamped the butterfly with Distress Ink, drawing in some of the ink with water to give the image some muted colour, and then die cut using the co-ordinating die.  I stamped the sentiment and then created some ink splatters with a mix of Distress Ink and water.  The butterfly was adhered on 3D foam and some Wink of Stella added to it for some shimmer.

Materials used:

• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Leafy Accents, Elegant Butterflies
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Elegant Butterflies; Uniko - Pure Florals Cosmos
• Ink: Distress Ink - Mowed Lawn, Mermaid Lagooon, Peacock Feathers; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #338 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Challenge #152 - Anything Goes
AAA Cards - Game #53 - Anything Goes

Any my second card...

On a spare piece of cardstock I stamped the image and heat embossed with clear powder before blending Distress Inks over it.  This was then die cut using a diagonal stitched rectangle die.  The sentiment from the same set was then stamped in black.  I wanted the card to be simple but the panel looked a little lost wherever I positioned it so to echo the diagonal faux stitching I used my score board to create some diagonal score lines across the bottom corner of the card base.  The inked panel was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Simply Sketched
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles
• Tools: Score Board

Challenge entries:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #9 - Give Thanks

The Male Room - Challenge #24 - Thanksgiving or Thanks

Please pop by and visit my teamies if you can, and we'd love for you to join us this week and can't wait to see this colour combo in the gallery.

Right, I'm off to try to get something Christmassy done!  Bye for now x

Happy Little Stampers December 2015 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

We're at the start of another month which means it's time for another fab CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  This month we're leaving it to you to decide as our challenge this month is...

Please use and explain your favourite technique and tell us why you love it!

This month's challenge is sponsored by

and one lucky participant will win this stamp set!

Before I show you my DT card I'd like to welcome TaeEun of Rainbow in November as our Guest Designer this month.  Her creations are fabulous so please pay her a visit and show her some love.

I decided to choose the 'Ghosting technique' as my favourite.  I only purchased my first Distress Inks earlier this year and then thanks to my lovely teamie, the super talented Loll Thompson, I learned about this fab technique.  I just love all the effects you can get when Distress Inks react with water, and then when you introduce stencils the magic happens.  Here's my DT card using this technique...

I masked one side of a cardstock panel and blended three colours of Distress Ink.  With the mask still in place I laid a festive foliage stencil over the top and spritzed with water.  I remove the stencil, left for a few moments and then blotted with a paper towel to remove the water and colour.  I removed the mask and when completely dry I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark ink and embossed in gold.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam onto the card base.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Mowed Lawn, Fired Brick, Walnut Stain; VersaMark
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Festive
• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

Challenge entries:

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #50 - Traditional Christmas Colours
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Daring Cardmakers - Something Stencilled

AAA Cards - Game #53 - Anything Goes

So what are you waiting for?  All you need to do is put your fave technique into practice and share your creations with us over at HLS. We can't wait to see your projects in the gallery this month.

Have fun!

Less is More Week 252

Good morning crafters

We've whizzed around to another Saturday which signifies a new challenge over at Less is More.  This week it's the turn of our Recipe challenge and this week our recipe is...

Fruit

Please remember to keep your creations clean and simple

I must admit, this one did stump me as I knew I had very little fruit related stash but I managed to get my brain in gear and create two cards for you this week.

A fabulous digi by Pink Petticoat helped me with my first card...

I love the images from Pink Petticoat and sadly the online store is due to close in the near future.  Some wonderful digis are still available to purchase at the moment if you want to grab some bargains.  

I printed this digi, coloured it with my ProMarkers and then die cut with a fishtail flag die.  The musical notes were stamped onto the image panel.  I used two more of the fishtail flag dies to cut two pieces of co-ordinating patterned paper.  I adhered some kraft cardstock to my card base, layered the papers and finally popped the image panel up on 3D foam strips. 

Materials used:

• Digi: Pink Petticoat - Partridge in a Pear Tree
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Rockin' Robin
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Patterned Paper: MFT - Dots & Stripes Neutral; Doodlebug - Santa Express

Challenge entries:

Passion For ProMarkers - Challenge #324 - Christmas is Coming

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #158 - Inspired by a Christmas Song or Carol

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #72 - Christmas

Uniko - Challenge #27 - Christmas with optional twist of CAS

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Challenge #93 - Simply Cute and Christmassy

AAA Cards - Challenge #53 - Anything Goes

And for my second card, some fruity Christmas bling!

All the images on this card came from the same stamp set.  I stamped the glasses in silver, using my stamp-a-ma-jig to position them. I then used a stitched rectangle die to create the panel.  I stamped the strawberry, lime and holly and fussy cut these out before adhering in position.  I masked the central glass to stamp the straw.  I added some glue to the contents of each glass and added some fine glitter to add some festive sparkle.  This irridescent glitter is a lot more sparkly IRL!  For a tiny bit more bling I coloured a smooth clear gem with a red ProMarker and added this as the holly berry.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Happy Hour
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: Versa Color and Versafine
• Accents: Stampin' Glitter - Dazzling Diamonds; Gem from stash

Challenge entries:

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #137 - CAS with Food or Drink Theme

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #77 - Dimension

Thanks for popping by and I hope you can find some fruity inspiration and join us this week.

That's all from me for now, I'm off to have a long overdue hair cut and get some Christmas planning sorted.  I need to do a few bits each weekend otherwise it will be here and I won't have done anything!

Take care and bye for now

Addicted to Stamps and More #172

Hi guys

Can you believe it's time for another new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More?!  Where do these weeks go?  Those of you that follow the challenge will know we follow a sequence of challenge themes and this week we're back with our regular theme...

Make Your Mark

You can find the challenge guidelines here.

Our Sponsor this week is the fabulous Stamporations and one lucky winner will receive a $10 gift certificate!

Here's my DT card...

Although I'm in desperate need of some Christmas cards right now I went ahead and made a girlie birthday card!  No idea why! lol

I stamped this lovely image from The Greening Farm and learned the hard way as, after completing my first coloured image I stamped the sentiment at the end and then dropped my stamp right over the image! Arrghhhh......so I had to start the whole thing again from scratch!

On a white cardstock panel I stamped the image and then stamped the sentiment alongside BEFORE I commenced my colouring!  I coloured the image with my ProMarkers and FlexMarkers, although I'm still struggling with my lack of blendable shades (note to self...stop buying stamps and get more markers!).  I covered the card base with some neutral polka dot paper and then adhered the panel in the bottom right corner.  

Materials used:

• Stamps: The Greeting Farm - Rain Snow Shine; Clearly Besotted - It's Your Birthday
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Patterned Paper: MFT - Dots & Stripes Neutral

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #151 - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Challenge #173 - Anything Goes

Without Words - November Challenge - Winter Birthday

AAA Cards - Game #53 - Anything Goes

There's a really diverse selection of creations by my teamies this week so, if you have time, I'm sure they would love for you to visit their personal blogs.

Why not Make Your Mark and play along with us this week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Less is More Week 251

Good morning

It's time for another new challenge at Less is More.  We are back with a theme challenge this week which is...

Numbers

Please remember to keep your creations clean and simple

So, I'll get straight to it with my samples...

I stamped five balloons in blue shades and die cut with their co-ordinating dies.  I then positioned them roughly where I wanted them and marked under each one with a pencil.  Further down the card I marked a central point then drew in the 'strings' with a fineliner pen.  The balloons where then adhered in place and the sentiment was stamped onto a panel, die cut using a stitched rectangle die.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish; Paper Smooches - Birthday Sampler
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: Versa Color - Cyan, Baby Blue, Royal Blue

Challenge entry:

Crafty Catz - Challenge #302 - Shades of Blue



And my second card...

I die cut a heart and embossed the sentiment and numbers with silver embossing powder.  I cut a smaller heart from a post-it note and placed this onto the white cardstock panel so I could blend out some distress inks, keeping the rough shape of the heart.  The embossed heart was then adhered onto the panel on 3D foam, as was the panel to the card base.

Materials used:

• Die: X-Cut - Nested Hearts
• Stamps: Uniko - Classic Numbers
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver

Challenge entry:

CAS-ual Fridays - Challenge #145 - Precious Metals

Thanks so much for popping by, myself and my teamies would love for you to join us this week and we can't wait to see you in the gallery.

Muse #142 - Sending Aqua Love

Hi guys

There's a new challenge just starting over at Muse and I'm delighted to be your muse again for this week's challenge.

After making a few Christmas cards recently it was refreshing to make a non-festive card to hopefully inspire you.

Teals, turquoises and aquas are my absolutely favourite shades, especially when paired with white so that's where I started and here's the result...

I masked a horizontal section on a cardstock panel and stamped the leaves in aqua pigment ink.  I then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I added double score lines above and below the embossed section to add some definition before adhering the panel to the card base on 3D foam.  I die cut a stitched tag and stamped the sentiment, adhered to the panel and accented with a couple of turquoise die cut hearts.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Natures Treasures II; Clearly Besotted - Many Mini Messages
• Ink: Versa Color - Seafoam; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax; Lawn Fawn - Hearts

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #335 - Anything Goes
CAS on Sunday - Challenge #71 - Tag It


I hope you will find some inspiration from my design and hope you'll join in the challenge this week.

Bye for now

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Hi guys

Welcome to my regular Saturday morning post to introduce the new challenge over at Less is More.  This week it's the turn of our One Layer Challenge.  And we would like you to make cards that depict...

Santa

Our guidelines can be found here.  Please remember to keep your creations clean and simple.

I have three cards to share with you this week, all very different.  I hope these will whet your appetite and inspire you to join us this week.

I was really pleased with the result on my first card, exactly how I had planned it (makes a change!)

This card took a bit of planning but was pretty simple to create.  I sketched a Santa hat onto a post-it note and cut it out from the inside to create a mask, firstly minus the white parts.  I used a grey card base as I wanted the white to eventually show up.  I blended red ink through the mask to add some light and shade.  I then cut two more masks for the fluffy white parts of the hat and swiped a VersaMark ink pad over the negative space onto my card base.  I then heat embossed these areas with white embossing powder.  I finished with a sentiment below in black.

Materials used:

• Cardstock from stash
• Ink: Distress Ink - Barn Door; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Stamp: MFT - Christmas Cuteness

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #335 - Anything Goes
Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #310 - Christmas Theme



And my second...

I think the Santa image I used here has a very vintage feel so I started with a kraft card base, masked a central circle and blended in some Distress Ink.  With the mask still in place I then stamped the Santa image, and the sentiment was stamped below in the same ink. It looked like something was missing so I decided to turn the sphere into a bauble and heat embossed the hanger and bow with gold embossing powder.

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles
• Ink: Distress Ink - Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain; VersaMark
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Santa's List; Clearly Besotted - Ornamental Style
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

Challenge entries:

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #136 - Inspired by a Song (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)
Brown Sugar Challenge - Challenge #172 - No Patterned Paper
CAS-ual Fridays - Challenge #145 - Precious Metals

I decided to create an iconic Christmas scene for my third card...

I masked the hill and the moon with post-it notes and blended the night sky with purple inks, and with the mask still in place I stamped the fence and trees.  I stamped the deer and added a little shading at his feet, then stamped the sleigh image and sentiment. As a finishing touch I applied some glue to the brow of the hill and sprinkled with some fine glitter.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Card-io - Christmas Scenery 1, Christmas Scenery 2; Penny Black - Wonder Collection (sentiment)
• Ink: Versa Color - Hyacinth, Heliotrope, Sky Gray; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Stampin' Up Glitter - Dazzling Diamonds

Challenge entries:

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #49 - Winter Wonderland

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #399 - Birds/Animals

Penny Black and More - November Challenge - Anything Christmas

The Friday Mashup - Challenge #234 - Baby It's Cold Outside

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - Challenge #21 - Anything Goes (twist of Reindeer)

My teamies have made some lovely creations this week so please pop over the the Less is More challenge blog and pay them a visit if you have the time.  One layer cards don't have to be difficult, I think they just take a little more planning beforehand.  We would love for you to join us this week, I'm sure you still have Christmas cards to add to your stash, I know I certainly do!

Thanks for visiting today, I hope to see you again soon.