Less is More Week 278

Good morning

I'm here today to tell you about the new challenge at Less is More, and this week we've got a Sketch challenge for you.  I struggle with sketch challenges more than any other but this one is fab and after seeing my teamies' samples this week, it's proving to be a really versatile design.  Here it is...

I made two very different cards this week, the first is super bright and fun...

On a panel of white cardstock I positioned a stencil and masked off the diagonal edge before blending through some red, orange and yellow Distress Inks.  I was originally going to stencil directly onto the card base but the stencil was slightly too small.  Next I die cut some balloons, these also blended with Distress Inks.  On a strip of black cardstock I stamped the sentiment (made up from a multiple word stamp set) in VersaMark and heat embossed in white before adhering to the panel with the balloons.  The panel was then adhered on 3D foam and some accents were added to the balloons with a white pen.

Materials used:

• Stencil: The Crafters Workshop - Mini Webbing
• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries, Seedless Preserves, Broken China, Mowed Lawn; VersaMark
• Stamps: Winnie & Walter - Big, Bold & Party
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Dies: Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy
• Accent: Uni-ball Signo pen - White

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #313 - 'B' (bright/balloons)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
AAA Cards - Game #65 - The 2nd Big Birthday Bash




And a more subtle design for my second card...

I blended some embossing paste with two neutral shades of Distress Ink before spreading through a brick effect stencil.  I then die cut the leaves from a scrap of cardstock blended with two shades of green Distress Ink.  This was simply adhered over the paste when dry, the die-cut 'Happy Wishes' then adhered and some smooth silver gems finished off the card.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Bricked
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Ink: Distress Ink: Pumice Stone, Tea Dye, Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Leafy Accents; Wplus9 - Happy Wishes
• Accents: Gems from stash

Challenge entry:

Seize the Birthday - Adding Dimension

If you have the time please pop over to my teamies' blogs for more inspiration, they won't disappoint.  Thanks so much for visiting today and I hope to see your creations in the LIM gallery!

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!

Addicted to Stamps and More #194

Hi there

We've whizzed around another week to the start of a new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More.  And this week we're back with one of my favourite themes...

Clean and Simple

Our fabulous sponsor this week is Happy Little Stampers and one lucky winner from this week's entries will win a $15 gift certificate!


I've used stamps by Happy Little Stampers on my DT card...

I started by stamping the butterfly in black and heat embossing with clear powder.  I then tried something new.  I coloured small areas with a teal green Inktense pencil and then blended the colour out using a Wink of Stella pen in clear.

I cut the butterfly out using a diagonal stitched rectangle die and found some co-ordinating teal cardstock to create a matching background.  I stamped the sentiment in black and mounted the image panel on 3D foam strips,

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Birthday and Doodled Flowers 
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Inside and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencil in Teal Green and Wink of Stella in Clear

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #164 - Stitching, faux or real

Crafty Creations - Challenge #315 - Monochromatic

My teamies at ATSM are sharing some lovely CAS designs this week.  Why not take a look and play along with us this week.

Thanks so much as always for your visit today.

Happy Birthday, Sandie!

Hi there

Today, I'm taking part in a surprise linky party to wish the fabulous Sandie of London Days a very special Happy Birthday!

Sandie is just the sweetest and very well known in blogland for her gorgeous CAS style and love of purple.  So for my card in honour of Sandie that's what it had to be, CAS and purple!

I used a stamp set from my fabulous Altenew prize pack for this card.  I stamped the flower stem in VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  I then blended two shades of Distress Ink over the image and stamped the sentiment in black.  The panel was then adhered to the card base using 3D foam before adding some co-ordinating sequins.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew  - Beautiful lady
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violent; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Sequin: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - True Blue Shaker Selection

The linky party is being hosted by Kylie and you can find the link here.

I'm also linking my card over at Time Out Challenges as they have a special challenge dedicated to Sandie's birthday where the theme is CAS with an optional twist of purple!

So all that's left to say is Happy Birthday, Sandie!  I hope you have a wonderful day and some fabulous celebrations and I can't wait to finally meet you in July! xx