Less is More #365

Hi there friends, it's time to announce our second BIRTHDAY challenge over at Less is More to celebrate our 7th Birthay and we've got more delightful designs from some of our past Design Team members. 

We're also delighted to have Seven Hills Crafts kindly sponsoring the challenge and Tara (owner) is joining us as a Guest Designer too.
So let's get down to the latest Clean and Simple challenge for the next fortnight and here's the cue card  
There's often lots of debate in Blogland around the use of dry-embossing and how it can be used as a Clean and Simple element of a card so I can't wait to see what you come up with and I've 3 ideas to share with you today.
You'll find our guidelines and requirements for this technique over on the main Less is More blog HERE along with some superb ideas and inspiration from my talented teamies.

First up I've used a faux letterpress technique, as featured in an older video by Jennifer McGuire HERE which uses a detailed Tilda Flower die from Memory Box with a little ink to the edges then run through my Big Shot to 'emboss' the image onto watercolour card. 

Other Supplies Used:

Dies: Lil'Inkers: HI word die / Stamps: Avery Elle: Sentimental / Ink: Altenew

There's 2 challenges I'd like to pop this one into ... Addicted to Stamps and More, where they are looking for Clean and Simple Cards and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where the requirement is to add a die-cut.

This card features a very subtle linear embossing technique where regular score lines have been marked using a folding board. I started out by inking up a beautiful stencil, which I received as a gift from my buddy and ex-DT member at Less is More, Sarah G of Funky Fossil Designs. Since stepping down from our challenge blog she's certainly not been sitting around but has set to work making various stencils, laser-cut MDF shapes and home decor/gifts. The stencil here, called Beautiful Mandala is available to purchase in Sarah's Folksy store HERE and she's also kindly offered 2 stencils as a gift to one of our birthday winners at Less is More this month. Why not head over HERE and look at what else is in store!

Other Supplies Used:

Dies: The Works: Stitched Square & Waffle Flower: Sentiment Strips

Stamps: Avery Elle: Sentimental / Ink: Distress Inks in Blueprint Sketch, Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio 

 

Last but not least an underwater little scene using a circular die-cut piece of brusho-coloured card, which I then ran through a 'wave-effect' embossing folder from We R Memory Keepers. I've also used my 3 circular dies to create a de-bossed element to frame my focal image.

Other Supplies Used:

Dies: The Works: Stitched Squares & Sizzix Framelit Circles

Stamps: Paper Smooches: Briny Blue plus coordinating die & Create a Smile: Underwater Love

I'd like to pop this card in at Timeout Challenges where the theme is 'Hobbies' - Fishing is a popular hobby I believe although not one of mine!!! Hope it counts - sadly it's not twisted with a one layer.

I hope you've enjoyed my inspiration for this challenge and don't forget we've extra prizes this month with it being our Birthday. Our sponsor for the challenge is Seven Hills Crafts as well as a random mystery prize and Sarah's kind stencil for this month only so do play along for a chance, and we'll announce our winners at the start of next month. 


I hope you'll play along in our birthday challenges this month and have some fun with us.


Thanks for calling by today!

A Trio of Sunday Challenges

Hi there friends, I'm rather pleased with myself ... having a couple of non-design team specific cards to share with you today for a change! The benefit of our cold, snowy, wet English weather meant a good excuse to escape to my craft room.

First up, I'm super excited to have found time (just) to enter the new 'Twofer Card Challenge' with these cards. I thought I'd find this challenge a breeze as I love making TWO-fers on my blog but this took some thought to come up with 2 completely different designs and occasions. I hope these generalised ones count!

The theme, as you'll see from the Cue Card below is 'Feathers' ... Easy I thought, thinking of my gorgeous WPlus9 Fanciful Feathers stamp set and dies then I realised I'd have to get out of my comfort zone and whip up 2 completely different ways to use it. 

Here I created a very random pattern of the smaller feathers using Altenew Inks, in some cheery bright colours, to cover the whole card front ... yikes I'm used to more 'white' space than this but it's quite fun stepping outside of my usual 'box'. Using a Uniko Christmas set; Rustic Christmas I added the little birds randomly to the pattern. To finish a die-cut hugs from my stash, coloured with Promarkers and Winked with Stella on a stitched rectangle with a 'sending' sentiment also from Uniko.

This one uses a Brusho off-cut extravaganza! I just love these colours, yet when using Brusho you never quite know how it'll turn out. This time using the matching dies to the WPlus9 set I die-cut some feathers, adhered them to a stitched rectangle with a strip of the brusho panel to the right. The 'For Your Kindness' is from the Fanciful Florals stamp set and the die-cut Thanks also by WPlus9.

I'd also like to link these up in 2 Simon Says Stamp Challenges ... The SSS Monday one is Birds of a Feather, with the SSS Wednesday one 'Add a Sentiment'

Thanks for visiting my blog today and I hope you've had a fun crafty day too.

Honey I Shrunk The Kit #13

Hey there friends, I'm so excited to be sharing another day out with my fellow Honey Babes for another HISTK post and our lovely host for this outing is none other than my F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S teamie and right-hand girl over at Less is More .... drum-roll please for Anita!
What a magnificent bundle of summer beauty she packed into one small envelope before dispatching around the world for us all to play. It wasn't so much a case of where to Start this time but when to STOP! Read on for all the details.


Here's the line up
Hazel Hodgkins: Hazel's Paper Designs Sarah Gray: Funky Fossil Designs Shona Chambers: Twine Around Anita Bowden: Neet & Crafty Sarah Platt: Sazzle Dazzle Crafts ... that's ME!
and here's a picture of Anita's goody bag followed by an impressive list of contents 

As well as various patterned / plain coloured, gems and ribbons here's the list of stamps and dies Anita packed into this kit! 
Your Next Stamp - Flippin' Fabulous (crab/sentiments), Clearly Besotted - Life's a Beach (flip flops/sentiments), So Sweet II (ice cream), Hung Up on You (mini cocktail/sentiments), Good Times II (sentiments), Petite Plushies (lolly/pinwheel), Hero Arts - Let's Chill (palm/hibiscus/cocktail/beachball/sentiment), Avery Elle - Sip Sip Hooray (sentiments), The Greeting Farm - Rain Snow Shine (girl), Little Claire (beach huts), Clear Impressions - Sea Breeze (deck chair), Paper Smooches - Warm Wishes, Birthday Words (cheers), Echo Park - Flamingo Palm die set, Newton's Nook - Hibiscus, Clearly Besotted - Scalloped Edges die collection

and here's my cards - I messed up the beach huts and couldn't think what to do with the deck chair image so hope you'll forgive me ... I managed 6 anyway!

I absolutely love this crazy crab image and the reverse of the patterned paper inspired my colour-way for this one. The image is coloured with promarkers and I added some glossy accents to the straps of the flip flops and his eyes!

Well what better way to retire than under a palm tree on a desolate beach sipping a cocktail! How many years must I work!!! LOL! Anyway a little scene created with the images, coloured with promarkers and a teeny piece of the plain coloured paper to create my 'beach'.

I grabbed my ziggys to colour these gorgeous die-cuts although having stuck everything down I do wish I'd positioned those leaves a little better. A little sentiment from my CBS stash and mounted on a little more of the plain papers from the kit.

Colouring isn't my strong point and I think that's why I started off with a stencilled/inky background! Distraction works a treat eh! Having said that this rather cute and sassy chick didn't need much distraction and I really enjoyed colouring her and setting this little scene. The card is on it's way to one of my daughter's friends who's nickname is 'CHill'

Once again inspired by those gorgeous patterned papers in the kit and this ice-cream card was born. I went with the mint, pink and chocolate colour scheme and coloured everything with promarkers. A little wink of stella on the ice cream and some glossy accents for the beach ball. 

Are you still with me? I promise this IS the last one. Another ziggy coloured couple of die-cuts. The flamingo and palm tree weren't really in proportion so I scrapped the bottom half of the tree and found this little strip of Brusho coloured cardstock, left over from a previous project, and thought it set the scene quite well. I just couldn't decide what sentiment to use or where to put it so it's 'blank' for now! 

Thanks for this adorable pack of goodies Anita! I'm now absolutely terrified as it's my turn next ... I guess someone has to be last! I'm off to check out what the rest of my teamies have made with this fantastic bundle and thanks for popping by today!

AAA CAS Cards Challenge #87

Hello there friends, it's time for another challenge over at AAA CAS Cards and the theme for this one is Shiny Spring. Here's my card followed by a little photo inspiration for you too ...

I started out with brusho panel which I think has some fresh Spring like colours in it. I've then heat embossed the butterflies from the Happy Little Stampers Butterfly Birthday sentiment and added some shiny sequins and glitter tape as my shiny elements for the card.

As always there's plenty more super CAS creations by my fellow teamies, with links to their blogs on the AAA Cards blog HERE

We are also joined by Trina of My Crafting Closet, one of our previous winners, who is Guest Designing for this one. Do pop along and visit her blog - it's one not to be missed as her CAS style and striking designs are an inspiration. I'm sure she'd love a visit and a friendly word.

I'd like to link my card up at a couple of other challenges too: Addicted to Stamps and More - photo inspiration below:

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS goodies

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

It just so happens that Happy Little Stampers is our sponsor for this challenge so it would be rude not to play along in their challenge! ... and one lucky winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to spend in the online store.

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope you feel inspired and will play along with us!

Uniko - Reveal, Release & GIVEAWAY February 2017

IF Mr Blogger hasn't dropped off this should be my 3rd post this morning!
Hi again and thanks for visiting me today as it's time for the...
   BIG 5th Birthday Reveal, Release and GIVEAWAY  of this month's new stamp sets from
Uniko
Here's my cards showcasing these fabulous sets and they are now  available in the shop HERE and waiting for you to buy!

Above, a little 'no line' colouring using Distress inks, a camouflage die-cut 

sentiment from Sweat Pea Designs with the stamped images from Uniko

... and another trip for me over to Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge

where it's Anything Goes so it's perfect ... anything fits!

This one uses the Block Party Birthday stamped directly on to a brusho and water-

blended base with the addition of a sparkly die-cut balloon, with twine string too!

So let the party roll and all that's left for me to do is set you off on the traditional  Design Team Blog Hop and wish you luck. All the details are over on the Uniko  blog HERE so if you get lost along the way just head back there.
Bev (Uniko) Deborah Jane Lindsey Rahmat Sarah G Sarah P - that's me!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like what you've seen these last few days  and here's those all important images of the sets for you to study and  hopefully you've been inspired this week.
        

AAA CAS Cards Challenge #81

Hello there friends and a very Happy New Year to you! Let's hope it's a good one!
So it's time for another challenge over at 
AAA CAS Cards
The theme for this one is HELLO and here's my card followed by a little photo inspiration for you too ...

This one uses:

Dies 

 MFT Die-Namics: Inside-Out diagonal stitched rectangles & By the letters

Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Birthday sentiment

Brusho panel behind the raised die-cut panel 

As always there's plenty more super CAS creations by my fellow teamies, 

with links to their blogs on the AAA Cards blog HERE

We are also joined by Valentyna of Flourishtina.com

a previous winner of our challenges, who is Guest Designing for this one. 

Do pop along and visit her blog and leave a friendly word and some love - 

I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Happy Little Stampers and one lucky winner

will receive a $15 gift certificate to spend in store

... I'd like to enter this card over at Happy Little Stampers - Watercolour challenge

although I haven't twisted with a stencil, my BG panel is water colour and brusho.

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope 

you feel inspired and will play along with us!

Couple of Kylie Challenges

Hi Friends I've a card to share today which is the  'other half' / 'negative space' / 'alternate view' of a card I created for the Muse Card Challenge HERE when I was kindly invited to be their Guest Designer for the week.
I was actually torn with which card to post as I love this one too so decided I'd post this today and enter into a few challenges at the same time!

This uses Brushos to create the original panel (spritzed with water) from which I've 

die-cut the heart of gold by Neat & Tangled! I think this is currently my

absolute FAV die! Can't stop reaching for it. It's quite intricate and not

one of those little inner bits are the same size so it's a real puzzle to piece it back together

 - especially when you put masking paper on the back instead of stick-it!!! 

The sentiment is by Avery Elle and to pull the colours together I've used some coordinating 

gems and Doodlebug enamel dots. The front panel is die-cut using an MFT stitched

rectangle die which I've 'stretched' in die-cut machine to fit a standard UK A6 card!

This front panel is also mounted on 3d foam for added interest so the heart is set back

although it's not that obvious in the photo sadly! Always the case eh!

This card just so happens it fit's into lots of Kylie's challenges (hence the title of my post)

so here goes:

First up:

HLS - CAS challenge: Watercolour Spritz

HLS - Anything Goes with Dies

Addicted to Stamps & More - Anything Goes

I'd also like to stick my neck on the line and try my chances

at joining the HLS - CAS design team call

Thanks as always for calling by my blog and I'll be back tomorrow

with the latest challenge details for Uniko - hope to see you then!

Guest Designer Spot for MUSE

Hi there crafty friends I've got some mega exciting news for you in this post as I'm Guest Designing for The Muse Card Challenge today!
Whoa! I was speechless (for just a second) when I received the message from Ardyth asking if I'd like to create a card for this fabulous challenge!
Without thinking too deeply about what I'd create, I zipped a message  straight back with a HUGE 'Yes Please!' so here's my card  and I hope you'll feel inspired to play along this week!

If you follow my blog regularly you may remember I attended the

Happy Little Stampers craft retreat in Swindon, UK last month.

As well as meeting a bunch of equally excitable crafty ladies we were 

introduced (some for the first time) to the magical properties and uses 

of Brushos by our super host and organiser Kylie of Happy Little Stampers.

So I'm 'hooked' and here's another example using Brushos to create a heart-shaped 

 jigsaw ... it really was tough piecing this one back together and had me wishing 

for a little piece of that Press n Seal stuff that so many American crafters use.

I love vibrant colours and die-cuts on my cards and here I've used the Neat & Tangled 

Heart of Gold die along with a 'Sending' word die by Simon Says stamp. 

The 'Hugs & Kisses' sentiment is by Clearly Besotted and to enhance the 'yellow' 

 in my 'brusho' heart I've added a strip of designer paper from Echo Park.

I can't wait to see how you are inspired by my card, perhaps using die-cuts, brushos, the layout or maybe the colours. Whatever takes your fancy and I'm certainly  looking forward to visiting your blogs this week to see how you've 'cased' it.
Here's the link to the Muse Challenge blog to play along.

I'd also like to enter my card at the Happy Little Stampers Challenge  ... Anything Goes with Dies It would be rude not to as Kylie (owner of HLS) taught me all I know about Brushos! LOL!

Thanks as always for stopping by my blog and huge thanks to the  Design Team at Muse for asking me to help out this week.

AAA Cards Challenge #72

Morning friends and I'm here again with details of the latest challenge over at AAA Cards. Our theme for this one is to use a New To You Technique 
For me I'm kind of hooked on Brushos following my attendance at the super duper Happy Little Stampers weekend retreat in Swindon. I can't believe it's a whole month since! Kylie (of HLS) was an excellent  teacher and a star player with the Brushos so she shared some of her stunning tips and tricks with them and one I've not tried previously is  to use laundry starch instead of water to activate the colours!
WOW! The vivid colours and spectacular patterns they create just  encourages me to make more and more background panels!!!! So here we go 

To maintain the clean and simple look I've hidden some of my Brusho

'master piece' behind a die from Sizzix but not before I'd die-cut the 

dragonfly by Clearly Besotted from the same piece! The sentiment

is also Clearly Besotted from their Brushed Greetings II set.

I can't wait to see how you play with this challenge and I'm hoping to 

learn lots of new techniques over the next fortnight! As always my

teamies have made some spectacular cards and if you head over to the

main AAA Cards blog there's links to their blogs 

We are also joined by Alexandra of Made by Alexandra who is our

Guest Designer for this challenge and a previous winner of our challenge.

Please head over to her blog and give her a friendly welcome!

Our sponsor for this one is Stampendous so our lucky winner will 

be in line for a prize - hope you feel inspired to play along!

Thanks as always for stopping by and I'll catch up with you again soon.

Happy Little Stampers August - part 2

... and I'm back with another Brusho inspired card which I'd also like  to enter at the Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies Challenge!
If you read my earlier post you'll see I'm completely hooked on Brushos following the fabulous weekend I spent at the Happy Little Stampers retreat in Swindon 2 weeks ago. Kylie, the queen of Brushos, taught us some wonderful techniques with this medium and I'm literally awash with ready prepared Brusho panels!!!! 
This one uses a die by Sizzix (Mixed Media #2) by Tim Holtz which I've die-cut  twice at both ends of the front panel. It was quite tricky to remove all the little pieces as  it's such an intricate die but I've now investedin a metal shim for my Big shot,  with some birthday pennies, which is working a treat now!

I've popped the Brusho panel and die-cut overlay onto fun foam for some  added interest and dimension. The sentiment is by Avery Elle: Sentimental.


Ok that's all for now but I'll be back tomorrow with a new challenge for Less is More so hope you'll join me then! Thanks for stopping by!