Less is More #246

Morning friends, it's time for a new challenge over at  Less is More  and it's Theme Week! Our theme is Masculine!
I can hear you groan ... me too! These are always tough to do as I automatically go for  my florals, girlie and butterfly sets which don't sit too well with the guys! But it's good to get out of our comfort zones now and again plus boost those masculine makes in the card box so hope you'll play along.

Here's my cards and first out I couldn't resist inking up this  fairly recent set, for the first time, from Clearly Besotted - Out of This World.

Using Distress inks in Ripe Persimmon & Wild Honey 

I inked a sun / planet. Then with Blueprint Sketch, Faded Jeans and Black Soot. 

I've added a few stars with a white gel pen, coloured the images with Stabilo markers

and mounted them on 3d foam, accented with wink of stella and glossy accents.

I'd like to head over to Inkspirational Challenges with this one and hope 

the glow from my spaceship and sun will pass the requirements!

It's always hard to make sympathy cards but particularly for a guy

so I thought I'd use this new set I picked up from my recent visit

to the Harrogate Showground Craft Fair. It's from Inkylicious and

I've used Dusty concord, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass and Black Soot

to create what I hope looks like a watery / misty background before

stamping the images and adding a few highlights here and there with

my white gel pen.

It's a colour theme over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge

this week along the Halloween tones but I'm hoping my 

eerie Halloween purple tones will work ok there!

It's a new look cue card at CASology too this week and 

cue word 'You' so I'm dropping in there too with my

Thinking of YOU card!

 ... and last be not least it's silly season!

Well that was last week's theme at CASology and these

silly Face-it stamps from The Alley Way Stamps were still

on my desk so I decided to use them. Laura Bassen did a fabulous

video this week of a shaker card using mason jars and that gave me

the inspiration to go with the jars - they are from the Clearly Besotted

Spring blooms set and I've coloured them with Distress Inks. To accentuate

those silly eyes I've added glossy accents and the sentiments are from

Uniko: All Occasion Sentiments #6 and Simply Said - Birthday

I'd like to link this one up at ColourQ - quite ashamed as I used 

to play along almost every week and haven't joined in for ages.

Ok time for you to jump to it and see what you can come up with.

I'm sure you'll WOW us like you do every week but if you need more 

inspiration there's some fab designs by my fellow teamies HERE

Thanks for visiting today and if I get chance I may have a few

extra cards over the weekend otherwise same time next week!!!

Sunbursts and Christmas

Happy Sunday all I'm back with a second post today to enter a few challenges that will be closing the doors soon  so here goes ...
First up is to enter the Happy Little Stampers - Sketch Challenge I'm so glad Kylie and the team keep reminding us as I wanted to join in as soon as I saw the sketch but kept slipping my mind. Anyway here it is and I'm skidding in under the gate with it!

In the hope that we get some super sunny weather in the UK

this week as I'm off work I've inked this Sunburst set up from 

Clearly Besotted and although I've used the sentiments before it's

the first time I've inked up the other images.

I've gone with super bright colours and tried to follow the palette 

at Colour Q as well as the sketch from Happy Little Stampers

This is my Christmas offering for this Sunday

to enter over at Merry Monday Christmas Challenge

where they'd like us to use one or more non-evergreen trees

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Birch Trees inked then heat-embossed with Hero Arts Clear EP,

Sentiment from Pretty Poinsettia & Bird dies from Paired-up

Imagine Crafts: Snow Circle stencil, inked with Versamark before inking the BG

in Tumbled Glass and Broken China distress inks.

MFT Die-Namics: Snow Drift die

      

I've loosely followed the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch but turned it on it's head

and having used a stencil I'd like to enter a second card at 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Stencil it

Ok that's it for today but I'll be back tomorrow with

a few more cards I'll be finishing off this evening ready to post.

Hope to catch you then and thanks for stopping by today.

Less is More #221

Morning all. Are you ready for the latest challenge from  Less is More
It's recipe week and we'd like to see you incorporate a  TAG on your project.
My Dad will be 70 this summer so here's a card for him. Although having put it together I'm not sure it'll fit  Dad or Grandad!!! Crumbs!
He doesn't check my blog so I should be safe posting this now.  There'll no doubt be a few additions before he receives it.

Card Recipe:

Avery Elle: Count On It dies

Paper Smooches: Stitched Tag die

Hero Arts: Happy word die & birthday sentiment

A strip of design paper from Echo Park, plus twine and sprinkles from Doodlebug

My Dad's favourite pastime is watercolour painting of scenery mainly and 

I'm hopeless at it but wanted to show my take on water-colouring!

I'd like to enter this over at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge

where it's Clean and Simple

Next up it's a vertical tag

This adorable set (Lawn Fawn: Gleeful Gardens)

was one of my sneaky goodies I purchased at the NEC 

and I think this is the first time I've inked it up.

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Rounded Tag

Uniko Studio: A Gift for You sentiment

Mama Elephant: Stitched Landscape Trio dies 

Images coloured with Stabilo pens and glossy accents for added dimension

Last one ... I've used an almost camouflage embossed

tag to sit the flower on then a mini tag too  

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Fresh Flowers (water-coloured with distress inks)

then die-cut with matching dies & sentiment from the same set

MFT Die-namics: Stitched border dies & Sentiment strips

I'd also like to enter this card at 

Freshly Made Sketches and ColourQ

      

        

Ok let's see what you come up with and remember to keep it

Clean and Simple with that lovely white space.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting.

I'll be back tomorrow with the latest challenge

from AAA Cards so hope to catch you then.

Less is More #220

Morning all ... we are Up, Up and Away this week at
Less is More
... well not literally but that's our theme and here's what I've got for you

Card Recipe:

Uniko Studio: Birthday Bash

3 'part' balloons inked directly onto the card with 2 

heat-embossed in WOW sparkle embossing powders

Strings and balloon decorations are also heat-embossed with the same

Clearly Besotted: Sunburst -sentiment

MFT Die-Namics: Fishtail Flags and Blueprints 15

I'd like to enter this card at ColourQ this week 

(hoping my silver will pass as grey and gold as my spot colour)

It's balloons of a different variety on this next one and my inspiration came

 from this photograph on Pinterest - hence the bright colours 

Also my hubby is doing a colour dash charity run tomorrow ...

You basically run the course while spectators throw powder paint at you! 

He did it last year so I know what to expect - he'll be covered top to toe

and resemble the top half of my card! 

The question is .... do I let him through the house or hose him

down with a hosepipe outside first?!?!?!?!?!

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Going Places - Balloons embossed with Hero Arts EP

then sponged over the top with distress inks in my favourite colours ...

(squeezed lemonade, spiced marmalade, picked raspberries and peacock feathers)

Mama Elephant: Landscape Trio die 

The sentiments are also from Clearly Besotted: Going Places & Say it in Style

Doodlebug Sprinkles ... just because I love those glossy dots!

I'd like to link this card up at the Wednesday Challenge

for Simon Says Stamp - Create your own background

Ok! Over to you talented crafters ... I'm sure you'll come up with some

super inspirational 'up up & away' ideas so I can't wait to see them.

Have fun and as always thanks for calling by.

Sunday Challenge Combo

Hello friends I've a couple of cards to share with you today for challenges I've neglected recently :-(  sometimes there's just not enough hours in the day to enter them all.
The first card is to enter at this week's Muse Card Challenge and CAS on Sunday.  Although I love Michelle's work I honestly couldn't get my head around her Muse card this week and I've been racking my brain constanly!
Then ... a little lightbulb moment when I popped over to CAS on Sunday. It's a 'chevron' themed challenge so I zapped some inspiration from their AMAZING DT.

Here's Michelle's card

 

Card Recipe:

Uniko Studio: Balloon Bash

Clearly Besotted: Happy Birthday sentiment set

MFT: Chevron Stencil

Distress Inks in Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers & Evergreen Bough

Next up is to enter at ColourQ 

My cousin gets married next month but I'm not sure if these colours

are too garish for a wedding card. Basically I 'needed' this colour red

for the love word die on another card and die-cut the centre but then 

thought it was too nice a shape to discard and this is what happened!

Card Recipe:

Uniko Studio: Flower Power #3

Clearly Besotted: Bridal Bouquet sentiments

Lawn Fawn: Love word Die

Impression Obsession: Heart Die - using the spare hearts

I coloured them black, winked with stella then drizzled with glossy accents

The red die cut panel was a freebie from Dies to Die for

Ok that's my lot for today but hope to see you in the week.

It's half term in the UK so no work for the week but it always 

flies by and never enough crafting done! 

Thanks for stopping by and have lovely evening.

SWEET HEART AND HOME

Happy Sunday all ... hope you are making good use of the extra hour today 

(well those of you in the UK anyway)

I've had a little time in my craft-room but really need to move on now

as I've got things to organise for going away in the morning.

I've got Mr Blogger (fingers crossed) lined up to share a few posts

this week in my absence and I'll try to check out your 

creations too wifi connection permitting!

So a bright and cheery new home card despite the dreary day!

Challenges:

ColourQ 

CASology - Home

Simon Says Stamp: Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Pixies Snippet Challenge

Card Recipe: 

Clearly Besotted: Home Sweet Home & Frame Mat Die

I've used lots of snippety bits of DP from Doodlebug 

to die-cut my little home and tree scene 

which is mounted on the Frame Mat and embossed 

with a Woodgrain embossing folder from Cuttlebug.

The heart in the centre is die-cut from glitter card, 

winked with stella and drizzled with glossy accents.

To finish I've added a chimney with mini hearts escaping at the top.

The sentiment is from the CBS: Home Sweet Home stamp set.

  

Next up a very quick make to link up to the Freshly Made Sketches challenge

Using the colour scheme from Uniko Studio's Monthly Challenge

For added texture I've used Papermania textured cardstock for my panels and some

stitched dies from MFT Die-Namics

The stamps are Uniko Studio - Flower Power 6

  

Ok that's all for today, thanks for stopping by and have a good week

                                                            

MINI CREATURES, BUGS & CREEPY CRAWLIES

Morning Crafty Pals

Here we are again ... Saturday which means

A new Less is More Challenge

and this week it's all about Little Creatures

 so dig out your stamps and goodies and get busy!

I've raided my digi images and this one is a pre-coloured

stamp from Pollycraft which I've embellished with 

Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents.

The sentiment is Clearly Besotted: from the In the Frame set

stamped onto a mini banner die from WPlus9

To add a little interest to my card I've embossed a horizontal strip
using a die from the MFT Die-Namics Blueprint 13 set.

I'm also entering this card at CAS on Sunday where the

current theme is 'Emboss It' and hopefully this little strip will suffice!

Next up I've used another digi stamp - this one was free 

but I'm sorry can't remember where I picked it up from.

The sentiment is Clearly Besotted: Sweet Little Sentiments,

Scalloped die also Clearly Besotted then for added interest

bakers twine, gems from my stash and glossy accents.

I've gone a bit crazy on the colour for this one as I'm following the 

colour palate at ColourQ plus the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches but

hopefully you can still make out my little bugs!

  

Stamps Used: Clearly Besotted: Build a Bug with matching dies

& sentiment from: It's Your Birthday

Uniko Studio: Flower Power 6

Design paper is Doodlebug and the caterpillars are drizzled with

more glossy accents.

Ok that's all for me so over to you talented people

and I can't wait to see your creations - you certainly pulled

all the stops out with the 2 of something challenge last week.

So have a fun and crafty weekend and I'll be back soon. 

                                                         

CRAFTY SUNDAY

Hello All

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday and enjoying some sunshine although a little chilly.

I'm just quickly zipping by to share a couple of cards for some challenges before my tea!

This one is for my cute 3 year old niece - she's so cheeky and I imagine she'll

 love all the silly faces on this card.

Card Recipe:

The Alley Way Stamps: Face It

Clearly Besotted Sentiments: Happy Days & For Everyone

Sizzix Framelit - Circle Dies

Challenges I'd like to enter:

CAS(E) this Sketch

Color Throwdown

Pixies Snippet Challenge

Addicted to Stamps: Anything Goes

    

And here's the next one ...

Card Recipe:

MFT: Hearts Stencil

MFT: Pierced Rectangle Dies

Clearly Besotted: Love Hearts Stamps & Dies

Clearly Besotted: Scalloped Border Dies

WPlus9: Basic Sentiment Banners

Echo Park: Design Paper

Gems from my Stash

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Freshly Made Sketches

Colour Q

Addicted to CAS - Stencil

    

Ok that's all for me today ... need to catch up on some TV this evening.

Yes ... have to admit I like Strictly Come Dancing 

then Homeland starts again this week!

Catch up with you all again soon and thanks for stopping by.