Less is More #370

Hello my crafty friends, it's Sketch Time over at Less is More for the next fortnight and we can't wait to see what you do with this one! All the details are on the main challenge blog HERE but here's the cue card followed by the Sketch and my examples. 



If you've followed my blog recently you'll notice I've become a little 'hooked' on stencils, especially in this colour combo of Distress Oxides: Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet and Cracked Pistachio. I've used the Concentric Circles Stencil from MFT with a little masking around the circles and to finish a popped up sentiment from our sponsor; Happy Little Stampers. 

It's a clean and simple week over at Addicted to Stamps and More so I'd like to head across there with this one AND as I'm 'WILD' about stencils right now and that's the theme of the current challenge at Timeout Challenges I'd like to add this card there too. 





... and another MFT stencil below! This time the Rose Builder, again inked with Distress Oxides in Worn Lipstick and Candied Apple plus Cracked Pistachio and Lucky Clover. I must apologise I can't remember where the sentiment is from! It's from my bits box from one of those days when I'd heat embossed too many sentiments! 

Over at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge it's their Anything Goes week so I'll pop this card in there.

As always there's loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies  over on the Less is More blog HERE and our sponsor for this challenge is Happy Little Stampers so do play along for a chance of a prize, which we'll announce at the start of next month. 


I hope you'll feel inspired to play along with us and have some crafty fun along the way.
Thanks for calling by today!

Less is More #367

Hello my crafty friends, I think I've missed a fortnight somewhere as it certainly only seems a minute since announcing our previous challenge over at Less is More but my diary says it's right so here goes with that ONE layer one that we love to terrorise you with!!!
All the details are on the main challenge blog HERE but here's the cue card to get you started and I've 2 cards to share with you today.

First up using one of my all-time favourite stencils from our sponsor STAMPlorations called Bold Florals. I've only used part of the stencil to leave a reasonable area of 'white' space and using Distress Oxides in Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade and Twisted Citron I've inked through the stencil adding some pencil detail too for extra shading. The sentiment is by Clearly Besotted, Brushed Greetings.

My next card uses another stunning stencil from ex Less is More teamie and super buddy Sarah of Funky Fossils and if you fancy this stencil too you can purchase it from her Folksy store HERE 

For this one I used standard Distress Inks in rainbow colours with sentiments from Neat & Tangled; Everyday Circles

I'd like to link this one up over at Timeout Challenges where they are celebrating their 4th birthday - Congratulations ladies and here's to many more. I hope my cheery rainbow colours make for a sunshine fun birthday feeling!

As always there's loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies  over on the main blog HERE and as I mentioned earlier our sponsor for this challenge is STAMPlorations so do play along for a chance of a prize, which we'll announce at the start of next month. 


I hope you'll play along in our and have some fun with us.
Thanks for calling by today

Uniko Challenge #45

Hey there, it's time to announce our latest challenge over at Uniko; here's the cue card showing what we're looking for.

I was drawn to the rose and heart in the photo but skipped the heart in the end for this card! You'll have to pop back when we showcase our reminder posts, on 2nd February for that addition! I've used an 'old' sentiment (or 2) from the All Occasions Sentiments #3 with the newly released Pure Florals Rose set. I've tried to colour this using a 'no-line colouring' technique by stamping the images with Memento inks then colouring with Promarkers. 

I think the sentiment on my card is pretty appropriate too as our Guest Designer for this challenge is  one of my best craft buddies EVER and fellow teamie at Less is More! It's Anita of Neet & Crafty who won the last challenge with none other than the Christmas card she sent me; to say I was thrilled is an understatement! Do pop along and visit her blog and leave a friendly word and some love. She won't admit to owning loads of yummy stash but believe me she does and creates such beauties with it all! 

There's a couple of challenges I'd like to pop my card into, first up Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday Challenge is to 'Add a Sentiment' and I've done just that! Timeout Challenges is inspired by words "Each day is a gift, open it, celebrate it, enjoy it!" so my take is that fabulous friends are true gifts and it's great open up, celebrate and enjoy special times with them!

Also it's a photo inspiration week at Inkspirational and I couldn't resist adding this card there as I was drawn to those stunning flowers and leaves in the picture and my stitched border works well with the string of pearls and strings on the violin - hope it counts! 

You have until Friday, 23rd February to link up to the challenge and all the details you need about prizes and how to play can be found over at Uniko HERE

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

Less is More #358

Morning friends!
Oh my goodness we really are getting extremely close to Christmas and I feel so disorganised and lacking in handmade Christmas cards that I feel a shop bought pack may be required this year to bolster my stock! 
It's time to announce the latest challenge from Less is More and in true festive style we've a challenge that could be 'twisted' towards that Christmas theme if, like me, you're struggling with cards.
Sadly I've only the one today as there's one more stamp release from Uniko to sneak in before Christmas so that has also kept me out of mischief and away from my Christmas card production line! I feel my hand delivered ones will be still wet with glue when I deliver them on Christmas Eve!!!
Anyway here's this week's CUE CARD and it's that dreaded ONE layer week too!

... and here's my card using a cheap and cheerful stamp I picked up from The Works (UK book / stationary / craft shop). It's a little living room scene in itself featuring a roaring toasty fire and lights on a Christmas Tree so as soon as I saw it I knew which challenge it would be heading towards!

I stamped the image in black then heat embossed with clear embossing powder over the top before colouring the images with Promarkers. There's a little wink of stella and glossy accents on those stockings and a sentiment from Uniko to finish. Oh and I hand drew the border to frame the image. 

It's an Anything Goes week over at Addicted to Stamps and More so I'd like to pop this one in there, plus over at Timeout Challenges there's a photo inspiration and I couldn't resist not joining in when I saw the cute little stockings against the wood background. 

As always there'll be loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE and no doubt a few extras on their own blogs so do pay them a visit this week.
Our fantastic sponsor for this month is Happy Little Stampers and if you want to be in with a chance of a prize, then do play along each week, We'll announce our monthly winner at the start of next month.


Hope you'll play along and have some fun and thanks for calling by. 

Honey I Shrunk The Kit #12 - Going Up

Hey there friends, it's time for another day out with my fellow Honey Babes for another HISTK post! I can't believe how quickly the weeks passed as it doesn't seem long since we were showcasing Shona's super cute set. This time our host is the lovely Hazel, who named this kit 'Going Up' - read on for more details ...

There was so much to work with that I ran out of time before using everything but it does mean I can play some more with what's left and here's the cards I've made so far ...

For this first one I die-cut a window in a panel of black cardstock using the MFT Rectangel Peek-a-boo die and popped that up on fun foam for dimension. A piece of design paper behind with my little koala scene. The sentiment is die-cut with a snow-drift die, also MFT Die-namics and the images and sentiment are all coloured with Promarkers.

It's an Anything Goes Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge so I'd like to link my card up there. 

Here's I've coloured the die-cut butterflies with distress inks, before placing them in an embossing folder from WeR Memory Keepers Next Level folders. Another MFT die used here to separate the black and white card stock - basic stitched border dies. The sentiment is die-cut using a Sizzix oval stax and I've added some colour-coordinated enamel dots - just because I love them and it needed a little extra 'lift' I thought!

First of all I created a frame for these lovely die-cuts using the WPlus9 Sunshine Layers dies. The images were coloured with promarkers and fuzzy cut (where necessary) before mounting my little scene on foam or directly on the cardbase for differing dimension. I couldn't resist adding those gorgeous diamond gems for extra detail and the sentiment seemed perfect for the scene.

As luck would have it when I made this card I had been using the 'Time To Party' set by Clearly Besotted and I realised the balloon die-cuts (which I don't own) were the perfect fit! Hey what a stroke of luck. Using a little more of the design paper I picked 3 colours to tone with it and stamped the balloons in Altenew Inks, adding a little water to spread the pigment on the water-colour cardstock. I coloured the 'make a wish' die-cut sentiment with the same inks and adhered everything to the card also making use of the twine as the strings for my balloons. 

Over at Time Out their having a 'celebrations' themed challenge and I'd like to play along there although sadly I've certainly not twisted with the one layer option!

It was such a joy to work with this kit Hazel and thanks so much for sending it and inspiring us with such gorgeous bits and pieces from your stash ...

Kit contents include:

Stamps: Gerda Steiner Designs - You're Koalafied/ STAMPlorations - Noteworthy 2/ Bella Stamps - Tomorrow's Dream & A Beautiful Day/ 
Dies: MFT - Brushstroke Birthday Greeting/ Clearly Besotted - Let's Party Die Collection / Spellbinders - Day Dreams (sun and clouds) / Butterflies (not sure) 
Other: Patterned paper: Stampin' Up! - Birthday Basics (retired) / Yellow twine


As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I'm off to check out what the rest of my teamies, below, have made with this fantastic bundle. 
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!

AAA CAS Cards Challenge #89

Hello there friends, it's time for another challenge over at AAA CAS Cards
The theme for this one is 'Bright & Beautiful' and here's my card; to be honest I wasn't quite sure which way to go with this one but roses are always a beautiful flower in my opinion so I've teamed them with a strip of glittery washi tape to add some brightness and coloured the die-cut from Memory Box with my Zig Clear Brush pens before adhering to my card base with glossy accents. The sentiment is Clearly Besotted and I hope my card will make someone feel well again!

Challenges I'd like to link to are:

Addicted to Stamps & More: Clean & Simple

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes 

Time Out Challenges: Flowers

Here's our photo inspiration for you and 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 Carol, 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 So Suzy Stamps and one lucky winner will receive $25 Gift Certificate.
As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope you feel inspired and will play along with us!

Less is More #326

Morning friends, are you ready for this week's challenge at Less is More
First of all I've a little sad news first as we are losing one of our teamies today! Work and life have taken over Jen's time leaving her totally lacking in energy as well as time to commit to Less is More. We hope it's only a 'Bye For Now' and she may rejoin the team at a later date as and when things settle down for her. I hope you'll drop by and leave her some love and good wishes this week too.
Ok time to announce our challenge and it's a 5-week month which means it's lucky dip time and we've a guest designer too! It's Jane of Purple Jet Loves Crafts she's a superb Clean and Simple Designer and a fellow teamie of mine at both AAA Cards and Uniko so I'm delighted she agreed to be our GD this week. Do pop along and visit her blog, I'm sure she'd appreciate it and you'll have a treat.

Here's what I've created to inspire ... I hope  

First up bold and vibrant! This silly shaped scrap of coloured watercolour card is a left over that has been sitting around for way too long! Do you keep all those odds and ends? I've not had chance to look back at the original card showing the other half but it's simply stripes of Zig Clear Brush Markers with a little water to blend. This 'smile' die, from Lil'Inkers was on my desk from another card that I'll be sharing on the blog later in the week and I decided to use it here as it's bold enough to take a 'white' shadow by die-cutting both black and white card pieces and adhering them together slightly to on side. The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted.

I'd like to link this one up at Addicted to Stamps and More, where it's their Clean and Simple week plus Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

   

I'd like to hop across to Timeout Challenges with this second one as their theme is Flowers although I've not gone with the 'optional' KISSING technique! It's not a favourite stamping trick for me! ☺

From bold and brash to serene and subtle. This one uses the Paper Smooches Botanicals 2 set, inked up initially with Hero Arts white pigment ink then re-inked, slightly to the right, using Altenew Dye inks. The sentiment is by Clearly Besotted from the Simple Silhouettes set.

Don't forget to check out the fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE and I hope you'll play along and have some fun.

Thanks for calling by and I'll be back soon!

Less is More #323

Morning friends, are you ready for this week's challenge at Less is More and can you believe we are back round to that 'unpopular' challenge again?

YES! I'm afraid it's the one layer week and here's what I've created for you and I hope you'll feel inspired to play along. As always there's loads of fun ideas by my fellow teamies over on the LIM blog HERE with links to their own blogs so do pop over and visit them if you get chance.

This first one uses a stamp by this month's sponsor LOTV - I think he's called James Bear but not sure what the name of the stamp is. He's sat in a frame which I managed to mask around before stamping. In fact rather a bit of masking happened here as I had to mask James then the curved panels at the top and bottom.

After last week's pastel colours sent me out of my comfort zone I decided to get straight back in with those vibrant rainbow shades using Ranger Die inks. The bear is coloured with Promarkers and the sentiment is by Create a Smile.

I'd like to enter this one over at TimeOut Challenges as it's a play on words and I just can't resist a rainbow! 'When it rains look for rainbows, when its dark look for stars'

The first card is my second attempt because ... would you believe I splashed water by accident on the first one and my sentiment went all blurry! OMG the air was blue!

Anyway I've managed to rescue it but sadly no longer a one layer but just to show that you don't have to toss every mess up in the bin ... I fuzzy cut around the base of the rainbow, added a piece of cardstock behind and stamped a new bold sentiment with a hand-drawn edge to the curve for added detail. 

One more very simple card for you and this one uses the Fairytale stamp set by Clearly Besotted, heat-embossed in WOW metallic silver sparkle EP and coloured with Promarkers. The floral spray is on a slight curve so I think I can get away with that plus I used a corner punch on 2 corners! 

Ok that's all I have for today and I hope you'll play along and have some fun.

Thanks for calling by and I'll be back soon!

TIME OUT Challenges Celebrating a 3rd Birthday

Hi there buddies, can you believe the TIME OUT challenge blog is celebrating it's 3rd birthday this month! 
Congratulations and well done ladies - I just wish I had the chance to play along every time! Luckily for this one I'm here with the Uniko team and had a little advance warning to prepare a card as Uniko is one of the sponsors for this special birthday challenge.
The theme for this one is  Love / Friendship with the Optional Twist of Spotlight Stamping.
I've gone with Friendship without the twist using one of the newly released sets  from Uniko, Originally Organic Additions which is just perfect for this challenge. 

I hope you'll play along and join the Time Out team as they party away

and all the details can be found on their blog HERE plus my teamies

at Uniko have been working away with this theme too so if you head

over to Uniko HERE there's links and sneaky peeks at their cards too!

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I'll catch up soon!

Less is More #304

Morning friends, this is my first of two posts today so I hope you'll pop back in an hour when I'll be introducing the Rustic Wreath,  soon to be released Christmas set from Uniko!
If you can't wait that long I've got a sneaky little preview here using  this very set but there will be more a little later!
BUT first of all it's time to announce this week's challenge over at 
Less is More
and we are back round to our Recipe week! We'd like to see you use an Emboss Resist technique on your card and there's lots of brilliant examples from my fellow teamies at Less is More so I hope you'll zip across  to the main blog HERE and follow the links to their individual blogs!
First up here's mine ...

As promised a preview of the Rustic Wreath set being released tomorrow by Uniko and here I've embossed the wreath and one of the sentiments in the set with Hero Arts White EP before blending various blue toned distress inks over  the top. The melted embossing powder acts as the resist here. I've also  spritzed a flicked a little water and perfect pearls mix - because I can't help myself then added a few gems from my stash for added sparkle. The base panel is subtly dry embossed with one of the We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folders.
I'd like to link this one up over at Timeout Challenges where the  theme is Christmas with the optional twist of glitter and shimmer. In real life my card is shimmering from the perfect pearl spritz plus I've added some mini gems which certainly shimmer and sparkle in the light!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on my blog ... so here's another festive card

Again using stamps by Uniko: Christmas Foliage and a sentiment from the 

Rustic Wreath set. I've heat embossed the foliage with Ranger Silver Pearl

embossing powder this time and blended Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough 

and Lucky Clover over them to enhance the 'resist' stamping. To finish a 

die-cut frame using MFT Die-Namics pierced rectangle dies, pine cones from

the Uniko Christmas Foliage set and some red nail heads for some glossy detail.

Thanks as always for popping by my blog and I hope you feel inspired

to play along with our challenge this week.

Have fun!