A Trio of Cards - just for fun!

Hi Friends, I don't often get time to create just for creating sake but today I made a little time to finish off some cards that had been sat in pieces on my desk for a while and what's more I'm hoping they'll fit into  a couple of challenges too!
First up it's my fellow Less is More Teamie, Anita, who is playing MUSE this week at the Muse Card Challenge so couldn't resist 'casing' her gorgeous card. The colours are so neutral, calming and subtle ... quite the opposite to my usual style but I've had a go!

In addition to the colours I was inspired by the shiny leaf die-cuts and design paper

peeping through the negative space. Here I've used a flourish die by Sizzix and instead

of using the design paper behind I've water-coloured a panel in Autumnal browns and 

greens using Distress Inks. I've splattered some gold and bronze paints too using the 

Gansai Tambi water colour set. The leafy die-cut is from my stash (sorry not sure of

the manufacturer) and it's coated in Versamark ink before heat embossing with Ranger

Liquid Platinum embossing powder. The sentiment is by Happy Little Stampers, which

is embossed using the same powder before popping up on 3d foam.

Here's Anita's card

I'd also like to enter this one at 

Addicted to CAS - Watercolour

The next two cards use two floral sets from Altenew that are my

favourites at the minute! Beautiful Day which I bought a couple of 

weeks ago having admired it for months (it seems) and Remember This

which I purchased last weekend at the Happy Stampers Festival.

I've also kept to a similar design as I'm loving the effect of a coloured

bloom or two with the remainder of the images in black outline.

So here's Beautiful Day inked with Altenew Inks also with the panel

cut from a WPlus9 die in the Sunshine Layers die set then popped up

on green fun foam for added dimension. I've added a black gem to the

centre of the flower and some glossy accents for added detail.

I'd like to pop this one in at Addicted to Stamps and More where it's

their CAS week of challenges plus

CASology where the cue card is Support

EDIT: Thanks to Anita for suggesting I enter my floral card in the 

latest challenge over at Virgina's View - Focus Point

 Last but not least - here's 'Remember This' by Altenew

  again inked up using Altenew inks with the smaller blooms coloured with Promarkers, in what I hope are almost identical shades! I couldn't resist adding a few sequins to the design but looking at the photo I'm kind of wishing I hadn't!  So there's a brand new challenge in blogland simply called The Flower Challenge
What a perfect idea and a perfect name as who can resist all those wonderful bloom sets out there and now there's a challenge just to showcase those very things! Bliss! So I'm heading over there with this one and it's their first challenge titled "Anything Goes With Florals" and there's a whole month to enter so why not have a look and enter too!
Ok that's all for me today and thanks for calling by my blog. Catch up soon!

Uniko - Introducing Background Builders Triangulate

Hello there, I'm thrilled that you've stopped by again as it's  Day 2 of the Introductions to the new release of stamps from 
Uniko 
and we're introducing a new geometric, background builder set. This time it's triangles so loads of possibilities to create funky fun patterns!

Party banners for me with these funky geometric triangles plus one of the border strips 

which I've curved along my acrylic block. I've used another sentiment from 

All Occasion Sentiments #6 which was introduced yesterday along with the

 'On Your Birthday' from Simply Said: Birthday. I can't resist a few Doodlebug

accents especially as they matched my colorbox chalk inks so perfectly!

I'd like to link this up at Darnell's NBUS challenge #5 - these are new stamps!

Hope that's ok as well as Virginia's View where it's a geometric theme.

There's more fabulous inspiration with this set from  my teamies over on the  Uniko blog here and here's the schedule for the rest of the week!

18th September - Last day of Introductions!

Here you'll get to see the soon to be released products in action.

The design team will be joining in on the introductions and you won't want to miss a second!

Saturday, 19th September - Release Day!

You will get to see all the products in their entirety and purchase them HERE on the website!

As tradition holds there will be  a Design Team Blog Hop with a chance for a lucky person

 to win the ENTIRE release & a little extra!

Now, you won't want to miss out on any of the fun from the 14th - 19th September

as Bev (Uniko) will be drawing totally random winners for mystery prizes.

There's no hints as to the prizes or their value, you'll just have to join in on the fun!

Places to join in on the fun & possibly win a prize are by commenting along the way on

the Uniko Blog, Design Team Blogs, liking the Uniko Facebook Page,

following on Twitter and Pinterest!

I hope you'll pop back tomorrow for the next Sneaky Peek!

Less is More #227

Morning all are we ready for a new challenge from Less is More - I hope so ...
it's Colour week and we are looking for Sunset  so lots of yummy colours to play with.
Here's my examples and for more inspiration please check out the fabulous creations from my teamies on the LIM Blog

Card Recipe:

I've gone with a sunset-type coloured skyline although I'm no artist so 

I've no doubt got the colours all the wrong way around!

Using blended distress ink: Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade,

Festive Berries and Picked Raspberry

Clearly Besotted: Life's a Circus stamp;

 sentiment from the Design a Tree set both heat-embossed

I'd like to enter this card over at Virginia's View Challenge 

as I've used an Ombre style to my night sky

It was hubby's birthday this week and I made this card 

for him for a laugh ... he's not really into the soppy cards;

the more silly and insulting the better in his opinion!

Card Recipe: Mama Elephant: Pandamonium image & sentiment Cheery Lynn: Picket fence die Distress Inks: Mustard Seed, Wild Honey & Spiced Marmalade I was hoping to limit the inking to the semi-circle of sunset but thanks to a 'smudge' on the outer edge of the card I ended up going all round the  edge of the card base too but I think it gives it some fun detail.
There's a 'Masculine' theme over at Simon Says Stamp this  week and as this card was made for a guy I'm heading over there with it. I'd also like to try my luck in the Happy Little Stampers Sketch Challenge
                      
Ok crafters over to you and as ever, I'm excited to see where your inspiration  takes you this week. I'll be dropping in to check out your creations soon. Thanks for calling by and have a fun day. I'll be back tomorrow with a fun new challenge over at AAA Cards.

Monika's Birthday

Hello All I've just one little card for you today and it's  to enter a special birthday linky party for Monika

She makes some AMAZING cards and always leaves the sweetest comments on blog posts with a super cheery smile. She's asked us to CASE one of her card styles so I've gone for Cute, No Design Paper & CAS although today it's more 'layered' CAS.
Happy Birthday Monika

Card Recipe:

Mama Elephant: Pandamonium

MFT Die-Namics: Fishtail Flags Stax

My Favourite Things: Concentric Circles Stencil

Clearly Besotted: Sweet Little Sentiments

I've used my Panda stamps and sequins purchased at 

Make the Day Special Stamp Store

plus I've used their Tic-Tac-Toe board from the April Challenge HERE 

so I'm heading across there to link this card up too.

I've used Metal/Metallics: twine

Bling/Sequins & Feminine

Edit: Just casually floating round blogland and noticed

Virginia's View challenge is all about layers and dimensions

so I'm popping my card over there too.

Thanks as always for calling by and catch you soon.

Still here ... with a couple of cards

I feel I've neglected my blog this week so thought I'd share a couple of cards for some challenges.
Having had a crazy busy work week I'm frantically trying to  get my DT cards up to date and organise myself for a family wedding we are off to this weekend - I'm sure it will all come together!

This week's challenge at Simon Says Stamp is 

Special Lady / Girly

So what better occasion than Mothers' Day and a girly shaker card

Card Recipe: 

Dies: Sizzix Circle Framelits & Clearly Besotted Elegant Butterflies

Sentiment: Cleary Besotted Fresh Flowers Stamps

Stencil: Memory Box - inked with distress inks in my fav combo ...

Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade & Scattered Straw

My first go at Bokeh!

Looking around blogland it seems lots of you were experimenting with Bokeh last weekend!

Me too ... although this is the first opportunity I've had to post it.

It's such a fascinating and fun look but I thought it would be incredibly hard anyway a few Youtube videos later and here's my attempt!
I made my own multiple circle stencil using various sizes of circle dies and having inked my panel in Distress inks (spritzed and merged) I sponged Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink through the circles  overlapping some and deepening the sponging on others.
The sentiment is heat embossed from Clearly Besotted: It's your Birthday set.
I'm heading over to Happy Little Stampers with this where  it's a 'sponging' theme this time. 
And Virginia's View where it's all about embossing with a happy first birthday to celebrate too.
   

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back tomorrow with my  DT post for Less is More so catch you then.

Less is More Challenge #206

Hello friends ... it's Saturday morning and  time for a new challenge at 
Less is More
You certainly had fun with last week's colour challenge and it was great to see you all back and crafting after the Christmas break.
Ok for today it's the return of the  One Layer Card and the theme is - New Beginnings
As luck would have it this week I have 2 real-life new beginning occasions  where cards were needed ... love it when that happens!
The first one being one of my cousins and his wife  had a new addition to the family just before New Year and this card will be winging it's way over to them in Hawaii.

I seem to have an addiction to Distress Inking at the moment

and I wanted a graduated look from left to right.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Uniko Studio - Sweet Baby

Dies: Paper Smooches - Dots and Dashes (NBUS)

To finish I've added some Doodlebug sequins which I've reduced in size using a 

Provo Craft Silent Setter - it was pretty tough going 

so I wasn't particularly silent during this process!

Worth it though as I find some sequins too big for some of my cards.

This week's theme at Simon Says Stamp is also 'Something New' 

so I simply have to enter this card over there.

Next up you may remember from last week's post that 

our fabulous design team member, Anne was moving house this week.

This card is for her and it's ended up taking on a somewhat

child-type interpretation of a house and garden in the summertime.

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Diagonal Stripe Stamps (NBUS)

Clearly Besotted: Home Sweet Home, Sweet Little Sentiments,

Happy Birthday (NBUS) & Baby Shower stamps (hearts from the chimney) (NBUS)

Lil Inkers: Stitched Sunshine Die (NBUS)

Doodlebug Sprinkles and a sponging of memento ink

Now you'll notice my post is awash with new santa goodies (NBUS)

so I'll be heading over to Darnell's blog to enter this card.

There's another new challenge, for me too, that I'd like to try this week

Virginia's View Challenge #11 - Clean Slate

this card seems appropriate: it's a 'clean slate' and a one layer card.

Having created two fairly 'obvious' new beginning cards I wanted

to do something a bit 'off the wall' but was struggling if I'm honest.

So who better to ask ... the family!

My son decided a new leaf could be a new beginning so 

here's a card showing 'turning over a new leaf'

Now this is a bit too CAS even for me so couldn't resist adding a little bling!

Card Recipe:

Paper Smooches: Botanical Stamp set

Uniko Studio: All Occasion Sentiments #1 (NBUS)

Twine & gems from my stash

Oh and what another stroke of luck as the current prompt word at 

Inkspirational Challenges is 'Note' so guess where else I'm heading!

Ok last but not least a little bit more distressed inking ...

I wanted my little scene to appear as if the recipient was

leaving for a sunnier and brighter climate with the graduated sky colour

and clouds of course!

Card Recipe:

Paper Smooches: Metropolitan Stamp Set

Clearly Besotted: Say it In Style Sentiment stamps 

Derwent Coloursoft pencils and glossy accents

Now I'm handing the baton to you crafty pals as I'm all out of ideas

but I'm confident you'll shine with some super fun creations.

Thanks as always for stopping by it's much appreciated 

and have a superb and crafty time.