Less is More #347 - Sketch

Hello to you! Are you ready for another Less is More challenge? Well, it's sketch time this week

If you head on over to the challenge blog you'll find some fantastic inspiration from the design team, and there may be a few bonus cards on their personal blogs too.

I only made 2 cards this week as I have been busy making curtains for the house.

1) Water Coloured Birthday

My first idea for this sketch was to turn all the elements into the sentiment. I considered doing a rainbow coloured card but ended up using cool colours. Initially I just blended the background but felt it was missing something, so I added a layering stencil and a few stamped shapes to it for more interest.

I'm entering this into:
Addicted to stamps challenge #153 - Stamp a Background
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Birthdays Challenge
Dragonfly Journeys #101 Hip Hexagons

STAMPS: Happy Little Stampers birthday friends (the bubble-type stamp), Happy Little Stampers mix mash (the starburst stamp)
DIES: Sizzix Tim Holtz celebration word script
INKS: Distress inks - Pumice Stone, Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio and Broken China
OTHER: Tim Holtz layering stencil honeycomb, black card, Hammered white card, stardust stickles, 3d foam.

2) Metallic & Pearlised Christmas

This is one of my 'go-to' stamp sets for Christmas cards. I absolutely love the detail in the images and they look great embossed in different colours and some of the stamps look amazing stamped as a silhouette against a water coloured background. I also love that these stamps in the right colours (as here) are great for a masculine Christmas card.


This one is for:
ABC Christmas Challenge - S is for Sketch, T is for Trio
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Shimmer and Shine
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Pop it up
The Merry Christmas Challenge #35 - Anything Goes Christmas
Watercooler Wednesdays WWC137 - Anything goes masculine challenge

STAMPS: Papermania Joyeux Noel
INKS: Versamark Clear
EMBOSSING POWDERS: Papermania copper, Stampendous detail silver, Stampendous detail gold
OTHER: White pearlised card, 3d foam pads

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Thank you so much for visiting my blog today; I hope you found something you like and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon

Less is More #346 - Take Flight

Hi there!
How are things with you this week? I've been recovering from a cold/flu/sinus illness that made me take to my bed for a few days, but I'm all better now. And I can't complain because that is only the second cold (I think) that I've had in over 3 years.

So, I went into overdrive when I was on my feet again and that means I have 3 cards to share with you.

Today we have a lovely theme at Less is More and the DT girls have come up trumps with some amazing inspiration. Please head over to the challenge blog to take a look. Here is our cue card for this week

1) Verdigris Butterfly

For my first card I have to say that I think I have fallen in love with this verdigris embossing powder blend. The photographs really don't do it justice because it is glorious in real life. So, for this card, a simple die cut with a mix of embossing powders and a few pearls are all I needed.

I'm entering this one into:
Addicted to Stamps and More! #259 - Clean and Simple
The Mod Squad - The Heat Is On! (Heat embossing)
Tuesday Throwdown #360 - Birthdays
Watercooler Wednesdays  WWC136 - All about Birthdays

Hopefully you can pick out some of the golden tones. I used the embossing powder on the mat too, to blend it in perfectly.

DIES: Sizzix Thinlets magical butterfly, Tattered Lace sentiment
INKS: Versamark Clear
EMBOSSING POWDERS: WOW! Colourblend Verdigris, WOW! (inspired by Marion Emberson) Misty Sky and Oceanic
OTHER: White Linen Card, Black Card, pearls

2) Spooky Night

I don't normally make Halloween cards but I bought the TH Mixed Media Halloween dies last year and I've been itching to use the bats one. So I made a stencil with it.

I'd like to enter this into
Cardz 4 Guys #178 - Nature
Happy Little Stampers CAS September Challenge - Silhouette

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - It's Written In The Stars
The Male Room #69 - Technique Masking (I had to mask the moon to blend the background)

STAMPS: Inkylicious Moon stamp and mask
DIES: Tim Holtz Mixed Media Halloween
INKS: Distress Inks, Iced Spruce, Pummice Stone, Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans, Black Soot
OTHER: Computer generated sentiment banner. White linen card. White pencil (for the bat's eyes and the stars)

3) Downward Flying Bird of Paradise

This is my - "I REALLY should read the brief" mess-up card.

What an absolute dumbo I was.

I had it in my head that the theme this week was 'flying high' so thought I'd use the phrase on a get well card. Only to realise once the card was finished that my plummeting bird really wasn't appropriate for a 'Take Flight' theme. Ha! I even made the bird's face go from pink to green as it fell!

Ah well, as I really like this card I'm going to share it with you anyway. After all, the bird will take flight again when it recovers. (snigger)

This one is for:
As you like it challenge - Flora or Fauna and why.....Well,  I think you can see from this post (with bats, a butterfly and birds) that I'm a fauna kinda gal. I love birds and we get some pretty colourful ones over here in Portugal so it's lovely to watch them dipping or swooping for a drink from my pool.  Luckily I don't see any taking a nose-dive like this one!!
Everybody Art Challenge #408 - Clean and Simple
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Clean And Simple

That'll teach me to try to be clever!!

STAMPS: Stamplorations Birds of Paradise
INKS: Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog
OTHER: Colouring pencils, white, red and yellow card

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That's it from me for now. I hope you found something you like and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon

Less is More #345 - One Layer Colouring In

Hi

It's that wonderful ONE LAYER WEEK again. Love it or hate it, there are always some amazing cards in the Less is More gallery on one layer week.

This time we want to see you colouring in.........but remember to keep your cards CAS!!

I hope you will head on over to the challenge blog for some fantastic inspiration from the design team.

I have 3 cards for you today, one delicate colours, one vibrant and one fun one for the kiddies, so let's take a look at them

1) Pastel and White Sympathy Card

As I'm still catching up (aka getting 2 months ahead) with my DT makes after the summer festivities, I haven't joined in the colouring challenge that Kathy from the daily marker blog is currently running, so I will have to enter this one today.

I wanted to practice colouring a white flower, as I have never tried that before. Not bad for a first attempt. The image and sentiment are heat embossed in white, a background blended having masked off the flower, and the details added in with colouring pencils.

I'll be popping this one into:
The House That Stamps Built DCC96 - Sympathy Cards
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stamp It

STAMPS: Uniko Pure Florals Lily
INKS: Distress Inks - tumbled glass, spun sugar, squeezed lemonade. Clear Versamark
OTHER: WOW! Opaque Bright White Superfine embossing powder, Blending brushes, colouring pencils, white linen card, water spritzer, glossy accents

water spritzer
Glossy accents

2) Autumnal Jewels Trompe L'oeil

So from the sublime to the ridiculous (lol). I went OTT with the vibrant jewel and autumnal colours with this card. And I used one of my favourite shading techniques for tricking the eye into thinking this card is on more than one layer - it isn't!

This card is for:
Everybody Art Challenge #408 - Clean and Simple
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stamp It

This was stamped and masked, coloured with promarkers and a little extra detail added with colouring pencils. I also double embossed the centres of these flower/mandalas for a bit of interest.

STAMPS: Happy Little Stampers Mix Mash (the sentiment), KARS flower/mandala (had this for donkeys years but no idea what it is called now.
INKS: Memento black, Archival Ink in Olive, Clear Versamark
OTHER: Papermania clear embossing powder, heat tool, various promarkers, colouring pencils, white linen card

and to prove it is one layer - I hope that shows up in this photo!

3) Kiddies Circus Card

Finally, just a bit of fun for a kiddies card. Everything was stamped in red and coloured with colouring pencils.

I'm entering this into:
Dream Valley Challenge #162 - use a stamp or a digi
Make My Monday challenge #54 - something for a child
Unicorn Challenge #25 - Birthday

STAMPS: Clarity Stamps
INKS: VersaColour #23 Rose Red
OTHER: colouring pencils, white linen card.

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That's it from me for now. I hope you found something you like and I really hope to see you again soon. Thanks for stopping by today.

Hugs,
Sharon

Less is More #344 - Royal Blue and Lime

 

Hello again! I'm getting back into the swing of things now so I have 3 cards to share with you this week. We have a fantastic colour combo for you at the Less is More challenge:

It's the first challenge of September so that means we have a new sponsor for the month

and the owner of the store, Kylie, has made an amazing card as our guest designer this week. Please do pop over to her blog to leave her some lovely comments.

And don't forget the rest of the Less is More design team too - they have fab inspiration on the challenge blog and usually there are a few extras on their personal blogs too.

So lets take a look at the 3 cards I have for you this week.

1) Wildflower Notelet

I've headed straight back to my 5 minute makes with a classic design to help get ahead with my DT card making after my break.

You really can't get much more Clean and Simple than this! Simply ink the two parts of the stamp in separate colours, stamp it, blend a little background and layer up.

I'd like to pop this one in at
Crafty Creations #349 - Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenge #162 - Use a stamp or a digi
Watercooler Wednesdays #134 - Anything Goes

STAMPS: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection - Mini Bouquet
INKS: VersaColour Indigo and Lime, Distress Inks Mermaid Lagoon
OTHER: White Linen Card, 3d foam pads.

2) Fuchsia Die Cut

I really liked the look of that first card, so I made a variation on the same layout with a diecut rather than a stamp and a swipe of my ink pads.

I'm popping this one into
Scrappy Land Challenge #72 - Anything goes using a brand of die Scrappy Land sells (Memory Box)
Seize the Birthday - Ocean colours of Blue, Green and/or Aqua (Just blue and green from me!)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

STAMPS: Happy Little Stampers Mix Mash set (sentiment)
DIE: Memory Box Fuchsia Sprig
INKS: Versacolor Lime and Indigo
OTHER: White Linen Card, 3d Foam Pads

3) A bit of embossing

I'm sharing this one anyway, but I'm not really happy with it simply because it didn't turn out at all the way I pictured it in my head. Maybe I should have put a little blending in the aperture - but I didn't want to over-do it.

I'll enter this into
Creative Moments Challenge #125 - Anything Goes
Dragonfly Journeys #99 - Chevron Chic
Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything Goes

STAMPS: Happy Little Stampers Mix Mash Set
EMBOSSING FOLDER: Sizzix (sorry - I cant find the name of it)
OTHER: Clear embossing powder, White Linen Card, Circle Die

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Well that's it from me for this week. I can't wait to see what you all come up with for this colour combo.

Thanks so much for popping by. Hope to see you again soon.
Hugs,
Sharon

Less is More #343 - Use a real object

Surprise!!

Crikey! It seems like such a long time since I've posted anything on here - but it's only been a couple of weeks.

Well, let's crack on with the Less is More recipe:

It doesn't have to be difficult - using something like a button, paperclip or staple, some twine or wool, or even a bit of wood would all count for this challenge.

Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog to see the ingenious cards that the design team have made - and there may be extra inspiration on their blogs too.

We're also joined this week by the wonderful Viv from Daisy Mae Designs blog who is our guest designer. Please pop over to see her because her incredible card is a stunner!

 Pregnant Nappy Pins

I am so glad to be able to use these cute nappy pins. I bought them by mistake thinking they were stitch markers for my knitting. Oh dear! Sounds like I should've gone to a well know opticians, eh? (those people in the UK will get that reference).

Anyway, this design can be used as a congratulations on learning someone is pregnant, as in this case,  or for the birth of a baby (just change the colour of the ribbon on the 'baby' safety pin).

Oh! and just make sure that you glue in the pointy bits of the nappy pins so there are no accidents.

Dies: Sizzix Thinlets TH Alterations Stitched Rectangles,  Tattered Lace sentiment
Other: White linen card, 2 fancy nappy pins, 1 tiny safety pin, ribbon, 3d foam pads, glue

I'd like to pop this card into:

Cardz 4 Galz #54 - Cats or Kittens (hopefully this qualifies because the blue pin is a cat - but let me know if I've been too cheeky ladies!)

Crafting with and Attitude #30 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #125 Anything Goes

Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown TT357 - add metal

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Well, having had around 6 weeks off from card making (behind the scenes), I now have to start working ahead again so that I can give you more than one card as inspiration each week!  I've had an amazing time with my grandchildren both in the UK and over here in Portugal during the summer. It's sad but now that they are back with their Mummy my house is SO quiet (and so is the swimming pool!). I miss them terribly!

Also - I'm very sorry but I have had to turn comment moderation on again today as I've been subject to some spam comments. Grrrrrr! You have two weeks away and people think they can start spamming your blog. How annoying! Hope you'll bear with me for a while on this one. Thanks.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.
Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less Is More #340 - Tropical Fruits

Hello there. Well, here we are in the first week of August already - boy that time is sure whizzing past this year.

As it is the first challenge of the month we have a new sponsor at the Less is More challenge and it is

It is also our colour challenge this week

Hmmmm.... I totally forgot it was 'colour' week and made something with images of tropical fruits! Never mind, at least it automatically uses the colours of tropical fruits too!

Luckily some of the rest of the design team made cards with the colours but without the tropical fruit images so there is some fab inspiration on the challenge blog for you.

Tropical fruits

This is a stamp set that I have had for a while but haven't had the chance to use yet. Simple stamping and colouring on the base card with a sentiment on a raised panel is all that was needed for this card.

STAMPS: Hero Arts Lia Griffith (CL930), Clearly Besotted Laugh out loud sentiment
INK: Archival ink in olive green
OTHER: Distress Markers in a variety of citrus colours, string, 3d foam, White Linen Card.

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Well that's it from me for a couple of weeks now. I am travelling back home to Portugal today with my two eldest grandchildren so I've decided to take a couple of weeks break to enjoy my time with them.

Hope you get the chance to join in with the challenge this week.
See you after my holidays.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less is More #339 - Pierce

Hello my crafty friends. Hope you are all well. Things are good here and at the time of typing this post (on Friday morning) my daughter was in labour and before I finished typing we had a new grandson! Yippee. Time for lots of Nanny cuddles!

But first, it is the 5th Saturday in the month and that means we have a lucky dip challenge at Less is More this week and it is time to get piercing. So get out those brads, eyelets or sewing needles, or simply use a pokey tool to pierce your project. There's lots of scope for this one and I can't wait to see how you interpret it.

A short post from me today as I only had time to complete one project, but I hope you like this one.

Rainbow Stitching

I used a very old piercing template that I've had for years and pierced the holes into a piece of card I made with distress ink blending. After stitching the design I simply finished the panel with some pearl bead centres and the tiniest bling gem.

DIES: Tattered Lace sentiment
DISTRESS INKS: Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple.
OTHER: KARS bling bling doodles piercing template, White card, Black card, Black thread, Pearl centres, Gems

I'm entering this one into:
Double D Challenge - Black and White with a pop of colour


Unstampabelles Challenge #70 - Every Day is Special - twist lots of colour

Dare2Be Artzy July Challenge - Bright Colours

I'm sure if you visit my other team mates they will not disappoint and will probably have a few extra cards on their personal blogs. You can get to the main challenge by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Have a great week and hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,

Sharon xx