Less is More #489

 Hello there,

We have a fabulous new challenge for you at Less is More,

Use this gorgeous photograph for your inspiration, we can't wait to see your entries.

For my first card I used Gerbera Daisy stamp by Flourishes (no longer trading) stamped across the top corner and coloured with marker pens.

The sentiment is from Visible Image.

My second card is a Popcorn the Bear stamp from Crafters Companion also coloured with marker pens.

The sentiment is by Papertrey Ink

Please check out the inspiration on the blog from the design team.

Thanks for popping in

Less is More # 468 Emboss

 

Hello there,

We have a brand new challenge over at  Less is More and it's a super (aren't they all?)

We'd like to see embossing on your cards this time but remember to keep them clean & simple with plenty of clean space.

I'm sitting comfortably in my happy place with this challenge. I really do love a bit of embossing, in fact it was the first thing I attempted when I first started making cards all those years ago.

One of the first pieces of equipment I bought was a heat gun and some embossing powder and even now I get a thrill from watching the powder melt as if by magic. So I might just have got a bit carried away with my inspiration samples this time.

Dry embossing

Dry embossing can be done with an embossing stylus or an embossing folder. This card is simplicity itself.

I used my Crafters Companion box maker and a stylus and just scored the lines until I thought the panel was wide enough.

I cut my flowers from watercolour card and gave them a wash of water colour paints.

I added a sentiment stamped and embossed in gold.

The crocus and  Illarius are from Alexandra Renke, the tulip is Simply Graphic

Texture Embossing

For this one I used a stencil called falling petals from Alexandra Renke and some Nuvo embellishing Mousse.

I used some more of the same flowers

Heat embossing

This one is slightly different and I'm not sure it's CAS enough so I've left it until last.

I used some mid grey card for my base and a piece of light grey for the panel.

The leaves are from a  set by Crafters Companion that were free with a magazine ages ago.

I stamped them in clear ink and embossed the in gold EP before fussy cutting them.

I added a strip of black to the top of the panel and then added an eyelet in gold.

The sentiment is another really old Papertrey ink stamp, stamped and embossed in gold.

I finished off with some waxed thread in gold.

Sympathy cards are not the nicest ones to have to make but I do like to have a couple ready made because sooner or later I know I will need one.

I do hope I've given you a little bit of inspiration, please pop over to the Less is More blog for some super creations from my teamies.

Less is More # 464

 Hello there,

I'm here today to share my card for our latest challenge at Less is More

This time we have a theme which is to Use a Tag

 

Please pop along to the blog and check out the fabulous inspiration from the team.

We look forward to seeing your creations.

For my tag I used a piece of card I smooshed in Distress Inks a long time ago. So long ago I've forotten which colours I used.

I almost always give my smooshed scraps a quick spray with shimmer spray to give it a little extra shine.

I cut the tag with a die from Memory Box and used my hole punch for top to thread some bakers twine into.

The leaves have been stamped and embossed in gold EP and cut with the matching dies from a magazine freebie by Crafters Companian from another scrap of smooshed card.

I placed them at angles along the edge of the tag.

The sentiment, by Sugar Pea designs is stamped and embossed in gold EP along the edge of the tag.

The splatters are from a stamp set I bought from Ebay stamped in Fired Brick DI

Thanks for visiting my blog

CaS Christmas January 2nd card.

 Hello there,

I'm popping in with my second entry for this months challenge at CaS Christmas

 

 The photo is pretty rubbish I know. I tried so many different angles to get it right but it was always either too dark or giving off a glare. The joys of working with Mirror card I suppose.

Any way for this one I used various snowflake dies of differing sizes, the larger in gold mirror card and the smaller ones on top from silver glitter card.

I cut the word die from gold mirror card and added some silver flat back pearls to finish.

Dies...Snow flakes from Crafters Companion and X cut. Word from Amazon

Pearls from Pretty Pink Posh

 

Thanks for popping in x

Embossed birthday card

 Hello there,

Another quick post to share the card I made for my son to give his partner. He decided to ask me right at the last minute so not a lot of time to think about making something fancy. I'm rather pleased with how this one turned out though.

 

I used my Crafters Companion box maker score board for the embossed lines.

The circle was made using circle dies from Die-namics and Spellbinders.

Flowers are from Ebay.

Leaves are by Alexandra Renke

Sentiment is PC generated.

Thanks for popping in

Less is More # 443

 Hello there,

Another Saturday has turned up and is just waiting for us to get our creative juices flowing with another challenge at Less is More

This time it's a sketch,

 

A nice simple one today.

I do love a sketch challenge. As long as you stick to the basic design you can put your own interpretation on it.

For this card I used a stencil from Funky Fossil.

I started by embossing a rectangle on the card front using a Spellbinders Rectangle nestie die.

I then masked off the rectangle with post it notes before placing the stencil how I wanted it over the top. After securing the stencil I used homemade texture paste to give some dimension.

As soon as I removed the stencil and postits I smothered it in WOW Lime Rickey EP. This EP is beautiful, it has some glitter in it too so even after heating there is a lovely subtle sparkle.

I left the card alone for a couple of hours until the texture paste was dry before heating it up.

I made a flower, Primrose from Crafters Companion, out of pink crepe paper and added a touch of gold in the centre.

The sentiment is by Avery Elle stamped and embossed in gold EP.

My second card is completely different.

I stamped and coloured the house and used the nestie rectangle die to cut it out.

Then I stamped and coloured the Gnome and fussy cut him before popping him in place with a foam pad.

I wanted to put some white spots on the toadstools but my white gel pen has dried up. Something else to add to my 'must remember' list

All stamps are MFT Hanging with my Gnomies set.

Really looking forward to see your interpretation of the sketch. Please pop along to the blog for some lovely inspiration from the team.

Thanks for popping in x

CAS Christmas November

 Hello there,

I'm popping in with my entry for the last challenge of the year at CAS Christmas.

 

 I know it says 2021 on the pic, I think someone can't wait to see the back of this year lol.

I love using non traditional colours on Christmas cards so this challenge was a no brainer for me. Deciding which colours to use was a different story. The only colour I didn't want to use was yellow because no one likes yellow snow do they?

Unfortunately I couldn't get a decent photo due to the miserable weather but I hope you can see enough detail.

This is a close up of the bottom snowflake which I threaded through the main die cut with some silver thread so it moves freely.

It was quite fiddley to do and had to be stuck down with double sided tape at the back and held tighter with a foam pad but I got the result I wanted.The other snowflakes are glued on and it's finished off with scattering of sequins.

So...the last challenge of 2020 which just leaves me to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a very happy and safe New Year.

Dies, Alexandre Renke, Elizabeth Crafts

pearlised card, Crafters Companion

 Thanks for popping in

Less is More #428

Hello there,

We have a super new challenge for you today over at Less is More

I know a few of our regulars will be over the moon at this colour choice.

When ever I think purple I always go for the bluish tones, think Cadbury's chocolate wrappers. I did think that purple also covered the red tones but wasn't sure, so I googled it and it does. That means I could make two cards to share this time.

For my first card I started with some mottled lilac card (I think it's from Papermill Direct but I've had it for years). It's quite subtle but perfect for this card.

I used my Memory box Zippy Dots stencil and some texture paste, before smothering it in lilac embossing powder.

While the paste was drying I made my flower. I used eight layers of purple tissue paper cut out with a super little die set I found in the Range, from Crafters Companion. I'm raving about this die set because

it has the best Stamen die I've ever used.

I added a heart shaped gem stone and a single sequin.

The sentiment is from Avery Elle.

I used the largest of the stamen dies and four layers of orange tissue paper.

Using a tiny amount of glue, just enough to stick the layers down and using my thumb nail to make the edges stand up I manage to create this. Can you tell how pleased I am?

My second card is more of a reddish purple

Same mottled card and another  Memory Box stencil, Texture Disperse. After lots and lots of masking I used texture paste again, this time covering it with  Mauve glitter.

The Gerbera flower die is from X cut and for this one I used Vellum. The stamen die is the same one I used in the first card.

I added some tiny purple gems between the stencilled lines.

Sentiment from Avery Elle.

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations, please check out the main blog for some more inspiration from the design team.

Thanks for poppig in x

Less is More # 421 Borders

Hi there,

It's Less is More Day, 
and this time we have a lovely easy challenge for you

This is my take on it,

I used a border embossing folder from Crafters Companion that my lovely friend Carol gave me ages ago and I have never used before now. Certainly will again.
The flowers were made using a punch and finished off with a pearl centre
The sentiment is from a set called Orchids by Flourishes.

Please check out the challenge blog, there's some fabulous inspiration from the DT

Thanks for popping in x