Less is More Lucky Dip

Today's Less is More Challenge has a lovely spring photo for inspiration.  I've coloured in an image that was sitting on my workdesk, a Vase from Phindy's Place.   I inked through the Nestie before I cut it, with Spun Sugar and then Pumice Stone, but I think my brushes should have had a rinse through, I'm not very happy with the background colour...

The corner diecuts are Memory Box dies, I quite liked the look if I used 4 corners, but in the interests of LIM I've confined myself to two:)

Phindy's Place Challenge #99- ribbon

Good morning and welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge.  This week we have the very easy challenge of using ribbon in your creation. My ribbon is in three strips across the card, I've added a punched border, gems and a Lili of the Valley sentiment to my Sweet Dreams image.  I've paper pieced the moon from inked paper and added the baby boy after giving the background and moon a good spray of iridiscent spray, it's lovely and glossy in real life.  I've followed the layout for this week's Sketch Saturday, though the sentiment has moved - I love the circles and it worked better for my card...

Easter Chicks

 

I've been lucky enough to be picked for the Design Team at Digi Doodle Shop and will be showing off my first DT posting next week.   In the meantime I have made a paper pieced card using their adorable Hen & Chicks image.  The chicks are paper pieced from Basic Grey Out of Print DP and all are on a Basic Grey chicken wire DP.  I used the same DP for a punched border and added a Happy Easter sentiment.

My card is for the following challenges:

Just Add Ink - just add Easter

Cute Card Thursday - Happy Easter

Charisma Cardz - Easter

Paper Play - Easter

Sisterhood of Crafters - celebrating Easter

Fab'n'Funky - Easter

Paper Shelter Challenge - Easter

Penny's Paper Crafty - Easter

Crafty Sentiments - Easter

Sweet Dreams

Today's card is for a new baby girl, it uses the very cute image Sweet Dreams from Phindy's Place.  I've paper pieced the moon from inked paper and also the little baby,  The inked background has a lovely sparkle to it from iridiscent spray.  The sentiment is Lili of the Valley, I've inked a starry embossing folder and added a big pink bow.
My card is for:
Simon Says - anything goes
Stamp'n'Doodle - embossing

A bit of Less is More

Edited:  better photo added Sun am :)
First of all:  apologies for such a poor photo, the card is bright white in real life!  I'm just home from a fab day at the NEC with the Lady Limette Chrissie herself.  We've had a great time and I wanted to blog my Less Is More card before she arrived home :).  This week we are challenged to combine at least 3 of the earlier challenges.  I missed the Aqua Challenge (53), so I bought some lovely aqua embossing powder from the WOW stand today, which of course added in Embossing (15).  The leaf and the sentiment stamps also came from the WOW stand, which added in (41) leaves and (58) script.  Finally I added a bit of bling (43) either side of the sentiment and I began by inking in a square (28).  I see that most of my challenges were one layers and I've chosen to stick to a one layer card.  I'll hop around and admire everyone elses Recipe entries tomorrow, tonight calls for a bit of vegetating by the telly with Mum:).
I'm also entering my card for One Stop Craft's Clean & Simple Challenge.

Phindy's Place Challenge #98 - animal planet

Good morning and welcome to Phindy's Place Challenge, this week we have the brilliant theme of Animal Planet.  Phnidy has so many gorgeous animal images that it was tricky to choose which one to use, but in the end I settled for Puppy Pile, which I've used before for a Christmas card, but is making a lovely birthday card here.  I've followed the layout from Sketch Saturday, added some stitching as it looks a bit like patchwork, and used Basic Grey Marjolaine DP.
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Dutch Dare - cute & cuddly
Freshly Brewed Challenges - lots of dots (on my DP)
Sisterhood of Crafters - birthday cards
Bearly Mine - dots
Use it Tuesday - green and hoarded supplies (Marjolaine has been "maturing" in my stash lol, also the card blank is almost vintage I've had it so long!)

Concertina Flower

 For this week's Waltzing Mouse Challenge I tried something new and made a concertina flower from paper that I'd stamped with the small houndstooth.  The Worn Lipstick ink matches the pink DP and butterflies much better in real life!  I used Shabby Shutters for the background and added some stitching and a gold embossed sentiment.  My card is also for Papertake Weekly, my "bingo line" is buttons, free (Stitching), flowers.

Happy Anniversary

 

This card was made for a friend to give to her son and daughter-in-law, she wasn't able to find a commercial card with the right wording.  I computer generated the sentiment, added a couple of hearts cut with my friend Vals' Memory Box dies and added a couple of layers.  The colourscheme is based on the one used at the wedding.

Happy Mothering Sunday

This card is for my Mum, who has been staying with me since January and helping to hold things together.  The sentiment is from Pink Petticoat, stripy ribbon is Stampin' Up, I've stitched around the edge and added buttons and twine.
I'm entering my card into;
Papertake - for the girls - or Mum
My Mum's Craft Shop - mum's the word
Delightful Challenges - someone special
Glitter Geeks - mother's day
DRS Designs - clean & simple
Ditzy Craftyness - buttons

More masking

I've a different method of masking for a second Less is More card:   This has masking fluid flicked across an area of the card to give the impression of snow falling, then Bashful Blue was brayerd across the sky, with the snow masked off with a Post-It.  Then I added Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree stamps, a clear sentiment from Kaiser (in real life this is straight, not curvy) and a few gems on top of my trees.

Less is More Masking

 

This week at Less is More the challenge is Masking.  This is my third attempt: I wanted to use my Lavinia Stamps and practice my brayering.  I started with a mare and foal, masked in front of the tall trees, but the scale wasn't right and I wasn't happy with it.  A second attempt ended up very smudged and messy so here is the third time lucky attempt.  At least this wasn't a one layer card :).  Background is brayered over a mask, sun used brushes over a circle in the masking paper.  I've Stickled the fairy's wings and added some sparkly bits around her.  The sentiment came free with a magazine.

 

Phindy's Place Challenge #97 - Spring has Sprung

Welcome to Friday, today I'll be taking part in the ritual for spring that is the Cheltenham Racing Festival; I've been racing 3 days on a row and today is the final day and Gold Cup Day.  However my card for this week's Phindy's Place Challenge celebrates another Spring date:  Easter.  The adorable image is called Odd Bod Bunny, how cute is this!  The eggshells all have a glaze of Glossy Accents, I added some card candy and a Waltzing Mouse sentiment.
My card is also for:
Little Darlings - spring is in the air
Paper Make Up Stamps - critters
Digital Tuesday - think spring
Sweet Stamps - think spring

Blue Buddleia Bear

 

I made this card using a Gruffy Bear from a Joanna Sheen set, using lots of blues.  I'm not convinced that the colours quite work...  to many shades of different values.  The colour inspiration came from House Mouse & Friends Monday and I based the layout on Sketch Saturday, with extra flowers and butterflies spilling out.  The lace came from my stash, sentiment is from the same stamp set.

My card is for:

House Mouse & Friends Monday - photo inspiration

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Paper Pretties - thank you card

Sweet Stamps - think spring

Candy Christmas

 

I like this week's sketch at Waltzing Mouse so much that I used it for a second card, I think it's using three elements that appeals to me, it's like planting flowers in threes.  This one uses the Christmas Candy set that I was lucky enough to win from Waltzing Mouse a couple of weeks back.  Both the candy jar and the piles of sweeties are popped up with Pinflair glue gel in front of the rectangular frame and the jar has a thick coating of Glossy Accents.  The sentiment is also from the candy Christmas set.  My colourscheme of red is taken from the photo at Christmas Card Challenges. This week's Shopping our Stash Challenge is food/beverage and is another challenge for this card.

Spring Hyacinths

This card is very simple; I stamped the houndstooth from Waltzing Mouse onto textured cardstock and added a few ribbons where I'd left a gap in the repeat.  The image is Hyacinth & Ivy, a lovely serene Phindy's Place image.    

My card is for:

2 Sisters - spring colours

Crazy4Challenges - spring is in the air

Simon Says - mother's day

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge

It's a beautiful day here, after a long walk and some gardening I'm back with another clean & simple card, this time for the Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge.  I've used the chrysanthemum stamps, inked up with an array of small ink pads, adding a tiny bit of clear Stickles here and there.  The squares were cut out with Nesties and popped up on Pinflair glue.  The card is textured linen, I've added one of the new sentiments from WM as well as the Frame-It stamp.  I really like the look of this, hope you do too!
My card is also for:
Allsorts - say it with flowers
Totally Papercrafts - my favourite things (I love purple and I'm also loving my WM stamps at present)
Charisma Cardz - ribbon, ribbon, ribbon

Two cards for two clean & simple challenges

I'm very into my C&S cards just now and here I have two to show off.  The first one is for CAS-ual Friday which wants the sentiment to be the focal point.  Their challenges are shown with an old fashioned typewriter as their logo and this inspired me to ink up a Stampin' Bella stamp that I've had for ages and not used much.  I've added several layers of mat and frame but still left plenty of white space.

Card two is for Less is More, where the challenge is a one-layer card including script.  Similar theme but different card:  I masked off and brushed a background of Versafine Sepia, then inked an Impression Obsession newspaper script and stamped in on top.  The two sentiments I added are both Waltzing Mouse and I scored a line either side of the newsprint.  My stamp does not quite cover the whole of the card, I may trim it down to not-quite-a-square, but I wasn't sure so I have left it for now...

Phindy's Place Challenge #96 - Monochromatic Green

Good morning and welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge.  This week we are celebrating St Patrick's Day with a monochromatic green challenge.  You don't have to make a St Patrick's Day card, though Phindy has some lovely images for this.  I have used Spring Shower, an adorable new image, for a Get Well card. The DP is Stampin' Up and I've followed the layout at Sketch'n'Stash.  Sentiment is Stampin' Bella, image has paper pieced umbrella and is coloured with Copics and Distress Inks.
My card is for:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Crafty Creations - stripes
DigiStamps4Joy - green
Whimsical Designs - going green
My Mum's Craft Shop - spring colours
House of Gilli - green
Stamp & Create - paper piecing
Secret Crafter - green for go

Pop!

I've a quick posting here, been trying to finish up some of the decoupage cards from sheets cut out and bagged up.   This is Joanna Sheen House Mouse, I love the way the hummingbirds are trying to bring the mouse down to earth by popping his balloon.  The ribbon came from a bunch of flowers I was bought and all I have added is some pearlised lilac card. 

My card is for:

Crafts & Me - wings and things

Pixie Cottage - things with wings

Craft your Passion - anything goes

My Craft Spot - for the birds

Pink Elephant - lots of layers

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - wings

Allsorts Challenge - spread your wings

Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Monochrome Mauve Mothering Sunday

 

My card for today uses one of the first stamps that I bought:  a very chic lady from Clarity Stamps, coloured with Copics.  I've used her for a Mother's Day card that I was asked to make for a Mum who loves purple.  The label is a new die that I bought at Make It and the ribbon was around some flowers, so it is recycled.  The sentiment is Hobby Art.

My card is for:

Papertake - anything goes

Sweet Stamps - monochromatic

Craft your Passion - anything goes

Lexi's Creations - Mother's Day

Love to Create - monochromatic

Simon Says - Mother's Day

Dream Valley - Mother's Day

Stamp, Scrap, Doodle - use your stash (old stamp used!)

What happened to Spring?

Last week we had warm, sunshiny weather that was like a summer's day.  Sunday it snowed and today there is a harsh frost and ice everywhere!   My card today is very spring-like, perhaps the weather will follow suit.

I used a lovely parrot tulip digi from Fred, She Said and coloured it with Copics, distress inking the background.  The DP is Basic Grey, I cut a chevron from the DP for a border.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cads and I added lots of stitching for interest.
My card is for:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Kaboodledoodle - spring flowers
Make my Monday - spring flowers
Stamp with Fun - pink & green
Totally Stampalicious - spring is in the air
Kenny K - bloom and grow

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #63 - Susie's Sketch

 
Here's my Design Team card for this week's Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge.  This week Susie has set a lovely sketch to follow.  We have two generous sponsors for prizes this week:  One Stop Card Craft offers a £10 gift voucher and Digi Doodle Shop a $10 gift voucher. 

My card uses an adorable  Digi Doodle Shop image called The Horse Kiss.  I coloured with Copics, inking the background with SU Bashful Blue.  The DP is Basic Grey Out of Print, some raffia, tiny buttons and a sentiment from Craftwork Cards complete the card.
I'm also entering my card for:
Crafting When We Can - animals
Sketchy Colours - pink, blue beige
The Crafty Pad - share the good news (newsprint on my DP)
One Stop Craft Challenge - button it
Catch the Bug - March anything goes

Little Love Bugs

I've a couple of fun cards to show off this morning from a new Stamp Addicts set called Love Bugs.  First card has the heart from the set red embossed onto the DP, I've added Glossy Accents to the flower the bug is carrying.  The second card uses that very useful heart stamp again, on red card this time, again I added Glossy Accents.  Hope you like my little bugs :)

Less is More - neutrals and a new arrival

This week's Less is More Colour Challenge is Neutrals, one of my favourites for LIM.  The first card was nearly ready to blog around 9am, when the dishwasher decided to throw a wobbly and flood the kitchen, giving out an error message!  After mopping up the card took a back seat as I have friends visiting and we went to collect a new addition to the family.  Our beloved greyhound died in October and our elderly terrier has been an only dog since then.  My Mum gave me a rescue dog from the local Dogs Trust as a belated birthday present so here is Stella:

Doesn't she have the sweetest face?  I think she is mostly greyhound and staffordshire, what do you think?  OK back to the cards, I saw a stunning white on white card at Susan Raihala's blog which inspired me.  The sentiment is from Waltzing Mouse and I added card candy stamped with a mini alphabet stamp first. 

 The second card uses jewellery tags and a bit of twine, I think this is my favourite.

I'm also entering Aud Sentiment's "use the sentiment Happy Birthday" challenge  and Everybody Art's Monochrome challenge.

Phindy's Place Challenge #95 - Distressing

This week's Phindy's Place Challenge is to use distressing techniques on your project.  I've used Distress Inks, tearing, stitching and distressing of paper edges but I'm sure there are more techniques to try!  I used the adorable Easter Bonnet image for my card and added some lacy ribbon, a lacy border punch and some flowers to the layout, which is this week's sketch from  Mojo Monday, though I changed it slightly by putting the sentiment where the flowers were shown and moving the flowers to bottom right.
My card is for the following challenges:
Mojo Monday - sketch
Tuesday Throwdown - paper tearing
Sew Many Cards - punch it
Hiding in my Craftroom - bring on some spring
Do you Stack Up - things with wings
little Miss Muffet - fancy or lacy
Shelly's Images - seeing spots (DP)

Canine Cuddles

This is a new Lili of the Valley stamp that I bought at MakeIt last week, isn't it adorable?  I saw a card made using this Go-Kreate die on Bev Rochester's blog and thought what a good idea it is.  The DP is My Mind's Eye and I added tiny punched out flowers and leaves.
My card is for:
Crafting for all Seasons - shaped card
Crafty Sentiments - shaped but not square
Paper Sundaes - circles
Simon Says - anything goes