"Less is More" - Challenge #263 - One Layer

Welcome to this week's "Less is More" challenge - this week is the dreaded one layer challenge and we are asking for something with a stem on it.  I have used a Woodware fuchsia stamp, coloured with Inktense pencils on kraft card.  The sentiment is Visible Image.
I'm linking my card to Simon Says - one layer.

Bloom

Like so many people, I am utterly fed up with the winter.  So I have made a card in spring colours for Addicted to CAS's Bloom challenge.  I used Simon Says Stamp dies that cut partially through, layering them with pink and then green behind that.  Some twine and pearls finished it off, hopefully without making it too busy...
Chose not to add a sentiment, don't think it needs one.

"Less is More" Challenge #262 - Colour - Happy Fifth Birthday LIM!

Welcome to "Less is More", this week we are celebrating our fifth birthday as a challenge blog.  We've some special guests joining us to celebrate, do please check out all the fabulous inspiration on their blogs! This week is a colour challenge - white on white with just a small touch of black, silver or gold.

My first card is made from linen textured card.  The flowery heart is a Memory Box Serafina die, attached to a XCut heart that was run through a Sheena Douglass embossing folder.  I embossed the Clarity sentiment and added a small XCut heart to it.
I'm entering Simon Says Have a Heart with this card.

My next card uses lots of different textures of white card, and a Poppy Stamps die called Holiday Winterberries that I treated myself to in a post Christmas sale.  I've cut it twice and also cut the bow a third time from gold mirri card.  The sprigs are attached to a circle of stripy textured card.  The gold sentiment is Stampin Up and I've mounted my panel onto a further panel of white corrugated card (think chocolate box liner!).

Finally a very simple card which uses a Stampin' Up roses folder, dry embossed onto vellum and attached to a dotty embossed panel.  I have added some Glossy Accents as dew drops, but it doesn't show up too well on the photo.  The sentiment is Craftwork Cards.

Hungover or poorly?

The giraffe that is!  The poor chap's throat is tied in a knot but his request sounds more like he may have overindulged the night before to me...  As soon as I saw CAS colours and sketches challenge this week I thought this previously uninked stamp would be perfect for the shape of their sketch.

He's coloured with Copics (E08, YR12, YR31) and the DP behind is from an old Basic Grey autumnal pad.

Less is More - Week #261 - Lucky Dip

 Welcome to this week's "Less is More" challenge - we have a Down Under sponsor, Kylie from Happy Little Stampers and a Down Under theme.  This had me stumped so I reached for my Cameo and cut a couple of roos, inking them with Frayed Burlap to give them a bit of depth.  I cut the ground freehand and added a computer generated sentiment.  This card has a bit too much white space at the top, but I am not sure quite what to add...

When in doubt I often turn to my Crazy Birds stamps and today is no exception!  This chap has a long beak like a kookaburra(at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it) and I've coloured him in kookaburra colours with my Copics.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado and the stencil I used for a border is Dutch Doobadoo, with Frayed Burlap and Broken China brushed through.

Wendy flowers

Last week my crafting buddy Wendy came over for a play morning.  She kindly lent me her new SU stamps and dies which I had a play with the other night.  I opted to follow CAS Colours and Sketches challenge and my colours are Sahara Sand, Memento Ladybug and a yellow cardstock snippet.  The sentiment is Clarity.  I have diecut and stamped loads more stems and flowers to play with, but will be ordering this set - I *need* it :)

Clearly for You

My friend Wendy came over for a playday last week and we both produced just one card each, though we both had a lot of fun!
I gold embossed my new SU Saleabration sentiment onto vellum and attached it to some paper I'd watercoloured for an ombre effect.  I added a frame to hide the adhesive and a few gold sequins behind the vellum.
I made my card with CAS-ology's Clear challenge in mind.

Less is More - week 206

 I am so sorry to be late with my "Less is More" posting, life has got in the way.  Without more ado, our theme is silhouettes and my card uses scottie dogs cut with my Cameo.  Sentiment is computer generated and I've added a few hearts diecut with a Xcut die, they have Glossy Accents added for a bit of shine.

I'm entering my card for Simon Says Create with Critters.

I made another silhouette card for a colleague who volunteers at the tank museum and is always playing around with models (no not that sort!)  Again, cut with the Cameo, numbers are SU.  Doodled some barbed wire and partially embossed with a Crafters Companion folder.

"Less is More" - Week #259 - theme week

 Welcome to this week's challenge at "Less is More", this week we are challenging you to use the stamp kissing technique.  I found this a real challenge, it's not a technique I use and I struggled to find stamps in my stash to use.  Looking forward to seeing how to get the best from this technique when the LIMettes get to grips with this challenge!

First card uses an Elusive Images stamp set for the stamp kissing.  The solid circles were inked with Memento Pear Tart and then overstamped with flowers from the same set, inked with Memento Danube Blue.  I cut the circles out with stitched circles dies.  Inked up a scrap with Pear Tart and die cut a curvy Die-namics stem from it which I inset into navy cardstock.

My second card uses a SU solid stamp called Flower Accent, inked with Memento Cantaloupe and overstamped with a Paper Artsy script stamp and Memento Ladybug.  I cut the flowers out by hand and added them to a circle embossed with a Cuttlebug script folder, edged with Cantaloupe.  I bought the sentiment a few years back at the NEC, brand says Different Colors.Again, sentiment was cut out by hand (aren't we lucky to have so many dies available for stamps these days!).

Jingle all the Way

I took a few minutes to play today, getting out some SU stamps and dies I bought before Christmas and never got round to using, decided to play in a few challenges.
I used my favourite linen texture card and diecut the SU sleigh from an offcut, as well as a stitched frame with Simon Says dies. The background was smooshed with Blueprint and Broken China Distress Ink and the sentiment stamped in Versafine Majestic Blue.  I raised the frame slightly with sticky dots.

My card is for the following challenges:
Happy Little Stampers CAS - smooshing
Happy Little Stampers Christmas - jingle
CAS-ology - simple -  restricted colour palette, lots of white space, not too many layers - hope this works?
Simon Says - something new

"Less is More" Challenge #258 - one layer

 Welcome to one layer week at "Less is More".  This week our one layer challenge is Flourish.  First up I have some lovely flourishy script - Waltzing Mouse sentiments gold embossed.  I've stamped some SU Work of Art splotches and stencilled a Clarity honeycomb onto the card, both in Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink and I couldn't resist a minimal bit of extra gold with some sequins.

 My next card uses a Katzelcraft tree stamp which I chose for all the flourishes and twirls.  When I thought about it, a tree should flourish too...  I extended the roots to the edge of the card with a Pigma pen, coloured the leaves with Copics ans added a Winnie & Walter sentiment in Memento Pear.

My final card uses an old favourite - an Acid Drops and What Nots character who I think is called Christine - no resemblance whatsoever to Chrissie, our Lady LIM!  As I am trying to stick to a dry January (aarrgh!) she looks about as happy as I feel :).  Stamped and masked, with a flourish frame also by Acid Drops added.

"Less is More" Week #257 - colour

 Happy New Year!  Welcome to our first Less is More challenge of the year, which is to use only neutrals.  My first card uses three (not fifty!) shades of grey.  SU butterfly is white embossed onto light grey textured cardstock.  I've inked it with Distress Ink Hickory Smoke and matted it onto dark grey cardstock.

My second card uses browns and creams to showcase a new Joy die I recently treated myself to.  The dressage horse is diecut from brown card and added to a hammered cream stitched circle cut with a Simon Says die.  The kraft square is edged with a brown Copic and the horse is attached with Pinflair dimensional glue (hence the fifth leg shadow!).

One layer, limited supplies

My craft supplies are all tidied away for Christmas.  I was having withdrawal symptoms so I decided to make a one layer card for CAS on Sunday's design team call.  One layer sounds like it doesn't need much in the way of supplies - wrong!  There are quite a few compromises on this card and I could dwell on them, but instead I'm going to point out how much I love the stamp and the colourscheme.

I've made a tent-fold card from linen textured cardstock and embossed a stitched rectangle on it.  Masked it, stamped Clarity trees on it and coloured with blue-green and grey Copics (not ideal on the cardstock).  Added a Card-Io bird and Clarity sentiment, both stamped with Memento Ladybug.

I was aiming for wintry but not Christmas; what do you think?

Make it Sparkle!

I made this very sparkly CAS card for my hairdresser.  I apologise for the awful picture, there seemed to be so little daylight to take photos by!  The Woodware tree and sentiment are both gold embossed, it's matted onto shiny gold and I've added lots of festive Stickles.
I'm entering my card for Simon Says make it sparkle.

Last Minute.com

 I realised that I hadn't made anything like enough Christmas cards and needed to get some done quickly.  Thank god for dies!  First card uses a Memory Box landscape and a Die'sire sleigh on dotty paper.

 I need a couple of quick cards to enclose some birthday money for twins born on Christmas Eve, so the Memory Box die over Basic Grey paper did the job.  I've only uploaded one, see one you've seen 'em all :).

Memory Box Twiggy Tree is inset into blue cardstock, with a rather oversized Memory Box bird and Simon Says landscape in front.

I'm entering the Simon Says Die Crazy Challenge.

Less is More - weeks #255 & 256 - theme week

 

Welcome to the final "Less is More" challenge of 2015, our theme is Homespun and you have two weeks to enter.  My first card has a Pink Petticoat digi of a sheep - what could be more homespun than a sheep!  She's paper pieced onto kraft with a computer generated sentiment, with a dotty button and twine added.  The card is for friends who embarked on a new adventure this year, buying a second home in Spain, hence the sentiment.

My second card has a wooden Artemio reindeer on an embossed background.  I've inked the edges of it and added a Rudolph nose with a gem.  Twine and a printed sentiment complete this homespun card.

Merry Christmas to all my crafty LIMette friends and a happy, healthy 2016!

Less is More - Week #254 - one layer

 Good morning and welcome to One Layer week at Less is More.  This week our theme is "What's in my Stocking".  I will admit that I have struggled with this theme!  However, both my cards have used an early Christmas present to myself - which is 'in my stocking' - the MISTI.  All I can say is, the hype is true and this is a wonderful tool for one layer cards in particular.  I don't think I will ever stamp again without using my MISTI!

My first card uses a Rubber Romance image and sentiment and is coloured with Copics.  Of course, it is chocolate that I ewould like to find in my stocking!  Coffee is also welcome and chocolate covered coffee beans even better.  Men/rich men?  No thanks lol!  I am finding that my Copics, which are mostly four/five years plus old, are beginning to dry up.  Do I replace or do I move to another colouring medium...?

As my sons grew up, the stocking tradition evolved to chocolate and a good book, and my second card uses a lovely Unity Stamp Company image.  It came from their May Kit of the Month and has a great sentiment with it; however I have left my card sentiment free.  It is coloured with Inktense pencils and I've doodled a border with a Pigma pen.

"Less is More" Colour Challenge - #253

This week we have a colour challenge at "Less is More" - our colours are green and blue.  I missed a friend's birthday and used my Crazy Bird stamps and accessories to come up with my card.  I coloured him with Copics and computer generated my sentiment, using Problem Secretary font.

My second card has an inked background to the panel using Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  The Stampendous image is stamped in Pine Needle DI.  The card background is embossed with a SU folder and I added more falling snow to the panel with Liquid Pearls.  Green washi tape on the panel finishes my card.
I'm entering this card for the Simon Says Let it Snow challenge.

Mosaic Madness

Today's card uses the SU Mosaic Madness set, which I fell for and then, after making a couple of cards, neglected and left in the drawer.  Tonight I've unearthed them for my take on CAS colours and sketches challenge.
I've stamped the mosaics in Versafine Majestic Blue, masked them and gold embossed the border as a vertical behind them.  The sentiment is Woodware and I've matted onto gold.
I'm also entering my card for Simon Says anything goes.

"Less is More" - Week #252 - Theme

It is the weekend and time to share another "Less is More" Challenge with you.  This week our theme is Fruit.  My first card uses Heartfelt Creations stamps, which I got in a grab bag at a retreat a couple of years back, shamefully they are NBUS - or were until now!  I have coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents, the sentiment is embossed with WOW ultra fine gold.  The frame uses Simon Says Stamp stitched squares and rectangles.

My fruit wreath is a cut file.  I cut the Orange Wreath from the Silhouette Design Store twice and used one as a stencil,  brushing Distress Ink (Ripe Persimmon, Mowed Lawn, Crushed Olive) over it the colour the wreath.  As I had stuck the wreath down with Glossy Accents and a tiny bit had oozed out, the fruit got a coating of Glossy Accents!  The sentiment uses a Lawn Fawn die and was cut from card coloured with Ripe Persimmon.

So...  is it an Orange wreath, a Persimmon wreath, or a new hybrid fruit variety...?