Less is More - Week #234 - recipe

Good morning!  It's the weekend and time for a new Less is More challenge.  This weekend sees a landmark birthday for Chrissie - Lady Limette herself.  Happy birthday Chrissie and have a wonderful day - I can't believe how old you are lol - you certainly don't look it!!!
Our theme is 'Snippets for Chrissie'. 

I've been wanting those quirky Tim Holtz Crazy Birds for ages and gave in a couple of weeks back, decided to use one and added some tail feathers cut from snippets of leftover Brusho painted card that came from a workshop I did back in the spring.  The feather stamp was a Craft Stamper freebie.  I grounded my birds with some dots from a Stamp Addicts dotty stamp, added a few stray sequins that were lurking on my craft mat and added a cheeky Woodware sentiment.

Shape and Line

This week's Simon Says challenge is to make a shaped card - other than square or rectangle.  I played about with some paper and reminded myself how to cut a 30 degree triangle.  Then when I saw that CAS-ology's key word is Line I knew that I wanted to add lines of stylised trees to my card.  The Waltzing Mouse stamp is gorgeous and I can't believe that I haven't used it more!  Inks are Memento:  Ladybug, Pear and Canteloupe with Versafine Olympia Green.

Less is More - Week 233 - Theme

This week our theme at Less is More is 'Life's a Beach' and I have a few cards to share with you.

 Stampin' Up Wetlands is one of my all-time favourite sets and I've made a one layer card using it with some Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Mowed Grass, Stormy Sky) brushed through a circle mask. 

I've seen a few cards on Pinterest that use Coredinations card torn to make waves and here is my take on this, using a kraft card for the base.  The flip flops were cut from a Silohouette file and the flowers on them use an EK Success punch.  Sentiment is from a Joanna Sheen House Mouse set.

Finally I have some Pink Petticoat beach huts to show you.  I've coloured them with Copics and added an embossed panel behind the image edged with Copic pen and with a bit of twine added.

Furry Friends

I've made a few decoupage cards lately using Joanna Sheen card pads.  This one uses a Donald Zolan image and I've used the elements on some Anna Marie dotty cardstock.  I'm entering my card for the Simon Says Furry Friends challenge.

Repeat

I have made a couple of cards to play along at CAS-ology, where this week the cue word is Repeat.

I used a fun new Stampin' Up set which is called Sprinkles on Top.The four doughnuts are all close together in a row one one stamp, so I chose to stamp them in an assortment of colours and used a 1" circle punch to cut them out, giving a variety of colours.  The doughnuts are popped up on 3D dots to add depth to the cards and I've stamped the sentiments in matching inks, adding a bit of twine too.

Less is More - Week # - one layer

 This week is a one layer challenge at Less is More and this month the theme is masculine.  First up is a globe stamped onto cream hammered card and coloured with Distress Inks.  The sentiment is computer generated.  The stamp came from a grab bag of unmounteds that I bought at Ally Pally when I was out on a stash enhancement trip with Chrissie, I think it was from Creative Impressions.

 

My next card uses some JOFY Christmas star stamps, inked with Memento Ladybug and Dandelion inks. The sentiment is a magazine freebie.  This time the card is made from linen textured card.

I hope my final card gives you a giggle, this chap is an Acid Drops and What-Nots stamp, coloured with Copics and with a doodled border.

So many of us say that cards for chaps are hard to make, I'm looking forward to lots of inspiration from the LIMettes!

Less is More - Week #231 - colour

 Happy 4th of July and welcome to our colour challenge week at Less is More, which of course has to be red, white and blue!

My first card uses a Clarity stamp that came with my New Designs membership, this is Alice. Her dress is paper pieced from dotty blue paper. I used her with a card design cut by my Silhouette, there is a gramophone in the corner which I removed, just leaving the hearts emanating from the corner.  The insert behind is a pearlised red card.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches.
I'm entering my card for Simon Says we're going dotty  challenge.

Red, white and blue is a classic nautical colour combination to me and here I've used my much loved and used Memory Box waves stencil with Distress Inks to give a background that is framed with a Simon Says stitched square die.  The naive boat sits outside the frame and I've added a Hero Arts sentiment.

Less is More - Week #230 - sketch

This week at Less is More we have a simple sketch for you to follow.  I have made an almost white on white card from linen textured cardstock.  The panels have been embossed with an old Cuttlebug script folder and edged in grey with a Copic marker.  The die cut butterfly is from Memory Box, the base layer is a lovely sparkly cardstock.  Sentiment die and stamp are both Mama Elephant.

I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - anything goes

Favourites...

This week the Simon Says Challenge is to use your favourite technique and/or product, which got me thinking...  after all there are so many!  I still love to stamp but these days I am colouring less.  Currently I love die cutting and especially all the dies with those stitched edges.  I love trees, whether stamps, dies or stencils and I like a restricted colour palette and also kraft card. And my favourite style, as you'll know if you've visited my blog before, is clean and simple.

So with all that in mind I made my card very early this morning.  The inlaid panel is cut with one of those fab SimonSays dies that has 'stitching' on the inside and the outside, the trees are Poppystamps dies and that dotty paper is Pink Petticoat.  The sentiment is also Simon Says.

Hope you like my Favourites card :)

Less is More Week #229 - Theme

 Welcome to the weekend and to a new challenge at Less is More.  This week your challenge is to make a clean and simple card using stencils.  My first card uses a gorgeous metal stencil from Sweet Poppy, designed by Lavinia Stamps. Black embossing paste, washi tape, ribbon, a bit of red ink.  Added some inked stencilling on the base card.  This has a few more embellies than I like to use, but it seemed to need them...

Health and Safety warning:  these metal stencils are blimmin' sharp!  I started by using another metal stencil (different maker) and wasn't happy with my card.  When I was washing the embossing paste off it under the tap I sliced open my thumb.  It was so sharp that it didn't hurt - at first!  There was a lot of bloodshed and crafting was abandoned for the evening lol!

And now for a less dangerous card!  I belong to Barbara Gray's Clarity Club and get a stencil and stamp each month.  This fab swirly effect is achieved by rotating a swirl on the spot, using different inks until no white card shows through.  Love it!  I added a Clarity figure and a Stampin' Up sentiment.

Less is More Week #228 - one layer

 It is one layer week at Less is More and this week our theme is "Home".  I had a lot of fun making my cards.  First up uses a Cuttlebug embossing border.  I stamped a Mama Elephant sentiment and doodled a couple of borders to the base of the card, using a Pigma pen and a watercolour pen.  The heats are coloured with the watercolour pen too.

 I masked a house from Stampin' Up's Holiday Home set and added a couple more to the 'street' behind.  The balloons come from From the Herd and the sentiment is Little Claire.  I coloured with Copics, following the  lovely, soft colour scheme from CAS on Sunday's current challenge.

My last card is my nod to all those gorgeous cards out there that use the Tim Holtz Crazy Birds stamps.  I don't have this set and I'm trying hard to resist!  In the meantime, when Stamp Attic closed recently I bought some fab Lin Brown bird stamps to use instead.  I doodled a nest for my bird's home, added a computer generated sentiment (problem secretary font) and watercoloured my card.

Look forward to seeing all the LIMette takes on home this week!

Addicted to CAS

I've been struggling a bit to get creative lately, for no good reason, so when inspiration for this card struck yesterday I couldn't wait to get started!  It's for Addicted to CAS's butterfly challenge and it's a shaker - something I rarely make!  The aperture is cut with my Silhouette and I've filled it with dozens of tiny butterflies made using a Woodware punch I've had for years.  Sentiment is Stampin' Up and that's about it.  Hope you like it

Less is More - Week #227 - Sunset

 This week at Less is More we have a colour challenge, sunset.  I reached out for my Distress Inks to make warm, summery cards.  First up is a one layer, using a hammered card.  I inked the corner with Picked Raspberry and Ripe Persimmon and then used the same colours to shadow stamp a Card-Io branch on top.  I heat embossed a Visual Image sentiment in the other corner, it looked a bit bare so I added some of their splodges.

Second card has the same shades but used in a winter scene.  The stamps are Hobby Art Scene-Its, from several different sets.  Although the deer and the fence are not in proportion I like this one...  hope you do too.

Less is More - Week #226

Our theme for Less is More this week is 2 legs or 4 legs - really fun one and so much to choose from!  My two legs are busy getting legless!  I've coloured a favourite Art Impressions stamp with watercolour pencils on textured card, with some added paper piecing.  The sentiment is a Katy Sue Wine Buffs stamp.
When I was assembling my card I got a mark on the image - tiny wine coloured sequins came to the rescue!

Life on the Ocean Wave

I have a  clean and simple masculine card to show you today.  I had a boat cut with my Silhouette sitting on my craft table and decided to give it a background.  The rope design is a Clarity stencil, brushed with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  Sentiment is Mama Elephant and I've drawn a few seagulls with a Pigma pen.

I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - stencil it
Allsorts - happy birthday (happy 6th birthday to Allsorts!)
Simply Create Too - keep it simple

Less is More Week #225 - use some metal

Our challenge this week at Less is More is to use some metal.  I used some fine beading wire to make antennae for my SU Swallowtail butterfly.  I cut a square aperture into some paper and then added a cutout for the wing.  Drew round the aperture with a Pigma pen and added a Hobby Art sentiment.  The butterfly is coloured with Inktense pencils.  The body has Glossy Accents added but it doesn't show up too well in my photo.

Less is More - Week 224 - Hello Sunshine

This week at Less is More the theme is 'Hello Sunshine'.  My apologies for the lack of commenting on LIM over the last couple of weeks, appropriately I have been away for a lovely holiday in the sun.  I wish I could say that this gorgeous Day for Daisies digi is me in the sun, but, ahem, sadly not!  She is coloured with Copics and simply layered up a few times, with the layers edged with Copics.

Less is More - Week #223 - One Layer

Its' one layer week at Less is More and this week our theme is Water.  I had loads and loads of idea for this one, but time means I have had to stop at bringing two of them to life!

First card uses a fun Acid Drops and WhatNots stamp that was a magazine freebie.  It is worth noting that the quality is nowhere near as good as the stamps that the company sells, I guess you get what you pay for in life...  She is stamped in grey Memento and lightly coloured with Copics.  The Memory Box wave stencil has Mowed Lawn and Broken China inks brushed through it.


My second card has a panel of Aquatints painted on, with Inkylicious water drops stamped over it.  They have a touch of white gel pen and lots of Glossy Accents added.  The Hobby Art sentiment is gold embossed.

Less is More - Week #222 - Colour Challenge

 This week at Less is More we have a colour challenge - to use opposites on the colour wheel.  My first card uses light blue and orange - aka Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade and Faded Jeans.  The Dina Wakely bird is stamped onto hammered card and I used a Clarity stencil to ground it on some honeycomb, which I suppose gives it a birds and bees theme!  I inlaid the Mama Elephant diecut, which is the same ink but painted on much much more heavily.  I love this colour combination!

Second card uses the classic Christmas combination of red and green.  I framed the Stampin' Up sentiment with a Poppystamps diecut wreath and added tiny polka dot sequins for berries.  Scored borders onto my panel and popped up for dimension.

Less is More - Week #221 - Sketch or Recipe

Yay it's the weekend!  It's time for a new Less is More Challenge and this week our theme is tags.  My first card is based around something I love - coffee!  I found some very cute free Christmas tags on Pinterest by SimplyKellyDesigns , resized and came up with my takeaway cup from a well known chain :).  The computer generated sentiment uses Stencil font and I overstamped a coffee ring.  No idea who made the tiny heart stamp I added, I found it on the floor (oops!).

 My second offering was added to a housewarming gift for friends who have just bought a house in Spain.  I always get beautifully wrapped present from them, so needed to make a bit of effort with my amateurish wrapping!  Used on of my favourite Memory Box dies, added the very useful Happy stamp and die from Mama Elephant and a punched star.  Cut out with a stitched circle die and added twine and a scattering of stars.  Job done!

Have fun making your clean and simple tags, I can't wait to see them!