"Less is More" - Challenge #269 - Recipe

 

Welcome to this week's "Less is More" Challenge.  This week we have a recipe challenge, to use polka dots.  I love dots and really enjoyed making a few cards for this one, hope you will too.  First card showcases diecutting and I've used Memory Box dies.  It is hard to see in the photo, but I have embossed a Simon Says stitched hillside die onto my card base and the trees are all grounded on this.  The sentiment is Winnie & Walter.

 My second card has paper piecing, the umbrella is pieced from Pink Petticoat digital paper in Raspberry Coulis.  The image and sentiment are both by Unity, her dress also has dots on.  When I'd finished this it just looked a bit too stark, so I used a Stampin Up die to edge the tent folded card and added a strip of the dotty paper underneath.
I'm entering this card for:
Simon Says - come rain or shine
CAS-ology - weather

My final card was made for a young pianist's birthday and  the dots are on the ribbon.  Embossed notes sit behind a Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die and the piano was cut using my Silhouette.
I'm entering this card for Cute Card Thursday - To die for

Happy Easter to everyone and enjoy a bit of dottiness :).

"Less is More" Challenge #268 - Theme

Welcome to this week's "Less is More" challenge.  This week our them is:  What's outside your window?  Now you may be looking at my card and thinking what on earth has this duckling with attitude got to do with this?

OK...  bear with me:).   I moved house just over a year ago and now I have a largeish front garden on a cul de sac close to the river.  The other morning I came down to make a cuppa, as it was getting light, without my contacts in.  There was something moving around on the lawn - in fact several somethings - I had been invaded by ducks!   I've used a bit of artistic licence, there were no ducklings, just adults ducks and drakes but I hope to see some youngsters soon now it is spring.

My Copic coloured stamp is by Impression Obsession, the sentiment is Joanna Sheen.  I've masked him and inked some Peeled Paint through a Clarity stencil to ground him.

I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - cute and cuddly
Brown Sugar - spring
CCE Stampers - poultry day
Creative Knockouts - spring is on the way

Star

I'm sneaking in a second card that follows CAS Colours & Sketches layout.  As a quilter I couldn't resist the WPlus9 dies, this card is for a quilting friend who is currently fighting cancer.   I cut it from my white panel and again from gold.  Coloured the star with Copics and assembled it all as an inlaid diecut.  The embossed sentiment is Clarity.  My card looked a little stark so I added a few tiny gold sequins.  Usually they are a cover up for a smudge but this time the card needed them :).

I'm also entering:
Fresh Brewed Challenges - anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - dies and/or punches

It's Hip to be Square

CAS Colours and Sketches has a super simple pared down sketch which has given me lots of ideas.  I am fast running out of time to make and blog them, however here is one of them to show you, a masculine card I'm pretty pleased with.  I am going through a bit of a kraft phase and also seem to keep reaching for my Mama Elephant Happy stamps.

I've diecut a Simon Says square from my card and inserted white.  Then I diecut my Memory Box tree and inserted a black tree back in.  Sentiment is black embossed.

I'm also entering:
Challenge up your Life - die cutting
Sweet Stampin - boys to men  (the sentiment is stamped)

"Less is More" Challenge #267 - one layer

It is time for a new challenge at "Less is More" and this week our one layer challenge is to give the sentiment centre stage.  I have chosen to use nothing but text for my card, kind of the opposite of leaving the sentiment off the card until you know who you're sending it to!

I've combined an Inkylicious sentiment with a big bold Clarity Stamps one.  I have no recollection at all of when or why I bought the Inkylicious stamp but feel that it works well with the extra words.  What do you think?  I've inked with a mixture of Mermaid Lagoon and Faded Jeans Distress markers with a touch of red Whisper marker.

A Bit of NBUS

I'm sneaking in a second entry to Darnell's NBUS Challenge here - obviously the decoupage Gorjuss Girl is NBUS but it is the background die that I am really entering!  I fell for the Hero Arts? triangle background last year but couldn't get it to cut properly so it languished unloved in the die basket.  This week I remembered to try it again, now I have a thin metal shim - success!  The background paper from the decoupage pack is mounted behind it, with the border showing.  The sentiment die and stamp are Mama Elephant.

A Wise Old Owl

From time to time I get suckered in by craft programmes.  The very talented Pollyanna Pickering has released her work on CD and also as a papercraft kit.  There is often a deal if one buys both.  However I tend not to use the papercraft and the pile of unloved stash grows.  Trying to redress the balance here, I have added a some texture and interest with Joanna Sheen ivy leaf dies, shaded with white and green Inktense pencils.  Image is matted and layered, polka dot paper and a Craftwork Cards sentiment added.
I'm entering Simon Says - add some texture

"Less is More" - Week #266 - colour

Another week has rushed by and it is time for the weekend - phew - and time for the "Less is More" challenge.  This week is a colour challenge and our theme is citrus.  I coloured a super orangey image and took it to the sale basket at work - and of course now I realise that I forgot to take a photo - doh!  Edited to add my second card - A Day for Daisies image coloured with Copics, small gem to match on the hat.

So I have one card to show you, which uses a Little Claire stamp that I bought at Portsmouth last year when out on some retail therapy with Chrissie.  It's stamped paper pieced several times over, the sentiment is Paper Smooches.  I bought lots of Little Claire stamps and, shamefully, they are all NBUS, so I'm entering the lovely Darnell's NBUS Six - click on the link to read all about it and to have a lot of fun :)

New Home

This card was made for the son of some dear friends.  He is still into black and more black, hence the background!  The house is a SU stamp and die, hillside die is Simon Says and the sentiment is Little Claire.  I've added some washi tape and a few die cut SU sentiments.
My card is for:
Addicted to CAS - home
Simon Says - anything goes
The Crazy Challenge - use the colour red
Eureka Stamps - CAS

"Less is More" - Week #265 - recipe

Another week has whizzed by and it is time for another "Less is More" challenge.  This week our card recipe is to feature/use wire.  I will admit that I really struggled with this one and I will look forward to getting some inspiration from the LIMettes, who always come up trumps!

I found some pink beading wire, coiled it around and attached it with a blob of Pinflair.  Stampin' Up die cut flowers in a couple of shades of pink were then added.  The black cardstock base highlights the wire and I added a Hobby Arts sentiment.

I would like to give a warm welcome to our three new design team members, Sarah, Sharon and Susan, so looking forward to creating with them.

"Less is More" - Weeks #264 - Theme

Another week has flown by and it is time for the new "Less is More" Challenge - this week we want you to add some texture to your CAS card.  Somehow I have ended up with two avian cards, but birds are not required to take part :).

The first bird is a SU punch that I've had for ages, it's a real favourite of mine, with an Aqua and Kraft colourscheme that is also well used by me,  My starting point for texture here was the rather hairy twine that the bird is perched on!  I added some embossing to the background and also to the bird's wing for a bit more texture.  SU bird punch, Mama Elephant sentiment.

The sentiment on this card might just be construed as a threat by my hens, who haven't produced an egg between them in months!  Hen and sentiment both Woodware, my texture comes from the feather, Glossy Accents on the heart and comb and the embossed background.  Coloured with Copics, hopefully looking a bit like a Light Sussex, though with spots!  I added some raffia 'straw' for a nest bur it looked too busy that that was removed.

"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!).