Stripe - check

This week at Less is More the challenge is Stripe.  I got out an old favourite set from Technique Tuesday for my card stamping them a couple of times, I love the zebras.  Monochrome with  a touch of red is another favourite and I added some strip washi tape for good measure but still leaving plenty of white space.
Still battling with new (and newly repaired) laptop here, hence the lack of watermark, guess I will be faffing about with it again at the weekend...
I'm also entering my card for Simon Says anything goes.

Spring Walk

Less is More's theme this week is spring walk and while we did have pretty good weather for Easter I got caught in a sudden shower on Sunday afternoon on my walk.  This is another card using the Beautiful You set, coloured with Distress Inks (Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio for the rain) and SU inks (Flirty Flamingo, Hello Honey, Pear Pizazz).  The rain uses a TCW stencil.

My card is for
Less is More - spring walk
CAS on Sunday - use a stencil
Simon Says - spring colour inspiration

Birthday Girl

I made this card, using the SU Beautiful You set, for a sketch challenge - but missed the deadline.  I love the look of the layout and plan to use it again.  She is simply coloured with Copics. I'm entering it for Simon Says Happy Birthday and wishing all at Simon Says a very happy eighth birthday.

Curvy

This week the Less is More Challenge is Curve; it's also one layer week.  I've used Card-Io stamps (cherry blossom) with an SU sentiment and some Perfect Pearls.

Framed Kraft

I've a second framed card to share, this time Inktense coloured on kraft, which is pretty much my favourite way to colour at present.  The SU Beautiful You image has been sitting on my desk for a few weeks and the white frame worked well, I like the way she is pushing the skewed frame.  No sentiment at present, that can wait until the card is going to be sent.
Less is More - use a frame
Simon Says - anything goes

Bird frame

Less is More asks us to use a frame this week.  For me, this card has plenty of what I love.  It is very CAS, it has a Light Sussex chicken (just like my ladies), a fun sentiment and a hand doodled frame.  SU image coloured with Copics.  Hope you love this as much as I do :)

I'm also entering Simon Says Anything goes and Simon Says Monday Things with wings.

Spring leaves

 A couple of one layer cards for Less is More - last minute as my nice new laptop is not behaving and I've had to dig out the geriatric one that happily still functions at its own pace (me too).  First up uses SU Simply Sketched on kraft with Inktense pencils to colour.  The stamp is Lily of the Valley and yes I know it is upside down!  As I like plants to be 'grounded', it didn't work to have it growing right ways up.  So in this case, it has become a trailing shrub.

My second card is all embossed.  The bird and branch are both Card-Io, some gel pen highlights the branches.  Sentiment is Visible Image.  Not so happy with this card, may try it again without the embossing.

I'm also entering CAS-ology's Foliage challenge.

Teal

 This week's Less is More Challenge is to use mostly teal.  I LOVE teal :)  as you can see from my shiny new kitchen - the splashbacks are very Marmite - and yes, I love them!

I decided to break into a prized piece of paper for the challenge, created on a hot day last summer with the lovely Wendy Gale, who used to own Stamp Attic.  We started with a piece of tissue paper, approx. A4, adding Paper Artsy Fresco paints, stencilling and a bit of stamping. I loved the effect, but have been reluctant to use it, it has been sitting on my desk and just getting the occasional stroke...

 

I cut a strip that has mostly teal, then decided to tear the edges as I preferred it.  Added SU Swirly Bird diescuts and Mama Elephant sentiment (stamped and die cut) to my tent fold card.  Now I've broken into my beloved paper, perhaps I should use some more...  what do you think?

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge

This month our CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers is to use diecuts.  I've added a Memory Box skyline diecut to some watercolour paper that I painted with Brushos at last year's HLS retreat.  I think it looks like one of those stunning winter sunsets you get from time to time.  The sentiment and chevrons are from the Mix Mash stamp set from HLS.

Alphabet

I'm still struggling to get creative; to make this I reached for a couple of elements that have been sitting in a box for a while.  The Poppystamps diecut stem was cut from some inked up cardstock that didn't work for the project it had been started for.  The background, which I hope you can see, has been impressed with an alphabet texture plate from PTI.  I don't own any of these plates, but was kindly lent it by Chrissie of LIM fame, during the Happy Little Stampers retreat last year.  I added my favourite Mama Elephant sentiment.
My card was made for Less is More's Alphabet Challenge.  Hope you like it :)

NBUS #8

My friend the amazingly cool Darnell has a blogaversary and a wedding anniversary to celebrate and is also running the 8th NBUS challenge!   Much love and congratulations to Darnell and Hammy (oops sorry I mean Mister K) and if you haven't yet discovered her blog then you are in for a treat...

The optional challenge this week is coloured pencils on kraft.  I have to be honest, this isn't a new technique to me but as I love it I'm going to play along with it anyhow.  My NBUS are the stunning new Beautiful You stamps from SU and also the piece of twine wrapped in a kind of hairy extra, that I remembered I had and happend to match the bright brolly and coat.  It's a card for another crafty friend going through a sad time and I think the sunshine colour against the soft kraft is appropriate.

Ombre

I had a good idea what I wanted to make for this week's Less is More Challenge - unfortunately I wasn't happy with my earlier attempts at ombre feathers,  so here is my last minute entry.  My Distress Ink  gold feathers weren't ombre enough, I ddin't like the blue/green ones and when I overstamped with the feather image I liked them even less!

So the final efforts uses BG Copics blended.  The die is Clearly Besotted and I've added a Clarity sentiment.  The featheres have some blue embroidery thread tied around them as it was all looking a bit stark.  At last I am happy with my efforts :)

Happy Little Stampers CAS Design Team

Happy 2017 everyone!

I've had a long break from blogging while life has been busy.  However I'm longing to get back to my crafting table now and I'm delighted to say that the lovely Kylie has invited me to be part of the Happy Little Stampers CAS Design Team and here is my first card for them.

This month our challenge is to use a stencil and I've used a favourite Inky Doodles stencil, over a large die cut circle.  I've brushed a mixture of Distress Inks through the stencil and smooshed them onto my mat to die cut the sentiment.  I've stamped HLS Big Bold Numbers and added a few toning sequins.  Often the sequins are to cover up a mark, but this time I'm happy to say they are there because I wanted them :).

Vintage Deer

It is time to get to work on the Christmas cards, here I have a die cut card to show you, with no stamping.  The kraft card Memory Box deer have been brushed with Vintage Photo distress ink and a bit of dappling added with a white gel pen.  A Memory Box shaker frame and Tim Holtz words were also cut from kraft card.
SU embossing folder of falling snow backs the frame and I've edged it with brown rather than add another layer.  Two tiny red gems finish of the card.

I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - Christmas critters
Less is More - vintage

Butterflies and black cats

 I  decided to play with the colours from CAS Colours & Sketches and combined them with the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch - and this is what I came up with.  The coloured panel was smooshed with inks.  I diecut Memory Box Fairyland Butterflies and inked them with Memento Ladybug.  The diecut was just too big so I removed two of the six butterflies.  Sentiment is Happy Little Stampers and I ended up adding a very thin mat to finish it off.

I tried to make the linear cat below work for the sketch but it just wouldn't quite work, so I left it as a CAS card.  Katzelcraft stamp with Joanna Sheen House Mouse sentiment white embossed.

 

Stitch

Seems I'm not quite done with sewing, having finished the quilt.  There are a couple of challenges looking for stitching or thread.  I inked a card panel with SU inks, the new type seem really juicy and work well.  Hello Honey, Peach Passion, Flirty Flamingo. Dapper Denim.  Lightly sketched a bare tree and stitched it on my sewing machine.  Added a bit of Distress Ink to the trunk where the background showed through and then I grounded it.  SU sentiment and an extension of the ground line were added to the panel.
Less is More - thread
Addicted to CAS - stitch

And here is the lovely Evee enjoying her quilt :)

Autumn shades

We've a lovely Indian summer but autumn is on the way...  today's card has some autmnal inkiness.  Simon Says trees white embossed onto watercolour card.  DI roughly painted over in Carved Pumpkin, Peeled Paint and Mustard seed.  It looked too tidy so I flicked some paint around with my brush and grounded my trees or do I mean rooted.  Mama Elepant diecut and stamped sentiment.
My card is for:
Simon Says - stamp it
Simply Create Too -fall colours
Make my Monday - autumn colours
Cards und More - no DSP

More cattiness

Now that the quilt is finished and on its way I can get back to all the paper craft ideas that are spinning around in my mind :).   I'm continuing to play with those fab Katzelcraft kitties.  This is a very ageist card for my bestie, I gold embossed and masked off Happy Little Stampers big numbers, that were in my amazing goodie bag at retreat.  Cat is coloured with Copics,sentiment is computer generated, Problem Secretary.  I love his expression!

I'm entering a few challenges (and a DT call) with this one:
Happy Little Stampers DT call - clean and simple
Simon Says - stamp it
Cute Card Thursday - animals/ creatures
4 Crafty Chicks - birthday
Alphabet Challenge - numbers

More feline NBUS fun

Here's a late entry for Darnell's 7th NBUS Challenge - a CAS birthday card for a dear friend.  Sentiment is computer generated.  My adorable, grumpy NBUS Katzelkraft kitties are coloured with Copics and I've added a thin black mat and some b&w twine.  Nothing else to say about this one really!
Also entered for Simon Says anything goes.

A little bit of retreat NBUS

Darnell has launched her latest NBUS Challenge and here is my first card for it.  As I was lucky enough to meet the lovely Darnell on her recent UK tour, at Southampton and again at retreat, I thought I'd use some of the NBUS that found it's way to my stash as a direct result of the retreat.  Neets, who is a long time blogging friend from my Less is More days had brought some We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folders which she kindly let me play with.  Of course, I had to get them :).  Embossing folder used on the kraft card blank.  Katzelkraft cat stamp is also NBUS, sentiment is computer generated.  I tore the front of my card, have seen something similar on Pinterest using this stamp.

My card is for the following challenges:
NBUS #7 -  NBUS
Simon Says - hip to be square
Addicted to CAS - silhouette