Monday sunshine ...

 There is nothing better on a Monday morning than blue skies and sunshine!! Although I'm retired I still feel that Monday morning feeling especially with the UK still in lockdown ... I keep struggling to look on the positive side but at least I am safe in my craft room!

Today's card:

I created the circle using a stencil and inktense pencils as a water colour wash.  The foliage was created with a stencil and matt black embossing paste.  A simple one layer card.

I was inspired by the following two challenges:

AAA Cards #182

Perfectly CAS #11

Keep positive!

Less is More ... In a Row

 Good Morning!  It's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Less is More ... I don't know about you but I struggle to know what day of the week it is at the moment!  The new challenge is:

I went with a small image repeated across my card and with rainbow colours.

I coloured the flowers with Inktense pencils, having stamped the sentiment I then adhered it with foam tape for dimension.  Finally I adhered the panel to a blue card base to add colour to the edge.

I used:

Visible Image - Creative Chaos Stamp Set

Inktense Pencils

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Check out the blog for more inspiration.  I hope you will join in with the challenge and I look forward to seeing your creations.

Stay Safe!

Peony again ...

 At last we have had a day of blue sky and sunshine, quite chilly but so much nicer than overcast, gloomy weather.   I've been busy trying to measure my garden ready to plan my vegetable gardening for this year - trying to work out how much I can squeeze in.  I have managed to do a little crafting as well so all in all it has been a fairly productive day!

This is the card I would like to share with you:

I began by stamping the peony and then masking it before stamping around with the mixture of sentiments to frame the flower.  I then coloured the peony using polychromos pencils.  It is a one layer card.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational Challenge #230

UNIKO Challenge #63

Stay safe!

Navy and Cream ...

It's amazing how time can go slowly and quickly at the same time, for me anyway!! Individual days seem to last for hours and yet we are already at the end of the third week of January ... it doesn't seem possible that Christmas was almost a month ago.  Trying to look on the positives at least we are a month closer to the arrival of Spring!

I have a card to share inspired by the current colour challenge over at Color Hues:-

Unfortunately navy looks very black when photographed so you'll just have to take my word for it but the card stock used for the bubbles really is navy blue.  Hopefully I will be in time to enter the challenge this time - the last challenge I was confused between EST and PST and GMT and missed the closing time ... at least I'm not trying to enter on the last day this time.

Color Hues Challenge #10

Keep Crafting!

Peony delight ...

A quick post to share a card:

 

It seems that stencils are very popular this month with card challenges ... so that was my starting point for this card!  Once again I've used Inktense pencils to colour the stencil and polychromos pencils to colour the peony.

I used:

UNIKO Pure Florals: Peony

UNIKO Equaliser Stencil

UNIKO Simply Said

I'm entering the following challenges:

UNIKO Challenge #63

Addicted to Stamps and More #396

Take care!

STAMPlorations January Reminder ...

Mid way through the first month of 2021 and it is time to remind you that you still have time to join in with the Theme and Photo challenge at STAMPlorations - this is the theme:

Once again I've used cup cakes and colours:

I die cut two tags which I stamped with the sentiment and focal image.  I water coloured the image using distress inks as well as stamping a few small images on the card base to reflect the ribbon and dots in the photograph.

I used:

CUTplorations - Stitched Tags Nesting dies

STAMPlorations - Sweet Kindness

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord and Tea Dye

(This post contains affiliate links when you click on them and place an order I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Remember, as always, there are many more projects over on the STAMPlorations blog to inspire you to get creating.

Stay Safe!

Red and Grey ...

Another day in UK lockdown, a morning of housework followed by a couple of hours crafting!!  This afternoon I have taken two challenges for inspiration.  Firstly I've taken the colours for the current Color Hues challenge of Red and Grey.  Secondly, the new challenge at TIME OUT Challenges where the theme is 'You' the idea is to show something about yourself ... this could be something you like, a hobby you have, your style of card making, anything about you.  I've gone with my card making style ... if you follow my blog you will know that my style is CAS (Clean and Simple) so my card today is also Clean and Simple.

I stamped and heat embossed the image before water colouring with distress inks.  While to focal image was drying I created a water colour wash to create a background, using water colour paint adding some small splatters using distress inks.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment before adhering the elements to the card base with foam tape.

I used:

Archival Ink - Watering Can

WOW Clear Embossing Powder

Distress Inks - Pumice Stone and Festive Berries

STAMPlorations - Bloom Sketches

Windsor and Newton Water Colour Paynes Grey

The challenge details:

Color Hues #9

Time Out Challenges #179

Stay safe!

Double Flowers ...

Good evening,  I hope all is good in your part of the world.

I thought I would share a couple of cards created and inspired by the new Twofer Card Challenge ... the theme of the challenge is 'Flowers' ... the idea is to create two cards for different occasions using the same stamp/stencil or die.  These are my cards:

First up:

I stamped and heat embossed the flowers and then water coloured them with distress inks.  The sentiment was also stamped and heat embossed before adding to the card with foam tape.

The second card:

For this card I stamped and heat embossed the flowers numerous times to create the background for the sentiment.  I die cut the sentiment twice in cream, once in gold and once in deep red before adhering them together and popping them onto the background.

I used:

STAMPlorations - Softly stamp set and Birthday Wishes Die

Versamark Ink

WOW Embossing Powder

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry and Peeled Paint

The details of the Twofer Card challenge are:

I'm also going to enter the following challenges with the first 'Congratulations' card:

AAA Card Challenge #181

Addicted to Stamps and More #396

Take care!

Less is More ... we're back ...

Exciting news for Less is More followers and fans ... we are back after our winter break with lots of great new challenges ... so break out the craft supplies and get creating!  First challenge of 2021 is:

I went with accessories for mine ...

Sometimes I just like to be able to send cards that are encouraging rather than in celebration of an event.  I thought these walking boots went well with these two phrases and will hopefully act as an encouragement to someone.

I stamped the boots and then coloured them with polychromes colour pencils before fussy cutting the image.  I popped the image onto the card base with foam adhesive before adding the words.

I used:

STAMPlorations - Walking Boots

                           - Shine Bright Clear Stickers

Faber-Castell - Polychromes Colour Pencils

I hope that you are ready for the challenge and remember to check out the blog for more inspiration from the design team.

Take care!

A Rose for a Rose ...

 It's my Mum's birthday this month so I have been auditioning card designs!!  This is one of the contenders:

It is quite safe for me to share potential cards on my blog as Mum does not have access to the internet.  This one was inspired by the current challenge at the AAA Birthday challenge to use a stencil.

I heat embossed the stencil with white embossing powder before using a water colour wash to provide background colour.  The rose and rose buds were water coloured using distress inks and then fussy cut popped onto the card with foam adhesive.  The sentiment strip was also adhered using foam adhesive.

I used:

Memory Box Mesh Stencil

UNIKO Pure Florals: Rose

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry and Peeled Paint

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Ranger Emboss It dabber

Twinkling H2Os water colour

WOW White embossing Powder

AAA Birthday Challenge #21

Keep Crafting!

Hugs ...

 I spent the morning doing housework so it seemed only fair that I spend the afternoon in my craft room!!  I just have one project to share:

I was inspired by the new challenge at AAA Birthday to use a stencil background - so that was my starting point.  I don't always have much success with stencils - I always seem to get paint under the stencil!  I see some fantastic examples of crafters ink blending with stencils but whenever I try the results seem to be blurry and not to my liking - I guess I need to try harder.  I decided I would use Inktense pencils and a water brush and I'm quite happy with the result.  I did stamp and mask the flower before adding the background stencil.  I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of card and adhered it to the card with foam adhesive.

I used:

Crafters Workshop stencil

Visible Image: Creative Chaos

UNIKO Simply Said II

Inktense Pencils

The challenge details:

Keep Crafting!

Special Birthday ...

 At last I'm able to share a card that I created for my niece's 40th birthday back in December ... we had hoped to celebrate but it was not to be ... hopefully we will be able to in the summer!

I stamped and heat embossed the background with gold to add a little sparkle.  The stars were die cut from a piece of card created using my gelli plate ... I love the way you can add colour this way without it appearing flat.  The numbers were die cut 3 times and then adhered into a stack to make a solid number.  Finally the sentiment was stamped and heat embossed to tie the background to the foreground.

I used:

Indigo Blu Honeycomb Background stamp

Bee Crafty Backdrops Numbers stamp

Dienamics High Rise Numbers

Sizzix Nesting Star Dies

It is great to see Addicted to CAS are back!  So I'm entering their first challenge of 2021

Take care and keep well!

New Year, new start ...

 As each new year begins I always reflect on the year just gone ... the highs and the lows!  There were not  many highs in 2020 but this is one of them ... I was chosen as a winner of the October challenge at the CAS Mix Up card  and I was invited to be a guest designer!!

How exciting is that!!!  The details for this month's challenge:

I like the effect that you get from splatters but I am a bit of a control freak and have not mastered the art of creating splatters freehand and controlled but I do own a collection of different splatter stamps (and even a die!!).  So here is my controlled splattered card:

It was quite difficult to photograph all of the detail but you can at least see the splatters!  I created some coloured card stock using acrylic paints, stencils and my gelli plate (one of my favourite techniques) to die cut the Tim Holtz splatter from to form the basis for the numbers.  I then stamped the background with different splatter stamps and distress inks focussing the activity to the middle of the card base.  I die cut the numbers 3 or 4 times from card stock before stacking and then gluing together to give more dimension.  I fussed around for quite some time deciding where to place the 'happy' but other than that the design came together quite quickly!

I hope I have inspired you to join in with the challenge ... if you need more inspiration then remember to check out the CAS Mix Up blog to see the design team makes and for links to more information about creating and using splatters.  I really look forward to seeing your projects.

The products used:

Dienamics High Rise NUmber dies

Sizzix Scribbles and Splats

Clearly Besotted Happy die

Stampin Up Gorgeous Grunge stamp set

STAMPlorations At Marks and Mixed Media Elements Stampsets

UNIKO Simply Said II

Distress Inks Fossilised Amber, Spiced Marmalade and Seedless Preserves.

I wish you all the very best for 2021.

Stamplorations January Challenge ...

Welcome to the first challenge of the New Year ... I wonder what 2021 has install for us!  First up is the new Theme and Photo challenge at STAMPlorations - this is the prompt for the challenge:

I've used the cupcake for the sweet and the colours and shapes for inspiration.

I started by stencilling the background in soft pink.  I then die cut the 'sweet' numerous times from some coloured designer paper and then adhered them on top of the stencilling and stamped the sentiment on a scrap piece of card.  I die cut the cupcake from some texture card that I had created using a gelli plate and acrylic paints and stencils.

I used:

ARTploration Stencils - Shutters and Dots All Over

STAMPlorations - Sweet Kindness

CUTplorations - Cupcake Maker #1 and Sweet Spring Wishes

(This post contains affiliate links when you click on them and place an order I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Remember to check out the blog for more inspiration!  I look forward to seeing your projects.

Keep crafting!!