Less Is More than one!! :)

Hey everyone!! :)

Well, you probably guessed this but I’m back to show you what I’ve come up with for this week’s Less Is More challenge... and I’ve even managed to make more than one card so I’m a happy bunny!! :) I know many of you have made many more than this as this week’s sketch is both inspiring and very easily adaptable to pretty much anything you want to do but I’ve had to stop myself at two- despite so many more ideas screaming to be let out of my head- as I still have to get my mum’s Mother’s Day card made yet!! That was what I was supposed to be doing when I sat down yesterday but I seem to have a total mental block on it for some reason and I ended up distracted by the ideas for these cards as I knew exactly what I wanted to for the first at least, and that led into the second!!lol

So, here they are:

 They are both DL as per the sketch and both use fairly muted colours, but I think they come out looking very different- somehow the sketch being so simple seems to mean more room to think creatively rather than being too distracted by having to get all the bits in the right places/ the right sizes :)

The first was very simple, especially as I had the flowers (Tim Holt Tattered Florals die- gorgeous!! :) ) I used already on my desk leftover from another card I made last week (bit of a cheeky teaser there- please pop back on Monday to see my first ever DT project!! :) ). They already had the brown swirls (from a My Paper World set) stamped on them as well as some shimmer mist, so I just inked the edges with some more DI in Forest Moss and Vintage Photo and attached them all together with a giant ‘Snap’- I think that’s what it said on the packet but it basically a big, solid-fronted eyelet!!- from We R Memory Keepers and my Cropodile. The parcel paper border is another leftover that’s been sitting on my desk for weeks- I’m doing well here people!!lol- and is punched with MS Cherish border punch. I doodled on the brown dots as I just felt it needed something on that top edge. I wasn’t originally going to add a sentiment but I just had a quick look at my stamps and saw that this one (from Woodware’s Clear Magic ‘Salutations’ set) would nestle in nicely under the flower. There is a lot of ‘white’ here and that is, at times, making me a bit uncomfortable but generally I like it so am resolutely pushing those thoughts aside!!lol

The shimmer spray is so pretty!! :)

This card didn’t come out how I’d intended it really!! I wanted to try a couple of new things- embossing with a Nestie and colouring onto coloured/Kraft cardstock with my Prismas... but then I couldn’t find the stamp I was going to use anywhere so the focus changed completely from flowery feminine to this more masculine design- though I guess it could work for a woman, too!!lol Anyway, embossed the Nestie shape-second time lucky, the first went right through the card!! :S – and then my Hougie board to get the border for the sketch. Then I used my Prismas and blending solution to get some contrast between the embossed shape and the rest of the card and then to colour the image- another that’s been sat on my desk for an age, I really was on a roll!!- which I cut out and attached with 3D Foam. I handwrote the sentiment again... but it was more through laziness than necessity this time as I do have a stamp almost the same size and style as this!!lol And that was that!!

And a close-up for you- at least, unlike the last time I used this image, I did remember to colour the wine in the glass the same as the grapes... I remembered ages after selling the last one that I’d coloured them differently last time... how silly did I feel!!lol

I’d like to enter both of these in the Less Is More challenge :) And I’d also like to enter the first card at: Bows and Berries – Inspired By Nature :) ; Paperplay - Distressing :) And the second one at Cards For Men – Embossing :)

Right, I’m going to link those up then have a rest before I get back to it- really hope the crafter’s block on my Mother’s Day card will clear soon as I’ve got lots of other things to do but don’t feel I should til that’s safely finished!! :S Wish me luck, please!! :) hope you’re all having a lovely day- despite the crafter’s block, I have had another exciting couple of days... will share soon!! :)

hugs,