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,

Christmas in Springtime...

Hello!! :)

Just a quick post for you today to share another couple of last year’s Christmas cards that I didn’t get around to blogging at the time!! As I was frantically trying- and failing :S – to get all my Xmas cards made last year, I was full of the panic-induced determination to just keep making them all through the year in order to avoid a repeat performance next December... but so far- yup, you guessed it- I haven’t made a one!! :S Ooops!!lol But terribly predictable for me, I’m afraid... maybe if I keep looking through  the pics of last year it'll reawaken the enthusiasm... ?!lol

Anyway, here they are:

 These are made with some gifted images from a lovely friend so I don’t know the names of the stamps and am not even sure of the designer/manufacturer- though I suspect that may be Rachelle Anne Miller?! Whoever they’re by though, they are very, very sweet and I really enjoyed using them!! :) 

I coloured the first image with Promarkers- can’t remember the colours anymore, which is a shame as I like some of the combinations!!lol- and added a few touches with my- at the time very new- Prismacolor Pencils. The second is all with Prismas. Then I added them to the base cards which I had run through my ’bug in the C’bug Snowflakes embossing folder and then inked with DIs- looking at the pics, I think it would have been Stormy Sky and Dusty Concord, two of my fav DI colours :) I then spritzed over the whole front- masking the un-embossed bottom bit for the greeting- with Perfect Pearls Shimmer Mist in Pearl :)

 A little bit of Sakura Clear Stardust and some Crystal Stickles gave a bit more sparkle to the images :)

 

The greeting is repeat stamping of a clear stamp from a Daisy and Dandelion Christmas set in Stormy Sky and Broken China the drawn over with Clear Stardust :)

So, I hope you’re all well and had a good weekend!! :) We’re enjoying some surprise sunshine here- even nicer when it comes as an unexpected bonus, isn’t it?! :) Thanks for popping by and to those who left comments on my recent posts- very much appreciated!! :)

hugs,

Something a bit different... and my exciting news... :)

Hi!! :)

As my post title says, I have a slightly different type of card to show you today- no images, no DPs, no punches... basically just a couple of pieces of card... oh, and a Promarker!!lol 

A couple of weeks ago I needed to make a card to welcome the sons of a friend of my mum’s to the UK- it’s been so long since the boys have even seen their mum, who’s been here a few years already, that it was a very special time for them and it deserved celebrating... but coming up with a card idea to fit the bill was tricky!!lol I finally settled on this idea- to the point but nothing too fancy-looking... they are boys after all!!lol

It was fairly simple really- I googled the Union Jack image to check on proportions and which of the white lines around the diagonal cross were the thicker ones... my mum somehow can always remember this and is a stickler for it so thought I’d better get it right!!lol Then I cut a rectangle of blue card for the background and set about ‘measuring’ the lazy way with various widths of ruler- wasn’t having a good brain day and I’ll do pretty much anything to avoid thinking in numbers on such occasions!! ;) – to get the cross and strips for the diagonals. Once they were all sorted, I coloured the red bits with a red PM (possibly Cardinal to match the slightly muted blue card, but couldn’t swear to it!) and stuck it all together... et voila!! Decided against a greeting as it was for the boys and their mum so ‘Welcome’ or the like didn’t really work for her- plus, I liked the strong graphic effect of the flag as it was!! :)

I did go around all the edges with my Paper Distresser- which made it look a bit more interesting and hid my slightly shaky scissor cut lines!!lol

 

This one’s just playing with my camera again but thought you might as well see it!! :D

So- this card was supposed to be going in to the My Partner In Crafting Crime Retro Cool challenge, which ended last weekend, but the photos of the card seem to have gotten hidden under a deluge of other pics on my memory card and I didn’t rediscover them quite in time :S But, I thought that posting this would give me the perfect opportunity to share that bit of exciting news I mentioned in my last post with you because... I am now a member of the My Partner In Crafting Crime Design Team!!!!! :D :D :D Woohooooo!!! :D lol It all happened rather suddenly last Tuesday and to be honest I’m still pinching myself as being on a DT was something I have always considered would likely be impossible for me with my health issues, but the lovely Robin and Jenny have given me the chance and I am very grateful to them and even more excited to be part of this fab new team!!! :D The current challenge over there is to ‘Use 3 or more buttons’ and, though I wasn’t on the team in time to make anything for this one, my fellow DT members (eeep!! :D lol) have come up with some fab inspiration so please do pop over and take a look- there’s still a week to join in with a fab prize for the winner from Bows and Berries Digital Stamp Shop!! :) You can visit the personal blogs of all my fab and talented teammates from there or from the links in my sidebar, too!! :) And I’ll be back with my first ever DT Project (eeep again!!lol) on Monday the 4^th of April when the next challenge will go live- I’ve already made my card and can’t wait to share it with you so I hope you’ll come back then!! :)

Right, excited rambling over for now!!lol I shall leave you all in peace to enjoy your weekends!! :) I hope you all have a good one and see a little sunshine at least wherever you are!! :) Thanks for stopping by!! :)

hugs,

Argh, men... ;)

Hello!! :)

...well, making cards for them, anyway!!lol Not a favourite task for many of us crafters, is it?! But that’s the task set for us by Chrissy and Mandi over at LIM this week and I have to say I actually quite enjoyed making this card, which is often the way for me after the initial agonising over what to do in the first place!! :)

So this one’s pretty simple- I’d been waiting for the Kraft card blanks I ordered to arrive and as soon as they did yesterday I got started on my favourite of the ideas I’d had for this week’s Less Is More Masculine challenge!! I always seem to have several ideas but as I don’t have the energy to make more than one of them- as per my previous post, just getting one made for the challenge each week has me over the moon!!lol- the hardest thing is often choosing which to do and I do sometimes wish I’d chosen differently... but that’s life all over!! ;) Anyway, this one won this week and I’m glad it did :)

I’ve been playing with my Cricut this week- it needs more exercise and I’m determined now that it will get it as I’ve had so much fun with it this last few days!! :) The card is simply made up of the clock face/numerals, the two coloured circles behind it and two hands, all cut on the Cricut and layered up. I attached the hands with a tiny brad before I stuck it all to the blank. Then, as the sentiment I’d also tried to cut was a bit small for the machine to handle and came out mangled, I bit the bullet, grabbed a Fineliner and handwrote the greeting- I really wanted it to say ’time flies’ and I haven’t got a stamp or enough courage to try printing direct to a card blank!! Think I just about got away with it for a change, though it helps that the font I’d tried to cut is much like my handwriting... the font matters so much, especially with CAS!!

A couple of close-ups for you :) I luckily found a sort-of handmade looking and flecked off-white card in a stack a family friend gave me (from the stash she’d had when her Grandaughter used to craft at her house so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the box, but there’s some really good stuff in there!! :) ) which I think really added some interest to the face :) The hands, I’ve just realised, would never be in those positions relative to each other- I had enough trouble deciding where to put them between this position and slightly further round between the two and three but they’re not glued down yet so I guess I could move them... if I decide I should let reality win out over artistic license and aesthetic balance!?!lol

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Less Is More Week 7 – Masculine :) ; Crafts and Me – Anything Goes :) ; Cupcake Crafts – Monochromatic :) ; Simply Create – Monochromatic :)

Thank you to all the LIMers and others who left comments on my cards last week- I truly do appreciate each and every one and only wish I could get around to you all in return but this hasn’t been my best few weeks on the commenting front- stuff just seems to have got in the way and sapped my energy before I get there at the mo’... but I'll try to do better this week as I'm constantly amazed at the talent and inspiration out there just waiting to be found!! :)

Right, I’m off now as I’m kinda tired- spent a while out in the garden this afternoon to catch a bit of the sunshine while the going was good, it was absolutely lovely to sit in the sun, which was beautifully warm, and even ended up having a good natter with a friend/neighbour who I’ve not seen for a quite a while, which was extra lovely... but I stayed out there for a tad longer than I probably should have and am even more tired as a result!! Worth it though!! :) I hope you’re all okay and have been able to enjoy some of this gorgeous weather wherever you are!! :) I will hopefully be back soon as I had a *very* exciting day yesterday and don’t think I’m going to be able to keep myself from sharing it with you for too long!!lol

hugs,

Going over the edge...

Hello!! :)

Yay!! :) I made it- this is not going to be the first week I miss entering at Less Is More!!  And you have no idea how happy I feel about that... that’s a ‘bl***y M.E. stops me doing the things I want to and it’s not getting the better of me this time’ kind of reaction... and I’m now thinking that the way I’d intended to start this post (by saying that ‘no, my post title alludes to the challenge not my state of mind’) may seem a tad ironic... !! lol Ah, well, on with the card before I scare you all off, eh!?! :D

So, the challenge this week was a One Layer Card with the theme of ‘Off The Edge’... and the additional criteria of ‘no scored lines’... hmmm!! :S Well, I can honestly say, Chrissie and Mandi, that you really stumped me with that last bit (was a tad peeved for a while if I’m honest!!lol) as, having finally got to grips with my Hougie for last week’s card and knowing that this was one layer week, I had had several ideas buzzing around in my head waiting to be adapted to the theme... and every one of them involved scored lines!!! :/ So, back to the drawing board for me then!!lol But I love going off the edge with images- makes things look so much more interesting and it is meant to be a challenge after all... and in the end I’m glad as I wouldn’t have done this with lines involved and I actually really enjoyed it and like the result!! :)

 

As part of my continuing efforts to use more of my old and neglected- forgotten even, shame on me!!lol- stash as well as the newer stuff, I’ve been trying to think about exactly what I’ve got hidden away (can’t just go looking unfortunately as I have enough trouble moving myself around some days so moving heavy, teetering piles/boxes of stash is a no go!! :S).  One of the things I thought of this week was my beautiful Brilliance Lightning Black inkpad, as well as my neglected embossing powders and this gorgeous butterfly stamp that’s been sitting out by my desk for months in the hopes I’d get round to using it!! I combined them all with a new swirl stamp and finally tried masking and over-stamping properly for the first time for a card that was actually pretty quick to make for a change as well as pretty!! :)

I knew the intense gold shimmer in the ink would look good with the gold sparkle powder but I’m always blown away by just how beautiful this ink is, so I like it even more than I thought and love the masking effect- though you can see I trimmed the mask in a bit too far on one edge of the butterfly :S I’m not quite sure on the sentiment placement and wonder if it would have been better down in the bottom left... but then the middle would probably look too bare instead... lol

The butterfly is from a wooden set from Panduro Hobby, the swirl from a clear set by My Paper World (Viva Decor) and the greeting is from Woodware Clear Magic’s ‘Jane’s Script’ set :)

So, thank you ladies for a real challenge to get my thinking cap on this week!! :) And thank you to everyone who commented on LIM my cards last week- as I said in my post on Wednesday (here if this is the first time you’ve been back), I really appreciated you sharing your favourite of my two cards, I found it very interesting to know what you all thought!! :) Sorry I’ve not managed to comment on too many of the other entries so far this week- from the Linky pics there are some fantastic ones so I’ll hopefully get to a few over the weekend!! :) Hope you all have a good one!! :)

hugs,