Clean & Simple Characters - Clean & Simply Gorjuss...

Hello there!! :)

Well, I'm finally back after another unintended hiatus from blogging... have still been crafting though, so plenty to share with you!! :) Starting with the first post in my new little personal challenge series inspired by the lovely Jen :) I mentioned here that around the same time as Jen started her fab CAS Mondays with LOTV, I had also been having a craft-space sort out and realised anew just how many character stamps I had and how little use they were getting recently within my recent CAS stamps/inks/dies phase... and so, following Jen's lead, I decided I would set myself a little challenge too... and to keep me motivated, I thought I'd make it a series on my lil' blog...

... I am calling it Clean & Simple Characters and the idea is to still make CAS cards which are relatively quick and easy to put together but which also include all my lovely character images and give my ProMarkers and FlexMarkers a bit of use... until I started this they had barely been out of the box all year!! :S

I have been wanting to give sepia colouring with my PMs/FMs a go for a while since I saw my lovely friend, Elaine, making some fab cards this way and I decided to restrict myself to just the colours I have in my FlexMarkers to keep it all as simple as possible... I started with this lovely Gorjuss Girl stamp I got a little while ago, from the new DoCrafts GG range, and hadn't used yet (as the size of it threw me a tad to be honest- it's huge!!lol) and, until I had the CAS idea, I hadn't been able to work out what I could do with it...

... and I had so much fun that I went on, over the next few days, to colour my other three Gorjusses and a Simply Sassy in the same way, too, (along with a couple of flowers which I'll share soon but don't fit the series)!! :)

 This one was the first GG I got from Sugar Nellie years ago and is still my favourite... I just think she is so pretty with her little flowers :)

I embossed all the images with WOW! semi-dull powder before colouring and added a little Antique Linen Distress Stickles to them at the end :)

The frames on these two were leftovers/waste from some kraft squares I cut ages ago but saved as I thought they'd make great frames... nearly chucked them a few times as they were getting on my nerves on my desk but glad I didn't now!!lol

And for this last one, I pulled out a fab Simply Sassy stamp which I've had for ages and really love but, for some strange reason, hasn't been used that much... like the GGs, she was a dream to colour in this way and I had fun- and possibly got a tad carried away!!lol- playing with some teeny hearts and stars from CBS to make a bokeh-ish background for her :)

{ The List }

Cream card blanks (top- fold A6 and 5" Square) and more cream card from stamping on

Stamps - Simply Gorjuss - New Heights from Do Crafts

Gorjuss Girls - Poppy Fields, Little Goth Girl and Sitting from Sugar Nellie

Simply Sassy - Luv a Latte by Krista Smith from Sugar Nellie

VersaMagic Ink pad in Jumbo Java

Wow! Clear Matte Semi-dull embossing powder and heat tool

FlexMarkers - Rosewood, Auburn, Saddle Brown, Nutmeg, Cappuccino, Sandstone, Light Fawn, Champagne, Linen, Antique White, Sunkissed Pink

Button Twine and Seam Binding - Brown and Rose Petal from The Ribbon Girl

Clearly Besotted Many Thanks stamp set and VersaMagic inks in Wheat and Sahara Sand for hearts and stars background on Luv a Latte card

Sentiments - Poppy Fields card- Woodware Clear Magic Salutations

Sitting card- Papermania Honey and Hugs set

Little Goth Girl and Luv a Latte cards- LOTV Tags stamp sheets

Antique Linen Distress Stickles

Sakura Clear Stardust pen

I'd like to enter all but the first of these into the Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes challenge :) and the rest into: Passion for ProMarkers - Ribbon, Lace or Twine :) ; Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark :) ; Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes :)

Well, that's the first post- and the first *five* cards- in my little Clean and Simple Characters series... I love the sepia look and limiting my colour palette definitely helped the process go more quickly and feel much more relaxed... I have a lot more images I think would look great in sepia but I'd also like to try some other restricted palettes... and it was so much fun to play with my images and pens again!! :) Thank you again Jen for the inspiration!! :) My challenge is just for me- no linky or anything like Jen's) and it will be an 'as and when' kind of thing but I hope that it might be fun to read and maybe even inspire a few people to have a go and mix those character with CAS!! :)

Thanks for stopping by today and for reading this v long post (I was going to post all the cards seperately but it seemed daft to spend energy on several different posts when they'd all be so similar!!lol)... hope you enjoyed it anyway!! :) I'm not sure when I'll make it back but I hope it won't be too long :) Hope everyone's okay and had a lovely long weekend... I got to meet Jen who came to visit and we chatted like we'd known each other forever so I had a fab weekend- thanks hon!! :D :D

Owls are fun!! :)

Hello everyone!! :)

I have a couple of cards made with the fabulous Clearly Besotted You're a Hoot set to share today- the CBS owl is just gorgeous... I ordered the stamps and die as soon as they came back in stock last month and had to have a play as soon as I could (it's just taken me an age to get the pics sorted... and they still look a little odd to me! :S)... this is what I did... just looking at this owl makes me smile!! :)

Two quick and easy but lovely (I think anyway!! ;)) cards :) I love browns with pinks or teals so the colour choices just happened... :)

I had fun mixing inks directly on the stamps to get the shading on the owls and to get the shade I wanted for the teal hearts :)

Still need a little more practice stamping on my die cuts... it's a bit hit and miss sometimes!! :S lol

{The List}

A6 top-fold Kraft card blank and cream linen textured cardstock for mat and owl

Clearly Besotted Stamps - You're a Hoot, Paired Up and Warm Wishes stamp sets and You're a Hoot die

VersaMagic Inks - Jumbo java, Sahara Sand, Wheat, Malted Mauve, Turquoise Gem & Agean Blue (mixed to get the tealy shade), Hint of Pesto, Tea Leaves and Aquatic Splash

Twine - Docrafts, The Ribbon Girl and Dies to Die For

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter these in the following challenges: (Will come back and do this tomorrow when my brain's- hopefully!- more in gear!!)

Right, really short and sweet (for me!!) today as I'm having real trouble with pain in my hands at the mo' (brain's not being too co-operative either, actually :S) but I hope you like the cards and thank you so much for popping in and any comments!! :) Plenty more to share so will be back as soon as I can manage!! :) 

A little more LOTV... :)

Hello again folks!! :)

Yup, it really is me back so soon!!lol I couldn't believe my luck this morning when I saw that the new LOTV challenge was CAS... and I actually managed to get a card that would be perfect for it posted- *last* night!! Typical!!lol But that and the fact I so rarely get to enter over there has persuaded me to get on and post this one, which also fits but had been pushed back in my mental posting queue by the CBS cards I mentioned last night...anyway, this one is from the archives (ie. one of many on my computer I just haven't got to posting yet!!) and was made last October for my Gran's birthday...

I wanted to keep her card calm and soothing as my Gran had lost her sister suddenly the week or so before... I knew she would still appreciate a pretty and cheerful card to celebrate her birthday but didn't want to send anything too bright and jarring or overly fussy... after much head-scratching, I remembered this lovely little LOTV bear and created one of my fav big scalloped circle cards to sit her on- I always think a circular base card makes a card look special even if the rest of it is very simple!! :)

I coloured with PMs and FMs in gentle, pretty tones and added just a smidge of Stickles, then dug out my last whole piece (eeek- only for someone really special!!) of my fav paper from the FF Pink Parfait range and some matching seam-binding...

A sublte white-embossed sentiment, some white layers and a few white pearls brought it all together... perhaps not as CAS as some of my recent creations but I think the limited, pale colour palette with plenty of white keeps it pretty simple and fresh... and my Gran was really pleased with it... so nice to have made her smile!! :)

{The List}

6" Sq. white card blank

Nesties - Grand Big Scalloped Circles, Big Scalloped Circles Large and Standard Circles dies

LOTV Posy Trio image, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers (sorry, no colours again... too long ago!!)

Paper - Forever Friends Pink Parfait pad

Blue textured pearl cardstock (from QVC many moons ago)

X-cut Scalloped border punch

Sentiment - LOTV

White Embossing Powder and heat tool

Seam Binding - Tile Blue from The Ribbon Girl

White 4mm pearls

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Lili's Little Fairies - Clean and Simple :) ; Jen's CAS Mondays with LOTV (if it's CAS enough for you Jen?!) :) ; Papertake Weekly - Bingo (Glitter, Diecuts, Blooms is the one I've chosen but I think it would fit several lines!!) :) ; Joanna Sheen - Spring into Spring :) ; The Ribbon Girl - Just Add Flowers :)

Well, that's it from me for now... I hope you're all well- thanks for stopping by today and for your lovely comments!! :) See you again soon I hope- though maybe not quite so soon as this time!! :)

Just for You from LOTV...

Hello everyone!! :)

I have a card to share today which was inspired by Jen over at The Tiny Blue Butterfly... after clearing out her stash, Jen has challenged herself to make a CAS card each Monday using one of her neglected LOTV stamps... I have more than a few of those too so thought I'd join in!! :)

This cute image is one I have wanted for some time and have always thought would be well suited to CAS designs :)

I am very out of practice with colouring at the mo' as, especially with my health as it has been of late, I just haven't had the energy to sit and colour in the way I was a year or so ago (tons of pens out all over the place and spending ages paying so much attention to getting my blending as good as I possibly could, etc.) so I decided to used just my FlexMarkers to colour this one as I find it easier to relax and colour with a (quicker!) more sketchy style with them... so it's far from perfect but I am relatively happy with it (all but the skin anyway- don't have my usual skin colours in my FMs so that ended up a bit of a mess!) all things considered :) And- I had the whole card put together in less time than an image would normally have taken me!!lol

The layout is CASEd from this card by Jen who in turn, CASEd it from this card by Rebecca... and I think it's one I'll keep coming back to for CAS cards :) Thanks for the inspiration ladies!! :)

{The List}

A6 top-fold white card blank

Image - LOTV Milly Just for You, stamped in Memento London Fog and coloured with FlexMarkers (sorry, no colours... I'm so out of the colouring habit that I put them all away without thinking!!lol)

Paper - Forever Friends Springtime 6x6" pad

Sentiment - PTI Happy For You set

Twine - Papermania Spots and stripes Pastels Collection

Tiny pearls from Anita's

Sakura Clear Stardust pen

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Jen's CAS Monday with LOTV #3 :) ; ATCAS #10 - Friend :) ; Allsorts - Spring has Sprung :) ; Joanna Sheen - Spring into Spring :) ; Fab 'n' Funky - Spring Colours :) ; Divas by Design - Flowers (if the flowers in my image and papers are okay) :)

Jen's challenge set me to thinking about how many character stamps I have and how much I like to make more CAS cards with them with the image taking centre stage... so... I have decided to attempt a little personal challenge of my own and have been colouring like a crafter possessed since the idea hit... Gorjuss Girls aplenty coming to a blog near you soon!!lol Though I do have a couple of Clearly Besotted Stamps cards I want to share with you first... the sudden spate of creativity around here is causing problems as I have more cards to share than I have time or energy to blog... but I'd much rather have that problem than nothing to blog 'cause I've not managed any crafting!! :D

Thanks for stopping by today!! :) See you soon I hope!! :)

Washi, crochet, buttons and twine... :)

Hi folks!! :)

Just thought I'd pop in for a flying visit to share the card I made for my Gran for Mother's Day... it was made pretty much entirely in bed while I was struggling even to sit upright for a few minutes so it had to be kept nice and simple but, given the restraints, I was relatively happy with the result and know however it had turned out my Gran would think it far more special than anything shop bought, which was the main thing!! :)

I used some washi tapes- my first time using washi and I love the look and ease- though I was a bit disappointed that I had to use my glue pen under the edges as it kept peeling back up... the same thing has happened when I have tried to use it since... do other people have the same issues??!! :S 

I stamped a couple of flourishes on the base card, added the washi and then used a few die cuts- the large heart I cut (okay, my mum cut!) from some Spring Drop paper and the others were a gift from a lovely friend and very fortuitously happened to match the colours in the washi perfectly... which saved me a huge amount of energy!! :) I was aiming for a cluster effect again and I think this is the first time I have been happy with the balance I've got!! :)

I added the crochet flower at the last minute when I remembered I had some already made in a pot on my desk from when I was practising last year... it looked okay just with the button but I think the flower really made all the difference so I'm glad I remembered it in the end!!lol

{The List}

White top-fold A6 card blank

Heidi Grace flourish stamps 

Memento ink in Summer Sky

Washi tapes- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels collection

Spring Drop paper pad

X-cut Nesting Hearts die

Die cut hearts from my lovely friend- thanks hon!! :)

Sentiment from Woodware Clear Magic 'Tiny Phrases' stamp set

Crocheted flower - made by me from embriodery thread :)

Button from a The Ribbon Girl selection

Twine- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes :) ; A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes :)

Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments on my last cards!! :) I hope you all had a lovely Esater and saw some of the sunshine we had here in Manchester over the weekend... it makes such a difference to see sunshine and blue skies... even if it is still freezing!!lol