Week 12 - Recipe 'Off Centre'

Firstly, a huge thank you to all those that commented on my LIM acetate card - a massive 56 comments - I'm overwhelmed!

Phew! By the skin of my teeth again with this week's Lessismore challenge (as you know from previous posts, daughter home from Uni hogging my desk and computer, aaaargh! - only till Sunday tho' as she's going back - hoorah for desk back but sob, miss her I will).

Right, back to the challenge.  This week the newly named Mandi Diva LIM and Chrissie, Lady LIM have presented the LIMettes with a recipe which is - Off Centre.

The ladies have asked for cards with little or no symmetry but perfect balance, so this is my effort and here's what I used:

pinkpetticoat - Material girl with roses digi stamps (image and sentiment)

Just my Type - Cuttlebug embossing borders (available from cuttingedgecrafts
Promarkers - Ivory, Pastel Pink, Leaf Green, Grass and Holly
Linen effect cardstock
Button from stash

Oh, and did I mention how much I love my Silhouette (yes I think I probably did lots of times).  I used the Print and Cut feature for the sewing machine adding a little border around the edge as I wanted to add a bit of dimension by mounting it onto 3D foam.  It did a much better job of cutting around the shape than I would have - what an awesome machine!  Sorry about the waffle - I just love this baby.

I hope to start getting round to look at all the other LIMette's entries this evening (better late than never).  Have a good evening and enjoy the bank holiday tomorrow.

Sue.x

Less is more week 11 - Acetate

Another fantastic challenge this week from the Less is more girls, but OMG was it hard to photograph.   The theme is Acetate, which is bad enough to get a good shot of, but I also added some silver mirri card - impossible.  So I've put on the best of a bad bunch of piccies.

I'm really grateful to Chrissie and Mandi for this challenge - I've had a box of 100 acetate sheets for years in my stash (I bought it from C&C when Alan and Barry were presenters - that's how long ago) and never used it for a card before.  I even bought a Stazon Opaque ink pad in Cotton White with the intention of using it on the acetate - but haven't gotten around to it till today.

I'm really quite please with how it's turned out - I think it's quite a masculine card so haven't added and ribbon or other embellies. 

This is my ingredient list:

Acetate sheet

Stazon Opaque ink - Cotton White

La Blanche large flourish stamp

Labels two nesties

Sentiment stamp from Impression Obsession

Swirly stamp from HOTP

Versacolor Silver inkpad

Edding silver paint marker (I drew around the small nestie for the inner frame)

Black cardstock

Silver mirri card

Hope you like it!

Sue.x

Sketch n Stash Challenge 59

I've had a bit more use of the computer and desk this week than I thought I would - my baby hasn't needed the desk as much for her revising and she's quite happy sitting at the dining room table with her books spread out. Yay!

I made this card this morning to enter into:

sketchandstashchallenge

and here is the sketch:

The rules of this challenge are to use either something new or something neglected in your stash.  I've used a bit of both.  The frame around the image is a NEW design for my Silhouette, they had a sale on over the last few weeks and all shapes were just $75.  And the neglected item is the photo corners which are a Sizzlit die that has been sitting unused in my craft drawers for ages.

The image is a free Precious Moments colouring page (no money to spend on new stamps at the mo), and I've coloured her with Promarkers. Not really happy with the colouring - more practise needed. 

The background papers are from Pink Petticoat and I've used SU cardstock for matting.  And finally, I used my SU Word Window punch and added a sentiment from Clare Curd's stamp set.

Oh, and while I'm here, a quick card I made last night for my other daughter who wanted an acceptance card for a wedding invite.  Last minute request as usual.  It's a very simple card - all I've used is a Cuttlebug heart folder, pink cardstock, pink ribbon, pink crystals and a sentiment printed from the computer onto white card.

Thanks for dropping by, especially if you've had time to leave a comment. Have a good weekend and please come back soon.

Sue.x

Back to stencil paint

 This takes me back - stencilling!  It's been a long time since I did any of this, but I saw these templates at the NEC and bought some stencils, stencil paint and some 3D paste. 

This is my first attempt, so it's not perfect, but I like the effect and will keep going to get it right.  I used a digi download for the background. I think it has just the right subtle look.

Below is a close up to try and let you see the raised, textured look it has.

And for the one below, I used just black stencil paint onto gold mirror card (very difficult to photograph).  Both cards were great fun to do.

I think they both look better IRL, but I thought I'd share them with you.

I'm going to enter both of these into the thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge which has a theme of 'Our feathered friends'.

Sue.x

Less is more - Week 10 - Sentiment Focus

Hi everyone!  Sorry I've not been around much since last week.  I've been visiting my sister and nieces in Kent over the weekend and only got back last night.  I've got a lot of catching up to do, but before that I've managed to get my card done for this week's Less is More challenge - the theme is Sentiment Focus.

This is what I used:

Clarity Stamps sentiment

My Silhouette to cut the flower and leaves

Silver finding

Nesties Labels Four

Milled Lavender Distress Ink

(sorry the photos a bit dark - couldn't get a decent one, so this one will have to do.)

I'd like to just say thank you to Chrissie and Mandi for featuring one of my cards on the Showcase - I'm dead chuffed.

That's it for now, hope to be round to visit some blogs this evening. Have a good afternoon.

Sue.x

My first LOTV

The roses are really lilac and not the pinky shade they look in the photo - my camera skills not at their best yet again.

As promised, here is my first LOTV (I'm sure it won't be my last). I bought her at the NEC a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know which one to choose as there are so many gorgeous stamps, but I thought this would be a nice one for Mother's Day.

I coloured the image with Faber Castell pencils (dusted off as I haven't used them since being bitten by the Prisma and then Promarker bug).  I thought this image would look nice in watercolours, but I think I will go for Promarkers next time.

The papers are Pink Petticoat, again I thought they were pretty enough for my mom.

I also used Nesties labels two, some Anita's Grosgrain ribbon and computer generated sentiment. The roses are from Hobbycraft and are a matching shade of lilac, but for some reason look pinkish in the photo. The leaves were cut out on my Silhouette.

Mom really loved her card and told me that she'd been disappointed at Christmas to receive a shop bought card (I ran out of time - shameful I know I should have done Mom's first, but I wanted to do her something special, but couldn't get the inspiration and then panicked that I wouldn't get it to her on time).  It's so nice to have your cards appreciated - I have read on some forums of people receiving comments like 'don't be so tight, why don't you buy a card instead of making them'. If only they realised how much more it costs to buy all our craft stuff not to mention the time and effort we put into all our creations.

Sue.x

Less is more - A touch of red

Hi folks. Here we have another challenge from the brilliant Less is more girls, Mandy and Chrissie.

This week is to make a card with a touch of red, and here's my card.  The image is a Rubber Romance stamp which was stamped with a Memento inkpad and her lips coloured with a red Promarker.  The sentiment is from Creative Expressions.  Finally I added a feather.

I've got my mother's day card to add later if I get chance. My daughter's back from Uni for Easter and she takes over the desk, computer and my little craft area.  Unfortunately, it will be a matter of jumping in when she takes a little break - aw shucks!

Sue.x