Less is More - Sketch

Good afternoon all, hope you've had a good weekend. 

I've not been doing much craft lately - missing mojo again I think, but I was inspired by this week's lessismore challenge which is a nice simple sketch:

And here's my card:

And this is what I used:

Kraft card (a bit of old buff folder rescued from the rubbish bin at work) 

Papermania stamp

Adirondack Pitch Black Inkpad

Cream cardstock

Black cardstock

EK Success Punch

Sizzix Bigz die 

Papermania Brad making kit.

HOTP sentiment stamp

Have a lovely evening and thanks for dropping by.

Sue.x

Bind it all notebook

I've had a Bind it All machine sitting on a shelf for about 3 years and never had the courage to use it before now. It just looks so scary - I hadn't a clue where to start.  But, I thought it was time to tackle it so started with this simple notebook.

I cut two pieces of scrap chipboard (it was the back of one of those reinforced envelopes - you know the ones where the sender doesn't want whatever's in it bent - a nice bit of recycling) 10cm square and covered the front and inside of each piece with HOTP papers.  I attached my ribbon with the brads before sticking the inside piece of paper to make it nice and neat.  I then cut a big wad of copies paper just a little less that 10cm and cut through the chipboard and then the paper with the BIA.  I used a 3/4 wire - I quite like that oversized look.

Finally, I made the rosette for the front using a 12" x 1 1/2" strip of paper which I punched with a Martha Stewart punch and scored every 1/4" along the long side.  I then folded zigzag and fixed the two ends.  The next bit is hard to explain but you can find a great tutorial HERE on how to finish it off.

I used a brad from the Papermania brad making kit to finish it off.

I really enjoyed making this an will definitely be doing more. Using a 10cm square piece for this first project helped a lot because it's the width of the BIA so no lining up or trying to get the last hole in the right place.  That's the next challenge.

Thanks for dropping by and have a good day.

Sue.x

Tis the Season

Hi all.  Hope you're enjoying your weekend. Can you believe it's only 3 weeks till Christmas Day?  I'm still trying to plough through my cards so I'm just posting this and then I'm going to turn off the computer and get on with it.

I haven't done many cutie cards recently, but I have this lovely little digistampboutique image which I won in the Charisma Card challenge that I just had to use.

Here's the recipe:

Digistamp Boutique image

Promarkers

Stable and Star - Print and Cut image done with my Cameo

Pale blue card for the circle

Stormy Sky Distress Ink for shading 

Kraft card

HOTP faux stitch stamp and sentiment

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, whatever you're doing.

Sue.x

A whole bunch of Christmas cards

I managed to be quite productive for a change on Sunday - I didn't have the computer on to distract me and I managed to get half a dozen of these identical Christmas cards done for the girls in my office.

I love this Poinsettia stamp.  It's one of those Medallion stamps that were all the rage quite a few years ago.  I never quite managed to do the layering thing - my cutting out wasn't good enough and it just looked rubbish. So, here it is just coloured with Promarkers.  Oh, and I found some lovely glittery gold embossing powder amongst my stash so they're all beautifully shiny.  I tried to capture it in the next photo:

Hope you can see it!

I cut an aperture frame out using square nesties and then used some 3D foam to mount onto the card base which makes the image look like it's in a photo frame.  The sentiment is from HOTP and has also been embossed with the same glittery gold powder.

Well, that's another few cards done and dusted.

Sue.x

Less is more week 41 - Leaves

Brilliant! Chrissie and Mandi have done it again!  They've come up with a challenge this week which enables me to use another stamp (or should I say cube) which has been sadly neglected.

The challenge for this week is LEAVES and it just so happened that I had my Judikins Fall Leaves cube out on my desk which I intended to use on last week's card but didn't use in the end.

Looking at the card now, I wish I'd changed the direction of one of the centre leaves and stamped it a bit more 'off the page', but hey ho, never mind.

I coloured the leaves with Promarkers and sponged Distress Inks between masked lines.  I added some embossed lines and a HOTP sentiment.

Unfortunately, the quality of the cardstock is really poor.  It's from a stash of cream cards and envelopes I bought from Create and Craft a while ago for £4.95 for about 100 (I think).  You get what you pay for - it'll do for layering or even maybe a distressed card. It already has the distressed look without any effort.

Sue.x

Less is more week 39 - Stars

Two birds with one stone -  a Christmas card and a challenge card rolled into one.   I desperately need to get on with some Christmas cards so used this week's lessismore challenge to get on with it.

The theme this week is 'Stars' and here's my card:

I have to thank Sarita for the idea on this one as I cased this card from her blog (I hope she doesn't mind).  I too have had this Glitter Girls Star Wrapture for years tucked away in my stash and never used it. Luckily for me this fitted in with this challenge perfectly.  

Because I'm rubbish at cutting out, I scanned the Wrapture into my computer and got my trusty Silhouette to cut the shape out of pale green vellum.

The holly stamp and sentiment are from HOTP and stamped with Olympia Green Versafine.

That's it from me tonight folks - have a good evening.

Sue.x

And now for something completely different.....

.............. Vintage.  This is not my usual style, as you know, CAS is my thing.  

I do love the vintage/distressed/layered and design papers look, but I'm just not very good at it.  I often go on a blog hop and admire the beautiful work done by loads of talented people and wish I could create something half as good.  I decided to have a bit of a play yesterday as I had the whole afternoon to myself and a stack of Distress Inks that never get used. I realised another reason I stick to CAS, they're quick and easy to do while this card took me hours.

Here's it is:

I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out. Here's what I used:

Sugar Nellie Daisy stamp

Prisma pencils

Top note shape cut out on my Silhouette

Cuttlebug embossing folder

HOTP papers

Distress ink - Tea Dye and Vintage Photo

Bakers Twine

American Seam binding coloured with Distress ink

Claire Curd sentiment

Button from stash

I've found I can enter this into loads of challenges this week:

http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/challenge-119-vintage.html

http://cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/2011/10/cupcake-164-buttons-and-bows.html

http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/2011/10/challenge-89-layer-upon-layer.html

http://charismacardz.blogspot.com/2011/10/challenge-42-embossing.html

Have a great weekend and hopefully I'll be back soon with my usual Less is more card - I'm off now to see what this week's challenge is.

One other thing before I go - I've gained a few new followers recently, so I would just like to say welcome and thank you so much for choosing to follow me, I really appreciate it.

Sue.x

Criss Cross Graduation card

Whoo hoo!  We've just found out that our youngest daughter has gained a First Class degree in Law with Business from the University of Birmingham.  We are totally overwhelmed and so very proud of her.  She's worked really hard for this and really does deserve it.

For her card, I decided to make my first Criss Cross card. A bit of a change from my usual 6 x 6 square.

The cute images are digis from Bugaboo.  She reminds me of my little Polly (our nickname for her) when she was a little girl.

I used Promarkers to colour the image and used the computer for the sentiments.

The papers are HoTP Paper Pizazz called Mixing Baby.  The colour of the collar for the Law school at Birmingham is olive green which is why I chose these colours.

I used Labels Two nesties to mat and layer and of course my usual Silhouette contribution is the lattice fence and leaves.

Swirl is a Sizzlet

Tab punch is from Stampin Up.

I'll put some piccies of her in her Mortar Board and gown after the graduation ceremony on the 15th.

I'm going to enter this into this week's

i love promarkers challenge which has a theme of 'Anything Goes'.

totally papercrafts challenge - Spots and Stripes

Take two and three

Boy! This week's Lessismore challenge should be 'easy peasy' to quote Chrissie and Mandi, but I've really struggled with this one.

I didn't like my first card so went back to the drawing board and came up with these two:

Sorry to bore you but this one is done my Silhouette again.  I cut the butterflies out of the base card and then crimped some card to place behind.  I then cut out another butterly in green and crimped that too. The sentiment is from HoTP.  Finally I mounted it onto a 6 x 6 base.

This next one I'm not too keen on:

The colour has been washed out with my lack of photography skill - it really is a nice cream coloured card.

The butterflies are from the Clare Curd collection and I've decoupaged the large one and added gems to both of them and made some antennae with some wire.

I crimped some kraft card and wrapped some rafia around (a bit rustic I thought). The sentiment is HOTP and the whole lot has been mounted onto 6 x 6 card.

Ok! I think I'm gonna give up on this one now.

I'm off on my hols on Friday (volcanic ash permitting) so will unfortunately miss the LIM challenge (the first one I've missed), so have a good week everyone and see you in just over a week.

Thanks Mandi for your comment that the second butterfly wasn't needed. You were right, I think it looks much better now!

Here it is:

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

Less is more - Week 8

I should really be getting on with my Mother's Day card, but I didn't want to miss the less is more challenge.  This week it's a sketch:

And as it's so quick to make a card for this challenge  - I managed to squeeze this one in.

I used a black piece of cardstock for the base. Added a border cut from my Silhouette and a flower which was also cut from the Silhouette and coloured with Distress inks. I added a pearl in the centre to finish.  Oh - nearly forgot, the sentiment is from HoTP, stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with Detail white embossing powder.

Ok! I really must get on with Mom's card, but before I go I would just like to thank all the Less is More community and my usual lovely followers for all the comments that have been left lately. I'm really chuffed.

Sue.x

Mrs Claus

I love this saucy Mrs Claus image by Kenny K.  I thought I'd use her on hubby's card, it'll give him a bit of a chuckle.  

A fairly CAS look again. I used two different Cuttlebug folders for the background and matted onto some red Stampin Up card. 

The image has been coloured with Promarkers - you can probably get a little glimpse of my storage unit behind the card; an idea from a fellow crafter whilst blog hopping one day (sorry can't remember who).  I've added a bit of glitter to the fur cuffs and collars.  The 'Naughty or Nice?' sentiment was done on the computer.

The Merry Christmas sentiment is a HOTP stamp which has been stamped onto a Spellbinders die cut.  The snowflake is a mix of a Silhouette shape, a Sizzix die and another punch, all glittered with Twinklets and layered onto each other.

Only two more cards to go - for my girls.  Can't wait to put the Christmas stuff away for another year!

More Baubles

Two posts in one weekend! That's quite a turn up, lol.  Anyway, just thought I'd share the card I made this afternoon.  Really quick and easy.  I've used the Paula Pasqual stamps set again - it's turned into my favourite stamp set ever!  I used a Peony Versacolor stamp pad for the baubles and black Memento for the the rest.  The Merry Christmas is a HOTP stamp and for finishing touches I added some embossed lines in the corner and was lucky enough to find some satin ribbon in the perfect colour to match the baubles.  Quite a modern looking card I think.  I must go and have a lie down in a dark room now after all this exersion, lol.  Thanks for popping by. X

Distressed Forever Friends

Hi everyone, hope you've had a good week. Glad it Friday at last. I'm off to London tomorrow on a Hen weekend so just wanted to post this card before I go.

I had a go at the distressed look as I treated myself to a Tim Holtz edge distresser and a blending tool. I don't think I was brave enough with this to give it a real aged look, I think I need to practise more. This is what I used:

Forever Friends stamp

SU sentiment stamp

SU Scallop Edge Punch

Tim Holtz edge distresser, blending tool and Distress Inks

K & Co Paper

Nesties

HOTP swirl stamp

Raffia and a piece of dried flower from stash

The image has been mounted on 3D foam so has caused a bit of a shadow at the bottom, so please just ignore that, it wasn't supposed to be there!

Hope you all enjoy whatever it is you have planned for the next few days.x

Pink, Green & Brown

Lucky me got the day off work today cause of the snow - Yippee. (sorry for any of you that have had a horrid few days). Now do you think I got on with some ironing or other such tedious jobs during my unexpected day off? Nah! Course not, I've spent ALL DAY doing my favourite thing, messing about with my lovely craft stuff.

I managed to get my card done for Tara's new challenge blog which you can find here: http://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/. The theme this week is, as you may have guessed from the title pink, green and brown, so here's my card (sorry it's a little dark, it's difficult to find somwhere bright enough to get a decent picture at the mo:

To celebrate the launch, Tara has some fabulous candy for anyone entering a card into this week's challenge, so why not have a go!
This is what I used:

Image stamp by stamposaurus
Sentiment Stamp and Papers - Hot Off The Press
Flowers - Prima
Large punch out daisy - Bigz Die
Brads and spacers from stash

The image was coloured with Whispers Brush Markers. That's it.




Finally, I just want to say well done to the Design Team for their fabulous card, keep up the good work. I'll be looking forward to the next challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and also a big thank you to all those that have left comments on my cards I really appreciate it. x

Elzybells Eskimo

I think I rushed to get a card done using my new elzybells Eskimo stamp, so I 'm not entirely happy with this card. Not sure what it is, possibly the layout. Anyway, the background is a cuttlebug embossing folder which I then rubbed over with a bit of blue ink to highlight the snowflakes. The embellished snowflake is from cuttlebug too and I have just added a Sizzix paddlepunch snowflake to the centre. The sentiment is from HOTP.

I hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoys the lovely sunshine that's expected today. I'm off into the garden now to do a bit of weeding.

First Christmas Card

Only fourteen weeks until Christmas! Time to get my skates on and start my Christmas cards, I'll bet lots of you have already finished yours. Last year I think I was still finishing cards on Christmas Eve - how stressful was that!

I have to say I really struggled with this card, I think I was using too much water and the outline was bleeding into the brush markers turning it into a sludgy mess, so I was happy to finally get an image that I was happy with.

The background paper is a lovely one from Pink Petticoat, it's so nice I wanted to show as much of it as possible. The snowflakes are punched with a bit of bling in the centre and the Jolly Holly sentiment is from HOtP.

Enjoy

I just love these new Rubber Romance stamps. I've used some HOTP papers for the background and as you can see, stamped the image onto the paper to paper piece the cushions. The rest of the image was coloured using my Prismas. The sentiment is one of my favourites from Studio G.

Friday Sketchers Challenge

Here's my Card

Here is my first card for the Friday Sketchers Challenge. I have used HOTP papers for the background and Tilda stamp coloured with Faber Castell watercolour pencils. The swirly stamp is also by HOTP. I've added a punched flower and a few pearl beads to finish.