2 more for Less is More!

Firstly I went red!

and white

and followed the sketch pretty literally 

and varied the depth if the image/number/letter

For the second I went pretty with lace & butterflies

The butterflies were punched & layered & popped onto leaves punched with my Martha Stewart branch punch

and added the sentiment in the middle.

An inky fingers day!

Yesterday I had an inky day!

The theme over at Less is More this week is a sketch

I had an idea inspired by my new stamps but they were far too big! so I finally had a 'light bulb moment' & got out my neglected shrink plastic.

After a lot of playing around - note to self & a tip for others, read the instructions! & don't use dye ink - it smudges & rubs off, hence the very inky fingers!

I started out by just stamping the images & shrinking them.

Then added the touch of gold

and finally coloured the whole image

The background was made using distress inks, firstly I used the browny colours & then used the blue after thinking of airmail envelopes :-)  This was then stamped with the postal cancellation stamp

& the shrink plastic images popped on top.

I chose the sentiment Celebrate as I thought the cards could be used for various occasions & stamped this straight onto the card.

So I ended up with 3 cards on this theme :-)

Vintage Choice

This is my new creation in situ  in my hall

It is my entry for the Vintage Choice Competition on the UK Stampers forum

'Vintage Choice'. To be in with a chance to win we need you to make a crafty creation in a vintage theme with any colourway and use at least 2 of the following 6 items in its making:

Lace
Ribbon
Fabric
Pins
A Vintage Photo
Glitter

I started with a plain wooden frame

I forgot to take a 'before' picture! but this is the back of the frame.

I used my new pot of Inka Gold to colour the frame - it's lovely to use & gives a gorgeous finish :-) It's from the Craft Barn

I made the flowers from double sided 12x12 paper using a coil technique that I just came across whilst mooching round the web - can't remember where just atm but will let you know when I find it again as it was a well explained tutorial :-)

The image underneath the top of the photo is a rubber stamp stamped onto fabric using timber brown Stazon ink. Gives a different texture :-)

The watch was a piece given to me by my daughter for my crafting - think she will be pleased with it's use as she & her Great Gran were very close :-)

The background stamp, stamped in Distress ink - Fired Brick is by Lyndsay Mason & the stamp across the corner is from a Paper Artsy set

The butterfly is part of a necklace! & the key is from Calico Crafts & the lace from the Craft Den (apart from the butterfly & Paper Artsy stamp they are my winnings :-) )

The stamp is a new acquisition & stamped onto the same paper as the background & then cut out. The pin is from Charmed Cards & Crafts & I cut the length in half & added the beads which were from stash as was the diamonte buckle & the pearls.

The image of my Gran when young I copied onto photo paper 

to preserve the precious original.

I really enjoyed doing this project & managed to use everything on the list, apart from glitter!

Monochrome plus One Colour

Monochrome plus One Colour  

is asked for over on the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog Challenge 

this month - I chose blue as my colour

I stamped my Alice stamp & coloured  her dress in blue 

using my Copic pens 

& mounted the image on a blue matt.

I stamped the sentiment onto the blue bazil & matted it onto the black card 

The sequin waste is also black in keeping with 

the theme of monochrome + 1

Christmas Wings

The challenge at CHNC this week is Christmas Wings

So for challenge 25 I'd like to see some Christmas wings - in other words, I'd like you to include an angel or a fairy on your card.

This is my Angel

blowing it's trumpet! 

I cut out the pieces of the Angel & positioned it over the paper doily, which I cut out the middle of, & onto the pink Xmas paper background.

I emphasised the wing edge using Stickles

To finish I added the sentiment stamped onto the background paper 

& mounted on white card


I'd also like to enter this for the One Stitch at a Time challenge Things with wings

LIM Monochrome - tried again

Hmmm

Lady LIM Chrissie obviously wasn't too impressed with my last effort!!

So here is my second entry ......

It's an Anniversary card for my daughter & son-in-law - not due until the beginning of next month, but hopefully she won't peak as she is 

very busy atm!

I designed the Monogram ( Initials J & A) & used distress embossing powder & gold pen on the monogram itself. I used distress inks on the background then mounted it on pattered (dotty) card & then plain card

I stamped the sentiment using distress inks & mounted it in the same way.

No more embellishment as I wanted the Monogram to be the 

highlight of the card

ps Lady LIM see the Too late but I'll post - as you expressed an interest ;-)

LIM Monogram

This is my entry for the LIM challenge this week

The theme is Monogram

After a lot of thought I decided to go with 

You (U) 're a Star

The U is a plain chipboard letter that I covered with red & then stamped with black lettering

I embossed the star shape with gold heat embossing powder

& mounted them both on black sequin waste cut in a triangular shape.

So there you have it

You are a Star!

Too late - but I'll share!

This would have been my other entry for the LIM In The Frame had I not had an unexpected invite to go out & eat on Fri evening! I'd made it but didn't get it photographed & blogged in time.

The frame was made from a scrap cut out of the external part of the frame that was about to be discarded by my friend - so I rescued it (I'm sure she thought I was going bonkers taking her scrap!!) & I used a square nestie to mask off the inside, both were spray mounted onto the card & the frame area that was produced was inked using distress inks

I then stamped the image into the center & then stamped the sentiment - both straight onto the card as it was a one layer challenge.

I have to say that the meal & night out in good company was very enjoyable! :-)

Thank you's

Firstly a huge thank you to the Craft Den for this lovely package of goodies that I won on the Anything Goes Challenge Blog Hop :-) Do pop over & have a look - the current challenge is on the theme Here Comes Summer 

open until the 28th June

A Pearl & a Paper pen & bunches of blooms ...

Sparkly ribbon & packets of blooms ....

and a bunch of all this gorgeous lace!

I've already used some of the lace on this

Thank You card

which is winging it's way via Royal Mail to Sheffield ...

The rose background was stamped using a Lindsay Mason stamp.

The main image was stamped & then coloured using my distress inks

I used a piece of 12x12 paper for the left hand border & 

one of the butterflies (cut using my Martha Stewart punch) & also 

the matting of the sentiment. The other butterfly 

was punched from the rose background & the sentiment stamped 

onto a piece of this as well. I added a piece of the scrumptious 

lace between the 2 parts & a piece of red ribbon on the left hand side.

LIM - In the Frame

This week it should be simpler as we have a definite CAS challenge... 

it's ONE LAYER WEEK again.

Our challenge is entitled 

IN THE FRAME

We would like to see a frame of some sort or something in a frame... we'd like you to be as inventive as you like.

This is the first effort for this challenge.

The stamp provides it's own frame :-)

All I had to do was colour it!

which I did with my Copics

I then stamped the sentiment straight onto the card.

This is my second attempt.

I've treated the frame as an image in itself.

I used 2 different but similar gel pens to colour in the frame, 

this gives a bit of depth to the image.

I can't get it to photograph but the gel pens give a sheen to 

the colour, & shine in sunlight.

To finish I positioned & stamped the sentiment directly onto the card.

Working on a couple more ideas atm......

Will see if they work out....

A lovely start to the day :-)

I found out that I've won the Blog Hop over at 

the Anything Goes Challenge Blog

What a lovely start to the day & the sun is shining :-)

Now onto my entry for CHNC this week

The challenge is to use buttons on your Christmas card

I used red buttons as the berries on my holly

I stamped the image using green stazon onto card & then 

using my distress inks stamped the image again in pine needles 

& cut them out & layered them. 

I mounted the card onto green bazil & added the button 'berries'

To finish I stamped the sentiment again in the green stazon ink 

directly onto the card.