Let's Celebrate

Well it's the 200th week on the Less is More Challenge so the theme this time is CELEBRATIONS.  I can't say I'm a regular by any means but I do try to enter as much as I can.  There are always brilliant inspirational cards from the team and it's great fun to come up with simple but effective projects.

This time I've gone for a party invite using the Firework and Celebrate Stamp sets from Oak House Studio.  I stamped the Let's Celebrate first, masked it off and then went a bit wild with all the different fireworks, bursts and stars in a variety of colours!!   I could have filled the page but remembered I had to leave some white space!!

Hope you like and thanks for popping by.  Thanks also to Chrissie and all her helpers over the last 200 weeks - great challenge and great inspiration!!

Tis the Season

Here's another card for the Winter Challenge at Oak House Studio - for this I've used the Christmas Tree and the Block Frame stamps.

Full details can be found on the Oak House Studio blog.  Hope you like my project and have been inspired to join in with the November Challenge - full details are on Facebook - the Oak House Studio page and the INKspired group.  There's a £40 prize to be won as well as a personal back stamp for your cards - so why not give it a go!!

Deck the Halls

Here's my card for the week 199 of the  LESS IS MORE Challenge where the theme is JINGLE ALL THE WAY.  I decided to go with Christmas music but a different song!

I've used the Deck the Halls set of stamps from Oak House Studio inked with Vermillion and Emerald Archival Ink, matted onto some red card and added a little Xmas Red Stickles around the edge.  The solid Holly Leaves are from the Big Christmas Collection, again inked with Emerald Archival and dots of Stickles for the berries.

A simple card that is easy to replicate - just what we need when there is only one month before Christmas Day.   Thanks you for your visit and comments - they're always much appreciated.

Circle of Friendship

Here's my 23rd postcard for The Craft Barn's Quotes and Lyrics Challenge where the words are JOURNEY and/or FRIENDSHIP.   Lots of quotes this time but I decided to go for this one by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - a 'well-known' French Philosopher.

I know World is mentioned in the quote but I've done so many blue/green ones I wanted to go for a  different colour scheme.  I've chosen Valentine, Pumpkin Orange, Golden Yellow and Lemon Yellow Pigment Inks and a selection of round palette stamps from the  Journalling Circles and Circles and Flowers sets from Oak House Studio.  I've just randomly Kiss Stamped the circles and inks to create the background and added the typed quote to finish. 

I can't believe we're on the 23rd challenge already which means we only have 3 more to do - I must start thinking about making an album for them.   Meantime, thanks for looking and for your lovely comments on my Bombers' Moon postcard last time.

Elaine xx 

Firework Baubles

Thought I'd have a go at the November challenge on the Craft Stamper's Blog - Take It, Make It - the theme is to use non-Christmas stamps to create a  Christmassy image.

The card I've made using Oak House Studio's Firework Stamps.   The baubles are card painted with Sapphire Acrylic Ink, gold embossed with the big chrysanthemum firework and a little Gold Stickles.  To create the spruce branch at the top I took the spray top off a bottle of Golden Oak Ink in a  Bottle and just drew across the page.  I then used the 2 different sizes of the thinner firework stamp inked with Forest Green Pigment Ink to create the clumps of spruce foliage.   I've added the Celebrate in Forest Green again........so no real Christmas stamps at all!

Hope you like my creation and thanks for popping by.  I'm off to see what everyone else has made...

Five Beeches

Here's my take on the LESS IS MORE Challenge week 198 where the theme is MORE THAN ONE TREE.   I've been stuck in a blue rut recently so decided to use green.....and maybe too much of it!!

I've gold embossed the Block Frame stamp, cut out the middle to create a window frame and then placed this over a tree scene.  The Beech Tree is stamped with Emerald Archival and I've just grounded them with Meadow Adirondak painted with a waterbrush.  The sentiment and extra Beech Trees are stamped with Versafine Onyx Black.  All stamps are from Oak House Studio.

Apologies for the state of the photo - it's a bit dank and dark this afternoon but it does give me the excuse to stay in and create.  Thanks for popping by!!

Merry Christmas Wreath

My day over on the Oak House Studio blog with another Wintery/Christmassy card.  This time I've used the Big Christmas Collection - a set of 17 stamps with poinsettias, hellebores, holly and baubles plus a fir sprig and curly flourish.

I did actually design this set of stamps about 7yrs ago for inchies and twinchies but as you can see, they build up easily to create a full wreath.  The flowers and leaves are all coloured with Acrylic Inks which give a bright cold colour scheme.  

Full details are on the Oak House Studio blog. Lynnda has also made this set Stamp of the Week so they've been reduced to £14.50 - a bargain for 17 stamps!!   Many thanks for looking and for your comments - they are always much appreciated!!

Starry, Starry Night

Having a quiet afternoon watching the tennis and creating my entry for week 197 of the Less is More Challenge - it's a ONE LAYER week with the theme of STARRY NIGHTS.

For this I've used the Big Ben image from Paperartsy HP1208 London set, inked with Onyx Black Versafine and clear embossed to enhance the black.   The stars are small Hero Arts peg stamps clear embossed.  I've just masked off the panel and blended over with Broken China, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire to create the moody sky.

Hope you like and thanks for popping by.......back to the tennis!!

How to use the Christmas Wreath set

Another post from me - that's three in  a row!!   Anyway just a heads up that I have my card on the Oak House Studio blog today.

 

I've used the  Christmas Wreath Stamps  - it's a set of 7 stamps including a Happy Christmas stamp, solid Holly & Ivy stamps and some branches so you can build your own wreath.  Full details are on the Oak House Studio blog.  Please pop over, leave me a comment and maybe have a look what other Design Team members have been creating for the Winter Challenge.

Bye for now!

 

 

Bombers' Moon

Well another 2 weeks has gone by and the new words on The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge are SENSATION and/or MOON.  Lots of good sensation quotes but no images popped into my head so I've chosen Moon and these lyrics from Bombers' Moon by Mike Harding.

For those that don't know Mike Harding aka The Rochdale Cowboy is a folk singer, writer, comedian etc who had TV series in the late 1970s.  His father was a Navigator in the RAF and was killed in WWII.  I thought the words were very poignant as we  are so close to Remembrance Day.

I've used the Poppy stamp from Chocolate Baroque's  Flora and Fauna set, inked with Onyx Black Versafine, clear embossed and then coloured with markers.  I've then masked the flowers with a circle to create the moon and blended over with Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks.  The lyrics were just printed off the computer.

Thanks for looking and for your comments.  I'll leave you with a photo I took of the poppies at the Tower of London - this was late September, all the grass has now been covered with the 888,000+ poppies and the last one will be planted on the 11/11.

Christmas Wreath and more!

The new Oak House Studio Challenge for November has the theme of WINTER - so winter scenes, Christmas etc etc.  I've made a few cards that hopefully will inspire you to have a go - there's a prize to be won.

For my first card I've used the Christmas Wreath set - 7 stamps including branches, holly leaves and ivy plus a sentiment.  It was designed so you can build your own wreath but in this case I've just created a corner of foliage.    I've used buff card and stamped with Yummy Chocolate, Forest Green and Green as Grass Pigment inks.  The Wishing you a Merry Christmas sentiment is gold embossed and I've added some Stickles for berries.

My other card is totally different and uses the Block Frame stamp - I saw someone use it as a window frame looking out to a moody sky but I decided to look from outside in.   I've used Yummy Chocolate Pigment Ink for the frame, and then using a Brick Mask stamped Winter Words and blended ink through to create the outside of the house.  Inside the net curtains are the Mack Rose stamped on vellum, the wallpaper is linen card and I've coloured both with Paris Pink Ink in a Bottle.  The Christmas Tree is embossed with Black Sparkle and coloured with Citrus Lime Ink in a Bottle.  I've added a few gems which caught the flash on my camera and I hope you'll agree it definitely looks Christmassy!

Pop over to the Oak House Studio blog for more inspiration throughout the month - I have another card to show you on Wednesday!   You can find further details on facebook - the Oak House Studio page or the INKspired group - its a closed group purely to keep spammers out so do ask to join.

If you have any Oak House Studio stamps and inks, then please enter the Challenge and keep an eye out for new stamps including Fireworks and Celebrate words!