Citrus Daisies

Just watching the Davis Cup and thought I'd make something for the Less is More Challenge week 265 - it's a colour week and CITRUS.

I've used the Daisy and Rainbow set from Oak House Studio and stamped the Daisy Border with the three colours in the Triple Autumn Leaves ink pad.  I know it's called Autumn Leaves but it has bright yellow, orange and green - citrus and Spring colours too!!   I've just added words from the You Are my Rainbow set.......simple but bright and cheery.

Thanks for visiting and leaving comments - they are much appreciated.  Now back to seeing what everyone else has made and watching the tennis!

Red Pelargoniums

Well it's wet and wintry outside so I thought I would stay in and make a card for the Less is More Challenge week 263 - it's a ONE LAYER week and the theme is STEMS.

I decided to use this Pelargonium stamp from Chocolate Baroque's Flora and Fauna set - I've just stamped with Onyx Black Versafine and then coloured with markers and a water brush.  It wasn't until I tried to colour it I realised how many stems this does have!!  The sentiment is from Oak House Studio's Friendly Words set inked with Vermillion Archival.

Hope you like and thanks for popping by.....you are always welcome!!

The Undecided Bride

A Save the Date card made for the bride who hasn't decided what colour to have for the flowers and bridesmaid dresses for her wedding!  Seriously it's a card made for the Less is More Challenge where the theme is WHITE ON WHITE.   The challenge has been going 5 years now so congratulations to Chrissie and everyone involved.

I envy people who can do a classy white on white card so thought I'd have a go.  I've used white leather look card for the base, white linen card and embossed with Holographic Super Sparkle powder to create a little texture.  Stamps are from Oak House Studio - the English Garden Text, the flower outline from the Double Daisy set and Save the Date from the Wedding Words set.  I've used silver card for the mat which could easily be changed to add colour.

I've also seen that the new Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge asks for text stamping - you may not be able to read it but I think it creates great interest on the background.

Thanks for visiting and for your comments - they are always gratefully received!!

Hearts & Kisses

It's ages since I've had chance to make something but I saw the theme for the Less is More Challenge week  259 and just have to play.  The theme is KISS STAMPING - a great technique!!

I've used Oak House Studio stamps - the large Walesby Flourish inked with the Triple Fruity Red Ink Pad for the background/ Then the smaller version inked with the darkest red kissed onto the Heart Palette stamp inked with the lightest red.  You can also do naked kissing where you take ink off with second stamp....so I'm told!!

Sorry about the state of the photo - it's very gloomy here as what snow we had has now melted away.  I do love a cold, crisp sunny day - unfortunately as you can see from the view of my local park,  today wasn't it!!

Thanks for visiting.

Firey Sycamore

Well it's dark, dismal and wet so what better way to pass the time than use bright colours and make something cheerful.  This is for the Less is More Challenge week 249 where the theme is to use FIRE COLOURS.

I decided to go with autumn leaves as the colours have been so good this year.  I've used Oak House Studio's Sycamore stamp, inked with the Triple Sunshine Yellows Ink Pad.......but, before I stamped onto the card, I picked up some spritzed Brilliant Red Brusho to add more contrasting colour and give that watercolour look.  It's just finished with the sentiment and matted onto some deep orange card.

Thanks for visiting and I hope I've brightened your day!

Autumn Colour

I'm not sure where the time has gone but at last I've had chance to make a card for the Less is More Challenge week 245  - ONE LAYER and with the theme AUTUMN.  I do love this time of year - cold, crisp, sunny days with all the trees in their autumn glory!

I received a box of new goodies from Oak House Studio so that's what I've used.  I've masked a panel and blended on inks from the Autumn Triple Ink Pad.  Over that I've stamped the Beech Leaf and a phrase from the You are my Rainbow set.

Thanks for visiting!!

Elaine

Wishes

Here's a quick card for the Less is More Challenge - week 241 is a ONE LAYER card with the theme WISHING/WISHES.

Lots of different ideas popped into my head but I went for some masking and my favourite colour scheme of blue and black.  The Wishes is a free stamp from Crafty Individuals and the Chevron background is a Kaisercraft stamp inked with the Triple Sky Blue pigment ink pad from Oak House Studio.  This stamp arrived in the post this morning so I thought it would be rude not to use it - don't you just love those distressed edges!

I was just about to publish this post when I realised this is my 500th post --- so here's wishing another 500!!  It's taken 5yrs but it's been fun and I hope some of my visitors have found something of interest.   So a big THANK YOU for your support!!

Elaine xx

Steampunk Sparrow

Here's my card for the Less is More Challenge  week 236 where it's ONE LAYER cards and THE EYES HAVE IT.  I know I must be mad but I love one layer cards as they are indeed a challenge.

I have no face or eye stamps but then realised it would be good opportunity to use my new Deep Red Rubber stamp - the Steampunk Sparrow.   He's just inked with Onyx Black Versafine and coloured with Tombow markers.  I masked him off and created a panel using the cog stamps from Chocolate Baroque's Punky Flowers set.   I drew a couple of lines and finished with the Oak House Studio sentiment.

I'm also entering this into:
Happy Little Stampers Challenge - CAS and MASKING
The Craft Barn's weekly challenge - COLOURING
The Craft Stamper - Make It Take It - PENS and PENCILS

Hope you like and thanks for visiting - you're always welcome!!

Elaine xx

Berry Colours

Here's my card for the Less is More Challenge week 235 where the Colour scheme is BERRY COLOURS.

I've used the Harlequin stamp from Oak House Studio inked with Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Festive Berries and Dusty Concord (think Blackberries!!) to create the border and then finished with the Friends like Fruitcake sentiment stamp.  They're not really my go-to colours but I kind of like them all together.

I chose the Harlequin stamp as I'm also entering this in the Craft Barn's Weekly Challenge where the theme is Diamonds.

Hope you like and thanks for popping by.

Elaine x

Time to Celebrate

Well it was definitely a stay in and craft day yesterday so thought I'd enter a few challenges so here are a couple of cards.

For the first one I've used Oak House Studio stamps - Fireworks and the Celebrate Words sets - and I've stamped with their Colour Chemistry Pigment Ink Pads - Triple Fruity Reds and Triple Sky Blues which give a great ombre effect.  I stamped the sentiment, masked it and then randomly stamped the fireworks, sprays and added stars etc.

I've kept it 'Clean and Simple' to fit in with The Craft Barn's weekly challenge, used 'Something Blue' for the Oak House Studio Challenge and 'Take a Stamp - Anything Goes' for the  Craft Stamper Take it, Make it Challenge.

My second card is even simpler but took ages!!  It's for the Less is More Challenge week 234 where the recipe is to use a SNIPPET in the design.   I think this is a great idea - I'm sure we all keep the smallest pieces of leftovers and it's nice to use them.   I used the same sentiment stamp and then used the balloon die that came with the latest Simply Cards magazine.  I cut 5 balloons from various snippets of sprayed card and then I dithered, arranged them, re-arranged them etc.  In the end I've just added one ...well the challenge is less is more!!

Anyway thanks for visiting and please feel free to leave me a comment - they are much appreciated.

Elaine xx

Life's a Beach

I've been so busy I haven't had chance to enter this challenge for a month or two but today is the day.....so here's my card for the Less is More Challenge week 233 where the theme is LIFE'S A BEACH.

I've used stamps from Crafty Individuals - CI278 and CI379 - and just inked with the new Distress Ink - Blueprint Sketch.  Love it as a blue so thought I'd keep my card monochrome - I just used a water brush to add the sea.   Having looked at this again there is not much beach so just think of sitting on a beach and this is your view!!

Thanks for visiting!!

Orange and Blue

Here's my card for the Less is More Challenge week 222 - it's a colour week and the theme is to use OPPOSITE COLOURS on the colour wheel.

On this type of challenge my choice will always be Blue and Orange and having seen Sarah's bold design, I thought I would go bold too.   The flower are from the Spring Blooms set from Oak House Studio - I've stamped with Onyx Black Versafine and coloured with markers.  The sentiment is also from Oak House Studio and stamped with Majestic Blue Versafine to match the blue hammered card - a bargain from Papermilldirect!

Thanks for popping by and I hope you like my card.  Tomorrow sees the start of the exam season - I have over 40+ exams to invigilate over the next 7 weeks - so my poor blog is going to be neglected somewhat but I'll try and do some challenges!!

Bye for now

Elaine xx

By the Sea

Here's my card for the Less is More Challenge where week 221 the recipe is to use a TAG.

I've just got back from a quick weekend down to Cornwall delivering my daughter back to University and to be honest I'd have loved to have seen this view.   Alas it was misty, foggy and raining.....but at least it was better than the forecast thunder and lightening.   I've just created a little scene on the tag using stamps from Crafty Individuals (set CI-397) and the waves are Mermaid Lagoon Distress blended through a Studio Calico Chevron stencil. 

Sorry about the photo - the light is strange today - but thank you for visiting my blog.

Today's Story

Here's my card for the Less is More Challenge where this week 219 it's a ONE LAYER card with SPLATTERS.

I've been buying a few new bits recently so thought I'd use them.  I used Jet Black Archival to stamp Today's Story from the Kaisercraft Document set and masked this off.  I've then stamped the splatter stamp from Tim Holtz's Bitty Grunge set  with the new Distress colours - Mermaid Lagoon and Cracked Pistachio.  Don't you just love them!!  To create a little more interest I flicked some dots of Broken China Distress with a toothbrush.  

It's all a bit haphazard and chaotic which is sometimes how life is - too much to do and not enough time to do it!!   Anyway thanks for popping by and visiting my blog - it's very much appreciated.

Think Pink

Here's my card for this week's Less is More Challenge where the theme is to COMBINE ANY 3 PAST CHALLENGES.  You would think this was easy but with 216 different ideas to choose from it's very difficult to focus on just 3 things.    I've chosen:

 1    Pink, Black and White      111  Frame it       172 Flowers

I've used the Clematis Tower stamp from Oak House Studio embossed with Midnight Sparkle powder and then watercoloured with markers.  Halfway through doing the green leaves I remembered I'd chosen Pink, Black and White so the green can fit in the Flower challenge!!    I've just stamped the Script Sentiment in black and drawn round the card to create a frame. 

It's ended up a lot like last week's card but with more flowers!   Hope you like and thanks for popping by.   Thanks also if you leave a comment - they are much appreciated.

Picked Raspberry Wedding

Here is my entry for this week 's Less is More Challenge (week 216) where the theme is to CASE one of the Design Team's cards.  There are 3 designs to choose from.



An interesting challenge!!  I decided to take the wedding theme from Sarah but I've chosen to case the design from Anne which you can see above.

I've used the Rose stamp from Oak House Studio - it's gold embossed and then coloured with markers.  I've stamped the Save the Date with Picked Raspberry Distress and drawn round the card with a green Stardust pen to add some shine.  Instead of twine I've added some pink satin ribbon to finish.

Hope you like and thanks for popping by.  Any comments are greatly appreciated!!

Elaine xx

Mr Bunny

Here's a quick card for the Less is More Challenge week 215 - it's a ONE LAYER week and the theme is to use ANIMALS.

I said in my last post I thought my new Bunny Rabbit stamp from Deep Red Rubber would come in useful and guess what, he never made it to the stamp box.  Mr Bunny is stamped with Potting Soil Archival as is the Oak House Studio Script Sentiment.  To ground him I've blended some Green as Grass Pigment Ink (Oak House Studio) between some ripped paper and then stamped the Daisy and Grass stamps from Crafty Individuals (CI-395) for the foliage.

I'm also linking up to Crafty Individuals March Challenge which is The Animal World (details HERE) and the AAA Cards Challenge game 35 ( details here.)

I'm really pleased I found this stamp - used him twice and it's not even Easter yet!!  Thanks for visiting and for all your lovely comments.

Spring is in the Air

Back again and guess what I still feel ill.  I realise this is getting repetitive but I've now got a stinking cold which I reckon is good news.   I have made the effort this morning to make a card for the latest Less is More Challenge where the theme this week is GREEN & YELLOW.

Luckily the challenge requires simple designs so here it is.  I've just used a old Crocus stamp from Chocolate Baroque, stamped onto lemon card with Green as Grass Pigment Ink and clear embossed.  I've then painted with some Oak House Studio Acrylic Ink - Citrine and Peridot.  These inks flow beautifully and it was easy to get the striations on the crocus leaves.  One word of advice - don't paint and sneeze at the same time otherwise you go over the lines...lol.   Anyway the card is finished with a Hero Arts Sentiment and then mounted on green card.

Hope you like and thanks for looking.  If you leave a comment, many thanks.  My computer has died so if I don't get it sorted I might not be able to visit you......watch this space!!

PS. Computer now working and whilst my card looks like I've used orange, the Citrine is a really bright yellow!!

 

What makes me Happy!

So my crafting didn't improve during the week - I still feel as ill as I did last week, not really bad but not good either.  However I had a sudden flash of an idea for this week's Less is More Challenge - it's week 213 and the theme is to depict something that makes you HAPPY.

Lots of things make me happy - family, friends, sunshine, crafting  etc but I decided to go for a bright colour scheme - Turquoisey-Blue, Orange and Yellow.  I love using this combination of colours - they're cheerful and vibrant and hopefully give out a positive vibe!!   I've just used Tim Holtz's Splat stamp from the Bitty Grunge Set and the sentiment is from Hero Arts.

A bit simple I know but I'm just happy I've made something.  Hope it makes you smile too!!

It's a PUFFIN!

Well I'm not feeling well or doing well on the crafting front - I have ideas but no inclination.  However today I'd thought I'd enter the Less is More Challenge where the theme this 212th week is WINGS.

I was going to use my trusty owl but then remembered I had this Puffin stamp from Crafty Individuals - he's so cute!!   Anyway I inked him with Onyx Black Versafine and coloured him with Tombow markers.  I've just added some foliage to the bottom of the teal card using the edge of an Oak Tree stamp in 2 different greens and added the Hello.

Simple but striking I hope you will agree.  Thanks for popping by and for leaving comments - they are much appreciated!!