Less is More #19 - One Layer In The Frame

Since the Less is More Challenge started, I really look forward to saturday mornings, can't even settle to breakfast until I've logged on and checked the new challenge!  Well, this week our submissions have to be just one layer and the theme is 'In The Frame'. 

I've recently realised just how far behind my planned Christmas card making schedule I am and the year is flying by far too fast !  So, I'm trying really hard to make at least one or two cards each week from now on.  So, today's card is one more added to my Christmas stock - result !

I recently acquired this lovely stamp from Pez-a-Doodle and thought it was ideal for today's challenge.  Stamped in Memento Cottage Ivy ink, with an embossed frame around it created with a rectangle nestie.

There will be more cards made in this design, I think, as I am really pleased with the simplicity of it.

Thanks for popping in to see my card, hope you're having a great weekend.

Steampunk Girl

Today I've got a project to share with you using one of the new June releases from Queen Kat Designs. This week I chose 'Steampunk Girl' by Lollipop Labs for my DT project.

I was in a distressy/grungy mood when I started creating and pulled out some fancy canvas strips I've had in my stash for ages. I stitched one piece to create a flower and added a button in the centre. The other piece I added underneath a heart shaped layer cut from some Tim Holtz paper using a Nellie Snellen die, and cut another heart shape with a slightly smaller die from the set using a scrap of paper from my stash. The base background paper was also from the TH paper pad and I distressed the edges before dragging a Rich Cocoa ink pad around the edges. I also distressed and inked the edges of the image layer.

The image was coloured with Copics and I added touches of Spica Glitter Pen. I opted not to include a sentiment on the front as I didn't want to cover up the smaller heart and it is easy to add an appropriate sentiment inside before sending out the card.

That's all from me today, next week when I'll have a project using another new release stamp to share with you, I hope you'll stop by again soon.

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #168 - Pins & Pearls

What a nice challenge theme we have over on Cute Card Thursday this week - Pins & Pearls.  So dig out your pretty pins and pearls to decorate your projects and add a link on the CCT blog for a chance to win this week's prize, sponsored by Simon Says Stamp.

The theme immediately made me think of a blues and creams colour scheme and I selected this sweet hAnglar & stAnglar image.

The background paper was a magazine freebie and exactly the colour I wanted for my design.  The blue horizontal strip is from a Papermania collection and I used more of it to cut out flowers, fronds and leaves using Marianne's dies and a Magnolia Doo Hickey flower die set.

I coloured the image with Copics before cutting out and attaching to the cream pearl layer cut using a Spellbinders die.  I used more of the cream pearl card to cut the leafy frond using a Marianne's die and one of the layers in the Doo Hickey flower.  The tiny sentiment and seam binding ribbon are by SU! and the lovely pearl adorned pin was created by a dear crafting pal of mine Karen.  Pearls are from my stash, as is the tiny cream rose in the centre of the flower.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pearly pin creations this week, leave a direct link to your project on the CCT blog for a chance to win this week's prize.

I ♥ Promarkers Challenge #69 - sketch

This is my 2nd post of the day, if you are doing the Queen Kat Birthday Hop, please scroll down to check out my Birthday Card for Vicki.........

For this week's I ♥ Promarkers Challenge we have this sketch to work with.  I think it is a nice, simple and classic sketch which can be interpretted in so many different ways.  I had fun working with it and I hope you will too.  The Sponsor for this week's prize is Secret Crafter and the winner gets to choose 3 digis for their prize.

I chose one of the Sugar Nellie Sassy stamps for my DT card and some retro colours and papers as I think they compliment the image.

The papers are from the DCWV Pocket Full of Posies stack and I go back to it time and time again as it is one of my very favourite.

The image was coloured with Promarkers and I added Glossy Accents to her shoes, eyes and hair adornments.  I used a set of nestie dies to cut out the image and the pink layer underneath.  The sentiment is by Little Claire's and cut out with a nestie.

I used a Nellie Snellen set of dies in different sizes to create the flower and the ribbon is SU! seam binding, which is lovely to use and the colours match their cardstock colours exactly.

I'm looking forward to seeing your entries for the challenge this week.  Thanks for dropping by to check out my DT card.  Happy Crafting !

Happy Birthday Queen Kat -please join in the birthday Hop !

Whooo....Hooo.... the Royal Court of Queen Kat Designs is in P.A.R.T.Y. mood today as it's Queen Kat herself - Vicki's - birthday :o) 

The DT got together and decided to run a special blog hop in celebration of this special day as a surprise for Vicki and if you didn't arrive here from Loretta's blog, then hop right back there to see the fabulous creation she has to share with you.  If you get lost just go back to the beginning on the QKD blog to check the links.  Have fun checking out all the DT birthday cards on show and leave a little lurve along the way and some birthday wishes for V if you please !

For my card I dug out one of the older stamps to feature, this one is Pirate Lolita, and I know that V loves anything purple. 

I coloured her with Copics, cut out with a plain oval nestie then attached over a slightly larger petite scallop oval cut from purple glitter paper.  Here's a closer view of the image and card shape.

The flower gems were in my stash, flower cut with a Marianne's die and I created the sentiment on my PC before cutting it out with the oval nestie. 

I hope you enjoy this 'blast from the past' Vicki and that you have a Fabulous Birthday Hun !  Off you go now, hopping along to see what awesomeness Gretchen has created for you.

Triple Tiara Tuesday

Welcome to this week's Triple Tiara Tuesday (T3) Challenge with Queen Kat Designs, I hope you washed up here via Penny's blog after checking out her awesome project, if not do go and check it out.  We've got a great sketch (over on the right) to work with this week.  Create your project based on this sketch and add a link on the QKD blog for a chance to win June's prize.  

I've had a Myka Jelina monthly kit sitting on my desk un-inked for a while, so thought I'd use it for my DT card using the sketch.   Each monthly kit comes with at least one main image plus various accesories and sentiments, why not check the lastest kit in the Store.  There are a limited number of kits each month and when they're gone, they're gone so don't miss out !

I really adore Myka's artwork and coloured this beauty and her accessories with Copics and added touches of Spica Glitter Pen.  The background paper was from my stash, as were the gems.

The horizontal strip was punched with an EK Success border punch and embossed with a tiny rose Cuttlebug embossing folder. 

I hope you've enjoyed your visit today and that you'll enter this month's challenge.  Thanks for stopping by.

Serenity... what many of us wish for

I'm really into the swing of the Clean and Simple style of card at the moment, thanks to the Less is More Challenge.  So, here's my second submission for this week's monochrome challenge. 

I wanted to try something different for this card so I combined 3 separate stamped images into the design with careful placement.  I used Memento Cottage Ivy ink, two stamps from the Insignia Stamps set by Basic Grey and a sentiment from Hero Arts.

After stamping I used a pale green Spica Glitter Pen over the images to give them a subtle shimmer.  Sadly this isn't showing up in the photo but it is a great effect IRL, but you'll have to take my word for it !

I didn't think I had another LIM card in me this week, but sometimes inspiration just hits you and as I was tidying up my desk ready to make another card I came across the Basic Grey set and the rest... as they say.. is history.

LIM - Monochrome

We've got a monochrome theme for this week's Less is More Challenge, I do love monochrome so this isn't too much of a hardship for me !!

I've just been working with some new designs for Queen Kat Stamps this week, the Pisces image is one of them and is just perfect for the LIM monochrome challenge.

I coloured the image with Copics, cut it out with a plain circle nestie and layered it over another slightly larger circle cut from blue card.  The sentiment was created on my PC and I added a little Crystal Stickles around the edges of image and sentiment layers.

Simple and with lots of white space - so I hope it fits the bill !

Thanks for dropping by to see my project, I hope to see you again real soon.

I'm soooo... happy !

... to find that my Visitor Counter has now returned - I had hoped that if I just waited patiently it would be restored, just like my Followers and when I logged in, there it was ! 

I've made another entry for this week's Less is More challenge, this time I selected the bottom right corner square in which to add my image. 

I used the gorgeous Ruffled Bloom by Stampendous, stamped off the page on to a layer cut with a large scallop circle nestie die using Memento Brick Red ink.  The sentiment stamped just below the bloom is from Crafty Individuals.  Finally attaching over two more layers, one in brown and another from the same pink cardstock as the image layer, before adding some Copper Stickles to the centre dots on the bloom.

The base card is 6x6 scalloped bright white.

I've just spent a couple of days near Porthleven in Cornwall with my Dad, Brother and family which was a great short break.  The house they've rented is fantastic and there was more than enough room for us to stay the night last night.  The weather wasn't too good, but today the sun has started shining and the temperature has increased, so I'm sure they'll enjoy their last couple of days even more.  It was great fun having sheep at the bottom of the garden !

Ballerina Tilda - Cute Card Thursday Challenge

The theme for this week's challenge on Cute Card Thursday is to embellish your main image - add gems, charms, glitter, feathers... anything you like really - and our prize Sponsor is The Stamp Shoppe.

I chose this sweet Ballerina Tilda for my DT card, coloured her with Copics and added various shaped elements cut from papers in my stash. 

Tilda is embellished with a faux gem tiara and gems on the little sparkles around her.  The flowers were created using Magnolia Doo Hickey dies and the fronds and swirls cut with Marianne's dies.  The small white doily is by Martha Stewart and all the gems were from my stash.

I hope you'll play along with our challenge this week, let's see your ideas for embellishing your images.

Thanks for stopping by today, it's lovely to have visitors - although Mr Blogger seems to have removed my visitor counter so I don't know how many of you are dropping in to see my projects.  My Followers disappeared for a while but then came back, so I'm hoping my counter will do the same, eventually !