Perfectly CAS - April 2020 Challenge

Hi there

It's time for the April challenge over at Perfectly CAS.  Here's the cue card...

I decided to do a one layer card this time...

I began by stamping the floral flourish image off the edge of the card base.  This is a stamp I've had in my stash for years, although quite large you can still use it for CAS cards by stamping off the edge like this.  I then re-stamped the flowers onto post-it notes and cut these out to use as masks.  Once in place over the image I then masked slim borders on the left and bottom edges using masking tape.  Using blending brushes I gently blended Distress Inks in purple and pink, fading it out.  A stamped sentiment in black finished the card.

Quick tip: I used Memento ink for my image as it's fast drying, I would usually use Versafine for a crisper image but for this technique you risk smudging it when blending unless left to dry first.  For the sentiment I used Versafine.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Fancy Flowers; Clearly Besotted - Message Me
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Tools: Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes; low tack masking/stencil tape

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Challenge #566/7 - Something Old, Something New (old stamp, new blender brushes)
Penny Black and More - April Challenge - Anything Goes
Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #158 - CAS



You have almost a month to play along with this challenge, the linky will close a few days before the next challenge begins.

Less is More Challenge #401

Good morning!

It's two weeks since the last challenge at Less is More, so of course, we're back with a new one for you.  It's the turn of our regular Colour challenge, here are the details...

For a fresh new month we have a fresh new sponsor!  If you've followed Less is More for some time you'll no doubt be familiar with our previous Design Team member, Sarah Gray, of Funky Fossil Designs.  She is generously sponsoring our August challenges so just by playing along you'll be in with a chance of winning our monthly prize!

Not only is Sarah guest designing with us for this challenge, we also have Alli C joining us who was our June Winner.  Please do pop over to see what she's created and say hi.


Ok, I have two sample cards for you, here's the first...

For this design I die cut a circle and stamped the sentiment across the centre.  I then filled in the gaps using the leaves, flowers and a few smaller stamped elements.  I coloured the images with ProMarkers then popped the die cut up onto a slightly larger circle using fun foam.  The two die cuts were then adhered to the card base.  I felt it needed a little 'something' more, so I used a white pigment pen and added some dotty accents to the flowers.

Materials used:

• Dies: Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies
• Stamps: Altenew - Painted Greetings, Doodle Blooms
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Signo Uniball Pen - White

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #352 - Make Your Mark

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes

For my second card I used one of Sarah's fab stencils as a background...

I die cut a panel with a stitched rectangle die then blended two shades of Distress Ink just through the central area of the stencil.  I die cut a leaf from orange cardstock and added some detail with a ProMarker.  I stamped the sentiment in black onto a stitched die cut strip then slotted it between the leaves and trimmed it off before adhering to the panel on 3D foam squares.  The who panel was then adhered to the card base on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Geo Diamonds
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Broken China; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Altenew - Leaf Canopy
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Creative Expressions - Laurel Leaves; Clearly Besotted - Frame It Die Collection (sentiment strip)

Thanks so much for stopping by.  My teamies are sharing some great projects over on the main challenge blog so please do pop over and take a look.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

Muse Challenge #273 - Just Because

Hi guys

It's the first Monday of the month which means the designer spot over at Muse for this week is back with me :)

I've created a one layer card to hopefully inspire you this week, using a new to me stamp set from Uniko.  I only recently bought some Distress Oxide inks so getting to grips with those too, trying to find the best cardstock for blending.

Hopefully the soft colours, layout, silhouette, one layer, theme, etc. will give you an inspiration springboard to play along this week.

I started by masking the horizontal strip with post-it notes and then blended three colours of Distress Oxide ink.  I added some water splatters and blotted with a paper towel.  I then removed the masks and stamped the foliage silhouette and sentiment in black.  I'm still learning with Distress Oxides and didn't realise they weren't so good for overstamping so the black ink is a little paler within the blended strip but I quite like it for this design.  To finish I added some tiny trios of Nuvo drops in black.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Oxide - Shaded Lilac, Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Uniko - Just Because
• Accents: Nuvo - Crystal Drops - Ebony Black

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #447 - Anything Goes
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #74 - June Blooms
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes




Thanks so much for visiting today, I'll be back this evening with information about the new CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers!

Less is More Week #299

Hi there

It's Recipe challenge time at Less is More for the next week and we have a fun one for you....and a choice.  So why not enter more than once?!  We would like to see you using...

Vellum or Acetate

I've made one of each for you so let's get to it...

This card uses some vellum I've had for absolutely ages!  It comes from a book of tone on tone vellum that was part of a larger set of books of papers I bought from QVC, in the days when I bought all my craft kits from there.  The vellum is clear and it has a slightly pearlescent design printed onto it...that wasn't my handy work folks!

So I started by cutting an angled piece of vellum and then masked off the lower part of my card base that would be showing below it. I then sponge blended some distress ink fading down from the top of my card base underneath where the vellum would be overlaid.  I stamped the sentiment in a co-ordinating ink onto the base and then adhered the vellum on the reverse where it folded over the top. A few sequins were added to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Altenew - Mountain Mist
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous
• Vellum: Hot Off The Press - Tone on Tone 
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Icicle Sequin Mix

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #216 - Anything Goes
STAMPlorations - October Challenge - Theme / Sketch - Stamps and Sponging





And for my card using acetate I created a very CAS shaker...

I started by die cutting the flower from a panel of white cardstock.  I adhered some acetate behind the opening and then inlaid another die cut from the same die, this time from pearlescent cardstock.  I stamped the 'hi' sentiment in black and then added lots of 3D foam to the reverse of my panel, particularly around the flower head as this part was to be the shaker element.  I marked in pencil on the card base roughly where the flower head would be and then sprinkled on some sequins and beads before adhering the panel over the top.

Materials used:

• Die: Creative Expressions - Scribble Flower
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Bold Buzzwords (a pre-loved set recently purchased from the lovely Michelle Short - Thanks Michelle!)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - True Blue Shaker Selection
• Pearlescent cardstock from stash

Challenge entry:

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #1 - Anything Goes




Thanks so much for visiting today.  If you have the time please do pop over to my fellow LIM teamies, they have some great inspiration for you.  I'm really looking forward to seeing your CAS ideas for vellum and acetate this week.

Less is More Week #260

Good morning

Where do the weeks go?  Can you believe it's time for another new challenge at Less is More?  Well, it is and this week we have a Recipe challenge for you which is to...

Include a Silhouette

Please remember to keep you creations clean and simple.

I have three sample cards to whet your appetite this morning so let's get to it.

Some Distress Ink blending for my first card...

I used a circle die to create a mask and then blended Distress Inks to create the sun.  I then stamped the bird and branch silhouette in black ink.  I then messed up with my sentiment stamping, I tried to re-stamp it to create a sharper impression but didn't line it up exactly right (can't wait to get my hands on a Misti!).  So to correct it I embossed the sentiment in white onto a strip of black cardstock, adhered this over my blunder and then added some smooth clear gems to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Stamps: Card-io Combinations - Christmas Scenery 2; Clearly Besotted - April Showers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Week 343 - Anything Goes

I tried a different approach with Distress Inks for this next card...

I masked off a horizontal section on a panel of white cardstock and used a circle mask for the moon.  I then blended with Distress Inks but instead of building up the colour to a smooth finish I kind of swiped back and forth horizontally to build up the blend.  I then removed the mask and used a wet wipe to swipe across, to gently remove some colour and to spread it across the moon to (hopefully) give the impression of a cloudy dusk sky.  I then simply stamped the dove and sentiment in black before matting and layering onto the card base with a black frame.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Paired Up; Uniko - Flower Power #1

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #159 - Anything Goes

And my Brushos had a little outing for my third card...

On a piece of white cardstock I sparingly sprinkled some Brusho crystals (and I mean sparingly - you only need the lightest sprinkling), spritzed with water to reveal these gorgeous colours and left it to dry.  Next I die cut a section of the cardstock with a stitched rectangle die and also die cut the dragonfly, before placing some black cardstock behind the negative space.  I stamped the sentiment, added some small black gemstones to create the flight trail and then mounted to the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Brushos - Purple and Emerald Green; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles; Clearly Besotted - Dragonfly Die
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous
• Accents: Hobbycraft - 2mm black gemstones

Challenge entries:

Stamping Sensations - January Challenge - Anything Goes with a Die(s)

Happy Little Stampers - January CASE the Designer

Inkspirational - Challenge #100 - Blast from the Past - Previous colour challenge (Purple, White, Green)

There are lots of solid stamps out there so I'm sure you have something in your stash that fits our challenge.  We'd love for you to join us this week.

Bye for now

Just Because

Hi there

I'm back with my second card for this evening, and yet another butterfly card!

I wasn't really sure what I was trying to create when I started this one, it was one of those cards that just evolved as it went along.

I started by cutting a white panel and a slightly larger panel in sand coloured cardstock.  Before adhering the two together I used a leaf die to cut out and use the negative image from the white card, allowing the sand colour to show through from behind.  Next I stamped the sentiment in black and then adhered the layered panel to the card base.  I then used a butterfly die to cut out the two colours and cut two more from vellum.  I glued the vellum to the coloured butterflies in the centre then once dry I added some Doodlebug Sprinkles and gently manipulated the vellum wings to add some dimension.

Materials used:

• Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Leafy Accents and Elegant Butterflies
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Elegant Butterflies
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Neenah - Solar White; Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock
• Vellum from stash
• Doodlebug Sprinkles: Ladybug and Blue Jean

Challenge Entries

Less is More - Week 173 - Die Cut

Dream Valley - Challenge 82 - Thing with Wings

Colour Throwdown #294 - Colour challenge

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit.  That's it for today.  I'm now off to bed as I'm feeling sorry for myself with a stinker of a cold so I need to go and get cosy and hope I can sleep better than I did last night!

Take care