28 March 2015

Week 217

The weeks seem to rush by and here we are again with another new challenge.
For our recipe this time we challenge you to
Combine any three previous Less is More challenges
into one creation.
Please note the numbers and title of the challenges you are basing your card on!
Here are ours to get you going!
First up is a card made with a fab Art Impressions stamp that I bought at the NEC last week.  I've coloured my one layer card with Copics and doodled a border around it.   My three challenges are:  Week 120 Man's best friend, cats or dogs,  Week 121 Humour and Week 111 Frame It.
This is another acquisition from the NEC last week, also an Art Impressions stamp, this time from the Golden Oldies series.
The sentiment is computer generated and reads 'So far, this is the oldest I've ever been!' It made me smile as it was just the sort of thing my mother-in-law would have said in her later years!
This guy was coloured with a variety of alcohol pens and die cut with a SSS stitched rectangle.
The challenges are Week #7 Masculine, Week #121 Humour and Week #65 ( Sketch 5)

Sarah

I'm combining challenges: #3 Spring (way back)
#66 Yellow and #143 Stringing Along (string or twine)

Card Recipe:
Paper Smooches: Chubby Chumbs coloured with Promarkers
WPlus9: Conversation Bubble dies
MFT Die-namics: Pierced Rectangle Stax dies
Uniko Studia: Flower Power #4 sentiment
Doodlebug: sprinkles and twine

There are pages at the top with all our previous challenges and sketches for you to choose from.
We thought you might enjoy seeing the DT meeting up last weekend for the craft show in Birmingham. It's the first time we have managed to all get together as we live so widely spread (by UK standards). It was lovely to be together even for a short time.

Should you choose a challenge which happened to be a One Layer card in the original challenge, there is no necessity to make it one layer for this challenge, unless you particularly wish to do so.
'Anything goes' is NOT available as one choice!
***


27 March 2015

One Layer ShowCASe Week 215

Another round of gorgeousness today with our 
One Layer Showcase
Some 'animals' were more insect than animal, but nevertheless some delightful cards emerged!
Here are the picks of the week
Simple, fun and beautifully coloured.

Beautifully coloured with watercolour pencils... such a good idea for one layer cards as there is no bleed through of colour on the inside of the card.

What a great effect of this fabulous horse leaping from the water.

Please take your ShowCASe badges from the page at the top and we hope to see everyone for a  fun challenge starting tomorrow!

21 March 2015

Week 216 Theme

This week our 
THEME
is for you to choose one of the DT cards and CASE it!
CASE A DT CARD
We would like you to say which card you have chosen and if possible add a pic of it to your blog stating how you approached your design. 
You might follow a similar layout, colour scheme, subject matter or simply do a close copy of it.
Here they are for you to choose from.

Ok so it's a shaker card which can still be CAS - yeah!
If you decide to CASE my card I'd like to see:
Lots of 'white space' obviously but then you might like to use
embossing, shakers, colours, dies or go with a wedding card. 
I can't wait to see how you interpret my card. 
The main thing ... have FUN!

Card Recipe:
Clearly besotted: Paired Up sentiment & dies set plus word die
WPlus9: Heart dies
Impression Obsession: Heart of Heart die
WOW: Metallic silver embossing powder


My card for CASEing is a simple one layer effort, using an adorable Stampin' Up image from the Cheerful Critters set.  He's coloured with watercolour pencils and the sign has a layer of Glossy Accents.  A doodled border and some baker's twine completes the card.
Here are some new acquisitions!
The flowers are from Stampin' Up coloured with alcohol markers and the sentiment is from Penny Black. I have found this sentiment to be really true... and how precious  those moments are.

Anne has been smitten with a sickness bug for the last week and so has not managed her usual number of visits and comments, but she hopes to get around to everyone now that she is feeling a little more like herself!
All three of us should be at the craft show at the NEC today... it would be lovely to say hi ... should we bump into any familiar faces.

This should be a fun challenge, we can't wait to see how you approach it!
***

20 March 2015

Week 214 ShowCASe and February Winner

Today we have good news all round, a fabulous
 ShowCASe  
and a winner of the
WOW  Embossing Powder 
prize for February!
First of all our winner is a lady who has joined in with almost all of our challenges from the very beginning...what dedication! She comments on SO many other participant's entries too and is SO worthy of this prize... it is
Kathy K
Please email us with your contact details please Kathy!

Now onto the Showcase for this week!
SO simple...SO pretty!

What fabulous flowers and a terrific tipsy frame!

Beautifully coloured tulips and a fab CAS design.

What wonderful cards!
We always choose cards which fulfil all the requirements both from our Guidelines and the specific challenges themselves... all of these certainly do that!
Congratulations ladies, please take your badges from the page at the top and we'll see you again tomorrow for our new challenge!

14 March 2015

One Layer Week 215

Would you believe it's 
One Layer Week
once again!

Following our discussion/forum on One Layer Cards a couple of weeks ago, we have a couple of new things to add to the Guidelines.

There were varying opinions on what constituted a One Layer entry, but the general consensus was that it's up to the hosts of any particular challenge to decide what is and what is not acceptable!

On the subject of using inlaid dies, we have decided that it will be acceptable if the whole of the front of the card is simply backed by an inner lining! We deemed this to be much more aesthetically pleasing than a piece of stickytape on the inside of the card to keep the bits from falling out!

As for embellishments... they must be just that... embellishments and not a main feature of the design. They must be small and add to the design and not form the majority of it!

In order to be fair to everyone, we will mention it if these guidelines are not adhered to!

Of course we will always mention it if designs are not kept CAS!
Now after all that on to this week!

For the subject of your card this week, we would like you to 
INCLUDE AN ANIMAL!

Here we have a cow from Artemio gently coloured with watercolour pencils and blended with a water brush. Using this medium doesn't usually show through on the inside of a one layer card.
The sentiment is computer generated and she is accompanied by a little bee from Avery Elle Storybook, (she seemed as though she ought to be looking at something!)
The grass is from that same set.


Easter is coming so couldn't resist
an Easter bunny sat on some glossy eggs.
Images all from Clearly Besotted - Hoppy Easter set (sadly discontinued)
I've used some Mowed Lawn Distress Inks to create a little 'hill' for 
the bunny and it certainly looks like a freshly mowed bowling green!
Bit too perfect but hey ho! 

Background grid is a Clarity Stencil with Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed Distress Inks brushed through.  The Card-Io cat is stamped and heat embossed, as is the Unity Stamps sentiment.

We all have additional examples on our personal blogs and we would love you to visit us there too! Just click on our names to be taken there.
These links are made before the posts go live and so are just to the general blogs... you may have to scroll down a little to find the cards if it's later in the week! Apologies for that, but we prefer to spend the time commenting rather than altering blog links!


As ever please remember to leave some white space... and as always, have fun!
***


13 March 2015

Showcase Week 213

Here are our choices for our 
HAPPY SHOWCASE
I expect you'll recall that our challenge last week was for things that make you happy, what a lovely variety there was too!


Friendship meant a lot to many of you and this card is just beautiful, so much attention to detail in such a beautifully CAS design.


Wonderful 'no lines' watercolouring... gorgeous card.


Loll never fails to inspire with her fabulous designs and interesting techniques.

how to use distress inks
What fabulous inking on this simple greeting!

We're sure you'll agree that this showcase is full of gorgeousness... thank you everyone!

Ladies please take the showcase badge from the page at the top and we'll see you  all tomorrow for another one layer challenge!

07 March 2015

Week 214 Colour Challenge

We are in a new month and so we have a new Sponsor!
We are delighted to welcome back 
once more!
If you haven't checked out Mary's site before, do take a look... she stocks the most amazing selection of trimmings and embellishments.

Now on to our 
Colour Challenge 
this week we have chosen wonderful  the Spring colours of 
YELLOW and GREEN

We would like you try to keep to just these two colours, but the use of neutral shades may be included if necessary.

Here are our examples for you, but there are additional examples on our personal blogs!

Anne
Floral stamps from Cardio and Sentiment from Mama Elephant


The frame of this image was made with Aqua Tints using the Bokeh technique.  The finished result would have warranted the use of sunglasses, so instead of using it in a more prominent position, I decided to use it to complement the colouring of these Stampin' Up Tulips, which were done with watercolour pencils and a water brush.
Both panels were cut with Simon Says Stamp stitched rectangles.


Card Recipe:
Uniko Studio: Simply Said Birthday
Uniko Studio: Flower Power #5 & #6
Mama Elephant: Index Card dies
Doodlebug Sprinkles
Here's a little advance notice!
All three of us are hoping to be at the Hobbycraft Show at the NEC on Saturday 21st March and would love to meet up with any LIMettes who are planning to be there too!
Just let us know and we'll let you have a contact phone number so that you can find us!

We hope you'll enjoy this challenge.
Please don't forget... it's great to visit fellow crafters to leave a friendly word 
and remember that white space, few layers and minimal embellishments!



06 March 2015

ShowCASe Week 212

Once more we had a superb response to our challenge last week and some amazing winged creations emerged.
Here are our choices for the
 ShowCASe

What a vibrant card.

Here the 'white space' is black, but what a stunning design, gorgeous night sky.

Completely CAS, yet it speaks volumes!

We couldn't leave out this stunning creation!

We were delighted with the contributions this week.

Please take the ShowCASe badge from the page at the top of the blog with our thanks!
A new challenge awaits tomorrow!
See you then!