Fruit-Less Is More

I have to admit this week's Less Is More has really flummoxed me! I don't do fruit, but luckily found a pear lurking at the bottom of the stamp box. I embossed it with Verdigris embossing powder which gives it a golden sheen you can't see in the photo. I need a bit of experimenting with this stamp to do it justice.

Red,yellow and orange-Stampotique challenge.

Stampotique have gone all summery for the latest challenge! I made an ATC using Smile-I just love that stamp! I did the background with Distress Ink reinkers. I saw an interesting blog the other day with flowers made out of card candy so I gave it a go.I can't remember the blog name but will credit it when my memory comes back!

I'm going to post this at Handmade Monday too.

Diva ATCs

I made a bit of a boob with the Anything Goes swap on UKScrappers this month. I thought I'd sent my ATCs in, then couldn't remember making them, then forgot about them altogether (where is my brain!) So I ended up making some quick ones as I only had a day left to get them in. Cue new cat stamp!

Buttons-Less Is More

This week Less Is More is all about ribbons or buttons, which was great because I've got buttons out all over the kitchen table! I made two cards and still have buttons left so I may make more!

This one was coloured with my new Promarkers(can't put them down!).

My favourite free stamp ever!


I'm popping this on Handmade Monday too,seeing as I was a naughty girl and didn't get round to doing it last week!

Circles-Less Is More

The theme at Less Is More this week is circles, and it's taken a long time to come up with something! I've just taken delivery of a new set of Promarkers so it was a good opportunity to use them!

Flowers-Stampotique challenge

Stampotique's challenge at the moment is flowers. I wasn't sure what to do but then I found this Flower Fairy stamp lurking in the depths and realised that I've never used it before- I don't even remember buying it(hangs head in shame).I'm not sure I've used it to best effect-I think I need to have a play with it-but I loved the cutting out!I know it's a bit of a cliché,Flower Fairy for a flower card but couldn't resist it once I'd found the stamp!

Leaving Card

Another friend leaving work for a job with better prospects. Fingers crossed it'll be my turn soon (that'll only happen in la-la land!). Sorry-I had to use my PBS stamp again because I just find it perfect for the job!

Birthday card for friend's 40th

Couldn't resist using this stamp again with the martini sentiment this time for my friend's 40th birthday. She's leaving the country before the big day so I made sure she got this before she went-well you can't let the day go without some celebration! I don't know what's happened to me but I've come over all flowers recently!

Less Is More-things with legs

This week's Less is More is to do a one layer card featuring things that have legs! Couldn't think of a better stamp to use than this one (but no doubt I'll find more!)

I'm also posting this at Handmade Monday.

Birthday card-Art Journey children challenge

This month's Art Journey challenge is Children. I needed a birthday card for a friend who's obsessed with planting stuff in her backyard to encourage butterflies back to the environment so this stamp was ideal! It's a fabulous stamp set and I can't wait to use it again.

ATCs-text as background

This month's ATC swap on UKStampers is to use text in your background. I thought a peeled paint-ish look would be a good place to start and stamped the image to add on the top. Couldn't resist a party hat on man's best friend!

Shades of Blue-Less is More

This week's challenge (where's the week gone?!) on Less is More is to use shades of blue. I used this lovely stamp I bought in a job lot a while ago. I wish I knew who made it because I'd love to check their other stuff out! It's stamped in navy on a lighter blue background with a bit of gold pen added-sorry-tried not to add but couldn't resist it!

I'm posting over at Handmade Monday too.

Wedding card

Well, I made the invites and the order of service cards and now I get to go to the wedding! I made the wedding card on a little canvas for a change. It's painted with Cosmic Shimmer but the shimmer got lost between camera and here! I stamped the background in silver with the same stamp I used for the invites but that doesn't really show on the photo either. I feel a photography course coming on!

Scraps-Stampotique challenge

The challenge at Stampotique is to use some scraps, so I used an embossed background that's been lying around and a paper I used to scribble wax crayons on. I'm not overly pleased with this card-it looked so much better in my head!

Cheers ears birthday card!

I've had this stamp for ages and never used it so this birthday card was the ideal opportunity to give it a whirl! I used the Scrapology sketch (ish!) again because I really like it.

Another mini-book

I still can't stop myself from making these little books! I just find it fascinating that a piece of 12 by 12 can fold into such a lovely book.This is a thank you for a friend. Hope she likes it!

I embellished the front with some lovely beads from Prima and a Stampin' Up sentiment.

I turned a couple of pages down and secured with a brad to make an open pocket.

Then stuck the open edges down to make slots for the note cards I made to go with it.
I'm going to pop this on Handmade Monday-see Helen I remembered with no nagging this week!

My lucky win!

This week I was lucky enough to win some blog candy from Chris at Chris's Craft Corner. She has a lovely blog and I especially love the layouts in frames and altered boxes. I recommend everyone to pay a visit over there and Chris, thanks once again for the beautiful and very generous candy.

Sketch card-Less is More

This week's Less is More is a sketch challenge. Yet another chance to rescue a stamp from the bottom of the box, and this lady took my eye today!

Order of Service cards

A while back I made some wedding invitations for a friend and heard myself offer to make the order of service cards too! I've finally finished them. I enjoyed this adventure but have to say it was hard work!

Postcard for Happy Daze Facebook challenge!

I've not entered the Happy Daze challenge before but I fancied the idea of trying a postcard. I found it a bit difficult having so much space when I'm used to working on ATCs! Enjoyed it though!

Monogram Less Is More

Monogram is the theme of the week over at Less is More and it had me stumped for a while!Then I remembered this guitar stamp. I cut out a G, sprayed Cosmic Shimmer over it and stamped the guitar. Not sure there's enough white to be a true CAS card but I quite like the lime green!

Sketch Saturday card

I made this any occasion card using the sketch on this week's Sketch Saturday challenge. I finally found an ink that works really well with my photo stamps so gave Adriana a chance to escape the bottom of the stamp box! This card isn't exactly as I wanted it to be but I'm too lazy to redo it!

Fly with me ATCs

The theme for this month's ATC swap on UKStampers is Come Travel With Me. Another chance to use a stamp I haven't used enough! I used distress ink for the background and Stampin' Up spots to stamp the image- I love their little box sets because however wrong I go, they always stamp brilliantly! I know this stamp isn't strictly about travel, but she has got wings!

Edited to add- my friend Helen has been sending me links to Handmade Monday for weeks so I thought I'd better get a move on and play along!



Card

I found the Scrapology blog via UKS and took a shine to the card sketch that was posted there as a June challenge. So I used the opportunity to try some of my new Art Journey stamps. Any excuse!
I stamped the shoes and added Glossy Accents then stamped the main image in red,hoping to match all the colours of the backing paper.The circle sentiment is a bit of a botch as I hate doing circles!

Birthday cards

A friend asked me to make a 13th birthday card for her daughter but as usual I got the dates mixed up and left myself with hardly any time to do it. I made these two cards in different colours. The hardest thing was making cards for a young lady I've never met-I need to get visiting my friends!

I used one of my Anya stamps(I almost forgot I had it!) and the Stampotique hearts for this.

And I think this fairy is Crafty Individuals-but I may be wrong!

Rain Rain-Sketch Saturday card

I haven't made a sketch card for a while but I really like the look of this week's sketch on Sketch Saturday. I used my Art Journey umbrella girl stamp which I must admit to overusing at the mo! I was very daring and flipped the sketch too-have never been brave enough before!

Hoola baby! Stampotique challenge

The challenge on Stampotique at the moment is Clean and Simple-it looks like CAS is taking over the world! Anyway, I couldn't resist, and yes, it's crayons again!

Birthday Card

Birthday card for dad using an Art Journey stamp. It gives such a lovely image every time.

Less is More-In the frame

This week's Less is More challenge is to make a one layered card with a frame somewhere in it. I bought some ear rings in the sales and thought the mini washers would make a kind of frame! I coloured the image with wax crayons-just can't seem to keep away from them now!

Mini books

Over the weekend someone mentioned maze books so I had to look them up! Once I'd had a google, I couldn't resist trying to make one. Now I'm addicted!

This one I made out of a piece of 12 by 12 paper and used cereal box to make a cover. The stamp on the front is a piece I cut off a bookmark I made last week.

I decorated the pages and used tickets as tags to journal on. It's about three and a half inches now it's finished.

Then I found some smaller paper I got free with a magazine and tried it on a smaller scale.

I used some thicker paper for the covers.

I used my small Stampin' Up stamps to decorate the pages.

I'm so addicted! But at least now I know what everyone's getting for Christmas!

ATCs-Rochdale Crop.

Yesterday I managed to get to the Rochdale crop again and had a play in Cal's Stampin' Up craft room. Inbetween all the gossiping I found time to make six (yes 6!) ATCs!

Yes, I know it's not Autumn but I loved these leaf stamps!

Loved these sewing ones too!

And flowers!

I now have a very long wish list!

Bookmark-Art Journey challenge

This month's challenge over on Art Journey is to make a bookmark.Couldn't resist!

Art from Art- a new CJ!

The first circle journal I did ended up a disaster as it went missing in action. I had such fun doing it though- I've been waiting to join another circle journal for ages.
How could I resist a CJ based on Project Runway- I love that show!
We all have to choose a challenge from the show to base our CJ on. Mine is the art challenge, when the designers had to use a piece of art to inspire their design.

My front cover



I've used a painting of The Lady of Shalott by Waterhouse on the cover because that's what I've used as my inspiration for my layout, along with the poem by Tennyson.

My Intro Pages

My Layout

I used Stampotique's Newt for the layout and stitched The Lady of Shalott's woven tapestry as background. It illustrates my favourite scene from the poem.

 not so hidden journaling tag

Sign in pages

In keeping with the Project Runway theme I thought Heidi and Tim would be great witnesses to the sign in!

I'm looking forward to this CJ and hope I can MAKE IT WORK!