Less is More Week 26 - Lucky Dip

Ok, so we have our 'Lucky Dip' week as it's the fifth Saturday of July.

The challenge is 

FEELING FRUITY

Chrissie and Mandi would like to see fruit on our cards or fruit colours...easy peasy 'lemon' squeezy! Yeah yeah!!!

Well the one thing I don't have in my stamp collection is a fruity one! Having checked out some of the fantastic entries I think Susan has them all :)

I remembered having seen some fruit on Beccy's site and went to see the digi's in her archives. Sure enough there was a pear but I loved this basket of apples.

I printed the image out in Craft Artist so that I could bend the text and then I used my promarkers to colour in, heavens it sounds like I'm back at primary school!

I used a basic 7 x 5 white card and the apple on the text I drew, coloured and wrote the text on it and then used a little silicone glue to lift it slightly, hope that's ok with the "crafty duo".

So there we have my entry for this week, thanks for looking and your comments are always a joy and much appreciated!

Graduation collage

A collage I made with Smilebox to celebrate a special day :))

Free digital collage created with Smilebox

Design Team Blog Hop

Hi everyone I am part of Gill's CBGM DT and we are all taking part in a DT blog hop hosted by  

Dee of Vintageheartfeltdesigns blog.  The theme of the hop is birthdays and here is my card:

 The stamp is a Papermania Hydrangea stamp and I inked it up with SU Pretty in pink, Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi and Certainly Celery. The flower and ribbons are from Meiflower and the border is punched with a Martha Stewart punch and embellished with pearls

  If you would like to see our teams entries then click HERE for CBGM blog or if you would like to take part in the hop then please start back at Dee's blog ......

Thank you for hopping and I hope that you enjoy our creations and maybe be inspired to join in on our future hops which are always advertised on my blog.

Please leave a comment as I love to read your reactions to my cards.

Thanks for looking;)

Graduation Day

Today we are in Southampton watching my darling DIL receive her degree, for which she achieved a 1st ! We have an early start as her graduation is at 9.30!!
I had already made Lara a card when we first got the news, but I forgot to take a picture for my blog, silly me!
Anyway I have made her a box which contains her favourite Lindor chocs and a small gift wallet.
The box was a printout from TLC and is most probably for graduates from primary education, check out the images, but Lara will be more interested in the chocolate!

The wallet is made for a gift card or money and I found it on Vicky's blog. As you will see they can be customised to suit anyone. I used navy card and stamped the front with versamark and the wrap is held together with a brad and has a topper decoupaged on the front. The images were from the Scrapbook Flair website.

Thanks for looking:)

Less is More week 25 "ribbon/button or both" no 2!

Getting ahead of myself this week with another card for the LIM challenge! Needed to get in early as we are off to sunny (I hope) Portsmouth on Tuesday for my darling DIL's graduation. This is a second degree through her work and the clever girl got a FIRST!! I have made a couple of graduation themed creations which I'll post tomorrow.
Meanwhile here is my 2nd LIM card. I made a ribbon flower with grosgrain ribbon and the centre is made with the SU die and the other buttons are from my stash. The stems are punched from my SU bird punch and inked with Bundled Sage.
Thanks for looking:)

Less is More week 25 "ribbon/button or both"

Well I must be psychic! I got so excited with my new embosslits button die that I rushed through another card for last week's LIM challenge and what did I find this morning? A ribbon and button challenge! Too quick for my own good:)
Lovely cards as usual from Lady and Diva LIM, I'm always inspired by the tips and techniques that they share with us.
Anyway on to my entry this week, I decided to use some alphabet stamps from The Stamp Man and do another Christmas card! I stamped the letters and coloured them with promarkers and used glitter to outline the shapes. They are mounted on gold mirri and the ribbon is from Meiflower. Of course I had to use a button:) which I overstamped and threaded purple cord through.
Thanks for looking:)

Beach scene - sketch challenge

Gill's challenge this week is a sketch, goody! and a beach scene.



 I had some stamps of palm trees and flip flops etc but I have just treated myself to my first house mouse stamps and decided to use them!
I used a square base card and covered it in some hot pink BP with flowers on that I got from
Jacki :)) I added some pink grosgrain ribbon down the side.
I stamped the scene in black Brilliance and coloured using promarkers. I mounted it onto some bright pink card and attached it with foam pads. The sentiment was part of the stamp set and will be a great card for my friend Caroline whose birthday is the end of this month. I cut out one of the small images and used it on the corner and finished off with pearls, my favourite!

Good luck with the challenge and thanks for looking:)

Less is More no 2

Just received my SU order from the weekend ( how quick was that!) and one of the items was the embosslits button die. I now have a box full of buttons all shapes, sizes and different colours!!! So I thought I'd make another card for LIM using the waste to sponge DI through and top with a few buttons. I'll have to restrain myself from putting buttons on all my cards:))
Thanks for looking:)

Create with TLC competition

Paulette over at TLC has a competition to create a card, layout or ATC using one of two images that you can download from her site. The test is to create your own sentiment to go with your submission and there will be 4 winners and the winner will have his or her sentiment created in word art by Paulette. She gives away amazing digi images and papers nearly every day and showcases bloggers that use her images.
I used Craft Artist to create a scrappy page using the cute crab image which reminded me of Mae West, hence the sentiment "Hey good looking come up and SEA me sometime!"
Claws crossed to win:))

Less is more week 24 Circles

Definitely running a bit late this week, I think I was all crafted out from the weekend and had no inspiration for this week's LIM challenge. The challenge being circles, which seems remarkably simple but hey ho, not so!!
Anyway I finally decided to do a Christmas card as I haven't done any for a while:)
I used a La Blanche stamp, which stamps in a semi circle and just used a gray pen to complete the circle. I glittered to enhance the snowy effect and mounted on to silver mirri. I punched circles out down the side and punched mirri with the same punch and adhered them under the cut outs. The sentiment was also mounted on to mirri. Not particularly happy with this submission but at least it's one more for Christmas!

A wonderful weekend!

We've just arrived home from a brilliant, albeit wet and windy, weekend in Somerset where I took part in a Stampin UP extravaganza Day!
My sister Karen and her friend Anne run a craft club and had booked Jenny Moors for a Stampin UP day.
I have not had any dealings with this company before and was looking forward to working with their products and crafting with like minded people. The day was held in a church hall and when we arrived Jenny had set up the room with tables of 5 and they were all beautifully decorated with handmade goodies for everyone.
Our first project was a waterfall photo album and followed in the second half of the morning with an owl bookmark and money box. There was also an owl card with a fence that stood away from the card but folded flat for posting.

In the afternoon session we made cards using a set of stamps called Strength and Hope which we given as a gift by Jenny and made 3 cards with them.

I had a WONDERFUL day and it was so nice to meet up with fellow bloggers who leave such nice comments on my blog:) As it was not a good weekend weather wise, Karen and I spent Sunday crafting as well:))
Guess what? There is another day in November for Christmas, woo hoo! B & B booked already with Karen:)

Welcome and a wedding

I just want to say welcome to my new followers that have now become a fab 50! Your comments are much appreciated and I enjoy visiting your blogs:)
On a Thursday evening we do a quiz night in a local pub with friends and I was asked by one of them to make a wedding card for a couple on another table, from all of us, commonly known as "Underneath the Dartboard"!!
Notice was short and I chose a vintage La Blanche image that I love and matted it on to silver mirri and added some glitter. I made a pop out card and cut a bell shape from the centre and used silver peel offs around the edge. I attached ribbon from each side before joining the cards together and hanging a metal heart with ribbon from the aperture. The sentiments were created on Craft Artist.

Apologies for photo quality as the request was very short notice and I forgot to take a photo at home and had to do it in the pub!!
Thanks for looking:)

Less is More week 23 One layer card " something with legs"

Well this week's challenge at Less is More will certainly bring in a mixed bag of entries! The theme is "something with legs" which covers a host of different images. Already there are so many cards up with loads of ideas.
I played around for a while and eventually came up with 2 cards. The first one uses an image of Leonardo da Vinci and his inventions which is from Stamp Addicts vintage range. I stamped the images with black brilliance ink and then sponged some colour on with chalks.The sentiment was created on my xyron printer.
The second one is a Judikins Indian cube and I stamped three elephants in black, masked them and stamped the palm trees  in grey ink. I coloured the elephants with promarkers and the sentiment is from my xyron printer.
Not sure Lady Lim should be allowed to fail in her duties just because she is on holiday, I see that Diane is on holiday but has still produced a submission as a dedicated LIM!!!!!!! Just joking Chrissie, hope you had a lovely time:)
Thanks for looking:)

Summer Holiday scrapbook challenge

Gill's challenge was to create a scrapbook page or mini album of a holiday that you have already had or a place you wish to go to. We had a lovely holiday last month in Rousillion half way up a mountain in the foothills of the Pyrenees so I thought I'd go for that.
Scrapbooking is not a craft I have much experience in except for using a digital package(Craft Artist) which I love, as it allows you to play around with all the embellishments before deciding on the finished look.
I set the page for 8" x 8" so that it prints out easily. When we opened our bedroom doors every morning the view of the pool was what we saw, brilliant eh?

So here is my finished result and embellished with a bit of string!!

Good luck with the challenge and thanks for looking:)

Less is More Week 22 Shades of Blue

The theme this week at Less is More is Shades of blue. 
Running a bit late this week as we are just back from  5 days in sunny Devon staying with friends overlooking Brixham harbour. Fantastic views and definitely shades of blue!
Catching up on my blog I found a digi stamp from Beyond the Fringe and immediately thought of Venice and that's where I went! Not literally, unfortunately, as it's my most favourite place, but theme wise!
I downloaded a drawing of the Venetian waterfront and coloured it blue. I printed out the digi stamp and overstamped with swirls and butterflies.I added some glitter to the mask and along the water. The sentiment was stamped with brilliance.
Hope it fits the brief:)

For the love of PINK blog hop

Today is Gill's birthday and we are all celebrating with a blog hop called "For the love of PINK".
If you have just come across this posting while browsing around in blog land then feel free to hop along but if you have arrived here from:
Faith http://faithfulecreations.com/ you are hopping perfectly pinkly!
To start from the beginning go to Gill-http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com
For my project I have made a cross over card, which is two square cards joined together and each flap is cut in half diagonally so that the  decoration on the centre panel can be seen.
The BP is from a Dovecraft design pack and I used parts of it as decoupage and the stamped butterfly is a freebie from Craft Stamper.

Your next stop on this hop is Jenn P http://jennscrap2.blogspot.com

I hope you enjoy celebrating Gill's birthday with us on this PINK hop! Happy Birthday Gill!!

Less is More Week 21 - Sketch

 This week's challenge for the Limettes is a sketch and a very simple one but as usual causes me much scratching of the head!! I've been busy with social activities and visitors and we're off to sunny (hopefully!) Devon tomorrow and consequently haven't done much commenting, so apologies for that!!
I finally decided to use my new SU punch to create the three focal points and coloured them with distress inks. The torn paper is from Anna Griffin and the sentiment created with my Xyron runner.
Check out the Less is More blog for fantastic ideas and amazing tips and tuts:))
Thanks for looking:)

Blue colour challenge

The challenge this week hosted by Gill at CBGM is to create a card using blue as the colour. I chose to make an easel card and used a digi stamp of coneflowers from Paper Garden Projects and coloured it with promarkers. I matted onto blue card and added some glitter to the stamens and a ribbon bow. The base I ghost stamped using blue marvy matchable ink and the sentiment was printed with my Xyron runner. I added blue pearls to finish.
Good luck with the challenge!

It’s FAIRY DAY!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the blog hop for FAIRY Day hosted by Gill McCall on this the 24th and 25th June 2011. This is a 2 day hop for 24th and 25th where the line up on both days is different

If you have just come across this posting while browsing around in blog land then feel free to hop along but if you have arrived here from

 Cynthia - http://cynchronicity.wordpress.com/   then you are on the right track but if not then you need to go and start at the beginning with

 Gill - http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/

The theme of this hop is FAIRY Day so what we are doing is bringing together a select few people from all over the world to take part and for them to create a project with a fairy or fairies on it.  

This is a hop with a difference as along the hop there are letters to find in the postings - not all blogs have the letters, but if you gather all the letters, then at the end of the hop on day 2, assemble them to create a fairy related word.

 Go back to http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/ and enter the Mr Linky at the bottom of the post (do not reveal the secret word yet). After the hop Gill will contact someone at random and ask them to email her with the word - if correct they win some lovely candy. Sprinkled with fairy dust of course!!

Now on to my projects - I have created 3 projects for this hop. 

The first is a Triangle exploding box that could contain a little surprise.

The outside triangle is 8” x 8” scored and folded to create a 4” x 4” base. The centre triangle is 53/4” from each point to the opposite centre. The lid is the same as the base with a flap left down one side to glue together.

I stamped with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder, then distressed with Tattered Rose and Milled Lavender distress inks before I put the box together. The fairy was stamped and coloured with promarkers and glittered.

My second project is a card that I made using my flower fairy cd from Crafters Companion

  




My third project is a bookmark which is a basic card base which I stamped with SU Baja breeze and Certainly celery and the fairy was coloured with promarkers and glazed.

So there we have it – my entries for day one of the Fairy Day hosted blog hop – hope you like them and will return again tomorrow for some more fairyness!!

There are a lot of talented crafty women on this hop and I hope you enjoy looking through their hop entries.  So now please hop on over to

Dawn -   http://dawnsdesignsthatdelight.blogspot.com/  for the next fairyesque creative project.

Good luck everyone and thank you for hopping or should I say flying along! Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for day 2 and to gather the rest of the hidden letters.

  

I love to read any comments that you may leave and would welcome you as a follower if you like what you see :)

Less is More week 20 Monograms

Hi everyone it's LIMETTE time again! This weeks challenge at Less is More is to use Monograms and not the word. There are some fab submissions and lots of different ideas:)
I used a digi stamp from TLC and a frame from Craft Artist. I printed the letter twice so I could layer up the central image. I used black mirri as my base card and highlighted the little flowers and the monogram with glitter.
Thanks for looking:)

My RAK card

Just received my June RAK card from Alethea, all the way from OZ! I love owls and this has pride of place on my mantelpiece :)
Anyone that would like to join in check out Gill's blog and at the top you'll find the RAK details
Thanks again Alethea!

Less is More Week 19 - One Layer

This weeks Challenge from Less is More is one layer but in a frame. As usual the Limette insomniacs were off and running before I had even had my first cup of tea!! Some lovely submissions which are well worth visiting:)
I decided to do a couple of small cards using some judikins stamps, Travels in India and Carol's cube and a postage frame stamp from the same company.
I stamped the frame first and masked it off so that I could sponge colour inside. I then stamped the main image in black Brilliance.

The larger card I stamped and embossed a Creative Expressions bargain stamp from Ally Pally with gold EP and then cut out the middle frame to create an aperture. I lightly pencilled the shape on the inside and stamped again with versamark and gold EP. The flowers were coloured with promarkers.
Apologies for the photo quality but my OH is decorating and keeps turning the power off!!!!!
Thanks for looking:)

The use of round shapes - sketch challenge

For Gill's challenge this week there is a sketch to follow, which anyone who follows me, knows I really enjoy doing! This is the sketch:

I have made two cards, a square one and an A5.

The square card is white and I added the scrapling that was left after I cut down the A4 card across the middle. I distressed it with Mustard Seed and then stamped randomly with water and blotted to give an impression. The round shapes were punched and stamped with a daisy stamp from Sheena Douglass and distressed with Mustard seed as well. They were mounted with foam pads and the sentiment is from my Xyron digital printer. The buttons are from my stash.

The A5 card is  sage green mounted onto a white card. The white frame is an xcut die through my cuttlebug  that cuts and embosses at the same time. The butterfly stamp is a bargain from Ally Pally which I stamped onto the 3 circles and then a single image cut out and mounted separately.

The ink was bundled sage distress ink and the sentiment was a freebie from Netty. The flower is rolled felt with punched leaves and a few pearls.

Thanks for looking and good luck with the challenge!

2 Challenges!

This month's challenge for the St Luke's Charity Card challenge is "Come fly with me" and I hadn't got around to thinking about it until I saw the theme over at The Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight challenge. My crafty friend Jacki is hosting this one and was looking for support. The theme is parchment, which is not a technique I have ever attempted, but I thought what the heck and decided to combine the two challenges by using butterflies and a dragonfly on parchment.
I drew the images and embossed them on a foam mat and coloured the back with promarkers. I attached the parchment to a torn piece of blue handmade paper with a jewelled brad. The base card I covered with some backing paper (candy from Jacki) that matched and used the offcuts to create a border and then mounted the topper with foam pads.
Please don't look too close as the butterflies are a little rough :)
Check out the St Luke's Charity card site as it's a very worthwhile cause and support Jacki's challenge, as there are loads of you out there who are brilliant at parchment craft!
Thanks for looking!

Less is More Week 18 Colour - Monochrome

This week's challenge at Less is More is colour, but it has to be monochrome, so shades of one colour or  black and white. Not difficult I thought but it's all too easy to forget that it has to be a CAS card as well! I have made 2 cards but I await LIMITIOUS feedback to see if I've succeeded in the challenge:)
The first card is stamped with an Agapanthus stamp from Stampendous using certainly celery and wild wasabi from Stampin up. The sentiment is from my Xyron printer with green vintage ribbon.







My 2nd card is stamped with Mocha Truffle versacolor ink using stamps from Stamp Addicts Da Vinci range. The sentiment is from a celebrations cd.






Thanks for looking:)

Gill's Challenge

Anyone who follows my blog will know how delighted I was to be selected as part of The DT for Gill McCall a couple of months ago. Gill was taken into hospital at the weekend having been poorly for a while and is having an op this week. Her friend Lisa, also a DT member, suggested that we held a challenge dedicated to Gill and made cards that would all be posted today to show our support and give her a cyber hug! 
Gill does so much for so many people, being on design teams, participating in and creating blog hops, setting up groups and challenges and so many more craft-oriented tasks!
I've chosen to make an ATC  and matching envelope, which is something I've only made once before! I decided on a fairy theme as it's one of Gill's favourite things and used my flower fairy cd, also for the first time, and the result is below.
Thinking of you Gill, get well soon :)