Less is More week 99-100 recipe

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a happy and prosperous New Year. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing in Charlie's first Christmas and he just loved the boxes! Knee deep in toys and all he wanted was an amazon box to sit in:) He looked cute in his Santa outfit!

I got some nice crafty bits and pieces that I will be playing with soon.
Anyway back to the LIM challenge which is spread over two weeks, thank goodness!

This challenge will last for two weeks over the festivities and we have decided to start our Christmas celebrations with a whizz and have chosen

DRINKS 

as our recipe.

You can choose tea, coffee, water, sodas, alcohol of course if you wish, in fact any drink at all... but all of us...Chrissie, Mandi and Jen would like to wish all of you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

Cheers!

I don't have a suitable stamp and so I thought I would have a go at some word art on the computer, come and see:

I used Craft Artist to manipulate the words that I created in different fonts. I matted it onto pink card and hand wrote the sentiment. I drew the glass and added a gem for the cherry. The embossing is a flourish folder that I thought resembled bubbles.

Thanks for visiting and see you all in 2013!

Make My Monday-bingo

Hi everyone I wanted to join in the fun again at MMM with their bingo challenge but although I'm reasonably happy with my card trying to get a decent photo was a nightmare! I used pearlescent cardstock and DI but the colours came out really weird in the photo, come and see!

This first one is a better photo but doesn't reflect the colour

This is a better colour shot but looks as if it's floating as I put the card on it's side and then fiddled with it in picasa!

Anyway I used the diagonal line of Flowers, dry embossing and Distressing.
The EF is by Darice, the stamps are from The Stampman inked in gold and coloured with PM's and the ribbon is seam binding. The DI is Milled Lavender.

Thanks for taking the time to visit, see you soon:)

Less is More week 98-Anniversary

Yippee, I'm back in my craft room! Did you miss me? Just joking but it's been 10 days since I posted anything but the inspector has been and I'm allowed back amongst the electrics. I have to say it's been worth it, I'm loving my extension but I have to wait a bit longer for my kitchen to be refitted as the builders have another job in between.
Anyhow back to crafting! this week's challenge at LIM Towers is an Anniversary theme. Anything appropriate but not necessarily with the word on the card. I was so excited about being able to produce a card that I probably overdid it so I hope it qualifies as a CAS card! Come and see:

 Recipe:

6 x 6 square base card

Fleur de Lis die

Cherry Blossom EF

Liquid pearls Petal Pink

Victorian Velvet DI

WOW sentiment

Sizzex heart

We have a busy week ahead, last minute clearing up as Charlie is arriving on Thursday for Jim's birthday (a special one) and there are things all over that can now find a new home in the extension:) Then we are off to stay with them in Portsmouth for Charlie's first Christmas.

If I don't catch up with you all I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Hope you like the new background, I couldn't resist it:)

Less is More week 96-colour

Hi everyone, a very short post as I nearly missed this week's challenge at LIM! It appeared so simple but I couldn't get my head around it and I had lots of other cards to make for various friends and family.

A new month, a new challenge, a new sponsor!
We are delighted to have
MY MUM'S CRAFT SHOP
as our Sponsor for December

Do check out their supplies... and their service is second to none!

You knew it would be a colour challenge, we wonder if anyone guessed correctly!

We won't keep you in suspense any longer... it's

RED & GREEN

Very seasonal, very traditional...  what novel ideas will emerge this week?

           This is what I came up with after counting how many more Christmas cards I needed!

Poor photo I'm afraid, the script looks so faded and it's not IRL:)

Recipe:

Square card blank

Stampendous stamp 

Red ink

Green core'dinations

Gems and bow

Apologies for not commenting on any cards in this challenge but I'll do better next week:)

Use your markers!

Morning everyone and welcome to another week at ATS&M. This week it's time to sit down and do some colouring in:) Our challenge is called Make your Mark and you can make anything as long as you use markers for colouring. My card is another Christmas one as I'm taking every opportunity to ensure I have enough:) Come and see:

It's a very quick card using one of Sheena's stamp sets, coloured with Marvy pens and a little added glitter. I popped the sentiment up for a bit more interest and added a few gems.
Check out the blog for the rest of the DT cards, there's great inspiration to be had! I do hope you'll play along this week I'm looking forward to see what you create!
Good luck:)

Self indulgence!

Morning everyone, I've had a lovely morning being waited on as it's my birthday! Lovely presents too, a gorgeous canvas with photos of Charlie on from Keir & Lara, perfume from Dominic, new boots from my DH and an SU scoring board from my sister :) Can't wait to play. We are still waiting for Charlie's christening photos that were taken by my DIL's uncle so Lara dressed Charlie up again and I just had to share it with you, especially Viv!! The second one my SIL took on the day.

Make My Monday-Autumn supplies

Hi everyone glorious day here but absolutely freezing!! This is the last week of the Autumn supplies theme at MMM and this week they want to see RIBBONS & BUTTONS.
I chose to use the CI stamp that I got as a gift  from Craft Stamper and my new Die-namic bow die, come and see:

Recipe

Green pearl base card

CI stamp and SeeDee sentiment

Mustard Seed, Bundled Sage and Spiced Marmalade DI

Die-namic bow die

SU embosslits button die

Thanks for looking and I hope you are all warm and dry!

Addicted to Stamps and More-sketch

Morning everyone and welcome to this week's challenge at ATS&M.

 We are excited that we are being sponsored this week by 

                                                     

and they are offering a rubber stamp prize!

 It's a sketch to follow this week and if you need inspiration pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the DT cards. Here is the sketch:

And here is my card.

Recipe

Green card base matted with paper from a Prima botanicals pad

SU bird and branch punch

Ribbon, flourish and gems.

Birthday cut with my Silhouette

Good luck with the challenge and I can't wait to see what you create.

Bling it on!!

Guess what it's raining again! Yesterday was gorgeous, thankfully, as we were performing at the Hampstead Christmas festival for the turning on of the lights. We sang for 30 mins and had a great reception:) After browsing all the fabulous Christmas stalls we went for a meal at a very nice French bistro and found ourselves sharing space with Shrek and Princess Fiona (from the West End show), Jon Culshaw and Sean Bean! Just an ordinary day!
Anyway back to this week's challenge over at Less is More.
                                               

For the recipe this week, we'd like you to include 

Glamour and Glitz

By that we mean something to include glitter or bling, something that twinkles, sparkles or shines. (Mandi would love this one, in fact she probably chose it!)

Recipe

5" base card embossed with flourishes

Topper is a freebie stamp coloured and glittered and matted onto green card

SeeDee sentiment

SU punch

Pearls

Can I just welcome Suzi as my latest follower, much appreciated:)

Make My Monday-Autumn supplies

Morning everyone another quick post this time for MMM. The ongoing monthly theme is  AUTUMN SUPPLIES and this week we are to use VELLUM.
There is also a sponsored prize this month so well worth entering the fun!
Here is my offering this week:

My base card is a 6" square of brown card and topped with some printed vellum that I've had for years! I think it was from QVC. I punched a label with pale green card and matted it onto brown card. The vellum ferns were cut from the same vellum using a Crealies die with an added dragonfly gem.
Hope you like it enough to leave a comment so that I can visit you:)

Less is More-week 94-theme

Hi everyone from a very wet and windy London town! I've had to make a few quick cards as it appears the builders want to invade my craft space to tap into the electrics! HELP!!!! So I may be MIA for a few days :(
Anyway back to this week's challenge over at LIM towers. It's a theme week and they have chosen

HARDWARE

This could include a variety of things, but most probably it will be  something made of metal!

It could include, brads, charms, eyelets, clips, staples, pins, studs etc.

If nothing fitting this description appears in your supplies, faux hardware will probably suffice... as long as it looks good!

I had several ideas and ended up making 3 cards! Definitely got the GOETTER bug:)

This was very quick and easy with some torn paper edged with white ink and a metal seahorse which is actually the National Epilepsy badge that I got for donating to one of my students that suffers from it. Old SeeDee sentiment to finish.

This was a digi image fished out of my scraps bag, matted onto black card and decorated with a press stud. The flourish is from SU Everything Eleanor, another quick card!

This last card was my first idea, using an Anna Griffin stamp from her Hardware set, (appropriate) embossed with silver and a tiny metal key and heart attached with a brad. I searched everywhere for these charms and only found them this morning in the safe place that I had put them! The sentiment is handwritten as you can probably tell:)

Thanks for taking the time to visit I hope to return the favour!

Addicted to Stamps & More - CAS

Morning all and welcome to another challenge here at ATS&M. This week the theme is CAS, which means clean and simple, not too many embellies and some white space (or coloured, if you're using a coloured base card)!
I was inspired ages ago by a card on Rosemary's blog, check her out she makes the most amazing cards, and this is my version of it!

Recipe:

A6 base card

Flourish embossing folder

Freebie Craft Stamper butterfly

Glitter and liquid pearls

WOW sentiment

I do hope you'll join us this week, pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the DT cards, they're always inspirational! Good luck with the challenge.

A perfect day!

Glorious weather, wonderful service, friends and family and a perfectly behaved grandson! Charlie's christening was a lovely day and went off with out a hitch. He looked so cute in his outfit and I'll post photos when we get them. In the meantime this is the card I made for him, it's a star card and I made a matching box for it.
                                                                                                  Front of star card

 This is the box lid

 

Thanks for putting up with a proud grandmother's ramblings and apologies if I've missed visiting your blogs, it was a very busy weekend:)

Make My Monday- Autumn

Hi everyone just a quick post for the challenge over at MMM as we are away in Portsmouth for the weekend for Charlie's christening:)
The continuing theme is AUTUMN SUPPLIES but this week they want to see STITCHING - REAL OR FAUX.
Here is my card:

The tree is from Creative Expressions and the leaves are on a small cube from Judikins. I used SU Early Espresso and Spiced Marmalade and Mustard seed DI. I pricked holes and used dark green embroidery thread for the stitching and I created some French Knots with gold metallic thread on the tree but It's hardly visible!
Thanks for visiting and I'll be back next week to show you what I made for Charlie:)

Addicted to Stamps and More-colour

Morning everyone and welcome to this week's ATS&M colour challenge. Kylie has chosen RED and WHITE as the colour combo and as it's so near Christmas I'm afraid it had to be a seasonal card:)

Recipe:

Square 6 x 6 base card

Red core'dinations paper

Snowflake embossing folder

Stamps: Christmas baubles (Stamp Addicts)

SU Pines and Poinsettias

Ribbon and red gems

Do check out the ATS&M blog as the DT have come up with some great inspiration. We had some fabulous cards for last week's challenge and I hope you'll play along again this week:)

Less is More week 93-one layer

Well it's a horrible day here today but I do have good news! Firstly I was showcased this week, so exciting, and this morning I found out that I was a winner over at Crafty Cardmakers and I've won a voucher for the Stamp Man:)
 I must be on a winning streak as I won £510 at our pub quiz last week!!!

Anyway back to this week's LIM challenge and it's great to see that Chrissie has a helper in the guise of Jen whilst Mandi is busy with her new shop. It's a one layer card week and the theme is HOUSES. Lot's of ideas on the blog especially if you think outside the box! My initial idea I loved but worried that it didn't qualify but I'm sure Chrissie or Jen will let me know:)

It's a Memory box die and I made two cards using the positive and negative die cuts, the sentiment is a freebie and I have shadow stamped it with SU Basic Grey and Stazon white ink. The die cuts just fit together like a jigsaw, very easy and effective.

This next card I stamped with the Crafty Individual stamp that I got as a gift for being published in Craft Stamper.

 I stamped with versamark and embossed in black then dusted some colour to create the sky and tree. I added some glitter and dots of red sakura pen on to the tree. I hand wrote the sentiment.
Finally I used a set of Christmas stamps from Jenny Mayes to create a scene using SU Basic Grey ink , promarkers and a touch of glitter.

I feel I'm competing with Susan this week but I was on a mission to create more Christmas cards:)
Thanks for staying with me on this rather long posting I should have suggested you make a cup of tea! Hope you leave a comment so that I can visit you:)

Make My Monday: Autumn

Morning everyone, another gorgeous day here thank goodness as the roof is going on today! The builders have been pretty lucky, except when they had to dig the foundations, when it was pretty wet!
Good job I'm not hosting Christmas this year:)

Anyway back to this week's challenge over at MMM.

The theme this month is AUTUMN

and we are also having a

USE YOUR SUPPLIES

month.

This week we want to see your crafty projects incorporating

KRAFT AND STRING (TWINE)

Come and see what I came up with:

I bought a box of autumn leaves a few years ago at a local garden centre and this is the first time I've managed to use them! The base card is stamped with SU French Foliage using  Adirondak Cabin Fever and wrapped with string. I stapled two of the leaves together and added a button with a string knot. The sentiment is stamped on a leaf from French Foliage.

Must dash now as I need to practise TRUE COLOURS for Rock Choir tonight and I've got aquafit 

in between:)

Hope you've enjoyed your visit and leave a comment so that I can visit you:)

Addicted to Stamps & More

Morning everyone and welcome to another challenge at ATS&M. This week we want to see FLOWERS. I have chosen to use the SU Bright Blossoms set as I haven't used it very much but it's very versatile, come and see what I created:)

Recipe:

A6 base card

Bright Blossoms stamps

SU Bashful Blue & Sahara Sand

Blue cardstock for mats

Liquid pearls

SeeDee sentiment

Check out the blog for the rest of the DT cards, they are fabulous and I can't wait to see what you come up with  so that I can visit your blog:)

Less is More week 92-colour

Morning all from a glorious sunny day in London town, albeit a tad cold!! This weeks theme at LiM towers is a colour one and Chrissie wants to see PINK

Not a colour I normally go for but there are some lovely shades to choose from so here is what I came up with;

I tried several places to film it but I had used pearlescent card and it's a b....r to photograph! I used the stamps from SU Everything Eleanor and popped one up for dimension and added some liquid pearls for the stamens. The inks were Victorian velvet and Spun Sugar DI. I punched out the little bird and stamped the sentiment on him and put him in the flowers.

Just back from lots of Charlie cuddles in Portsmouth and a lovely lunch and some retail therapy with Chrissie in Gunwharf on Saturday which was also a lovely sunny day:)

Hope the weather is good wherever you are and I hope you leave a comment so I can return the visit.

A star is born!

Happy Halloween to all my blogging friends!

I'm back in Christmas mode as that is what the challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers is all about. They are asking for a shaped card with a reindeer or two but definitely not a square or rectangle.

I love making unusual folded cards and Marianne has some fabulous tutorials on her blog and I have chosen to make a STAR card, come and see:)

This takes 2 sheets of 6 x 6 paper,  I have used Bo Bunny, and the instructions on Marianne's blog are a doddle! I cut a doily with a fiskars punch and coloured it with gold paste. The topper was cut on my Silhouette and the stamp is from a set that I bought in Michaels  in Nova Scotia. I stamped it in SU Wild Wasabi and added glitter with my quickie glue pen. a few red gems and a peeloff finish it off.The greeting can be on the back on a die cut.

My Craft Stamper magazine arrived this morning and there I am in all my glory on page 59, or rather my card is!! Very exciting and it's one I did using Chrissiehttp://simplylessismoore.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/week-91-sketch-7.html?m=1's, of Less is More fame,  stamp she designed that came with the September issue. Because it was published I get a fab Crafty Individuals stamp of the London skyline! So that's my 15 minutes of fame over:)

I'd like to welcome Julia, my latest follower and thank you in anticipation of any comments you may leave:) I love to return the visit.

Addicted to Stamps & More-Bingo

Morning everyone and welcome to a new challenge here at ATS&More and this week we have a BINGO card for you to follow.

Choose any line, horizontally, vertically or diagonally and create a card incorporating those three elements. If you cross the middle square try to avoid replicating one of the other squares.

I chose the diagonal line of B'day, Free and Dies and here is my card.

Shana and I were obviously thinking alike as her card for last week's Make your Mark challenge uses the same triple layer technique:)  I wanted to create a monochrome card and using SU Everything Eleanor stamps inked them in Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip. The ribbon (free) was from my stash and the button is an SU Embosslits die (Die). The label is a Sizzix die which I inked and then used my Xyron runner to print the sentiment.  Love this technique and it is so simple to achieve but looks so impressive.
I hope you will join in the fun with us this week we love to see what you come up with and if you are struggling at all please go and check out the fabulous cards that the rest of the DT have made.

Make My Monday-French theme

Bonjour mes amis, ici la semaine derniere pour le French theme over at MMM and Fliss wants to see Feminine/Romance. This has been a 5 week month and boy have I struggled with stamps for these challenges. I have resorted to digital images again and hope my card covers the brief:)

 The BP is from Prima Botanicals and has french script all over it and is mounted onto a 6" square card. The images are all from the internet and I have used Spun Sugar and Antique Linen DI to add colour. I decoupaged some of the flowers on the frame and made some small flowers as embellishments. I added a little sparkle using mica powders and a water brush.
Thanks for looking, I hope any blogging friends in the path of Hurricane Sandy stay safe!
Were you impressed with my French? :o)

Less is More-week 91-sketch 7

Hi everyone, wow what a difference that hour has made, lights are on already! The challenge this week at LIM towers is a sketch and a fabulously simple one at that.

The problems begin when you have to decide what images, stamps, dies etc to use to create your card!! Choices, choices, choices:) Check out the cards that Chrissie has made they are fabulous!

Anyway I had in mind  an oriental theme and this is what I came up with:

Recipe:

Square 6" base card

Pink card

Papermania oriental flowering branch

Memento black ink

Spun Sugar DI

Promarker Dusky Pink

Pearls

SeeDee sentiment

Welcome to my new followers, thank you for choosing  me and thanks to anyone who visits and leaves a comment:)

Make My Monday- Tricoleur

     Hi everyone the continuing theme over at MMM is FRENCH and 

This week we want to see the 

TRICOLEUR

added to your projects - that would be the colours BLUE, WHITE AND RED.

 I struggled last week and resorted to a digital project and this week is a nightmare!
Red, White and Blue is not a colour combo that I use regularly and I'm very short on appropriate stamps. I was sorting through a box of small stamps and came across a set of small patterned squares, one of which was a fleur de lys design. So this is what I created, what do you think?

 Recipe:

4" square base card

Fleur de lys patterned tile stamp

SU Rose Red ink

Stormy Skies DI

SeeDee sentiment 

Red gem

Hopefully next week's challenge will be easier:)

We had a lovely day yesterday, we popped down to Portsmouth and took Charlie out for lunch:) 

 Cute eh? Very biased I'm afraid :-)

 Thanks for your visit, please leave a comment so that I can visit you.

Addicted to Stamps and More-make your mark

Hi everyone and welcome to our 4th Make your Mark challenge at ATS&M. You can submit any project as long as you use markers on it and now there is a huge selection to choose from.
I decided to make a card For Charlie's first Christmas. Who is Charlie you may ask, in which case you haven't been following a proud grandmother's constant bragging and posting of photos of the cutest little boy:)
Anyway come and see what I made:

Recipe:

Square 6 x 6 base card

Red core'dinations embossed with stars

Stamped image from Sheena Douglass ( Santa Baby)

Pine branches stamped in green and gold with added red dots

Whimsy snowflake die

Promarkers and glitter

Xyron created sentiment

Gold pen

Do check out the ATS&M blog for inspiration from the rest of the DT, some wonderful cards there!

I hope you'll join us this week we love to see what you create and to visit your blogs.

Good luck with the challenge:)