An Adventure in Clean and Simple

I enjoy following Susan at Simplicity, but I enjoy being messy to be a CAS stamper.  Occasionally, I force myself to work in different styles. 

Less is More has a Perfect Holiday challenge, which fits in nicely with our Words 2 Craft By Vacation challenge!  For me, the perfect vacation involves little more than sitting in the sun and dreaming the day away!

Watercolor Hello

I've been missing my Mom a lot lately, so I thought I would make a card in her favorite color.

Watercolor background, Lawn Fawn die cut Hello cut and layered 3x and highlighted with Wink of Stella.  Sharing this with the Less is More Anything But Stamps Challenge and Fusion Hello Challenge.  Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By and show us how you define Liberty!!

Colored Card Base One Layer Card

This was a tough challenge from Less is More and AAA Cards.  For a layer-lover like me, this is really difficult for me.

Navy blue card base, paint blob by Your Next Stamp, white ink from Simon Says Stamp stamped multiple times with my MISTI, older SU! letter inked on top of the white.

How do you define Liberty?  Show us at Words 2 Craft By!!

White Wedding

I finally made something worthy of posting (I hope!).

Copper heat embossed sentiment one the card base, Gina Marie embossing folder.  I am sharing this with 3 (yes, 3!) challenges.

Less is More Sketch Challenge 20:

Addicted to CAS #144 and Cards in Envy White on White challenges.

Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By Love challenge!!!

Hanging in there...

A dear friend gifted me with the cutest wire coat hangers, and I was so happy to see the challenge from Less is More to use wire on a project.

La Creme background, dress cut on my KNK from shiny paper, Maya Road wire hanger.  I didn't have a large brad, so I heat embossed a bright brass brad in black.  Love how the simple dress contrasts to the stitched look of the background.  The Mommy Dearest line keeps going through my head - no more wire hangers!  Uh oh, I think I just showed my age....

There are a few more days to join us in the Words 2 Craft By Heart's Devotion challenge. 

Less is More?

The Less is More challenge is to create something Aussie.  I am not sure if this qualifies...  Hedgehogs are found in New Zealand, is that close enough?!? 

Spellbinder dies, Our Daily Bread Designs tag and sentiment.  I hope this is CAS enough!!

Kissing...

No, not THAT kind of kissing.  Layered stamping!

Very old SU! Oh So Lovely images stamped in Scattered Straw and Soot, colored with those inks, colored pencils, and chalk ink, sentiment from Unity.  I also stamped, colored, and fussy cut the popped up flowers.  The centers are layered on opposite colors.  I used different sized crystals, and I like both sizes for different reasons.  Interesting how the cards, while basically the same, look so different.  Sharing these with Less Is More 259 - Kissing Technique.  There is a New Beginning at Words 2 Craft By, come join us!!

Masculine Birthday Card with Numbers

The theme at Less is More is Numbers.   That screams birthday card to me!! 

I hope this is CAS enough for the challenge.  The number layer is Hero Arts, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in clear.  Inked with Distress Inks Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass, and Broken China. Fiskars sentiment heat embossed in white.  Love this navy and white combo!  There are a few more days to join us at the Words 2 Scrap By Movember Challenge!!

Green & Gold

I make a lot of cards as Christmas gifts.  Monogrammed cards are one of the most requested, as they can be used for many different occasions.  The Less is More challenge is to use green and gold - what an elegant combo!  I hope this is CAS enough for their guidelines....

Crackle and Thin Lines Darice embossing folders, Spellbinder dies, Stampendous monogram sticker.  I liked this layout and color combo so much that I made 10+ of these with different initials and embossing folders.  Did you know that September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day?  Come join the Ahoy Matey challenge at Words 2 Scrap By!!

Patriotic Birthday Card

This has been one of the best weekends (creatively) I have had in a LONG time.  My house is trashed, there's no food, the laundry is piled high - but who cares!  :)  Stampin' Celebration Challenge has a sketch challenge, Addicted to Clean and Simple has a code word challenge, and Less is More is having a red, white and blue challenge:

Here's my version:

Coredinations white pearl paper, Unity sentiment heat embossed in white, stars die cut with Spellbinders.  Make a wish on a falling star!!  Do you have Friends with Cholocate?  The play along with us at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com!!

Less is More #227 - Sunset

For the Less is More challenge, Sunset, I used distress inks for the background.  Fired Brick , Spiced Marmalade, and Scattered Straw.  I also inked the sentiment paper with Scattered Straw, since I didn't have the right paper to match. 

Unity sentiment in VersaFine ink and clear embossing powder, Spellbinder die cuts, moire ribbon.  I love how the detailed sentiment looks against the super simple background.

Come play along with us at Words 2 Scrap By for our June challenge - It's a Man's World!

Less is More 224 - Theme Sunshine

This week, Less is More is a having a theme challenge - Sunshine.  The cards I made are FAR outside of my comfort zone.  Fun to try a different style!

The black layer is iridescent, much prettier in person.  It's OK, but I thought I could do better.

The vertical black line s actually silk moire ribbon.  I colored the image with stronger colors, and a more detailed layout.  Hmmm.  There's a few more days to play along with the Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com May challenge - Say Cheese!

Black and Silver Birthday Card

The current challenge at The Male Room is to use metallic embossing powder.

 Hero Arts Number Pattern background stamp with Stampendous Sterling Silver embossing powder, Spellbinders die cuts, and Offray ribbon.  Come play along with the Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com April challenge, The Earth has Music!!

Entering this into the Less is More Color Challenge - Black, and The Male Room Metallic Embossing Powder.  

Less is More - Theme

The Less is More challenge is to CASE a design team card.  Here is my inspiration and response:

Unity sentiment and stash image, both heat embossed and popped up with dimensional tape.  Image colored with Derwent watercolor pencils.  This is FAR outside my comfort zone, but I am happy with it.  I am also entering this in the Uniko Studio Anything Goes challenge!

Less is More One Layer

The Less is More challenge this week is to make a one layer card with an animal.  I don't color, so one layer cards are particularly difficult for me.  Lawn Fawn Hippo Birdie stamps, Derwent watercolor pencils, Shabby Shutters ink for the hill, bone card.  I think I will stick to my layers.  I didn't space my balloons correctly, and since they are not die cut, I can't move them!!  ARRGH!!  I keep telling myself, I learn something with every card I make. 

Come play along with us at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com for our In like a lion, out like a lamb challenge!

Less is More 212 - Wings

The challenge description included a discussion of inlaid die cuts.  I had to give that a try. 

I made two versions.  I like them both for different reasons.  The wider satin ribbon gives a nice balance to the heavier butterfly, and the royal blue is a good contrast with the white.  The detailed inlaid die cut is interesting, especially popped up.  The spacing on the orange version works well with the narrower grosgrain ribbon, and I like the softer cream paper rather than stark white.  Cheery Lynn butterfly die, Unity sentiment. 

Less is More 208

This week over at Less is More is a sketch challenge.

 

I read a post over at Simplicity about shading paper, and then die cutting.  Between Susan's post and the sketch, here are my cards. 

Version 1 uses ribbon for my vertical element.  Nice, but not quite right.  

Version 2 using a hoarded piece of silk moire paper for the vertical element.  Better. 

Version 3, black silk moire layered onto a black base.  Wish the sentiment was a little lower, but I like how the black base layer frames the top layer. 

I painted white paper with 3 colors of Twinkling H2O paint, then used a Spellbinder die to cut the top layer of the butterflies.  The bottom layers were cut with black paper.   The sentiment is from Unity. I am also going to link this up to the Shopping Our Stash Not Your Normal Paper.  The black moire was reclaimed from the envelope liner of a wedding invitation from years ago.  It was waiting for the right project!

Groundhog Day is coming, and so is the February Words 2 Scrap By challenge!  Come play with us!!