Less Is More #457 - Photo Inspiration

Hello. It's the last challenge of the year over at Less is More and for a change we're ending on a photo challenge. So all we need to do is take inspiration from the photo.  

Image by monicore from Pixabay

I took inspiration from the kraft coloured packaging, the red twine and the glittery, swirly pattern on the white bauble on the left and the gold bow. 

Although it doesn't show on the top photo, the gold can be seen here on the sentiment.

The present stamp was stamped and embossed in two stages. First the image was stamped and embossed in white onto a panel of kraft card. Next it was stamped and embossed in red onto a scrap of kraft card and then the bow was cut out and glued onto the white present on the panel. The sentiment was embossed with a sparkly gold embossing powder.

The background stamp used on the card blank is another of those 'unknown make' ones that I have in my stash.This was embossed with white powder.

STAMPS:  Papermania (Joyeaux Noël by Stephanie Dyment), Unknown background stamp  

INKS: Versamark clear  
OTHER: Kraft card, WOW! embossing powders (opaque bright white, gold sparkle), Heat It Up! embossing powder (crimson red)

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Please head on over to the challenge blog to see it and for some fantastic inspiration from the design team and while you are there please say a goodby to those of the team that are leaving the challenge. They have been such a fantastic inspiration to everyone.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Chocolate Caramel Cake - yummy!

Who loves a chocolate sponge cake for their birthday? Well, I do for one, and I bet there are loads of other people that do too. But how do you make a chocolate cake even better? Add some super-smooth chocolate icing and how about a caramel flavoured filling. Yummy!

This Blow Out The Candles stamp set by Visible Image is stunning and it is just perfect teamed up with the Tea Party stencil! I adore the images in this set with the two cakes, candles, candle sparkle and fantastic sentiments too. It is going to be used a lot!!!

Here's how I made this card.

First stamp the cake image onto a scrap of white card using a brown ink. I was originally going to colour the whole cake in pencils so I laid down a bit of colour for the caramel filling. Then I changed my mind and decided to use my zigs to get a richer colour.

So, the next step was to colour the icing and go over the caramel filling with  my zig pens. I also used a white tipex pen to accentuate the highlights on the icing to help make it look more glossy on the finished image.

After colouring in the sponge, next came the obligatory glossy accents to really give that icing some shine! I let the image dry and then cut it out and added some 3d foam to the back of the image.

Now for the backdrop. I inked through the Tea Party stencil, well...what's a piece of cake without a refreshing cup of tea, eh?).

Then I stamped the 'sparkle' for the candles from the same stamp set around some of the dots from the stencil. I used the same distress ink.

To really make the background catch the eye I heat embossed more of the candle sparkle stamp in clear embossing glitter (once the distress ink had dried). This photo picks up some of the sparkle.

Then the sentiment was stamped using two colours of ink, just masking off each bit that wasn't being stamped, onto spare white card. It was cut into a flag shape and backed with a mat of brown card before adding 3d foam to the back.

Layer the background up onto some brown card and add it to a card blank and then attach the cake image and the sentiment. 

Stamps and Stencil Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
      
 

  

 

 

  

 

Other Supplies:

White Card, Versamark (Vintage Sepia), Zig Clean Color Real Brushes (060, 061, 062, 063, 065, 066, 075), White Opaque Pen, Glossy Accents, Distress Ink (Salvaged Patina), Versamark Clear ink, WOW! Clear Sparkle Embossing Glitter, Brown Card, 3d Foam.

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

TWITTER

Thanks so much for stopping by. That's it from me for now but I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less Is More #456 - Silhouette

 

Hi there. Do you ever find stamps in your stash that you've had for years, and you have no note of who made the stamp set? I do all the time. I think I just threw a lot of packaging out when I moved to Portugal and now I am suffering because I have no idea who made lots of my older stamps.

So if anyone has any ideas where this stamp came from I'd really appreciate it if you would let me know in a comment.

EDIT: Thanks to KathyK …. The stamp set is Allegro by Penny Black

Anyway, it's time for a theme of 'silhouette' at Less is More.

This card was made by cutting a scalloped panel from white card, masking off the edges and lightly blending one corner with distress ink before over blending with the same inks when the stencil was in place. Once the ink dried the flowers were stamped and heat embossed, then a black pen was used to add a few dots around the image for a bit of extra interest. The panel was mounted onto a coordinating coloured card blank with fun foam.

STAMPS:   Allegro by Penny Black

STENCILS: Visible Image (count me in)

DIES:   Sugar Pea Designs (card front builder dies)
INKS:   Versamark clear, Distress Inks (wild honey, dried marigold, iced spruce, tumbled glass)
PENS:   black micron pen
OTHER: coloured card blank, white card, WOW! Primary ebony embossing powder, fun foam

Please head on over to the challenge blog to see it and for some fantastic inspiration from the design team

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I'll sign off for now 👋 but I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

A Toadstool is not just for Autumn

Hello there. Are you like me and whenever you think of toadstools you imagine misty, calm, quiet Autumn mornings? I always see them like that, so I challenged myself to make a spring-like card with a toadstool, and only use ONE stamp set too. 

I love my stamps to be really versatile and it turns out that toadstools are not just for Autumn, because with just a bit of fresh spring colour behind them they work perfectly for a Spring or even a Summer card too. 

That's brilliant because you get more bang for your buck with beautiful images like these.

The Totally Toadstools set by Visible Image is one that is chock full of brilliant toadstool images, and that sentiment!.... it immediately brings a feeling of calm when you read it, doesn't it? Just perfect.

Here's how I made it.

I stamped the image onto a small piece of white card in black ink. Next I gently laid down some colour with polychromos pencils. The shading on the image really helps you to decide where you want the light to land.

Gradually build up the colour with several layers of colouring until you are happy with the result.

Now take the largest grass image in the stamp set and stamp some bright, fresh green grass. Leave the stamp in place on your stamping platform.

Ink up the central portion of the stamp with a darker green and stamp the image again in the same place to add a bit of depth to it.

Then continue to build up the grass using the same process with the smallest grass stamp in the set.

Now take your card blank and very lightly pencil in some dots for where the corners of the toadstool image will be, then stamp with that gorgeous texture stamp in the two colours of green ink to create a frame for the image. 

Stamp the sentiment at the bottom of the card and heat emboss it with gold embossing powder. Add a little blending around the 'sky' part of the image with speckled egg distress ink. Mat the toadstool onto some gold card and raise it on 3d foam then add it to your card blank. 

Although it doesn't really show in my photos I went over the mushroom cap with a clear versamark pen and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder for a bit of shine. This was a bit of a mistake because some of the red ran into the white spots. So I added some white embossing to the spots. I wouldn't recommend doing that because it was very fiddly and messy. 

So MY TIP: seal the mushroom cap with some microglaze before clear heat embossing it.

Stamps Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):

  

      

Other Supplies:

Versamark black ink, white card, Polychromos pencils (102, 124, 127, 133, 226, 230, 272, 274), Distress Oxides (twisted citron, mowed lawn), Distress Ink (speckled egg), gold card, Versamark (clear ink pad and pen), WOW! embossing powders ( metallic gold rich pale, clear gloss, opaque bright white), 3D foam.

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

TWITTER

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less Is More #455 - Winter Whites

There could be some sad news for the Less is More challenge; sadly I will no longer be able to run this challenge after the end of this year, so if you know of anyone with relevant experience who would like to keep this challenge going, then please get them to email Less is More with details of their experience (email link is on the challenge blog). It would be a real shame if the challenge has to close at the end of the year.

Anyway, we have a couple more challenges before that happens, and now it's time for a lucky dip challenge that is all about showing off your winter whites.

I made a really simple card with just a bit of die cutting. Simply cut a panel and use the poinsettia die in one corner. Keep the little holly leaves from the die cut and glue them to the front of your card. Place some glitter paper/card or add some glitter on the card blank behind where the die cut will be. Raise the die cut panel onto fun foam and finish the card off with 3 blobs of Nuvo Drops in the middle of the flowers.

 

DIES: Sizzix Thinlets Tim Holtz Alterations (mixed media christmas)       
OTHER: White card, glitter, 3d foam, Nuvo Glitter Drops (white blizzard)

Please head on over to the challenge blog to see it and for some fantastic inspiration from the design team

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I'll sign off for now 👋 but I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,

Sharon xx 

Because Mothers Are Precious

Hello there. I seem to be in a 'pretty' style of card making at the moment. It certainly makes a change from my usual love of incredibly vibrant colours. Sometimes all we need to get the mojo flowing again is to just step completely away from our 'normal' comfort zone and give something else a try.

This card has been made with my Mother in mind. She fell and fractured her wrist at the beginning of September.........then last Friday she took another tumble and kissed the pavement with her face. 😱 Luckily she protected her poorly wrist, but she looks like she has gone several rounds with Mike Tyson; two black eyes, two bruised and swollen cheeks, a cut on her nose and cuts and an egg shaped swelling on her forehead. Poor dear!

So I made this card to let her know how precious I think she is and how much I appreciate her.

I thought I would see what Visible Image stamps and stencils I could use to create a bokeh background. I found a couple of ways so here's how I made this.

First take a fancy layering die and die cut a piece of card then mask off the edges with some low tack tape.

Next came a not-so-subtle blending of 3 distress inks. You can be fairly rough with this because it just needs to be a bit of base colour for the inking and/or stenciling that will go over the top.

One way to get a bokeh effect is to use the circle stamps in the De-Stresssed stamp set. Just stamp all over the panel with the same three colours of distress ink that you used for the base, plus stamp over the top with a white opaque ink.

Another way to get the effect is to use the circles part of the Two Tone stencil. Just blend the colours through. I used both the stamps and the stencil on my card but you could get a lovely result with just one or the other.

   

Next get some vellum and stamp and heat emboss the 'Mother' sentiment in white on a piece of the vellum to wrap around the panel. Stamp and heat emboss some flowers in a sparkling white embossing powder onto vellum too and fussy cut them out.

For final touches, scribble a border onto the panel with a white pen and raise it up onto some 3d foam. Add gems to the centre of the flowers (this helps to hide any dst or glue you used to attach the flowers to the card) and your card is ready for you to write in and either drop into the post or hand deliver. 

Why not make your precious Mother a card.....just to show her how much you care and appreciate her.  

Stamps and Stencil Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
 

  

    

  

  

  

Other Supplies:

White Card, Sugar Pea Designs card front dies, low tack masking tape, Distress Inks (speckled egg, salvaged patina, kitsch flamingo), blending brushes, WOW! embossing powders (opaque bright white, sparkling snow), vellum, clear gems, opaque white pen, 3D fun foam.

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

TWITTER

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less is More #454 - OLC - Autumnal

Hello there. It's time for another challenge over at Less is More and its that dreaded one layer week! 

I've been missing for a while as I had a busy summer, then I went to the UK to visit my grandchildren and whilst I was there my dear old mum fell and fractured her wrist so I spent some time looking after her. But I'm back home now and catching up with everything.

I thought I'd make a one layer card for this challenge where the images wrap around to the back of the card. So to show how that worked here's a brief photo tutorial (the second larger leaf appears on the back of the finished card).

First I embossed the leaves from the Erika's Maple stamp set in a variety of embossing powders. I also embossed the 'falling leaves' words from the sentiment in that set too.

This (blurry) photo shows the difference in the embossing powders.

Then I masked the leaves and stenciled a background to represent an autumnal breeze.

Before folding the card in half I water coloured the leaves with some Zig pens. You can see where the fold will appear because I made a mark at the top of the card so that I could get my placement right.

Easy peasy!

STAMPS:  Visible Image Erika's Maple

STENCILS: Visible Image Fibres

INKS:  Versamark clear, Distress Ink Speckled Egg 
PENS:   Zig Clean Color Real Brushes
OTHER: White card, WOW embossing powders and glitters (Gold Sparkle, Rich Pale Gold, Copper)

Please head on over to the challenge blog to see some fantastic inspiration from the design team

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LIM INSTAGRAM

I'll sign off for now 👋 but I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx