Less is More Challenge #429

Good morning

Welcome to Saturday and a brand new challenge over at Less is More.  And yes, we've whizzed back around and it's One Layer Challenge time again!  Here are the details...

Joining us this time as a Guest Designer is the super talented Angie Cimbalo who was our July winner. Welcome Angie!  Please do pop over to her blog to see the fab sample card she's made for this challenge and to say hi.

Ok, onto my sample card, and I've decided to combine the Cheers theme with Christmas using a stamp set I bought last year but hadn't used until now...

This one is pretty simple but involved a bit of masking.  I began by masking off the outside to leave a central rectangle and then stamped the cocktail glass.  I then stamped it again on masking paper and covered the image before ink blending the background with Distress Inks.  Next I coloured the image with coloured pencils and added some sparkle with a shimmer pen, which you can see more clearly in the image below.  I finished off with the two sentiments stamped in black.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Drink and Be Merry
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac, Salty Ocean; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Accents: Wink of Stella pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #495 - Christmas

NBUS Challenge #18 - First use of stamp set

STAMPlorations - Summer Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting.  My teamies have some great projects for this challenge which you can find over at the main challenge blog, and they may have more over at the personal blogs too.  As always, the challenge will run for two weeks.

I've been working on something a little different recently and will be sharing those projects with you this weekend, so I'd love for you to pop back and take a look if you have time. 

Less is More Challenge #411

Good morning, everyone

Hopefully Blogger has scheduled this post for me on time this morning as I'm currently away.  I travelled up to Kent yesterday for our annual Christmas party last night (our company party is always in January) so I'll be travelling back down to Devon today.

I'm here to share the new challenge just starting over at Less is More and yes, shudder if you will, it's One Layer challenge time!  Here is the cue card, which you can interpret however you like...

Continuing as our sponsor for January is the generous Skull and Cross Buns, so please do play along as you'll automatically be in the running for the monthly prize.

I've used Skull and Cross Buns products on both of my sample cards this time.  And most of my makes usually have off centre designs anyway so this was a pretty easy challenge for me.

Here's the first, and I used the off centre rule for one of my techniques on this one...

I used a stencil to create the hearts, blending first in the pink shade, then placing the stencil 'off centre' and re-blending with the red shade.  Although this area of the stencil is fairly small, the design is continuous, allowing you to shift the stencil and continue inking with no break in the pattern.  Once the stencilling was complete I stamped the sentiment in black ink.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Heart Pattern
• Ink: Distress Ink - Worn Lipstick, Candied Apple; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Hearts

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #145 - One Layer

STAMPlorations - January Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes

For this card I used one of the newer stamp sets to the Skull and Cross Buns range, Christmas Foxes...

This set isn't just for Christmas, it's great for sending winter wishes too.  I stamped the fox and the sentiments in black ink and then coloured the fox using coloured pencils.  To finish I used a dotted stencil to create the snow, using embossing paste, just masking off to avoid the stamped areas.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Christmas Foxes
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Dots and Spots Large
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver

Challenge entries:

CAS on Friday - Challenge #171 - Winter
Inkspirational - Challenge #204 - Fauna
Creative with Stamps - Challenge #46 - Scarf





As usual, this challenge will remain open for the next fortnight, so plenty of time to play along and link up.  I hope you can join us.

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Four

Hi guys

I'm back a little earlier than I was last night!  In this post you'll find my final few cards made using products from the latest release at Honey Doo Crafts.

All the stamps and stencils from this release are already available to buy from the store, but if you want to see more of them they will be showcased on Hochanda tomorrow, Thursday 24 October at 12pm and 4pm (Sky 673, Freeview 85).  If you can't catch the live shows, they will be available on catch up at Hochanda's website.


Ok, so another of the new stamps is called Floral Turn Around and I've paired this with a sentiment from an existing set called Just in Case...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped and heat embossed the floral flourish image in gold.  I then blended over in three shades of Distress Ink, with the lighter of the warm tones in the centre.  I then 'painted' the flowers with water and blotted to lift the colour away.  I adhered the panel flat to the card, embossed the sentiment also in gold and blended the sentiment strip in the same way.  This was adhered on 3D foam before finishing off the card with some enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Turn Around, Just In Case
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Ripe Persimmon, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Enamel dots from stash

Challenge entries:

Allsorts - Challenge #542 - Add Something Gold and/or Silver

STAMPlorations - October CAS Card Challenge

Next up is another new set called Flower Burst, I've used the New Job set for the sentiment and also used the new Tartan stencil for the background...

I blended the whole of a white cardstock panel with Milled Lavender Distress Ink before laying over the Tartan stencil and inking through with Seedless Preserves.  I stamped the flowers, leaving the stamps in place in my MISTI, coloured them with ProMarkers then re-inked them before heat embossing in white.  These were then fussy cut, along with the leaves which were heat embossed on vellum.  After layering and adhering in a cluster I stamped the sentiment on a fishtail sentiment strip and slotted this underneath one flower to finish.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Tartan
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Flower Burst, New Job
• Ink: Distress Ink - Milled Lavender, Seedless Preserves; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #212 - Add a Sentiment

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #37 - CAS

STAMPlorations - October Stencil Challenge

And finally, I've used the Flower Burst set here again, with the new Retirement set and new Grate stencil...

I ink blended through the Grate stencil onto some blue cardstock and die cut with a stitched rectangle.  I then stamped and heat embossed the flowers and the sentiment in white.  I added some white to the petals with a white coloured pencil to make them pop from the background and adhered the panel on fun foam.  Some enamel dots were then added to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Grate
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Flower Burst, Retirement
• Ink: Distress Ink - Shaded Lilac; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: White Polychromos pencil; enamel dots from stash

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope you like the new products as much as I liked making these cards and please do tune in to the shows tomorrow or catch up if you are able.

Have a lovely evening x


(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection Three

Hi there

I'm back with more makes using the latest release from Honey Doo Crafts, apologies that this post is so late in the day!  I'll be sharing the last of my samples on here tomorrow, ahead of the shows on Hochanda on Thursday.

I'll get straight to it.  First up I've used the new Stitch in Time and New Job stamp sets...

I stamped and heat embossed the flowers and leaves from the Stitch in Time set, used the emboss resist technique to colour blend them with Distress Inks then fussy cut them out.  I masked three edges of card base and ink blended with Distress Oxide, fading it out down the card.  Finally, the sentiment was stamped in black ink before layering up the images and adding white enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stitch in Time, New Job
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn; Distress Oxide - Tumbled Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Lily White

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #212 - Add a Sentiment

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #37 - CAS

The next card also used the new Stitch in Time and New Job sets, along with the previously released Mesh stencil...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the flowers then masked them before blending the background with Distress Inks through the Mesh stencil.  I left the flowers uncoloured, just adding some purple colour to the centres with a coloured pencil.  I die cut the panel with a scallop border die and adhered the panel flat to the top edge of the card.  The stamped sentiment and some enamel dots completed the design and I rounded the corners to echo the scallops of the border.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stitch in Time, New Job
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink: Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Speckled Scallops Die Collection
• Accents: Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos pencil; Doodlebug Sprinkles - Silver

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #198 - Mask

My next sample uses the new Ribbons stencil, and new stamp sets Starry Eye and New Job...

I began by using the shifted stencilling technique with the Ribbons stencil, blending with two blue shades of ink.  I then die cut a section of it with a stitched circle die.  I then stamped and heat embossed the flowers onto some patterned paper and the leaves onto vellum before fussy cutting them out.  The stencilled die cut and the flowers were then layered up and adhered to the card base using glue dots before stamping the sentiment in grey ink.  I then added some Nuvo drops to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Ribbons
• Ink: Distress Ink - Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky; VersaMark; Memento - London Fog
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Starry Eye, New Job
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka Mon Amie
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Nuvo Crystal Drops - Antique Rose

And I've used the new Starry Eye and New Job sets on this card too...

These images are stamped, masked and heat embossed in white on coloured cardstock.  I've then added some shading with coloured pencils to the petals and leaves.  The sentiment has been stamped on a sentiment strip die and I've finished this simple card with some pale blue gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Starry Eye, New Job
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Caribbean Sky
• Enbossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Sentiment Strips

I've be popping back on here tomorrow night to share the last of my samples, hope to see you then.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Happy Little Stampers October 2019 CAS Challenge

Good evening, guys

As it's the beginning of another month we have fresh challenges starting over at Happy Little Stampers.  Right now the new CAS challenge is starting so here's the cue card for this month's challenge...

I decided to go with a cute Christmas card, it's always great to get another Christmas card made (of course I'm way behind with my festive makes AGAIN this year!)...

I chose this adorable stamp called 'Sledging Buddies' for my adventure theme.  I stamped the image in grey ink and added minimal colour with coloured pencils.  The scene was then die cut using a pierced square die and popped up on the card base using fun foam.  The sentiment was stamped alongside in black and I finished by adding some shimmer to the snow with a shimmer pen and some fine glitter to the penguin's hat.  It's not Christmas without a bit of sparkle!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lili of the Valley - Sledging Buddies; Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Joy
• Ink: Memento - London Fog; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Accents: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear; Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Frost - Frosty Dawn

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #242 - Add a Critter
Try it on Tuesday - Animal Magic
Addicted to CAS - Challenge #169 - Creature





Thanks so much for visiting today.  Please do check out the main blog post, my teamies have some great examples to inspire you using the adventure theme.  And as with all the HLS challenges, the linky will be open until the end of the month.

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection One

Hi there

I'm excited to share the news that I'm once again joining Honey Doo Crafts as a Guest Designer for their latest release.

There are ten new stamp sets, all lovely floral designs that Amanda and the team do so well, and all so perfect for Spring.

The new sets will be showcased on TV shopping channel, Hochanda on 3 April 2019 at 12pm and 4pm BST so please do tune in if you can (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).

Honey Doo are also doing a Facebook Live on 1 April 2019 at 7pm BST which you can find here where they will be showing the new stamp sets in full detail.


Ok, onto my first few samples.

This first card uses a lovely new set and I think it's my favourite from this release, called Repot Rose!...

Here, I masked off my card base and used the emboss resist technique where I stamped and heat embossed the image in white and blended with Distress Oxides.  I then die cut the top panel and created a circular aperture, stamped the sentiment from the same set and popped the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #334 - CAS

AAA Cards - CAS Game #136 - One Image + Spring

Next up is the Repot Rose! set again, but it looks completely different in a sepia design...

I used a cream base and panel here, stamped the image in Distress Ink and watercoloured, drawing in the stamped ink and adding more watercolour details with the same ink.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set in a co-ordinating ink and then added gold watercolour to the flower centres and some gold splatters.  Then panel was popped up on fun foam.  The gold detail can be seen more clearly here...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: Distress Ink - Gathered Twigs; Altenew - Espresso
• Paint: Gansai Tambi Watercolours

The following card uses a new set called Summer Blossom, and the sentiment from the Repot Rose! set...

On a panel of lavender cardstock I initially stamped the image in a pale grey ink, before adding some highlights with coloured pencils.  It's easier to add the detail before embossing the image and if using a stamp positioner such as a MISTI this allows you to restamp in exactly the same spot.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  The sentiment was stamped in a co-ordinating ink, the panel adhered flat to the card base and some jewels added to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Summer Blossom, Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hydrangea
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Grape Mix Jewels

My final card in this first selection uses a gorgeous new set called What's Up Buttercup?...

I used the same process as the last card for this image, stamping in a yellow ink first, colouring with ProMarkers and adding detail with coloured pencils.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  Some polka dot paper was added to the card base, and the panel die cut with a curved edge and adhered flat.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped in green onto a die cut oval and popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - What's Up Buttercup?
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hunters Green
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers and Faber Castell Polychromos
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges; Lil Inkers - Classic Ovals
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka

Challenge entry:

Allsorts - Challenge #513 - Use Yellow

Here's a snapshot of all the new sets...

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be sharing my samples using the rest of these new sets ahead of the TV shows on Hochanda on 3 April, so would love for you to pop back and take a look.

Enjoy your weekend :)

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Three

Hi there

I'm back this morning to share my final batch of samples as Guest Designer using the latest product release from Honey Doo Crafts, ahead of their shows on Hochanda later today (scroll to the end for the show times and channels).

Amanda designs such beautiful floral stamps, so grab a brew and scroll down to see what I did with them.

For my first two cards I've used the new Spring Time Blooms set, in very different ways.  Here's the first...

I began by stamping lots of the leaves and one of the flowers on vellum and heat embossing in white, then I die cut with the co-ordinating dies.  Before adhering into a wreath shape I lightly drew a circle with pencil on the card base and blended ink through the Mesh stencil.  I erased the pencil line then adhered the leaves with glue dots, overlapping each one.  I then stamped a further flower on white cardstock, blended with Distress Oxide inks and adhered the vellum flower on top to soften the colour.  The layered flower was then also adhered using glue dots.  I stamped a sentiment within the centre of the wreath and added some Nuvo drops to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Spring Time Blooms (and co-ordinating dies), Hopeful and Happy Quotes
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Abandoned Coral, Squeezed Lemonade; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Nuvo Jewel Drops - Rosewater

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #29 - Use Your Latest Stamps or Dies

I can't take credit for the design of this next card as I was inspired by a card I saw on Instagram, by Kards By Kristen, who in turn was inspired by a card she'd seen over on the Altenew page.  I loved the tone on tone grey with the metallic embossing so made this next, more CAS version, using the Spring Time Blooms stamps for a completely different look...

I stamped the flowers and leaves, masking in places, using VersaMark on a mid grey cardstock and then heat embossed in silver.  I then added detailing just to the flowers with some grey ProMarkers.  I trimmed the panel down and adhered it to a black card base.  To finish I stamped the sentiment, also heat embossed in silver and die cut it using a stitched rectangle.  This was then matted onto a panel of black and popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Spring Time Blooms, Happy Times
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles

For the next two cards I used the new Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner stamp and co-ordinating die, this is such an elegant design...

Have you ever had an idea in your head and then once you get going you wish you'd never started?!  Well, that happened here but I'm glad I persevered.  I wanted to do some inset stamping, within the negative space of the die cut, but I greatly mis-judged all the itty bitty in-betweeny bits there were with this die! Yikes!!!

I started with a single white cardstock panel the same size as the card base.  I die cut the design and then laid the panel over the card base.  Using my MISTI (hallelujah for that gadget!) I lined up the stamp in the aperture and then inked it up and stamped the image directly onto the card base.  I then coloured the petals with some co-ordinating coloured pencils.

Then came the fiddly bit...to replace all the negative die cut bits!  The plan was to pop the panel up on 3D foam but this just wasn't possible with so many inset parts.  So, I stamped the sentiment on the panel then adhered it flat to the base.  I then temporarily replaced the positive part of the die cut, glued all the tiddlers in between and then removed the positive part.  It's not as dramatic as I envisioned but it worked...phew!

To finish, I added some smooth silver gemstones to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner (and co-ordinating die); Just in Case
• Ink: Altenew - Lagoon, Emerald
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Smooth gemstones from stash

I once again used the Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner stamp and die here, but the positive die cut this time...

I stamped the image in VersaMark and heat embossed using a pearl powder, why do I do this knowing full well it will be a nightmare to photograph?!  I die cut it with the co-ordinating die and then added some watercolour to the petals using my Zig markers.  On the card base I masked off the bottom and the left borders and faded out some ink blending with Distress Inks.  The sentiment was stamped in grey before popping the die cut up on 3D foam squares.  Below is a much better image, capturing the pearly embossing...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Butterfly and Flowers Large Corner (and co-ordinating die), Hopeful and Happy Quotes
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar; Versa Color - Sky Gray; Zig Clean Colour Real Brush Markers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl

And finally, this last card uses another great floral set called Buds and Blooms...

On a panel of purple cardstock I spread some embossing paste through the Mesh stencil and left this to dry.  On some white cardstock I stamped the flowers and leaves and heat embossed in white.  I then used emboss resist to colour them by blending with Distress Oxide inks.  These were then fussy cut out.  The purple panel was adhered flat and the images were arranged and adhered using glue dots.  I finished by stamping the sentiment onto a die cut flag and tucked this behind the flowers.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Buds and Blooms, Just in Case
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Peacock Feathers, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax

Don't forget, Honey Doo Crafts will be live on Hochanda today (Freeview 85 / Sky 673) at 12pm and 4pm, so tune in if you can to see these great new products in more detail.

Thanks so much for visiting, I hope you've enjoyed my samples.  And I want to send a massive thank you to Amanda and the Honey Doo team for asking me to join them again as Guest Designer :)