Dance the Blues

The uber-talented Elaine Wheeler has been using some stunning, unusual digi stamps from Scrapbook Stamp Society and I treated myself to this image recently.  The drawing is intricate and delicate and I was worried that I may have sized it down too far to colour successfully.  Not a bit of it, this coloured with BG Copics like a dream, LOVE the image!  I've followed the Sketch'n'Stash layout (but not the optional theme), adding a flower and ribbon.
My card is for the following challenges;
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Totally Papercrafts - let's dance
Cute Card Thursday - out of this world - I think she is a fantasy dancer, what do you think?
Stampin' for the Weekend - something girlie

Have a Heart

Today's Less is More Challenge uses a simple sketch that we are asked to stick closely to.  I was looking for a long thin geometric border among my Waltzing Mouse stamps and saw this in my first ever WM set, Nordic Winter.  With the dreaded Valentines Day coming up I thought a card for the card basket in the local hairdresser might be a good idea.  Added a WM sentiment, some die cut hearts and lightly coloured some of the hearts with a Copic which hasn't bled through to the reverse.  One layer, lots of white space!
My card is also for:
Addicted to CAS - heart
CAS-ual Fridays - make your mark
C.R.A.F.T. - Valentines/love
Addicted to Stamps - clean and simple

Is it too late to negotiate?

Before Christmas Mo Mannning had a sale and I treated myself to a couple of images, here is Bismarck.  I've based my card on Sketch Saturday's layout, using a manly Echo Park DP - never have enough masculine cards!  The sentiment is Dylusions, from the Stamp Attic.  I have popped up both dog and sentiment on Pinflair glue, the background to Bismarck is embossed with bricks, hope you can see it if you click on the card...
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Bella and Bronte's - embossing with Mo image
Daring Cardmakers - embossability
Addicted to CAS - embossing (hope my card has enough "white" space!)
Copic Marker Europe - anything goes using Copics
Tuesday Throwdown - furry friends
ABC Christmas - B for bows or boys (it's a boy card)
A Gem of a Challenge - emboss it

Friends

Here is my card for this week's Less is More Challenge, which is Friends.  I've used an old favourite from my images, Let's Play from Phindy's Place.  It's coloured with Copics, I used a Memory Box die for the RH border and added some twine.  I may add a sentiment when I send it, but quite like it without.
My card is for:
Less is More - Friends
Papertake - ties up your loose ends (bow)
Tuesday Throwdown - furry friends
Creative Creations - keep it simple
Without Words - baby it's cold outside

Round is a shape

This week's Less is More challenge is to use a sport or exercise image.  I knew just the image I wanted to use:  Yes You Can from Phindy's Place.  She looks like a lady who is regretting her New Year Resolution.  At the moment Phindy has a 2 for 1 deal on her gorgeous images, well worth a visit to the shop.  I saw the layout at Sketch Saturday this week and thought it was brilliant for a clean and simple card, so I pinched Chrissie's sentiment and came up with this card.  DP is Basic Grey Out of Print, sentiment computer generated.
Then I realised that Less is More is on One Layer week...   Drat!  Oh well, back to the drawing board lol!
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Basic Grey - new beginnings (New Year resolutions)
SweetPeaStampers - clean and simple
Creative Moments - anything goes
Ruby's Rainbow - smile (what a lovely theme for a grey January day!)

 

 And here is my one layer exercise card for Less is More.  Not sure how this will look in daylight and I may well have another go at it.  I fought with those bleedin' text boxes and gave up.  Coloured with Copics but wanted to add a round shape to the round lady again.  Used my Pan Pastels and erased the yellow from the coloured bits of the design, but I think there may be a bit of Simpsons yellow left in her flesh tones  :).  Or maybe she's a dire warning...  too much exercise can give you jaundice.  Hmm, time for a glass of wine once I pick younger son up from work I think.

Winter Bough

OK my new year resolution to work through my C&S class daily hit a stumbling block - a horrid cold that took my mojo along with my energy.  Hopefully the worst of the snivelling is over and here is a card I made for CAS(E) this Sketch.  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to use an Inkylicious stamp that appealed to me when I saw it at the NEC last Autumn.  The sentiment came with it and I've coloured in the berries and added some Glossy Accents.
My card is also for:
Simon Says - black and white with a splash of colour
Less is More - black and white and a splash of colour
CAS-ology - winter

Celebrate with Cake

Here's another card using one of my much-loved Phindy's Place images, this little girl is called Celebrate with Cake.  She is coloured with Copics, cute image or what?  I've used Basic Grey Kioshi DP and followed the sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday.  The little flowers are from an EK Success punch, the sentiment is by request!
I am entering my card for:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Basic Grey - anything goes
Colour Me Creative Copic Classroom - soft pastels
Forever Friends - birthdays

Black & white + one

This week's Less is More Challenge is to make a card using black and white with just a hint of another colour.  I've used a stunning Technique Tuesday stamp that I got at the NEC, paired with a WOW sentiment.  I've used a marker to give a hint of colour to the petals (tried colouring the centre red at first but that was a lot more than a hint of red lol) and matted onto red cardstock.
My card is also for:
CAS-ual Fridays - thanks
Hiding in my Craftroom - black and white + 1
Moving Along with the Times - thank you

Pretty purple

Today's clean & simple class card uses some stamps that have never before seen ink.  The text is a Christmas stamp that I bought at the NEC over a year ago, comes with a lovely poinsettia, never used it till today!  And the flower is a Craft Stamper freebie.  The sentiment is Joanna Sheen House Mouse, as you can probably guess I messed up the first sentiment, which is why it's popped up from the card, over the first attempt!

All stamping white embossed, dotty white ribbon coloured with Copic.

My card is entered for the following challenges:
Allsorts - clean & simple
Hotshot Crafts - clean & simple
Charisma Cardz - monochrome
Creative Moments - embossing
ABC Challenge - E is for embossing

Keep in Touch

I couldn't resist playing along at Sketch Saturday this week, they have a fab sketch.  So, in the nick of time, here's my card:).  The Connected Girl image is by Phindy O'Neill and the DP is Basic Grey Out of Print.  I've added a computer generated sentiment and a couple of gemstones.  I'm also entering the Anything Goes Challenge at both Stampin' for the Weekend and Papertake Weekly. 

January Blues

Today's offering from my Clean & Simple class that I'm taking is my favourite so far, it was also incredibly time consuming!  The class card layered many diecuts to give a chipboard effect with the underneath layers in white so the white edges can be seen.  I drove myself temporarily (or is it nothing new?) insane trying to layer and adhere  my wreaths perfectly.  In the end I gave up and cut them from the blue card.  Die is Poppystamps, the circles are from a punch and from a good old four hole office punch.  Sentiment is Hobby Arts.
I am entering my card for:
Charisma Cardz - monchrome
Totally Papercrafts - something new (the die is new and so is the technique to me)
Cute Card Thursday - something new (ditto)

Is it possible to have too much white space?!

Here are my cards from day 2 of my c&s course.  I ended up making 2 as my standard card size of 5x7 had too much  white space, I felt.  All stamps are Waltzing Mouse and I used Versafine Vermilion Red for the flowers. 

New Year, New Start

Happy New Year to all my friends in blogdom.  My kind FIL gave me a cheque for Christmas and told me to treat myself, so I decided to sign up for Clean & Simple Cardmaking with Online Card Classes.  This is an independent class and I have promised myself that I will make a card each day for a fortnight.  If I keep up, there is an interactive C&S2 class coming soon...
Yesterday's card used a simple sketch.  The sentiment was white embossed but it didn't stand out enough, so I covered that mistake with a 3D sentiment.  That meant my punched shapes looked awkward above the sentiment so I moved them to top left.  Stamp used is from Do-Craft, sentiment is Waltzing Mouse.  The flowers are punched from card inked with the same ink I stamped with.
Next card coming up tomorrow...
I am entering my card for the Simon Says Something New Challenge - the class I'm taking being new to me