Basik, For You - Less is More

These stamps by scrap berry are too cute, I bought a few of the cat ones and the girl ones and I'm hoping there will be more. They aren't the easiest to stamp with though as they are acrylic which I suppose is why they are so cheap but once you get a good image I go with it.

I've used the Less is more sketch again, I'm really loving this sketch so easy and effective.

Ingredients
Image: "for you - Basik" Scrapberry
Background stamp: "journal it" MFT, stamped in Fog ink from Simon Says Stamp
Card: Michaels 110lb white and "plum pudding" Papertrey Ink
Sentiment: "geometric" Clearly besotted
Enamel Dots: Recollections and dollar tree
Paper: Vintage newspapers from Digital Stories on Etsy

Copics
Cat - N5, 4, 3, 2
T-shirt - W1, 00, V17, 15, 12

Challenges: Less is More - Sketch

Delightful Day Daisies - Less is More

I knew I wanted to play along with this weeks "less is more" challenge as soon as I saw it was a sketch and diagonal, I have some dies that cut diagonal pieces but for once I didn't use them on this card, I cut the diagonal by hand and I think it looks ok.

Once I had created the background the card came together really quickly and hopefully it qualifies as clean space enough for the challenge. I can say that I will be using this idea again as I think it helps the image be the star of the show.

Ingredients
Image: "delightful day" Clearly Besotted
Card: Grout gray and blu raspberry both MFT
Ink: Grout gray and blu raspberry both MFT
Background stamp: "damask" MFT
Sentiment: "simply quilled" Clearly Besotted
Enamel dots - Doodlebug sprinkles

Copics
Water - W1, 0, B0000, 000, 00
Stems - YG97, 95, 93
Flowers - N2, 0, Y17, 13

Challenges: Less is More - Sketch

Delightful Day Number 2

This is yet another Clearly besotted set I couldn't live without. I wanted it on release night but it sold out so quickly I had to wait until it was back in stock to get it. I inked and coloured it straight away but I couldn't post the card until I knew the recipient had received it. I case'd a card by Caryn from Glitter me Silly, I put my own spin on it but I think her design was perfect for this stamp.

Ingredients
Image: "delightful day" clearly besotted
Card : "Hawaiian shores" papertrey ink and "grout Gray" MFT
Dies: blueprints 21 by MFT
Background : "plaid builder" from MFT stamped in grout Gray dye ink.
Enamel dots: Teresa Collins

Copics
Roses - BG15, 13, 11, 10
Stems - YG97, 95, 93
Glass Jar - W3, 1, 00, B00

Coffee and Friends

Sometimes there are cards you can only make for fellow crafters, you know the ones I mean that use techniques or supplies that a non-crafter won't appreciate like this card. I am sure a non-crafter would look at the coffee stains on the background and think I had put my cup down whilst I was making it and was too lazy to start again where a crafter sees the deliberate attempt to look like an accident lol. I have wanted to make this card for a while but I wasn't sure it would work like I wanted it to and I had to be in just the right frame of mind, sometimes the planets just align and everything goes exactly as you planned, no cards were thrown out during the making of this card, a minor miracle in itself.

So I hear you ask exactly what did I do to make this card, well there was some copic colouring (no surprise there) a few blueprints and a bit of paper piecing (again no surprise) but then no patterned paper (hang on, hold the phone) and I used a stencil to ink with, well I ask you what is the world coming to.

Hopefully the recipient who is a very dear friend will like the end result as much as I enjoyed making it for her, so in case she is reading this and got to the end, A very Happy Birthday Jane x

Ingredients
Image: "cathy caffiene" from AI
Paper: "snap" Simple Stories
Card: "crumb cake", "cherry cobbler" both Stampin up and "dark chocolate" from Papertrey Ink
Dies: Blueprints 1 and 24 from MFT
Stencil: "splatters" Tim Holtz, inked with "dark chocolate" from Papertrey Ink
Sentiment: "clearly sentimental about coffee" from MFT


Copics
Skin - E000, 00, 11, 21, R20
Hair - E19, 99, 97
Trousers and stool - E79, 77, 74
Earrings - YR27, 23
Coffee - R39, 37, 35, E42, 40, N3, 1

Congratulations Mollie

My neighbours daughter has been studying hard for her A levels and I wanted to make her a congratulation card, now don't ask me why maybe it's such a long time since I was in school or because I spend so much time in the US but I thought she was graduating high school so I used the Grad girl stamp from MFT. Now once I'd made the card I realised but it was a bit too late lol.
Oh we'll never mind at least I was thinking of her.

When Tim Holtz announced the new colours of distress ink for 2015 I was so excited, I don't own all the originals but I do like the ones I have a lot. The first colour was a winner with me and I had to get it straight away but the next few weren't my favourites so I decided to wait to get them. I saw them at the Taunton show and I bought them as minis and I'm so glad I bought all four as I would never have picked this colour and it's the first one I've used lol.

I cut the sentiment strip and the backing card from the stencil packaging, it was a lovely weight black card and it seemed a waste to throw it away so i'm off for a play at the snippet playground.

Ingredients
Image : "grad girl" a la mode by MFT
Background: " sunburst" stencil by Stamposaurus
Ink: "fossilised Amber" distress ink
Card: packaging from the stencil (waste not want not)
Sentiment: "delightful day" Clearly Besotted
Dies: Blueprints 2 and 13

Birthday Balloons

Yet another must have set from Clearly Besotted they certainly know how to tug at my purse strings lol. This set was an idea from Stephanie (cb owners) daughter and she showed her drawing and I knew straight away I was going to need that set so it was on my most wanted list before I even saw the finished item.

Of course once it arrives I couldn't think what to do so I case'd a card by Michelle, she always makes such beautiful, clean and simple cards. I didn't follow hers exactly but it was my inspiration.

I used rubber cement to cover the animals rather than masking paper, it was messy but peeling off the dried cement reminded me of being in school and painting my hands with glue just to peel it off lol.

Ingredients
Image : "big birthday" clearly besotted
Inks : "tumbled glass" distress inks
Dies: blueprints 24 and cloud stax all MFT

Copics
Panda - W1, 00
Cat - YR20, 21, 23, 24, 27, W0
Pig - R22, 21, 20, 00

New Babies

A good friend is expecting her first baby and they are waiting until they are born to know the gender, I'm not sure I would have been able to wait that long lol. So as I don't know the babies gender I thought I should make a baby boy and girl card, it never hurts to have one on hand. I have made them almost identical as it is easier than thinking of a new layout.

Lili of the Valley recently (July) had a sale and I picked up the clear baby stamps for half price, mostly I will admit for this one image. It was so popular around blogland when it was released and now I've coloured it I can see why, its too cute lol.

Ingredients
Image: "Baby Blanket" clear stamp from Lili of the Valley
Dies: crealies XXl stitched circle and stitched square, spellbinders scalloped circle and apron die from MFT
Paper; "baby girl" Nit Wit
Card: "lemon tart" Papertrey Ink
Brad:Stash
Sentiment: clear baby set from lotv

Copics
Skin - E000, 00, 21, 11
Hat & Romper - R22, 21, 20 and Kaisercraft SK09
Blanket - Y15, 13, 11
Ground - E43, 42, 41

Ingredients
Image: "Baby Blanket" clear stamp from Lili of the Valley
Dies: crealies XXl stitched circle and stitched square, circle stax and apron die from MFT
Paper; "baby boy" Nit Wit
Card: "limeade ice" Papertrey Ink
Brad:Stash
Sentiment: clear baby set from lotv

Copics
Skin - E000, 00, 21, 11
Hat & Romper - B02, 01, 00, 000
Blanket - YG17, 03, 01
Ground - E43, 42, 41

Late to the Party - Scalloped cards

Now I have never followed fashion or trends even it may seem in the crafting world, but I know I'm definitely late to the party with my next obsession. I have made my first and I can assure you not my last scalloped card base, woohoo. I case'd this card by the multi-talented Mary, after searching for inspiration on using the LOTV clear bear stamps. There are a few more stamps in the set and I think I might just make a few of these for those moments when you realise you have a birthday coming up and no mojo. So I'm going to strike whilst the mojo is hot.

Ingredients
Image: "happy bears" lotv (lili of the valley)
Paper: "grin n bear it" nit wit
Card: "crumb cake" stamping up
Dies: Crealies XXL stitched circles, Spellbinders scalloped circles.

Copics
Balloon - R85, 83, 81, RV34
Bear - E44, 43, 42, 40