Simply Less is More #387, Sketch

Hello there,

It's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Less is More. This time it's a sketch.

I tried really hard to put my own slant on it, turned it round and upside down, Tried a die cut with the sentiment across it but nothing worked better than the sketch so I just went with it.

I found a piece of card that I'd marbled a few months ago that I was happy with and used that for my background.
I had to use my brain to get the triangles cut right because measuring and maths are NOT my strong point but it worked really well so I'm giving myself a pat on the back.
The marbling is hot pink, lime green and a bit of orange so I picked out the pink for my sentiment.
The stamp is Avery Elle Valentine set stamped in Magenta Versa color and heat embossed with clear EP.
I used a scrap piece of hot pink card to punch out the 3 tiny hearts to finish.

We're taking my dad for a Sunday meal tomorrow for his 87th birthday. I think I'm looking forward to it as much as he is, no cooking and no pots to wash, yippee!

Thanks for popping in X

Less is More #376

Hi there,

First I'd like to thank you all for the lovely comments on my GT spot on the last challenge, I really appreciate them all.

So I'm popping in quickly  with my entry for this weeks Less is More challenge which is a one layer card using Stripes.

I had big plans to do something very detailed with lots of masking and stamping...and then ran out of time.
Hubby had the week off work last week so we had a few days out and now I'm playing catch up on commissioned cards and house work.
Any way I came up with a simple stamped card in bright summery colours.

The stripey circles are from a set from Artemio.
They are stamped with Versa Colour ink in Orchid, Cyan and Marigold.
The leafy branch is by Inkadinkado, Delicate Branches set, stamped in Ranger Shabby Shutters
The sentiment is by Avery Elle, Valentine set stamped in black.

In all the excitement of being chosen as the May winner and guest designer spot I forgot to show you what I chose as my prize.

I can never have enough sentiment stamps and Christmas sentiment stamps are even better. Thank you LiM and especially Winnie & Walter. My prize arrived in record time with a lovely message too.


Thank you for popping in  xxx

Simply Less is More # 242

Hello There,
I think we are catching the last of the decent weather this weekend before the rains come again on monday so I`m hoping to finish sorting the garden out today. Before that though I had to get into the craftroom to make my card for this weeks Simply Less is More Challenge. 
The title of the challenge is TECHNOLOGY.
 Arrrgh, I don`t do technology, I am a technophobe, I can just about manage my blog.
After lots of mulling and deep thought it dawned on me that seeing as I seem to spend half my life on Facebook I could use that for inspiration. This is what I came up with.

This has to be the easiest, quickest card I`ve ever made. Admittedly not a lot of skill involved but I do have a plan for a second, more creative card now that I`ve got my brain in gear.
I downloaded the thumbs up image straight from Google Images and cut it out using a nestie square die.
I cut another slightly larger square and mounted them one onto the other before placing them on my card base.
The sentiment is a Valentine set from Avery Elle, stamped in Versafine Black
I think this sentiment is perfect for the image.

Yesterday morning hubby and I visited Ruby`s school to watch her being presented with a merit badge. She managed 3 full days in the first week back at school and has put in full days all this week apart from wednesday when she had to go to LGI for a check up.
Considering she only had 12% attendance in the whole of last year ( and still passsed all her SATS) she`s doing remarkably well.
Her blood count is stable so her Chemo has been increased to 75%, her antifungal meds have finally finished and things are certainly looking up.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Simply Less is More # 175

Hi There!
It`s the first saturday of the month so that can only mean one thing...it`s a colour challenge over at Simply Less is More and this week it`s
                                                THE COLOURS IN YOUR BEDROOM
My bedroom is mainly white with pink accessories, white walls and white wardrobes but it gives me a chance to go mad with the pinks without it looking like a boudoir. Also, I`m not too limited to choice of bed linen. My favourite duvet cover at the moment is white with pastel polka dots on and this gave me the inspiration for my card.

I love the fresh, springlike look of these colours.
I stamped one of the circles from Artemio in Versacolor Cyan, Pink and Memento New Sprout on the parts of the card base that the die cut would lay.
Placed the die cut, Flutter Vine by Memory Box, with foam pads and added my sentiment from Avery Elle Lots of Love set.
I finished off with tiny gems, one of each colour.

We are having a fundraising event at the end of the month and I needed some small quick cards that I can sell cheaply and I think this might just do the trick.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Simply Less is More # 159 & a Ruby update

Happy Saturday All!
Yes it is me and it is still satuday. I missed last weeks Simply Less is More challenge as I ran out of time so was determined to get in early this week. Funnily enough I was only thinking last week that I needed some more CaS male cards for the fundraising box and this weeks challenge is to make a Masculine card.
Here is what I`ve come up with;

I`ve used Papermill Direct`s Cream Hammered card and made a panel for the front of the base card.
I lighty stamped the Chevrons from Avery Elle because I didn`t want a solid block of colour, in Mememto OliveGrove.
I cut 3 hexagons from the same cad and embossed them with a Craft Concepts Woodgrain EF.
The leaf is a die from Joanna Sheen cut from Olive card.
The sentiment is computer generated.

Speaking of the fundraising box, it is 2 years today since our grandaughter Ruby was diagnosed with kidney cancer ( Wilms Tumour).
As regular followers will kow, her treatment finshed last july but she has had to have regular scans and checkups since then. All scans show that everything is fine and she is cancer clear. You can imagine what a huge relief this is to all the family but especially her mum and dad. Lots of people think that once tretment is finished then thats the end of it and she is better ( especially the LEA) but this is far from reality. Because her immune system is practically non existant Ruby has picked up every bug going from the usual tummy bugs to a very nasty chest infection but apart from that she is going from strength to strength. She is doing really well at school and a couple of weeks ago she recieved a merit for her handwriting and she has joined a lunchtime dance club so she often shows off her latest moves.
I`d like to thank you once again for all the support and good wishes you sent while Ruby was poorly. It meant the world, thank you. X

This was Ruby in Hull Royal Infirmary during one of her stays for an infection. I think there`s more paint on her than on the paper.

What a difference! This was Ruby just before Christmas celebrating losing her first tooth. Her hair is a bit longer now and is the most amazing shade of platinum blonde. It`s a lot thicker too.
We have so much to be grateful for.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Love is in the air.

Good evening all.I have another Valentine card to share today, this time a bit more funky and fun.

I had a sudden `need` for the  dots mask/ stencil but didn`t want to wait for delivery so I made my own version. It`s a bit basic but I`m pleased with the result. All I did was punch some holes in some waste acetate ( backing from a stamp set) using a spring loaded hole punch and dabbed my ink through it.
Then I cut a tag from a Die-namics die and embossed it with CB Candy Cane EF.
I cut some circles from scraps and punched a tiny heart from the larger circle, cut a heart with a Sizzix die and embossed that with Swiss dots EF. I used the tiny heart to decorate the tag.
The sentiment is a fabulous one from Avery Elle and was the main reason for making the card.
Finished off with a few small clear gems.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Valentine Roses

Good Morning All.
We have some very nasty weather in the UK today although not too bad in the north east just yet. I hope you`re all keeping warm and safe.
I have a Valantine card to share today, just to show I can do romantically sloppy when I put my mind to it although the sentimentis a bit ` to the point`lol.

I`ve used Pink Petticoat 
Swiss Dots and Brocade papers in silver that I`ve faded slightly on the PC.
The heart is cut out with 2 Sizzix dies and embossed with a Swiss Dots EF.
The sentiment is by Avery Elle stamped and embossed in Detail Silver EP and cut out with a fishtail edge, then curved slightly to lift off the card.
The roses are from Wild Orchid crafts and the Range and I`ve cut some leaves from Memory box and added some red stamen.
I added some beads to a red topped stick pin using Glossy accents and finished with some randomly placed red gems.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Simply Less is More # 156 take 2

Hello again, yes it`s me. Two days running, I think I`,m on a roll lol.

I`ve come to the conclusion that I love a good, simple sketch. It`s so much easier when someone else has done half the work for you. And the sketch this week at Simply Less is More is a good, simple one. So much so that I`ve come up with a second card.

 This time I made a baby card. I embossed the base card with a CB Swiss Dots EF.
I made a banner to fit and stamped the Congratulations onto it (Flourishes Tag Lines)
The tag is punched from a Woodware punch and stamped with a Chevron b/g stamp from Lawn Fawn in very pale baby blue. I then stamped ` it`s a boy ` in Versafine black.
I stamped the heart by Avery Elle in Canary ( Versacolor) and embossed in clear EP then cut out with Sizzix heart die.
I`ve added some pale blue flat back pearls and some yellow Bakers Twine to finish.

Here is a close up of the tag.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Simply Less is More # 155

Hello All!
I hope I find you well today. Don`t you just love it when a plan comes together? I`ll explain.

It`s theme week at Simply Less is More and this week it`s to make a BABY card. I had no time over the weekend to get into the craft room as I was holding a little party for my dads 82nd birthday on sunday. Ofcourse monday means back to work which leaves little time to craft but Tara`s new venture  Make the Day Special Stamp Store 
opened its doors and I found some time to place an order ( it would have been rude not to). Over the past couple of days I`ve been toying with an idea for my LiM card with the intention of having a crafty day today. Then the postman arrived with my package from Tara this morning and everything fell into place. I`d ordered the Valentine stamp set from Avery Elle because it has some lovely heart stamps and by sheer good luck the hearts fit my Sizzix Heart Dies perfectly. This is what I came up with,

I made a panel slightly smaller than my base card and ran it through a Darice EF, leaving a small space for the sentiment.I backed the panel onto some pink card leaving a slim border.
The hearts are stamped with Versacolor Orchid and embossed in clear EP to give some texture and shine then placed at irregular intervals with some silver thread.
The sentiment is by Personal Impressions stamped in Memento Black.

Don`t forget to check out Tara`s new store. She has some fabulous US stamps at really reasonable prices.

Thanks for popping in..Lynne xxx