And another one...........!

Well, this must be a record for me........three cards in three days for the same challenge!!! lol  As you have probably realised there is a new challenge over at the Less is More blog.  They have given us a Pinterest Photo for inspiration and wow, what a photo:

Are these shoes fab or are they fab?

Whilst looking at these gorgeous shoes and envying anyone who could actually walk in them(!) they reminded me of a stamp I had tucked away which is part of a clear stamp set by Habico called Wedding Images 2.  The actual stamp of the man and woman is a negative stamp and it was just the lines of the stamp made me think of the back of the shoes, the bows and heels - what do you think?

Now I know this isn't really a CAS card as I've used my Spellbinders Enchanted Labels dies but thought it all went in a sort of Art Deco way............  the sentiment is stamped using Studio G alphabet stamp set.  I embossed the main image using detail black e/p.

Now my great blogging buddy Darnell asked if I would post some photos of the new trellis and archway we've just been putting up so here they are, two new trellis panels joining the rest along the raised bed with a trellised archway at the end.  I used to use the raised bed for all my vegetables which I used to show at exhibitions (never would have guessed that one eh? lol).  Anyway I don't grow so many now, just enough for the pair of us and decided to make the raised bed into a perennial flower bed and had some climbers so that's the reason for the extra trellis.

 

View from the back garden showing the trellis dividing the garden from the driveway, garage and sheds at the front.

Aren't these tree lillies lovely, courgettes under them, lettuce on the bottom left.

The large "balls" are actually my over-wintered leeks flowering!  The bees absolutely adore them and I would definitely grow them again just for the flowers..........mind you I'll probably get enough seeds to supply the world!  Let me know if you want some..........

We're getting strange weather here now - after 3 weeks of blazing sunshine the last few days have seen thunder, torrential rain and sunshine - at the moment it looks really threatening outside but it's really warm at the same time.  So, good for the garden I suppose.

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More - Week 130 - Pinterest Photo Inspiration

Well, would you Adam & Eve it.........two cards in two days - what's going on???? lol

Looking through the entries in the current challenge I saw a couple of cards using the same digi image of a shoe and as it was very familiar I went hunting in my photos to see if I had it - and I did.  That meant I can play again.  According to Daizy-Mae it's an old Sketching Stamper digi called  'The shoe'.

I decided that the occasion warranted me using another NBUS (never before used schtuff!!!) and in this case it's my Cheery Lyn Mexican Tile Pattern die which is absolutely gorgeous.  I re-sized and printed off the shoe image so it would fit inside the aperture.  I backed the Mexican Tile with some red card, added some red Liquid Pearls to the front of the shoe and then added Crystal Lacquer to the front and heel of the shoe.  The sentiment was computer generated and I added some Liquid Pearls in the corners of the card and inside the "o" of shoes.

We don't know whether we are coming or going with this weather.......one moment it's blazing sunshine and then thunder and torrential rain - very weird, still we've managed to erect the trellis panels and new arch and I've got my climbers planted; they are definitely getting well watered in!  lol

Thanks for dropping by. 

Less is More - Week 130

Well, here we are at the tail-end of the weekend and we actually got rain yesterday!!!  It was really hot but with cloudy spells so out I went to hoe between the runner beans, plant more bean seeds, put out some plants I'd grown from seed and dig a veggie plot and plant seeds - all inbetween helping OH to put trellis up.  I'd just finished at about 3pm (finished being the appropriate word.......!) and down came the rain.  It must have been waiting til I finished gardening.  I was so pleased to have done all that work - the best thing for all things garden is to be well watered in by rain.  Mind you at about 10.30 pm with no sign of let up we wondered if we needed to build an ark!!!  So far today it's been very gusty with sunshine and clouds but no more rain.  I did a bit more gardening and cleared an area where I had been hardening all my plants off and more helping OH with a trellis archway he's building.  Right, up to my craft room - I was determined to get my Less is More entry in early this week as I just slipped in under the ribbon last week.  There is a great challenge over at Less is More which is:

 A Pinterest Picture Inspiration

For our recipe this week we have a killer picture inspiration for you.

Are these shoes fab or are they fab?

I hunted around and found a rubber stamp "Shoe" (!!!) by Papercraft4you and I think I've had it for years.  I had my Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad on the desk and as I wanted to clear emboss the image I put VersaMark ink on the stamp first and then put the Memento on top - this allows you to heat emboss whatever ink you use as the Memento goes on the card first followed by the VersaMark.  I then cut out some frames using my square nesties, firstly in black ribbed card (to emulate the ribbon on the shoes) and white card which I'd embossed with an Embossilicious dotty e/f.  These were assembled and placed on a 6" square white card blank.  All I've added are some tiny diamond gems (don't think you can see them in the photo) and a tiny bow.

Thanks for popping by - enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great week ahead.

Less is More - Week 129 - Theme

Hi everyone - well I am really late with this entry to the Less is More challenge.  This week Chrissie and Jen want to see:

For our THEME this week 

we would love to see

Hand made Flowers

You may use any medium you like... felt, paper, card, acetate, fimo, embossing powder, whatever you can conjure up!

I recently purchased some molds and paper clay from Stampin Up so decided to have a play with them. 

If you follow my friend Darnell's blog (you really should if you don't!!!) she's been on a crusade recently to use NBUS.........meaning using "never before used schtuff", and to be fair I think that most of us are guilty of this.  So on top of using my Stampin up schtuff I also wanted to use my Memory Box Loom Circle die (it's sooo pretty).

I die cut the loom circle and then re-attached it back into the piece of card.  I stamped the sentiment which is Stampin Up Beautiful Birthday using SU Pumpkin Pie ink.  I put some paper clay in the flower mold and popped it out and then left it overnight to air dry.  I then coloured the flowers with Flexmarkers and added a touch of Stickles to the centres.  I popped the front die cut cardstock onto the main card using d/s foam, placed the largest flower in the centre circle and the other two smaller ones on the bottom right corner.  So, a fairly CAS card emerged.

Whilst I am here and because her birthday has passed I thought I'd share a card I made for my friend Jill.  Very similar to the last one I posted - I think they look so pretty.

The matching box

      

Thanks for popping by.  Hope you all have a great weekend - we're forecast to have torrential rain tomorrow but as we've only had a couple of showers in the last few days I'm not sure what'll happen!

Happy crafting.

New Home card

Morning everyone - from a much cooler Somerset.  We were forecast to have torrential thunderstorms from about midnight last night but got NADA!!!  However about 10 miles away they got the deluge.............luckily I watered the garden last night.

Thought I'd share a new home card I have just made for friends of ours who moved yesterday.  I've used the lovely Lattice Edge die and Open Window die, both from Britannia Dies.  The flourish is Harrington Vine by Simon Says Stamp!

I used the Lattice Edge die at the ends of a landscape piece of A4 card and then die cut the window.  I diecut a separate window and added some acetate for the windows before adhering to the back of the main window.  I ran this piece through my machine using a Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder to give the texture of brickwork.  I cut the A4 card down to size to match up with the lattice edges.  I then stamped the image of the house and the word Home (Chocolate Baroque) and coloured in Flexmarkers.   I then took another piece of A4 and cut it to the same size and lined up one lattice edge and glued that to the bottom and then I bowed the front enough to get my flowers in the window and glued the other end to the back of the card.  All the flowers and ribbon are from my stash.  The sentiment is computer generated and die cut using nesties.  The Home Sweet Home is from the same stamp set and I used my SU labels punch to cut it out.

I made a box to hold the card and covered with d/p.  The name label on the top was computer generated and die cut with Spellbinders Majestic Elements.  I then added more flowers and ribbon.

Thanks for dropping by.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge # 18

Happy Saturday everyone - where does the time go eh?  It's time for a brand new challenge over at Addicted to CAS and your hostess for this challenge is the very talented Shana.  She has chosen the code word:

and our Sponsor for this challenge (who is offering FOUR images of your choice):

 

 

I've used the Delicious Doodles "Snowy Mailbox" image for my card.  I printed it out and coloured using Flexmarkers.  I then added glitter glue for the snow .  I die cut a frame using my nestie rectangle dies and popped it over the image using d/s foam pads.  The sentiment is a clear stamp that I had made.  I'd seen the sentiment somewhere on the net and then played with different fonts til I liked what I saw and got a lovely person in China to make me a couple of cling stamps in different sizes.

 

 

Close up showing glitter

Thanks for dropping by.  Pop on over to the Addicted to CAS blog to see what the DT have come up for you for this challenge.  We're excited to come and visit you to see your creations.

Happy crafting - have a great weekend.

 

 

Last minute Less is More and who doesn't love shoes?

Hello everyone - phew it's hot down here in Somerset but at least there's a bit of a breeze today unlike yesterday which was stifling!  Seemingly we can expect temperatures to go up to 35 degrees by the middle of next week.........definitely not looking forward to that!

Just done a very quick entry for the Less is More challenge which, this week, is the one layer challenge with a shaped card.  When I saw Chrissie's card it reminded me I had the same embossing folder (Nellie's Choice Flower Corner 1).  I've embossed the front of a square card blank and then used my brayer to add VersaMark ink to the embossed areas.  I then heat embossed it using white detail e/p.  I've cut around the embossing to give the card it's shape and then used watercolour paints to add colour to the flowers.  It's probably eliminated me as there is definitely more colour that white space!!!  but I had fun doing it.

The next card is a commission and the only information I got was the girl's name, that she's a "girly girl" and loves shoes.....well who doesn't eh?  It gave me the opportunity to use my Fabulous Shoes CD by Katy-Sue Designs. 

 

I chose to decoupage the shoe and put that aside whilst I made up the rest.  I took an 8" square card blank and cut off half the front.  Printed off some matching backing paper and added it to the inside and outer front of the card.  I added the decoupaged image to the front of the card and added Glossy Accents to the shoe.  I die cut the girl's name, firstly out of matching paper and then a couple more out of card.  I glued them all together before covering them with VersaMark ink and triple embossing which makes them look enameled.  Finishing touches were a double red bow and some gems.

Don't forget to pop by tomorrow to see what our new challenge is at Addicted to CAS.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Goodies galore!!!!!

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Docrafts saying I had won a prize in their June draw which could take up to 6 weeks to arrive.  Couldn't for the life of me remember what the prize had been but was quite excited as I rarely win anything (unlike some people I know.........Jill?.....  Heather????? hehe).

This morning there was a knock on the door and a huge parcel appeared.  This is what was in it:

Wowza - I think there's about £70 worth of Tilly Daydream goodies in that lot.  There are fat quarters (brilliant), ribbon, lace doilies, ric rac, the long rolls are adhesive backed fabric, set of hexagon nesting dies, stamps, decoupage, paper packs, die-cut sentiments, fabric buttons, notelets, "handmade with love" fabric labels etc etc etc!!!  I just couldn't believe it.   

Off to play! lol

Less is More Week 128 - One Layer

Hello everyone from a very, very hot Somerset!

This week's challenge over at Less is More is the eponymous One Layer card.

For our 

One Layer Challenge 

this week we like to see cards which are 

NOT SQUARE or RECTANGULAR

Although they've asked for a shaped card not square or rectangular and there are some amazing cards posted already I think my brain has been fried with the heat!!!  lol  It was 31 degrees here yesterday and it's hotter today - no breeze, just very still.  I know some people love this weather but it's definitely too hot for me.

So I've come up with a circular design which I die cut using my Grand Decorative Circles.  I sponged around the edge of the die using DI Marigold.  I've stamped the lovely cherry blossom stamp from my Clearly Besotted Happy Everything stamp set and coloured with Flexmarkers.  The sentiment is from the same set stamped in Versafine Sepia - I've only put the "Happy" on as I thought I'd decide whether it was "birthday", "anniversary" or "everything" later on.  Final addition of a matching bow finished off the card.

If it cools down I may be back with a more original shaped card but don't hold your breath!!!  lol

Thanks for dropping by.

Sample cards

Hello everyone - another glorious day although I did some gardening earlier and got rather hot!!! lol  That'll teach me..........

Just thought I'd share my sample cards for the two projects we gave our girls at Wednesday's club night.

These are the Joy Fold cards and I really like the design of them - makes a nice change.  You can have the smaller card opening either way (just turn it upside down........BEFORE you add the backing paper!).

These are the iris folding cards........definitely not my favourite technique but pretty enough with the pleated ribbon.

Thanks for dropping by - have a wonderful weekend; I think BBQ's will be out in force in the UK over the next two days.

Happy crafting.

Less is More - Shades of Grey - Week 127

Well that was a very full on weekend - after crafting all day on Saturday at the Stampin Up Extravaganza we had the village duck races yesterday.  It was a beautiful day although about 30 degrees (40 degrees on Centre Court!!!) but down by the river there was a lovely breeze blowing.  Mind you by the time we'd finished cooking the BBQ Tony and I were fit for not a lot! lol

Anyway I've missed out on the last couple of challenges at Less is More so was determined to do this one.

Now you don't need to use fifty shades but we would like to see a minimum of two shades on your creations this week. Don't forget that all important white (or grey space).

On Saturday Jenny had a sales table and I picked up a lovely stamp set called "Marry Me" which wasn't familiar to me at all but I really liked it so decided to use the main image and one of the sentiments for my card.

 

I stamped the bride and groom (which is a negative stamp) using Memento London Fog (1st shade), trimmed it down to size and then glittered the bride's veil.  I then mounted on two shades of grey pearlescent cardstock (3rd and 4th shades).   I rounded two of the corners on each layer.  I stamped the sentiment onto vellum with StazOn Stone Grey (5th shade) cut it down and then wrapped it around the bride and groom image so it ballooned out from the cardstock.  I used a piece of grey pleated ribbon across the card (6th shade) and popped up the image with some d/s foam pads.  I didn't have any grey pearls so used normal ones instead to finish off the card.

 

 Just finished off all my sample cards for our club night on Wednesday and am off to make a friend's birthday card and then, hopefully, I am going to find time for my online class (where I am soooo far behind!!!) where I'm using alcohol inks with Yupo paper - sound intriguing???

Thanks for dropping by - have a great week.

Stampin Up Day Extravaganza goodies.......

Hi Folks - well isn't it warm!  Mustn't complain but we haven't seen much of it today as we've been slaving away over a very hot craft desk!!!  lol  Just thought you might like to see what we made at Jenny's SU Day:

 A gift box and matching card

 and hidden in the gift box?  Chocolates of course......

 A pretty tin

 Containing lovely cards and envelopes

 A file folder...........

 Side on view of the file folder

and inside there are 12 pockets each containing a monthly birthday list

Didn't we do well?  And more to the point didn't Jenny do well!  She works so hard and when you think of all the preparation work making up packs for each project for 30 of us.........well, words quite frankly fail me.  She's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

Thanks for dropping by.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend - looks like it will be a good day for the duck races tomorrow.  Hope the day's gone well for my sister Val who, with her Rock Choir, is singing at the O2 in London.   If she bumps into Michael Buble I'll kill her!!!  lol

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #17

And here we are again!!!  lol  As we said last week's Addicted to CAS challenge would only be a week long rather than the normal fortnight, so today we have a brand new challenge which is hosted by the amazingly talented Loll and this is the code word she chose for you:

and our Sponsor is:

 

 

 There is an amazing range of goodies over here! The wonderful Cassie is offering the winner of our challenge an amazing $15 gift voucher!!! 

Here's my card for the challenge. 

 

 

 

 I have used the umbrellas from my Stampin Up Rain or Shine stamp set which I stamped onto a scrap of designer paper, clear embossed and fussy cut.  I set them aside and stamped my Water Droplets stamp by the talented Ryn at Designs by Ryn onto a piece of white cardstock using SU Bashful Blue.  I then placed the umbrellas where I wanted them and stamped the handles with Versafine Onyx Black.  The umbrellas were shaped and added using Pinflair.  The sentiment was stamped underneath.  

 

While I liked the card I wanted to emphasise "water" so I took a piece of acetate, cut it to size and stamped the water droplets over it using StazOn Silver.  This was added to the back of the card making sure it bowed out in the front.  This was all popped up on a 6" square card blank.

As you're reading this I will be attending a Stampin Up Extravaganza Day we have organised for the girls in our craft club.  We have the super talented Jenny Moors, who is our SU demonstrator, and her lovely Mum Sue, coming along to put us all through our paces.  I will try and get all our makes posted on Sunday for you to have a look at.

Now pop over to the Addicted to CAS blog and see what the girls in the DT have come up with to inspire you.

Happy crafting and have a wonderful weekend which looks set very fair for our village Duck Races on Sunday!!!  lol  We normally get rained out...........