Less is More 30

The 30th challenge at Less is More is to choose 3 past challenges and combine them into a clean and simple design. I've been stewing over this all week . . . so many choices! I decided to go with the first challenge (pink, black, and white) since, being a brand new blogger, I didn't join in until the third challenge.

I've been wanting to use this PTI Damask Designs set to make some thank you cards, and I thought it would be pretty in pink and black. I started with just the bow at the top and the image and sentiment below, but it looked like it was missing something so I added a strip of pink at the bottom to balance it out.


Challenges:
Week 1: pink, black, and white
Week 13: congrats or thank you
Week 25: button or ribbon

Next I decided to make a simple square notecard using the "pick a square" sketch. I placed the image right in the middle and matted it onto pink cardstock. Super simple.


Challenges:
Week 1: pink, black, and white
Week 13: congrats or thank you
Week 17: pick a square

Now for a confession: I made my cards late last night when my brain obviously was not fully functioning. On both of my cards I stamped the damask pattern upside down. Who thinks of these things at 1 a.m.? I noticed my error this morning and this afternoon I had time to remake the cards right side up. Unfortunately, my stamping was better the first time around, even if it was upside down! :)

Thanks for visiting. I'm off to take a look and see what everyone else has come up with for the Take Three challenge!

Supplies:
Paper: PTI white, pink from scrap box
Ink: Memento graphite black, Color Box pink
Stamps: PTI damask designs
Others: ribbon from stash

PDCC96 and CPS 233

Today has been one of those leisurely days at our house where everyone is occupied and happy. That means I've had a little bit of time to be crafty during daylight hours, which is a change for me! For this card, I combined the sketch at Card Positioning Systems with the colors at Play Date Cafe.



For the focal point I used some flowers by Recollections that I picked up at Michaels. I used a Sizzix leaf die cut for the two elements on either side of the flower and a Nestie as the square background element. I couldn't decide if I wanted a sentiment or not, so I tried it both ways. I'm still undecided, although I'm leaning toward the card with the sentiment. :)



Supplies:
Paper: PTI vintage cream, green from stash
Stamps: PTI sentiment
Ink: Versamagic gingerbread
Others: Recollections flower, button from stash, Sizzix die

CAS-ual Fridays 17

The theme for CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 17 is Stuck on You: use stickers on a clean and simple design. I have lots of stickers that I use on scrapbook layouts, but for some reason I rarely use them on cards. For this card I used some EK Success circle stickers, as well as an old sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping.




Supplies:
Paper: PTI vintage cream, blue from stash
Stickers: EK Success
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs
Ink: Brilliance

Less is More 29

I'm just squeaking in for challenge 29 at Less is More, which has a theme of things that move. I chose to use a PTI whale from the whale wishes set to make a baby card. I used a 1-inch circle punch to create the wave, slightly overlapping each punch. I fussy cut the whale since I didn't purchase the matching die. I rounded the corners and popped the panel up on dimensionals.


My Fiskars corner rounder has died for the final time. In the past I've taken it apart and put it back together again, but I don't believe that will work this time. If anyone has a recommendation for a really good and strong corner rounder, please share.

Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:
Paper: PTI white, blue from scrap box
Ink: Memento rosebud, Versamagic Aegean blue
Stamps: PTI whale wishes

CAS-ual Fridays 16

The 16th challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to create a clean and simple card using embossing, either dry embossing or heat set. We've just returned from another long weekend away visiting family, so I whipped up a quick card before the challenge closes this evening. I've used one of my favorite Cuttlebug embossing folders and some pretty flowers from Michaels that I like to use on scrapbook pages. I love the rosy pink against the kraft.


Supplies:
Paper: PTI kraft
Stamps/Ink: None!
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, ribbon and button from stash, Recollections flower, embroidery floss

Ink Experiments!

I've been inspired by some beautiful cards lately (Susan's, Stephanie's, Kim's) where ink is applied to the acrylic block, misted, and then stamped onto paper. Since Mandi and Chrissie suggested we might experiment with a new inking technique for this week's Less is More challenge, I've decided to have a go at it.

I used Memento dandelion, cantaloupe, and tangelo inks on the acrylic block, misted them, and then stamped onto PTI cardstock. I only ended up with one ink splotch that I liked that was in an appropriate spot for a one layer card. I used PTI turning a new leaf and inked the stamp with both tangelo and gingerbread inks. I attempted to add a bit of bling, but it just looked too random for me so I took it off. Sadly, bling is not my strong suit! :) In this photo the sentiment looks a bit lost in the ink, but IRL it is crisp and clear. I think the photo is just a little fuzzy.



I thought my other inky experiments were a complete loss, but when I was using them to try out different images, I found I rather liked a couple of them. I cut them down, matted them, and am quite pleased with the results. Glad I didn't toss them into the recycle bin too quickly!



My 9-year old is away at the dude ranch with her best friend's family and surviving her first trip away from home. I have to say I'm missing her just a bit. I took my 6-year old up to Mt. Rainier to camp for a couple of days with her cousins. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, and lots of snow!


Hope you're all having a great day, and thanks for visiting!

Ann

Just Because

This card is a combination of three challenges, which must be a record for me! CAS-ual Fridays teamed up with Clean and Simple stamping this week to offer the sketch seen below. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to use sponging to create the panel, and lucky for me my favorite challenge blog, Less is More, asked us to use ink on a one-layer card this week.

I have used masking and sponging on a number of cards in the past, but I tend to sponge one color or a couple of really closely related colors. This time I decided to go for a sunset look and move from one color to the next across the masked area. I started with yellows, moved to oranges, then red, and finally a purple-red at the top.

I stamped a Stampendous flower image a couple of times on my panel, added a few rhinestones that I colored black with a Sharpie, and added a PTI sentiment. I hope to be back with another Less is More card in the next day or so, as I have been experimenting with the ink on acrylic block technique that Susan posted about last week. Thanks so much for visiting!

Supplies:
Paper: PTI
Stamps: Stampendous, PTI sentiment
Ink: Color Box, Brilliance Graphite Black

CR84FN35

I made this card for color challenge 35 at CR84FN, which is to use lavender, celery, and gray. While walking my dog down to the beach the other night I came across a patch of thistle, which inspired this card.

This next card was actually my first try, but I found both the white paper and the green ink to be too bright. I do like the fact that the panel is smaller on this card and I think I like the gray sentiment. I'll have to do a third round combining my favorite elements of the two! :)



Supplies:
Paper: PTI rustic white, Coredinations gray, lavender from scrap bin
Stamps: Hero Arts real flowers, PTI sentiment, Close to My Heart sentiment
Ink: VersaMagic Spanish olive, purple hydrangea

Less is More 27

The 27th challenge at Less is More is to make a card using the colors of your country's flag. I'm from the USA, so the colors I had to work with were red, white, and blue.

I didn't want to make a traditional patriotic card, so I chose to use my new Hero Arts Joy Ride set. I've been wanting this set for a long time and I love every image in it. I wanted to make a masculine card that might be used for a birthday. I sponged a little color on the panel and distressed the edges with my fingernails.

Being summer here, we've been gone a lot so my posts are sporadic and I haven't been able to comment as much as I normally would. I hope to have some time this evening to look around at the other Less is More entries.

Supplies:
Paper: PTI enchanted evening, rustic white
Stamps: Hero Arts Joy Ride, PTI sentiment
Ink: VersaMagic red brick and ocean depth

CAS-ual Fridays #13

Well, I've officially caught the bunting bug, and it's so much fun! I was playing with my new Hero Arts Kiss for the Sun set last night. I bought it because I thought I would like paper piecing the little outfits, and I'm sure I will, but I saw that there were two little banner stamps and decided to play with those instead.

The challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a 4x9 inch card. I thought a banner would look good draping across a tall, skinny card, and I'm pleased with the results. I stamped a stem from another stamp set three times across the card and then stamped the flags hanging from the stem.

On the first card I colored randomly using miscellaneous prismacolor pencils. No plan at all, just bright, happy colors. On the second card I used a pattern of green, purple, and two blues. I will have fun playing around with this set some more. I have already stamped some flags on scraps of pastel colored paper to paper piece a bunting for a new baby card. And I'm sure I'll get to those cute little outfits in the set, too . . . . eventually.

Supplies:
Paper: PTI, scraps from stash
Stamps: Hero Arts Kiss for the Sun, Close to My Heart stem & sentiment
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Others: Prismacolor pencils

Less is More 26

Week 26 is a lucky dip week at Less is More, and the challenge is to make a CAS card with fruit on it. Lucky for me I needed a few summery thank you cards!

I used PTI's fruit fusion watermelon. This sweet little set is made up of a curved rind stamp, two patterened stamps for the inner part of the watermelon, and three combinations of sentiments. I made a mask using a post-it note and masked and stamped a row of watermelon slices across each card.




Supplies:
Paper: PTI
Stamps: PTI Fruit Fusion
Ink: Memento Spanish Moss, Rosebud