not square

I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do for Less is More and I may have eliminated myself.
First off I knew I wanted to use this Cheery Lynn Hawaii oval which was a headache to start with cos it has a fancy circle inside and I wanted it plain white. So I had to cut the oval for the centre and there is a tiddly edge to fancy oval to stick it onto.
Then I cut a scallop circle on my cricut and they came out too big. I cut out one before that wasn't that big but can't think for the life of me what cartridge I used before.
So I noticed the doily Cheery Lynn die and decided to use that folded in half but it was too weak to take the oval, which is why there's a plain white folded circle underneath.
The Tulips are Memory Box but I cut two so that I could layer the tulip heads and of cause I raised the leaf too. A Stampin Up sentiment and I'm really please how it turned out but could it be too busy for Less is More. I'll let the judges decide.

Twine!

It's Anything goes at Simon Says Stamps Challenge and usually its not my favourite challenge but this week I was looking forward to it.

I had in my Simon Says Stamps parcel a pack of Kaiser Magnolia Grove and I knew I was going to get all distressed. First I choose my image another Sarah Kay Babette cuddling a kitten this time, I may have coloured all that I brought now.

I had to use the my new Spellbinders Floral Ovals and I used Kraft card to match the Kaiser papers.  Distress all the edges with a pair of scissors cos I couldn't find my Tim Holtz distressing tool and I used distress inkpad and blending tool round the edges to hide the white core.

Just needed to add the lace and ribbon.

Whoops I've done it again this week the DT are showcasing Twine its not necessary to enter the challenge using it but I was. The twine I got from Simon Says Stamps is Hemptique Bright with the intention to make a mans card. Suddenly the reason why I haven't got rid of the few copics that I have. Testing a couple of colours to make sure I got the right one, I then coloured the beige twine to match my card.

Thread it through the lace and tied a bow. I couldn't bear to hide the pretty roses paper with a sentiment so just added some pearls.

Do hope you can join us this and been in for a chance to win this brilliant prize and don't forget to check out the team.

Bookmark

Not only do I like instant images to colour without any stamping but they don't take up any room in my craft room just hope my printer who loves my pencils and sansodor continue for many years yet.
This little cutie is from Sassy Cheryl the papers are once again from DCWV but since the Everybody Art Challenge this week is for anything but a card no added two pages to make a square.
Ok I've cheated but I really do go into melt down with anything but a card so I made a Bookmark which why there is long ribbons these hang out of the book to help find your page.
Cos she is little I could fit her into a rectangle made with punch around the page. The it was a case of added some daisies and butterflies. Think I'll give it to my DD she still reads actual books.
Do pop over to the challenge blog and check out the team for some inspiration.
Mr Blogger has made my reading list reappear so my morning will be catching up.

Ooh La La girlie

OMG what a terrible Guest DT I am, I forgot to post my card for the Ooh La La Make it Girly Challenge. I feel terrible at least I already e-mailed Anne the card so it showed up on the blog.
I blame Mr Blogger well you've got to blame someone, but he had a hissy fit and my reading list disappeared, then he dared to complain that I didn't have any gallery space. So I've spent most of yesterday deleting images hopefully are not cards and duplicates to make another 10%. If you do look through old post I'm sorry but you will see some black square with a minus sign, maybe one day I'll get round to delete them properly off my blog.
I'm cross now cos I love this card and I'm thinking of giving to my Mum for her birthday at the end of July.
I've used the fab flower shoes images and printed on my cheap matt card from Staples and also used the flowers to make the corner embellishment.
I made the image quite large those flowers wouldn't be fun to cut any smaller but it did mean I could use the Romantic Rectangles and  once I've layered and mat, added the lace and ribbon, anything more would have been too much.

My camera doesn't like white cards!

My camera doesn't like White cards, well not when its sunny. Just a quick clean and simple card but I've used the sketch on Tuesday Morning Sketch but I realise now I've left out the flowers round the the circle. Guess I better not enter it now.

The Penny Black Stamp called Love Blush has been sat on my desk for while, it came in a parcel from Simon Says Stamps, along with some background stamps, kinda of been inspired by Pinterest but if you know where I've put I would be grateful to know cos I can't find them.

The papers are scraps and even I was surpised how fab the green polka dots flowers look.

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A cuppa of Tea

Mo draws gorgeous ethnic images and I've not had the courage to try colouring  them. But with this gorgeous girl with the Three for Tea set I couldn't not use her.
My problem is that there are loads of tutorials for copics but none that I could find with pencils and in particular Faber Castell Polychromos.
I still need a bit of practice but if anyone uses the same pencils and know what colours they use I would love to know.
For a first attempt I'm pleased how she turned out but stupid me forgot to write down the colours.
The card started with the The Friday Sketch but went its own way and now is totally unrecognisable from the initial sketch.
I've used the Stampin Up embossing folder for the strips and the Memory Box Tessatina die. The doily is Cheery Lyn and the corners are the Quickutz die. Some leaf punches and a mixture of prima flowers and punched ones.
Also you can just see a gem stalk made by Verity May, she makes wedding jewellery but while talking to her I realised I could use these for my cards, she looked bemused when I said I would buy some from her. You can contact her through facebook.
I kinda of hurt my hand crafting yesterday, I did know it could have happen when I decided to use my icicle border punch for a double layout and had to glitter stickles on it and all the snowflakes too, looks fab well I think so but couldn't use my hand the rest of the day so I sat outside and enjoyed the sun.

A little Pink Monkey

Something busy for Sunday, really was a step away from the embellishments. The sketch is Sketch and Stash but it did start to go its own way.
The little monkey is from High Hopes and the papers are DCWV that are rectangle in shape so you have use two to make a square.
The border is spellbinders, I foolish brought one with pretty borders only to realise that I needed the shaped ones to actual make the borders.
I had to use a butterfly since there were butterflies on the paper.
I've been informed that June is going to be the month of men birthdays as well as Father's Day so I better start checking out some images.

Monochrome

Phew woke up to the slowest PC in the South East, yep slower than my sisters, so shut it all down and walked away and hoped that after a while it will be back to normal. It does seem a bit slower but at least it opens a page.
At last I can post my Penny Black Saturday Challenge card its Monochrome week and I've gone for the traditional Black and White. The papers are Doodlbug with the exception of the black and white strips which I made myself.
The sentiment is Penny Black and I think I can get away with it being a mans card so I had to make a banner, just a bit of gingham ribbon and its done.
Do hope you can join us and pop over to the challenge blog to see the fab creations the team have done.

Now we have not just sunny weather but its hot, I have little known creature arriving in my garden. It comes out in the hottest part of the day and after a while it asks me to put suntan lotion on his back!

Pink and Black

Not sure this worked but I've used the Sketch Saturday sketch and everything was going fine till I thought to stamp my sentiment on the image mat which is why its now a punched out sentiment. Then I realised that there was a large white space under her wand so I added a flower.
Now the bottom left corner is bugging me cos its plain but I thought it was time to step away from the embellishments.
Thank you all the wishes about my injection its not too bad and it will be great if it does it magic and I might pop into my craft room later.

Baby shoes

I was inspired for this card with this one on Pinterest not sure mine is as good but do love how it turned out.
Cos of all the white and the Stampabilites baby shoes this is another for the Less is More challenge.
After all these blue cards maybe its time for some pink ones.
No crafting today since I'm off to the Doctors later for an injection in one of joints and it takes a few days to settle down, so I will be finding a shady spot with my book.

Boats

Maybe I should call Thursdays my Less is More day cos once again I'm posting them today. When I posted Are Your Brave enough post one of the card were these boats from Françoise Read and the Less is More challenge is for Baby or a child.
The stamp set is quite old and probably retired but still works perfectly.
You may recognise the layout of the card above since it similar to one I've done before. Yes those clouds are from the Hot Air Balloon set.

Why have one boat when you can have three, from the same set but in miniature. The sentiment is Whiff of Joy. I do have one more card but I'll post it later.

WOYWW and More Wedding Layouts

I've not been about much this week, just the weekend catching up with me but when I did feel like catching up blasted Mr Blogger decided I didn't follow any blogs I'll have to find another way to check out the new blog posts. 

So it did mean I could go into my craftroom to make some Less is More cards nothing too taxing. Well look at the mess on WOYWW I made for a couple of simple cards.

I hoping to finish off the layouts I started at the weekend this weekend, gosh that sounded double dutch but it does mean I'll show some more Scrapbooking this time of Lou's Wedding

Used a whole packet of tiny pearls on the branches and the brick work is a Prima stamp.

I need to sort out that e in case people thinks its slang for rough! Love my new Cheery Lynn swirl

This page is of my two of my three brothers with their wives. You can possible see them better if you click onto them if Mr Blogger lets you.

Father's Day

I'm not sure where the weeks are going but its time again for a new challenge on Simon Says Stamps Challenge. This week is time for those men in your life either for Father's Day or A Man's card.

I made a side stepped card and used all the Penny Black Stamps from the London Calling range I could.
First I stamped the London Eye and Tower Bridge on the map which was copied from google and then I used Tim Holtz grid embossing folder. It was a good idea but the stamps didn't really show, in hindsight I needed to use red.
But then the fun began I used the Transparent set for the critters and the bunting and the Underground sign.

The phone box is called London Calling, once again I used acetate to make it look like a real telephone box.

Close up of the bunting

The Miniful is the main image with acetate to use for the car windows and this year I don't have to mask the number plate.
Sorry for the photo fest but I thought it needed some close ups.
Do hope you can join us and be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize. And Simon Says Stamps are also have a Design Team call so if your interested check out the Challenge blog.

Lace and Shapes eac

Its Lace and Shapes time at Everybody Art Challenge and I knew I would have fun making this card. I have mentioned before I love Tilda cos she is so easy to colour but not everyone gets here and I don't buy as many now. In fact out of the latest set I've only brought this little darling and luckily I got the ballerina from the collection before at the same time.
The papers are Basic Grey Plumeria and I've used a Memory box die for the corner, Cheery lynn lattice die. Love my Kars butterfly punch and the Martha Stewart daisy border punch. Then I used an awful lot of pears and loads of glamour dust on her wings.
Do pop over and check the gorgeous creations from the DT.

Scrapbooking

I am deterimined to scrapbook this years events as close as they happen and if I have to make them Clean and Simple to reach this goal so be it.
So just a few pages first is the New Year Ball and the two others are at Chinese New Year. The papers are Echo Park.

Not two impressed with them the camera hates the red ribbon but they will have to do. I blog the good, the bad and the Ugly.

Music Monday

Love the sketch on Friday Sketch Challenge and love Saturated Canary images and together I think they worked a treat although not convinced I should of used the black but I find it hard to make pink musical notes.
Since she is wearing rolled roses in her hair I thought it was only right to make some for the card and the notes are a MFT die.
Papers are Kaiser and swirl is another MFT die and the border is the cherish border punch and on of the mats is the lattice deep edge punch both from Martha Stewart.
I am shattered its been a lovely weekend, fab day on Saturday and well looked after by MJ and my class went OK on yesterday.
Although I was devastated when I tried to help someone and promptly ruined her book by ripping it. She was lovely about it and made another, she reckons she can repair the one I ruined I was more upset than she was.
I have lots of layouts to finish with titles, 2 singles and 3 doubles so has soon as all DT cards are done this week I shall finish them but need to recover first.

Sassy Cheryl

I haven't used anybody's sketch today just stuck some papers together and put on one of Sassy Cheryl cute digi image, I think I may have another obession.
The ribbons on her hair are a bit of a pain cos I have to get my craft knife to cut out the inside, its just something I have to do.
The papers are old, very old. Its amazing what you find when you have a bit of tidying up. The retro punch for flowers and a bit of gingham ribbon, job done.
Well today I'm at Scrapbuddies crop I shall be shattered by the end of this weekend but I couldn't let them down I'm teaching how to make a mini book, so once my bit is done I might just drink coffee and annoy everyone.

Lattice and Roses

Thought I ought to post this before I forget and it will be the middle of next week before I remember. This is for Tuesday Morning Sketches and I thought it would give me an excuse to use the Sizzix lattice embossing folder which I believe its been retired.
Eats my tiny pearls though but you can't not use them. The little squares I use the inverted corner punch from Stampin Up not sure but that could of been retired although my friend showed me how you can do this with one of their circle punches. I've also used the little stamp from Stampin Up Vintage Vogue (I may be wrong) for the little squares too.
Roses out of my stash and the leaves are the Leone-em Ash branch punch, I couldn't not have a bit of ribbon.
Hope I remember to link when I get home from MJs.

PB Recycle

New challenge today on Penny Black Saturday Challenge and this time its for Recycle. I've been here before I'm sure, where I wander through the house to find things I could recycle and find nothing and when I check out the entries they all have amazing ideas and mines so pitiful.

Have I done better this time, not really, bit of a cop out as usual. I make my cards using A4 card and I'm left with a scrapling and because I make mine 14.5cm square (makes it easy to work out mats) I have a tiny strip as well. I've posted a pic so you can see what I mean and that I'm telling the truth.

It's with these strips I made the lattice behind the nestablilies frame.
The papers are some odd ones floating around in a pile of allsorts. Kind of went a bit mad with the dies but I think that Cheery Lynn swirl is going to be a new favourite, its not the large one by the way which would look fab on scrapbook page, oops off subject.
Memory page corner that cries out for pearls, some lace and ribbon, last but not least the cutest critters from Penny Black.
Fingers crossed Mr Blogger will post this for me while I've been dragged out of my bed early to be dropped off to my Sis for the first leg to MJ, hope she's got the kettle on.