27 October 2012

Week 91 Sketch 7

We haven't had many sketches since beginning "Less is More". It's difficult to think of original designs which can be interpreted in a variety of ways, yet keeping to the Clean and Simple ethos.
We have one for you this week which consists of  band down the card which in turn is sub-divided into three sections. 
You may add a sentiment if you wish and the sketch can be rotated if that orientation inspires you.
We must be able to spot the original, simple sketch however.


This is a really simple card. Three shades of green card, mounted onto a strip of white with hand embossed edges and over stamped with a gorgeous image from Inkadinkado.




Here is one shade of card embossed with three different Cuttlebug embossing folders. 
A quick tip here is to emboss the card before cutting to size, as it will shrink by different amounts according to the depth and amount of embossing on each particular folder.
The dies are by Memory Box.
After two cards with little or no stamping, here is one with lots.
I stamped a variety of snowflake images along a length of scrap card and clear embossed them. I inked over the entire piece with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The strip was then cut to the depth of the card and sub-divided into three pieces.
I marked the position of each piece on the back to save myself from a puzzle when the time came to realign them.
These were then inked from the edges inwards with Broken China and then Stormy Sky inks, using sponge daubers.
These tiles were then triple embossed with clear powder. I believe that the snowflake die is from Marianne's, also clear embossed and trimmed with a few gems. The sentiment is from SU on a reduced size Nestie mount.
The is another version on my personal blog, where I always love to receive visits from you.

This is another solo from me this week. Mandi has been working SO hard with her business and will hopefully be back once things have settled down somewhat.
In the interim we continue to wish her all success.

Week 89 ShowCASe

One layer week presents LIMettes with no trepidation these days and week 89 had  some fabulous examples.
Here are just a few of the wonderful submissions we received for our 'Wings' challenge.
Simple embellishments are allowed... like this lovely ribbon.

Beautiful inking

Superb stamping

What vibrant wings

Such an effective spotlight technique

We are honoured to have such consummate crafters joining in so regularly with our weekly challenges.
Please take the ShowCASe badge from the page at the top to display on your blogs ladies.
Don't forget to check back here tomorrow for our new challenge.
Congratulations and thanks you all.

20 October 2012

Week 90 Theme

Great News!
This has been an extremely exciting, abominably busy and somewhat stressful week for Mandi, as she is now the proud new owner of Finishing Touches, a wedding services business based on the Isle of Wight.
She has been connected with the company for some months but it's now all hers and I'm sure you would like to join me is wishing her every success in her new venture.

She will not be posting a sample card for our challenge this week as her time has been totally focused on her new endeavour, however I'm sure that you would like to visit her blog HERE, as she has lots of her crafting goodies for sale as she is streamlining her resources. Lots of them are practically unused... I myself have found quite a few bargains, I'm sure you will too. 
Sadly she can only mail to UK addresses.

Now onto our theme for this week which is
AUTUMN

You can take your inspiration from colours, festivals, seasonal images... whatever... but don't forget to keep it simple and retain that white space!

This card uses the SU set Autumn Splendour. It's a great leaf image, which together with the acorns, I made into a tile by layering several sheets of die-cut card together, stamping, colouring with watercolour pencils and clear embossing the whole tile. 
The background band was scored and the swiped with a couple of colours of Distress ink. The sentiment is by Art Impressions.




This one was inspired by Birgit, one of our wonderful LIMettes who makes the most amazing cards, in a most original style.
The tree dies are by Memory Box and the Octagons by Spellbinders.
The background was merely inked with several shades of Distress ink and then overstamped with SU  leaves from the Confetti set.





Here's that great oak leaf stamp again, this time stamped and clear embossed, with one leaf cut out and raised on pop dots to add a little dimension. Another sentiment from Art Impressions.
The border punch is by Fiskars.

We'll look forward to seeing your contributions.
Don't forget to visit Mandi and wish her Good Luck!


19 October 2012

Silver ShowCASe

Time for another showcase and I'm sure you'll love looking at our choices for this week!
Silver seemed very popular!
SO without further ado and in no particular order, here they are.
Stunning or what?

This was one of four submissions this week and doesn't she take the most artistic photographs too!


Love the 3D effect of these trees

What a beautiful snowy wreath

What a terrific silvery effect

Great embossing

Wonderful work ladies.
Do please display our showcase badge on your blogs with pride. You'll find it on the page at the top of our blog.

Join us tomorrow for another "Less is More"  Clean and Simple Challenge!

16 October 2012

September Winners

We're sorry to be so late in announcing our winners for September, but following Chrissie's absence on  her holiday, there wasn't an opportunity for the discussion which normally takes place before a decision is reached, to take place.
However, we have now had that discussion and we are delighted to announce that the winner of t he Freckled Fawn sponsorship prize is 
Darnell
of 
Since joining in with our challenges, Darnell has been a loyal LIMette, submitting beautiful cards each week. The concept of CAS being something which she has embraced whole heartedly since joining us.

The winner whom we have selected for the Ribbon Girl Prize is 
Fiona
of
another faithful contributor to our challenges and maker of beautiful cards.
We feel sure that these choices will be popular ones and we would like to congratulate and thank them both.

Please send us your contact details which we will then be able to forward to the relevant sponsors.
Don't forget we'd also like you to add our winner banner to your blogs; this can be found on the page at the top of our blog.

13 October 2012

Week 89 One Layer

Time for
ONE LAYER
again and this time we have given you lots of scope with our theme of
Wings
There are lots of things which would qualify in this category... insects, birds, cars, aeroplanes... what else can you think of?

Mandi
This sweet littl ebirdie is form Tim Holtz set Urban Decay [I am actualy selling it in my page on my blog] Distress Inks, Faded Jeans an dTumbled Glass to create the shading.
 The sentiment is Close to my Heart.
IRL this shading is much more blended, the camera seems to have bought out the colour changes somehow
This is a really old Stampin Up set Along the Same Lines, but, one I love for it's quirkiness.
Literally stamped nd good old fashioned coloured in using my SU markers.
The sentiment is SU too, seperate set, but, I think it works well with this design.

Chrissie
Before I say anything else I would like to thank Mandi for holding the fort here at LIM so valiantly amidst the  excitement of her new business venture, whilst I was away on my month long holiday in California, Nevada and Hawaii!
I really tried to keep up with visiting as many LIMettes as I could via my iPad, but Internet coverage was not always easy, so please accept my apologies if I did not get around to visiting you.
I prepared all my sample cards in advance which was a bit of a marathon in itself, but some may not have been as scintillating as I may have wished, so I hope you will forgive me.
These cards were also prepared before I left for my holiday, as I only got home last night and am still feeling a trifle jet lagged!
I'll post some pics of my holiday on my personal blog soon, but we have our son and DIL plus our daughter and grandchildren staying this weekend so things are somewhat busy around here... but great fun!

Here's that fab bird from the Rubber Stamp Gallery again. This time in a one layer version.
I stamped and then masked him before adding the masked oval and then inking over him using Bashful Blue with an ink duster brush. Before removing the masks, I stamped the various birthday greetings in the space surrounding the bird, and added a single 'happy birthday' underneath.

 
This aeroplane is from Stampin' Up's Plane and Simple set. I stamped it and then cut a mask from a second image before stamping part of SU's Friendly background stamp over the mask.
The sentiment did start out as being completely one layer, but despite careful placing (as I thought) I wasn't happy with the orientation of the stamp, so  I re-did it and added it over the top. I'm sure you've all been there!
Your One Layer Cards go from strength to strength and so many people are much more comfortable with leaving that all important white space.
We can't wait to see what you do with this challenge!


12 October 2012

ShowCASe Week 87 Lucky Dip

We had so many fabulous entries for our Lucky Dip week 87
Thank you once again for joining us as Guest Designer Susan

Without further ado here are our choices
Sure you will love them too.





Eva 
couldn't decided between the two!


Well done ladies and thank you once again
Please take the showCASe banner from our page at the top.

See you tomorrow....it's one layer week!


06 October 2012

Week 88 Colour

The first week of the month is time for another colour challenge and for your delectation this time we have chosen
Silver
It could be ink, paper, card, embossing powder, metal, a charm, whatever you can dream up as long as there's a touch of silver somewhere.

Our sponsor for this month is the fabulous WOW Embossing powders
Thank you once again to Tania for agreeing to be a regular sponsor here



I have needed to make lots of wedding cards recently and here is the gorgeous stamp from Stampin' Up's Love and Laughter set. It's embossed in silver and mounted on a Spellbinders Blossom Tags die-cut. The dry embossing I believe is from a Cuttlebug border folder.






Here is a Memory Box die cut key, mounted on a simple rectangle, cut with a Nestie and embossed with a Cuttlebug mesh embossing folder. The silver mount for this was also cut with a Nestie rectangle, which was adapted in length in order to fit around the embossing. There is a tutorial for adapting the size of die cuts which can be found by looking on our tips and tutorials page at the top of our blog.
The sentiment is from SU's So Happy for you set.





Mandi

So, I've not got any silver embossing powder...what a weirdo! I had planned to silver emboss this heart, but instead had to use black. I do like the look having said that! The stamp is Stampin Up You Are Loved
Once stamped I added the little flowers and tiny butterfly in a silver pearlescent card, the same as the card base. Then gems and pearls.  I really like the random design of this stamp, I like things like that.

Here is a close up









I have another card on my personal blog, if you want to have a looksie!

Have a good week, the weather has turned in the UK, winter is around the corner.


ShowCASe week 86 Recipe

Here is our showCASe for Week 85
Recipe Week 
Take 3 Challenges

Super entries and as always such a difficult decision.
Thank you to all of you, we are sure you wil agree these are outstanding!



Susan [Rainy]


Thank you again, please take the benner for your sidebar from our page at the top of the blog

See you tomorrow for t e first October colour challenge