Retrosketches #10/Less is More - Week 66 Yellow

Hi Bloggers! I came across the Retrosketches challenge blog thanks to Chrissie from Less is More.  A very late entry from me but hopefully this is the first of many more to come!
We've been invited to 4 functions between us over the Diamond Jubilee weekend (typical!), so this card is to decline one of the four kind invitations.
I'd also like to submit this for the Less is More challenge which for this week is yellow. Not a colour I'd normally use to craft with but I have managed to do 2 challenge entries for Chrissie and Mandi this week. Entry no.2 to follow!

Kraft card base,
'Buzzy Little Bees' digital image stamp and 'Honeycomb paper' downloads from Pink Petticoat,
computer generated sentiment,

Stampin' Up twine, buttons and ribbon from stash.

Less is More - Week 65 Sketch

                                 

The challenge at Less is More this week is a sketch challenge. There is a choice of two simple sketches of which I opted for the circular one above. I enjoy using sketches; I used to find them really useful when I used to scrapbook. My card uses the beautiful 'Poppy Background' stamp that I bought at a bargain price from here: http://www.misi.co.uk/ (which stands for Make it Sell it). They sell all sorts of handmade goods from food to fashion and they also sell various supplies; it's worth a look as I saved nearly £4.00 on this beautiful Hero Arts stamp.

Stamps: Hero Arts 'Poppy Background', Woodware 'Jane's Script'

Promarkers: Hot Pink

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stazon Jet Black

Other: Nestabilities Circle Large, Anita's 3D clear gloss liquid

I stamped the image in black Stazon, then again in black Memento ink. (This was so I could colour the flowers on the second image with Promarkers.) I then cut out the coloured petals, dotted some 3D clear gloss liquid in the centres and raised them onto the first image using foam squares; I think it really makes the images 'pop'. (Can see me recreating this card in different colourways.)

CAS-ual CFC50 - Flowers or Trees

I came upon the CAS-ual Friday challenge blog site via Less is More. Today's blog post is my first ever entry for this US challenge blog! This week's challenge is Flowers or Trees - soooooo many possibilities!  I ended up plumping for one of my favourite stamp sets 'Ashley's Blossoms' by My Cute Stamps.

                              

Stamps: My Cute Stamps 'Ashley's Blossoms',

Craftwork Cards 'Springtime and Sentiments

Inks: Versamark, Heat it Up Copper Embossing Powder

Embellishemnts: Adhesive stones

Less Is More - Week 64 How Charming

Very late with my Less is More entry this week; I've had a couple of commissions (pics of which will follow over the weekend hopefully) and my foot problem has reoccurred.  (I have a condition called plantar fasciitis; which causes me extreme pain in the arch of my foot and because I stand when I craft it's been really painful this week.)
Anyway back to my LIM entry. I have quite alot of charms and tend to use them on my "pretty, pretty" OTT cards; however I've not yet used them on a CAS card before.....until now.
I thought I'd make a start on some 'thank you' cards for the girl's teachers for the end of term and here's what I came up with (big thanks and credit to Steph at Stamping and Sharing for the inspiration).

Stamps: Hero Arts apple stamp

Paper: Pink Petticoat apples in crimson

Embellishements: Stampin' Up twine, apple charm

Sentiment: Pink Petticoat cut wuth SU Word Window punch

Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Barn Door and Shabby Shutters

Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring!

When I first checked Mandi and Chrissie's challenge blog on Saturday morning, I can't deny I was a little panic stricken!  The challenge this week on Less is More is Doodling.  For a perfectionist with mild OCD (lol) this was a big ask.  Added to that the fact that it's one layer week; I thought this week's challenge would beat me.  However, the idea for my card came to me on Saturday night and I made my card last night; my quickest LIM card to date!

Stamp: Papermania Honey & Hugs Sheep stamp

Ink: Black Stazon

Other: Chalks, white flock

The photo's not the greatest quality, but I was really pleased with how my 'clouds' turned out.  I made a cloud shaped mask and then chalked over the image with cotton wool balls to make the clouds; subtle but effective me thinks. I just couldn't bring myself to handwrite the sentiment so that's computer generated!  My doodles are the fence, the grass tufts and the birds in flight.  The card was for our friends to say thank you for a great day we spent on their sheep farm last week.

Less is More - Week 62 Three Shades of Green

Thanks to the typical Bank Holiday weather and me feeling unwell, the Easter weekend was a bit of a washout.  However the girls enjoyed the 'indoor' egg hunt and today, when I was supposed to be back at work, the weather changed so I booked an extra day's leave and we drove out to our friend's farm in Ludlow and had a brilliant day riding on a trailer on the back of a quad bike, feeding the baby lambs and  finished off with a lovely meal in a little country pub. The girls really enjoyed themselves and both fell asleep on the journey home.

Stamps: Leaves Set from http://www.craftfairy.co.uk/, Craftwork Cards 'Springtime and Sentiments'

Inks: Distress inks Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters

Embellishments: Kraft card, twine, button

All the green of the countryside reminded me to post my entry for this week's Less is More challenge which is Three Shades of Green. I don't know why but green always makes me want to go 'au naturale', hence the twine and kraft card.

Less is More - Week 61 Lucky Dip

I am so chuffed that I managed to submit a challenge entry over at Less is More every week throughout March. It's great seeing everyone's different interpretations on the challenges and it's really nice to receive comments from other crafters; it really makes my day when I log onto Blogger and see 'Comments to Moderate' (how sad am I?!).

These weeks's challenge is a Picture Inspiration based on this picture from Design Seeds.

Apologies for the quality of the photo, but despite the lovely spring flowers in the Picture Inspiration it actually snowed here nearly all day yesterday. Crazy weather - last week the girls had their summer dresses on, this week it's back to layers and boots!

Stamp: Hero Arts 'Large Blossom Background', Craftwork Cards 'Springtime and Sentiments'

Inks: Memento London Fog

Other: Promarkers

I was on the hunt for a poppy stamp at the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC but couldn't find one. I've since ordered the Hero Arts Poppy Background which inspired me to use the Blossom background I already have. I stamped the image in grey then coloured with promarkers and mat and layered onto white then grey cardstock. I rounded the bottom right hand corner for a bit of interest and embossed a single line below the sentiment on my Hougie board.

I'm really not sure about the finished card though; I think there's maybe something missing?