LIM DT: Draw your own frame

The next challenge at Less is More is to make a one-layer card using a self-drawn frame. I went a bit mad and hand-drew the whole thing. The finished piece looks like it is layered because of shading using an alcohol marker on the bottom edge of the mandala – a very effective way of adding depth without layers. The background is a masked, dense layer of blended distress ink over which I’ve used a black pigment marker and Stabilo pencils for shading.

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LIM DT: Theme – Occupations

Another clean and simple card challenge at Less is More this week. We’ve been set the theme of ‘occupations’. I trawled through my stash and decided to go with the occupation of ‘gardener’… It wasn’t that tricky to choose as I only had one set of stamps that were suitable! Here’s my card:

gardening occupations card

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AAA Cards DT: Sketch and silhouette (#210)

This week’s clean and simple card challenge at AAA Cards is to use the sketch provided to inspire your own makes. There’s the added theme of ‘silhouette’ to throw into the mix. Here’s my design team card…

sketch and silhouette of flowers in a vase

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LIM DT: Silhouette

This week’s theme at Less is More clean and simple challenge blog is ‘silhouette’. I considered a traditional take on the profile of a person but wasn’t particularly excited by that. Then I worked through all my stamps and came across a silhouette dragon, various cogs, flowers, and flourishes. One of the other design team members had used a floral theme, so that was out. Finally, I came across my well-used, but long-neglected, Stampscapes stamps from way back in the 1990s and decided they were perfect for the challenge:

silhouette lake and boatman Continue reading

LIM DT: Purple and Yellow

We’ve reached ‘colours’ on our rotating challenge themes at Less is More and this time around it is purple and yellow. For those unfamiliar with the challenge, it is to make a card or project that is clean and simple – there must be lots of clear and clean space around whatever elements you’re using. Here’s the card I made for the design team inspiration:

Purple and Yellow themed card

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LIM DT: Monogram OLC

Oh, this one is a real toughie! I don’t think it’s a secret that the design team were all scratching their heads with the latest challenge over at the clean and simple card challenge site, Less is More. We could think of several ways of making a monogram, but most weren’t only one layer. That ruled out die cuts, cutouts and all sorts of other clever stuff.

Anyhoo, I scratched my head successfully and came up with three designs. The first, the N, technically didn’t fulfil the definition of a monogram, being a single initial. Then the stencilled and embellished A didn’t fulfil the definition either and turned out not to be a favourite. Finally, the graffiti monogram meets the definition, but might not be considered a traditional monogram.

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LIM DT: Sketch 26

For the unfamiliar, a sketch challenge starts with a block drawing which you then adapt with added elements to make your card. Over at Less is More, the clean and simple card challenge blog, we have set sketch 26. Here are two cards based on the sketch.

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LIM DT: One Layer Card – Flowers

We’re still celebrating 10 years of Less is More Challenges with loads of prizes up for grabs. All you need to do is make a clean and simple card or project featuring ‘flowers’ on just one layer – few or no embellishments, large areas of white space but no adding any layers (e.g. whole card die cuts) to the card. Fuller instructions are here. Enter it into the challenge and you’ll be in with a chance. Here’s my take on the theme:

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