Card Craft
LIM DT: One Layer Card – Flowers

Posted on 20th February 2021 by Neil

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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Card Craft
LIM DT: Chocolate!

Posted on 6th February 2021 by Neil

There’s a birthday celebration over at Less is More Challenge blog. The clean and simple challenge has been running for 10 years! There are lots of prizes to be won if you’d like to enter, with the birthday theme being the colour ‘chocolate’. I decided a tenth birthday cake was in order and came up with this card:

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Card Craft
LIM DT: Recipe – In A Row

Posted on 23rd January 2021 by Neil

A Less is More Design Team post again – today’s theme over on the clean and simple challenge blog is a recipe and is for ‘in a row’. There was just one stamp I had that would fit the bill, and it’s a golden oldie from Penny Black. Coloured with ProMarkers using the stamp sample as a guide. It’s a one layer card, though this wasn’t one of the challenge criteria.

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Art Journal
Creative JumpStart 2021: Week 2

Posted on 17th January 2021 by Neil

I set myself the challenge of trying all of the techniques in the 10th Creative JumpStart organized by Nathalie Kalbach. This week included Gelli printing with a homemade stencil, illustrations with watercolour, tonal painting with gouache, paper quilting two ways, using texture in watercolour and stitching a story. I almost didn’t do the watercolour ones, as I really don’t get along well with the medium… but I had a go and was rather happy with the results. I haven’t done the stitching one as I don’t have kids doing naive outline drawings! Each of the featured artists has recorded a 10-minute video tutorial, and they’re all super easy to follow. Here’s this week’s work:

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Art Journal
Creative Jumpstart 2021: The first week

Posted on 10th January 2021 by Neil

I signed up to do Creative Jumpstart 2021 back in November. What with Covid and no studio groups to prep for, my creativity has had a minor slump and I’ve not even had the mojo to create for the fun of it. Creative Jumpstart has a daily 10-15 minute tutorial or inspiration video to watch and so far it has included monoprinting, art journaling, illustration, watercolour and collage as part of the ‘storyteller’ theme. I’ve had a go at all but one so far and it’s been great to challenge my prejudices against some media (watercolour!) and to try out new media. Here are my attempts at the first week of projects:

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Card Craft
LIM DT: Clothing/Fashion

Posted on 9th January 2021 by Neil

After a Christmas hiatus, Less is More is back with a new clean and simple card challenge. ‘We’re probably all sick of sweat pants and casual clothes, so let’s look forward to a time when we can all dress up again’ sets off the clothing/fashion theme. I remembered that I had done some paper piecing of dresses when I was with Craftwork Cards and managed to unearth the ‘Sophie’ stamp set from 2016 which is perfect for dress-up!

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Arts in Worship
Bible Journaling: New Year 2021

Posted on 1st January 2021 by Neil

A new year arrives and it seemed a fitting moment to do some Bible journaling. I have to admit that without a group to prepare for, my journaling has lapsed – since April! It was lovely to be designing again and I’ve been adding to my font and design collection. I’ve kept the same style to allow me to share the printable versions and as always, I think it’s the colour that makes the design pop. A printable template is available for free from my shop.

I’ve chosen verses that offer some encouragement as we start the new year. They are mainly on the theme of ‘new’ – I had to start my search somewhere. I also admit to choosing some on the basis of whether there were any competing completed Bible journaling illustrations on the same page.

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3D Projects
Craft Label DT: North Star Stars

Posted on 13th December 2020 by Neil

Another relatively quick project with Craft Label goodies – North Star Stars. Using the First Edition North Star 6×6″ paper pad, I have cut out six/five spikes (three per sheet) and through folding and fiddly sticking have constructed these hanging stars. I’ve used two of the pearlescent designs (hard to see the shiny finish in the pic) and then two different pages for the alternating patterned star:

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Art Journal
Art Journal: Annus Covidis

Posted on 10th December 2020 by Neil

Back in January I joined Mixed Up Creative Academy’s free art journal course which offered a theme and a technique video each month. I chose to work in a larger size than normal – a portrait A4 page – per month. I made my own journal from thick greyboard so that I could chuck all sorts of media at it without it buckling. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year, the course was pulled due to lack of tutors, so the last three months became my own. Over the months, I found myself moving toward Bible verses and each page became an example of how Bible journaling can move off the Bible page. I present my Annus Covidis journal:

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Card Craft
Craft Label DT: North Star Christmas Cards II

Posted on 7th December 2020 by Neil

Time for another look at the First Edition North Star paper pad from Craft Label. As well as the glittered design, two foil designs and two pearlescent designs, half the pad is double-sided as well. It’s a 200gsm paper, so a decent weight for card making and also making 3D projects as well. Today, I used the grey-green papers which accompany the blue-silver colour scheme in the pad.

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