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:
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.
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!
It’s recipe time at Less is More and the theme chosen is ‘more than one type of foliage’. One of the main aims of the challenge (aside from making sure the card is clean and simple) is to make the theme to be the focus of the card. There was only one stamp set I could think of in my collection that would fit the bill – a set of five fern fronds by Hero Arts. Here’s the eventual winner, from three I made, for my design team card:
It’s time to come clean… I don’t like making fancy cards. This week’s challenge at Passion for ProMarkers is to use ‘fancy folds’. Thus this is outside of my comfort zone, so I decided I would do the most basic fancy fold, an easel card. I wanted to keep the border on the background paper, so mitred the squares. I carried that principle through to the sentiment, but doing it again I would have embossed it in white.
I’ve seen several of these ‘magic’ cups made by one of my Facebook friends – she stamps, embosses and then cuts out lots of flowers to decorate hers. I’ve wanted to make my own for ages, and finally got chance (and the cup and saucer) to do one this week. I didn’t have the patience to cut out a lot of flowers, but for some reason found enough to individually place and glue some 400 pieces of Candi (from Craftwork Cards). Delighted with the outcome and looking forward to arrival of a new turntable which will make a 360 degree video so much quicker!
News released today from Craftwork Cards:
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Neil Burley as our Social Media Manager.
Neil has been a key part of our Design Team for the last two years and there is no doubting his amazing creative skills. He has made so many fabulous, inspirational projects for us and now he will also be working with us to coordinate the various social media sites we use, including our blog, Pinterest boards and Facebook page.
Neil will be working closely with Julie Hickey, Design Team Co-ordinator, and the Design Team as a whole to bring you lots more beautiful inspiration, sharing their top tips and techniques, step by step mini tutorials on how to create some of their fantastic creations, and much more! There will be links to our collections too, making shopping much easier for you.
We have lots of exciting plans for the new year, but we would love to hear your ideas too! Please email them to Neil at socialmedia@craftworkcards.com.
Welcome to the Craftwork Cards team Neil!
I know, it’s still too early to mention the ‘C’ word, but in crafting terms I started Christmas crafting back in June with the Festive Chalkboard collection. This time, I’ve used it to make gift cards containing three scented candles courtesy of a certain Swedish flat pack specialist. The cards themselves are made using the Eazi-Score board from Diamond Card Craft – my instructions and board purchase information are here.
I’m getting stock (including these cards) ready for our church’s Christmas Fayre (Whetstone Memorial Hall, near Leicester, 28th November), so there might be a slight pregnant pause between posts as I’m frantically sawing, sanding, polishing, sticking, pricing and moulding various items – but as soon as I’ve finished each project, I’ll be sure to post them!
When I saw the new Window Box Cards from Craftwork Cards, several ideas came to mind… but for a change, others in the Design Team had beaten me to those! As I looked at the cards a little more, this idea formed, and I spent much of the rest of the day making this garden bench, complete with flower-filled trug and birthday card with envelope. The bench and embellishments feature the new Scrumptious collection, augmented with Liquid Pearls (Flamingo and Juniper) and Star Dust Stickles.
Aside from feverishly making samples for Craftwork Cards latest collection (details on their blog as well), I have been preparing for my next demonstration day at Coleman’s Craft Warehouse on Saturday 6th December. I’ve been given the (rather broad) title of ‘Altered Art Tips & Tricks’, so I’ve been busy gathering together ideas and samples to share.
Brand new, especially created for the day, are these altered paper mache letters featuring embossed card, inka gold and tarmac technique; napkin decoupage; Tim Holtz/Ideaology/Distress techniques; acrylic crackle and beads.
This is a Tando Creative mini-print tray decorated with the Christmas Post set from Craftwork Cards – I’ve a quick trick to share with you for colouring in the frame. Embellishments by Mark Richards via Woodware stockists.
I’ll also be revealing my ‘Artist’s Palette’ assemblage for its very first public viewing, as well as bringing along my ‘Sewing Room’ assemblage for your inspiration and sharing ideas. Hope to see you there 🙂
