Less is More #57 - Neutrals

Edited to Add:  I am so excited that this card was chosen to be showCASed over on the Less is More blog.  There were so many divine cards that the job of picking just a few must have been very difficult.

I think, as I get older these colours appeal so much more to me.  They can be gentle or dramatic which I love.  I thought of a thousand ways I could go with this, seems that so many challenges are making a feature of these oh so versatile colours.

Here is my take on the challenge but I really think I will be coming back to this several times in the future.

What you need
Cardstock - SU very vanilla
Stamps - PTI Dot Spot, Think Big Favourites
Ink - SU Early Espresso, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel;  Memento Desert Sand
Pearls - Pebbles, Kaisercraft

CR84FN #49 meets WMS #87

This is another card I have pondered for the best part of a week.  I haven't used my WMS doilies alot lately so I pulled them out and stamped lots of doilies in different shades of grey, layering them and this was the best combination.  I wanted to add a touch more yellow in the form of miniature roses, but couldn't work out where to put them so stopped

What you need

Cardstock - PTI Kraft, white;  SU Going Grey

Stamps - WMS Doilies, Asian Gardens

Ink - SU Basic Grey, Going Grey, Daffodil Delight

Die - Spellbinders

Twine - SU

Gem - Kaisercraft

Stampin Royalty #113 and Just Add Ink

Stampin Royalty Challenge - No Added Embellishments

JAI - Just Add Nikki Spencer

I had a lovely leisurely trawl through Nikki's blog and saw so many beautiful cards, it was very hard to choose.  But I decided on this one - unusual for me being yellow but I love the flower "border" and just how serene and elegant it is.  Mine, however is not, but I do like how it turned out.

It also qualifies for the Stampin Royalty no embellishments challenge.

What you need

Cardstock - BB pale yellow; SU white

Stamps - SU Great Friend, Curly Cute;  PTI Turning a New Leaf

Ink - SU Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight; Memento Rich Cocoa

Gems - Kaisercraft

ColourQ #126 and TE Key Ingredients Challenge

It was very tempting to keep the Jillibean Soup patterned paper going but that's possibly going overboard.  Great colours for either a male or female card, should have risen to the challenge but plumped for the easier option.

What you need

Cardstock - BB white

Patterned paper - Jillibean Soup Olive Sugar, Brown Sugar

Stamps - PTI Fancy Flourishes, Think Big Favourites;  SU Petal Pizzazz

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa;  SU Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight

Punches - EK Success, SU

Gems - Kaisercraft

*******

This second challenge is from Taylored Expressions as part of  the Key Ingredients monthly subscription  kit.  As far as I am aware this is the first challenge and hopefully not the last.  With the February kit was the option to get an exclusive stamp set which coordinates with the patterned paper beautifully.

What you need

Key Ingredients February Kit

Stamps - TE Vintage Dreamer

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa;  SU Real Red; PTI Chai

Punches - Martha Stewart

Die - PTI Small Scallop

Twine - SU

                           

Case Study #80 and For Your Inspiration #25

It's been awhile since I have done a Case Study challenge, not intentional, just life gets in the way of creativity at times.  But one of my favourite card makers is this months muse, so had to join in.  Laura Bassen has a lovely clean style that I very much admire and aspire to.  

Here is my take on her card.  I have stayed with the heart motif and most of the colours (just couldn't fit blue in).  

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white

Patterned paper - PTI 2008 Bitty Dot Basics

Stamps - PTI Heart Prints

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa;  SU Lucky Limeade, Regal Rose, Peach Parfait

Gems - Kaisercraft

For my second card I deliberately went CAS and when you see the photo you will know why.

So impossibly beautiful and serene.  So, for me, I have chosen predominantly white with a touch of blue and pink

What you need

Cardstock - BB textured white;  SU white, ? Pacific Point

Stamps - PTI Turning a New Leaf, Mega Mixed Messages

In - Memento Bahama Blue;  PTI Melon Berry

Punch - SU

Gems - Kaisercraft

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

I don't have any MME stamps, so have opted for an MFT stamp.  I have used a recycled Christmas card for the glittery base and I loved the way it turned out.  

What you need

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics black, red;  PTI white

Stamps - MFT A la mode "Cheers"

Copics

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Ribbon - craft supplies

CAS-ual Fridays #42

Had to put in a submission for this one as I have been making afew baby cards lately.  One of the Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kits had a selection of one of my favourite patterned paper companies - October Afternoon.  This is from Campfire but couldn't for the life of me, work out what to do with this pattern, till I dreamt this one up.

I really like this - can be used for a little boy or girl (which it will be).  And of course it is in one of my favourite colours - Navy.

What you need

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics Navy; SU Very Vanilla, More Mustard

Patterned Paper - OA Star Gazing

Stamps - PTI Baby Button Bits, Star Prints

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa;  SU Night of Navy

Marker - SU Pumpkin Pie

Die - Spellbinders

Runway Inspired #6

My goodness, I have pondered this card for 2 weeks.  I knew I wanted to do a demin pocket, looked up a tutorial for faux denim, but decided it sounded too messy (for me anyway).  So then the pocket I did stitching on was just way too big for the card size.  So this is what I have decided upon.  

What you need

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics textured white;  SU white, Not quite Navy

Ink - Versamark;  Memento Sweet Plum;  SU Lucky Limeade

Stamps - PTI Daydreamer

Die - Wplus9 pocket

Hopefully I will be able to do a few more challenges this weekend.  It will be a little busy with my daughter having a friend for a sleepover and a presentation for school on Monday, but since I have spent most of the day cleaning her room, she really has no excuse not to get stuck in (she thinks hopefully).

Liebster Blog Award times 2

Well, I have 2 wonderful blog friends to thank for this, the first Michelle, whom I see most days as our daughters are in the same grade at school, and the other Cyndie, with whom I have exchanged email conversation and am very glad to know.

So here are my blog picks, some already have awards, but not from me

1. Cyndie - sorry but you were top of my list when Michelle sent me to her post.  This lady is incredible at thinking outside the box, her cards and art work are beautifully executed and she inspires me to try  different techniques.

2. Sue Lelli - there is a reason she is on the CR84FN design team, Sue is so good with placement and colour, not to mention being able to put alot of detail on a card without it looking overdone.

3.  Karen W - not only a great card maker but terrific photographer.  I love her Project 64 posts - she has a wonderful eye for detail.

4. Patrice - Aussie girl, does nowhere near enough card making for me as I just love the little touches she puts on cards, which makes me think - why didn't I think of that!

5.  Kelly S - I have to say I was very surprised to see she didn't have over 200 blog followers, thought for sure someone of her ability (as well as being on the WMS design team) would have hundreds.  Her style, again, packs in loads of detail in a very understated way.

Thank you all for your wonderful inspiration

Tuesday Trigger and For Your Inspiration

Tuesday Trigger - Home Sweet Home

Loved the idea of some kind of house image but beyond that no idea.  I had hoped that I could have done this in one layer and submit it for One Layer Wednesday (masking) but had terrible trouble getting the fence straight so, no chance there.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI Kraft

Stamps - PTI Boards and Beams

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa and marker;  PTI Fresh Snow; SU Real Red

Prismacolour White pencil

"For Your Inspiration"

Just beautiful, all these divine shades of green.  So I have chosen to go for 2 shades of green on a clean card.  I couldn't work out how to achieve the reflecton, so I will be interested to see where other people took this challenge.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, New Leaf

Stamps - TE CreativiTEA

Ink - Memento - Pear Tart, Rich Cocoa

Gems - Kaisercraft