Less is More in Metallics

Metallics are the theme of this week's Less is More challenge.  I was excited to use my new Coliro mica watercolors, and I wasn't disappointed.  I'll be looking for all sorts of images to paint in metallics now.  The image is "Sunny" from Penny Black; the sentiment is from River City Rubberworks (a very old sentiment).  

Three Little Inchies

A few years ago, I played with inchies frequently.  I even had a few sheets of inchie stamps, but those are long gone.  For the CAS Mix Up in September, Inchies are the thing!  

I tried some new metallic watercolor paints on cardstock and then stamped a background image and heat embossed it.  Using my old Stampin' Up punch, I created the inches and layered them on black cardstock.  The front layer of my card was dry-embossed with one of the (more than 100) embossing folders in my craft room; I stacked the inchies and then applied a one-word diecut as the sentiment.  

Inchies+dry embossing+stamping+heat embossing+diecut+punch

Circle Round for Sunday Stamps

The sketch for this week's Sunday Stamps led me in just a tiny bit of another direction.  And for some reason, I was in the "metallic gold" mood.  On the way back across Oregon this past weekend, we stopped mid-way as we always do, in The Dalles.  I decided I also wanted to visit Joann's for some cardstock colors I needed.  Imagine walking into a sale!  70% off sheets of cardstock and at least 40% off other papers, etc. One of my purchases was a DCWV mat stack that has pages of gold foil.  I used one of those pages for this card and cut the rectangle for the image/sentiment out of gold, as well. 

Less is More with One Layer of Stencils

Time to catch up again after being gone for almost two weeks... I'll start with the dreaded One Layer Card for Less is More.  (I've found that I usually enjoy the challenge of a OLC, even though it doesn't always work for me!)   The stencil is one from The Crafter's Workshop and I used Distress Oxide inks.  (Ths faint shadows are from the screen on the window that provides the light.)

Less is More Color Challenge

I love this Stampotique flower and chose it for the current Less is More color challenge.  I used Altenew watercolors to color the image and added an old Stampers Anonymous sentiment.  I drew the border with a scrapbooking pen. 

Celebration at Freshly Made Sketches

A month of celebration at Freshly Made Sketches begins with Sketch #1 from 8 years ago.

My first thought for this sketch was the shape....I have many flowers that I rarely use anymore, but I also have some Prima butterflies--glitzy butterflies.  So I chose one and tried some cardstock, but abandoned it for this dark teal butterfly.  The papers are also Prima, from a 6x6 paper stack called Firefly. From there, it was choosing which portion of the patterned paper to use for the "boxes."  The sentiment is from a Power Poppy clear set of magnolias. 

Catching Up with Card Challenges

Having been basically inactive in the craft room for weeks, I'm in the mood to catch up.

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I love making backgrounds; it might be my favorite part of card-making.  This Paper Towel technique for CAS Mix Up is so much fun, and I can see it becoming a go-to.  I had to make my own "inky towel" by spraying Distress Sprays on the towel.  The image is an old favorite from Paperbag Studios, who closed more than a year ago.  For the "extra" I cut some tiny hearts out of the inked cardstock to apply. The sentiment is from a Simon Says Stamp set. 

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The next card is for CAS(E) this Sketch.  

I decided to make this card a masculine one; I rarely make them, but can use one now and then. 

The card center was die cut from a piece of heavy printed cardstock with a postage stamp die  nd the "shaded" sentiment is from MemoryBox. 

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The third and final card for today's post is a "Fusion" challenge. 

I am creatively challenged by photo suggestions for a card design.  My brain doesn't work that way!  That means that I choose the "default" image nearly all the time.  It was no different with this particular challenge.  I did have some fun with the DSP from a Kaiser craft paper pad.  The diecut sentiment is from an unnamed collection of words.