First Time Challenge

Categories: crafting

Date: 07 April 2013 09:34:19

I've been making more cards, on and off, for the past few weeks - usually two or three at a time. Quite often, I trawl the internet for inspiration, trying to find something I can make without all the fancy-shmancy embossing machines and cutters. The site which is often the best for inspiration is "Less is More" - this is a weekly challenge site, with the guiding principal that the designs are simple without some of the OTT embellishments that some crafters use. I think this is more my style of design; while I like a lot of the very "fancy" artefacts that I come across, they're not to my taste when it comes to creating - and nor do I have the resources necessary to create them.

For the first time, I have decided to actually "enter" the challenge. Every week there is a different theme for the challenge - a colour combination, a sketch, a title, etc. This week the theme is the colour combination lime green and black. It's not a combination I have ever used, but I searched through my papers and stash of stuff and found quite a lot I could use. And once I'd made one card, I realised that it was a combination I really, really liked...so I spent yesterday afternoon creating several cards in the lime-and-black spectrum.

This morning I tried to make a "light box" for photographing my cards. I can never take good photos of my cards & a light box was suggested as a way of taking better photos. I'm not sure how successful they were - but I think they're slightly better than usual.

So here are my efforts for the Less is More Lime / Black challenge.

The first one I made is this:

(OK, so I may be able to take better photos, but I've not worked out how to rotate them yet! You'll have to lie on your side!)

This uses a stamp that I got free on a craft magazine, with paper from my stash. I made the flowers using my Artemio flower punch (for which - unusually for me! - I think I paid full price!) A bit of bling and there you have it! Inspired by the lovely fresh feel of the colours I went on to make:

This also uses paper from my stash, together with a flower taken from a Papermania set (bought discount at my favourite shop Noz). The ribbon I bought in Casa (reduced!) and again there are flowers made with the paper punch, a bit of bling, and a handwritten sentiment: Happiness is Now

I was on a roll now! Inspired by one of the other "entries" for the challenge, I created this:

The paper was one I printed off many moons ago - I can't remember where from, I'm afraid. Cut with wavy scissors, I like it as a background to the ribbon. The ribbon, brad and flower are all from the same Papermania set, which I've also had for a long time - never quite finding the right colour combo to use it in. Well, today I found it! The sentiment is again hand written: Simply for You

One thing I do find difficult is stamping - I don't think I use it to the best advantage; I suspect I haven't really got suitable stamps (as I only buy them when they're reduced at Noz or free with a magazine!) and I haven't got the skill/know-how to use them well. Still, I was quite pleased with how this worked out (even though I smudged the writing by trying to rub out the lines before the ink had tried- clutzy as always!):

I hummed and arred about the thin black lines, but I think they worked. The stamp I used was another freebie, stamped with VersaCraft ink in "Pine" (reduced at Artemis, in Clermont!). I coloured the image using water colour pencils (again free - they were being thrown out at the school where I used to work) and the sentiment, hand written, is "Thinking of You"

Finally, I was left with a scrap of green card slightly blotched with ink - my desk becomes a complete mess when I'm creating. Stuff goes everywhere, I'm not very careful where I put things, and in this case I put the card on top of an open ink pad. It doesn't help that I take off my glasses when doing close up work, but as soon as I need to see any distance at all, I need my specs...but I can't find them amidst the chaos! So, I covered the ink with paper and added a little button (from the Papermania set) sewn on with black thread (rescued from a load of hopelessly tangled threads again being chucked out at school. I've had these for over 13 years and I'm still using them for various craft projects!)

So, there are my cards for the Less Is More Challenge. I'm really rather pleased with all of them, and can't decide on a favourite!

They'll be going up to the Chateau this afternoon (if I can be arsed walking up there!) - this is the ruined chateau in the village where the Artisans (craftspeople) of the region have a little shop where we can sell our wares. I'm not very good at changing my stock (there are still a lot of Christmas cards up there!) but I should try and be better. I've got quite a few cards that I've made recently which I can display.

I'm also going to improve my skills (I hope!) next week at Alison's card workshop over near Lyon. I'll get to see a BigShot in action too - I'm still being tempted by the idea of one, but because this is just a hobby for me, I don't know if I can justify the cost. If I create some beauties, I'll put the photos on here.