Less is more Challenge - Ombre

I thought I would start the year by trying some challenges, it's really something I ought to do more often :-)  The LIM challenge is to make an ombre card, gradual shading from light to dark, or vice versa.

I chose to make butterflies in graduated shades, using a Martha Stewart punch.  The butterflies are attached at the centre only, so the wings can be free, and I added white pearls for the bodies. The sentiment is from Hobbyart. 
I might do some more of these, they could be birthday, get well, best wishes.....

Less is More challenge - Masculine

The theme for this week's Less is More challenge is 'Masculine' and I thought I would have a go.
The main idea for this card is the inlay technique which Sy and I brainstormed between us last craft day.  She will have a video tutorial up soon, I will add the link when that happens.  We picked out a border die and thought we could cut it out in plain cardstock, then cut another one in patterned paper and keep all the pieces which would normally be waste.  Then combine the two!

I didn't use patterned paper in the end, I inked up a sheet of cardstock by swiping inkpads across it, then die-cut from that.  Then I placed the border and the stamp, but thought it needed more..... so I applied the same technique to some die-cut gears .... very fiddly, but I think they look good!

Buy it, Try it: Less is More challenge - Autumn

Two blog challenges in two days - I don't know what's come over me :-)
The Less is More week 245 challenge theme is 'Autumn', so I decided to go for Autumn colours.  I actually ended up making two cards, because I re-read the rules after making the first one and realised that it is a one layer challenge this week .... I had done a matted and layered card!  That'll teach me to read things properly LOL, you'll be seeing that card in the next few days instead.
I christened some new stamps: SU Watercolour Wash and Flowering Flourish, also a script stamp from Darkroom Door.  There are two new inks making an appearance too, Wendy Vecchi Pale Ochre and Memento Potter's Clay.

I partially inked up the Watercolour Wash (it is huge) and stamped it as a background in Pale Ochre.  Then I used Memento Peanut Brittle to stamp the script over the wash, four times as it is only small.  I do miss my Prima script stamp, it was a useful size and I have lost it, don't think you can get it any more :-(  The Flowering Flourish and the sentiment (from SU Butterfly Basics) were stamped in Potter's Clay.
I don't usually go for orange, but I really like the way this has turned out :-)

Buy It - Try It : Less is More challenge - Snow

I haven't entered the LIM challenge for ages, but this weeks prompt for a one layer card is anything to do with snow....... I can do that :-)  It just so happens that I have these new snowflake stamps from Visible Image, so this counts as a BITI as well.

I stamped the pink snowflake, then stamped again on scrap paper and cut it out to use as a mask.  The snowflakes were then stamped in purple and the sentiment (Stampin Up) went over everything in a much darker shade of purple.  I wanted a frame to connect the elements and was stuck for a bit as I didn't have a pen which was a dark enough purple.  Then inspiration struck and I scored a frame using my Hougie board.  It's a a little imperfect down the right hand side, but not too bad.

I should use both masking and scoring techniques more often, it always amazes me how good they look, whenever I re-discover them :-)