A Lonely Heart

This is probably as Clean and Simple as I can get, I still find the concept of minimal to be difficult. The task at Less Is More has been made easier this week of the combination of the challenge being a Heart and of my discovery at a recent craft event of a new and exciting stamp designer at http://www.chloescreativecards.co.uk/

from whom I purchased the lovely heart stamp, which I stamped with a Black Memento ink pad and coloured the red berries with a Ruby Sparkle Gelly Roll Sakura pen.

Autumn - A Tree

The theme this month at Make My Monday remains to be AUTUMN, the topic this week is either Tree or Trees. Hunt out your tree stamps, or search your other sources for trees and decide how your going to use it. Remember it is Autumn, so please hold back on the Christmas trees for now. I look forward to seeing your creations, it is so nice to visit your blogs. Please take a look at the main blog for the girls have produced some fantastic tree cards. For mine I used an Elusive Images tree and verse stamp. The remainder stamps are from Inkylicious and a few of my tapestry stamps for the higher foilage. I used several TH Distress inks. I produced a scene using torn pieces of paper and an ink blender. Thanks for your comments.
i am alsoe ntering this card into:-
St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge  Let's hear it For the Boys

My Fat Pages Book - Fashionable Stamping

For our challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenge for the next two weeks we would like to see ANYTHING BUT A CARD- but remember there must be some stamping on view,  DIGIS are a NO NO!
I greatly enjoyed visiting the blogs the last two weeks to see some amazing and beautiful Vintage creations.
I created the back and front of my book ready in preparation for when I start receiving the monthly Fat Pages of the swap I am hosting on the Do Crafts ATC forum. If your interested I am also (seperately) hosting a swap on my blog. For my book, I decided to use something strong to be able to hold 12 months pages. I have had some grungeboard for ages and not used it, time to use it I decided. I first embossed it with  a snakeskin pattern embossing folder in my Cuttlebug. Then I sprayed it with Cosmic Shimmer Mist Aqua Lagoon and Sprinkys Colour Spray - Amethyst. I then stamped a grasses spray from a new set of stamps from My Paper World, the butterfly was stamped seperately, then adhered to the book. I used a cameo  button, lace, ribbon and flowers to decorate, along with, of course a bit of glitter here and there, along with a few pearls. The label holder is attached with brads, the label was typed. The inside and back are as the background on the front, for it will be holding 12 decorated pages from 12 folk, exciting stuff.
I again look forward to visiting your blogs, I know there will be some exciting creations to see. have fun.

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Wk 4

Better late than never for a chance to win a tenner voucher at The Craft Barn. This is week 4 and the challenge is to produce a calendar or a calendar page for April - Yellow and to use Masks.  I first covered my calendar page with TH Distress Inks Mustard Seed and Wild Honey. I secured a 6 x 6 template from The Crafter's Workshop, and stencilled over it with Spiced Marmalade, leaving the required yellow to pop.
I added a sentiment from Lyndsay Mason's Tattered butterflies and used one of my favourite swirl stamps to balance the black at the top. I finally lightly coloured the dges with Frayed Burlap. Phew! done before tomorrow's draw. Fingers crossed.

Minimal cards for TIOT

This week at Try It On Tuesday we are returning to making a card. The clean and simple style has become very popular, so we are challenging you to make a MINIMAL card. At a recent card class I run, we tackled one of the diffficult cards we all dread making, Sympathy and Thinking of You cards. From one dark green A4 (UK) card, here are two cards I made. They are the same in size and style, only the stamps are different. The first cArd I used for the background a fantastic background stamp from Anita's, it is so versatile. I used TH Distress ink Peeled Paint for all of the stamps used. The daisies are from Sheena Douglas. The second card, I created the background using a piece of Christmas Sequin waste, secured it to the card, then with a piece of cut and dry foam, I stencilled through to achieve the strip of stars.  the stamp is again a favourite of mine, the agapanthus which looks so calm and serene. i do hope you like my two samples. I look forward to visiting you this week, hoping you will enjoy the relaxation of making, if not a simple card, then certainly a minimal card. Good luck and enjoy.

New theme for MMM-Autumn

I am hoping you ladies do enjoy the next month's theme of AUTUMN at Make My Monday.  This is my choice, not unexpected, but it is one of my favourite seasons, though the first few days have been an amazing Indian summer. Each week the theme will remain Autumn with a different subject to challenge you. The first topic is RESIST TECHNIQUE, now there are so many ways you can achieve the resist technique, any is acceptable. Be sure to pop onto the main blog to see the DT cards, they have again excelled. I have added the heat embossing resist technique to my tutorial blog here for the card above. All the details are on the blog so I won't repeat them here. I look forward to visiting your blogs to see your beautiful cards during the British Autumn. Have Fun.
I am entering this card into these challenges:.........................
Stamptacular Sunday   Autumnal Photo Inspiration
Our Craft Lounge   Fall Foilage
Hybrid Card Caravan No 3 Autumn
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo
St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge For the Boys

First Fat Pages Swap

Are you ready ladies, the excitment now begins. for the month of October, our fat Pages are to be stamped, to produce a Halloween Fat Page. All details are in the section FAT PAGES SWAP on the right side of my blog. I am sending each of you an e-mail with name and address of your partner, the list is below. Remember it will change each month. Anyone else who would like to join us in the swap is more than welcome, we sign up for the 2nd of the month to send by the last day of the month to our partner. Please add any comments or questions to the permanent page. Thanks.
For October -Halloween.......

Yvonne (Meggymay) sends to Cath
Cath sends to Amanda
Amanda sends to Joan
Joan sends to Caz
Caz sends to Jacqueline
Jacqueline sends to Yvonne
Have fun girls.