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Monday, 15 August 2011

Less is (supposed to be) more...

The Less is More challenge this week is to make a one-layer card using ink. Brilliant! I've been making one-layer cards using ink ever since I've been making cards so what could possibly be hard about this? Well, you've guessed it - my bin is overflowing and I've lost the will to live! Funny isn't it? If you slope off now I shall perfectly understand but I thought I'd show you the least ghastly of today's efforts:


I've spent hours with masks and sponges and post-it notes this morning but this card, made in a fit of frustration, uses none of these techniques! Instead I swiped some Marina Mist ink across a Confetti White card base with a damp cloth and stamped the oak tree from Lovely as a Tree over the top. I'd coloured my tree with markers, tapping the leaves with various greens.


Here's a close-up of the tree, which didn't turn out too badly. Can you see how I used a blender pen to add colour to the trunk of the tree? Perhaps you can also see the 'bits' in the Confetti card stock which look like leaves blowing about - I liked that!


I went and made a cup of coffee and brooded like a cross old bat for a while before stamping the sentiment because the card stock was slightly damp and I didn't want the ink to run. (I can't believe it didn't run because I don't think I brooded like a cross old bat for nearly long enough but hey ho!) I used a sentiment from Sincere Salutations, changing the position of the words slightly using my stamp-a-majig. I love the versatility this tool gives me.


Supplies needed for this card:
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi
Card stock: Confetti White
Other: Markers, Stamp-a-majig, damp cloth
You can buy any of these supplies from me (apart from the damp cloth!) and I can have them delivered to your address in the UK. Just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

I think it's time to tidy up my crafting square metre now. And then I think I might go and hang upside down in the belfry...

Thank you for visiting today. See you soon,









Masculine Monday will be back on 5th September.

39 comments:

  1. Love the technique you eventually went for, Vicky. Your tree looks fabulous! And no worries about your sentiment, it looks perfect!

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  2. Vicky, this is beautiful. The colours of the background and tree go together so well.

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  3. How could you be a cross old bat when you make me laugh so much???

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  4. This is just beautiful Vicky!! Love the two tone effect of the leaves you got after using the markers! The Stampin Markers and the stamp-a-ma-jig are two of my favourite tools! You can use them to do so many different things with your other supplies!
    Hugs, Victoria ~x~

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  5. Love the muted background, Lovely as a Tree has to be one of my all time favourite sets (hope it doesn't retire, ever!)

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  6. Well Vicky .. .. all I can say is that all of your hard work and effort has produced a wonderful card.

    Me and one layer cards just never happen!!!

    Hope you had a good weekend.

    Love Jules xx

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  7. Oh Vicky, let me assure you that this card was well worth the frustration, its lovely and I really like the effect of the pens on the tree and trunk. The flecks in the cardstock do look like leaves blowing around :)
    Don't hang up for too long!!!! Lol
    Jenny x

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  8. Hee Hee your post made me smile. Your card however looks perfect as ever. I like the idea of swiping colour across the page and your tree looks lovely with all it's foliage. x

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  9. Gorgeous card. I must remember to do that with my sentiments.

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  10. Well you've given us a laugh this morning Vicky. Your tree is fab, love the different tones of green. A super card. xx

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  11. This is a beautiful card. You are much to critical of your own work. I would be so proud of myself if I had made that card. :)

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  12. Lovely card today Vicky, your tree is gorgeous with all the different tones of green. Can't imagine you as a cross old bat though! - Jacqueline xx

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  13. Hi Vicky, LOL It's times like these that make me carry on and if it was too easy it wouldn't be so much fun:0)Having said all that I think your card's beautiful and you're much too hard on yourself! Have another coffee, big smiles, Gay xxx

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  14. Great card and I love that confetti paper. Sandra

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  15. Oh dear Vicky . . . I do sympathise with your plight. But . . . I think you cracked the challenge in the end.

    Hugs, Sandra

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  16. Hello Vicky

    An amazing and beautiful card. I love the soft gentle blue backgrond. Your tree is stunning and your colouring perfect.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  17. Hi Vicky
    It;s not ghastly! It;s FAB, I love the effect you have created. I confess I had a bin full of rubbish after playig around with mine, weird how one day you can knock out dozens [:) and others nothign goes together!

    Thanks as always
    Mandi
    Diva LIm
    "Less i s More"

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  18. Beautiful card Vicky !! I love that the flecks in the card look like autumn leaves.

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  19. A simply lovely card and think you've done a really great job with the tree x

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  20. Shame on you , showing us such an utterly ghastly card I'm in shock ( not ) you are much to hard on yourself Missy this is gorgeous and very realistic, love the leaves blowing around and the use of the pen is pure brilliance. If you ever get the urge to throw your cards in the bin, pop them in a big envelope and send them to me I have very good taste and will treasure them.

    Marie

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  21. Great effect of the leaves from the cardstock, I am sure you thought about that when you positioned your ink and tree. It's gorgeous. Must try the 'swiping' technique sometime, it gives a lovely background.

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  22. Gorgeous Vicky, love the tree and the leaves blowing in the wind!

    However, what impressed me the most, is that YOU throw out not fit to see cards as well, LOVE IT, makes me feel SO much better :)

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  23. The card looks fab as always Vicky, so don't worry...and as for being a cross old bat...well my lips are sealed lol:O) Viv xx

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  24. I think that the crux of the matter is feeling moved to make something, rather than being asked to make something!
    The former is the harbinger of creative flow, the latter is the catalyst for creative block!
    You have overcome all and produced a fab card... as ever!Super tree Vicky!
    Thanks so much... once more.
    Chrissie
    Lady LIM
    "Less is More"

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  25. I love this card, you managed to create a beautiful card. The tree is just perfect!

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  26. Hi
    Vicky
    Fabby card ...love it ....mine for once i did in 3minutes ...never made a card so quick.....
    hugs sylvie
    xxxx

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  27. Don't be so hard on yourself Vicky - it's lovely. I had a day like that yesterday, made a card that I had been asked to make - wasn't happy with it but gave it to her anyway. Made another one this morning that turned out fine so gave that to her and told her to bin the other one!! Glad it's not just me :0)
    M x

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  28. I don't believe for one second that you had so much trouble with this challenge! When I first saw it on Saturday my first thought was "I wonder what Vicky will do!" I'm a big believer in stepping away from our projects when they begin to frustrate us. More often than not, when we return to them we see them in a whole new light!

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  29. Your card turned out beautifully - love that tree :o) I've lost a lot of cards to the bin lately though, so I know how frustrating it can be! Lisa x

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  30. Vicky, after all your angst, this is a beautiful card. Simple, but perfect. Lynn x

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  31. Vicky you did make me laugh... I have never seen a card you made that wasn't less than perfect and this one is no exception!

    I have sat staring into the crafting abyss on a few occasions lately and am struggling to find some inspiration. Today i went through some of the entries for the LIM site and am so pleased to see a sea of colour and images to make my heart smile...

    Hope your hanging like a bat hasn't given you a bad back and i hope you manage to recover some bits from the bin to recycle...

    Thanks for sharing:-)

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  32. You're so funny, Vicky. Your card is beautiful, and I bet there is not one single ghastly thing in your trash bin, either! I love your beautifully soft inking. :) Ann

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  33. Vicky what a great idea to use the card with texture for the leaves and this is so beautiful! I think knowing it HAS to be one layer is quite scary, I often have a whole bunch of rejects that can become something else when they are rescued but will no longer be one layer cards!
    Absolutely gorgeous card.
    Anne
    x

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  34. It isn't ghastly at all! I too had to puzzle over this for days - not sure why, because it is the most natural thing. Aren't we funny?!

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  35. Sorry, meant to say also that I love your card. one of my favourite stamps

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  36. It's a great card Vicky - worth all your effort! (love that stamp set :D) Gill x

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  37. Ghastly, what on earth are you on about woman this is superb!! I am soooo going to case this one and the teqhniques for my demo at my next party!!

    You are the Queen of One Layers!!

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I'd love to know what you think. Do leave me a comment - it always makes my day! Vicky x


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