Week 20 - Theme

Another super week from the LIMettes, you certainly knew how to Frame it... choosing our ShowCASe this week is certainly going to be a real labour of love!

This week our theme for your cards is
MONOGRAM

monogram: Definition 

monogram ( ) n. A design composed of one or more letters, typically the initials of a name, used as an identifying mark.

So in effect, your monogram should represent the word it's standing for and not be a part of it.

You can use any means you fancy for creating your monogram... die cut letters, stamps, computer printouts, masking techniques... wherever your creativity leads you, we'd love to see it. 

 Mandi

My initials are MM and when I was asked to make a wedding card for a couple 'Mark & Michelle' this popped into my mind! I printed the letters on the computer in 'Flair Roman', the size is 200 I chose to have the second M in outline and glittered the inside. The little bow tie is a diamond punch cut in half and turned outwards! Pearls then added as shown.
For my second card I again started by printing the large M on the computer. The font is size 200 and 'Vivaldi' font.[The 'M' is the monogram for our surname Moore] The Mandi & Steve is also printed on the computer and positioned using the text box method. That font is 'Monotype Corsiva' Stuck a swiss dots embossed panel on the left, then stamped the hearts form Stampin Up [I (Heart) Hearts Available to buy from me here. The 2 hearts have a matching punch for ease of cutting out! Lastly the 'side by side' is from a CTMH set.

Chrissie

For this monogram card I used a sheet of printed gingham DP (I believe it's Cuddly Buddly, but was in my drawer of printed papers) and onto it printed  the letter D (for Daisy, my granddaughter), using the font Alfredo Hollow in size 250 (to make this size I merely typed it into the box beside the font name) .

I cut this out and mounted it onto a square Nestie cut-out and added more gingham DP  and a base white layer, then popped the lot onto dimensional pads.

The only ornamentation is a few Cuttlebug die-cut daisies from the Hippie Chick Alphabet plates.

This card is for my son and daughter-in-law's approaching 3rd wedding anniversary. I used their monograms on their wedding invitations which you can see here.

I'm extremely fond of using monograms on my wedding stationery... if you take a look on my blog you may see just how fond I am of it!

This stamp is from Indigo Blu, embossed in silver, with a peg sentiment from Inkadinkado and die cut monogram letters from Cuttlebug's Typewriter alphabet.

For these fiddly things, I always stick Double Sided Tape onto  the back of the card before running the dies through the Bug.

We almost made 300 entries last week... but this is quite a tricky one... I wonder how many you'll manage this time!

Week 19 - One Layer

Greetings LIMettes one and all!

We had some wonderful entries last week, but, there seem to have been a few cards submitted which were not quite as Clean and Simple as we hoped for. Some were many layered and some had not left much in the way of White Space so we'd just like to re-iterate our request that you follow our guidelines.

We're sure that we're preaching to the converted as it were and that our true LIMetttes follow the rules implicitly, but it maybe that some people see the theme on a blog like Feline Challenges and just add a card because it fits the general theme.

This week it should be simpler as we have a definite CAS challenge... 

it's ONE LAYER WEEK again.

Our challenge is entitled 

IN THE FRAME

We would like to see a frame of some sort or something in a frame... we'd like you to be as inventive as you like.

You could doodle, draw, emboss, ink, paint, colour, print, stamp, emboss resist,  mask or any other method you can come up with to get a frame of sorts into your design.

Arielle, of the Wax Fruit Company, this month's sponsor of our challenge, has loads of fabulous images (with frames) on her website, so do visit her if you're looking for inspiration! There's a link on our sidebar!

As usual a few entries from last week would have fitted this week's bill perfectly, we think some of you must be psychic. 

So remember only one layer and minimal embellishments!

Chrissie

Having messed up a few attempts at this technique, here is my final card. 

I began by cutting out a square from a post-it with my Nesties and placing it centrally on the card. (The pink piece on the picture below)

I then surrounded it with 4 other post-its and removed the original square leaving me with a square of card the exact size of the Nestie exposed.

I then began by sponging inks in Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake into the space.

This was then overprinted with some French Foliage stamps, in a variety of the brown hued inks.

When I had finished, I removed the yellow post-its and placed the pink one back over the stamping, to help position the Nestie once more to emboss the edge of the frame.

A simple sentiment from Personal Impressions was added and that as they say is that!

I had however, messed up three or four cards on the way with inky fingers amongst other things.

I did salvage what I could and made this faux OLC.

Finally, another little card using several frame stamps and some Embosslits butterflies.

Now it's me Mandi

 My first card is using the fabulous Stampendous stamp Flower Fields [bought here]
First of all I printed the sentiment on the computer, using a text box. Instead of removing the text box, I left the sentiment in it. I measured the box and cut a piece of paper the same size, then held it over the text box and then stamped my flowers over the top. I coloured very loosely with water colour pencils, I think the design lends itself well to this kind of colouring.

A little note about the flower stamp. It comes as a 'cling' type, which I really don't like Im a wooden gal at heart! 

I have lots of old wooden stamps I never use, so finding one the right size, I put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and the original stamp peeled straight off [be careful as the wood is quite hot for a while] I then cleaned with sticky stuff remover, I peeled off the transfer from the new flower cling and stuck to one side of the wood. The cling with the rubber stamp I then stuck to the other side of the wood using a strong tacky glue!

My second card base is a pearlised 'lime green' I used my Stampin Up flourish from the
Style Beautiful set.
I measured the width of the centre panel I wanted to draw. Found the centre of the card [top to bottom] and lightly drew pencil lines so I could line up the flourish perfectly. I stamped one, then used my Stamp-a-majig to line up the other] I drew the lines with a SU fine liner pen and finally added the Anniversary sentiment, from Basic Phrases set, then the 2 bright pink gems.
If you would like to purchase Stampin Up products
please contact me here 
** I have TWO only ONE places left on my Stampers 6 Club starting 1st July **
I am offering FREE postage for July/August

Week 17 ShowCASe

We really are rather tardy this week in bringing you our showCASed cards for Week 17. 

It was SUCH a difficult job with the fantastic numbers of entries, but here is our selection, and what beautiful cards they are too!

Zoe (50)

Erica (52)

Angela (153)

Heather  (233)

Congratulations ladies, your work is an inspiration to us all!

Do please display our ShowCASe badge on your blogs and congratulations to you all!

Week 18 - Colour

What can we say?

What a week!

Over 300 submissions and what fabulous cards too!

You Limettes have really done us proud, thank you so much!

This month we are delighted to be sponsored by Arielle from the Wax Fruit Company who is offering a $20 value voucher from her store, please do check out her superb designs.

We're now back to a colour challenge and for this week we have decided to have

MONOCHROME

Encarta definition mon·o·chrome [ mónnə krm ] adjective  Definition: 1. in shades of one color: using or displaying only shades of one color or black and white.

You may choose any colour you wish, but please keep all the shades you use within your chosen spectrum.

It's me first this week Mandi
Before I tell you about my cards I owe you all an apology.
I didn't manage to comment on any of the entries from Friday.
I've had a bad head all week and it came to a bit of a wipe out situation today.
I'm so sorry to have let you down.

Right, for my cards I used Stampin' Up card and ink as they match perfectly!
The stamp is 'Growing Green' I stamped the fern/petal branch three times.
The card base is Pink Pirouette, the ink Rose Red. I coloured the petals with my watercolour pencils.
The blue is on white base card using Pacific Point ink and card.
I stamped using 2 sentiments from Sincere Salutations and cut the shape with the Label Punch

For the little bit behind I cut another label with the punch, cut it in half, trimmed the little bump in the centre and stuck it to the sentiment panel, slightly overlapping. [I didn't invent this btw, I've seen it widely done with other punched shapes]
You can buy any of the Stampin' Up from me here. There is A FAB SPECIAL OFFER running for June/July, so do take a look.

Now it's over to my lovely Chrissie, whom I have to thank very much for holding the fort yesterday!

Chrissie

Having seen all the Craft Stamper freebie stamp chandeliers on the submissions last week, I thought that I would use it to make a card echoing the background of my personal blog,  do take a look if you haven't popped by Simply One of A Kind.

On my blog, I chose a  basic background from the Background Fairy and added the animated chandelier from Blogamation.

I think that the two go together very well.

To make the card. I masked off a section and sponged it with Sahara Sand ink, stamping some partially masked, music  manuscript images in Sahara Sand then adding adding some script (French Foliage) and flourishes (Joie) in Whisper White, some of which I embossed with clear EP.

I then did a little more sponging with Crumb Cake ink  before stamping the chandelier in Brown Stazon. (I had to use this ink to be able to stamp over the embossing.) I also extended the chain on the chandelier with a marker pen, otherwise it would have looked as though it was floating in mid-air.

Finally the sentiment, again with reference to the name of my blog, was stamped underneath. This is the second card I made, as I was not happy with my choice of position for the sentiment on the first one, despite using my stamp positioner.

We'd love to see all your fabulous work... I wonder if we can beat last week's 325 entries?

May Winner

It seems difficult to believe that it's June already and so we have to announce our Prize winner for the month of May.

We're sure that everyone will join us in congratulating 

Susan Goetter

as our most worthy winner this month.

Not only does Susan produce the most superb cards, but she is also a loyal supporter of "Less is More" and is so diligent in commenting on so many other crafters who are proud to call themselves LIMettes!

Thank you so much Susan and very well done.

If you will let us have your contact details, 3 x sets of fabulous Digi Stamps from Paper Garden Projects will be winging their way to you.

ShowCASe Winners Challenge 16 Butterflies

This was another very difficult task to select our ShowCASe winners for Week 16, where our theme was butterflies!

What a joy it was for me (Chrissie) to come back from my holiday to such an array of splendid creations. So without further ado here is this week's selection in the order in which they were submitted.

Congratulations to you and many thanks for your splendid inspiration to us all.

Ali (19)

Tricia (123)

 Birgit (134)

Please take the Showcase badge which we hope you will add to your blogs with pride!

Chrissie & Mandi