Clearly Besotted Set the Scene Card 1 & Less is More Challenge 193

Good evening all,

Today I have been very busy playing with one of my new stamp sets from Clearly Besotted - Set the Scene. I have written a review of this set which you can find here.

My first card is in keeping with the Less is More challenge, which is to create a one layered card, using two of something. I decided to use the city scape with the two fireworks. I have to admit, that I really struggle with one layer cards because I much prefer a backing card first as my base with a layer on top. I feel it hide a bit of the warping that can happen from heat embossing etc - whereas with one layer, you are totally exposed!

So anyway, to start my card, I stamped the snow globe  on a 8cm x 8cm square card - thought this size was a bit different and suited the size of the stamp well.

I then began colouring the globe part using Spectrum Noir markers - first in a royal blue shade and then blended in a darker navy at the edges.

 

The city scape was then heat embossed in black along the bottom of the globe - 

The two fireworks were stamped using my embossing stamp after being carefully positioned using my stamp-a-majig.

I wanted the fireworks to be a mix of red and gold so I carefully added one to the centre and the other to the outer parts - I found a small plastic teaspoon was best for this. I was so pleased with the end result!

Once both fireworks were in place, I began working on the base of the globe. I felt that red would be the best for this to brighten the image up. I used Spectrum Noir Markers for this, again using a lighter shad in the centre and blending in darker shades as I moved outwards.

The final stage was to add a sentiment to the globe - I felt that Happy New Year was most appropriate and just to try it out/use it up, I used the mixture of red and gold I had been left with from the fireworks. This worked well! What I love too, it that some flecks of red and gold have become heat set in the windows of the city scape which just adds that bit extra sparkle!

I was really annoyed that I had gone over the lines slightly with the colouring. I decided to finish the image off by re-stamping the globe and heat embossing in black, but in further, I would do this FIRST, to stop the colours bleeding out.

Also, some flecks of black embossing ink has been left on the card which is SO annoying! I definitely need to invest in an embossing buddy!!

Here is the finished card. I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I made this card.

Any comments as always, so very much appreciated. Laura xxx

Supplies used:

Card/Paper: White Card from Papermill Direct

Stamps: Clearly Besotted-Set the Scene

Ink: Emboss embossing ink, Memento Tuxedo Black

EP: Papermania Black, Tinsel Red and Gold EP's

Pens: Spectrum Noir Blues no.s - TB5 &TB9, Red's no.s - CR11, DR5 &DR7

Something new for the LE Designs blog - A review!! Clearly Besotted Set the Scene Stamp Set

Good evening all and thank you so much for joining me for something a bit different on the LE Designs Blog - a review of a product!! This week, I am focusing on what might just be my new favourite stamp set from the fabulous Clearly Besotted.

As some of you may know, I was the winner of the September Challenge over at Clearly Besotted with this card ….

I was given a £30 voucher for Clearly Besotted which I was over the moon with! I already own lots of their stamp sets and dies but still, I was completely spoiled for choice with the options available to order. I finally decided on two collections - ordering the stamps and matching dies for each. Today, I have been playing with one of these sets and this is the one I would like to review.

Whenever you order from Clearly Besotted, you can be assured of excellent customer service from Stephanie Wincott, the owner. Items are always securely wrapped and come looking beautiful in pink tissue paper. My last order also had a beautiful hand stamped thank you tag attached which was such a sweet idea- makes the customer feel very special. Orders are always shipped with such speed too - I have been known to place an order in the morning and receive it the next day. This works brilliantly for me because I am so impatient - hate having to wait ages for things I have ordered!!

And so on to the stamps themselves. The stamps are manufactured in the U.S.A and they are of excellent quality. What I love about them, is I know I can take them straight out the pack, stick them on my acrylic block, stamp them up and I am good to go - there is no need to prep them as I have had to do in the past with some 'cheap' stamps. I have never had a single issue with any of the CB stamps.

So here is the stamp set being looked at today - Set the Scene (with the accompanying die).

As soon as I looked at this stamp set on the CB website, I had images conjuring in my head of what I could do with this set. It was not until I got sitting playing with them, that I realised just how versatile a set this is! I am actually in love with it! 

I began with a sheet of blank paper and stamped the snow shaker multiple times in order to start building up different scenes. I kept everything in black, just so I could see the way the stamps worked together.

Now, I found that the best way to get really accurate placement was to use my stamp-a-majig. If you don't own one of these - you NEED one!! It is the best thing since sliced bread as far as I am concerned. It allows you to ensure you get that stamped image exactly where you want it instead of just guessing and in may case, getting it wrong and then frustrated that my whole card is ruined! 

I will do a separate review on this product and explain exactly how amazing it is!!

Anyway, I deviate - back to CB, Set the Scene. I began working with the snowman because he is just SO cute. 

Using my stamp- a-majig, allowed me to get perfect positioning (which you will see I never got the first time!!)

For the underneath part of the snow globe, there are a number of options - 

 

Or a number of sentiments as you will see used here.

With the snowman, there is also some gorgeous multi sized snowflakes to be used or snowballs - 

*Note - be very gentle when stamping the snowballs and not heavy handed like I was with a couple of them!!*

Lets move away from the snowman and on to a city scape - 

 

There are fireworks that can be used with this which again I used my stamp-a-majig to position properly.

I felt the Happy New Year sentiment worked best with this one.

Another option however, is to use the multi sized stars  - 

Apologies for the additional stamping on this one! We are moving to that next - the trees.

There are two sizes of tree and I find the biggest one fits best on its own.

You could always do a bit of masking and add the smaller ones in at either side? Here is the small tree stamp beside the large one to show how it could be positioned.

The small tree works brilliantly with a snow drift stamp - 

There is even a santa sleight that fits in with this too - 

The advantage of using the stamp-a-majig is also that you can 'try' stamps out before you commit to stamping them - for example….

I'm not sure if this would work or not, but it is once to be able to see it tested out first.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless with this stamp set - and I've still not shown you everything! There are more sentiments that the ones I have used - 

And finally, there is a moon too - this would look great with the sleight flying over the top - 

I had such amazing fun playing around with this stamp set and found it so useful to get them all stamped in various ways on a bit paper first before starting to  think about how these could be made in to cards. 

I would absolutely recommend this stamp set and at only £9.00 for the stamp set and £3.50 for the matching die - I think this is a real bargain. If my boring black and white images don't inspire you - then  don't worry. I've 4 cards to show you in my next post that are made using this set!

If you want to see this set, just click on the link to be taken directly to the stamp link - Set the Scene Stamp Set

Thank you for reading and as always, any comments are very much appreciated. Laura xxx

Supplies used:

Card/Paper: White paper from stash

Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Set the Scene

Dies: Clearly Besotted - Set the Scene

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Tools - Inkadinkado Stamp-a-ma-jig

Uniko Studio Challenge 14

Afternoon all,

Well today I was meant to be packing, cleaning the house etc as we go away on our wee Thomas the Tank adventure first thing tomorrow morning! Instead, I sat down with a cuppa and began looking at some blogs etc. I suddenly realised I hadn't entered the Uniko Studio challenge so I immediately set to work. I pulled out my vast array of Uniko Studio stamps to decide which to use. I was drawn to Chrysanthemum….but I restrained myself! Instead I decided to use the Hummingbird stamp and matching sentiment.

As the challenge is Clean & Simple, I wanted to keep the card very CAS and so no bling was even brought out! I decided to make the only feature, a bit of colour by way of spectrum Noir markers to match the purplish colour in the inspiration photo - I heat embossed the hummingbird in black on some vellum and coloured both sides to give a better depth of colour. The Hummingbird was fussy cut out and the 'Thanks' sentiment heat embossed in black on the top card. Instead of doing my usual top card right in the centre of the base card, I decided to try putting it in the top right corner instead - I actually really like how this looks!

So, here it is, my CAS card….

The top card used is a gold shimmer card which is really stunning, although you will just have to trust me on that one because it doesn't show up well in the photo!!

Thanks for looking! Off to pack now!! 

Laura xx

3rd Birthday and Case this Sketch 95

Good evening all!

It's been a very busy week or so….Handmade Fair was in full swing, I had resulting orders to fulfil and I've had a few other cards to make for people.

I really loved joining in with Case this Sketch last week and was very 'challenged' by the next sketch!! I spent hours thinking about it, even woke up during the night thinking about it (so sad!!!) and an idea I thought was going to work just really never - however it did develop into a completely different card as a thank you for my cousin. I ended up LOVING this card and was asked by my Mum to create an identical one as a New Home card for her friend.

Here is the card here -

It's really difficult to see with the rubbish lighting, but the card used is gold shimmer card and this is so striking with the embossed black butterfly outlines. The middle butterfly is double layered to make it really pop of the page.

Anyway, I digress. That is not the card for Case this Sketch!…..back to that. As my youngest reaches the grand old age of 3, it seems to be time to start getting invited to birthday parties! I decided to make a card for the little boy whose party he is going to be going to in a few weeks. Here was the sketch inspiration - 

I decided I would make the chevron area 'sky' which I did using watercolour paints. I painted a strip in watered down blue, and then went in with the tip of a bit kitchen roll and dabbed out some patches as clouds. Hopefully you will see that in the photo. The arrow I decided to have as a plane with a banner coming out the back saying Happy Birthday. However, my plane just HAD to be facing the wrong way didn't it!!! So you will see that my card is the sketch but back to front! I finished the card with a sparkly 3 down the bottom to break the whiteness up a bit, but still allowing the card to remain very CAS.

Here it is - 

That's all from me today. I am off to find some more challenges to ponder over the weekend. I am going away on a wee holiday with the boys and of course my Husband to a big Thomas the Tank theme park - to say the boys are excited is an understatement!!! I secretly am too!!!

Back later next week with some more to share,

Laura xxx

One style, Two cards, 5 challenges and an exciting event!!

Yes, it's all happening here today - lots to show and tell you!

First of all, I was inspired by the sketch for Case this sketch which is here….

 I wanted to combine this with some of the colours for Runway Inspired Challenge which is my my most favourite shoe designer ever (I only own one pair though) Manolo Blahnik. The picture of this shoes was hard to draw inspiration from though as they have cork!! I don't have any cork!!! Here they are….

As you can see there are stripes there too. I decided to substitute cork for the next best thing in my stash- gold glitter card and I picked out the pinkish colours to add to a butterfly. Going back to the Case this Sketch picture, a sentiment had to be put over the top and my newest craze is to use a retro label maker for this. It was only £9.99 from Not on The High Street and it is the best money I have ever spent. I love it so much but am afraid I will start using it all the time!!!!

So, here is my card for the above two challenges….

At Merry Monday Challenge, the theme is also to add stripes or polka dots and so I decided to use the same layout, but swap the butterfly and sentiments for much 'Christmassier' ones….

I just can't get enough of that stamp from Uniko Studio just now. 'Snowflakes are Winter's Butterflies'….how gorgeous is that!!!

The colour scheme of this card (the whiteness that is) fits in with the photo inspiration over at Festive Friday Challenge and finally…..I have stamped the sentiment on the card and so it can be entered in to the latest 'Time Out' challenge.

Now for the really exciting news……drum roll……..I am part of a team of 16 companies taking part in an online shopping experience happening tomorrow night and all over the weekend! (Thursday 2nd-Sunday 5th October)  Each of the 16 companies handmade all their products and there are gifts to be had for all the family. These include, handmade soaps, ceramics, jewellery, cake mixture jars, children's toys, children's clothes, ladies and men's accessories and of course my collection of Christmas cards. 

We would be delighted if you came along to visit as some point over the weekend - you will find us at www.handmadefair.webs.com or by clicking on the picture below. We hope to see you there.

Thank you for visiting, any comments are always so much appreciated xxx