Monday, June 11, 2012

Less is More #71

Hello Crafters !    I hope you had a great weekend.  We have been enjoying wonderful summer weather and spending lots of time outdoors.   I had a busy week with participating at a show and teaching a workshop at Crop Circles on Saturday.  I had a wonderful time again with crafty & fun ladies.

I created a quick card this morning to enter into Less is More Week #71 Challenge.   This week's guidelines:  just one layer card and use a Flourish.    Clean & simple is still a challenge for me, but I continue to be intrigued by the elegant & clean beauty of the DT & participant's creations.   


I folded quality smooth white cardstock and stamped with Impression Obsessions' D2145 Heart Flourish & B3552 'Just a Note' sentiment and embossed with Gold.   It's a delicate & pretty image.       I treated myself to a few new mediums this past week (I'm SO bad... ) including a set of Distress Markers.   I thought I might as well just buy the entire set, as I'll just be frustrated looking for missing colours.  I used my new markers to colour the image (broken china, peeled paint & forest moss),   I added a little water ...love them !     I blended Broken China ink around the card, hopefully I left enough white space for the LIM guidelines. 

I took a few photos of one of our many gardens this morning and thought I would share a few.   The bright sun washed out the colours, but there are lots of pinks, grey & mauve right now.  Later into the season it will change into bright yellows, white & purples.   


That's all for now.  I hope to be back soon with a card the For Your Inspiration photo challenge.   Thanks for your visit and have a great day !
Shirley 

29 comments:

Chrissie said...

What a lovely flourish stamp Shirley... and I agree that we are really lucky to have such talented crafters joining in our challenges.
You could have left part of the front of the card un-inked just adding colour to maybe a quarter or half of the card, but it looks just fine as it is. Great job.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Chrissie
"Less is More"

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Lovely Less is More card Shirley! Love the gold on it :-)

And your garden...wow that looks great!

greetings, Alie :-)

Creations by Shirl said...

Yours cards are always stunning even if their is less or more!.
And wow what a garden who does all the manicuring.... That sure looks like alot of tender loving care.... Pretty flowers I wish I had those in my yard but I don't think they would grow in our weather..... I would have to take phots of my yard and send them to you.....

Marja's Stamp Addiction en Marja's Creativity said...

First what a beautiful card but than your garden. FABULOUS. What a great view Shirley. Beautiful borders and flowers, really awesome.
I understand that it is so much work to get this so beautiful. But enjoy from this marvelous nature.
Lovely greet
Marja

Anjas-Artefaktotum said...

Your card is so elegant and the color comination so beautiful.
What an amazing garden you have! Lots of blowing flowers it's a dream!
xox Anja

Karin said...

wow a lovely card! and what a beautiful garden!

Paula Whittaker said...

like the embossing

Loli said...

Hola Shirley, very elegant flourish card, i like the gold embossing and the colouring...
AMAZING GARDEN!!! Shirley, fanatastic place for to stay one day with the family:D
a hug from the land of hot

Jenni's Jems said...

Very elegant card and love your garden but would hate to do the upkeep lol x

Inkyfingers said...

I love your elegant card Shirley, that heart swirl is gorgeous. The garden is so lovely and you area lucky duck to have it!

maria's knutselplezier said...

Hey, Shirley, you made again a beautifull card, What a wonderfull garden you have, and even with sun, we have only a small garden and are missing the sun this year , we hope the sun will come soon!!!

To tell about my background, the background is from Ellie Knol, her blog you can find at my blog on the right side, and it is called PAPER,STAMPS,COLOR, but I can't find the explanation,I have the magazine (in Flemish )''ART SPECIALLY FOR YOU""and there I found her explication and it is not so difficult to explain, so I will try to do it here!!
You take white paper, and GESSO, you take a smale mini-mister,a bit Gesso (not too much and the rest water, shake good,to have a mix, water and Gesso that you can spread , So to begin you put your stamp on the white paper,than you mask the stamp print, and than you spread here and there some of the water Gesso,take off the mask immediately,let dry well, than you colour the picture with the colours you like,(copics, or distressink! than you do the background with the same colours distress ink, you will se the special effect on your paper where the spots of Gesso where spread ,it really gives a special effect!! than you stamp some other stamps and words, and so you have finished , it's really fun ,and the result is so nice!!!Have a lot of fun, I really hope you have something with my explanation, if you have still to ask anything , please ask , I think you can ask it Ellie too!!!( Sorry my English is very bad, but I hope you understand me!!!)

Greetings
Maria

Ellen Taylor said...

I have a hard time with clean and simple cards Shirley. You apparently have the knack for that style as well as fabby backgrounds!! Love it!! I so just want to go and sit in your beautiful garden and color the day a way!! What a happy place you have!!
hugs,
Ellen

Darnell said...

Very pretty stained glass flourish, Shirley!

Now about the stunning garden pictures. When you say, "one of our many gardens," you mean around or near the City of Ontario, right? Not your personal garden, right? Because if so, then what, I mean, is your husband the governor or something like that and you have a large staff?

cparsons said...

I can't do clean and simple either, but you sure have the touch! I adore the card, and your gardens are simply lovely!!

Marijke said...

love your card and your garden, they are both beautiful

Anne said...

Ooh what a gorgeous flourish, very elegant

Mandi said...

Love the flourish, pretty card Shirley
Your gardens are amazing
Thanks very much
mandi
"Less is More"

Bonnie said...

This stamp has such delicate lines, perfect for embossing! Beautiful colors on the card and in the garden!

Pia S said...

Great take on the LIM flourish challenge! Really elegant card!

Rosmarie said...

Wow Shirley, this is a gorgeous card. The gold embossing makes it really classy.
Thanks for visiting my blog and your nice comment.
Your gardens are just beautiful!!

Daen'Ys

G Peplow said...

Beautiful card Shirley, I love the gold emboossing and colouring too:0) WOW what a smashing garden/s you have and so well tended, fabulous flowers, just wonderful, xxx

Saakje said...

Hi Shirley
Such a beautifull card!!!! you like the distress markers? Are they more comfortable as the Tombo's?
And your gardens!!!!!! It makes me wish I would be there. SOOOOO nice. You are very talented,lady. But that I know already for a long time.
Hugs!! Saakje

Anonymous said...

Stunning card Shirley - the gold embossing looks gorgeous with those colours.
Beautiful photos too.
x

Aileen said...

Gorgeous flourish. Love the gold and the delicate colours. x

Deanna said...

Absolutely Stunning embossed card love the colors!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful card Shirley, like the colors...

Ted and Helen Howard said...

Hi Shirley,

I love, love your gardens.A lot of work but the results are gorgeous.Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Hugs
Helen

Shannon White said...

Aww, this is So Lovely and Sweet Shirley! Wonderful shading and love the gold embossed image too! Goodness your Gardens are Amazing! I'd never come indoors if I had all that Loveliness outside! 8-

Hugs
Shannon

Marn said...

Hi Shirley!
What a very nice and really neat card, with all its gracious simplicity! You are very good at "less is more" !! What an adorable stamp, very nicely delicate and the colours you used are so pretty, and blend so well! Great sentiment too! I just love this card!
Warm greetings, Marlene