Less is More challenge #366: monochrome

I'm delighted to have been asked to be the Guest designer for this challenge, thank you ladies.

I made two cards, one with kitties and one with a chameleon.

The process is the same, just different stamps and colors.

I started by positioning my kitties (C.C. designs meowy) into my Stamper's Friend and inked them with Versafine Onyx black ink.
I added the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp (it's your birthday) and also used Versafine onyx black ink.

Then I chose three colors of brown ,  As I wanted to keep the card a one layer, I didn't want to use my markers and I thought this would look artsy ;-), something different. I contemplated black, and greys as well, but I felt this was more monochrome. Of course you could all do them the same color as well. I like how the coloring is not perfect and  the white bits look like spots on the cats :-D
Memento dewdrops ( rich cocoa, espresso truffle and toffee crunch) and I used one of the brush stroke stamps from Marianne designs (Eline's brush ec0161)line's brush ec0161)

No enamel dots for this card as I didn't have any browns.

The Chameleon card is done in the same manner, but different supplies:

Chameleon is Your Next Stamp- one in a chameleon
Brush is Marianne Designs- Eleine's Brush Ec0161
Memento inks- Pear tart, Bamboo leaves and cottage ivy.
Generic green and glittery enamel dots
Also Versafine onyx black ink for the sentiment and image.

For more information or to play along the Less is More Challenge, see this

Green...

..is the challenge  at Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is: anyhting goes, showcasing Memory Box products.

For my card I sued the Circle branch die from Memory Box and diecut it from a panel. Stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp it's your birthday with Versafine onyx black ink.
I stamped the Moody unicorn from Gerda Steiner with Simon Says Stamp intense black ink onto the Crafter's Companion Neenah paper and colored it with Spectrum Noir markers.

I traced the opening onto the cardbase and inkblended Versamagic inks (hint of peston, Aloë vera and Tea leaves).

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase,then placed the unicorn behond the branches, attached him with tape runner.

Versamagic inkblending recipes

So far I've come up with these four sheets of recipes.
Hope you enjoy!
You can alsofind Memento inkblending recipes and Ranger Distress ink blending recipes on  my blog.

Leaded window look, with video

Today I made a card that reminds me of Church windows, the leaded windows and also a bit of Christmas because I used gold, silver and reds amongst other colors.
To start the card I used the Simon Says Stamp Heart sprinkle wreath die and a circle die for the centre. I used black cardstok to  make the colors pop and make it look more like a leaded window,
Then I placed acetate on the back and filled in some of the hearts and dots in the wreath with Nuvo drops and Ranger enamel accents.
I don't have many Nuvo drops, but  I like their transparent look.
My bottle of Deco art media Liquid glass gave me this idea. It's similar to Ranger glossy accents and I also pulled that, but didn't use it.

In the video you can see how the light shines through, very pretty, if you want to keep that look, make another circle window in the cardbase. I chose to make a shaker card as I just bought these  pretty heart shaped gems in a giftshop in my town. Came in the little bottle, no brand, but I'm sure you can find them online, I found some on Aliexpress and ordered a truck load haha...

I used white craftfoam ad I thought it would match my cardbase and I diecut the same size circle from it for my dimension and shaker wall.
I adhered everything with tape runner and gluedots in between  the hearts and dots, to preven the black card to lift up from the acetate, which would make the Nuvo Drops or enamel accents to seep under.
Let it dry overnight with a bowl on top as I have cats as you know...trying to keep the cat hair off and it worked lol.
If you don;t have any Nuvor drops or glossy/enamel accents you can try alcohol inks or makers on the back of the acetate as alcohol ink will color acetate.
You can mix some glitter in with glossy accents too.

Experimenting with Versamagic as an Oxides alternative, with video

I pulled out my few Versamagic mini inkpads today to see how they would compare to the Distress Oxides ink.
I don't have the Oxides and so I can't say if they're the same, better, worse but I like how the Versamagic looked.
At first I tried it on my normal cardstock, the Canon DCP paper and nothing happened except the paper blistered as usual as it really doesn't like water, much like my cats haha.

But the blend beautifully on this card, through a stencil as well.
So I took out some Waterart paper and Bristol Smooth and I used a mix of water and bleach, but on this card just water also works. the bleach I have in that bottle always, and it was handy ;-)

I used Versamagic, Eggplant and pink petunia and Sea breeze and Turquoise gem.

Since shooting this video I also got a few greens and yellows and look forward to experimenting more and probably make my inkblending recipes for this ink too, as soon as I have all the colors I want.
The Versamgic have 36 colors in the range and I have 17 now, so almost halfway :-D

I've also done some layered inksmooshing in the video and that also looked very similar to what I've seen fromthe Oxides, but again I do not have those and so I can;t say for sure, only that I love how these worked out .

Diy rainbow with circle dies and Stamping Bella unicorns, with video

I don't have a special rainbow die , so I was experimenting with circle dies, and you can use any you have, stitched, plain, dotted etc.
You can either use colored cardstock or white and color your own strips with markers or Distress inks or alike.
Remember one circle gives you two rainbows or more if you cut it up smaller. I ahve to make 14 cards now....If you're very particular about the order of the colors, I would suggest to use white card and either diecut each ring by itself or do like I did and stick them all together and make one pass through your diecutting machine.
But if you're making loads and loads of cards, this is the best solution I think.

I stuck my circles together with the best placing I could, but as my painter's tape is for sensitive surfaces, it's not as sticky and some circles moved, I'm OK with that as most will be covered up and again it saves me buying another die.

I stuck all the colors together on the back with some sticky tape, then added tape runner and placed it on my cardbase. Also used taperunner for the Stamping Bella set of unicorns and foamtape for the clouds (memory box puffy clouds).

The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp (believe) and I used Versafine onyx black ink, Then added some generic enamel heart/dots to help your eye travel across the card. Upor down you will just follow those hearts...try it ;-)

Using up scraps: quilted cards and a small haul with video

Today's card is a bit fiddly and in hindsight I should have done it differently I think.
I taped all these little squares together, but glue-ing them on a thin panel of printer paper might be easier, I just didn't think if it quickly enough and once started you persevere, at least I do ;-)

I cut tons of little squares 2cm each, that's a bit under one inch. and then took a standard square cardbase for the Netherlands , but you can make these cards any size you want. In the video I also show different solution if you don't have nesting dies. Look around in your stash.

After deciding on
the colors and pattern and glueing it all together I diecute two heart of od the panel (Aver Elle Hearts frame) and the same hearts from more scraps.
I also diecut the Simon Says Stamp Painted Hello from black card with stick it on the back for the sentiment.
The to hide a few gaps I added enamel dots from Create a Smile (enamel treats), but again any shape, size, brand you have will work.

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase.

I hope you like this idea and will give it a try. I'm not a quilter or patchworker, so I'm sorry if some of the terminology isn't correct .

I used the other bits how I suggested in the video, on a scrap piece of paper, the liquid glue made it warp a little, but it looks better and is less fiddly, somehow I think my dies are not completely square if that's at all possible ;-)