Less is More Challenge - 'Snippets'

I've been sitting on a BIG secret for weeks here, first of all, it's a very special Birthday for Chrissie over at 'Less is More'. 'Happy Birthday' Chrissie!!

The next part of the secret is that this coming week's theme for the LIM challenge is 'Snippets' - and Sarah kindly asked me to be their Guest Designer!! Wahoo, and then panic set in of course. Much running round the walls and chewing of nails here. And that was Parsnip little white fluffy bear, forget about me!!

We all know that it's not always that easy to make a snippets card whilst keeping the card clean, crisp and having plenty of 'white' space - but it is 'doable' I promise:

I used:

- 5" x 7" white card blank

- then I stamped the sentiment using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink and a stamp from the 'Good Friends' set by Hero Arts - I do usually stamp sentiments first, purely to save spoiling a finished card which could have taken ages, with a smudge or whatever :) And it IS straight I promise!

- next I masked off a panel across the card using Scotch removable tape, plus some Post-its for good measure, before adding clouds using a duster brush, Tim Holtz 'Tumbled Glass' ink pad and an A6 stencil by Dutch Doobadoo called 'Clouds'. It's fine to use this stencil on bigger cards, just remember not to go right up to the side edges before moving it across a bit

- then came the snippets fun :) I first of all die cut the balloon from a snippet of black card using a fabulous Joanna Sheen Signature die called 'Hot Air Balloon'. I'd backed the black card with 'Stick-It' adhesive film which did make the whole process much easier. I then stuck the balloon onto the cloud panel - my measuring had worked a treat as I wanted the gondola itself to be against the white background rather than the sky

- next I lined up six little snippets of card and backed them with 'Stick-It' adhesive film. They were literally just little strips of snippets so I did have to take great care to make sure I cut and lined up them properly when cutting out the little panels, one by one, sigh :( Never choose the easy route of course!

And here's a tip - after I'd stuck the black outline die cut of the balloon onto the card front, but before adding the coloured panels - my OCD kicked in. Even the microscopic width of the cut around each panel could have meant some white card peeking from behind - so I inked around the inside of each panel with a black Whispers marker! It made the visual lining up of the die cut panels much trickier I must admit, but with the aid of a really strong pair of specs and my daylight lamp it was feasible and of course when properly lined up they do sort of 'slot down' into place :) And no 'white bits/bikini marks' as they say :)

Thank you so much to the LIM Team for asking me to be their guest designer and for choosing the theme 'Snippets', you really totally amazed me there. And of course, once again, I hope that you, Chrissie, 'Have a fantastic day' - as the sentiment I used says :)

OK Playmates, it would be great if you try to join in with Less is More, I'd be thrilled to see some LIM snippets cards in the Playground.

AND, of course I don't normally do a blog post on a Saturday, but I will be back tomorrow with the Snippets Playground write-up plus a pretty good prize selection - all linked to today's card :) Snigger :)

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