Is it Wednesday already?

Good morning,
I wish this week would slow down, too much to do, and not enough time to do it!  My list just keeps getting longer and longer.
My week got off to a good start, Monday morning saw the sunshine back again (yeah!) and my day proved to be very productive - 2 cards (well 3 in a way) done and ticked off, and I made a start on 2 more. I was definitely on a roll.
I'd seen a project in this months Craft Stamper Magazine - latest issue, and thought I would give it a go and do my version as part of a birthday present for a very special friend of mine. As usual I didn't have the exact products used but I improvised and went for my trusty Distress Inks.  I was pleased with the results I got.   I'll let you have a sneak peek of the finished item later.

First up on the list this week was my Less is More entry - LIM
It's Week 71 and it's a ONE LAYER week. 
(OLC One Layer CardOne piece of card folded in half with no additional layers and minimal embellishments, where the image is stamped or printed directly onto the cardstock.)

Now I don't normally do one layer cards (as you've probably guessed!)   Mine always tend to have a bit of matting and layering - some more than others, and embellishments of some description (usually ribbon or lace).  So not really my comfort zone.
Not only was it One Layer, but the challenge was to ..........

 USE A FLOURISH

Here's what I came up with.

Using a flourish wasn't a problem - I love 'em.  Finding one on the other hand proved a little difficult.  I have loads of flourish stamps but could I lay my hands on one - No.  Not until I'd been through every box of stamps nearly.   An addition to my ever growing list is now SORT OUT STAMPS!!! My system worked well up until now, but since we moved, everything had to have new homes and now I can't seem to just lay my hands on stuff.  Oh well, something else to keep me busy.

Back to the card ........  I remembered I had the beautiful Stampin Up! set Everything Eleanor which has the most gorgeous flourish.  I stamped it just off the edge of the card  in SU Certainly Celery ink, then added a cute little bird cage, again from an SU stamp set - Happy Moments (I think this is quite an old set and has now been retired). The colour was SU Rose Red, a nice bright contrast to the green.  I used a black fine liner to draw the 'chain' on the bird cage so that looked as if it was hanging off the flourish, and stamped the sentiment in black.  I've used this sentiment before on a LIM card, but it's one of my favourite's and fits so well with the little bird.  It's a clear stamp (I think from a small Hero Arts set) and I always like to shape it to follow my design.  The message inside reads 'it's your birthday'.

Well that's number one done.  I'll be back later with more.  But now I have to get back to 'work'.
The postman has just brought me a lovely parcel from Sarah at the Indigo Blu Design Team - it's a tough job I know, but someone's gotta do it!   I need to go and find my Christmas spirit for the rest of the week.  Yes, I know it's only June, but, I did say CHRISTMAS.  We crafters have to start planning early.  Kay's on TV again soon and the whole show is Christmas so I need to get a move one. 
HO! HO! HO!

Thanks for popping by. Have a good week, whatever you're up to, and I'll  see you all again later.

Bye for now

Linda

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