Saturday 6 February 2021

A balanced diet!


It almost seems impossible that it is 10 Years since Mandi and I got our heads together to come up with the idea of a Blog Challenge for Clean and Simple cards. 
The thing we came up with was "Less is More". 
At that time there were very few challenges for CAS cards and lots of people seemed to like the idea but didn't know how to go about keeping a design really simple. It was rather unexpected and at the same time, innovative, that we made suggestions to challengers on ideas for improving or simplifying their makes. The main thing is that we quickly amassed thousands (literally) of followers to our blog. We also encouraged contestants to comment on fellow entrants' cards. There were only two of us on the design team and even though we commented on each individual entry, that meant that there would only be two comments from the challenge. It was the beginning of a great community where lots of people got to know one another, via their comments, It was something that made us both proud.
I am so grateful that like minded crafters were willing to step up to help and when I finally decided to step back after about 6 years of running the challenge, the legacy has been allowed to continue.
Thanks go to everyone who has worked in whatever capacity to keep it going!
I am really touched that the girls at LIM have asked me to join them as a Guest Designer for this very special Milestone Challenge!
Now onto this card!
As with the very first challenge, it's a colour challenge and this time it's 
CHOCOLATE


I used an SVG file from Silhouette which I cut out with my Portrait and coloured the various layers with alcohol pens. When I had assembled the chocolates, I gave them a couple layers of clear embossing to add shine and make the edges look more realistic. I made the sentiment on the computer using the font Dohearts. I have my Word programme set to 105% which makes the actual size on my screen to exactly A4, so I can hold things up to my screen to see if I like the placement of the words. I use Text Boxes to add the words, so that I can move them wherever I want. Not very techy but it works for me!

I popped the chocs onto dimensional pads to add a little relief. 

I hope lots of people will join in on this very special occasion, and I hope to come and visit to see your makes!


Stay safe everyone!


 

12 comments:

  1. Super card as always my friend. You always led the way on LIM
    Great to be back for a challenge
    https://pinkhairandpyjamas.blogspot.com/

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  2. Your chocolates look good enough to eat Chrissie! That is a fabulous card which is full of perfect CAS styling, as always. Your sentiment made me smile because I think we all have diets like that nowadays.
    Thank you so much for agreeing to be our guest designer on this special challenge. It's only because of the hard work and commitment that you and Mandi gave the challenge in the early days that it has been able to reach this milestone. I sometimes wish that we could get back that sense of community that you two enjoyed as it seems to have been lost along the way. People just do not seem to have the time to comment on their fellow cardmakers work, which is a shame.
    Anyway, thanks for everything that you have done for this challenge and for your beautiful card today.
    Big hugs,
    Sharon xx

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  3. Perfect design and so creative.
    I am so grateful for this challenge, I learned so much. Thank you for all your work.
    Crafty hugs xx

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  4. Your chocolates look as though I could just pick them off the card and eat them. It's super to see you here again. Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog, I'm still a bit bemused myself at being a DT on here.
    Lynne x

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  5. As one would expect a beautiful CAS card - simply perfection. I'm so pleased you and Mandi started the challenge as it was one of the first that I ever entered and certainly where I learnt the true meaning of CAS! It is great to have you with us to celebrate 10 years!
    Elaine

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  6. What a perfect card for just about anyone Chrissie. And thank you for telling us which font you have used, I've downloaded some gorgeous ones thanks to your finding them first.

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  7. Simple and elegant! And calorie free!

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  8. Yummy, :P They do look real. Love the design, so very balanced. xx

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  9. You've created an amazing card carrying my favorite expression, Chrissie! It's lovely (and appropriate) to see you as Guest Designer for the LIM birthday occasion. You put into words precisely what you and Mandy meant to me and how your challenge taught me everything I know ... but mostly I'm grateful for all the nine-year friendships I have that began through LIM ~ including ours! Take care and keep safe! Hugs, Darnell

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  10. I'm loving your beautiful, detailed chocolates Chrissie and that oh so subtly textured card base. Lovely to see you and Mandi return as star guests to the challenge you started. It really was innovative and the way you ran it was too! I know you must be very proud of what you achieved. Hugs, Vicky x

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  11. It's so lovely to have you back this month, Chrissie, and that I got to meet you thanks to this lovely crafting community. And what a smasher of a card, they honestly look like chocolates you've just taken from a box and added as tasty embellishments. Fabulous work! Thanks to you and Mandi for creating Less is More, it was the very first challenge I ever entered in 2013 but your feedback was always so encouraging. Hugs, Anita x

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  12. Love this Chrissie - the detail on the chocolates makes them the perfect focal point for a CAS card and that sentiment made me chuckle - so true! I feel like I learned many CAS lessons at LIM so appreciate the dedication of Mandi, yourself and the LIM designers that have followed. Congratulations on your legacy!

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Thank you so much for popping by, I appreciate your comments!
Thanks,
Chrissie