Paper Hugs

This week at  Less is More  it is a sketch challenge - my favourite challenges! Yay - or more appropriately, WooHoo! - because that is my sentiment from the cute Itty Bitty stamp by Unity. I have coloured this owl with watercolours, added some sparkle to his chest, then cut him out using a tag die by Lawn Fawn (Stitched Journalling tag) and set him on a strip of woodgrain paper from my stash.  I needed the sentiment to be against the paper for effect, so moved it to the top of my card.  I'm so glad I had time to enter this week's challenge, as we have been so busy welcoming our daughter home (2000km round trip by plane) and tomorrow we are off to visit my sister-in-law after a family bereavement (1600km round trip by car) - all in a little over a week!  Making this little card is just the grounding I need at this time.  Maybe I'll take some watercolouring supplies with me on our next trip - I'm really hooked!

A quick post today for the Less is More challenge - Friends !  I've used one of my favourite stamps from  Art Impressions, called 'Old Guys'. I love the silence of those old guys, sitting companionably on the park bench, not needing to talk, or fill the space, just content to be with old friends.  How lucky are they? I coloured the image with Copics, and added a panel of denim-looking paper at the side.  I also stamped the image at the bottom of my card, leaving some of the original stamp off the page - it is a neat technique I have seen Therese Calvird do a number of times, and I think it can make a simple image look more effective.  I have included a link to her blog here .  After taking the photo for this challenge at night, I added pin points to their eyes - they are not so visible in the photo.  Hoping everyone is enjoying the companionship of friends in their lives - where would we be without them?

New beginnings is the theme for the one-layer card at Less is More this week - challenge 206!  For my card, I used, for the first time, the Clearly Besotted Love Blossoms stamp set - it is just gorgeous, and although I'm certain there is a lot more that can be done with this set,  I have used it very simply here, mindful of the one layer criteria for LIM.  I heat embossed the sentiment with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder and I think I would emboss all the images with that next time - it is perhaps too subtle like this!  I used Simon Says Stamp Fog and Stampin' Up! Soft Sky ink trying for the softest look I could.  I very lightly sponged opposing corners with Milled Lavender DI to further soften the all white card.  Although very simple, I do like how it looks. Scrapbook Boutique January Challenge My next card is for the inspiration challenge at Scrapbook Boutique, where I was taken with the colours of mint and white and the shell decoration, suggesting

Welcome to 2015 everyone, with hopes that this year is full of happiness, laughter, love and good health for you all! I have cards for two birthdays in January, and my first card today is for a friend whose style is quite minimalist.  I took my cue from Less is More challenge  week 205, which is 'black, metallic + one' meaning one more colour.  With my friend in mind, I searched my stamps for something that would suit - plenty there, but the decision is never easy, is it? I decided on scribble flowers from the Simon Says Stamp set 'Favourite Flowers' with the scribbly part heat embossed in black first, and the colour, Stampin' Up! Pool Party, stamped after.  The sentiment is also by SSS, from 'Greetings and Succulents' heat embossed in the metallic element, Ranger Liquid Platinum.  I just love this colour!  The little enamel bow is by MME. As my eldest grand-daughter is 15 on the same day as my friend, I have included her card as well, as it is quit