Paper Hugs

Challenge #372 at Less is More is a one layer card with the theme of Thinking of You, so I have made a sympathy card for my entry. It is always a good idea to have these kinds of cards on hand, for when they are urgently needed it is almost too difficult to make them. Simple masking and sponging, and a little stamping makes this a very quick and simple card. Ink:  Distress oxides:  Twisted Citron, Broken China and Wilted Violet, plus Versafine Onyx Black for sentiment and flowers Stamp:  Stampin' Up! Background Bits (Hostess) and sentiment eludes me. A little doodling around the corner to highlight the focal point.

A quick post of two cards I made, totally caseing a card I saw online by Brenda Keenan, but I can't find it again on her blog.  If I do, I'll post it later. PS.  I have just found a similar card on Pinterest and the link is here :   It is created by cutting a 'mask' from scrap paper, using the large leaflet framelet.  Inside the mask, you stamp a tree from Sheltering Tree.  And then have fun spongeing the colours inside the leaf!  This is similar to the card I saw online, which may have come from the SU itself.  You end up with a one-layer card, with lots of depth - of course I added layers beneath to show off the beautiful colours:) Now the next one, is my own invention, copying the same process.  I've used a large butterfly die to create the mask, and inside I stamped a Medallion by Stampin' Up!  I used aqua, purple and pinks for the butterfly colours to make a different look.

Folks in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying the change of season to Autumn, with its wonderful colours, cooler breezes and the rewards of harvest time.  Here we are enjoying Spring, with warm weather, new buds and the promise of summer around the corner.  Luckily, where I live, we do experience changes with the season, and autumn is one of my favourites!  Autumn is also the theme for the one-layer challenge at Less is More this week - #245. One layer often calls for masking, and that is what I've done here.  The leaf stamp is by Hero Arts - small liquidamber, stamped with Versafine vintage sepia ink and the panel has been sponged with Distress Inks:  Shabby shutters, spiced marmalade and festive berries.  The strip and sentiment (by Clearly Besotted) have been heat embossed with Ranger platinum embossing powder.

Hi there!  This week's challenge theme at Less is More is Congratulations  - and there is nothing better to be congratulated on than a new baby, is there? I have chosen a very soft colour palette, of SU Calypso Coral ink stamped off once, and Simon Says Stamp Fog for the elephant (Clearly Besotted 'Baby Shower').  I found this ink gave the best cover for this solid stamp.  The die cut is also by SSS.  The actual 'celebrate' word is from the SU set 'Celebrate Baby' but is now retired.  I think when I decide to mask an area before stamping again, I'd make sure that I can fit more than one word and one letter in the space, as it appears a bit awkward when I have the word in the middle of the space.  We live and learn though, and that's what is so good about entering challenges, isn't it? As I was finishing the inside of my card, with a row of tiny elephants, I took another look at the soft, pale front, and decided it was too insipid.  So a st...

The One Layer Challenge at Less is More this week is to use shadow stamping, and the theme for Addicted to CAS is 'Far Away'  so once again I have combined these two challenges with my card this week. I have used the very familiar stamp 'Regarding Dahlias' by Stampin' Up! (but the first time for me!) stamped in Memento Morocco, and with masking, stamped again without re-inking above and then after inking and stamping off, below.  Because of the masking, it was not possible to obtain a good image if I didn't re-ink and stamp off for the second 'shadow'.  I needed two dahlia masks to add the leaves, and the sentiment is by Simon Says.  I love flowers, and remember that when someone special is 'far away' a lovely flower is always comforting.