Love Is All Around

We're rapidly approaching that special day when couples can openly celebrate their love for each other without fear of getting embarrassed .... awwwww bless!
Many of the blog challenges have adopted a Love Theme and encouraged us to get out the hearts and flowers this week.   I've taken advantage of this opportunity to enter several challenges with one card - something I usually struggle to do.
Last weekend, I was rather naughty ... slap ... slap ... and treated myself to the new Papermania Honey and Hugs collection so decided to use the cute owl character for my card.

It isn't necessarily a Valentine card - it could work equally well for an Anniversary or even a loved one's birthday ... at a push.
The sentiment is made up partly from alphabet stickers and partly from a wood mounted Penny Black stamp. 
I inked the words separately with a Promarker ... held my breath and hoped I'd judged the placement correctly so that the words would sit on either side of the owls feet.  Almost perfect ... but not quite.  This is a situation where clear stamps have a definite advantage over wooden ones.
The large owl was cut from a different sheet of the Honey and Hugs paper and then mounted on foam pads to brown cardstock which had been cut with a decorative trimmer blade. 
A strip of the leftovers came in handy for a perch - this was the point when I had the bright idea to split the sentiment into sections rather than stamp it the easy way.  Then I finished off with a some punched hearts for the trees - well you've got to have hearts somewhere haven't you?  
Here's the list of challenges that I think this card qualifies for ... you should pop along and join in with them too!
My Graphico ... Brown, Olive Green and Pink
Dutch Dare Challenge ... Valentines
Lots To Do ... Love Is In The Air
Daring Cardmakers ... Have a Heart
Simon says Stamp ... Love
Cute Card Thursday ... In the Name of Love
Pollycraft Monday ... Things with Wings
Lili of the Valley ... Valentines
Creative Card Crew ... Valentines

Ooh~La~La Creations Challenge ~ Romance

This week at Ooh~La~La Creations the challenge is "Romance" ... so here's my entry.

The base card is a deckle~edged cream card which was coloured randomly with Dovecraft chalk.
Then I added some dark purple heavy weight paper, slightly smaller than the base card, which was torn around the edges.
Pretty Papermania Vellum and K. & Co. double sided paper were used to create a frame to which heart brads and lilac flowers were adhered.

Scalloped scissors were used to create a pretty edge which was then inked with a purple mini dauber for emphasisi.

The quotation is self adhesive from a book of vellum quotes and the 'Be Mine' message is a rub on.

If you want to join in then hurry hurry hurry ... there'll be a new challenge starting on Sunday.