It's Been a Great Run

Ardyth, Heather, Karen, and I want to thank you for your kind support for the One-Layer Simplicity Challenge over the three years we've been at it. We are sorry to announce that the November 2016 challenge will be our last.

This blog grew out of my inability to keep up the weekly One-Layer Wednesday challenge on my personal stamping blog. Jennifer Styles helped for a time, but she eventually had to step down, and that's when Ardyth, Heather, and Karen stepped up. They were delightfully committed to the idea, and eventually, Ardyth did the work setting up a separate OLS blog, creating our badges, and such. I so appreciate all her technical and creative support.

As the landscape of stamping has changed and as trends have moved toward more complicated, product-intensive design, we've noticed participation waning, especially in the past year.

We don't have a corporate sponsor and don't do giveaways, which would give us a competitive edge, so to speak, but I never wanted one-layer simplicity (note lower case!) to be about competition. And I know that the trends will shift back again eventually. That's after all what trends do.

Those who've known me for a while know that I make simple cards because I love them. So do Ardyth, Karen, and Heather...and you! I encourage you to explore other challenges and to look at them with fresh OLS-inspired eyes. Ask yourself, "Could I do this with one layer?" And give it a try.

That way, the spirit of what we've done here at OLS will live on. It's been a great run, and we thank everyone who has played along with our super-CAS philosophy. We hope you will continue to follow our individual blogs (see the links below!), because all four of us are still very committed to stamping.

Stamp with joy!

--Susan


Ardyth's Blog: MASKerade

Karen's Blog: Snippets

Heather's Blog: bits & pieces

Susan's Blog: Simplicity

OLS#33 Details

Many thanks to all who participated in the November One-Layer Simplicity Challenge, Peace Be with You. All the entries were lovely and so peaceful! Below the DT members have highlighted details of entries that particularly caught our eyes. After all, clean-and-simple stamping is all about the little details that elevate good design to greatness!

If your card is highlighted, please proudly display the badge below on your blog!

Susan's Details



Janet's sweetly angelic card has sparkly highlights of wink of stella and stickles on the angel's wings and stars.




Annie cleverly added snowflakes to her peaceful winter scene using Copic Opaque White and a stencil tool.



Hannelie made a stencil of an open book die to create the shading on her stunning 23rd Psalm card. She also designed the sentiment herself on her computer...and it's simply gorgeous!




Karen's Details:



Sundaystamper created a lovely, peaceful card using an old technique and a wonderful snowflake stencil.



Greta's scene is so wonderful for the holidays...love the monochromatic look of peace.




Melissa made a great snowflake card with beautiful blue ombre background.



Ardyth's Details:




Margaret's softly-sponged lotus with all that white space is the epitome of peace!



Sandie took a bold graphic approach to peace!



Marilyn's blue card base adds interest to a one-layer card!

One-Layer Simplicity #33: Peace Be with You

Susan here with a message of peace.

Peace be with you.

Peace be with you.

Peace be with you.

Keep hearing that message in your head until you relax, until you breathe slowly and deeply, until you feel it in your bones.

Then make a card that radiates that feeling and share it with OLS!

Let's spend November celebrating peace through our card art. Make a card with a peace theme. It doesn't have to have the word "peace" on it, but it needs to embody what peace means to you in a particular moment. Perhaps you'll make a holiday card, or an apology card, or a hippie '60s card, or a card with a scene that brings you peace, or a card with a quotation/verse that brings you peace.

Just remember to keep it to ONE single layer of card stock...no other layers allowed.

Here's my card, made for the holidays.

card size 4 7/8" x 3 3/8"

Peace on earth. Because we need more of that, don't we?



Rules for OLS33

1. A one-layer card is defined as a single piece of cardstock folded in half. No other layers allowed.

2. Make a card that represents peace. Remember to keep embellishments to a minimum.

3. Post your card somewhere online and add it to the InLinkz button below. If you link to your blog, please be sure to link to the individual post, not to your blog's home page so we can find your work!

4. The challenge will run through November 24, 2016, at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

5. The most important rule of all...HAVE FUN!!!!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Masculine Motifs, Clearly Besotted Holiday Sentiments
ink: Hero Arts soft stone, Archival Ink cornflower
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: not a one! 

An InLinkz Link-up