Are You Feeling Challenged?


This card was created specifically for Pretty Pals Challenge #24 based upon Sunday’s sketch from Card Positioning Systems (CPS108). The Pals twist was to use buttons in the design.

I approached this card from the standpoint of “What if?” What if you did not have the supplies you wanted? I took a cue from my son the jazz trumpeter, and “improvised”!

Simply Artichoke was used as the cardbase, with paper “ribbons” of Sage Shadow. The Leaflet Stamp from the “Great Friend” stamp set (Mini Occasion Catalog release date- April 1st) was inked with the fabulous Versamark ink. I can’t stress how versatile this ink is! In fact I was so impressed with the results that I inked the back, too!

Using the paisley paper from the Dressed to the Nines Designer Series Paper to serve as its background, I inked the Watering Can stamp (Thoughts of Father set) to add a feminine touch. Using blender pens and Stampin’ Pastels, I quickly colored in this delightful little scene. If you have never used pastels, be sure to check out the Tutorials on the right hand side of this page. A corner rounder punch and a corner ticket punch added detail to the center focus. And for the Pals twist, three little vintage mother-of-pearl buttons with magenta DMC embroidery floss adds just a touch of spring and feminity to this card. So…what if you don’t have the right color of ribbon available? Make paper ribbons! And what if you don’t have the right “spring” colors of cardstock? Add a touch of sweetness and surprise with a few vintage supplies!

When I purchase stamp sets one of the many factors that I look at is the versatility of the set. The Great Friend set is definitely a versatile set of 5 stamps available from the Mini Occasions Catalog starting April 1st. The stamps in this set are multi-purpose for both card making and scrapbooking! And don’t let the name, “Thoughts of Father“, fool you into thinking that this set is purely masculine. Pairing these stamps up with Soft Subtle cardstocks makes them suitable for a wide variety of all-occasion cards as well!

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Sets: Thoughts of Father (115094), Great Friend (113792)
Cardstock: Sage Shadow (101563), Very Vanilla (101650), Always Artichoke (105119)
Ink: Basic Brown (104315)
Designer Paper: To the Nines (114038)
Punches: Corner Ticket (107214), Corner Rounder (109047)
Accessories: Stampin’ Pastels (105542), Blender Pens (102845)
Non-SU!: DMC embroidery floss, vintage mother-of-pearl buttons

All stamped images used on this site are copyrighted by Stampin’ Up! 2009.

Simple…But Sweet!

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What can I say…but cute, cute, cute! If you are experiencing a card 911 and need a card in a hurry, then this design is for you! This darling little card was inspired by one designed by Mary Fish of Stampin‘ Pretty! Mary is an inspiration to stampers of all ability levels, with her clean, fresh designs.

The wonderful feature of this card is how quickly it can be assembled! It spotlights Stampin‘ Up’s new Summer Love Rub-ons, which are featured in the Occasions Mini Catalog (available April 1st).

  • Using Whisper White card stock for the card base, I scored two lines across the top using the score lines on my Enveloper.
  • The center rectangle was cut from Baja Breeze on which I used the Corner Ticket Punch to jazz up the corners.
  • The small strip of patterned paper, from the Patterns Pack Two Hostess Level 1 Gift was given its lacy edge courtesy of the Eyelet Border Punch. Of course, the Scallop Circle Punch was used for the center, while a small paper punch provided the small border embellishment.
  • Using the Summer Love Rub-ons, I selected the butterfly to add just the right touch of spring! To add depth and dimension, the center circle was popped up with a Stampin‘ Dimensional. Pretty in Pink ink was applied to the edges of the scallop using a sponge dauber.
  • As a final touch, a small snippet of ribbon added a burst of color.

If you love to punch you will certainly have fun with this card!

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now!
Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Baja Breeze (111352)
Ink: Pretty in Pink(101301)
Designer Paper: Patterns Pack Designer Series Paper II (114325 – If you would like to earn this paper, email me for details)
Punches: Corner Ticket (107214), Eyelet Border (113692), Scallop Circle (109043)
Accessories: Stampin‘ Dimensionals (104430), Summer Love Rub-ons (114620—Available April 1st)

The new Summer Love Rub-ons will be available from the Stampin‘ Up! Occasions Mini Catalog which will be available for customer order and download starting April 1. Please check my blog April 1!

All stamped images used on this site are copyrighted by Stampin’ Up! 2009.

Notice the Changes!

With the help of my fellow Pretty Pal, Carrie Fitch of Creative Cards by Carrie , I have been able to add links to the Stampin’ Up catalogs and my website! Thanks, Carrie…I could not have done it without you!

Sadly, Sale-a-bration is coming to an end. However, you still have time to take advantage of all of the perks that go along with SAB! Don’t forget that for every $50.00 that you spend, you are eligible to select an item from the SAB catalog. My personal favorite is the Polka Dot Punches set which coordinates with several of Stampin’ Up’s most popular punches. And, check out the designer paper. Remember that you can never have too much paper!

Until next time…Happy Stampin’!