More Challenges...

As I mentioned in my last post I want to challenge myself to design and create my own cards this year. I also want to use the supplies I buy! I seem to have an issues, as do many stampers I talk to, purchasing patterned paper and then not wanting to use it because it's so pretty!! Today I wanted to use my new PaperTreyInk Punny Valentine set. This set is just so cute and I thought it would make some cute cards for my nephews. My inspiration for this card started out with two things, the piece of patterned paper you see, which is a retired Stampin' Up! paper and My Punny Valentine set. The card also uses Stampin' Up!'s Close to Cocoa paper and ink, Sahara Sand paper and ink, Cameo Coral paper, and Old Olive ink.

I wasn't quite ready to design the layout myself yet, so I went to my favorite website (Splitcoaststampers) and to the Sketch Challenges. I looked around until I found one that seemed to fit the size of the stamps and could work the paper in. I decided I liked #154. When I got the squirrel stamped, I didn't like how it looked, to plain, it was just sitting there in space on this piece of white paper that was too large. It needed something underneath it to make it look like it was sitting on something. The Punny Valentine set comes with some grass. I used a masking technique, which involves stamping the squirrel image on some scratch paper, cutting him out and then laying him over your stamped piece. Then come in with the grass and stamp. It makes it look like the squirrel is sitting in the middle of the grass, rather that on top of it, if you were to just stamp the grass underneath. It still seemed to be missing something, so I started sponging around the edges. I'm very happy with the way this one turned out!

Challenge yourself today to use some of those horded supplies!