It’s Saturday and Another Challenge Card

Aloha, all!

You know, stamping sketch challenges really do force me to do things differently than I have been doing in the past.  They also expose to me some of my shortcomings as a stamper and designer.  That’s a good thing because now I’m spending more time focusing on my skills, and less time doing the same-old-same-old.  I think that I already do challenge my customers and students a bit; but now I have someone to challenge me!

Today it took me quite awhile to get the focal point of this card stamped even to this point, which still leaves a bit of clarity to be desired.  But this week, I’m going to use some of my solid stamps and really work at getting better coverage on them.  One thing that I found is that my Perfect Plum stamp pad was badly in need of reinking.  Bad news was that my reinker has been sitting around so long that it’s kind of gunky.  But I think I finally have a relatively juicy stamp pad again.  I’m going to have to because I really do like this year’s Halloween Designer Series Paper (DSP), Cast A Spell, which has Perfect Plum as one of its colors.  A few years back, there was a set of paper called, "Halloween Night," in which the color scheme was similar, though I can’t remember if the purple color was Perfect Plum or Vintage Violet.  But Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Basic Black – in this year’s DSP – were part of the old DSP also.  I remember making lots and lots of Halloween cards that year, and I’m thinking the same will happen this year.  Love the color combo!

OK–on to this card, and yet another sneak peek at the soon-to-be-published 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog!  There is a stamp set in the catalog called Sweet Centers, and it’s made for the main stamped images to have a hole punched with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch and a treat cup to be inserted.  It is SOOO cool!  While Stampin’ Up! is selling padded envelopes to use to put these in the mail, I’m thinking that I’ll be using these for local parties and give-aways.  I have two groups who will love to have these as treats at their meetings in October!

Oh, and the challenge.  This is the Stamping 411 Operators’ Challenge for this Saturday (sketch at the right).  If you’re interested in working on your skills or just having a fun challenge to get your creative juices flowing, you should stop over there!  And if you’re thinking that you’d like to have some supplies to make any of the cards you see there, just let me know and I’ll help you order them!