I’ve whipped up a small batch of these super-cute cards so I can send some out to friends. I was looking over a sketch challenge (see below) for several days and I was struggling with what I wanted to have on the circle image. And yesterday it finally came to me; one of the cute ladybug punches! Once I made that decision, this card came together really quickly. I found that the sentiment in the stamp set fit perfectly in the diecut from the Potted Succulents dies, and the ladybug is sized well for the middle circle in the Stylish Shapes dies. And picking a ladybug made it very easy for me to pick colors. Of course I needed Poppy Parade and Basic Black to get the perfect ladybug, and pairing with Granny Apple Green seemed just the ticket.
One tip that I’ll suggest is to use the Stamparatus for the spots on the wings. To get a nice, solid image sometimes you’ll need to stamp more than once. That tool is just what you need to be certain that the repeated stamping will line up perfectly. You can also use the approach with the sentiment too, if you find a part of it isn’t inked as well as you would like. Even if you’re making 1 card (but especially if you’re making multiple copies) using the Stamparatus can help you avoid stamping frustration… just be sure to make sure that the cardstock is tight in the corner every time you stamp.
This is the current challenge that inspired my card design. Can you believe that they are already at number 575?!? That is an awful lot of inspiration that they have been providing us for a few years. I absolutely love their challenges and I rely on them for inspiration a lot. I hope they’ll provide us with another 575 or even more!