Over at SCS, there will be another VSN mini on Saturday. But on Friday – there was a surprise challenge! The challenge was to embellish a card with at least 3 things (from a list).

So, my card isn’t highly embellished, but I made up for it by eating a couple cookies whilst I created the card The first requirement was to use a favorite stamp set. Well, for me, my favorite set is always the one I most recently got – that would be Wishing You by Dawn for PTI. Then my “bar” selections were ribbon, buttons, and the piercing template.

I think there should be some application out there that creates post titles for us

This card is for two challenges. The layout came from CPS (#105) and the colors came from the PTI forum (#45). Those two elements took a lot of guesswork out of putting this together! I was excited to get my Melon Berry because I immediately thought it would look good with Stampin’Up’s Blush Blossom – and it does!! I used SU’s Certainly Celery to finish the four-square. It isn’t as good a match as the pinks, but it is good enough (and it certainly looks better IRL…since I moved I’ve been struggling with finding the perfect photo studio setup).

The button is from PTI’s vintage collection and I love that little bag! I’m just glad that color was in stock when I ordered. The New Leaf was out, but I have it on my wish list. I liked the holes from the button so I added piercing in the squares (I think I’ve done that so much lately that it came right to mind).

This card was created for the Clean & Simple challenge at SCS (CAS04). The challenge was to accent with dots – pierced or markered. I’ve always wanted to do a card like this – with piercings delineating the “focal area”. Unfrogettable is one of my favorite sets and since I haven’t used it in awhile, I thought he would be a cute addition to the card.

This card took me forever to complete, but I am so happy with it! I started with the recent Mojo sketch. I knew I wanted a really pretty card I could send to a friend for her birthday (I know quite a few folk with March birthdays!!). Picking colors took a long time because I don’t have a lot of embellishments the same color as the ink/paper I chose, but I worked it out.

Before I packed up I received some new rubber from Stampin’Up, but I didn’t have a chance to play, so this is my first inking of Echoes of Kindness, and I love these images! I really enjoy watercoloring, so line-art is usually a good choice for me.

I also bought an Ornare template and this is the first use of that as well. The piercing really gives it a nice touch. Once I got everything stamped and pierced, I wasn’t sure where I was going to put the sentiment, but I liked adding another layer to the focal panel. The trick became finding appropriate fasteners. When will SU realize that we *need* brads in InColor colors?? These little rhinestone brads by Making Memories were close enough in color I could get away with it

The inside is becoming another little canvas for me…so fun to decorate!