Sometimes a girl just needs some inspiration from somewhere other than her head. Perusing Pinterest for that inspiration is always a good idea, but I also really like it when I can take a sketch and go from there, using my creative brain for the rest. It's incredibly satisfying.
There are many websites and blogs whose owners create card sketches, and many of those can be found on Pinterest. I recently snagged one from stampstodiefor.com.
See how this gives a place to start without taking away all the creativity?
Currently I'm running an optional 5 week training challenge for my team, and this week I've challenged them to create a card using this layout. I decided to take the challenge seriously and recently sat down to stamp, using this layout as my guide. I used Sale-a-bration stamp sets for each of the cards, too, so we can see some great projects we can make with those free stamp sets! Please note that below each card is a list of supplies I used, along with links to my online store.
The first card uses this basic layout but tweaks the focal point just a bit. I fancied up the corners using the Very Best Trio Punch from the July-December 2022 Mini Catalog and used the Wonderful World Sale-a-bration Stamp Set and Designer Series Paper. Stunning, isn't it? The stamps stamp beautifully.
The second card is my favorite, and it's the first hippo card that I've designed. They're so dang cute!~ I stamped them in Tuxedo Black Memento ink then colored them in with Stampin' Blends - Smoky Slate and a little Petal Pink in the ears, nose, and mouth. I used Blending Brushes to add a little grass color at the bottom of the focal image and used a die from the Hippo Dies to create tufts of grass. This card is all about the details, so zoom in and check them all out.
Last, but not least, I decided to make one more card changed things up a bit. I turned the card into landscape mode, and the banners at the bottom are teeny tiny instead of taking up more space. I used a Blending Brush and Crumb Cake ink to provide a background for the focal image. I stamped the fox in Early Espresso ink, then helped it to stand out off the page a little by coloring it in Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends. The Abigail Rose Designer Series Paper I used across the top has a tiny stripe of Petal Pink close to the bottom, so I decided to use that Petal Pink in the strip below the Designer Series Paper, as well as the striped Designer Series Paper as the tiny banners. It's the same concept as the others, but uniquely different.
If you like this layout, come back on Friday. I'll use one more Sale-a-bration stamp set to create one more that I think you're going to like!
In the meantime, you can also look forward to my BOBO sale, coming soon! Stay tuned for details.
Stamping blessings!
Amy