Pet Sitter Thank You Card - FMS#728

Personally I'm not a big fan of circles on a card.  When I looked at the recent sketch from Freshly Made Sketches I made the proverbial big sigh, and then began thinking about the sketch objectively in terms of what I could do to make the sketch satisfying for me. 

I needed something that worked for my brain and that's the really fun part of participating in a sketch challenge.  It doesn't have to be about copying the sketch  in every single nuance or detail, but rather exploring what works and what doesn't in terms of your own creativity.  Here is the sketch: 

Freshly Made Sketch #728 

Here's My Card: 

I'm an animal lover and so are most of my friends, so I'm often called upon to create or send a card featuring dogs or cats. Stampin' Up! released two stamp bundles called Pet Love and Cutest Crew recently, and they were my inspiration for this card design.  Pet Love includes pet accessories, paw prints and heartfelt sentiments.  Cutest crew has playful pups, curious kittens and chirpy little birds. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the coordinating dies for Cutest Crew because this bundle sold out almost immediately, but the images are easy to fussy cut. 

Supplies and Instructions: 

Stamps and Dies: 

• Pet Love #166032 stamps and dies
• Cutest Crew #167146 stamps
• Stitched Shapes Dies #159183

Cardstock and DSP: 

• Basic White cardbase 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
  
• Basic White matte 3 3/4" x 5" for inside matte, scrap for stamping dog images and die cutting circle
  
• Lost Lagoon matte card front 4" x 5 1/4"" 
• Flirty Flamingo matte card front 3 7/8" x 5 1/8"
• Painted Illusions DSP (Product of the Month February 2026) 3 3/4" x 5"

Ink:

• Lost Lagoon
• Secret Sea 
• Stampin' Blends:  Mango Melody, Smoky Slate, Pecan Pie, Pretty in Pink, Lost Lagoon, Granny Apple Green, Timid Tiger

Accessories:  

• Dimensionals
• Adhesive Sheets 

Well what do you think.  Is this a card you would send to a dog loving friend?  Were you still able to capture the feel of the original sketch in my card.  I'm hoping you were.  If you liked my rendition, or if you want more information about how it came together, don't hesitate to drop me a comment.  I love your feedback.  

Before I go, here are a few more cards made with the Cutest Crew and Pet Love stamp sets:

Until next time..................

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT 

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

Happy New Home Card using FMS#727

 Freshly Made Sketch

This week's Freshly Made Sketch is a little different and gave me pause for thought.  I was really bothered by all the blank space until I came up with an idea for a housewarming card I was planning to make.  

The half arch reminded me of a baseboard mouse hole for some reason and since I'd just purchased the Pet Love stamp set that has the cutest little mouse die in it, I was inspired to put together a monochromatic happy new home card using the mouse house concept  I hope you like it. 

Here's My Card:

Supplies and Instructions:

Stamps and Dies:

• Pet Love #166031 - mouse die cut 2, small heart
• Everyday Arches dies #164629 2 smallest dies 
• Handsomely Suited #154444 stitched placket die for the baseboard trim
• Family and Friends stamp set #148598 for sentiment "A Warm Welcome"

Cardstock and DSP:

• Card Base in basic white - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
• Basic White for card matte inside 3 7/8" x 5" 
• Basic white scraps for larger of two arches, baseboard and heart
• Soft Succulent (R) for matte on front 4 1/8" x 5 3/8", cut a second matte for inside of card 4" x 5 1/4", scraps for two mice and small arched door 
• Soft Skye Designer Series Paper (R) - 3 7/8" x 5" for front matte and strip for inside 3/4" x 5" 

Ink:

• Soft Succulent 

Accessories: 

• Dimensionals 

I hope you enjoyed today's card.  It's a little different but a fun way to blend old and new products. I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

Soccer Anyone?

Here's this week's sketch hosted by Jen M.  at Freshly Made Sketches #721.  I wasn't able to post my card for the actual challenge because of time constraints however I decided to go ahead and post it, because we can never have too many masculine card ideas.  

Here's My Card: 

I really liked the clean and simple lines of this sketch and decided it would be a perfect layout for a masculine card. The designer paper and stamps are from a suite that will be released in Stampin' Ups! Online Exclusives in March called "A Wonderful Match".  

While soccer has been around for a long time, in the past ten years it has become one of the top sports in Canada for youth and adults and is even outpacing hockey as our national sport.  It's so popular that its anticipated that tickets for the FIFA World Cup 26 soccer games in Vancouver this summer will be sold out immediately upon release.  

The sentiments for this card could be altered for any male occasion such as soccer celebrations, birthdays, congratulations and so forth so I've left the inside blank for now. 

Supplies and Instructions:

Stamps and Dies:

• A Wonderful Match Photopolymer Stamp Set #167517 (not available until March 2026) 
• Stitched circles dies (R)

Cardstock and Designer Papers:

• Basic White 5" x 10" scored at 5" for the card base
• Basic White 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" for inside matte scrap for sentiment
• "A Wonderful Match" 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 circle cut from ephemera pictures
• "A Wonderful Match" DSP black and white design cut 2 pieces 4 3/4"x 4 3/4" for  front and inside mattes.
• "A Wonderful Match" green and white DSP 1 3/4" x 4 3/4"  and 1 1/4" x 4 3/4" for inside strip 

Ink:  

• Momento Black 

Accessories:  

• Dimensionals
• Wonderful Stars Puffy Stickers (not available until March) 

I hope you like this masculine card and are as excited as I am about this stamp set and coordinating products.  It will be available the first of March when the Online Exclusives are released.    

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak CDN Stampin' Up Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my 24/7 online shop 

Branching Out Masculine Birthday Card

Freshly Made Sketches #718 - designed by Amy, is the first sketch of this popular sketch challenge site for the New Year.  It's so clean and sleek, I found it frightening, however decided to dive in an see what I could come up with.  Here's their sketch which closes on  January 12th in the afternoon.

Here's My Card:

Because this sketch was intimidating to me because of its simplicity and clean and simple lines, I didn't want to overthink what to make.  I decided to look through stamp sets I'd purchased at the end of the year but not used, for inspiration. Here is my card:

This 18 piece photopolymer stamp set with 10 coordinating dies is called Branching Out.  I bought it as a bundle because I'd ran across a Christmas card I wanted to recreate.  Unfortunately I didn't have much time to play with it.

Now that I'm giving this set a try, I'm pretty excited.  It's going to be one of those sets with a lot of potential and can be used way beyond the holiday season.  It would be great for fall/winter masculine cards, sympathy and friendship cards to name a few. This particular card is in celebration of one of my guy friends who has a birthday coming up the end of January.   I hope he likes it. 

See those tiny little pine cones they are cut out with one of the coordinating die cuts and then sponged with a dauber to add some depth and detail. It was a great way to use up some Pecan Pie paper scraps.

Supplies and Instructions: 

Stamps and Dies:

• Branching out Bundle for pine branches, pine cones - stamped and die cut, and sentiments inside and front cover 

Card Stock and Designer Paper: 

• Pecan Pie for card Base 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
• Early Espresso matte 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" and strip 1/4" x 5" for edge along DSP
• Sahara Sand (R) 5 1/4" x 4" - cut two one for front and one for inside mattes
• Country Bird House Designer Series Paper 

Ink: 

• Shaded Spruce
• Early Espresso
• Pecan Pie
• Pebbled Path 

Accessories: 

• Gold Self Adhesive Sequins 

I'm so excited I finally used the Branching Out bundle to make this card.  It's inspired me to explore more ways to use it.  I hope you liked this card and my take on the FMS 718 challenge.  I'd welcome your comments and or questions regarding how this card came together.  Thanks and see you again.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 online shop 

Click here to see the Jan to April Spring Catalogue

Click here to see January Product of the Month 

Click here to see how you can earn Bonus Day Coupons

Cozy Christmas Paper Pumpkin Alternative

Hi everyone and welcome back.  After recently returning from holidays, I've been wanting to create a few more Christmas cards to have on hand.  

I decided to interpret the clean and simple sketch from  Freshly Made Sketches #715. Michelle F. is the sketch designer and she says although this sketch would work well as a wreath, the circle is open to interpretation. With that, I changed my interpretation of the circle to a classic Christmas ornament.  Hope you like it. 

Here's My Card: 

I had a few supplies left from my October Paper Pumpkin kit called Cozy Christmas so I made an alternative card using them.  For the matte layer I cut an envelope from the kit in half and cut a 5 1/4" x 4" matte.  The sentiment "Deck the Halls" is from the Greetings For You Mix and Match ephemera pack #166208.  The beautiful red self-adhesive sequins are from the Cozy Christmas kit.  

The inside has a 5 1/4" x 4" real red cardstock matte layer and a basic white layer that measures 5" x 3 3/4"  The sentiment is stamped in Real Red ink and is from a retired Stampin' Up! stamp set called More Merry Wishes.  I added some Garden Green star images using a stamp from the coordinating Cozy Christmas stamp set.  

Well that's it for today's card.  I want to thank you for stopping by and checking it out.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my online shop 

Words of Encouragement - FMS Challenge #708

Freshly Made Sketches #708:

The wonderfully talented Jen T is the hostess for this week's wonderfully basic card sketch on Freshly Made Sketches.  Make sure you check out her own card design, it's stunning!  Also, why don't you play along.  Don't be intimidated by the blank canvas and simple design.  You  can choose any element to replace the circle and make it your own.  

 Here's My Card: 

Clean and simple cards are one of the biggest challenges I face as a papercrafter.  I never know when is enough or if I've done too little on my card designs.  After I finished this card I thought I could have possibly done more by dry embossing the white matte after I stamped the sentiment on it.  However, I didn't because I was concerned it would affect the lettering.  Oh well.  

I love the floral wreath die cut on this card.  Its a bigger image than I was going to use however it worked out well on the card. I die cut the image from a piece of Meandering Meadow Designer paper and then used the cut piece that was left, as a matte.  This combination of matte and design compliments each other quite effectively without having to do blending or other means of adding colour and design.  

Supplies and Instructions:

Stamps and Dies:

• Encircled in Natures stamps and dies #163623

Cardstock and DSP:

• Basic White card base - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" 
• Balmy Blue matte  5 1/4" x 4 1/4" 
• Meandering Meadow DSP matte 5" x 3 3/4" - die cut taken from the center of this piece before adhering
• Basic White matter 4 3/4" x 3 3/4" 

Ink and Blends:

• Misty Moonlight

Accessories:  

• Adhesive Backed Shiny Sequins #163484 

Well that's it for this challenge.  I'd love to hear your comments.  Do you use designer paper for mattes?  What are your thoughts? 

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT 

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Store 

Men and Their Love of Cars - Masculine Birthday Cards

 Freshly Made Sketches #707 

Here Are My Cards: 

Recently we had lunch with some old friends who just happen to be car buffs. They're into the speedway and going to the show and shines during the summer months.  I'd forgotten just how much these guys are into cars of all vintages and how enthusiastic they get when the conversation turns to cars, which it inevitably does.  So with that in mind, I made three birthday cards featuring some of my old car stamps and this wonderful sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  

  

Supplies and Instructions: 

Stamps and Dies:

• Geared Up Garage Stamps #148590
• Garage Gears Dies
• The Route 66 Stamp Set by Carta Bella 52830

Cardstock and DSP: 

Whisper White

• Cut three card
• Card base in Whisper White cardstock measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4".Scrap pieces for sentiment layers 
• Whisper White matte for inside card 5" x 3 3/4"
• Real Red for card mattes inside and out 5 1/4" x 4".  Scraps for circles or rectangle mats for focal point 

Inks and Blends:

• Memento Tuxedo Black 
• Real Red 
• Daffodil Delight Light and Dark, Smokey Slate, for car details. 

Accessories:  

• Dimensionals 

Thanks so much for dropping by and looking at my interpretation of this weeks FMS challenge.  What fun!  See you again soon! 

HAPPY STAMPING!
PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT 

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Fall For Toile Paper Pumpkin Kit and FMS#706

 Once again it's time for a Freshly Made Sketch challenge.  Here's #706

Here's My Card:

This sketch was perfect for making an alternative card with the Fall For Toile September 2025 Paper Pumpkin kit.  I made a "thinking of you" card and featured a deer on the focal. 

Supplies:

Stamps and Dies:

• Autumn Abundance August 2024 Paper Pumpkin sentiments
• Nature's Beauty #150528 (R)
• Stitched Circles Dies  (R)

Cardstock and DSP: 

• Whisper White 
• Card Base 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" 
• Inside Matte 3 3/4" x 5" 
• 3" x 3" for stitched circle matte
• Pecan Pie
• Cut two 4" x 5 1/4" mattes for front and inside card
• 3 1/4 x 3 1/4" piece for stitched circle matte
• Cut two 3/8" x 2 3/8" strips for ends of DSP matte

• DSP:
• 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" piece of white/pecan pie cardstock from Fall For Toile Paper Pumpkin September 2025 kit
• 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of cardstock with deer and trees in pecan pie 

Inks and Blends:

• Pecan Pie 
• Paper Pumpkin 
• Timid Tiger and Peach Pie blends for leaves 

Accessories: 

• Mini Corrugated Embossing Folder 
• Basics Cross Hatched Embossing Folder 
• Dimensionals 
• Gold Self-Adhesive Sequins 

Fall for Toile Alternatives: 

Here are some additional cards that I've made with the Fall for Toile September 2025 Paper Pumpkin kit. 

The last card was featured in this sketch challenge. 

Thanks for dropping by and checking out my sketch challenge entry. I hope you'll leave a comment or come back again.

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin Up! Demo since 2006