Friend Card Using the July Paper Pumpkin and Performing Minor Stamp Surgery

Do you ever alter your Paper Pumpkin stamps?  For some people, it is a little scary to cut stamps and they are a little leery to attempt it, but I do it quite often to achieve a new sentiment or look.  

For my card today, I wanted a stamp that simply said, "Friend".  The kit has a stamp that says, "Hello, Friend".  I decided to separate the two words so that I could stamp it without taping part of the stamp or masking it.  Plus, I'd also get a stamp that says, "Hello".

I simply took a sharp pair of small scissors and cut the words apart. But don't worry!  The pieces practically snap back together if I decide to use them in the way this was intended. But now I have a "Friend" stamp that I can use whenever I choose with no hassle at all.

And lucky me...the sentiment fits perfectly on the large pink strawberry die cut from the kit.  

To begin my card, I chose the strawberry card with the blue background for my card base. I cut a piece of Basic White card stock at 4" x 5.25" and dry embossed it using the Forever Plaid embossing folder.  I also used one of the circle dies from the Spotlight on Nature set to cut out a circle on the top left side of the panel.

I adhered the white panel to the front of my card base.  I stamped the "Friend" in Strawberry Slush ink on the large strawberry die cut.  I also stamped "Love you lots" in Garden Green ink on one of the small blue rectangles from the kit.  

I tied a large looped green bow and placed it behind the Love You Lots sentiment and just below the strawberry die cut.

When I placed the small white flowers from the kit on the card, they got lost on the white background. I used the light Pool Party Blend to outline them so they would stand out a little more.  I also used my stylus and pierce mat to gently press in on the center of each one to give them dimension and adhered them with glue dots.

So, have you tried stamp surgery?  You can always start with a simple snip and work up to more difficult ones.  ;)