How Many Cards can you Make with a Mini Stamp Set?

     In January I ordered a mini stamp set from Gina K Designs called "Love is Friendship".  It had one image and one sentiment.

1

   

     I have heard stampers discuss the fact that you should think of three ways to use a stamp set before purchasing it so that you get your money's worth.  That sounds like sound advice because the stamp sets I never use do not inspire me to create different types of cards.

     The first card was inspired by a floral card created by Melanie Muenchinger.  It isn't as pretty as hers, but the inside front of the card is also stamped with the guitar so that it looks like it lines up with the front of the card.

2

     For my second card, I wanted to use some wood tone paper for the guitar.  It didn't turn out as I had hoped because the wood tone was on too big of a scale.  A smaller scale would have worked nicely.  I used Washi tape stripes.

3

     For the third one I did some simple masking of the guitar to make the hearts go behind it.  The stamp had three hearts in a row so I used my MISTI to line them up evenly.  I also performed "stamp surgery" on the sentiment because the entire sentiment wouldn't fit on one line where I wanted it to fit.

4

.
     I put even more work into the 4th card.  I used a script stamp on a panel behind the red and cut out a heart near the center.  I stamped the sentiment and guitar on black card stock and used versamark and silver embossing powder for the detail, plus I stamped a swirl near the bottom with the versamark and used the same silver embossing powder.  I then took my versamark pen and "drew" a line along the two edges of the panel behind the guitar and also applied silver embossing powder.  It makes it look like there is a third layer of card stock but it is the same layer the script stamp is applied to.  Then I took the entire panel and attached it to an A2 card base.  The right side of the photo has glare but the panel is centered on the card.