Dav's Challenge

For the past few months, a fun addition to some of the Studio Calico kits has been a 4x6 background stamp with various patterns including ledger, alphas, polkadots, herringbone, etc.  I have loved them and added them to my stash but admit to being a little perplexed with what to do with them.
 
Enter the Fiero birthday party and holiday gift season, which runs Christmas - March, really.  I have been overwhelmed with the need to send thank you cards to family and friends, but the thought of making 30 cards has been quite daunting.
 
A while back I ordered card blanks and envelopes to help make the process simple.  However, when they arrived, I realized that great deal I had made on my card bases was actually for announcement style cards, not regular 4.25 x 5.5 cards that open up.  You don't open an announcement.  It's just front and back.  At first I was quite bummed, because I didn't want to pay to ship these back, but then I realized in the end I was quite brilliant.  You don't often display thank you cards, especially thank you cards for a gift or a jumpathon donation.  But they are a polite gesture and one that small children should often partake in when they've just finished hassling grandma for $5 to get to the "free prize" level on the fundraiser.
Supplies: Stamps - Studio Calico Ledger stamp, Cardstock - AC Vanilla cardstock, Ink - JBS Chicken Feed ink, JBS Chewing Gum ink, JBS Stick Candy ink

The use of a background stamp on an announcement style card makes thank you cards the easiest things to create and send.  Simply ink and stamp the image, add a sentiment, write on the back, and slip it in an envelope.
 
It's cost effective too.  You can create 6 thank you cards on one 12x12 piece of paper by trimming two rows of 4x6 cards.  My sentiment was also cost effective in that I printed it out on my computer and used a fun label punch.
 
My challenge to you this week is to use those background stamps.  Create a bunch of simple thank you cards with them.  Use them for a photo mat on your layout.  I want to see the fun 4x6 stamps put to use.

Comments

[Karen Imes]

This is a really great idea!!! I too purchased those announcement type cards in a clearance section not realizing what I bought later on!!! Funny..impulse shopping will do that. I did mini scrapbook pages instead of traditional christmas cards (pop dotted snowflakes and all) and glued magnet strips on the back so my recipients could put it on their fridge and enjoy it year 'round! My mom still has hers on her fridge from years ago!!! I love that stamp, btw!!!!

[Hannal]

Here is my take - I used the stamps on a LO
http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41465

[Alexa]

Thank-you Dav for making me use one of my precious background stamps, I certainly don't get as much use out of them as I should. Loved this challenge. Here's my LO:

http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41491

[jamie long]

I used the dotted line journaling block to create a pattern for my background paper.
http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41495

[tami]

I used the polka dot on this one I just did- love those background stamps!! http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41616

[Penny]

Here's mine. I'm a terrible stamper, which only gets worse with huge stamps! I had to cover up my bad spots here!

http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41677

[Lindsay W]

I used Susan W's page design, but stamped the large wood grain pattern as a background. http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41641

[NinaSt]

Here is mine
http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41708

[ShellyJ]

Great challenge! pulled together a card set with my polk-a-dot background stamp and some Mr. Huey ;)

http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41758

thanks!

[Robin]

here's mine--I needed a thank you cards and I made some Mother's Day cards while I was at it.
http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41766

[Geralyn]

This is my first time using my herringbone background stamp. Thanks for the challenge, Davinie! http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41774

[Lane]

I combined this challenge with the Sunday sketch. I *adore* the bubbles background stamp, and it really complimented the 4/24 sketch. Thanks for the insp!
http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41776

[MandyK]

Here's mine. I used that awesome Alpha background for the first time. THanks for a great challenge Dav!http://www.studiocalico.com/forums/galleries/show/41832