A scraplift is a great way to practice your layout skills, giving your brain a rest from creative side while it just works on developing skills. It's a great practice for designers as well, and I used to do a lot of it back when I was getting started.
For this challenge, you need to create something from scratch, so pick something that's just outside your skill set so you have to work a little. Find a finished design (it could be a paper, an element, a template, etc) and reproduce it as exactly as you can using just your skills. This is a great time to finally google something you've been wondering about, like making a repeating pattern, using actions, etc.
Feel free to ask questions here and I'll do my best to help you towards your goal.
I just fell in love with Melouise's nerdy sheep. (Thanks for the inspiration!)
So I attempted to recreate a puffy felt shape. Whooooo, I think I've done it over ten times.
This is as close as I could get with a simple shape. It seems to only be a bit puffy.
I don't think I was brave enough with the lighten/darken and desaturate in Paint Shop Pro.
Wow Kim, thats amazing! You can be very proud of your self, well done ~ I do admire you. And I love the felt designs, all of your kit and the heart is really gorgeous
Wow, Kim, that is an amazing lift! It really looks like it could be in one of my kits! I'll let you in on a little secret; the puffiness comes from a huge soft embossing... I make two overlapping shapes, giving the inner one a huge embossing and an inner shadow to make it pop a little extra. The outer one just has a small inner shadow, just like your outer rim has. My compliments, you got really close. Looking forward to seeing your sheep
You did wonderful. I'll have to give this a go.
I've also tried to mimic Melouise felt shape. (It is so, so cute!) I am nowhere near it, but this is what I was able to achieve for now:
(Never mind the stitching, I was just testing... LOL!)
Oh you girls are making me blush
. You do know the lift wasn't specifically meant to lift my sheep do you? 
If any of you are designing in PSE... Take a look at this: https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/forums/digital-scrapbooking/software-specific-questions/iso-pse-psp-designers-familiar-with-using-or
Thank you Melouise! I would love to help but I don't have PSE anymore... Good luck with your search! The final texture of your action is really adorable!
Not sure this is what you mean?? But really really liked the Crazy Squares Cutout Out Shape Mat so decided to try to make one and made 2
I really like this challenge idea (especially since I'm constantly trying to work-up those great digiscrap items I see all over the internet). Hopefully I will have time over the next week.
@Cathy - nice job! I love the chalky one. I can think of so many things I could use it on.