cardmaking - Right as Rain

Newton’s Nook | Cat with Bubble Tea

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a playful handmade card featuring a fun-loving cat sipping bubble tea—because it’s always a good time to par-tea! I used stamps from Newton’s Nook to create the adorable focal image, which I watercolored. To set the scene, I stenciled a pair of tropical palm trees on to patterned paper, adding a relaxed, summery vibe that perfectly complements the kitty’s party spirit.

- Stamp the Bubble Tea image on Cold Press watercolor paper, heat-set the image, and color with Zig markers.
- Once dry, cut the image with its coordinating die.
- Stencil the palms in black in with the Retro Sun and Palms stencil on to patterned paper (Simple Stories Just Beachy). Trim and add to a white A2-size card base.
- Using a different patterned paper in the same Simple Stories Just Beachy pad, cut a hill, and add to the prepared base.
- Stamp the Bubble Tea sentiment on to yellow cardstock and cut with a circle die.

Spellbinders | Cheerful Bird Card

Hello! Today I’m sharing a bright and cheerful handmade card featuring a colorful bird framed within an arched frame. Using the same Spellbinders bird die set and sentiment set as a previous design, I gave this card a new twist by changing up the bird colors and using an arch. The sentiment, “Hope your day soars with laughter and fun,” brings an uplifting message suitable for birthdays, encouragement, or any joyful occasion. This card is a great reminder of how versatile a single die set can be!

- Stamp the Spread Your Wings sentiment on a Waterfall cardstock panel. Cut with the second largest arch in the Essential Arches set and add to an arch cut from white cardstock with the largest die in the same set. Add assemble to an A2-size based covered with patterned paper. (I used Simple Stories Just Beachy.)
- Cut the bird with dies in the Flying High set from a variety of colors. Assemble and add to card.
- Embellish with Enamel Dots.

Hero Arts | Beach Snapshots

Hello! There’s something wonderfully calming about the ocean, and I wanted to capture that peaceful vibe on this handmade card. Using Hero Arts products, I created a design that looks like eight different snapshots of the same beach. The repetition adds rhythm, while soft blues, sandy neutrals, and sunny yellows bring the coastal scene to life. At the center, a playful “Hi Ya” sentiment ties everything together for a lighthearted, summery hello.

- - Create an A2-size card base from Fawn cardstock.
  - With dies in the Summer Memories – Hero Studio Die Set of the Month (June 2025) set, cut photo frames, skies, suns, oceans, surfs, and beaches from a variety of cardstock colors (see list below). Find more Die Set of the Month inspiration HERE.
  - Assemble scenes and add to the prepared card base.
  - With the Hiya Friend stamp set, which is this month’s Whole Studio Subscription bonus item, stamp the sentiment and cut with the coordinating die. Add to the center of the card with foam adhesive.

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Spellbinders | Set Sail Die-Cut Card

Hello! There’s nothing quite like the calming rhythm of waves and a sailboat on the open water–and that’s the feeling I aimed to capture with this nautical handmade card. Using products from Spellbinders, I created an scene framed by a Polaroid-style die cut. The sentiment “Relax and enjoy!” adds to the vibe, while the rope-textured dry embossed card base reinforces the theme. It’s a card that invites the recipient to take a breath and imagine the salty breeze.

- Dry-emboss an A2-size cardstock panel with the Cast Away folder and add to a card base.
- Cut the sailboat with this month’s Caboodle offering–the “Set Sail” die set. Assemble.
- Cut the waves, three times, with dies in the Large Die set. Assemble. Find more Large Die inspiration HERE.
- Cut a frame with the Memory Frames die.
- Stamp the Fair Winds sentiment on to a cardstock panel and trim to fit behind the frame.
- Adhere the frame, waves, and sailboat together and add assembly to the sentiment panel. Trim waves before adding to the sentiment panel.
- Add assembly to the prepared card base.

Spellbinders | Tropical Cockatoo Card

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a handmade card that’s sure to bring a smile! This tropical-themed design features a charming die-cut cockatoo perched among lush foliage, created with Spellbinders products. The sentiment, “A little birdie told me it’s your day,” makes it ideal for celebrating birthdays, promotions, anniversaries—or simply to tell someone you’re thinking of them. With vibrant colors and die-cut details, this design brings a bit of paradise to any occasion.

- Stamp the Spread Your Wings sentiment on a white cardstock A2-size panel and cut out the center with one of the Underwater Tunnel dies. Add to a Teal Topaz card base with foam adhesive.
- Cut the bird with dies in the Flying High set from a variety of colors and assemble as needed.
- Add the bird assembly to the prepared card base.