cardmaking - Right as Rain

Spellbinders | Brunch-Themed Friendship Card

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a playful friendship card created with the Spellbinders November Small Die of the Month set, which is all about brunch! The set includes the cutest breakfast items, each complete with arms, legs, and sweet expressions. I’ve used the waffle, a strip of bacon, and a sunny-side-up egg. The card is a fun and friendly way to invite someone to catch up, share a meal, or simply brighten their day.

- Create a 5″ x 7″ card base.
- Cut a 4″ x 6″ panel of patterned paper.
- Cut the focal items from a variety of cardstock colors with the Small Die of the Month set. Assemble. (Note: I trimmed the banner sentiment on either end to shorten it.)
- With a circle die, cut three circles in coordinating colors and dry-emboss with the Tiny Dots folder. Attach the circles to the patterned paper and trim. Mat the panel on to a slightly larger panel of black cardstock. Add assembly to the prepared card base.
- Add items to the circles with adhesive foam squares.

Spellbinders | Cozy Toes Slippers + Friends

Hello! Spellbinders has introduced a new batch of slipper faces and coordinating sentiments for the Cozy Toes Slippers die set (originally the October 2024 Large Die of the Month). These additions make it easy to create playful, friendship-themed cards all year long. For today’s design, I used the cow face dies and paired them with a sentiment from the Cozy Toes Friends stamp set: “You’re my go-to for comfort, laughs, and late-night chats.” The success of this card comes down to the color and pattern choices. I dressed my slippers in multi-colored polka dot pajamas that complement the black-and-white cow design.

- Cover an A2-size card base with patterned paper (Doodlebug Tinsel Time).
- Cut the cow faces with dies in the Cozy Toes Friends set and assemble.
- Cut the pajamas and slipper bases with dies in the Cozy Toes Slippers set. Assemble.
- Stamp the Cozy Toes Friends sentiment and cut with a banner/rectangle die.
- Add elements to the prepared card base.

I love when a well-loved product gets new life through additional designs. These new slipper faces expand the creative possibilities of the original set.

Hero Arts | Book Bag

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a fun project created with the Hero Arts Studio Book Bag die set. This clever set lets you assemble a miniature book bag filled with die-cut books and a cute worm. It’s perfect for celebrating teachers, students, or any book lover in your life.

- Cover an A2-size card base with patterned paper.
- Cut the bag, books, sentiment, and worm from a variety of cardstock colors with the Book Bag set. Assemble.
- Add assembly to prepared card base.

You can create a polished focal piece with the Book Bag die set, or you can pair the set with additional sentiments from other Hero Arts releases this month for even more versatility.

Spellbinders | Santa by the Mantel

Hello! There’s something especially heartwarming about Christmas scenes set inside the home. My latest card, created with several Spellbinders Simon Hurley die sets, captures Santa by the mantel, surrounded by stockings and holiday cheer. I loved bringing this cozy moment to life with die cuts that build a story—one that feels like it could come straight from a Christmas Eve illustration. I talk about the appeal of Santa in cardmaking HERE.

- Cover a 5″ x 7″ card base front with Hard Candy Christmas patterned paper. Add a strip along the bottom of Honey Bee Pinstripes and Polka Dots paper.
- Cut Santa with the The Clauses set and assemble.
- Create the mantel with the Mantel Village and Mantel Decorations die sets. Use a die in the North Pole Sentiments set to cut the sentiment into the mantel. Back with white cardstock.
- Add assembled elements to prepared card base.

I especially love that this card comes together entirely with die cuts—no stamping needed, and having the sentiment cut right into the mantel keeps the design clean and uncluttered.

A Tim Holtz-Inspired Holiday Card

Hello! Mixed media isn’t my usual cardmaking style, but it’s always fun to step outside my comfort zone and experiment. For this Christmas card, I used a variety of Tim Holtz products including stenciling and alcohol inking. The variety of mediums adds character and depth to the design—each layer contributing its own texture and visual interest. It’s a festive project full of wintery sparkle and creative play.

- To begin, create a card base 3 3/4″ x 6 7/8″ from woodgrain cardstock. Ink the sides of the cardstock with Gathered Twigs.
- Next, create a monoprint on watercolor paper with the Pinecones stencil using Antique Linen Distress Spray and water. There are several of the Tim Holtz makers who regularly use this technique. Once dry, stencil in the pinecones and greenery. Apply the Sparkle paste through the panel and set aside to dry. Tim Holtz recently created a video discussing the many pastes available.; it proved to be an invaluable resource.
- Once dry, you can add Antique Linen ink to the cardstock since the areas covered by the paste resist the ink. This can help fill in bare spots from the monoprint method.
- Cut the bird from alcohol-inked black cardstock. I used the same formula as on this card.
- Cut the greenery, from cardstock to which Distress ink has been applied, with dies in the Holiday Greens set. Add a snow effect by applying Snowfall Grit paste and Rock Candy glitter.
- Stamp the Festive Overlay sentiment on to cardstock and cut with a circle die. Cut a vellum circle slightly larger. Adhere the two.
- Trim the stenciled panel and add to the card base. Add sentiment circle, greenery, and bird.

It’s a bit more involved than my usual clean and simple cards, but worth every step for the texture and sparkle it brings to the finished design.