die cuts - Right as Rain

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.

Here for the Presents with Hero Arts

Hello! I’m sharing a Christmas card created with the Best Gift Ever Collection from Hero Arts. The design pairs the Gift Boxes die set, a cover plate that cuts an array of six presents, with the Here for the Presents Letterpress plates.

To create my design, I cut the Gift Boxes from white cardstock (for the frame) and again from coordinating Christmas-themed patterned papers and solid cardstock.

I used Library Green ink on the Letterpress sentiment plate. The sentiment set includes coordinating dies.

On three of the packages, I added gold twine bows.

While perfect for Christmas, the Gift Boxes set can easily be used for birthdays or any celebration.

Hero Arts | Playful Ghost Birthday Card

Hello! For an October birthday, I wanted to create something festive with a hint of Halloween fun. Using several Hero Arts products, I put together a playful card featuring a ghost holding a bundle of bright balloons. The background is full of color, and the simple “boo” sentiment ties it all together. What’s great about this design is its flexibility—you can easily change the balloon colors to suit any season or celebration, and in this case, the ghost adds a perfect nod to the time of year.

- Cover a 5″ x 7″ card base with a patterned paper panel.
- Cut the balloons and strings with the Balloon Bunch die set and assemble. (I previously used the balloon die HERE.)
- Cut the ghost with dies in the Boo to You set and assemble.
- Stamp the Season’s Creepings sentiment and cut with the coordinating die.
- Add balloons, ghost, and sentiment to prepared base with dot and foam adhesive.

Elizabeth Craft Designs | Holiday Wreath

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a classic Christmas card featuring the Festive Holly Collection from Elizabeth Craft Designs. The collection’s wreath includes dies for foliage, berry sprigs, and a bow—perfect for building realistic, layered wreaths.

I created a 5 1/8″ card base and covered it with patterned paper from my stash. I cut the wreath pieces from soft finish cardstock, colored them with Distress Oxide inks, and hand-shaped the elements for added dimension. Once assembled, I added a subtle glaze (Judikins Diamond Glaze) and dry glitter to give the wreath a frosty holiday sparkle. The berries and ribbon were created with Doodlebug velvet cardstock. The sentiment was stamped in Potting Soil ink and cut with a now-retired Sizzix tag die.

You might also enjoy my Christmas Card Roundup with Poinsettias & Wreaths post that includes botanical-themed holiday card inspiration.