stencils - Right as Rain

Pond-Themed Stencil Card | Waffle Flower

Hello! Dive into the tranquility of nature with a pond-themed card created with the Waffle Flower The Pond stencil, part of their postage collage line. The layering stencil design brings the scene to life and a preprinted punny sentiment adds the perfect finishing touch.

As I worked with the Waffle Flower stencil, I found myself fully immersed in the creative flow—layering colors and details became a meditative process.

- Dry-emboss yellow cardstock panel (SU Daffodil Delight) with the Penny Black Texture folder; add to an A2-sized card base.
- Cut white cardstock with the Postage Collage Die before stenciling The Pond. On my first foray into the Waffle Flower postage collage line, I stenciled first and then cut. Cutting first is the better approach!
- Optionally, back the stenciled panel with white cardstock. Stamp the postage elements with the Postage Collage stamps set with Archival black ink.
- Add the Hoppy sentiment with foam adhesive to the center of the panel. The subsentiments are preprinted. I used Black Soot ink around the edges to cover the white of the cardstock for a polished look.
- Add the panel to the card base with foam adhesive.

Distress Ink colors: Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon, Squeezed Lemonade, Lost Shadow, Black Soot, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Kitsch Flamingo, Carved Pumpkin, Crackling Campfire

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

Ho ho ho! Santa Claus is the heart of Christmas magic, symbolizing joy, generosity, and the wonder of the season. In this round-up of handmade cards, Santa Claus takes center stage. While this post is coming a bit late for this year, it’s perfect for planning ahead—many of the featured supplies may be discounted now, making it the ideal time to stock up for next season’s crafting! Click on the card image to be taken to the original post for additional details.

A welcoming Santa takes center stage on this card, set in a Polaroid-style frame.

This card showcases Santa with a bag of toys and a bell, standing on a snowbank. The dry-embossed snowy background and felt accents on Santa add rich texture.

This card features an old-fashioned stamped Santa and vintage-style sentiment, paired with plaid patterned paper for a nostalgic holiday feel.

This slimline card shows a pink-to-red ombré inked silhouette with Santa, children, and a sleigh, set against a teal background. Sequins create sparkling snowflakes, and a white-embossed sentiment completes the festive design.

This slimline card pairs a light teal, dry-embossed peppermint stripe background with Santa’s face appearing as one of three whimsical ornaments.

This tag shows a small Santa inside a snow globe. The stenciled white trees on kraft cardstock create a rustic, yet festive, background.

This card depicts Santa’s workshop, crafted with dies from a shed set. The shed features doors adorned with a Santa sign and stockings. Santa’s sleigh, loaded with a few packages, sits outside—offering evidence of his hard work.

These cards capture a variety of Santa-inspired designs, ranging from playful to nostalgic, to spark your holiday cardmaking creativity. Which Santa stamps or dies in your collection are your favorites? Do you have any Santa-themed products on your wish list?

Simon Hurley | Deck the Halls

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a festive card created with Simon Hurley’s layering stencil – Mod Christmas Trees. This design features three inked Christmas trees adorned with gold decorations, adding depth and shimmer. The “Deck the Halls” sentiment ties the design together, complementing the trio of decorated trees.

- Create an A-2 size card base from Pomegranate cardstock.
- Stencil the first layer of trees with Later Gator green ink.
- Next, add Rustic Wilderness ink to all three trees with the half tree portion of the Mod Christmas Trees stencil.
- Stencil gold pigment ink (I used Color Box) through the stencil for the tree trunks.
- Next add the three gold pastes (left to right) – Slippery When Wet Astro Paste, Slippery when Wet Lunar Paste, and Golden Hour Solar Paste. Once dry, trim the panel and mat with gold cardstock. Add assembly to card base.

- Glimmer foil the Joyful Christmas Sentiments plate in Matte Gold and cut with the coordinating die. Add to the card with foam square adhesive.

This Clean and Simple card design shines with its simplicity, but achieving that effortless look takes attention to detail and a steady hand.

Snow Much Fun | Waffle Flower

Hello! Today, I am sharing a winter-themed, holiday card created with one of the Postage Collage stencils offered at Waffle Flower. I have seen creations with these stencils for months now and wanted to give the products a try. The Waffle Flower Postage Collage Snowy stencil set makes it easy to layer winter mountain scenes with its multi-part stencil design. You can customize the colors for a different look, and the “stamps” can be separated for more creative possibilities.

- To begin, I swatched a number of different inks in my collection looking for purple, red, two shades of green, and two shades of blue. Knowing which inks I would use for the elements saved a lot of time. Scroll for the entire list of inks I used.
- I cut the stenciled scenes with the Postage Collage die. Next time I will probably cut the cardstock first and then stencil. If you have used these products, what did you do – stencil first or cut the collage first?
- I finished the card with one of the Snow Cheer Sentiments, which I cut with its coordinating die. I was particularly impressed that the sentiments are numbered on the packaging and the coordinating dies are etched with the corresponding number. All in all, I was very impressed with all of the Waffle Flower packaging.

Ink List – Mountains: Taylored Expressions Jelly Donut; Sky: Distress Ink Tumbled Glass; Lake: Taylored Expressions Sprinkles; Trees: Simon Hurley Later Gator, Distress Ink Rustic Wilderness; Cardinals: Memento Love Letter, Distress Ink Aged Mahogany, Distress Ink Black Soot

52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge

Hello! For the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge, I crafted a Christmas card that feels both festive and fresh, using the challenge colors of pink, green, and white (the challenge colors). Featuring Memory Box dies, I created a serene forest scene with a cozy A-Frame house nestled among snowy trees.

Working on this card brought back a childhood memory. As a tween, I was convinced that green and pink didn’t belong together—especially when my mother insisted on dressing me in a spruce green sweater and a pink turtleneck for school photos. Now, years later, I see the charm of this unexpected pairing.

- To begin, apply embossing paste through the Snow Flurries stencil on a light green cardstock panel. Once dry, add to an A2-size card base. Cut a 1 1/2″ strip of Snowdrift cardstock for the snow and add to the background panel.
- Cut the pieces of the A-Frame house from Snowdrift and Dahlia cardstock. Apply glue and Rock Candy glitter to the top of the chimney and to the roof. Once dry, assemble the house.
- With dies in the A-Frame house set, cut the wreath from dark green cardstock in the Greenery pack. Apply White Puff embossing powder to create a snow effect.
- Cut the trees with dies in the Layered Narrow Pines set from dark green cardstock in the Greenery pack and Snowdrift cardstock. Apply glue and Rock Candy glitter to the Snowdrift pieces. Once dry, assemble the trees.
- Press the Merry & Bright sentiment in Spruce ink on Snowdrift cardstock. Cut with the die in the sentiment set.
- Add the house, trees, and sentiment to the card with dot and foam adhesive.

To create the effect of snow on the trees and roof, on the wreath, and on the background, I used different techniques, adding dimension and realism. Adding snow to paper creations is a fun way to bring a wintry feel, making your holiday scenes even more magical.