Summer - Right as Rain

Spellbinders | Lighthouse Birdhouse

Hello! Embrace the coastal spirit and celebrate the red, white, and blue with a Fourth of July-themed card featuring products from Spellbinders! This lighthouse birdhouse card is perfect to send to anyone who appreciates coastal charm and creative whimsy. Scroll for information on a Flash Sale – save big on Spellbinders past kit clubs, now until June 30.

- Create A2-size background from Sea Glass cardstock. Add strips of tan and Cosmic Sky cardstock to bottom to resemble sand and sea.
- Cut fence with Build a Spring Birdhouse die from Snowdrift cardstock, twice. Add to scene.
- Cut birdhouse with Build a Summer Birdhouse. To customize, fussy-cut the top and doors of the birdhouse in a different color cardstock. Assemble birdhouse and add to scene.
- Cut bird with Sweet Birds on a Branch dies; assemble and add with foam adhesive.
- Stamp I’ve Got You Covered sentiment in navy ink on Snowdrift cardstock and cut with die in the On Cloud Nine set. Cut additional cloud.
- Cut seagulls from gray cardstock with die in the Build a Summer Birdhouse and add to scene.

Shop the Spellbinders Flash Sale on past kit clubs, now until June 30.

Sail Away with Sunny Studio Stamps

Hello! Today, I am thrilled to share with you a whimsical, nautical-themed card combining the Sunny Studio Stamps Birthday Cat stamp set (and coordinating die set) with other products in my stash. The Sunny Studio Stamps Birthday Cat stamp set is packed with cat images that can be used for a variety of occasions, not just birthdays. This card showcases stamping, watercoloring, stenciling, and die-cutting techniques. Send this card to a cat lover, nautical enthusiast, or to brighten someone’s day.

- Stamp Birthday Cat images with VersaFine ink on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper, heat set, and watercolor with mediums of choice. When dry, cut with the coordinating dies.
- Cut sailboat pieces from cardstock and foam (for depth). Glue pieces together. I used a now-retired Paper Smooches die set to create the sailboat.
- Create the background by applying white pigment ink on light-blue cardstock through one of the stencils in the Lawn Fawn Cloud Background set.
- To create the waves, cut Cosmic Sky cardstock with a die in the Ocean Wave Borders set. Trim and add to cloud background. Cut assembly to 4 x 5 1/4 inches and add to white canvas texture cardstock base.
- Adhere sailboat pieces to card.
- Cut sentiment with Journal Letter dies from white cardstock and foam. Glue together and adhere to card front.
- Add cats to the boat.

Lawn Fawn | Sailing with the Car Critters

Hello! Today I am sharing a whimsical, nautical-themed card that uses the Lawn Fawn Car Critters stamp set in a novel way. Strips of cardstock mimic a cruise ship, proudly named the SS CUBBY. Through five die-cut windows, the Car Critters take center stage, offering a twist on their traditional use. This mini slimline card not only showcases the versatility of the Car Critters set but also demonstrates how simple techniques, like using strips of paper, a circle die, and an alpha die set, can yield a unique card.

Stamp Car Critters on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper with VersaFine ink; heat set.
Color bears with watercoloring mediums of choice.
Create card base for a mini-slimline measuring 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches from Snowdrift cardstock.
Create portholes by cutting a Snowdrift cardstock panel, measuring 6 1/2 inches wide, five times with a 3/4 inch circle die.
Adhere the watercolored bears to the back of the porthole section.
Add strips of cardstock to card base to resemble cruise ship along with the porthole section.
Die-cut Journal Letters from Snowdrift cardstock and foam. Adhere foam to the back of the letters. Adhere letters to card front.

I used the Car Critters in a car in this post.

Art Impressions | Fourth of July Front Porch Delight

Hello! Today, I am sharing a card on which I have used the newest Art Impressions Front Porch stamp and die set – Patriotic. As I shared in this post, there is an entire Art Impressions Front Porch Series. This card showcases a charming front porch decorated for the Fourth of July with a sleeping dog in a chair, fluttering flag bunting, and a container of fireworks ready to light up the night sky. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to create the card.

Stamp Front Porch and Front Porch Patriotic images with VersaFine ink on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set.

Color images with watercolor markers (Tombow and Zig) using the watercolor palette, No. 4, and No. 1 brushes. Once dry, cut with coordinating dies. Note: the Front Porch door die cuts the window panes. I chose to fussy-cut the door, as I had watercolored the window panes. For the flag, bunting, and doormat, I used the Tombow Navy marker (brush tip) directly on the watercolor paper.

Create a panel, measuring 4 x 5 1/4 inches, of dry-embossed Chamomile cardstock background (I used an older Stampin’ Up folder) and add a 1 1/4 inch strip of dark gray to the bottom to represent the ground. Add assembly to a card background of white Bazzill canvas cardstock (which has been added to an A2-size card base). Add elements to card with foam adhesive.

Spellbinders Country Road Vintage Wheelbarrow

Step into a serene countryside scene! The card I am sharing today showcases the Spellbinders Country Road Collection by Annie Williams, which captures the essence of rustic charm and country living. Featuring a charming vintage wheelbarrow overflowing with blooms, this card is the perfect way to send a warm and heartfelt message to someone special. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how I created the card.

- Cut Country Wheelbarrow from a variety of cardstock colors including Brushed Silver and Timber. Add Aged Mahogany Distress ink to the pieces of the wheelbarrow cut from dark red cardstock. Assemble leaving the back of the wheelbarrow off.
- Use the Garden Builder die set to create the flowers and foliage, from Fern, Snowdrift, and Beeswax cardstock. Note: While I absolutely love color and choosing the right color combinations, I can easily get bogged down with decision fatigue. To simplify things, I decided to create the flowers with white petals and yellow centers, as well as yellow petals with white centers. This color scheme worked perfectly with the vintage red wheelbarrow and captured the essence of a rustic country scene.
- Assemble flowers, adding some to the foliage pieces for easier assembly. Glue floral assemblies to the inside of the wheelbarrow, arranging to fill the space. When finished, add the wheelbarrow back.
- Glimmer foil the Sentiments for Everyday sentiment in Matte Silver on Snowdrift cardstock; cut with coordinating die.
- Apply Tumbled Glass Distress and Rustic Wilderness Distress inks to a 4 x 5 1/4 inches panel of white cardstock. Add panel to white textured card base.
- Add sentiment and wheelbarrow assembly to card.