Right as Rain - Cardmaking and Scrapbooking with Jean Manis

Spellbinders | Elegant Christmas Sleigh Card

Hello! Today I am pivoting back to Christmas and sharing a card that embodies the elegance and joy of the season. Crafted with Spellbinders die sets, the card features a festive sleigh brimming with beautifully wrapped packages. The card’s rich greens, golds, and reds add traditional holiday warmth.

- Create an A-2-size card base from Brushed Gold cardstock.
- Cut Snowdrift cardstock with the largest die in the Emerald Cut Labels set and add to the card base.
- With the next-to-largest die in the Emerald Cut Labels set, cut both patterned paper and Snowdrift cardstock. Use one of the dies in the Color Block Scenic Scape set to cut a snowbank from the Snowdrift piece. Add snowbank to patterned paper, add assembly to card.
- With the Delivering Joy Sleigh set, cut sleigh, packages, greenery, and sentiment from a variety of cardstock colors and textures. Assemble as required. Add to card background.

Elizabeth Craft Designs | Autumn Scene

Hello! As the colors of fall begin to grace the trees, I was inspired to capture the season’s beauty on my latest card creation. Using the Elizabeth Craft Designs Floral Foliage 1 die set, I crafted a scene featuring a wooden barrel overflowing with realistically colored autumn leaves. The set includes a birdhouse, complete with a pair of birds. You can find more fall-themed handmade card inspiration HERE.

- Create a 5″ x 7″ card base. Cover the base with patterned paper, cut with the largest die in the 5″ x 7″ Matting Basics A set. (I used Simple Stories patterned paper from several years ago designed by Katie Pertiet; she is now creating products for 49 & Market.)
- With the Floral Foliage 1 set, cut pieces from Soft Finish cardstock, and color with Distress Inks. I used Brushed Silver cardstock for the bands on the barrel. Shape colored leaves with ball stylus tools. Add Finnabair black micro beads for the bird’s eyes.
- Stamp sentiment (SU set) in Potting Soil ink; cut with small tag die (I used a now-retired MFT tag.)

Looking for more inspiration? I previously used the Floral Foliage 1 die set on a Christmas card HERE. Save 10% off your entire order (with a minimum purchase of USD $25) at Elizabeth Craft Designs with the code PNWMANIS.

Fall & Halloween Cards: Autumn Inspiration

Hello fall! Here in the Pacific Northwest, there is a little bit of fall in the air and the days have grown shorter. To embrace the season in my cardmaking, I am revisiting fall-themed cards (including Halloween) in my blog archive, from the warm hues of harvest and cozy comforts of sweater weather to the playful spookiness of Halloween. Click on the card image to be taken to the original post.

Embrace the cozy weather with a card featuring a novelty sweater and a knitted pattern background.

Send a warm greeting with a card that captures the beauty of fall.

Celebrate the harvest season with cards showcasing pumpkins piled high in a rustic cart.

Bring a whimsical touch to Halloween on a card featuring a gnome dressed as a wizard cruising in a sporty car.

Haunted houses never go out of style, as seen on this card featuring an abandoned house with bats, ghosts, and a glowing full moon.

Observations As I look at the cards, I see that I used dry-embossed backgrounds or woodgrain elements on the fall cards for texture. Additionally, the color orange appeared on all of the cards. I did not include any Thanksgiving cards in this roundup; although I have made a few over the years, it is not an occasion for which I regularly make cards.

I hope this roundup sparks your imagination to create your own fall-themed cards. What are some of your favorite products with this theme? Do you have products on your “to buy” list with this theme?

Spellbinders | Colorful Expressions Blooms

Hello! Today, I am sharing a “hello” card created with Spellbinders August 2024 Large Die of the Month Kit “Colorful Expressions Blooms.” The design features an arrangement of die-cut flowers and greenery paired with a sentiment created with the August 2024 Small Die of the Month Kit – “Colorful Expressions Sentiments.”

Cut Sea Glass cardstock with largest die in the 5 x 7 Matting Basics A set and dry-emboss with the Tiny Dots folder. Attach to a 5″ x 7″ Brushed Gold card base.
With the Large Die of the Month Kit set, cut elements from a variety of cardstock colors. Assemble as required. Add elements to card background, trimming overlap as necessary.
Cut sentiment with dies in the Small Die of the Month Kit set and add to card front with foam adhesive.

Spellbinders | Wish Big

Hello! Looking for the Spellbinders blog hop post? Head HERE.

Make a birthday extra special with this whimsical monster-themed card, perfect for celebrating a 5th birthday! Paired with a cheerful “wish big” sentiment, this card is sure to bring smiles and joy. The die-cut sentiment was created with the Spellbinders August 2024 Small Die of the Month kit – “Colorful Expressions Sentiments.”

I paired the die-cut sentiment with previously released products to showcase the set’s versatility. Whether you’re crafting for your own child or a friend’s, this card is a delightful way to mark a milestone with a touch of playful charm.