dry embossing - Right as Rain

Brewing Up Halloween

Hello! Since Halloween is such a short cardmaking season, I’m trying to be mindful about buying products I’ll only use for a few weeks. I purchased nothing this year to make this card.

I pulled out a set of stacking teacup dies from Taylored Expressions that I’ve had for almost a decade and gave it a Halloween makeover with seasonal colors. I added the steam from a Penny Black die set. Once assembled, I added the teacups to a dry-embossed panel with a bat motif (TE Fright Night Flight) and framed it. I used two Taylored Expressions die sets (a rectangle set and an Inside Out Scallop set) to create the frame. I went through my extensive patterned paper collection for a spider-patterned background. I did not purchase any additional Halloween-themed patterned paper this year. I created the sentiment on my computer and cut it with a banner die.

Because I recently reorganized my embossing folders, I could easily locate the Halloween-themed one I used on this card.

It’s a good reminder to look at what you already own and think about how you can change it up for the season. A little creative mixing and matching can give older supplies a whole new life!

Halloween Trunk or Treat Scene

Hello! One thing I am currently enjoying is putting together my own “kit” from supplies I already own. For this Trunk or Treat card, I pulled dies from several different sets and mixed and matched the pieces to create the scene. If you don’t know, Trunk or Treat is a Halloween tradition where families gather in a parking lot, and children go from decorated car to decorated car to collect treats instead of going door to door. The decorated trunks can be surprisingly creative, and I had fun translating that idea into a card by combining dies from several different sets to build the scene.

I used the Spellbinders Truckin’ Through the Seasons die set to create the vehicle for my Trunk or Treat scene, where the Halloween decorations are displayed in the truck bed.

After making this card, I discovered another die set (Envelope of Wonder Halloween) that would be perfect for creating a Trunk or Treat scene, especially the candy pieces! I used that set on a card for the Spellbinders blog HERE.

Taylored Expressions dies: Skinny Mini Halloween Borders, Little Bits – Ghosts, Little Bits – Halloween Confetti, The Witch Is In

Spellbinders dies: Truckin’ Through the Seasons (October 2018 Large Die of the Month), Boo Crew, Open House Boo!, Open House Halloween, Spooky Boo

Taylored Expressions cardstock: Candy Corn, Poppy Seed, Jelly Donut, Black Licorice

Spellbinders cardstock: Waterfall, Rainforest, Brushed Metallic Silver, Black Glitter foam

Taylored Expressions Brick embossing folder

Die-cut Autumn Scene

Hello! I created this fall-themed card with a variety of dies from Penny Black and Hello Bluebird. The focal point was cut with the Penny Black 51-275 Winter Lantern die set. The leaves and pumpkins were cut with dies in the Penny Black 51-360 Pumpkins & Leaves and Hello Bluebird Gallery Frame 3 sets. All of the dies, while released years ago, are available on their respective sites. Lanterns feel especially fitting for the autumnal equinox, as we start welcoming the warm glow of candlelight!

I cut the elements from solid cardstock (which gave me a chance to continue organizing my cardstock) and used the Penny Black All-In-One Oval frame to draw the eye to the lanterns.

The “Thinking of You” sentiment (Positivity) has its own coordinating die, which makes placement easy.

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A Cozy Fall Card Reimagined

Hello! I revisited a card I made last year, which was created with the Hero Arts Cozy Critters set (offered as a club kit in September 2025). The set is also available at Spellbinders. Since making the original card, I’ve added new supplies to my collection, giving me an opportunity to mix things up and create a different version of the same cozy scene. I replaced the original animal included in the club kit with two critters from the Spellbinders Trailside Trio set. The result is a cozy fall scene with a slightly different personality.

I also used several Taylored Expressions embossing folders (now retired) that I rediscovered while organizing my folders. The Beadboard folder was used for the card background, and the pillows were dry-embossed with the Cable Knit folder. The texture adds interest without competing with the die-cut scene. For the color palette, I chose seasonal shades that give the card a cozy, tucked-in-for-the-season feeling.

I like revisiting a card design this way. Rather than starting from scratch, I can change the focal images, sentiment, textures, or colors and create something that feels new. It is also a good reminder that reorganizing craft supplies can lead to ideas as well as a more functional craft space.

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My Embossing Folders Needed a System

Hello! I’m continuing my creativity reset, and this time I’m tackling my embossing folders. Like my background stamps, they’ve accumulated over the years, and they’ve ended up in a variety of places and configurations. As I sort through them, I’m trying to make them easier to find, which means giving them a system that makes sense to me.

I’m storing the folders by manufacturer and size, keeping 2D and 3D folders separate. For example, within the Spellbinders bins, I have A2-size folders, 2D large-format folders, 3D large-format folders, and kit club folders. The Taylored Expressions folders are shown below; they are all the same size. As I sort through all of my embossing folders, I am putting the fall-themed, Halloween, and Christmas ones towards the front of the bins.

I pulled out some seasonal cardstock colors and created swatch cards, then used several fall-themed embossing folders to create sample panels. If I don’t use the panels on cards, I can keep them with the folders as examples of the designs.

Embossing Folder Pros: Quick and easy; use cardstock you already have; add subtle texture that does not compete with the focal image; little mess; switch the cardstock color for a different look.

Embossing Folder Cons: Require an embossing machine; you need to know the correct machine “sandwich” for different folders; some folders work better on certain machines; folders take up storage space and can accumulate quickly; some designs are less versatile; and advanced techniques, like inking, add supplies and cleanup.

Do I need more? After sorting through my embossing folders and seeing what I already have, I’d have a hard time justifying the purchase of any more. Sometimes buying something new is easier than doing the less exciting work of sorting through what we already own. We see a card we love, decide we need the same supplies, and never stop to consider that we may already have something that would work just as well.