Spellbinders - Right as Rain

Make a Halloween Balloon Arch with Paper

Hello! For this Halloween card, I created a festive scene with two ghosts (made with dies in the Spellbinders Envelope of Wonder Halloween set I discovered after one of my last cards), a balloon arch, and a dry-embossed background. One of the ghosts holds a sentiment that says BOO!

Balloon arches have become a popular decorating trend for parties and celebrations. I wanted to bring that look to a handmade Halloween card, using supplies already in my craft room rather than purchasing anything new.

The balloon arch was made with die-cut circles in two sizes. Initially, I tried three sizes, but the smallest circles didn’t work with the design. A few die-cut bats accessorize the scene and reinforce the Halloween theme. The teal dry-embossed panel (Taylored Expressions Weathered folder) adds texture without distracting from the ghosts and balloon arch.

I’m noticing that it’s surprisingly easy to limit my cardstock choices. Instead of pulling out every possible color, I choose a handful that work together and build the scene around them.

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

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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Fall Quilt-Inspired Card

Hello! I’m really enjoying letting the season guide my cardmaking right now. For this card, I chose a palette of orange, navy, warm yellow, and off-white. To begin, I used the Taylored Expressions Quilted cutting plate die (now retired) to create a quilt frame from Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell cardstock. I love quilts, but I don’t quilt, except with paper!

- I heat-embossed the Penny Black 30-863 Autumn is Calling sentiment on Taylored Expressions Blue Corn cardstock, trimmed it to fit in the center square, and glued it to the back of the frame. I backed the frame with an A2-size panel of the Blue Corn cardstock and added the assembly to a card base.
- Next, I added texture to four cardstock panels (TE Blue Corn, TE Sweet Potato Pie, TE Pineapple, and Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell) with the Spellbinders Starshine Background cutting plate.
- Finally, I cut each pierced panel with the quilt die and inlaid the pieces into the frame.
- I finished the card with a die-cut needle and thread (TE Little Bits – Needle & Thread). It seemed like the perfect little detail for the quilt theme.

This is the kind of seasonal crafting I’m enjoying: choosing a few colors that feel like fall, working with the themes of the season, and finding new ways to use the supplies already in my collection. It’s satisfying to shop my craft room and discover that I already have everything I need.

Spellbinders | Americana Quilt Card

Hello! Making this Americana quilt card was an absorbing process, almost like assembling a small paper quilt. I used an older 3″ quilt square die (Flower Mini Quilt by Becca Feeken) from Spellbinders and inlaid red, white, and blue patterned papers to create a classic Americana patchwork. I repeated the process to make a second square. The finished card is 3 1/4″ x 6 1/4″ and is kept simple with a BetterPress sentiment. The result feels nostalgic. This card idea occurred to me after I posted about Red, White, and Blue cards.

This card came together easily and became a relaxing project while I was brushing up on my watercolor skills for a different card. I’ve been enjoying revisiting older products, such as the Flower Mini Quilt die set, and discovering new ways to use them. You can see a guest blog post from several years ago that uses this die set and others in the Home Sweet Quilt Collection HERE.

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