Fun Birthday Card with Ducks in a Row Bundle and Oh Duck Stencil | The Rabbit Hole Designs

Birthdays always call for something fun, playful, and just a little unexpected, don’t they? That was exactly the inspiration behind today’s card. I wanted to create a cheerful birthday design that would stand out from the stack, and I knew the new Ducks in a Row Stamp & Dies Bundle from The Rabbit Hole Designs would be the perfect starting point. Add in the Oh Duck!!! 6x6 Stencil and a unique sentiment from the Sentimentally Speaking – Holidays Abroad Bundle, and this card came together in such a joyful way.

Fun Birthday Card with Ducks in a Row Bundle and Oh Duck Stencil | The Rabbit Hole Designs

Bringing in a Fresh Twist with Sentiments

One thing I love doing is mixing up the language of my sentiments. It’s such an easy way to make a card feel fresh and personal. Instead of the usual “Happy Birthday,” I reached for “Feliz Cumpleaños” from the Sentimentally Speaking – Holidays Abroad Stamp & Dies Bundle. Using a Spanish sentiment immediately gave this card a little something special, and it reminded me of when I first started stamping years ago—I would always look for ways to make my cards stand out without adding a ton of extra steps. This is one of those little tricks that works every time.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking to add variety to your cards, try keeping a few bilingual or international sentiment sets in your stash. They’re a small investment that go a long way in making your designs feel unique.

Creating a Background That Pops

For the background, I wanted something colorful yet not too overpowering. I started by ink blending pink and yellow inks on a vertical strip, letting the colors meet and overlap in the center. This created a soft, playful gradient that instantly set the tone of the card. To add just the right touch of detail, I brought in the the same duck from the focal panel (Ducks in a Row Bundle) and stamped it in the same two colors on this piece. I then used the Oh Duck!!! 6x6 Stencil on another panel and justed ink blended the ducks in pink and then ink blended the same pink ink softly over it. The duck shapes layered over the ink blending gave me dimension without needing extra layers of cardstock or embellishments.

I remember when I first discovered stencils—it felt like opening up a whole new world. Suddenly, I could create professional-looking textures and patterns in minutes. Here, the stencil solved the problem of a “flat” ink-blended panel and made the background feel polished while still playful.

Spotlighting the Birthday Duck

The main character, of course, is the duck. From the Ducks in a Row Bundle, I stamped and colored the birthday duck with coordinating pink and yellow inks so it felt tied to the background. The little party hat, cake, and gift were too cute to leave out, so they made their way into the scene as well.

To give the duck its own stage, I placed it on a crisp white circle die cut. This trick is one I come back to again and again—when your stamped images feel like they’re getting lost, grounding them on a simple shape like a circle or oval helps them pop. Think of it as shining a spotlight on your star performer.

Finishing Details That Tie It Together

Once the duck was in place and the sentiment was stamped, the design already had great balance. To frame it all, I hand-drew a simple black pen line around the card’s edge. This tiny detail gave the card structure and echoed the bold black sentiment without adding bulk.

Sometimes the temptation is to keep adding embellishments, but here I let the bright inks, the stencil, and the playful duck do the heavy lifting. This way, the design stayed clean but still full of energy.

Final Thoughts

This card was such a fun reminder that small choices can make a big difference in cardmaking. Using a non-English sentiment added a fresh twist, the stencil gave dimension without clutter, and a simple circle die cut kept the duck in the spotlight. Altogether, it created a playful, one-of-a-kind birthday card that feels both fun and thoughtful.

If you’re looking for ways to stretch your supplies, try this approach the next time you’re making a birthday card:

• Experiment with sentiment languages.

• Use stencils to elevate your backgrounds.

• Ground focal images on simple shapes for instant balance.

It’s amazing how these little shifts can transform a card from ordinary to unforgettable.

Use my code RICKCRAFTYCORNER at the Rabbit Hole Designs at check out for an exclusive Free Gift with your order!

Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you found a little spark of creative inspiration with my project today. Wondering what I used in this project? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails in the Materials Used section, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible.

Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Crafting,

Rick Adkins

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