How I Used Turnabout Stamping to Create Two Clean & Simple Personality Cards

I recently shared a full turnabout stamping tutorial over on the Miss Ink Stamps blog, where I walked through how I created two Magic Personality Collection cards from one stamped panel using the Cunning Stamp Set (from the Personality Bundle). That post focuses on the product and the step-by-step process, so today I wanted to take a step back and talk about the why behind this design and how you can adapt the idea with whatever you already have in your craft room.

This post is all about design decisions, creative thinking, and a few lessons I took away from the process—because those are the pieces that tend to stick with us long after the project is finished.

Design Decisions & Creative Thinking

The starting point for these cards was the idea of letting stamping do the heavy lifting. When I’m working with a bold, repeatable image, I like to treat it almost like patterned paper—something that creates instant interest without needing layers and layers on top.

Using a single 6 x 6 stamped panel helped guide a lot of my choices. Once I committed to that size, the layouts naturally became simpler and more intentional. Instead of asking, “What else should I add?” I asked, “What can I remove and still let the design feel finished?” That mindset shift alone makes cardmaking feel less overwhelming.

Color was another deliberate choice. A limited palette keeps the cards feeling cohesive, even when you split one panel into two designs. I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that when a background is busy, restraint everywhere else makes the card feel polished instead of crowded.

How to Adapt This Idea

One of the reasons I love this approach is how flexible it is. You don’t need the exact stamps I used to make this work.

Here are a few easy ways to adapt the idea:

• Change the occasion: Any all-over stamp pattern works—florals, geometric shapes, seasonal icons, or even repeated sentiments can all be turned into background panels.

• Flip the layout: Try rotating one card vertically and the other horizontally to get two different looks from the same stamped piece.

• Shop your stash: If you don’t have a turnabout-style stamp, try hand-stamping a repeating image in rows or grids; the concept of one panel becoming two cards still applies.

The goal isn’t to copy the card—it’s to borrow the thinking behind it.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

If I were making these again, I might experiment with leaving more white space on one of the cards. I tend to love symmetry, but asymmetry can be just as effective—and sometimes even more interesting.

That’s something I want to encourage you with, too: if your panel doesn’t look exactly like you imagined, pause before starting over. Often, a small trim or a shifted focal point is all it takes to turn “not quite right” into “oh, I love this.”

Supply Notes

For this project, I focused on stamps, inks, and basic card bases—nothing fancy or overly complicated. Background stamping like this works best when your supplies are reliable and familiar, so don’t feel like you need specialty tools to try it.

See the Full Tutorial on the Miss Ink Stamps Blog

If you’d like to see the full step-by-step tutorial using Miss Ink Stamps products, you can find it on their blog here:Two Cards from One Stamped Panel: Turnabout Stamping with the Cunning Stamp Set.

That post dives deeper into the process and product details, while this one is meant to help you apply the idea more broadly.

Watch the Video for a Visual Walkthrough

If you’re a visual learner, the YouTube video is a great companion to this post. You’ll be able to see how the stamped panel comes together and how it’s divided into two finished cards, without me rehashing every step here.

If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking Here!

If you take anything away from this project, I hope it’s this: you don’t need more supplies to make better cards—you just need a few strong ideas you can reuse in different ways. Trust your instincts, keep experimenting, and let your stamps work a little harder for you.

(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!

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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