My Least Favorite Floral Card | The Card That Almost Didn't Happen

You know those cards that look beautiful when they’re done… but absolutely fight you every step of the way? That was this one. Honestly, it almost didn’t make it to the blog. I came so close to walking away from it more than once, but something told me to stick with it—and I’m kind of glad I did.

This card started as a floral thank you design using the Petunia and Hummingbird Etched Dies from Spellbinders—a stunning set with lots of detail. I thought it would be a fun challenge to give the flowers some life and personality. What I didn’t plan for was just how much drama would come with it. From coloring fails to adhesive mishaps, this card tested all my usual go-to techniques. But in the end, it taught me a few new things too—and I hope sharing this experience helps you avoid some of the same crafty headaches.

My Least Favorite Floral Card | The Card That Almost Didn't Happen:

When the Coloring Doesn’t Go as Planned

I began by die cutting all the petunia pieces three times using Canson XL Watercolor Paper, and the hummingbird from Bristol Smooth Cardstock. These are my staples when I want to use water-based media, so I figured it’d be smooth sailing from there.

Well, I reached for my Tim Holtz Watercolor Pencils to color the petals and leaves—expecting vibrant, blendable color—but the results were a little...meh. The pigment just wasn’t packing the punch I hoped for. So I grabbed my Altenew Dual Tip Pens (also water-based) thinking they'd help build intensity. But I forgot the number 1 rule of mixing paper with mediums: not all papers work with every medium.

Pro Tip: Water-based markers don’t play nicely with heavily textured watercolor paper—the pigment just sinks in and disappears. If you’ve ever colored a full die cut only to wonder where the color went, you know exactly what I mean.

After a bit of back-and-forth and more trial than success, I went back to the watercolor pencils and committed. I layered color, added water, let it dry, repeated—until I was mostly happy with the way the flowers looked. Were they perfect? No. But I wasn’t ready to toss them just yet.

Giving the Petunias Texture and Life

One of the happy accidents in this process came when I crumpled up the damp flower petals in my hand. I didn’t have a plan—I was just trying to salvage them—but the result was this soft, ruffled texture that gave the blooms more life. After letting everything dry overnight (always a good idea when using water!), I came back with fresh eyes.

The next morning, I shaped the centers and glued the floral layers together. And that’s when surprise number two hit: these flowers were super dimensional. Way more than I anticipated. I usually work with layering dies, but this was something else. It felt like I was assembling little sculptures instead of paper flowers.

I wasn’t mad about it, but I definitely had to shift gears. This wasn’t going to be a flat card you just pop in the mail.

A Hummingbird That Saved the Day

Thankfully, coloring the hummingbird was a smoother ride. Since I had die cut him from Bristol Smooth, the Altenew Dual Tip Pens blended beautifully. I kept the colors a little more controlled here and added just a touch of soft shading. Once dry, he came together in just a few minutes.

And for the sentiment? I used the "Thank You" die that came with my Spellbinders Platinum Scout machine, cutting both the detailed layer and shadow from black and white cardstock. That clean layered look helped break up all the florals and gave the design a little grounding.

When Adhesive Fails You (Twice)

I blended Broken China Distress Oxide Ink along the edges of a Bristol Smooth card front and adhered it to a top-folding A2 base. Then came the trickiest part—attaching the flowers.

My usual liquid adhesive, which typically holds like a champ even on watercolor paper, just couldn’t handle the weight and shape of these flowers. I’d press them down… and five minutes later, they’d pop off again. I tried foam squares, which helped a little. But it wasn’t until I used a combination of both—foam on the back and glue around the base—that everything finally stayed in place.

Pro Tip: If your elements are popping off a card, try doubling up with two types of adhesive: foam for lift and liquid glue for grip. It gives you dimension and hold.

Once the flowers were finally secured, I tucked in the leaves with liquid glue, popped up the hummingbird, and added the sentiment. A few white gel pen highlights gave everything a little polish.

The Reality Check (and a Fix)

I staged the flat-lay photography, took some close-ups, and felt pretty good about it. But when I was editing the photos, I noticed one of the petunias had already started peeling off again.

Cue deep sigh.

I’ll need to go back in with extra glue and probably do a little crafty surgery before gifting this card. And because of all that dimension, it’ll need a custom envelope box—no regular envelope will do here.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Looking back, this card was a challenge—but it’s also a good reminder that not every project goes smoothly. And that’s okay. It’s still a beautiful card, even if it took longer (and more adhesive) than I expected.

Next time I use this die set, I’ll:

• Color my florals on Bristol Smooth instead of watercolor paper.

• Use extra-strong adhesives or even hot glue for bulky elements.

• Plan for an envelope box from the start (I use the 1" depth setting on my scoring board).

Cardmaking isn’t always predictable—and honestly, that’s part of the fun. Some of my favorite cards are the ones that nearly didn’t happen. So if you’ve ever had a project fall apart on you, just know you’re not alone. And sometimes, sticking with it leads to something you didn’t expect… in the best way.

Would you like me to share a quick tutorial or measurements for the envelope box I use for dimensional cards like this? Let me know in the comments!

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 Stampin'

Rick Adkins

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