Nordic Whimsy in 3 Clean & Simple Card Designs | Poppy Stamps

I’m so excited to be a guest designer with Poppy Stamps this month, and I couldn’t wait to share a few cards featuring their Nordic Forest Collection. I’ve always been drawn to designs that feel fresh and modern while still being playful, and this collection is perfect for that balance. The intricate Nordic details give each die so much personality, yet they also lend themselves beautifully to clean and simple designs. That’s exactly the route I took for these three cards. I challenged myself to keep things simple, crisp, and colorful—all while using just white cardstock and my Distress Inks for coloring.

Sometimes, clean and simple cards can feel intimidating because it seems like you’re working with less. The truth is, it’s all about focusing on the details that matter most and letting them shine. By ink blending your die cuts instead of reaching for pre-colored cardstock, you gain complete control over the look and can keep your palette cohesive from one card to the next.

Nordic Whimsy in 3 Clean & Simple Card Designs | Poppy Stamps

A Nordic Frog Worth Celebrating

The first card I created features the Nordic Sitting Frog, layered on top of the Nordic Pattern Rings, and finished with a bold sentiment from the Hooray Clear Stamp and Die Set. I love how this cheerful frog becomes the star of the show with just a bit of ink blending. Cutting everything from white cardstock meant I could blend greens that worked perfectly together and add a pop of red for his cozy sweater.

The Nordic Pattern Rings create such a fun focal point behind him without needing to add extra embellishments. They’re detailed enough to add interest but still keep the design streamlined. I finished the card with the sentiment stamped in Versafine Onyx Black Ink for that crisp, professional look.

Pro Tip: When working with detailed die cuts, always start with white cardstock. It’s amazing how much dimension and depth you can achieve by blending on your own custom colors rather than relying on solid cardstock.

Woodland Charm with a Bundled Fox

For the second card, I couldn’t resist the Nordic Bundled Fox. He’s dressed for the season and looks adorable paired with the Nordic Button Mushrooms and a little friend from the White Squirrel Die Set. To bring the whole woodland scene together, I softly inked the background using the Nordic Motif Stencil.

This card is a great example of how to combine multiple die sets without overwhelming a clean and simple design. The trick is to keep the background soft and subtle so the characters and details can shine. The fox’s scarf and the mushrooms were all ink blended in shades that complemented each other, giving the whole scene a cozy, pulled-together feel.

I stamped the sentiment, again using the Hooray Clear Stamp and Die Set, and tucked it below the images to balance the layout.

Pro Tip: When creating a scene with multiple die cuts, limit your color palette to three or four main colors. This keeps everything cohesive and helps the design feel intentional.

Mushroom Magic

For the third card, I wanted to highlight the Nordic Button Mushrooms because they have so much character on their own. I paired them with the Nordic Motif Stencil in the background and another sentiment from the Hooray Clear Stamp and Die Set.

This is one of those cards where less is truly more. The mushrooms are vibrant and full of detail, and the stenciled background adds just the right amount of softness. I love that even without a lot of extra elements, the card feels complete. It’s a reminder that you don’t always need to fill the entire card front to make a big impact.

Pro Tip: If you’re working in a clean and simple style, try adding subtle stenciling behind your focal point. It adds depth and polish while still keeping the design uncluttered.

Final Thoughts

Creating these three cards with the Nordic Forest Collection was such a joy, and I’m so grateful to Poppy Stamps for inviting me to guest design this month. Each of these designs proves that clean and simple doesn’t have to mean boring—it’s really about choosing the right details and letting them stand out.

If you’ve ever struggled with CAS cards, I encourage you to give this approach a try: start with white cardstock, add custom color through ink blending, and use subtle backgrounds to pull everything together. The results are fresh, fun, and unique every single time.

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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