Vacation Vibes in a Card – Featuring Scrapbook.com Dies

If there’s one thing I love about cardmaking, it’s how even the tiniest leftover pieces can spark a whole new idea. That’s exactly what happened with today’s card! I was tidying up my craft table after finishing a bright summer card for my Hello Sunshine! post, and I just couldn’t toss the scraps. The plaid patterned paper from the Sunkissed 6 x 8 Pattern Paper Pad was still sitting pretty at 4" x 6", and all those little pieces from the Sunburst Cover Die? Way too good to waste. So I challenged myself to turn those leftovers into something fresh—and that’s how this beachy, vacation-inspired card came to life.

This card is a reminder that you don’t always need to start from scratch. Sometimes, your next favorite design is hiding right there in your pile of die-cut leftovers.

Vacation Vibes in a Card – Featuring Scrapbook.com Dies:

A Background with Built-In Sunshine

I started with a piece of plaid paper from the Sunkissed 6 x 8 Pattern Paper Pad that was already trimmed to 4" x 6". Instead of trimming it down again, I just cut it to 4" x 5¼" and saved the little strip I sliced off. That tiny strip? It ended up being the perfect accent inside the card. I love little moments like that—when you find a way to make every bit count.

Now, let’s talk about the Sunburst Cover Die. I had used it on a previous card and saved all the cut-out pieces. With the help of the original die as a placement guide, I layered those leftover pieces right onto the plaid paper using foam adhesive. It gave the background so much texture and dimension—and all without cutting into a fresh sheet of cardstock.

Pro Tip: If you’re ever left with lots of little die-cut shapes, store them in a small envelope taped to the back of your die packaging. You never know when they’ll come in handy!

Building a Beach Scene with Die Cuts

Once the background was in place, it was time to create my little beach scene. I pulled out the Beach Vacation Die Set from Scrapbook.com—this one’s full of summer goodness, from palm trees and a beach chair to an umbrella and sand dunes.

For the scene, I dug into my Sunshine A2 Smooth Cardstock Paper Pad and my Neutrals A2 Smooth Cardstock Paper Pad. From the Neutrals, I picked three shades of brown to create the beach chair base, palm tree trunks, umbrella pole, and of course, the sand. Then from the Sunshine pad, I grabbed a pop of orange and a soft teal-green for the palm fronds and umbrella accents.

Now here’s where it gets fun: instead of using plain cardstock for everything, I brought back more of the patterned paper from the Sunkissed pad to add texture to the umbrella and the chair seat. Mixing pattern and solid cardstock in die-cut scenes is one of my favorite tricks for keeping things visually interesting.

Adding Dimension with Ink Blending

Even when working with solid cardstock, I like to give my die cuts a little extra life with some light ink blending. For this card, I used Distress Inks in Rusty Hinge, Ground Espresso, Evergreen Bough, and Salvage Patina.

Rusty Hinge was perfect for warming up the beach chair and umbrella. Ground Espresso added depth to the palm tree trunks and a bit of shadow to the umbrella pole. Evergreen Bough gave the palm fronds that sun-soaked tropical feel, and Salvage Patina added the perfect cool tone to the chair seat.

Pro Tip: When shading small die cuts, use a small blending brush or sponge dauber. It gives you more control and helps avoid muddying your edges.

Sentiment, Assembly & Finishing Touches

Once all the pieces were inked and glued together, I stamped a sentiment directly onto the sand piece using Versafine Clair in Fallen Leaves. The sentiment came from the now-retired You Are Loved stamp set, but any beachy, relaxing, or encouragement-themed sentiment would work beautifully here.

I used foam tape to pop up the sand piece, then layered the rest of the beach elements over the card front using a mix of foam adhesive and liquid glue. That mix gives you just the right balance of dimension without making the card too bulky for mailing.

I mounted everything onto a top-folding A2 card base cut from Brilliant White 110 lb Smooth Cardstock from Harmony Hues, and to finish it off, I added a few white gel pen highlights on the die cuts for a sunlit, playful pop.

Crafting with Intention (and Leftovers!)

This card was not only a joy to make, but also a great reminder that creativity often comes from the pieces we might normally overlook. Using up leftover die cuts and patterned paper made me feel both resourceful and inspired—and it helped me stretch my supplies even further.

So next time you’re cleaning up your desk and tempted to toss those little extras, take a second look. They might just be the beginning of your next favorite card.

I’d love to know—do you ever challenge yourself to use up scraps from past projects? Let me know in the comments or tag me if you share your version. I can’t wait to see where your leftover pieces take you!

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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