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How to CASE a Spring Card into a Christmas Card
One of my favorite things about cardmaking is discovering how much inspiration we can find in projects we've already seen or created. Sometimes all it takes is a change of color, a different stamped image, or a little creative thinking to turn an everyday design into something completely new. That's exactly what I explored for the CASE Me a Christmas Card 2026 video hop! I started with a beautiful spring card created by Donna and challenged myself to reinterpret her design as

Rick Adkins
13 hours ago


How to Make a Masculine Birthday Card with Patterned Paper
Masculine birthday cards can sometimes be tricky to design. I think many of us have patterned paper and cardstock in our craft rooms that would work beautifully for cards for the men in our lives, but figuring out how to put those patterns together can feel like a challenge. The good news is that you don't need a collection of themed stamps to create a great masculine card. A thoughtful combination of color, pattern, and simple shapes can do much of the work for you! For this

Rick Adkins
6 days ago


Kiss It, Kiss It, Spank It! Making a Cheeky Handmade Card
Sometimes a handmade card calls for pretty florals and a heartfelt sentiment, and sometimes it needs a little humor and personality! For this project, I wanted to create a card that would make someone smile while giving me an opportunity to play with bold patterned paper, character stamping, and alcohol marker coloring. The result is this cheeky handmade card featuring the Fabulous & Flawed collection from Scrappy Boy Stamps. Between the playful characters and the sentiment,

Rick Adkins
Oct 21


Card Revival: Refreshing Fall and Halloween Cards with New Products
Have you ever made a card design you really loved, then wondered how you could give it a fresh look with the products in your craft room today? That’s the idea behind my Card Revival Series! Instead of starting from scratch every time I want to make something new, I revisit an older card design and explore how a few thoughtful changes can transform it into something that feels fresh and current.

Rick Adkins
Oct 20


It's No Mystery: Make a Unique Masculine Card with Miss Ink Stamps
Masculine cards can be a fun opportunity to step outside the usual flowers and pretty patterns and try something with a little personality. For this project, I wanted to create a clean and simple square card that tells a story without needing lots of embellishments or a complicated background. The vintage detective, glowing street lamp, and trail of footprints work together to create a little mystery, while the sentiment, “It’s no mystery, you’re the best!” gives the design a

Rick Adkins
Oct 17


Pixi Dust Designs Santa Die Set: Create a Layered Christmas Card
There’s something special about bringing a classic Christmas character to life with paper, color, and a few thoughtful details! For this project, I created a festive Santa card featuring the Santa Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs, a richly blended green background, and a touch of gold sparkle. I wanted Santa to be the star of the design, but I also wanted the background to contribute to the overall look rather than simply sit behind him. By combining die cutting, layered paper

Rick Adkins
Oct 14


Raise a Mug to Dad: A Masculine Shaped Card
There’s something about a shaped card that makes an otherwise simple handmade card feel a little more special. For this project, I wanted to create a masculine card that felt fun and giftable without relying on a complicated fold or a lot of embellishments. A mug seemed like the perfect answer! It gave me a strong shape to work with while still leaving plenty of room for the sentiment and a few simple details.

Rick Adkins
Oct 7


A Little Foil, a Lot of Fall: Hello Card
I love when a card can feel detailed and special without requiring a complicated layout. For this fall hello card, I wanted the color, shine, and imagery to do most of the work. The combination of Therm-O-Web Deco Foil card panels, Copic coloring, and a simple layered design gave me exactly that. There are several techniques happening here, but the finished card still feels cohesive rather than busy.

Rick Adkins
Oct 5


Create a Fall Coffee Card with Stamping and Stenciling
There is something about fall and coffee that just works, especially when pumpkin spice enters the picture. For this card, I wanted to create a cozy scene that felt detailed and seasonal without relying on a complicated card layout. The Pumpkin Spice Latte Stamp Set from Miss Ink Stamps gave me the perfect focal point, but the part I really enjoyed was figuring out how to make the background support the stamped scene instead of competing with it. The result is a handmade card

Rick Adkins
Oct 3


Create a Backpack Shaped Card with the Scrappy Boy Stamps Die Sets
I love when a card can become part of the gift instead of simply being something that holds a message. That was my thinking behind this Dorothy-inspired backpack shaped card. Rather than starting with a traditional A2 card base and adding a few backpack-themed embellishments, I wanted the entire card to become the backpack. It gives the finished project a playful personality while also making the die-cutting and layering do most of the design work.

Rick Adkins
Sep 30


5 Ways to Use One Halloween Stamp Set for Handmade Cards
I love finding ways to stretch a stamp set beyond the first card idea that comes to mind. It’s easy to look at a new stamp set, choose one image, create a card, and then move on to the next project. But what if that same stamp set could give you five completely different handmade cards? That was the idea behind this Halloween cardmaking project.

Rick Adkins
Sep 30


Turn Pattern Paper Into Amazing Halloween Cards
Halloween cardmaking is one of those times when I’m perfectly happy to let the patterned paper do some of the heavy lifting. Those spooky prints, colorful pumpkins, little ghosts, bats, skulls, and Halloween motifs already bring so much personality to a card. The trick is learning how to use all that visual information without letting the card feel too busy.

Rick Adkins
Sep 20


A Little Birdie Told Me to Try an X Fold Card
I’ll admit it: sometimes the best card designs start with a little nudge to try something different. That was definitely the case with this birthday card featuring the Pretty Bird Stamp Set from Miss Ink Stamps. I wanted to create something cheerful and colorful, but I also wanted the card itself to provide some of the interest. That led me to the X Fold Fun Fold Card. The finished design has a little more going on than a standard card, but the individual techniques are all a

Rick Adkins
Sep 19


How to Make a Triple Panel Fun Fold Halloween Card
I love a card fold that makes a handmade card feel a little more special without requiring a complicated collection of techniques. That was the idea behind this pink Halloween card. The triple panel fun fold creates extra layers and plenty of room for patterned paper and embellishments, while the basic construction is still approachable for beginner and intermediate cardmakers.

Rick Adkins
Sep 17


When a Bow Gets a Little Too Batty for Halloween
I have to admit, I have a soft spot for paper embellishments that can take a simple project and give it an entirely different personality. These Halloween paper bows from Scrappy Boy Stamps definitely fall into that category. Instead of thinking of a bow as something reserved for birthdays, Christmas, or gift packaging, I wanted to see what would happen when the basic bow concept got a spooky Halloween makeover.

Rick Adkins
Sep 16


Dutch Door Fun Fold Card Tutorial: An Easy Halloween Design
I love a card design that looks more complicated than it actually is, and this Halloween Dutch Door Fun Fold Card is a perfect example. The interesting opening gives the card some extra personality, but the construction is surprisingly approachable. It also creates a great opportunity to let patterned paper do much of the design work for you.

Rick Adkins
Sep 15


Give Your Halloween Cards a Foiled Glow Up
I love when one cardmaking technique can take a familiar stamped image and make it feel completely different. That was the idea behind these four Halloween cards. I wanted to play with the spooky images from the R.I.P. Stamp Set from Unity Stamps, but instead of simply stamping and coloring them, I decided to experiment with Deco Foil Transfer Gel Duo and see what would happen when I brought foil into the mix. The result is a collection of dramatic Halloween cards with plenty

Rick Adkins
Sep 9


A Halloween Treat Box That Looks Good Enough to Eat!
There’s something about Halloween projects that makes it especially fun to play with familiar shapes—and this little pumpkin popsicle treat box was too good to pass up! I love when a die set can be used for something beyond its obvious purpose, and the Pixi Dust Designs Popsicle Box Die gave me the perfect starting point for a Halloween treat box. Instead of making another traditional square or pillow-style box, I wanted something with a little personality that would still be

Rick Adkins
Sep 9


A Birthday Card with a Spooky Twist: Halloween Easel Card
I have always enjoyed making cards for people whose birthdays fall close to a holiday because it gives me an opportunity to combine two themes in a way that feels personal. This Halloween birthday card started with that idea: instead of making a traditional Halloween card or a traditional birthday card, I wanted something that felt like both. The result is a clean and simple easel card with spooky imagery, an orange focal point, and just enough Halloween detail to make an Oct

Rick Adkins
Sep 5


Make a Frightfully Fun Halloween Treat Box with a Pumpkin Mouse Twist
Halloween is one of my favorite times to step outside the traditional handmade card format and create something a little more dimensional. Don’t get me wrong—I love a beautiful card, but sometimes the occasion calls for a project that can hold a little surprise! This Halloween treat box combines die cutting, ink blending, and simple assembly to turn paper into a fun little gift bag. I especially love that the finished project has plenty of personality without requiring compli

Rick Adkins
Sep 2
