Mixing pattern paper on handmade cards is one of those things that sounds  more complicated than it really is—especially when you’re also stamping and coloring an image. I hear from cardmakers all the time who love patterned paper but hesitate to use it because they’re worried the card will feel too busy or out of control. That’s exactly the problem I wanted to solve with this winter card. I created this project to show how stamping, alcohol marker coloring, ink blending, and

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 po

When I sat down to make this card, I knew I wanted the finished piece to feel calm, reflective, and quietly encouraging. This image from Unity Stamps’ Once the Story Opens  set naturally invites you to slow down—it already tells a story. My goal wasn’t to decorate it heavily or show off a technique for technique’s sake, but to make intentional design choices that supported that feeling. This companion post is all about the why  behind those choices and how you can apply the

I recently shared a full step-by-step split panel friendship card tutorial over on the Unity Stamp Company blog using their Just Pig-Cause Stamp Set and patterned paper from the North Pole Collection . That post walks through the process from start to finish and is perfect if you want a clear, product-focused guide. Here on my own blog, I wanted to take a step back and talk about why  this design works so well—and how you can confidently adapt the idea using supplies you alr

I recently shared a Valentine’s Day card project over on the C. C. Designs blog , where I walked through the full process using the Swissie Love Stamp Set . That post focuses on the techniques and product use step by step, so today I wanted to do something a little different here on my own blog. This post is all about the thinking  behind the card — why the design works, the choices I made along the way, and how you can easily adapt the idea using what you already have in you

I recently shared a full, start-to-finish tutorial over on the Miss Ink Stamps blog  where I walked through how to create these Magical House Personality cards  using collage stamping and dies. That post is very product- and process-focused, so today I wanted to take a step back and talk about the thinking  behind the designs instead—the creative decisions, what worked, and how you can adapt this idea using supplies you already own. These projects ended up being one of those