Today I’m sharing a collection of handmade cards created with the February 2026 New Release from C. C. Designs , featuring the Tiger Hunt Stamp Set , Hunt Stamp Set , Spring Animals Stamp Set , and Pink Green Stamp Set . Each card highlights a different theme, but they’re all tied together with clean layouts, bright alcohol marker coloring, and soft ink-blended backgrounds. I love how these designs let the stamped images truly shine — whether it’s the bold blue tiger paired w

Sometimes the best cards start with a simple challenge. For this birthday card, I pulled four prompts from my Creative Card Deck  as part of my Draw Four Create a Card  series. What I love about working this way is that it stretches my creativity without overcomplicating the design. When you’re crafting regularly (especially if you’ve been at it for years), it’s easy to fall back on the same layouts. A gentle constraint like this keeps things fresh — and honestly, it often le

There’s something about Easter cards that invites bright color, playful layers, and just a little bit of dimension. For this set of three handmade Easter cards, my goal was simple: create bold, cheerful designs that look detailed and layered—but are still manageable for beginner to intermediate cardmakers. I filmed the full process in my Fast and Fabulous Card in Four Easy Steps | Happy Easter Card  video so you can see how everything comes together visually. Here on the blog

Shaker cards are one of those cardmaking styles that many crafters love to look at—but hesitate to make. Between the foam tape, alignment, and fear of things shifting, it can feel like a lot. For this Valentine’s Day project, my goal was to create a borderless shaker card that feels polished and playful, without the usual stress that comes with shaker construction. I wanted this card to focus on design decisions  rather than complicated assembly. Ink blending, faux bleaching,

If you’ve ever sat down to make a card and gotten stuck before you even started  because you couldn’t decide on colors, you’re not alone. I hear this all the time from cardmakers—especially those who love clean and simple designs but feel unsure about color theory. That hesitation can take the fun right out of crafting. For this spring card, my goal was to remove that roadblock entirely. Instead of starting with a stamp or die, I started with a color palette —specifically a s

Clean and simple cards are a little bit like good Southern cooking — they look easy on the surface, but there’s some intentional decision-making happening behind the scenes. This card started with a bold, sassy sentiment and a desire to let color do the heavy lifting without adding layers or bulk. Sometimes the best designs come from asking one simple question: How can I make this feel finished without making it complicated? That question guided every choice in this project,

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

There’s something really satisfying about a clean and simple card that still feels finished and intentional. This card started as one of those “let’s keep it easy” projects and quickly turned into a great reminder of how powerful thoughtful tools and small design choices can be. When you let a few elements do the heavy lifting, you don’t need layers upon layers to make a card feel special. This project was created as part of an Instagram collaboration between My Sweet Petunia

One of the questions I hear most often from cardmakers is how to make die cuts feel less flat—especially if coloring isn’t their favorite part of the process. That was the exact problem I wanted to solve with today’s card. This Valentine’s Day card for a friend focuses on simple layers, thoughtful design choices, and just a touch of ink blending to create depth without adding complexity. I walk through the process on video so you can see how everything comes together visually

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

There’s something about winter cardmaking that makes me slow down a bit. Maybe it’s the softer color palettes, the cozy themes, or the chance to let simple designs really shine. Lately, I’ve been reaching for clean and simple layouts more often, especially when I want my stamping, coloring, and ink blending to do the heavy lifting. This winter card came together during one of those creative sessions where I reminded myself that simple doesn’t mean boring—it means intentional.

Clean and simple cardmaking is one of those styles that looks effortless—but when done well, it feels thoughtful, polished, and full of intention. This encouragement card using The Rabbit Hole Designs Balloon Animal No. 1 Stamp Set  is a great example of how a few well-chosen techniques can create a soft, uplifting design without overwhelming the eye. From the airy cloud background to the no-line watercolor balloon animal, every element on this card was chosen to support the

For today’s card, I had so much fun playing with the Ommm…My Gosh Stamp Set from Unity Stamp Company and turning it into a cheerful mini slimline card with lots of personality. I started by stamping the adorable yoga lady onto Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb Cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink , then colored her in using my Triblend Markers . I chose marker colors to coordinate with the pattern papers I had pulled, which always makes the finished card feel extra

One of my favorite ways to keep cards clean yet interesting is by layering stencils to create something completely custom—and this card is a perfect example of how fun that can be. I started with the Torn Paper 4 x 8 Stencil  from The Rabbit Hole Designs , lightly tracing the shape onto white cardstock before adding color around the outside of the design. After lining the stencil back up and masking off the colored areas, I layered the Oh Duck 6 x 6 Stencil  right over the to

There’s something about a clean and simple Christmas card that really lets a fun focal image shine, and this Santa sock made me smile from start to finish. I cut all the parts for the Santa Sock from my scrap cardstock using the Snowman and Santa Sock Die Set  from Pixi Dust Designs , which is perfect for using up those leftover bits we all seem to collect. A little ink blending around the edges added just enough depth, and once everything was assembled with liquid adhesive,

There’s just something so magical about fairy images, and this Clean & Simple birthday card came together beautifully using the Twinkleheart Stamp Set  from Unity Stamps Company . I stamped the fairy image twice onto Kraft 110 lb smooth cardstock , which instantly adds warmth and softness to the design. The images were colored with my TriBlend markers , then enhanced with colored pencils to add a bit more depth and detail—especially in the hair and wings. Keeping the colorin

There’s something so magical about pairing soft winter colors with colored pencil coloring, and this Winter Hi Card  came together beautifully using the Let It Snow Stamp Set from C. C. Designs . I stamped Elisa onto Neenah Desert Storm Cardstock  with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink  and colored her with colored pencils, which really brings out the cozy, storybook feel of this sweet winter image. After fussy cutting her out, I created a softly shaped background using Chunky A2 Scall

There’s something so charming about turning a simple die set into a gift that feels extra-special, and this penguin mug gift card holder tag  came together so sweetly using the Penguin Mug Die Set , Tag Accessories Die Set , and Stitched Scallop Slimline Die Set  from Pixi Dust Designs . I started by cutting all the pieces for the penguin mug, then added soft ink blending to give the die cuts a little depth and warmth. To create the tag base, I used partial die cutting with t

There’s just something extra sweet about a clean and simple card that still feels magical, and today’s project brings all those cozy, whimsical vibes together. I started with the adorable fairy from the Twinkleheart Stamp Set  by Unity Stamp Company  and stamped her onto Kraft 110 lb Smooth Cardstock . Colored pencils were perfect for adding that soft, hand-drawn look, and a quick blend with a colorless blender marker kept everything smooth and dreamy. Her wings absolutely

If you love a clean and simple look with just a touch of playful charm, today’s card is such a fun one to try. I pulled out the Balloon Animals 1 Stamp Set  from The Rabbit Hole Designs  and stamped the sweet monkey-on-a-palm-tree image in Memento Toffee Crunch for a softer, no-line look. Using Distress Ink Reinkers as watercolors, I added light, airy color that keeps the design feeling fresh and effortless. Once everything dried, I placed one of the circle stencils from Pe