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Easter Card Parade: 15 Creative Card Ideas & One Cute Treat Box
There’s something about Easter crafting that just feels extra joyful—maybe it’s the soft spring colors, the sweet little characters, or the excuse to pull out all the pastels! Over the last few months, I’ve been creating and sharing a variety of Easter projects, and today I thought it would be fun to bring them all together in one place. Think of this as a little Easter card parade—full of inspiration, ideas, and hopefully a spark to get you creating with what you already hav

Rick Adkins
2 days ago


Pixi Dust Designs Fancy Box Die Set: Flip Top Gift Box Tutorial
There’s something really special about creating a handmade gift that feels just as thoughtful on the outside as it is on the inside. For this project, I wanted to design a simple, polished gift box that could hold a small treat—something quick to make, but still beautiful enough for a meaningful occasion like Mother’s Day. I also wanted to solve a common problem many of us run into: how to package a small gift in a way that feels intentional without spending a lot of extra ti

Rick Adkins
Mar 25


One Layer Card Design Ideas Using Stamps, Stencils, and Ink Blending
There’s something really satisfying about creating a beautiful handmade card without adding layers, foam tape, or lots of extra pieces. These clean and simple one layer cards are a perfect example of how a thoughtful design can do all the heavy lifting for you—no bulk required. For these MOM-themed cards, I wanted to focus on keeping things soft, polished, and approachable while still incorporating a few favorite techniques like stamping, ink blending, and Copic coloring. I w

Rick Adkins
Mar 18


Copic Coloring Tips for Layered Die Sets | Easter Bunny Card Tutorial
Layered die sets are one of my favorite ways to build quick focal points for handmade cards. They give you that polished, dimensional look without having to do a lot of complicated stamping or coloring. But sometimes those layered pieces can feel a little… flat. The shapes are great, but they can look a bit one-dimensional if you leave them exactly as they come off the die. That’s exactly the idea I wanted to explore with today’s card. I used the Chocolate Easter Bunny Die Se

Rick Adkins
Mar 11


Easter Basket Handmade Card Tutorial Featuring CutCardStock and Layered Die Cutting
There’s something about Easter cards that makes me want to lean into softness and structure at the same time. Pastels. Clean lines. A little nostalgia. When I sat down to create this picket fence Easter card, I knew I wanted it to feel fresh and cheerful—but also intentional. Not fussy. Not overworked. Just layered in a way that feels thoughtful. This design pairs beautifully with the companion tutorial I created for CutCardStock, but here I want to share more of the why be

Rick Adkins
Mar 10


Easter Treat Box Idea with the Carrot Box Die Set | Easy DIY Gift Packaging
Sometimes the simplest projects are the ones that make people smile the most. When I sat down to create this little Easter treat box, I wanted something playful, quick to assemble, and perfect for tucking a small surprise inside. Easter is one of those holidays where handmade packaging can be just as fun as the gift itself, and a carrot-shaped box instantly brings that festive spring feeling. This project uses the Carrot Box Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs , and I love how it

Rick Adkins
Mar 8


Textured Easter Card Tutorial Using Dies, Pattern Paper & 3D Embossing
When I sit down to create an Easter card, I usually have one goal in mind: soft, sweet, and dimensional — without making it complicated. For this handmade Easter card, I wanted a clean and layered design that felt polished but still approachable for beginner to intermediate cardmakers. Texture became the focus. In my video, Creating a Textured Easter Card with Pattern Paper, Dies & Ink Blending Techniques , I walk through the full process so you can see how everything comes t

Rick Adkins
Feb 25


Layered Die Cutting and Ink Blending for Easter Cards with Pattern Paper
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

Rick Adkins
Feb 11


Creating a Coffee & Magic Card with Die Cutting and Pattern Paper
Sometimes I sit down to make a card and realize the real challenge isn’t how to make it—it’s deciding where to start . Too many supplies, too many options, and suddenly the creative spark feels a little stuck. For this Coffee & Magic card, my goal was to simplify those decisions while still creating a card that feels polished, layered, and fun. I wanted a design that leaned heavily on die cutting and pattern paper, with no complicated coloring or fussy steps. The video walks

Rick Adkins
Jan 28


How to Add Depth to Die Cuts Using Ink Blending and Pattern Paper
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

Rick Adkins
Jan 14


Clean & Layered Valentine Card Using Pixi Dust Designs Dies
There’s just something extra special about a clean and layered Valentine card, especially when it has a little touch of magic mixed in. For today’s card, I’m sharing a Valentine’s Day design created with Pixi Dust Designs , and it came together beautifully using the Magic World 6×6 Paper Pad as the starting point. I adhered a piece of patterned paper to a top-folding A2 card base to instantly set the tone, then reached for the Vintage Scroll Die Set . Cutting the scroll piec

Rick Adkins
Dec 31, 2025


Clean & Layered Valentine Card with the Girl Wizard Mug Die
Clean and layered cards are one of my favorite go-to styles, especially when I want something quick but still full of personality. For today’s Valentine card, I kept the layout simple while letting the whimsical details shine using products from Pixi Dust Designs. I started with a top-folding A2 card base and added a strip of patterned paper from the Magic World 6x6 Paper Pad along the bottom. That one little layer instantly adds interest without overpowering the design, mak

Rick Adkins
Dec 24, 2025


You Know You're Old When You Want Socks For Christmas Card | Pixi Dust Designs
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,

Rick Adkins
Dec 19, 2025


Penguin Mug Gift Tag | Cute Gift Card Holder with Pixi Dust Designs
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

Rick Adkins
Dec 11, 2025


Oh Holy Night Nativity Card | 5x7 Christmas Card with Holly Jolly Stamps
Today I’m sharing a sweet and peaceful 5x7 nativity Christmas card created with the Holly Jolly Stamp Set , Holly Jolly Pixi Cuts , and the Oh Holy Night Sentiment Die from Pixi Dust Designs. I started by stamping the manger image onto Hammermill Smooth Cardstock and coloring everything with my Ohuhu Brush Markers to give the scene a soft, warm glow. Once everything was cut out with the coordinating Pixi Cuts, I moved on to the background—my favorite part. A fresh panel of

Rick Adkins
Nov 27, 2025


Make a Whimsical Snowman Card Using There's Snow-one Like You Dies
I had so much fun putting together this clean and layered winter card featuring the There’s Snow-one Like You Stamp & Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs! I started by cutting all the sweet little pieces for my snow-girl—her cozy hat, gloves, and scarf—from two soft shades of pink cardstock, while her body was cut from crisp Hammermill Smooth Cardstock . A touch of ink blending with Tumbled Glass and Shaded Lilac Distress Oxides gave her a frosty glow, and the tiniest bits of

Rick Adkins
Nov 26, 2025


Create a Magical Melted Snowman Card with Pixi Dust Designs Meltdown Die Set
Sometimes you just have one of those days that everything is coming in on you and life stresses you out and your own the verge of a meltdown. Today's card features the fun Meltdown Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs. This die set comes with a cute little sentiment stamps set that's perfect to stamp on the your cards. The sentiment "To The One That Puts Up with All My Meltdowns" is just perfect to put a smile on someone's face. As if the little melted snowman wasn't enough!

Rick Adkins
Nov 20, 2025


A Sweet Winter Fox Card with Pixi Dust Designs Dies
Hey crafty friends! Today, I’m excited to share a sweet winter card that all started with a Valentine die set. You know those moments when you look through your stash and realize a die set you love doesn’t have to be limited to just one season? That’s exactly what inspired today’s project. I pulled out the Fox Valentine Box Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs and decided to give that adorable little fox a cozy winter makeover. With a few clever swaps and some creative mixing and

Rick Adkins
Nov 13, 2025


Easy Christmas Card Idea | Featuring Pixi Dust Designs Snowman & Santa Sock Dies
Hey crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a cheerful and slightly humorous Christmas card design that’s all about bringing a little sparkle and a lot of personality to your holiday crafting. This card was inspired by the Pixi Dust Designs Card Sketch for October 2025 , and it features two of my favorite things—fun dies and playful pattern paper! I used the Snowman and Santa Sock Die Set and the Christmas 6x6 Pattern Paper Pad from Pixi Dust Designs to create this lighthearted

Rick Adkins
Oct 23, 2025


Festive Hot Air Balloon Christmas Card | Pixi Dust Designs
Every year when I sit down to start my Christmas cards, I like to challenge myself to create at least one design that feels completely...

Rick Adkins
Oct 8, 2025
