Sometimes the best way to stretch your supplies isn’t by buying something new… it’s by looking at what you already own a little differently. For today’s project, I created two handmade hoodie mouse-themed cards  using the same layout and the same die sets — just changing the colorway from red to pink. My goal was simple: show how one strong design can do the heavy lifting for you. When you remove the pressure to reinvent the wheel every time, cardmaking becomes a lot more enj

There’s something about a bold red barn and blue gingham that just feels cheerful and celebratory. For this birthday card, my goal was to create a farm-themed design that felt playful but still structured and polished. I wanted the card to have personality without looking cluttered — especially since I was working with multiple stamped images and a strong focal die cut. I walk through the full process in my video, but here I want to share the design thinking behind it. Unders

Masculine birthday cards can feel tricky. So many patterned papers lean floral or soft, and it’s easy to overthink the layout trying to make everything feel “manly enough.” For this handmade birthday card, my goal was simple: create a strong, masculine design that still feels fun and polished — without making it complicated. I walked through the full process in today’s video so you can see how everything comes together visually. But here on the blog, I want to talk about the

Hi crafty friends! Today’s post is a little bit nostalgic and a whole lot inspiring. Scrappy Boy Stamps has announced a retiring list , which means several stamp sets, dies, stencils, and papers are heading out to make room for new releases. While it’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to favorites, I love using moments like this to look back at the projects that made these products so special. I’m sharing the retiring Scrappy Boy Stamps products I’ve personally used  in my

One of the questions I hear most often from cardmakers is, “How do you know which Copic colors to use?”  Coloring stamped images can feel intimidating, especially when you’re staring at a big marker collection and don’t know where to start. For this card, my goal was to take that pressure off and show a more intuitive way to make color decisions—by letting the pattern paper do the work for you. I created this cute and whimsical handmade card as an example of how pattern paper

One of the things I hear most often from cardmakers is, “I love my dies… but I feel like I use them the same way every time.”  That’s exactly the problem I wanted to solve with this project. Instead of reaching for a standard card base, I challenged myself to design an off-the-edge card in a nontraditional size—one that lets the die shape take center stage and feel intentional, not awkward. This jacket-shaped card was inspired by fan art (with a little Grease flair), but the

When I sit down to make a gift card holder, my goal is always the same: I want it to feel just as special as a traditional card, not like an afterthought. Gift cards are practical, but the presentation is what turns them into something memorable. For this project, I wanted a design that felt playful and polished, while still being approachable for everyday cardmaking. This mouse-themed gift card holder card does exactly that. The combination of die cutting and pattern paper m

Scene cards can feel intimidating. There are a lot of moving pieces, and it’s easy to get stuck wondering where to start  or how to make everything work together . For this project, my creative goal was to build a theatre-style scene card that feels detailed and story-driven, without turning into an overwhelming design puzzle. I shared the process on video so you can see how the card comes together visually, but I also wanted to take a moment here on the blog to talk about th

If you’ve ever wanted to try a shaped card but felt a little unsure where to start, today’s project is a great place to begin. Shaped cards are a fun way to move beyond standard rectangle card bases, and with the right dies and coordinated products, they’re much more approachable than they might seem at first glance. For this card, I used the Abbey Mini Album/Card Die Set from Scrappy Boy Stamps  to create a shaped card base that feels elegant and unique while still being ea

One of my favorite ways to stretch my supplies is by looking at dies with fresh eyes, and today’s project is a perfect example of that. This shaped slimline card gift card holder  started with the Coffee Mini Album Die Set  from Scrappy Boy Stamps , but instead of building an album, I used the pieces to create a fun coffee-themed card base. I pulled colors directly from the Dreaming of Coffee 4x9 Pattern Paper Pack , cutting the album pieces from coordinating cardstock so eve

Today’s card is a clean and layered donut card  that’s sweet, playful, and has just the right amount of shine—without any messy glazes or specialty tools. I used the Mouse Sprinkle Donut Die Set , Fairy Tale Phrases Die Set , and the I Love Theme Parks 6 x 6 Pattern Paper Pack  from Scrappy Boy Stamps  to create this fun storybook-style design. The colorful patterns paired with soft pinks and browns give this card a cheerful, polished look that works beautifully for birthdays

I had so much fun putting together this elegant birthday card featuring the The Queen Stamp Set  from Scrappy Boy Stamps! I started by stamping one of the fabulous Queen images onto Neenah Ultra Thick Cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink , then brought her to life with my Ohuhu Brush Markers . I matched her colors to the gorgeous patterns in The Author and The Queen 6x6 Paper Pack , which added that perfect royal flair. After cutting her out with the coordinating The Quee

If you love stretching your crafty stash, this cheerful birthday card is such a fun way to turn Christmas stamps into something completely new. I started by stamping the teddy bear, robot, two presents, and the adorable elf popping out of a gift from the Santa’s Workshop Stamp Set  by Scrappy Boy Stamps . After coloring everything with my Ohuhu Brush Markers , I pulled patterns from the Love The Mouse 6x6 Paper Pack  and matched my markers to the bright reds, blues, and yello

Today I’m sharing a fun helmet-shaped birthday card  that’s perfect for any all-star in your life! I used the Football Helmet Mini Album/Card Die Set  from Scrappy Boy Stamps to create this bold red card base, and I have to say—the shape alone makes such a statement. To bring the design to life, I paired it with the Cute Kids I Love Sport Stamp Set  and the matching Outline Dies . The little football player was stamped onto Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb cardstock  wi

There’s just something extra special about a handmade Christmas tag, and this little mouse-shaped cutie might be one of my favorites yet! I started with the Mouse Ears Mini Album Die Set  to create the shaped base, then reached for the Christmas Carol 6×6 Paper Pack  and chose the gorgeous Christmas street-scene pattern to set the holiday mood. That stitched mouse head outline frames the background so sweetly, and once the base was ready, it was time to bring in the star of t

There’s something about a clean and layered Christmas card that feels both timeless and fresh, and today I’m excited to share one I had so much fun putting together. If you’ve ever wanted a card that looks detailed but doesn’t require lots of complicated steps, this design might be exactly what you’re looking for. I love projects that let the patterned paper shine, offer a simple focal point, and leave room for a little playful detail. This reindeer card checks all the boxes,

Gift cards are always a great go-to, but let’s be honest—sometimes they can feel a little impersonal. So why not give them a handmade touch that makes the presentation just as exciting as the gift inside? That’s exactly what inspired today’s project. I wanted to create something that felt special, interactive, and surprisingly easy to make, and the Flip Open Present Die Set  from Scrappy Boy Stamps  was perfect for the job. These cards look like little wrapped gifts right on

Every year around this time, I find myself trying to balance the joy of creating handmade Christmas cards with the reality of a busy schedule. Between shopping, decorating, and all the holiday happenings, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why I’m always looking for ways to simplify my cardmaking process without sacrificing the handmade charm I love. For this project, I turned to the Christmas Carol Collection  from Scrappy Boy Stamps  and created six quick Christmas cards

The holidays are full of sparkle, music, and magic—but sometimes, a little laughter is the best way to spread Christmas cheer. When I saw the Butt Cracker Fairies Collection  from Scrappy Boy Stamps,  I couldn’t resist turning it into a cheeky, one-of-a-kind Christmas card. After all, who needs Sugar Plum Fairies when you can have these sassy little guys twirling their way across a stage—or in this case, a handmade music box! This card combines a playful sense of humor with a

If you’re anything like me, you probably love giving handmade gifts just as much as making handmade cards. There’s something extra special about handing someone a treat or small gift wrapped in something you created yourself. Today, I’m sharing a fun twist on gift packaging — two versions of the 3D Mouse Popcorn Box  using products from Scrappy Boy Stamps. One has a bright, theme park-inspired look (perfect for any time of year), and the other has a festive holiday spin that’