It’s Hip to Be Square! | Tree Farm Handmade Card

 It’s hip to be square! This week’s Splitcoaststampers Free 4 All Challenge (F4All) is all about squares. We can make a completely square handmade card or simply add one or more squares to our card design. I chose the second option for my card, using a large stitched square as the perfect setting for a sweet winter scene.

For my card, I started with a standard A2 card base and stamped the Tree Farm image from SweetMissDaisy Designs onto a large stitched square. This is such a pretty little farm, and I love how the image can be kept simple while still creating a beautiful focal point.

I colored the farm using blue, brown, and green, leaving plenty of white space around the image. I really wanted a clean, crisp winter look, and keeping the coloring light lets the white cardstock become part of the design.

To create a snowy sky, I used the snowflake stamp from the Tree Farm set and stamped snowflakes throughout the background. I love when a stamp set includes little images that can be used to add extra details to a scene!

At the top of the stitched square, I added a banner stamped with the postmark image from the set. The banner gives the square a little extra interest and helps draw the eye toward the winter scene.

Underneath the stitched square, I added the sentiment, keeping everything neatly layered and letting the square remain the main focal point. Finally, four enamel dots add just a touch of embellishment and finish the card.

I love how this card shows that you don't have to make an entire square card to join a square-themed challenge. Sometimes adding one simple square element is all it takes to change the look of a card!

If you'd like to recreate this winter scene, the Tree Farm stamp set from SweetMissDaisy Designs is a wonderful choice for creating a clean and peaceful Christmas or winter card. You can easily adapt the colors, add more snowflakes, or even turn the square into a completely different seasonal scene.

If you like farms you might enjoy two Country Charm cards. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll join us for this week's F4All Square Challenge at Splitcoaststampers. I can't wait to see what everyone creates!

A Sunflower Tribute for Jeanne

 

Hello friends,

This week at Splitcoaststampers, our Free 4 All Challenge theme is Flowers for Jeanne, a tribute to a talented creative rock star we lost this week, Jeanne S.

Jeanne was one of those people who made the creative community brighter simply by being part of it. She had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to see the funny side of things. Even when life threw several losses her way in a short amount of time, she remained upbeat and continued to bring her unique personality and creativity to everything she did.

Jeanne and I messaged back and forth a great deal as we worked on many deadlines together. We shared so many conversations along the way that I caught myself tonight, as I finished photographing my card, thinking, “Oh, I need to show Jeanne this.”

And then came the lump in my throat.

It is still hard to believe she won't be there to share the next card, the next deadline, or the next little bit of creative chatter.

A CAS Sunflower Card for Jeanne

Since it hasn't been easy to focus today, I decided to go with a lovely, clean and simple card design. Sometimes a simple card is just what is needed, allowing the flowers and the sentiment to do the talking.

I chose a beautiful piece of sunflower patterned paper from Brutus Monroe. This paper is now retired, but it was perfect for today's tribute. Sunflowers have such a cheerful, sunny personality, and they seemed like a wonderful way to celebrate Jeanne.

I cut the sunflower paper on a diagonal and added a black border to create a crisp, graphic look. The patterned paper does all the heavy lifting on this card, so I kept the rest of the design wonderfully simple.

For the sentiment, I stamped “always bring your own sunshine” directly onto the card base in the lower corner.

The sentiment is from one of Jeanne's very own stamp sets that she created for Impression Obsession.

I couldn't have chosen a more perfect sentiment.

Jeanne brought sunshine. She had a way of making people smile, and she wouldn't let anyone sit under a dark cloud for long. Even when things were difficult, she found a way to bring humor, encouragement, and a little light to the conversation.

That is something I will always remember about her.

I will be posting this card to the new tribute thread at Splitcoaststampers titled Those We Have Lost. It is a place to remember and celebrate the creative friends who have touched our lives.

I hope you will join us in this week's Flowers for Jeanne challenge. You can make a card with flowers, share a favorite memory, or simply take a moment to celebrate a talented friend who brought so much to our community.

Jeanne, I wish I could show you this card tonight.

I hope you know how much sunshine you brought into the lives of your creative friends. Your humor, your talent, and your friendship will be missed more than words can say.

If you enjoy making cards with a touch of humor, you can find more handmade card inspiration like this Little Stinker here on my blog. This card matches Jeanne's sense of humor, although it's a SweetMissDaisy Designs.  :)

Thank you so much for looking, and thank you for helping us celebrate Jeanne.

With love,

Angie

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Supplies

• Sunflower patterned paper — Brutus Monroe (retired)
• Black cardstock
• Card base
• Sentiment: “always bring your own sunshine” from Sunflower Season an Impression Obsession stamp set created by Jeanne S.

Snowman in Pink - Handmade Christmas

 Hello friends! Today I’m sharing a sweet pink Christmas snowman card featuring the adorable Love Grows stamp set from the new SweetMissDaisy Designs release. I’m also celebrating this week’s Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers!

For my Featured Stamper inspiration, I selected Cathy’s darling snowman card. I kept the same basic theme and even colored our snowmen’s scarves in the same color. From there, I made a few changes of my own. Cathy used three die-cut snowflakes, while I used one large snowflake. I also added a banner, but placed mine lower on the card and turned it in the opposite direction.

Cathy, congratulations on being our Featured Stamper this week! Your gallery is wonderful, and I had so much fun choosing your card for my inspiration!

Pretty in Pink

I decided to give my snowman card a cheerful twist with lots of pretty pink. The pink appears in the snowman’s hat, scarf and gloves, as well as in the patterned paper background.

For the background, I used a fun diagonal block die with paper from the Quilted Grunge Brights paper pack by SweetMissDaisy Designs. I love how the diagonal design adds movement while the bright pink tones give the card a playful Christmas feel.

I stamped the snowman holding his Christmas tree and placed him on a postage stamp die-cut panel. A large die-cut snowflake is tucked behind the sentiment banner in the lower portion of the card. The combination of the snowflake, banner and postage stamp panel gives the design several fun layers without making it feel too busy.

The Love Grows stamp set is part of the new September release from SweetMissDaisy Designs, and it's available now in the SweetMissDaisy Designs Etsy shop.

Card making is such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something meaningful and handmade. It’s also great fun to build the Christmas card stash! I hope today’s card inspires you to spend some pleasant moments creating.

If you missed my September Release post, you can find it HERE.

If you’re looking for more snowman inspiration, you might also enjoy:

• Snowman in Lavender
• Sparkle and Dazzle Snowman
• Back to Basics Snow Couple

Country Charm & Christmas Cheer - SMD Sept. Release

  Hello friends! Today is SweetMissDaisy Designs September Release Day, and this month's release has a wonderful mix of fall and winter designs. The release features the Barns stamp set with two different barn images, Tree Farm, with a pretty winter tree farm scene, and the darling Love Grows snowman stamp set. It's a perfect collection for creating both cozy country cards and adding to your Christmas card stash!

Today I'm sharing three handmade cards featuring these new designs.

A Quiet Place to Breathe

First up is one of the beautiful barn images from the Barns stamp set. I wanted to give this card a soft, peaceful country feel, so I selected papers from the Boho Gardens paper pack. The colors worked beautifully with many of the colors in the Art Nudge #826D prompt.

I colored the barn scene in soft greens, pinkish brown, and yellow to keep everything gentle and warm. I finished the card with the sentiment "a quiet place to breathe" and added a few gems for a little sparkle.

I love how this card feels like a peaceful little escape to the country!

Fresh-Cut Christmas Wishes

For my next card, I'm featuring the beautiful winter scene from the Tree Farm stamp set.

I started with a gray card base and created a simple red "ribbon" by cutting a strip of red cardstock and adding a die-cut bow. I placed the ribbon vertically across a piece of white cardstock for a classic Christmas package-inspired design.

For the focal point, I die-cut ovals from gray, red, and white cardstock and layered them together to frame the tree farm scene. I colored the barn and the sign in deep red, giving them an eye-catching pop of color against the winter landscape.

Below the scene, I stamped the sentiment "fresh-cut Christmas wishes."

This design has such a traditional Christmas feel, and I think it would be especially fun for anyone who loves a fresh-cut Christmas tree!

Trimmed with Love

My last card features the darling Love Grows snowman stamp set.

For this one, I selected deep blue-green papers from the Lavender Field paper pack. I love using patterned papers that aren't necessarily intended for Christmas cards and discovering how beautifully they can work with a winter design. The deep colors give this card a cozy, slightly unexpected Christmas look.

I stamped the adorable snowman onto a tag and colored his scarf, hat, and gloves in shades of pinkish maroon. The set also includes a heart, so I stamped three little hearts and sprinkled them around the sentiment "trimmed with love" and toward the upper right side of the tag.

I'll be adding this card to the Splitcoaststampers Fan Club Christmas Challenge.

All three of the stamp sets featured today are available now in the

SweetMissDaisy Designs Etsy shop!

Card making is such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something meaningful and handmade. Whether you're in a pastoral mood, looking for peaceful country inspiration, or ready to add to your Christmas card stash, I hope today's cards inspire you to spend some pleasant moments creating.

For more country-style card inspiration, you might also enjoy 

Garden Girl

 Golden Wreath

 Rooster with Sunflowers.

Happy creating!

Angie

All is Bright Cardinal Christmas Card

 Hello friends! Today I’m sharing a pretty cardinal nestled among holly leaves card made for this month’s Splitcoaststampers Fan Club Christmas Challenge and this week’s Sketch Challenge. I love when one card can work for two challenges, and this sketch gave me a fun opportunity to change up how I used my stamps!

For the sketch, I chose a beautiful stamp featuring leafy branches. Instead of stamping the leaves directly onto the cardstock, I stamped the image onto a tag and then angled the tag to follow the design of the sketch. I love how simply changing the shape and placement of the stamped image gives the card a completely distinct look.

Rather than creating the leafy border shown in the sketch, I used pretty patterned paper for that element. I added the sentiment in the same general position as the sketch, keeping the layout recognizable while putting my spin on the design.

The stamp set I used is an older Heartfelt Creations set a dear friend gave me when she was moving out of me. She gifted me papers along with so many wonderful stamps and dies from Heartfelt Creations. It was such a treat to finally put one of those treasures to work!

I especially love using something that is new to me, even when the supplies themselves are older. There are so many wonderful treasures hiding in our craft rooms, and sometimes all it takes is a challenge or sketch to give us the perfect reason to pull them out and create something new.

Card making is such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something fun and handmade to someone special. Whether you’re getting an early start on your Christmas projects or simply looking for an excuse to color an elegant image, I hope today’s card inspires you to spend some happy time creating!

If you’re looking for more winter designs featuring cardinals, you might also enjoy 

A Touch of Music

 Cardinals by the Window

 Birds and Birdhouses

Happy Stamping!

Angie

Too Cute To Spook in Pink

Hello, crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a too-cute-to-spook Halloween card featuring the sweetest little ghost—and some very unexpected Halloween colors.

I’m celebrating this week’s Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoaststampers, honoring the talented Tisa. Tisa has created a stunning collection of cards, and I chose to CASE a few elements from one of her designs while putting my own spin on the rest. I used similar colors and made a large circle the focal point of my card, but everything else is different. It’s always fun to see how a few design elements can inspire an entirely new card!

For my card, I started with a piece of fuchsia patterned paper from the Monster Brights Paper Pack by SweetMissDaisy Designs and cut it to 2 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. I die-cut a partial circle along the edge of the patterned paper to create a fun peek-through opening.

Next, I die-cut a sweet scalloped circle and stamped the adorable ghost from the Fab-boo-lous Stamp Set by SweetMissDaisy Designs. This little ghost is all dressed up for Halloween with a pink ribbon and a lollipop! I colored her with soft pink cheeks and pink shading, which makes her look even sweeter.

I layered the scalloped circle over the partial circle opening and popped it up with foam adhesive for added dimension. Then I stamped the “Too Cute to Spook” sentiment, trimmed it out, and popped it up as well.

I love how this card turns traditional Halloween colors upside down! Instead of the usual orange, black, and purple, the bright fuchsia and pretty pink give this little ghost a fun and unexpected look. And really, could she be any cuter? I think not! 👻💗

If you’d like to make this card yourself, you’ll find the stamps and papers I used in the SweetMissDaisy Designs Shop.

Card making is such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something fun and handmade. Whether you’re getting an early start on your fall and Halloween projects or simply looking for an excuse to color an adorable ghost, I hope today’s card inspires you to spend some happy time creating!

And if you’re looking for more cute ghostly inspiration, you might also enjoy A Trio of Fab-boo-Lous Ghosts and Scarecrows and Spooks.

Happy stamping!

Angie

Halloween Fun Meets Christmas Cheer | SMD Designs August Release

 Hello friends!

It's release day at SweetMissDaisy Designs, and there is so much to share! This month's release includes two delightfully spooky stamp sets created in partnership with Serendipity Stamps, one fantastic SweetMissDaisy Designs original, and—because Christmas cardmakers never really take a season off—a charming skating snowman!

Let's take a look at today's projects.

Fab-boo-lous Ghosts

First up is the adorable Fab-boo-lous stamp set featuring six "too cute to spook" ghosts! These little ghosts are perfect for cards, but they would also make fabulous treat toppers, tags, gift card holders, party favors, and more.

For my card, I selected three of the sweet ghosts and paired them with two of the fun sentiments. The tiny spider comes from the Open If You Dare stamp set—I love mixing sets to create even more possibilities!

The purple patterned paper from the new Monster Brights paper pack makes the perfect playful Halloween background. I selected two different photos from this week's Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge for this cheerful Halloween design.

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Haunted Halloween

Next up is a wonderfully creepy haunted house!

The haunted house image comes from the Haunted stamp set. I began with a 3¼" x 5½" piece of bright chartreuse patterned paper from the Monster Brights paper pack centered on my card base.

One of my favorite elements is the crescent moon "fence" in the background. The die is actually retired and originally created to make a rosette, but I discovered it makes an amazing spooky fence! It's always fun to stretch your supplies and find new uses for older dies.

I stamped the haunted house onto a 3⅛" x 3½" panel and colored it simply with touches of chartreuse on the moon, sky, and ground. Sometimes a limited color palette creates just the right eerie mood.

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Hey Pumpkin!

How can you resist this lovable little ghost?

The sweet image from the Hey Pumpkin stamp set features an adorable ghost proudly holding a smiling jack-o'-lantern. I combined papers from both the Monster Brights and Monster Prints collections to create lots of playful Halloween color and pattern.

Soft blue-green shadows give the ghost a gentle glow, while bright orange enamel dots and a "Happy Halloween" sentiment complete the card with a fun pop of color.

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Skating By

Last—but certainly not least—is the monthly snowman release!

The Skating By stamp set features a bundled-up snowman happily gliding across the ice. I colored his cozy winter clothes in cheerful shades of yellow, red, and green for a classic Christmas look.

The background comes from the Worn Dots paper pack, and I finished the card with lots of die-cut snowflakes to create a magical winter wonderland scene.

This card is skating into three Splitcoaststampers challenges:

• F4A858 – Countdown to Cool
• CCC26AUG – Enchanting or Magical Cards
• SCSCCAUG26 – Fan Club Christmas Challenge

All the stamp sets featured today are available now in the SweetMissDaisy Designs Etsy shop!

Card making is such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something meaningful and handmade. Whether you're getting an early start on Halloween projects or adding to your Christmas card stash, I hope today's cards inspire you to spend some happy time creating.

If you're looking for even more Halloween inspiration featuring SweetMissDaisy Designs, be sure to check out these projects:

• Scarecrows and Spooks 
• Pumpkin Trick or Treater
• Autumn Leaves Scarecrow 

Happy stamping!

Angie

Build Your Christmas Card Stash with a Classic Santa

 Hello Friends!

It's August 1st, which means it's time for a brand-new Splitcoaststampers Fan Club Christmas Challenge! If you've been making a few Christmas cards each month, you're well on your way to having a beautiful handmade stash ready for the holidays.

Today I'm featuring the very handsome Santa from the Santa stamp set by SweetMissDaisy Designs. I paired him with beautiful patterned papers from the Rustic Winter Paper Pack for a classic Christmas look full of cozy holiday charm.

Process

I began by creating the background with the Stitched Triangles Die from Scrapbook.com. The stitched geometric pattern adds wonderful texture and interest while allowing the festive patterned paper to shine.

Next, I stamped the handsome Santa onto a large postage-style die-cut and colored him before layering him over the triangle background. To finish the design, I added the sentiment, "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas," creating a timeless holiday card that's easy to mail and fun to recreate.

If you'd like to make this card yourself, you'll find the stamps and papers I used in the SweetMissDaisy Designs Shop.

Be sure to stop by on Saturday for the exciting August SweetMissDaisy Designs Release! There are more adorable products on the way, and I can't wait to share them with you.

One of my favorite things about this layout is how versatile it is. Simply swap in your favorite holiday stamps, patterned papers, or coloring medium to create a completely different look. Handmade cards are such a wonderful way to share creativity while sending something heartfelt to friends and family.

I hope today's project inspires you to get started on your winter card stash if you haven't already. December arrives much faster than we expect!

If you're looking for even more Santa inspiration, be sure to check out my previous projects:

• Two Festive Santas
• Elegant Santa

Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy stamping!

Angie

Supplies

• SweetMissDaisy Designs Have Yourself a Merry Christmas stamp set
• SweetMissDaisy Designs Rustic Winter Paper Pack
• Scrapbook.com Stitched Triangles Die
• Large Postage Stamp Die
• Coloring Medium of Choice