Doctor Koala Makes It Better

 

Doctor Koala Handmade Get Well Card | Pajama Crafter Stamps Community Helpers Release Day

Hello, everyone!

Today is Release Day at Pajama Crafter Stamps, and I am featuring a handmade card with the absolutely adorable Doctor Koala Bear – Get Well Soon stamp set as part of the PCS Community Helpers Blog Hop.

The Design Team is sharing handmade card inspiration honoring the everyday heroes in our communities—the helpers who care, serve, protect, and support us in so many meaningful ways. From medical professionals and first responders to community caregivers, today’s projects are created with gratitude and heart using Pajama Crafter Stamps products.

And yes—there is a chance to win, so be sure to check out the Pajama Crafter Stamps Community Helpers Inspiration Hop!

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A Sweet Get Well Scene with Doctor Koala

Doctor Koala is the hero I am featuring today—but truly, there are so many heroes in our lives.

For this card, I chose a lovely striped teal paper from the Savanna Neutrals paper pad for the background. The soft teal tones feel calming and reassuring—perfect for a get-well card.

Next, I stamped the sweet scene of Doctor Koala taking care of an injured teddy bear. The little teddy (colored in coordinating teal) is wrapped up in bandages and sitting on a pink stool while the good doctor tends to him. It is such a tender image—full of comfort and care.

The stamped panel measures 5 1/2" x 3", giving the scene plenty of space to shine.

I gave Doctor Koala a pink and gray polka-dotted necktie for a cheerful touch. In his hand, he carries a notepad, and I paper-pieced the cover to match the striped background for a cohesive design detail.

The sentiment was stamped on a tag and embellished with sweet little stamped hearts from the Just Married stamp set, die-cut with the coordinating die. Those tiny hearts add just the right amount of warmth to reinforce the “I care” message.

More Hero-Themed Inspiration

If you love creating cards that celebrate courage and service, you may also enjoy the Honor Valor Pride stamp set I featured last summer. That set celebrates bravery, sacrifice, and dedication—and includes a beautiful quote by Martin Luther King Jr. It pairs wonderfully with today’s Community Helpers theme.

There are so many ways to use these stamps to express appreciation, encouragement, and gratitude.

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Why Handmade Cards Matter for Healthcare Heroes

The Doctor Koala Bear – Get Well Soon set includes so many thoughtful sentiments that truly convey “I care.” A handmade get-well card for a doctor, nurse, caregiver, or even a patient can bring comfort in a way that feels deeply personal.

Sometimes the smallest gesture makes the biggest impact.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Design Team and hop along for more Community Helpers inspiration—and don’t forget to enter for your chance to win!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. 💛

Chippy in the Garden

 Hello, sweet friends!

I’m featuring the darling chipmunk from the Chippy stamp set on my handmade card today, and oh my goodness… this little cutie completely stole my heart.

This card is entered in the Splitcoaststampers Free for All Challenge theme of pink flowers and the #ArtNudge 0226C prompt featuring an adorable chipmunk. Talk about perfect timing!

To begin, I stamped Penelope’s Garden onto sturdy cardstock. I absolutely love this text background stamp — it’s so versatile, and the best part is I never have to hunt down book paper or patterned text paper again. It gives that lovely vintage feel while still being strong enough to handle coloring.

Next, I stamped sweet Chippy from SweetMissDaisy Designs right over the text background. I actually showcased Chippy along with three other new SweetMissDaisy Designs releases a few weeks ago if you’d like to peek back at those — but I have to say, stamping Chippy over text gives such a beautifully distinct look from my earlier card.

I’ve admired this technique for a long time, and this was my very first time trying it… and I am officially hooked!

One thing I especially love about using a text stamp instead of thin book paper is the durability. This cardstock holds up wonderfully to markers, whereas delicate book pages work better with pencils.

For the focal point, I colored the daffodil a bright, cheerful pink to fit the Pink Flowers F4All Challenge theme. To build out the garden feel, I layered everything onto a pretty background from the Ditsy Florals paper pack by SweetMissDaisy Designs. The darker floral pattern paired with those happy pink blooms really brings the whole scene to life.

To finish things off, I added three small banner strips from the Ditsy Florals paper at the top of the panel to tie everything together.

I’m also linking this up to the Art Nudge 0226 Challenge! Art Nudge is open to everyone and welcomes many forms of art — just use the prompt as your starting point. Snap a photo of your project and link it up on the Art Nudge blog for a chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Your visits always make my day! 💗

Beach Mail & Birthday Wishes Handmade Birthday Card

 We are headed to the beach for the Splitcoaststampers Free 4 All Challenge, and I could not resist creating a handmade beach birthday card to celebrate! February has been especially cold, so bringing a little coastal sunshine into my craft room felt just right.

This layered seaside card was created for a dear friend across the pond who recently celebrated a big birthday. I wanted the design to feel like a special piece of mail—something cheerful, dimensional, and full of beach charm.

I featured beautiful coastal patterned papers that my sweet friend Janine gave me and paired them with the Waffle Flower Postage Collage Dies and postage elements. I love using these postage collage dies to create custom layouts. You may remember I used the full panel design on my Elf Mail card (you can see that project here), but for this beach birthday card I decided to build my own layered postage arrangement instead.

Using a large postage stamp die plus several smaller dies from the Postage Collage Die set, I cut beach scenes directly from the patterned paper. I also stamped and die-cut several postage images from the Waffle Flower stamp set. Some postmarks were stamped directly onto the card base to create depth and a realistic mailed look, while others were die-cut and fussy-cut to add dimension.

Layer by layer, the coastal scenes and postage elements came together into a textured seaside collage. The mix of stamped postmarks, die-cut postage shapes, and beach imagery creates movement and visual interest—almost like a collection of travel memories captured in miniature frames.

To complete the design, I added sparkling sequins for a bit of shimmer. And I am happy to report that the sequins made it safely across the pond intact—always a small victory when mailing dimensional cards!

If you’re dreaming of warmer days, I would love for you to join us for the Splitcoaststampers Free 4 All beach challenge and create your own beach-inspired handmade card.

Thank you so much for stopping by—I’m sending a little paper sunshine your way. 🌊

It’s Fine. Everything’s Fine. 🐰 - Handmade Card

 Hello, sweet friends!

Today I’m sharing a card that made me smile the whole time I was creating it. I’m featuring one of the darling bunnies from the Funny Bunnies stamp set by Pajama Crafter Stamps, and this bunny—in her oversized spectacles—completely stole my heart. There is just something about those glasses and those wispy little tendrils of fluff on her head that makes her absolutely irresistible!

What I’m really enjoying about this stamp set is how these bunnies can take on the sweetest, most unexpected colors. In my previous card, A Gold Medal Moment, I colored one bunny blue to coordinate with pretty floral paper—and it worked beautifully! These little characters truly shine whether you keep them traditional… or give them a colorful twist.

For today’s card, I went with soft browns and purples. The background was actually waiting for its moment. I had previously inked up the Woven Warmth Stencil by Pajama Crafter Stamps using Wild Honey and Villainous Potion inks and set it aside on my desk. When I saw it again, I instantly knew it would make the coziest, happiest backdrop for this sweet bunny. Sometimes the best designs happen when you “shop your desk.”

I stamped the bunny onto an arched layer and colored her in warm browns, then gave those funny fluffy strands of hair, her collar, and even her puffy tail a pop of purple to tie her right into the background. It adds just the right amount of whimsy and personality.

To frame her, I cut a slightly larger arch and inked it with Villainous Potion. That extra layer of purple creates a beautiful, cohesive frame that pulls everything together. I repeated that same layered look for the sentiment by stamping it onto an oval and matting it with another purple-inked layer.

The sentiment from the You Are set—“It’s Fine. I’m Fine. Everything’s ”Fine”—feels both humorous and encouraging all at once. We’ve all had those moments, haven’t we? Sometimes a little laughter (and a bunny in glasses) is exactly what the day calls for.

If you’d like to see how these bunnies look dressed in other colorful hues, be sure to check out my A Gold Medal Moment card as well. It’s such a fun reminder that this set works beautifully beyond traditional coloring.

Be sure to stop by the Pajama Crafter Stamps store to see the Funny Bunnies stamp set, the Woven Warmth Stencil, and so many other delightful goodies.

Thanks so much for visiting today. 🐰💜

Spring Cheer & Winter Smiles: Four Cards to Brighten Your Day

Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to share four handmade cards today for the SweetMissDaisy Designs February Release, celebrating the changing seasons from spring into winter.  We’ll tiptoe into spring with the first three cards and finish things off with a cheerful winter scene.  

First up is the sweetest little chick pulling a cart loaded with one ginormous Easter egg. I paired this darling image with a soft lavender pattern from the Ditsy Floral Paper Pack for a gentle spring feel. Behind the image, I stamped the Penelope’s Garden text background on white cardstock and trimmed it down into a smaller layer. This stamp is a personal favorite; it provides a charming book-paper aesthetic, eliminating the need to search for vintage pages, and you can stamp it in any hue to coordinate with your project. I finished the card with a fun sentiment from the Hey Chickie set: Hope you have an Egg-ceptional Easter.

(participating in the IC1053 challenge at SCS)

Next is a birthday card featuring the most adorable chipmunk from the Chippy stamp set. I stamped him on an arch and used the out-of-the-box (partial die-cutting) technique so the tip of his fluffy tail could hang right over the edge of the arch for a playful touch. A bold red arch behind the image really makes it pop. I added one of the sweet butterflies near the daffodil — I love having little extras like butterflies to build a scene. The background is another beautiful Ditsy Florals pattern layered on a red card base, and a simple happy birthday sentiment completes the card!

(participating in the SCS VSN - JAN26VSNA - back to basics)

My third card brings us right back to spring with another darling chick, from the Two Chicks set, this one carrying a pink flower. So sweet! I used a soft blue floral from the Ditsy Florals Paper Pack for the background, then layered in the Penelope’s Garden text background once again. The image sits front and center, with a scalloped circle sentiment reading Blessings to You for a gentle finishing touch. Pure spring cuteness.

Today's cards use products from the SweetMissDaisy Designs February Release, which includes charming spring images, a versatile background stamp, beautiful spring papers, and a playful snowman.

As promised, we’re heading back to winter for the final card. This cheerful, Dashing Snowman is full of personality and color! I built the background with layered strips: a white stitched panel, a wide strip from the Winter Blues Paper Pack, a narrower strip stamped with the Penelope’s Garden text background, and a petite banner from the Spring Mini Gingham Paper Pack. The snowman, stamped on a stitched square and colored in rich purples, zooms downhill on a bright red sled. The sentiment Oh What Fun! says it all. A few die-cut snowflakes with sequin centers add a festive finishing sparkle.

(Entering the JAN26VSNB -Made of Snow VSN) 

Also joining in the ArtNudge Fun!   

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope these cards bring a smile and a little seasonal inspiration to your craft table!

Happy Hippo Birthday Party

 Hello everyone!

The Improving Your Performance VSN Challenge at Splitcoaststampers inspired my card today, and this was such a fun one to revisit. For this challenge, we’re asked to select a previous card and then improve or change it—and I immediately knew which card I wanted to work from.

I chose a sweet card I made back in March 2025 titled Dotted Spring featuring Pajama Crafter Stamps, stamps and dies. I’ve always loved how happy and cheerful that card feels, especially with all that bright yellow. For today’s birthday card, I kept the same basic layout but made several playful changes to give it a fresh, party-ready feel.

I started with the Bare Branches Tree Die, trimming away a few branches and coloring it with markers. I turned the die on its side. Instead of a tree, it became a sturdy branch for the bird trio from the Where Hope Blooms stamp set to perch on. The birds' position mirrors their placement in Dotted Spring.

Next, I swapped out the kitty from the original card and stamped one of the adorable hippos from the Hippo Hooray stamp set. I also changed the sentiment, replacing Happy Spring with the Happy Birthday greeting from the same set and stamping it neatly beneath the branch.

Then it was time to party—literally! I experimented with different party hat colors and even tried a few patterned papers before deciding that bold red hats colored with markers made the biggest impact. Since the party hat in the Hippo Hooray set is quite tall, I used the shorter hat from the Toadally Awesome Birthday stamp set instead—it fits the birds perfectly.

After fussy cutting those tiny hats, I snipped off the pom-poms and replaced them with gold gems for a little sparkle. To finish off the celebration, I added small enamel dots in bright colors to coordinate with the background paper.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! You can find the stamp sets I used—and so much more—over at Pajama Crafter Stamps. 🎉

Elf Mail and a Wobbly Raccoon

Hello everyone, and happy February! I hope you’re all staying warm as we finally move past a very cold January. ❄️

I’m getting a head start on my Christmas cards with the help of the Splitcoaststampers Fan Club Christmas Challenge, and February’s theme is Postage. I couldn’t resist creating something playful and nostalgic—especially since this card is for my daughter, who absolutely loves the movie Elf!

I’ll admit… I wasn’t a fan at first. But after watching it about ten times with her, it definitely grew on me—and now I think it’s pretty hilarious. 😊

For this card, I used the Elf Culture stamp set by Hero Arts and paired it with the Postage Collage die, stencil, and stamps by Waffle Flower. I die-cut the collage layer, then inked each postage section in green using the coordinating stencil. Inside the sections, I included items from Buddy’s famous “Four Main Food Groups”: candy canes, candy corn, syrup, and candy.

One of my favorite details is the Sketch-a-Lot image. In the movie, it’s used to show Buddy’s early struggles as an elf—making only 85 toys a day—and later his impressive artistic talent when he draws a detailed Mona Lisa to decorate Gimbels. It felt like the perfect little storytelling touch for this card.

 I stamped "Does Somebody Need a Hug?" at the top and added a die-cut Santa hat over part of it for extra holiday fun. And of course, I couldn’t forget the raccoon! I colored him, die cut him, and popped him onto a wobble. What a hoot! 🦝

In one of the movie’s memorable scenes, Buddy encounters a raccoon while traveling from the North Pole to New York City and cheerfully asks if it needs a hug—with predictable results. That moment inspired the action element on this card, which also allows it to play along with the Closing Ceremonies VSN Challenge.

I’m so happy to have this Christmas card finished ahead of time. I wanted to make one like this for my daughter last year, but the season was just too busy. It feels great to be ahead this time!

If you enjoy card challenges, be sure to stop by Splitcoaststampers — we’d love to see your beautiful projects in the galleries!

A Gold Medal Moment

 Hello everyone!

Jump for Joy is the theme for my Go For the Gold Winter Olympics VSN Challenge at Splitcoaststampers, and I can’t think of a more fitting feeling to capture on a card! Whether you’re the athlete or the enthusiastic viewer, that moment of medaling excitement is pure joy—and that’s exactly what we’re celebrating this round.

For my sample card, I used the absolutely adorable jumping bunny from the Funny Bunnies stamp set by Pajama Crafter Stamps. I love how full of energy this little guy is, so I stamped him at a playful angle on the right side of the card, mid-leap with his paws in the air. A regular Olympian, if you ask me!

To balance the design, I added a bright floral patterned paper panel along the left side of the card, which really brings in that happy, celebratory vibe. I carried that same pattern through by scattering three coordinating flower die cuts across the card for extra movement and visual interest.

The sentiment was the perfect finishing touch. “Jump for Joy” comes from the Toadally Awesome Birthday stamp set by Pajama Crafter Stamps and was stamped on a sweet stitched banner that ties everything together beautifully.

I am also playing along with the SCS Inspiration Challenge.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this card makes you smile and inspires you to head over to Splitcoaststampers to play along with us in the Winter VSN. I can’t wait to see how you interpret joy!