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!

Jumping In to Birthday Fun

 Hello, everyone!

Today I’m sharing an exuberant birthday card featuring one super happy, mid-jump frog from the Toadally Awesome Birthday stamp set by Pajama Crafter Stamps. This playful set is packed with personality—four fun frogs, balloons, a party hat, and individual words that make building custom birthday sentiments a breeze. Truly everything you need to create cheerful celebration cards!

I stamped my toadally happy frog onto a stitched square panel and added a party hat just above his “hand” to really lean into the festive vibe. To create the sentiment, I stamped the individual words and scattered them around the scene:

Wishing you a Toadally Awesome Birthday.

For a little extra interest, I tucked a green polka dot banner diagonally behind the frog layer. It adds movement and helps ground the focal image while keeping the design light and playful.

This card makes me smile every time I look at it—and this fun frog set, along with so many other delightful goodies, can be found at the Pajama Crafter Stamps store. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy crafting!

Feel Better Soon with Little Stinker

 Hello everyone!

This week I’m playing along with the Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoaststampers, and I had so much fun letting a simple color palette guide my design.

The inspiration, Black and Wite Tiles decoupage paper,  immediately made me think of the Linked background stamp by SweetMissDaisy Designs. I absolutely love how this background looks stamped in black ink on white cardstock — it’s bold, graphic, and does all the heavy lifting without needing anything extra.

For the focal point, I stamped the adorable Little Stinker skunk onto a white circle, then layered it over a scalloped red circle to bring in that pop of color. I colored the bouquet Little Stinker is holding in red and added a few red sequins to the blooms for just a touch of shine and dimension.

The sentiment made me smile — “Being sick stinks… feel better soon.” It pairs perfectly with this sweet skunk and turns the card into a lighthearted way to send encouragement.

This card proves once again that black, white, and one bold color can be such a striking combination.

And good news — Little Stinker is back in stock at  Sweetmissdaisy.etsy.com! The shop is fully restocked, so if you’ve been waiting on something, now is the perfect time to check it out.

A Hippo Sized Thank You!

 Sometimes a simple thank-you card is exactly what’s needed — sweet, heartfelt, and full of charm. Today’s card features one of the most lovable hippos from the Hippo Hooray stamp set by Pajama Crafter Stamps, paired with a soft, love-filled background.

I started by stenciling the In My Heart of Hearts background using pink and red inks. The layered hearts create a gentle backdrop that feels perfect for a gratitude-themed card. To spotlight the focal image, I die cut a circle opening from a separate piece of cardstock and placed it over the stenciled panel.

One of the adorable hippos was stamped, colored, and fussy cut before being nestled inside the circle opening so that the heart-filled background peeks through behind her. A sprinkling of sequins around the circle adds just the right amount of sparkle without overwhelming the design.

To finish the card, I stamped a sweet, heartfelt thank-you sentiment. This card is perfect for sending appreciation, encouragement, or a simple note of kindness. Be sure to stop by the Pajama Crafter Stamps store for these products and so much more!

Whoa! You Blow Me Away!

 

Whoa! I might be a little late to the Inspiration Challenge party at SCS, but when I saw the inspiration pin featuring a Plaidish Finished Top, I knew I wanted to play along!

I added the bold “Whoa” from the Dang, Whoa, Yikes! Word and Shadow Die set by Pajama Crafter Stamps—because sometimes one big word says it all. The adorable bunny and sentiment are from the Funny Bunnies stamp set, and honestly… these bunnies are just too cute not to smile at.

✨

The Funny Bunnies set (and so much more!) is part of the January Pajama Crafter Stamps Release. There’s still time to hop along on Instagram for a chance to win a store gift voucher—be sure to check out all the details on my IG Page!

Pajama Crafter Stamps Store has the fantastic products mentioned today,  and much more available now! Thanks for stopping by!