Monday Montage - Notes of Spring

There’s something so joyful about combining soft colors, playful patterns, and a touch of whimsy—and this card brings all of that together in one happy little design!

Welcome to this week’s Monday Montage Hop!

For this project, I started with the beautiful Stampin’ Up! Beautiful Ordinary Life Designer Series Paper, which really sets the tone with its fresh, cheerful color palette. I love how the mix of patterns creates interest without overwhelming the design. The layered look gives the card depth while still feeling light and fun.

The focal point features the adorable images from the Notes of Spring stamp set. The sweet goose and bunny add such a charming, storybook feel. I colored them in soft, warm tones to keep everything cohesive and let them stand out against the layered background.

To frame the focal images, I used the Scalloped Wishes Dies, which add that delicate, lacy detail I’m always drawn to. It’s one of those elements that instantly elevates a card and makes it feel extra special.

Across the center, I added decorative borders using the Bordered in Beauty Dies. These layers help tie all the colors together while adding a bit of texture and movement across the design.

For the finishing touches, I included a few enamel dots for dimension and a bit of baker’s twine for a soft, handmade feel. The sentiment, “Happiest Birthday Wishes,” is stamped in white on a soft tag, keeping everything light and balanced.

This card truly feels like sunshine in paper form—perfect for celebrating someone special!

Stamps: Notes of Spring

Paper: Basic White, Lost Lagoon, Pool Party, Beautiful Ordinary Life DSP

Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark; Stampin’ Blends - Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo; White Gel Pen

Accessories: Bordered in Beauty Dies, Scalloped Wishes Dies, White Embossing Powder, Array of Dots, White Baker’s Twine

By first half marathon of the season is coming up this Saturday - Mt. Charleston, Nevada! Wish me luck!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

TGIF Challenge #569 - Inspiration

There’s something so satisfying about combining rich textures, delicate die cuts, and a bold focal point—and this card brings all of that together beautifully. Today I’m sharing a card design featuring the Scalloped Wishes Dies and coordinating stamps for this week’s TGIF Inspiration Challenge.

Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along.

I started with a Secret Sea cardstock base to create a strong, dramatic foundation. To add visual interest without overwhelming the design, I used the 3D Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder, which I lightly sponged with some White Craft Ink.

To frame everything, I added a thin layer of soft yellow cardstock just inside the card base. That little pop of color helps tie in the floral accents later and adds a polished, finished look.

The centerpiece of this card is all about layering. Using the Scalloped Wishes Dies, I created a beautiful stacked focal element.

The star of the show is the dragonfly, cut from Balmy Blue cardstock. Its airy, open design adds movement and lightness against the richer background tones. I love how it draws your eye right to the center of the card.

To complement the dragonfly, I added some flowers and greenery using more of the Scalloped Wishes dies … which are sooo good!

A simple bow using Early Espresso Baker’s Twine adds a touch of texture and keeps the overall look grounded and organic.

The sentiment, “for you,” is stamped and embossed in white on a small, fussy cut piece of Early Espresso cardstock, tying it back to the focal layer. I tucked in a bit of textured ribbon behind the sentiment for added interest and dimension.

Stamps: Scalloped Wishes

Paper: Secret Sea, Pecan Pie, Balmy Blue, Lemon Lolly Early Espresso, Old Olive, Basic White

Ink: Pecan Pie, White Craft; Stampin’ Blends - Dk. Daffodil Delight

Accessories: 3D Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder, Scalloped Wishes Dies, Early Espresso Baker’s Twine, Old Olive Rickrack Trim

I actually originally made this card to share in an Artisan Design Team Swap at last week’s Stampin’ Up OnStage event in Long Beach. What a talented bunch of humans they are … so honored to be part of the group! It just so happened that this card fit in with the TGIF Challenge this week, so there ya have it!

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

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Stampin’ Fancy Friday - Shades of Purple Challenge

Not sure why I don’t reach for my purples more than I do … because I actually love purple AND all of the different shades that SU carries.

For this month’s Fancy Friday Challenge we are playing with Shades of Purple. And I think I used them all!

Since I had my sewing machine out for another project I had been working on, I decided to make a little “quilt” out of this card.

I used pieces of Highland Heather, Blackberry Bliss, Gorgeous Grape and Fresh Freesia. Cut into 1/2” strips, first I trimmed and positioned the pieces until I got a pattern I liked. I stamped, embossed and sewed on the strips until I came up with a combo I liked!

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Adding some leaves from the Petals of Beauty Dies and some flowers cut in vellum using the same set, I created the focal point in the corner. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding when to quit!!

Stamps: Petals of Beauty, Words of Beauty

Paper: Basic White, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, Blackberry Bliss, Fresh Freesia, Vellum

Ink: Blackberry Bliss Gorgeous Grape, Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather

Accessories: Petals of Beauty Dies, Words of Beauty Dies, Beautiful Pattern 3D Embossing Folder, Lasting Linen 3D Embossing Folder, Drusy Adhesive-Backed Embellishments, Sewing Machine

How about you??? What is your favorite SU color (and what do you like to put with it to keep it looking kinda monochrome?)

Check out all the fun things created by the Stampin’ Fancy Friday Challenge Team on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stampinfancyfriday/!!!

Monday Montage - Filled With Sweetness

Soooo. Stinkin’. Cute. That’s what the new Filled With Sweetness Bundle is … adorable from end to end.

And I used stamps, dies and end an embossing folder from the bundle to create this week’s Monday Montage card. 

See what I mean???? I used the Ladybug Picnic 3D Embossing Folder not only on the “backdrop” to this jam jar, but also on the jar itself. I can’t get enough!!

Coloring the strawberries with my Stampin’ Blends was so much fun. I used both shades of Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight and Granny Apple Green, as well as a little bit of Bubble Bath to give the berries a little highlight.

The sentiment tag and the fabric over the top of the jar were both stamped using the Lasting Linen background stamp and some Strawberry Slush ink.

The jar die is double wide so you can fold it … EEeeeeep! In can’t even!! So I had to decorate the inside of the jar with another strawberry and some more flowers - AND another label and sentiment!

I made a little tab using the Old Olive 3/8” Specialty Rickrack to help make it more obvious that the jar “opens” … there’s still the actual inside of the card to write any notes you would like add!

Stamps: Filled With Sweetness, Lasting Linen

Paper: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Strawberry Slush

Ink: Memento Black, Strawberry Slush; Stampin’ Blends - Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Bubble Bath, Granny Apple Green

Accessories: Filled With Sweetness Dies, Ladybug Picnic 3D Embossing Folder, Old Olive 3/8” Specialty Rickrack

Our poor plants … so many flowers have started to bloom all over Utah because they think it is spring already! We had a pretty good snow storm last week (and need about a half dozen more!), so the greenery may not survive this year. How weird!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

TGIF Challenge #565 - Inspiration

I have never really “got” cats. Not that I don’t like them (because I LOVE all furry creatures!), but I have never been around a cat that was very friendly or nice to me (even when their owners SWORE they were the nicest!).

Fast forward to last October … I now have a kitty. Her name is Willow and I am OBSESSED with her! She is so friendly (she LOVES when people come over)! She is sweet and fun and adorable.

All this to say that the FIRST card I have now made - for this week’s TGIF Challenge - is kitty cat themed!

Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along.

Using the above photo for inspiration, I created this card with playful kittens. My Willow is gray with white bits all over, so that’s what I went with.

I used my Stampin’ Blends to color the kittens Smoky Slate. The butterflies and flowers are colored with Pretty in Pink and Bubble Bath.

I used a blending brush to add a little whisper of pink to the white Perennial Postage panels behind the kittens.

The 3D Eyelet Embossing Folder was the PERFECT backdrop!

I cheated and used the retired Deckled Circle Dies to mount the sentiment … I was in a hurry and it was the first thing I could actually find (handy!) that had a circle shape in it!

I am in love with this card and how it turned out!

Stamps: Cutest Crew

Paper: Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate, Basic White, Pretty in Pink, Bubble Bath

Ink: Memento Black, Bubble Bath; Stampin’ Blends - Smoky Slate, Pretty in Pink, Bubble Bath

Accessories: 3D Eyelet Embossing Folder, Cutest Crew Dies, Perennial Postage Dies, Deckled Circles Dies (retired), White 3/8” Fluffy Trim, Strawberry Slush Gems

Snow!! YES!! We have had SNOW this week in Utah!! What a weird winter this has been … this has been the first actual “winter snow storm” we have had in the Salt Lake Valley. FINALLY!!! Oh … and my kitty is determined to go outside and play in it every single chance she gets!!

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

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Monday Montage - Sunshine & Tulips

It’s time for another Monday Montage - and I couldn’t be more excited to see what the girls have come up with this week!

Are any of the rest of you as OBSESSED with watching the Olympics as I am??!! The dang Super Bowl went on FOREVER yesterday and cut into my Prime Time Olympics viewing! At least I didn’t have to pay attention to the tv while I was making this card … 

The Sunshine & Tulips Bundle is NEXT LEVEL GOOD, y’all!! I couldn’t wait to get it into my hot little hands!!

This card took me much longer than it should have, but the vision I had for it in my mind was not allowing me to take any shortcuts!!

The tulips themselves get their color from a piece of watercolor paper behind the diecut. I used a watercolor brush to paint splotches of Petunia Pop, Berry Burst and Melon Mambo to be placed behind the piece I had diecut from some Soft Sea Foam Cardstock.

I sponged the little tulip outline diecut pieces with some Soft Sea Foam ink to give them a little bit of contrast.

I also cut the leaves for the tulips in Soft Sea Foam, which I then splattered with some Granny Apple Green ink using a Stampin’ Blend.

The sentiment panel is also cut from Watercolor Paper. I added a little wash of Petunia Pop and Soft Sea Foam ink the corners using the Watercolor Brush again.

Stamps: Sunshine & Tulips

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Watercolor

Ink: Berry Burst, Petunia Pop, Melon Mambo; Stampin’ Blends - Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo

Accessories: Sunshine & tulips Dies, StrawWhite Baker’s Twine, Strawberry Slush Gems

We actually MAY be getting some snow in Utah this week. I sure hope so, because we need it BADLY!! All-time-low record for snowfall here, so we need some pretty BIG snowstorms!!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

TGIF Challenge #563 - Color Challenge

How come modern science can reattach limbs, give us artificial limbs and split an atom but CAN’T seem to find a cure for the common cold???!!?? I have been WIPED OUT by a cruddy cold since Monday … sigh … it seems to be slowly improving, at least enough for me to join in on this week’s TGIF color challenge!

Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along.

Basic Black, Melon Mambo and Bubble Bath … PERFECT for Valentine’s Day, right???

I used a few of my new toys to make this one. The background is made using the new Hearts of Love 3D Embossing Folder. The little filmstrip die and heart die are from the soon-to-be-released Capturing Smiles Dies. And the “I” and “U” are from the Playful Alphabet Dies. I didn’t used ANY stamps on this one!

I cut hearts from Basic Black, Melon Mambo and Bubble Bath. I then cut the hearts in half and matched up the sides with different colors.

The filmstrip actually has some vellum cardstock in the little squares … I really felt like it needed that something “extra” behind the hearts and vellum seemed to fill the bill.

Once again, I flicked some Stampin’ Blends onto the letters to make them pop a bit more.

I accidentally pulled out a Pretty Peacock Blend that I THOUGHT was Basic Black … so there’s a little of that on the letters as well. I like how they turned out!

I braided 6 strands of Black and Gold Baker’s Twine together for the trim.

Stamps: NONE

Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Bubble Bath, Basic White, Vellum

Ink: Stampin’ Blends - Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Pretty Peacock

Accessories: Hearts of Love 3D Embossing Folder, Capturing Smiles Dies, Playful Alphabet Dies, Black and Gold Baker’s Twine.

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

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Monday Montage - Pop-Up Petals

Who else is COOOOLD???? If you’re not under a pile of sleet, snow or ice OR not feeling the lower temps this week, you must be in Costa Rica because the ENTIRE US of A is FREEZING right now!!

So I’m bringing on a little “warmth and sunshine” for this week’s Monday Montage!

I decided to pull out a VEEEEERY old technique this week … it’s called “faux tiles”.

Using a scoring tool, make some square on your background cardstock.

Then, you can either mask off each side of the score line or carefully use a sponge or sponge dauber to brush a little ink away from each of the lines to create your tiles.

Easy peasy!!

Of course I had to add some platters with my Stampin’ Blends … and a couple of strips of pretty DSP.

Stamps: Pop-Up Petals

Paper: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Floral Delight DSP

Ink: Black Memento, Azure Afternoon; Stampin’ Blends - Granny Apple Green, Old Olive, Lemon Lolly

Accessories: Everyday Arches Dies, Pop-Up Petals Dies, Muted Palette Dots, White Baker’s Twine, Simply Scored

Hope everyway stays safe and warm during all the crazy weather … and that my friends in Australia are enjoying their summer!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

TGIF Challenge #561 - Product Challenge - Embossing Powder

Ahhh … the magic of embossing powder. Who DOESN’T remember the first time they heated up an image they stamped and sprinkled with embossing powder??!!?? I did it over a burner on my stove (since heat embossing tools weren’t yet a “thing”). Still LOVE watching it happen!

Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along.

For this challenge I started with a piece of Berry Burst cardstock; then, I stamped it using Versamark and the Lasting Linen Background Stamp. I sprinkled it with White Embossing Powder and heat set it.

I then cut a panel for use in the background, for the dangling hearts and a backsplash for the “I Love You” sentiment.

Since the little Bubble Bath rainbow diecut already had holes in it (from the Sunshine Vibes Dies), I couldn’t resist sewing the edge using a needle and some White Baker’s Twine. 

I already had the Bubble Bath panel embossing using the Dotted Circles 3D Embossing Folder and cut using one of the Perennial Postage Dies sitting on my craft table from another project … same with the little vellum panel. I LOVE it when I use “leftovers”!

Stamps: Lasting Linen, Words of Beauty

Paper: Berry Burst, Bubble Bath, Basic White, Vellum

Ink: Berry Burst, Versamark

Accessories: 3D Dotted Circles Embossing Folder, Sunshine Vibes Dies, Perennial Postage Dies, Words of Beauty Dies, White Baker’s Twine, Pretty in Pink Gems

Anyone else struggling to get over Christmas??? I FINALLY undecorated the tree in our basement last night … sigh … I think because we have had virtually NO SNOW it seems very off to me this year!

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

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Monday Montage - Brewed for You

Here we are again with the Monday Montage Hop! I FINALLY cleaned out my “holiday explosion” in the craft room and have some space to create!

I had a friend request that I make a card for someone in her family who lost a spouse. She asked if I had anything with a “wine glass” … which I did not!! Thank heavens that Bree (fellow-Monday-Montager Bree Renwick) had the retired “Brewed for You” set and sent me some assorted wine glasses! YAY!

I used the Lasting Linen background stamp inked with Berry Burst for the backdrop. I also added a little panel of vellum that I cut using the Perennial Postage Dies.

I also added some flowers using the Petals of Beauty Dies. 

Up close you can see that I dripped some water onto this card (on purpose, I promise!).

I used a waterbrush and some Berry Burst ink to drop some water … mostly on the vellum panel.

I also added some little Lemon Lolly flowers that I centered with some retired pink pearl embellishments.

The sentiment was made using the Thoughtful Moments Dies/Embossing Folder and then sponged with more Berry Burst Ink.

Stamps: Brewed for You, Lasting Linen

Paper: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Vellum

Ink: Berry Burst, Memento Black

Accessories: Petals of Beauty Dies, Perennial Postage Dies, Thoughtful Moments Dies/Embossing Folder, Wink of Stella, Blooming Pearls (retired), White Baker’s Twine

I neeeeed to get back on track with making and posting cards … Christmas threw me WAAAYYY off! I have missed playing in my craft room!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!