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Woodblock Wednesday-July 2026

It’s Woodblock Wednesday, and I’m on time this month! When I started this card I thought it would be a second entry into the current Paper Players Sketch challenge. These squares seemed too large for that sketch so I went in a totally different direction. 

The woodblock stamp is one of two sunflower designs by Annette Watkins. The other is a full sunflower, but was definitely too large for the challenge or even this card. After stamping the flower three times, I colored it with Copic markers and die cut each with one of Ellen Hutson’s Essential Squares. I love these dies because each one cuts a frame as well as the square. I thought the framing was especially nice with these flowers.

The striped pattern paper has long been separated from the 6X6 paper pad so I’m not sure of its origins. The sentiment was stamped in dark brown and is an old favorite from Papertrey Ink’s Banner Sentiments. The card base is 6 X 4.5.

Thanks, as always, to Amy for this monthly event. It’s a great reminder to look more closely at the woodblock stamps I saved. Must admit, I wish I’d saved a few more. 

Shortbread Shapes Tiled Birthday Card

Knowing that the end of July through the middle of September is incredibly busy, I’ve spent most of my crafting time making sure my obligations to the Color Hues and Memory Box Design Teams are completed. Now what time I have can be spent on using some wonderful new products I’ve acquired this summer. 

The Greetery’s Shortbread Shapes: Rectangle Tiles was top on that list. I experimented with a few design ideas, but ended up with a monochomatic card that I’m quite happy with.


After die cutting the Shortbread Shapes Rectangle in Vintage Cream cardstock, I ran it through in the Shortbread Shapes: Rectangle Tiles 3D Embossing Folder. The details are so beautiful, the card doesn’t need much embellishment.


For the sentiment I die cut the Shortbread Shapes Rectangle Label and added just one of the embossed tiles narrowly framed with gold cardstock and a sentiment from the new Simple Everyday Mini Sentiments embossed in gold. I didn’t center  the sentiment top to bottom, so I added three Pinkfresh Studio Gold Pearls. That was a mistake that actually improved the card, and when I make another (as I surely will) the three gold pearls will be right there. 


This card is off to a very special event at Darnell’s NBUS site—be sure to click through to read about the amazing number of cards submitted from 2020 until today created with Never Before Used Stuff! I’ve contributed quite a few myself, but this is the first one for July. It’s also off to Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes. 

 Color Hues #137


Jules has chosen one of my all-time favorite color combinations for the new Color Hues Challenge: 


I have to thank teammate, Stef Perry, for the inspiration for this card. For our May 1st Color Hues Challenge, she posted a card with the Spellbinder Block Accent Arches. I immediately fell in love with them. It was part of a Spellbinder’s kit, and the arches were already out of stock. I put myself on the wait list, and when they finally arrived, I knew I would use them for this challenge. For the centerpiece, I’ll pulled out an old favorite from The Greetery, Best Bouquet Detals die. I have to say, I love how it all came together.


I die cut the leaves and guide for arranging the florals in black, adding flowers that I die cut and assembled from several hues of red cardstock found in my scraps bin. Then I die cut four floral pieces in metallic gold. 


The original gold berries were too intense for the arrangement so I die cut one in red and slightly offset the gold. Much better. Not long ago I spent an afternoon with my foiling machine, so the Spellbinder’s Fancy Sentiment Strips banner was all set to go, foiled in gold on black. 


The Color Hues Blog is showcasing some fabulous cards by our Design Team and our Guest Designers, Joanne James and Julia Aston. I hope you’ll find some inspiration there and join us in the gallery. 

Birthday Balloons

The Seize the Birthday Challenge: One or More Numbers came at just the right time. I have a birthday card to share that I made for my great-nephew who turned two recently. 


The Stamp Market’s Balloon Essential dies and Birthday Balloon Greetings are proving to be a good purchase. I’ve used them several times for kids’ birthday cards, but know that switching from the bright colors to metallic balloons will make great cards for adults as well. Once again, I pulled out the Lifestyle Crafts tiny stars embossing folder. It’s so old, I don’t know what it was titled when it was released. I chose a bright Kelly green, orange and yellow color combination. The number 2 was die cut three times with Papertrey Ink’s Block Numbers, also a very old product. 


In addition to Seize the Birthday, this is off to the Neglected Stuff Blog since I pulled out two old products for this card.

Butterflies and Flowers

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I was on the Memory Box Blog yesterday with a new card showcasing the wonderful Wild Leaves and Brilliant Butterflies along with some white flowers from the Arched Flower Basket.


I was on the Memory Box Blog yesterday with a new card showcasing the wonderful Wild Leaves and Brilliant Butterflies along with some white flowers from the Arched Flower Basket.

Although there’s a lot going on here, it’s still a Clean and Simple design because all the “action” is in the circle. The leaves were die cut from very light yellow cardstock and then ink blended with three shades of green. The butterflies were cut from white cardstock and then ink blended after they were assembled. Another of my favorite Memory Box sentiment tabs finished it off.


There is a detailed description on the Memory Box Blog.

Balloons for the Boys

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We have two grand-nephews (both named Finn) whose birthdays come close together. A friend loaned me The Stamp Market Birthday Essentials, Birthday Balloon Greetings, and the accompanying dies. I die cut a huge pile of balloons in different colors and after making these two cards, tucked the rest away for future cards. Once I saw the Birthday Balloon Greetings and dies, I ordered a set of my own. I know I’ll use them on the balloons I tucked away, but I’m quite sure they’ll be pulled out for other birthday cards.

Both cards use the same layout, and the same background (a tiny starts embossing folder by Lifestyle Crafts which has been In my collection for years!) I chose different colors and different sentiments, adding some gold stars to the second card.


I’m sending the second card off to AAA Birthday Challenge: For the Boys.


Thanks for stopping by. I’m enjoying the sunshine and warm weather we’ve been having, but splitting my time between the yard and the craft room. The open window here is blowing in a wonderful warm breeze.


Clean and Simple Birthday Cards

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I pulled out a Penny Black stamp that I have never used to make a birthday card for a friend. The stamp set, Charisma, had four floral images in vases, and I ended up making a set of four cards. It’s always good to have some CAS birthday cards on hand. 



The card design is from Jill Foster, the card designer behind Penny Black. Her introductory videos are fabulous, and one series showcased a variety of designs.



I stamped all four images and colored them with Copic markers and then die cut them with the accompanying dies. I embossed a sheet of cardstock with the Penny Black Textured embossing folder, and then cut four strips with my paper cutter. I adhered them to the bottom of each card and added a narrow strip of white paper above them. 



The sentiment from Penny Black’s Delightful Day was stamped in black.



One of these is off to NBUS, one to Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes, one to Penny Black Saturday Challenge: Anything Goes, and one to Addicted to Stamps and More: Birthdays.

Clean & Simple Birthday

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I have a card for two challenges today–Just Us Girls: Stencil Week and Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes. This card is for my niece, and I am really pleased with its simplicity.


The Folk Garden florals by Pinkfresh Studio have always been a favorite of mine. The stamp contains multiple florals but the die cuts them out separately. I don’t think I’ve ever used just two of them, but I’m pretty sure I’ll do it again. I chose the two florals and then die cut the square panel with Simon Says Stitched Squares.


All the florals were stenciled with the accompanying stencil before die cutting. I chose one of the Memory Box White Gold Foiled Greeting Tabs for the sentiment and then added the two florals with dimensional tape. The stitched square was added to the square cardbase with a panel of dimensional adhesive.

Two for Color Hues #134

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Bonnie has chose Pink and Turquoise for this first of June Color Hues Challenge:

Although I had a few Ideas for this color combo, after I made my first card with The Greetery’s new Pretty Picado suite, I realized it was perfect for a two color challenge. And, due to a slight error in embossing one of the panels, I ended up with two cards! One is a traditional A2 card, and the other is a shaped card. I chose a darker hue of turquoise than in the challenge image above.


I used the Pretty Picado die and Capsule Basics on both cards. On the A2 card I stamped and die cut the greeting with the Pretty Picado stamp and die.


The white die cut fits over a turquoise panel that was run through the Pretty Picado Embossing Folder.


That’s where the second card got its start–I didn’t line the die cut panel up exactly with the embossed panel so had to redo it. There was nothing inherently wrong, however, with the first die cut panel. The Pretty Picado Cutaway die cuts a gorgeous sentiment that perfectly fits in the white oval. It was layered on an oval of turquoise paper.


I used one of the dies from Capsule Basics to create a scalloped oval card base, and added the white panel on the front. Finally, I die cut a pink border with the Capsule Basic Small Fixed Border and die cut the pretty open pattern from the Pretty Picado die. I added a few pink pearls from Memory Box that have been in my stash for years.


Thanks to a generous gift for Mother’s Day I was able to purchase quite a few of the products from The Greetery’s Fête and Fiesta release that just happened to land on my birthday! I’m already having a lot of fun with them–and have so many more cards I want to create.

Be sure to stop by the Color Hues Challenge to check out all the fabulous designs created by the Design Team and our Guest Designer, Kim Miller.

I’m posting one of these on the new Paper Players TicTacToe Challenge, using the diagonal from lower left to upper right: happy sentiment, free, die cut.

For the Guys

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I never seem to have a masculine birthday card when I need one. The Inkspirational Challenge: Cards for Guys came at just the right time because I needed one for a good friend whose birthday is this week. I pulled out two old favorites which I think go together perfectly: Pinkfresh Studio’s Gatsby Die Set and The Greetery’s Everyday Labels for the sentiment.


It’s a quick card to put together. Photographing it was a bigger hassel since Gold Mirror cardstock because of the gold mirror cardstock. I chose a lovely textured cardstock for the card base.


You can see it a little better here.

This is off to Inkspirational and Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes.

Flower-Filled Watering Can

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It’s my day on the Memory Box blog. I love the Rustic Watering Can die. It’s the perfect size to hold a flower arrangement.


I die cut and assembled a LOT of flowers and foliage from the Arched Flower Basker recently, and chose primarily yellow and orange ones for this bouquet. The watering can was die cut from gray cardstock. I added a little darker ink blending to add some interest and dimension. After creating a card base from white woodgrain cardstock, I die cut a slightly smaller panel with the Heritage Rectangle Frame die and layered it on the card base. Once the watering can was added to the panel, I spent some time arranging the foliage and flowers in the can, tucking some behind others and some peeking out from the top of the watering can.


I chose one of the White Gold Foiled Greeting Tags for the sentiment, adding two tiny flowers as embellishment.

I’m sending this off to AAA Birthday Challenge where they’re celebrating their 6th birthday with an Anything Goes Challenge and to Darnell’s NBUS. The watering can is making its debut.

Gifts Galore

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I was on the Memory Box Blog yesterday with a festive birthday card using the Gifts Galore die cut set. I’ve used some pieces of the Gifts Galore die before, but haven’t created a card specifically for them. To start, I die cut all the pieces from white cardstock and colored them with Copic markers before assembling them.


Once that was done, I die cut two circles from the Round Eyelet Circle Frames and layered them on top of one another with some dimensional tape. I created the square cardbase and then added layer of bright green and yellow to the white card. The I spent some time arranging the gifts. Once I was happy with it, I laid a piece of Press n’ Seal over them and flipped it over to add glue to the backs of the gifts. That makes laying them down on the white frames easy peasy.


Finally, I added one of the Happy Birthday White Foil Tabs from Memory Box across the bottom of the circle with dimensional tape. 

I’m sending this off to the AAA Birthday Challenge where they’re celebrating seven years of creating fun challenges for card makers. It’s also off to the Wednesday Simon Says Challenge (they’re looking for Colorful.)

Color Hues 131

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Sheri is the hostess for the mid-April Color Hues Challenge and she’s chosen Coral and Green.

The first time coral appeared in one of our challenges, I had to do some research and some hunting through my supplies to find papers and inks that are coral. This time I had no hesitation, and I actually started with the design of the card in mind before choosing the stamp set.

It’s been awhile since I used Pinkfresh Studio’s Darling Dahlias stamp set, but it worked perfectly. I used the stencils to color it with a combination of Pinkfresh and Papertrey Ink inks. I tend to have a heavy had when it comes to ink blending, but have discovered that using the large Pinkfresh Studio blending brushes and standing up while applying the ink made it much easier to get the look I wanted. 


After cutting the coral cardstock panels with two sizes of Ellen Hutson’s Essential Rectangles, I die cut an oval from the same series in the middle of the smaller panel. I adhered the stamped piece behind the oval opening.  The dies in these sets cut the shape as well as a narrow frame. I die cut two so I could glue two frames together to provide a bit of dimension. That panel was added to the card base with dimensional foam. Finally, I added a gold foiled sentiment from Spellbinder’s Curved Everyday Greetings. 


I hope you’ll join us in the gallery for this pretty color combination. Be sure to check the Color Hues Blog for lots of inspiration from our Guest Designer, Kelly, and the always creative Design Team.

Shaped Poppies Card

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I’m here to share a new card that went up on the Memory Box Blog this morning. Red poppies are my favorites, and I’ve been meaning to get back to the delightful Playful Poppies stamp set. This stamp is large enough for a 5X7 card, but I wanted one that was A2. 


I stamped the image with Copic friendly ink on white cardstock and then placed one of the Nested Globes over the design to decide which part of the design I wanted to highlight. I die cut it before I colored it with Copic markers. It’s been awhile since I did any Copic coloring, so this was lots of fun.


To createdthe card base, I die cut two of the next largest Nested Globes from black cardstock. On one piece I scored about 1/2 inch from the top and folded it back. I applied glue above the fold, and added the other piece to the front. 


I attached the poppy panel to the front of the card base, and added a Black Tab Birthday sentiment. I decided to keep this very Clean and Simple, so didn’t add any embellishments. 

I’m sending this off to Seize the Birthday: Spring Garden, my second entry this round.

Happy Birthday, Adam

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Today is my son-in-law’s birthday. I started his card with a bold birthday greeting die from The Greetery, appropriately named Make a Wish. I die cut the greeting in white and the shadow in black. Then I added two more layers of the shadow to give it some dimension.

The background panel was foiled in matte black foil with Pinkfresh Studio’s Stippled Plaid Press Plate. The foiling is quite subtle, but lovely, and doesn’t show up in the photo. I trimmed it down and then added it to a black card base before adding the sentiment with foam dots.

This is my second entry to the As You See It Challenge asking what cards, beside Christmas, do you make the most often. Hands down, it’s birthday cards.