The Right Words

April 23, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back, friends! I’m glad you decided to stop by. Do you ever have days that just get off on the wrong foot — with one snafu after another? It started out as one of those days for me, but thankfully, everything was a bit more uphill after lunch. I’ll definitely be glad to see this week in the rearview!

We’re slowly but surely going to work our way through a patterns & textures design series. And today I’m sharing a sneak peek of some new paper that literally has texture — velvet, to be precise. The new Velvet Meadow patterned (and textured) paper is taking center stage in this fun fold sympathy card, along with a few other new products.

We get started with a base of Berry Burst cardstock. It’s scored to give a standard size panel inside but with offset folding panels for the card front. I really love to use this fun fold with busy patterned papers. It allows the sheet to sit front and center while also breaking up the pattern for some eye relief. The sheet of new Velvet Meadow patterned paper is matted with Pretty in Pink soft shimmer paper, which really helps the softer details in the paper pop. The sentiment from The Right Words stamp set is stamped in Secret Sea on a panel of white cut with the More Messages die. (Hint: I usually cut a quarter sheet of cardstock with the More Messages die to create a stash of sentiment panels for easy grab-and-go sentiments.) its mounted with dimensionals on a sheet of new pink Sunset Shimmer vellum and Berry Burst Garden Textures paper that are both cut with the new Sweet Words & Labels dies. I made a big twist of Berry Burst shiny ribbon and adhered it to the back of the sentiment panels for before adhering it to the left panel of the card front with dimensionals. Pearlized faceted circles and frosted iridescent dots finish things off with pops of color.

Although not pictured (because I completely forgot to photograph it), the inside is decorated with leftover strips of the Velvet Meadow paper. And the message panel includes a coordinating sentiment from The Right Words stamp set.

Sympathy cards are always hard, but combining products in a way that feels like a paper hug is always worth the extra effort!

Products used:

Berry Burst, Basic White cardstock

Garden textures, pastel shimmer DSP

Velvet Meadow DSP, Sunset Shimmer vellum, Sweet Words & Labels dies (May releases)

The Right Words stamps

More Messages dies

Secret Sea ink

Pearlized faceted dots, frosted iridescent dots

Berry Burst shiny ribbon

Dimensionals

Patterns

Splendid Texture

April 15, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back! It’s hard to believe but we’re already halfway through this week. Where does the time go? And speaking of stealing some time, today’s card uses a sheet of the Splendid Autumn paper pack that just makes you want to kick back in an easy chair on the breezy porch with a glass of tea and watch the wildflowers dance on the pasture, doesn’t it? Or maybe that’s just me showing my country upbringing.

This week, we’re using pattern and texture to create our card designs. And today is all about adding texture to give that extra pizzazz to a card. We’re combining the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder with the Splendid Autumn paper to create a little side glance out the window.

We get started with a simple base of white cardstock. The background panel is a quarter sheet of white cardstock that’s embossed with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder. The focal panel is cut from a sheet of the Splendid Autumn paper pack using the Everyday Arches dies and then matted with some pastel pink shimmer paper cut into an arch just a tick bigger. The embossed backdrop is wrapped with some Petunia Pop iridescent ribbon and then adhered to the card base. And then the focal panel is adhered just slightly off-set on top with dimensionals. The sentiment from the stamp set included in the 2025 Advent Calendar is stamped in Fresh Freesia on one of the smaller banner dies from the More Messages set and then adhered with dimensionals onto to the bottom-right corner of the focal panel. A few frosted iridescent dots finish things off with a hint of twinkle.

While this card would be just fine without an embossed background, isn’t it fun to see how much more interesting and eye-catching this card is with that little extra textured detail. I hope you’ll continue to hop along on the patterns & textures design series this week!

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Splendid Autumn 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[164173]

$12.50

Pastels Shimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[167198]

$10.00

12 Days Of Crafting Advent Calendar (English)

[167335]

$99.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

[155611]

$9.00

Beautiful Pattern 3 D Embossing Folder

[167097]

$10.50

Everyday Arches Dies

[164629]

$29.00

More Messages Die

[165472]

$33.00

Petunia Pop 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Iridescent Ribbon

[166203]

$9.50

Frosted Iridescent Dots

[165766]

$9.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Patterns

Perennial Patterns

April 14, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Howdy, friends! I hope your week is off to a great start. Our weekend was super busy. So I’m off to a bit of a slow start this week. But here we are — breaking out with a new design theme.

This week is all about patterns & textures. Sometimes we forget the easiest things in our creative arsenal. So let’s shine a little light on our best crafty friends! We’re getting started with some patterns today with a combination of patterned paper and a geometric pattern on our card front. The Perennial Lavender paper and Heartfelt Hexagon punch do all the heavy lifting in today’s design.

We get started with a base of Blackberry Bliss cardstock. A quarter panel of white cardstock serves as the base for our focal panel. Using the Heartfelt Hexagon punch, I cut a hexagon of each of the patterns from the Perennial Lavender paper pack from all of the scraps I had from previous cards. I laid them out on the white cardstock to get the right orientation and adjoining patterns before adhering each hexagon in place and then trimming the overlapping portions on the edges. The focal panel is matted in Fresh Freesia to bring out some of the more subtle purple hues in the patterned pieces. A piece of the Berry Burst shiny ribbon is wrapped around the focal panel toward the bottom and tied in a bow in the center. Using a previously-cut sentiment panel from the More Messages die, I stamped the sentiment from the Cutest Crew set in Blackberry Bliss ink, leaving just enough space on the side to add a few butterflies in Fresh Freesia using another stamp from Cutest Crew. The sentiment is adhered with dimensionals offset above the ribbon. The whole panel is adhered to the card base with dimensionals, and then we add some frosted iridescent dots across the card front in a diagonal to draw the eye over the whole design.

Hot tip: if you cover an entire sheet of cardstock with the hexagons, you can create 4 cards at once with each of the decorated quarter panels. Super way to build a stash of cute cards for those last-minute occasions!

Hope you’ll continue to hop along as we find fun ways to use patterns and textures this week!

Product List

Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[133675]

$14.00

Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[155613]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Perennial Lavender 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[162593]

$12.50

Heartfelt Hexagon Punch

[162888]

$25.00

Cutest Crew Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167146]

$19.00

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

[147092]

$9.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

[155611]

$9.00

More Messages Die

[165472]

$33.00

Berry Burst 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Shiny Ribbon

[167126]

$8.00

Frosted Iridescent Dots

[165766]

$9.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Adventures

Hello, Birdie

April 11, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

We’re rounding out our outdoorsy series of card designs this week with a look through the window at some cute little birdies — just the perfect way to say hello. We’re pairing up the Cutest Crew stamps with Everyday Arches for this one.

We get started with a base of Pretty Peacock cardstock. The background is a sheet of the white and gold foil plaid from the Distressed Patterns paper pack. Our focal panel is a panel of Pool Party cut with the Everyday Arches die. The sentiment and bird image from Cutest Crew are stamped in Secret Sea ink. I added a touch of sky with Cloud Cover and a blending brush. The remainder of the scene is colored with Stampin Blends. The focal panel is adhered over some Gray Granite ribbon with dimensionals. The green hexagons give us a pop of extra color and draw the eye across the full card front.

Hope to see you next week when we delve into a new design theme!

Product List

Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[150880]

$14.00

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122924]

$14.00

Regal Distressed Patterns 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[164037]

$10.00

Cutest Crew Bundle (English)

[167149]

$45.00

Everyday Arches Dies

[164629]

$29.00

Gray Granite 1/2" (1.3 Cm) Textured Weave Ribbon

[147656]

$7.50

Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad

[165285]

$9.00

Shades Of Green Hexagons

[165233]

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Adventures

Time for Grillin’

April 10, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

TGIF, everyone! We’re jumping into the springtime spirit as the weather gets more & more perfect for time on the patio. Today we tip our hat to those great backyard BBQs with the new BBQ Master bundle.

We get started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock. A sheet of the red plaid Regal Distressed Patterned paper gives us that picnic feel. A combination of the thatch pattern from the Delicate Dreams pack and some Secret Sea glimmer paper give us the base for our focal panel. We add some grass to start our scene with the help of the Scenic Adventure dies. The grill is stamped on Cherry Cobbler cardstock and then heat embossed with black. We add some grass fire with a combination of Peach Pie cardstock and an assortment of red, yellow, and orange ink to stamp the image and then cut out with the coordinating die from the BBQ Master bundle. The tongs image is stamped on lunar luster paper and then diecut with the coordinating die before hanging them on the side to be ready for use flipping the food. The sentiment from the BBQ Master set is stamped in Secret Sea ink and then we add a few coordinating moody palette dots to finish things off.

Isn’t this card super fun? This stamp and die bundle has tons of potential, for sure! I hope you’ll drop in tomorrow to see where we wind up on this week’s adventures.

Products used:

Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Peach Pie, Garden Green cardstock

Delicate Dreams, Silver Luster, Peaceful Garden Glimmer, Regal Distressed Patterns DSP

BBQ Master stamps & dies, Scenic Adventure dies

Moody palette dots, Wink of Stella, WOW embossing powder, dimensionals

Adventures

Sunshine & Soft Seas

April 9, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back, crafty friends! We’re headed to the ocean today as we explore the great outdoors this week. And we’re pairing up the Beautiful Bokeh paper with the new Rolling Waves bundle to create this card full of sunshine.

We get started with a neutral base of white cardstock, which provides a nice contrast to our soft, beachy color palette. A panel of Pool Party shimmer paper serves as our mat for the focal panel. We’re building our focal panel on Crymb Cake cardstock and we’ve stamped some larger sand piles with the Rolling Waves stamp set. To create the ocean, we’re using a sheet of the blue Beautiful Bokeh and a scrap of white paper and the Rolling Waves waters edge dies to create the foaming effect in the foreground. I’ve cut a palm frond from Soft Sea Foam and sea shells from Flirty Flamingo and layered them up front. The sentiment is stamped ina combination of Flirty Flamingo and Daffodil Delight to create a sunset effect. We finish things off with a combination of opal rounds — a few to create pebbles and a few to create bubbles in the water.

I hope you’ll drop by tomorrow to see where our next adventure takes us!

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[120953]

$14.00

Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146988]

$14.00

Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[141416]

$14.00

Beautiful Bokeh 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[164607]

$12.50

Pastels Shimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[167198]

$10.00

Rolling Waves Bundle (English)

[167145]

$51.25

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad

[147116]

$9.00

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147052]

$9.00

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

[147094]

$9.00

Opal Rounds Assortment

[163298]

$8.50

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Add All to Cart

Adventures

Sending Sunshine

April 8, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back to our week in the outdoors as we dig in the crafty stash to create outdoor-inspired designs. Today we’re pairing the new Far & Away Landscapes with the Woodgrain Wonders paper to create this ode to the farm design.

We get started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock. A sheet of the Woodgrain Wonders paper serves as the backdrop for our design. The focal panel is stamped with the farm scene from the Far & Away Landscapes stamp set, colored with an assortment of Stampin Blends, and then cut out with the Perennial Postage diecuts. To bring a touch of metallic flash and really help our scene pop, we mount the panel with dimensionals on earthen metallic paper over some white & gold ribbon. We mount the focal panel over a banner of Delicate Dreams cut with the Everyday Essentials dies. The sentiment from the Gliding Swing stamp set is stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla cardstock and then cut into a banner using the Stylish Shapes dies and adhered over the bottom edge of the focal panel with dimensionals so it stands taller. We add a dash of twinkle with some drusy embellishments.

I hope you’ll drop in tomorrow to see where our outdoor adventures take us next!

Product List

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[120953]

$14.00

Wood Grain Wonders 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[167428]

$12.50

Delicate Dreams 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[167498]

$16.50

Earthen Toned Metallic 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[165901]

$7.50

Far Away Landscapes Photopolymer Stamp Set

[167543]

$19.00

Gliding Garden Swing Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167134]

$20.00

Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad

[101406]

$10.50

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

[147114]

$9.00

Perennial Postage Dies

[162607]

$33.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

$30.00

Nested Essentials Dies

[161597]

$34.00

White With Gold 3/8" (1 Cm) Ribbon

[166979]

$8.50

Drusy Adhesive Backed Embellishments

[164223]

$9.00

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Easter

He is Risen! Alleluia!

April 5, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Sunday’s here; hope has arrived — Happy Easter! What a blessing to know that we serve a God who walks with us every step of the way — from the highest mountains to the lowest valleys. He knows every joy, every victory, every tragedy, every defeat. And when we don’t have the strength to take another step, God is there to carry us through.

We’re finishing up our Easter-inspired card series this week with another version of the cross fun fold honoring Easter Sunday. We’re pairing the Splendid Autumn paper with the new Easter Joy ephemera to create this stunning Easter sunrise celebration.

To add some detail to the cross, I used the recently retired Distressed Tiles embossing folder. The floral ephemera is layered behind the cross to create a beautiful spray of color. And the sentiment from the Faith Collection stamp set is stamped on a banner cut with the Words for the Season dies.

We’re headed into the great outdoors this week as we explore some nifty new goodies in the crafty stash. I hope you’ll drop in and see where we go on our outdoorsy adventure.

Product List

Very Vanilla 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166784]

$14.00

Highland Heather 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146986]

$14.00

Splendid Autumn 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[164173]

$12.50

Easter Time Mix & Match Ephemera Pack

[166984]

$7.00

Distressed Tile 3 D Embossing Folder

[162189]

$10.00

Words For The Season Dies (English)

[165797]

$32.00

Faith Collection Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[170531]

$19.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

[155611]

$9.00

Purple Fine Shimmer Gems

[162611]

$8.00

Pearlized Faceted Circles

[166978]

$8.00

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Add All to Cart

Easter · Fun Folds

It’s Friday…Sunday’s Comin’

April 3, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Good Friday, friends! While today is one of the hardest days in the Christian calendar, it’s pivotal in the journey to our eternal destination. As a church musician, it happens to be one of my favorite services to sing. The music just pierces the soul.

We’re continuing our Easter-inspired card series. And today, I decided to try the cross-covered z-fold, combining the beautiful retired Everyday Skies paper with the Faith Collection and Prayers & Promises stamps.

We get started with a base of black cardstock and score to crest our z-fold front panel and a portion of the cross. Panels of the Everyday Skies dark & cloudy patterned paper cover the front and inside of the card to create the backdrop for the cross.We use a sheet of the Country Woods woodgrain pattern to form our cross. The front sentiment from the Faith Collection set is stamped in the center of the cross and heat embossed in black.

The cross is wrapped in retired Blackberry Bliss ribbon and affixed it with glue dots. We stamp the inside sentiment panel with the Prayers & Promises sentiment is heat embossed in black. We finish off the card front with some metallic dots to serve as nails and a few moody palette dots for a subtle pop of additional color in the sky.

It may seem like all is dark and hope is lost, but remember this, Sunday’s coming. And Sunday changes everything. The Light will shine, the birds will sing, and the tomb will be empty — our victory forever won! Tune in tomorrow to see how we’ll celebrate.

Easter

Hoppy Day

April 2, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

As we march our way toward Easter this week, we’re pulling out the crafty goodness to make some cute Easter-inspired cards. Today we’re using the Easter Joy foiled paper and Time for Celebration ephemera pack to create the springy encouragement card.

We get started with a base of Basic White cardstock. A sheet of the floral pattern from the Easter Joy paper pack serves as our backdrop for the springtime scene on our focal panel. Our focal panel starts with a mat of yellow shimmer paper from the Pastel Shimmer paper pack and then we layer on top the scenic panel from a sheet of the Easter Joy pack. Both are cut with Everyday Arches dies of graduating sizes. We use small flowers and the cute bunny from the Time for Celebration ephemera pack to finish our scene, using dimensionals to add some depth to a few of our ephemera pieces. The sentiment from the retired Heartfelt Hellos stamp set is stamped in Secret Sea and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder to help the wet ink set on the foiled paper and to add some glossy sparkle to catch the eye. The focal panel is adhered to the patterned backdrop over a twist of gold & white baker’s twine using dimensionals. And then we finish things off with some assorted opal rounds in opposing corners of the card and around the sentiment to help draw the eye across the full scene on our card front.

This is such a fun and easy card to pull together and is sure to bring a smile to the recipient, don’t you think? I’ll have a much more Easter-focused design trend going as we move forward this week. I hope you’ll drop in and check those out.

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00