Fun in the Sun

June 25, 2026June 24, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back, crafty friends! It seems fitting that we’re working with the summer theme this week as it really starts to feel like summer here in North Texas. We’ve had a nice run of some unseasonably cooler days, but we’re headed for the frying pan as we head into the weekend. But today’s card is sure to cool us off as we head back to the beach for a day of fun in the sun with all of the accoutrements! Today’s fun fold combines the new Splash & Relax bundle with the Notes & Totes bundle to create this cute summer hello.

We get started with a base of Summer Splash cardstock and score it so we have a z-fold. A sheet of the striped Violet Dreams patterned paper (coming out in just a little over a week!) serves as our backdrop, along with the grid pattern from the Berry Botanical vellum pack (a Product of the Month that is still available with a qualifying olrder!). Our front focal panel has all the fun and we get started with a base of Pool Party cardstock that’s cut with one of the larger Everyday Arches dies. I cut a Crumb Cake arch at the same time and then tore it to create the sand. Our beach bag is a combination of white and Melon Mambo and the pieces are cut out with the Notes & Totes dies and adhered to our background panel with dimensionals.

All of our beachy essentials come next. The flip flops, beach ball, sunglasses and visor are all created with the Splash & Relax dies, while our water bottle and sunscreen are stamped and cut with the Notes & Totes set. We punch things up with a touch of Wink of Stella on the sunglasses lenses, the water bottle cap, the sunscreen bottle, and the visor. And then we add a few shimmering dots to finish off our flip flops and visor. Dimensionals help all of these fun beach essentials tuck in, around, and behind one another. We finish things off with our sun shining above which is stamped with the Notes & Totes stamps.

We complete the card by adding the finishing touches to our inside panel with the hello sunshine and fun in the sun sentiments. Some white shimmering dots give us sparkles in all the corners and help our eyes to easily move from the front panel to the message panel.

Today’s card is a part of the Luv 2 Stamp Group Instagram Hop, which goes live at 9 AM Pacific Time (PST). Click here to head over to my Instagram feed at 9 AM Pacific/11 AM Central and check out what the other demos in our L2S Group have created for you today!

Product List

Summer Splash 8 1/2" X 11 Cardstock

[163797]

$14.00

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

[122924]

$14.00

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

[120953]

$14.00

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

[133675]

$14.00

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[115320]

$14.00

Barely Blush 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[167689]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Berry Botanical Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[167985]

$5.00

Everyday Arches Dies

[164629]

$29.00

Notes & Totes Bundle (English)

[165241]

$52.00

Splash & Relax Bundle

[167903]

$44.00

Summer Splash Classic Stampin Pad

[163809]

$9.00

Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad

[165286]

$11.00

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147051]

$9.00

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad

[147087]

$9.00

Timid Tiger Classic Stampin' Pad

[165278]

$11.00

Shimmering Dots

[167949]

$8.50

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

You’re the BEST

May 28, 2026May 27, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome in, everyone! Glad to see you today. We’ve had quite the string of crazy weather this week. We go from sunshine to gully washer in no time flat. Yesterday, we got over 7 inches of rain at our house in about 2 hours! It was crazy and there were all kinds of street and road closures for quite some time as we had to wait for all of that water to dissipate. Thus far, we’re off to a dry start, but we do have more rain in the forecast today.

This week, it’s all about the gifty goodies as I’m preparing for a big craft fair this weekend. And I’m always looking for ways to dress up a gift card gift, aren’t you? Today’s fun fold design comes from our Luv 2 Stamp Group fearless leader, Patty Bennett. I’m calling this the dutch door gift card holder. We’re using the Lovely Blossoms paper and a few new stamp sets to create this fun gift.

We get started with a base of Cloud Cover cardstock. The backdrop is the Secret Sea diamond pattern sheet from the Lovely Blossoms paper pack. And I used a leftover strip of the Cloud Cover striped pattern from the pack to create the accent strip to break up the busy pattern. The sentiment panel is a combination of Cloud Cover and Secret Sea glimmer paper that are cut out with the Branching Out dies. The sentiment is from the new Words & Wishes stamp set. The sentiment panel is wrapped in gold & white baker’s twine. And I added some In Color and Moody Palette dots for pops of color.

The inside of our card has a nice big message panel with a combination of sentiments from the Scalloped Blossoms & BBQ Master stamp sets. I repeated the diamond pattern paper for the small panel and for the gift card pocket. And a few Moody Palette dots tie the outside and inside of the card together. TIP: to make the gift card easier to slip out of the pocket, add a ribbon pull like I did here.

I really love this gift card design because it comes together in a flash. If you’re interested in whipping up a few on your own, you can download the free PDF tutorial here!

Product List

Cloud Cover 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165621]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Peaceful Garden 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Glimmer Paper

[165929]

$10.50

Lovely Blossoms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[167168]

$12.50

Words & Wishes Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167889]

$25.00

Scalloped Blooms Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167639]

$20.00

Branching Out Dies

[165775]

$29.00

2025–2027 In Color™ Flat Pearls

[165192]

$8.50

Moody Palette Glossy Dots

[167180]

$8.00

Black & White & Gold Baker's Twine

[166005]

$8.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Add All to Cart

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Meadow

May 5, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome in, friends! It’s a very exciting day here in the studio….why, you might ask? it’s new product release day! There are new kits, new Online Exclusives, a brand new catalog, and the new batch of SU! in Colors. Talk about exciting!

And we’ve got a new card in this week’s celebratory design series. It’s another tribute to mom with a special fold out in the middle! And we’re showcasing new flocked paper, new shimmer vellum, new dies, new stamps, and new ephemera on this one. It’s just a red letter day all around!

We get started with a standard base of Melon Mambo cardstock. Our front focal panel features the new Velvet Meadow flocked paper and is matted with the new pink shimmer vellum. Both are cut with the Perennial Lavender die set in nesting sizes. The panel is wrapped in Berry Burst shiny ribbon before it’s adhered to the card front with dimensionals. The sentiment from the retired Heartfelt Hellos stamp set is stamped in Melon Mambo on white before being cut out with the new Sweet Words die. The sentiment panel is adhered over the ribbon with dimensionals. I pulled a retired paper butterfly from the stash and covered it with Wink of Stella before attaching with dimensionals at the top of the sentiment panel. We add a little extra twinkle to the sentiment panel with Strawberry Slush dots—also recently retired.

The inside of the card dresses up a gift card with a coordinating pocket panel on the inside left panel. The backdrop for our gift card fold out panel is a sheet of pink Garden Foil paper. A sheet of the pink shimmer paper gives us our foldout base. And we use additional pieces of our Velvet Meadow paper to cover each panel and make the pocket for the gift card. The new Saying Something ephemera give us our sentiments for this foldout. The Heartfelt Hexagon punch makes a nice notch to make the gift card easy to slide in and out. The sentiment on the message panel is from the new Words & Wishes stamp set.

While this particular design might be a little heavy for mailing, it’s definitely perfect for surprising mom at Mother’s Day brunch! We’ve got other celebrations in store this week. I hope you’ll drop back by and check them out!

Product List

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[115320]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Velvet Meadow 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[167904]

$17.00

Sunset Shimmer Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[167784]

$10.00

Flower Garden Foils 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[165511]

$10.00

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

[167198]

$10.00

Saying Something Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (English)

[163761]

$8.00

Words & Wishes Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167889]

$25.00

Heartfelt Hellos Cling Stamp Set (English)

[162964]

$20.00

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147051]

$9.00

Perennial Postage Dies

[162607]

$33.00

Sweet Words & Labels Dies

[167627]

$37.00

Heartfelt Hexagon Punch

[162888]

$25.00

Strawberry Slush & Pretty In Pink Gems

[165615]

$8.50

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

[167126]

$8.00

Paper Butterfly Accents

[162612]

$8.00

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Fun Folds · L2S Group Instahop · Online Exclusives

Flippin’ Awesome Father’s Day

April 30, 2026April 29, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Thursday, everyone! It’s been a wild week so far here in North Texas as we’ve had a string of daily thunderstorms. And it just happens to be the time of year when thunderstorms turn nasty in a hurry. So needless to say, we’ve been on our toes this week!

Today’s card, on the other hand, is an ode to sunny weather that is perfect for grilling in the backyard. In particular, we’re looking ahead to Father’s Day when, ironically, most dads grill a meal in honor of their own special day! And the new BBQ Master bundle of stamps & dies is perfect for this tribute to dad. We’re revisiting the side step fun fold to create this backyard bbq scene for dad.

Our fun fold base is created with Cloud Cover cardstock. We use our instructions to cut and fold to create the 3 step folds on the side of our card and then we start building the scene. We create the tree using a sheet of the medium-shade woodgrain from the Woodgrain Wonder paper pack and cut the trunk using the Gliding Garden Swing die and then adhere it to the larger left side panel, allowing the branches to overhang freely over the step panels on the other side. Using the bush dies from the Garden Swing set, I cut out Shy Shamrock and Summer Splash bunches to create the tree canopy on the overhanging branch, layering the bunches with glue dots and dimensionals to create realistic dimension.

Now we get started with the real meat & potatoes of our scene. The grill image from the BBQ Master stamp set is stamped in Secret Sea on Cloud Cover cardstock and then cut out with the coordinating die. The grill flames are stamped on Peach Pie with a combination or Real Red and Timid Tiger ink and then cut with the coordinating die from BBQ Master die set. The tongs are stamped in Smoky Slate and Gray Granite on Cloud Cover cardstock and then cut with the coordinating die. Dimensionals give us our depth of scene and a little extra snip of the tongs allow them to hang on the side of the grill in a more believable way. The sausages and hamburger are created with the BBQ Master dies and a collection of paper scraps to create realistic-looking grilled yummies. I used some leftover pieces of white picket fence cut using the Notes & Toes die to create the picnic table. The table and food are affixed to the middle side panel to give the look of the tail being more under our shady tree branch. The sentiment is front and center on the bottom right and is heat embossed in black and we use a few moody palette dots to finish things off with an equal amount of glossy sheen.

Isn’t this fun fold perfect for creating this dad’s day bbq scene?! If you’d like to try it out yourself, you can snag the pdf side step fun fold tutorial here.

Product List

Cloud Cover 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165621]

$14.00

Shy Shamrock 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[163795]

$14.00

Summer Splash 8 1/2" X 11 Cardstock

[163797]

$14.00

Peach Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[163799]

$14.00

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

[120953]

$14.00

Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[119686]

$14.00

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

[146986]

$14.00

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[102482]

$14.00

Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[119684]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

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

[167428]

$12.50

Bbq Master Bundle (English)

[167466]

$39.50

Notes & Totes Dies

[165240]

$39.00

Gliding Garden Swing Dies

[167136]

$36.00

Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad

[165285]

$9.00

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

[147084]

$9.00

Timid Tiger Classic Stampin' Pad

[165278]

$9.00

Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad

[147113]

$9.00

Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad

[147118]

$9.00

Versamark Pad

[102283]

$9.50

Basics Wow! Embossing Powder

[165679]

$21.00

Moody Palette Glossy Dots

[167180]

$8.00

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Add All to Cart

Coming Soon

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

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.

Fun Folds · January Mini Catalog

Grateful Forever

January 31, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome in, crafty friends, on this frigid Saturday! We had a brief warm-up yesterday with temps well above freezing and today we’re back down in the low 20s. We’re thankful for the brief period of time we had to thaw out from all of the ice and snow Winter Storm Fern left us. And we’re praying for all of those in the areas that are still in the midst of the freeze and are without power and basic utilities. Having been there during Winter Storm Uri back in 2021, we personally know all too well what that is like!

We’re continuing our design series using the new Days Like This Memories & More card pack from Stampin’ Up! I love having at least one set of Memories & More cards on hand for those times when I need to make a quick card for a specific occasion. Today we’re using the Beautiful Butterflies dies and Lovely & Beautiful paper to make a fun fold card. Our Memories & More cards are perfect for the finishing touches on the inside of our card. Let’s see how this one comes together.

We get started with a base of Lemon Lolly cardstock on a standard A2 card base. We’re using a sheet of the Lovely & Beautiful patterned paper as the backdrop for our card front. The front panel focal panel is a fold-over panel of Lemon Lolly shimmer paper cut using the Beautiful Butterflies dies. This fold-over panel is cut just large enough to give us our butterfly shape for the front with about a half-inch strip to adhere to the inside panel of our card. Our butterfly details are made from vellum and black cardstock cut with the Beautiful Butterflies dies. The vellum is colored with the black Stampin’ Blend and then a layer of Wink of Stella is added to both pieces for some nice subtle twinkle. The detail pieces are adhered to the butterfly panel with glue dots. The front-facing part of our sentiment is the word grateful from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack and is adhered at the base of the fold-over butterfly panel with several layers of dimensionals. I added some clear opal rounds on either side of the butterfly panel to draw the eye in to our front focal section.

When you lift the butterfly panel, lots of extra detail is revealed, including the second portion of our sentiment. I used the hybrid embossing folder to cut a detail butterfly from the Lemon Lolly glimmer paper and adhered it to the back of the fold-over panel. I love this hidden detail and it makes the butterfly more realistic because there’s a front and back view to their wings, after all. I cut a smaller butterfly from the hybrid embossing folder panel and used gold foil to add the details to coordinate with the gold foil forever sentiment from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack. A small bow tied from the black & gold baker’s twine ties the two sentiment panels together.

We open our card to reveal our sentiment panel — complete with additional butterfly detailing. Here we’re using our Memories & More cards to add the finishing touches to the inside of our card. A larger 4×6 card from the pack serves as the patterned panel for the left-hand side of the message panel. I had a scrap of one of the smaller 3×4 butterfly cards left in my stash, and I cut out one of the butterflies to add to the corner of the patterned sheet. We use half of the more subtle butterfly-patterned 3×4 card to decorate the message panel. A few Peach Pie pearls finish off the opposing corners of the inside panels.

I love how each of the panels of this card reveals a fun surprise. And while it looks like a super complicated design, it really comes together quickly thanks to beautiful paper and Memories & More cards. I have a super quick & easy bonus card to bring you this evening once I knock out today’s around-the-house to-do list. I hope you’ll drop back by to check it out.

Product List

Lemon Lolly 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[161720]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[121045]

$14.00

Lovely & Beautiful 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[166957]

$16.50

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

[167198]

$10.00

Gold Foil Sheets

[132622]

$5.00

Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[167099]

$10.00

Days Like This Memories & More Card Pack

[166911]

$11.50

Unforgettable Times Mix & Match Specialty Ephemera Pack (English)

[166987]

$8.50

Beautiful Butterflies Hybrid Embossing Folder

[164614]

$42.00

Basic Black Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154843]

$11.00

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Black & White & Gold Baker's Twine

[166005]

$8.50

Opal Rounds Assortment

[163298]

$8.50

2024 2026 In Color™ Flat Pearls

[165266]

$8.50

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Add All to Cart

Fun Folds · January Mini Catalog · Online Exclusives

All Good Things

January 27, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Howdy, friends, and welcome back on this bright & shiny Tuesday. We’re still frozen in under a pretty thick layer of ice here in North Texas, and it’s Day 2 of no school. That may sound a little strange to anyone who lives in a colder climate, but we don’t get very many days of ice or snow in winter so we’re not prepared to handle it. And we have a blanket of solid ice without any associated traction, so roads are a mess at best. But the goodness is that we’re finally expected to get above freezing this afternoon and should experience some thawing. Will it be enough to get us all back to work & school tomorrow? Well, that remains to be seen. But for now, I’m enjoying a beautiful sunrise out my craft room window.

This week, we’re using the new Days Like This Memories & More cards to create our projects. This pack contains a combination of 3×4 and 4×6 decorative cards that could be used for scrapbook pages or for cards and other projects. And today we’re using the smaller cards to create a double Z fun fold card.

I’m using a standard A2 card base (4.25 x 5.5-inch card front) for today’s card because I prefer to keep things sized so they’re easy to mail, but you might decide to size up to have the scale of the smaller Z-panel be more in line with the overall card size. We’re getting started with a base of Cloud Cover cardstock. We’re going to score as usual in the center to create a standard card base and then score again in the center of the front panel to create our base Z-fold. I used a scrap of Lovely Blossoms patterned paper to create the two 2-inch panels for the smaller front Z-flap and inside peek-through panel.

Then we start working on our focal Z-panel, which is a little smaller. I sized the Cloud Cover base so that none of the small cards from the Days Like This card pack had to be cut down. I wanted to preserve all of the pretty details of each of the patterns selected — the front sentiment panel, middle pattern, and inside butterflies. Caveat: this does impact how much you’re able to open the card — it will not lie flat when open. (Side note: I need to work on some kind of sliding mechanism for the next one I make like this.) To preserve all of the pretty card details means that our message panel — a blank card with tiny butterfly detail on the bottom — is a hidden, pull-out element. I used a piece of the Secret Sea bordered ribbon and stabled it in place to serve as the pull-out tab for the message panel. Some Wink of Stella on the smaller butterflies in each of the panels adds some twinkly interest, along with the Cloud Cover baker’s twine from the 2025 Advent Calendar and a few iridescent foil gems.

Today’s design is definitely a craft on the fly design, and there are a few things that I would change if I had taken more time. But sometimes the fun part of the creative process is just following an idea all the way through and seeing how it turns out. Do you ever just let yourself run with idea?

I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow for another look at the Days Like This Memories & More cards.

Product List

Cloud Cover 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165621]

$14.00

Lovely Blossoms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[167168]

$12.50

Days Like This Memories & More Card Pack

[166911]

$11.50

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Secret Sea 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Open Weave Ribbon

[166932]

$8.50

Iridescent Foil Gems

[162842]

$8.00

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Botanicals · January Mini Catalog

You Can Do Anything

January 24, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, crafty friends! It’s a cold and icy day here in North Texas, just as the weathermen predicted. The kiddo has had fun sliding down the steep driveway, and I’ve puttered around sweeping off the porch and setting up makeshift shelters for the cat food bowls and temporary potty box so our (very spoiled) outside cats don’t have to leave the back porch. Hubby made us all a big breakfast and we’ve been enjoying loafing around since, which leaves me time to play in the craft room!

I got a brand new box of goodies earlier this week that I’ve been dying to take out and make some projects. Today, I decided to make another project with the new Lovely & Beautiful patterned paper pack and Fabulous Sentiments Product of the Month stamp set. I flipped through my trusty fun fold template book put together by fellow demo Jackie Bolhuis over at Klompen Stampers to source the card layout.

So this design gets started with a quarter panel of Blackberry Bliss cardstock. I love the contrast that this small panel provides and the stability it lends to the overall card design. Our folding panel is a sheet of Fresh Freesia that is scored to give us a tick-smaller standard quarter panel in the center section. The top and bottom flaps of our folded section then open to reveal the inside message panel of our card. I chose a sheet of the smaller foiled floral pattern paper from the Lovely & Beautiful paper pack as the patterned sheet for the card front panels. The top fold is just slightly larger than the bottom so that it overlaps slightly, and so we build our overhanging focal panel on the top panel. Our focal section gets started with a scrap of Blackberry Bliss cut with the Nested Essentials die. The sentiment from the January Product of the Month Fabulous Sayings stamp set is stamped in Fresh Freesia on white cardstock and then cut with paper snips. The sentiment is adhered over a bow of white & gold ribbon with dimensionals onto the Blackberry Bliss panel. This panel is adhered to the bottom of the top flap with dimensionals. A flower and leaves from the Covered in Flowers accents serve as our floral accents, and they’re colored with small blending brushes using Fresh Freesia and Mossy Meadow before being covered with Wink of Stella. They’re tucked behind the sentiment and adhered with a combination of dimensionals and glue dots. I added a gold drusy embellishment as the flower center to coordinate with the foiled paper and added a group of In Color pearls on the sentiment panel for a pop of twinkly color contrast to draw the eye to the sentiment.

I’m planning to bring you some more designs this weekend. I hope you’ll drop back by and see what I have in store for you!

Product List

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

[133675]

$14.00