Sweet Dreams

February 7, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, everyone! My crazy week at the office ended with a crazy long day that seems to have followed me into the weekend. Sometimes that’s just the life of a public servant. While I have lots of things on the to-do list, I’m not feeling very motivated to get any of them done. So into the craft room we shall retreat. *grin*

This week, we’re looking at shortcuts for creating masculine designs. I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s just plain difficult to create a masculine card. One way we can shortcut the process is using a more geometric card sketch. Another way is to choose a more masculine-inspired color scheme. And along those veins, today we’re combining the idea of layout and color scheme with a monochromatic, geometric look.

Today’s design gets started with a base of Cloud Cover cardstock. The background of our focal panel is a quarter sheet of Cloud Cover that has been machine embossed with the Forever Plaid embossing folder, and I chose to do so on the diagonal for that geometric visual interest. This embossed panel is adhered to the card front with dimensionals. Our sentiment panel begins with a strip of the blue Country Woods woodgrain patterned paper that is adhered on the diagonal across our card front. To keep with the monochromatic color palette, I chose the words sweet dreams from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack. The sentiment is adhered to the woodgrain panel with a glue pen and then I covered the letters and star with Wink of Stella for the added drama of a little shimmer. We finish things off with some blue Rainbow Adhesive Dots on either side of the sentiment and a few Cloud Cover sequins in opposing corners.

I created this card for my kiddo for Valentine’s Day. He has a basketball tournament that day, so it will be fun to use the play on words of sweet dreams to share some chocolate and encouragement to reach for his dreams. A little later today we’re going to talk about how we can shortcut a masculine design with our stamps. I hope you’ll drop back in and check it out.

Product List

Cloud Cover 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165621]

$14.00

Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[163393]

$12.50

Forever Plaid 3 D Embossing Folder

[164049]

$12.00

Unforgettable Times Mix & Match Specialty Ephemera Pack (English)

[166987]

$8.50

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Rainbow Adhesive Backed Dots

[162758]

$9.00

Traditional Sparkling Sequins

[165875]

$8.00

Fine-Tip Glue Pen

[138309]

$7.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

January Mini Catalog

Filled With Happiness

January 31, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back for today’s bonus post! This week, we’re working with the new Memories & More card set from Stampin’ Up! called Days Like This. These notecards come in two sizes — 3×4 and 4×6 — and they can make it super easy to put a card together in a flash. And today’s bonus card is a perfect example of how you can do just that!

This card starts with a base of white cardstock. We use one of the 4×6 cards from the Days Like This pack and cut it down to size to serve as the backdrop for our focal panel. Using the largest banner die from the Stylish Shapes set, we cut out the sentiment from our backdrop panel before we adhere the background panel to the card front. To help our sentiment stand out and to add a bit more color to our design, we cut a rectangle from the small butterfly-patterned card with the Textured Notes Dies using the extension method. This rectangular piece is adhered over the cut-out in our background panel and adhered with dimensionals over it. Then we add our sentiment panel on top with dimensionals. I cut out the butterfly from a scrap of one of the smaller 3×4 cards I still had on hand and added some Wink of Stella and then tucked it behind the right-hand corner of the sentiment. I grabbed a few of the gold foil hearts from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack and added them around the sentiment panel and finished things off with a few opal rounds and just a touch of Wink of Stella on the butterfly on our backdrop.

This one comes together in less than 5 minutes and is the perfect way to spread a little handmade kindness to someone who might need a little pick-me-up. Next week, we’re going to use the crafty stash to create more masculine designs. It’s going to be fun to pull together new & less-new products to make some projects for the fellas. I hope you’ll drop by and check them all out!

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Days Like This Memories & More Card Pack

[166911]

$11.50

Unforgettable Times Mix & Match Specialty Ephemera Pack (English)

[166987]

$8.50

Textured Notes Dies

[165555]

$31.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

$30.00

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

$10.00

Opal Rounds Assortment

[163298]

$8.50

Opal Rounds Assortment

[163298]

$8.50

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Add All to Cart

January Mini Catalog

Happy Day

January 28, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

We’ve made it to the midweek, friends! For us here in North Texas, where everything is still covered in a thick sheet of ice, that’s kinda saying something. Kiddos are out of school again today, and it’s a good thing given the current conditions. The sun is shining bright and we’re supposed to get above freezing today, so we will see if we have greater success than yesterday at thawing out.

This week, we’re using the new Days Like This Memories & More card pack to design our projects. And today’s card is another clean & simple design where we’re using a few dies, some patterned paper, and the new pack of Unforgettable Times ephemera to create a bright and happy card. (See what I did there? *wink*)

We get started with a base of Basic White cardstock that sits under all of our pretty patterns. A sheet of the green Pleasant Patterns foiled paper serves as the backdrop for our Days Like This card covered in butterflies that has been sized down using the Perennial Postage dies. We wrap some white with gold ribbon around the center of the butterfly panel before adhering to the card front with dimensionals. To help the sentiment from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack really pop against the busy butterfly background (whew — that was a lot of Bs!), I cut a circle of vellum with the Spotlight on Nature Dies to break up the pattern just a bit. Both the sentiment and circle panel are adhered to the card front over the ribbon with dimensionals. I added a combo of green and pink In Color pearls on and around the sentiment.

This easy peasy card makes me happy just looking at it! It will be sure to brighten someone’s day, don’t you think? I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow when we pair the Days Like This cards with the Beautiful Butterflies bundle. It’s sure to make your heart flutter!

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

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

[166950]

$10.00

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

Perennial Postage Dies

[162607]

$33.00

Spotlight On Nature Dies

[163580]

$35.00

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

[166979]

$8.50

2024 2026 In Color™ Flat Pearls

[165266]

$8.50

2025–2027 In Color™ Flat Pearls

[165192]

$8.50

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

January Mini Catalog · Online Exclusives

Celebrate Days Like This

January 26, 2026 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Monday, crafty friends! Is it cold where you are today? We’re experiencing super cold temps here in North Texas as Winter Storm Fern has left a cold air mass in place. All of the sleet and snow that fell over the weekend is solidly frozen in place and a perfect slippery ice rink for the kiddos to play in. On days like this, I like to stay warm and craft. What about you?

Speaking of days like this, this week we’re beginning a new design series incorporating the new Memories & More pack called Days Like This. The pack includes a mix of 3×4 and 4×6 cards with an assortment of spring(ish) designs. Pair it up with some patterned paper, like I have a here, and add a sentiment, like this one from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack and you’ve got a super quick — and cute — design!

We get started with a base of white cardstock, which isn’t visible on our card front. A full quarter panel of a sheet of the Lovely Blossoms paper serves as the backdrop by our large focal panel. I used one of the larger cards from the Days Like This card pack as the focal panel and matted it with Pool Party shimmer paper. The panel is wrapped with white & gold baker’s twine at the top, and then we adhere our sentiment from the Unforgettable Times ephemera pack on top with dimensionals. The full focal panel is adhered to the card front with dimensionals, as well. We finish things off with a touch of sparkle with some iridescent foil gems.

You could celebrate all kinds of occasions with this card, making it a good all-around design to have in the stash. I hope you’ll drop in tomorrow to see more of the Days Like This Memories & More pack.

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00