SIMPLY LEAVES IN GLORIOUS FALL COLOR

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I love a good punch! The new Simply Leaves bundle makes autumn cards a snap. We don’t have a lot of color change with the seasons on Maui, so a fall card in August makes as much sense as one in October!

“Punch out a bunch of these and then arrange them on your card” seems to be a recurring them in my projects lately, but that’s exactly what I did here. I love the extra texture from the Gingham DSP and the way it coordinates with the Embossing Folder.

Get ready for fall, wherever you are! And would today be a good day to send a card? Not a birthday, not a thank you, just a “hello my friend” kind of card. You might never know how much it means.

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FERN AND FLORA CASE FROM STEMPELMESSI

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I love a blended background, and I was so inspired by one of our Artisans that I made a nearly exact CASE (Copy and Share with Everyone) of her project.

Blending the color takes practice, and it also takes patience. I’m not good at either one, but I’m working on it!

Please check out Kerstin’s post and share the love. She’s brilliant.

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: AUGUST 2026 ROLLING WAVES

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Welcome back to DIY Calendars! Thanks for joining us this month – and every month – as we share our creative ideas. The Rolling Waves bundle includes beach umbrella and seashell dies, and I chose those for August. Who doesn’t love a beach day?

I made a very similar card for a Colour INKspiration challenge, and when I finished I realized the same elements would make a great August calendar. The dies cut out nesting umbrella sections, and I alternated the colors for that classic beach umbrella stripe.

A few seashells, although they’re ridiculously out of scale, add to the beachy feeling. I think it’s time for a little Vitamin Sea!

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon and Cheryl have created this month. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

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AN EASY MOONLIT FLORA COLLAGE WITH THE ROUNDED RECTANGLE PUNCH

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I’m a big fan of quick and easy. The hardest part of making this card is choosing from all the gorgeous patterns in the Moonlit Flora Designer Series package. Once you’ve made those decisions, you’re practically finished with the card.

Stamp the framed image on Old Olive card stock with Old Olive ink and punch it out. Emboss your greeting on Golden Glow card stock and die cut it with the smallest Nested Essentials rectangle dies – it happens to be a perfect fit! Wind the ribbon back and forth between those two pieces, no need to tie a knot. Stampin’ Seal holds it in place!

I find it easiest to punch all my rectangles and arrange them on my front panel, then adhere them. When I shared this project with a group earlier this month, there were a lot of variations on the layout of these shapes. Go ahead and have some fun! Everything you need is in the Online Store.

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WHO’S AN EEYORE FAN?

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I have a very deep fondness for all the residents of the 100 Acre Wood, but Eeyore is one of my favorites. There’s something about his mournful state of mind that tugs at my heart. He brings his gloomy disposition on himself, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him!

There are multiple pages in the Silly Old Bear DSP collection that make instant backgrounds. I trimmed this one to fit my card front, die cut Eeyore out of another page of designs, and stamped a sentiment on a retired die cut that’s been sitting in my bits and pieces bin. (Do you have a bits and pieces bin on your craft desk? Quirky bits that need to find a home? This one finally did!)

The DSP truly does all the work for this card. A stamped sentiment and some adhesive is all I added – oh, and of course, the little bow on Eyesore’s tail. I confess that was a bit fiddly to tie, but I am persistent.

Shop the Silly Old Bear Suite in the Online Store.

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WILD BUNCH NOTE CARDS AND ENVELOPES

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I hope you’re one of the lucky ones who was able to purchase Wild Bunch, the June Product of the Month, before it sold out. These whimsical animals have a certain sophistication to them, and I thought they would make a charming set of thank you notes for new parents.

The snail was stamped directly on the focal panel and colored with blends. After I finished coloring, I masked the image and added a brushed background and the textural stamp from the set.

I had to fussy cut the Koala. Fussy cutting isn’t my favorite thing, but I don’t detest it either. This little marsupial is popped up on dimensional on a layered Everyday Arches matted panel. The background stamp is retired.

The cow was a coloring work in progress. I blended the light and dark Pecan Pie and Golden Glow to achieve this look, with bits of Barely Blush in the ears and nose. The cow is fussy cut and lifted on dimensional on top of a retired fence. The cloudy blue sky is from Silly Old Bear DSP and the soft green branches are from Moonlit Flora DSP.

The penguins are a CASE from Lisa Stenz, who did a brilliant job. She used a gray Stampin’ Blend and the Color Lifter to get those soft shadows.

Check out the current Product of the Month, and order early to avoid being disappointed!

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SWEET OLD FRIENDS: SILLY OLD BEAR DOUBLE FLIP CARD

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I can’t get enough of the Silly Old Bear Designer Series paper. The images are true to the originals, and they’re presented in shapes and designs that are easy to use. I chose one of the framed images to die cut for my focal point in this double flip card.

The card base is 4 ¼” x 9 ½” scored at 5 ½”, smaller flip is 8 ½” x 3 ¼” scored at 4 ¼”, and DSP is 1/4″ narrower than each panel. Add the layers to all the card panels, then adhere the smaller card to the inside of the larger one but facing the opposite direction.

Now all that’s left is to put a sentiment inside – or leave it blank for lots of writing space! Last I looked, Silly Old Bear DSP was available in the Online Store. Don’t wait for it!

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SILLY OLD BEAR AND THE WORLD OF POOH

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I grew up with Winnie the Pooh, the A.A.Milne version. The stories were gentle, the characters varied and relatable. When Stampin’ Up! announced the Silly Old Bear Suite, I knew I was going to dive in.

Deb Smeak runs a mystery stamping event on Facebook, and she offered this concept in February. I just discovered it, and I knew it would be perfect for the Silly Old Bear.

I created a second project because I wanted to put the book title on the spine. It turned out very “Winnie-the-Pooh”-like, a bit wobbly. I used an old alphabet set and I’ve sadly lost the name.

I changed the inside, too. Not sure which one I like best – let’s vote! Leave a comment as to which one you like best.

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BEACH SCENES WITH THE ROLLING WAVES DIES

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The Rolling Waves dies have gorgeous sea foam and water dies, but don’t overlook the seashells and umbrellas included in the set. I love the collection of shells, and had a couple left over from another project to get me started with this card.

I brushed the Water mask with Pool Party ink on Pool Party card stock. I also added a little Petal Pink ink to the shells with a dauber. These small additions give the card depth and keep it from feeling flat.

I’ve found so many uses for Rolling Waves! Take another look beyond the sea foam.

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION 213 – ON THE BEACH WITH ROLLING WAVES

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Time for another color challenge – I’ve missed the last couple of Colour INKspiration challenges. CI#213 is BOLD, my friends: Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger, and Secret Sea. I chose a beach theme using the Rolling Waves dies.

This reminds me of the color scheme of the local diner when I was in high school, and let’s just say that was the Flower Power Era. I struggled for a bit with those bold, bright colors, but decided a beach umbrella seemed like the perfect image.

There are Rolling Waves dies to make a solid umbrella as well as a set of concentric shapes that coordinate with it. I alternated the shapes as well as the base colors of the umbrella.

Our 12×12 Water and Dotted Line masks made perfect, subtle backgrounds for this bright card. I find myself reaching for them a LOT – expect to see them again!

Colour INKspirations is a Facebook based color challenge group. Take a minute to check out the CI#213 entries as well as previous color challenges – there are some very talented crafters participating in this group!

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