Retro Christmas Ornament Card | HSS501 Inspiration Challenge

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Who says Christmas cards have to be red and green? Sometimes it’s fun to step away from traditional holiday colours and try something a little unexpected!

This week, I’m playing along with the Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge #HSS501, and I couldn’t resist giving my Christmas card a fun, retro twist!

A Little Retro Christmas Cheer!

The inspiration board features beautiful Christmas greenery, ornaments, soft colours and touches of sparkle. I was especially drawn to the hanging ornaments, which immediately made me think of those colourful vintage Christmas decorations.

To capture that retro feeling, I chose Flirty Flamingo, Coastal Cabana and gold, with just a dash of black to make everything pop!

I love how these colours work together. The Flirty Flamingo polka-dot background gives the card a playful, vintage feel, while the Coastal Cabana ornament adds a bright pop of colour. The gold ornament brings just the right amount of Christmas sparkle.

And those little black bows? They’re one of my favourite details! They tie everything together beautifully without taking away from the colourful ornaments.

Stampin’ Up! Supplies Used

You’ll find my complete supply list below, with clickable links to shop the products.


SHOP HERE

Join the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge!

Now it’s your turn to get creative!

Our HSS501 Inspiration Challenge is full of wonderful Christmas ideas. Whether you’re inspired by the ornaments, greenery, colours or festive details, we’d love to see what you create.

Head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the design team has created and share your own project.

You don’t need to recreate the inspiration board exactly. Just choose something that catches your eye and make it your own!

Challenge #HSS501 runs November 10–23, 2026.

More Christmas Cardmaking Fun — Join My Festive Cheer Class!

Love making handmade Christmas cards? I’d love to have you join me for my Festive Cheer Christmas Card Class on Saturday, November 28 at 9 AM Pacific!

We’ll create 8 beautiful Christmas cards (4 designs, 2 of each), and you’ll receive a prepared cardmaking kit and step-by-step instructions so you can craft along with me from home.

The class is $55 CAD, with the Festive Cheer Bundle available as an optional add-on.

Registration closes Thursday, November 12, so there’s just a little time left to reserve your spot!

Visit my Current & Upcoming Classes page for all the details.

I’d love to craft with you!

And if you enjoy sharing ideas and crafting with others, you’re always welcome to ask me about joining my Ink Pad Pals Stampin’ Up! team!

Learn more about my Ink Pad Pals team and the current Starter Kit offer.

I’d love to have you join my crafty community! Sign up for my Stampin’ With Leah newsletter for card-making ideas, tutorials, upcoming online events, and the latest Stampin’ Up! news.

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What’s your favourite non-traditional Christmas colour combination? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!


Christmas Card Ideas with A Stitched Season DSP & Scalloped Christmas Cheer

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Hello Crafty Friends!

It’s time for another Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge, and this one is extra special! We’re celebrating our 500th challenge!

For HSS #500, we have a fun sketch challenge, and I decided to get a little more Christmas card making done! I used the beautiful A Stitched Season Designer Series Paper and the Scalloped Christmas Cheer Bundle from Stampin’ Up!® to create this festive card.

I love how the traditional Christmas colours work together on this one!

A Christmas Card Using the HSS #500 Sketch

One of my favourite things about sketch challenges is that they give you a starting point while still leaving lots of room to be creative.

How I Made This Christmas Card

For this card, I followed the basic layout of the sketch, using two coordinating patterns from the A Stitched Season Designer Series Paper.

The red patterned paper creates the vertical panel, while the holly design makes a lovely background. I added dark Secret Sea cardstock mats to help separate the patterns and give the card a little more definition.

For the centre of the card, I used a scalloped frame with a piece of embossed white cardstock tucked behind it. I love the extra texture this adds without making the card too busy!

The Making Spirits Bright greeting from the Scalloped Christmas Cheer Bundle takes centre stage, with a little stamped holly and some red embellishments to finish everything off.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love adding texture to my cards!

For this design, I used Swirls of Magic embossing folder on the Basic White layer and Softly Woven embossing folder on the Peaceful Pine cardstock layer. These little details add interest while allowing the patterned paper and greeting to remain the focus.

It’s also a great reminder that you don’t need a complicated layout to make a beautiful handmade Christmas card. A fun sketch, coordinating papers, and a few finishing touches can go a long way!

Stampin’ Up! Supplies Used

I used the A Stitched Season Designer Series Paper for the coordinating Christmas patterns and the Scalloped Christmas Cheer Bundle for the greeting, scalloped frame, and stamped holly accents. I also added embossed cardstock for texture and a few red embellishments to finish the card.

You’ll find my complete supply list below, with clickable links to shop the products.


SHOP HERE

Join the Hand Stamped Sentiments Sketch Challenge!

Now it’s your turn!

We would love to have you join us for this special 500th challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

You can use the sketch to create any kind of card you like. Turn it, flip it, change the shapes, or keep it just as it is. That’s the fun of a sketch challenge!

Be sure to visit the Hand Stamped Sentiments blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created and share your own project with us.

Challenge #500 runs from October 27 to November 9, 2026.

Love Stampin’ Up!? Why Not Join the Fun?

Did you know that you can enjoy a Stampin’ Up! discount on your favourite crafting supplies when you join as a demonstrator?

Whether you’re interested in saving on your own crafting supplies, sharing your creativity with others, or building a business, there’s a place for you on my Ink Pad Pals team!

We have monthly online team meetings, creative inspiration, fun challenges, and plenty of opportunities to connect with other crafters.

I’d love to tell you more about joining!

Learn more about my Ink Pad Pals team and the current Starter Kit offer.

Looking for More Stampin’ Up! Card Making Inspiration?

I love sharing handmade card ideas, stamping techniques, and creative ways to use Stampin’ Up! products.

Whether you’re brand new to card making or have been stamping for years, I hope you’ll find something here to inspire your next project!

Let’s Keep Creating Together!

Love handmade cards and creative inspiration?

I’d love to have you join my crafty community! Sign up for my Stampin’ With Leah newsletter for card-making ideas, tutorials, upcoming online events, and the latest Stampin’ Up! news.

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Thanks so much for stopping by today


HSS #499 – A Colourful Birthday Card with Botanical Expressions

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It’s time for another challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments , and this time we’re playing with colour!

For HSS Colour Challenge #499, we’re using Timid Tiger, Cajun Craze and Misty Moonlight. I love how these three colours work together! The warm oranges really pop against the beautiful blue.

For my card, I used the Botanical Expressions Die to create a bold leafy border. I cut the leaves in our three challenge colours, fussy cutting to mix and matchthem against the Basic White background. I love how the negative space allows the design to shine without making the card feel too busy.

I finished the card with a birthday greeting from Phrases and Frames, a double Linen Thread bow and a few Cajun Craze embellishments. Simple details that bring everything together!

One of my favourite things about colour challenges is that they encourage me to try combinations I might not normally choose. And this one was such a fun surprise!

Now it’s your turn!

I’d love to see what you create with Timid Tiger, Cajun Craze and Misty Moonlight. Head over to the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created and share your own project.

Want to Make This Card?

Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

PLUS right now you get even more perks!! An extra $70 Stampin’ Rewards!!!

  • Save 15%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

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HSS498 – An Autumn Inspiration Challenge

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It’s time for another challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments , and this week we have a gorgeous Inspiration Challenge for HSS498!

There was SO much to love in this inspiration board — pumpkins, sunflowers, falling leaves and all those warm autumn colours. I decided to pull out the rich oranges, yellows, greens and natural tones for my card.

For my focal point, I used the Harvest Hues Mix & Match Ephemera. I love having these little pieces on hand when I want to create without pulling out a whole collection of stamps and dies. The leafy wreath gave me all the autumn colour I wanted and made such an easy focal point.

I paired it with a warm neutral background and added lots of texture with the beautiful Sunflower 3D embossing folder. I love how the tone-on-tone embossing adds interest without competing with the wreath.

A simple sentiment, a few little pops of orange and that gorgeous metallic bow finished everything off.

I think my favourite thing about an inspiration challenge is that there really is no “right” way to interpret it. You might be drawn to the pumpkins, the sunflowers, the little squirrel, the colours — or something completely different!

Be sure to head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the Design Team created for HSS498, and then I hope you’ll play along with us. I’d love to see what catches your eye in this week’s inspiration!

Woodland Wishes Card Class To Go

I’m so excited to be offering a Woodland Wishes Card Class To Go! It’s been a little while since I’ve offered one of my Card Classes To Go, and I’m very happy to be getting back into the swing of things.

For $55, you’ll receive the supplies to create a beautiful collection of cards along with the class instructions, and we’ll craft together during my live class. You’ll just need to provide your own colouring tools, inks and adhesives.

The registration deadline is October 5th, so don’t wait too long if you’d like to join me!

REGISTER HERE: https://form.jotform.com/leahdixon41/woodland-wishes-online-card-class

Want to Make This Card?

Shop the links below or head to my shop. You can also scroll down for a printable set of instructions so you can recreate this card yourself.


HSS 498Download
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Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!


HSS497 Sketch Challenge – Holly Jolly Christmas Card

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It’s time for another challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments , and this week we have a fabulous sketch challenge for you!

I love working with sketches because they give you a starting point without telling you exactly what your finished card needs to look like. You can follow them quite closely, flip them, change the shapes or simply use them as inspiration.

For HSS497, I stayed fairly true to the original layout, but filled those circles with some festive Christmas favourites!

I pulled out the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle for this card — a bundle I have been having so much fun creating with lately!

Be sure to head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the Design Team created with this week’s sketch. Then pull out your favourite supplies and play along with HSS497 — I’d love to see what you create!

If you love the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle too, it is also the featured bundle for my upcoming Holly Jolly Branches MEGA Stamp Camp, happening October 3 & 4!

We’ll be creating 10 Make ’n Take projects, with live video tutorials, printable PDF tutorials, a bonus tutorial and more. And don’t worry if you can’t join us live — the videos will be recorded so you can watch whenever it works for you.

See all the Holly Jolly Branches MEGA Stamp Camp details & register here

Want to Make This Card?

Shop the links below or head to my shop. You can also scroll down for a printable set of instructions so you can recreate this card yourself.


HSS497Download
SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!


HSS496 Colour Challenge – Secret Sea, Cajun Craze & Pool Party

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It’s time for another Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge, and this week we’re playing with a gorgeous colour combination! For HSS496, the challenge colours are Secret Sea, Cajun Craze and Pool Party.

I decided to turn these colours into a Christmas card, using the beautiful Woodland Wishes with Winter Dreams Specialty Designer Series Paper as my starting point.

This particular sheet of DSP made creating with the challenge colours easy! The Secret Sea and white flocked snowflake pattern gives the card a beautiful wintery background, while the Pool Party and Cajun Craze bring in the pops of colour from the challenge.

I love the contrast between the deep Secret Sea background and the crisp white snowflakes. It creates such a pretty snowy scene without needing a lot of additional embellishment.

For my focal point, I used the adorable fox from the Woodland Wishes collection. I coloured him with Wink of Stella dipped in Cajun Craze ink, which gives the fox a little sparkle and coordinates beautifully with the Cajun Craze element on the card.

I added two stitched Cajun Craze banners (from the Nested Essentials dies) behind the fox and a Pool Party sentiment strip across the centre. A few Pool Party embellishments (from the Painted Patch Adhesive-backed Dots) and some linen thread finish everything off.

One of the things I enjoy about colour challenges is that they can push me to use colours together that I might not automatically reach for.

Secret Sea + Cajun Craze + Pool Party turned out to be such a fun combination for a Christmas card!

The flocked DSP does a lot of the work here, so I was able to keep the rest of the design fairly simple. Sometimes a beautiful piece of Designer Series Paper really is all you need to create a card that makes an impact.

Want to grab the supplies for this card? Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!

Now it’s your turn! Take a look at the HSS496 colour combination and see what you can create with Secret Sea, Cajun Craze and Pool Party.

I’d love to see what you make with these colours!

Be sure to check out the other Hand Stamped Sentiments creations for more inspiration, and if you create a project using this week’s colours, I hope you’ll share it with us.


HSS495 Inspiration Challenge: Sunflower Birthday Card

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There’s something about sunflowers against a bright blue sky that just makes me happy! 🌻💙 For this week’s Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge (HSS495), I was inspired by the beautiful combination of sunny yellow sunflowers and that gorgeous pop of blue.

I decided to recreate that feeling on a handmade birthday card using the Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder, Stampin’ Blends and a little bit of ink blending.

To create my background, I embossed Basic White cardstock with the Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder. I coloured the debossed side of the flowers with Stampin’ Blends—Pecan Pie for the centres, Golden Glow and Darling Duckling for the petals, and Granny Apple Green for the leaves.

Then came the fun part! I dragged an Azure Afternoon ink pad across the entire piece, creating a beautiful blue background while allowing the colourful sunflowers to really pop.

I added a birthday sentiment from Exciting Times, stamped in Azure Afternoon, and finished the card with Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine and three Golden Glow 2026–2028 In Color Butterflies.

I love how cheerful and summery this card turned out! It definitely captures the feeling of a field of sunflowers under a beautiful blue sky. 🌻

I hope you’ll stop by Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the Design Team created, then join us with your own interpretation of this late summer inspiration board!

Want to grab the supplies for this card? Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!


HSS493 – A Sweet Birthday Card with Caring Animals

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It’s time for another fun challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments , and this week we’re featuring a beautiful Colour Challenge HSS493!

When I first saw this colour combination, I immediately thought of creating something soft, sweet, and perfect for celebrating a birthday. The adorable lion from the Caring Animals stamp set seemed like the perfect choice!

I started with a Barely Blush card base and added lots of subtle texture using the Fern & Flora 3D Embossing Folder. I love how embossing adds interest without competing with the focal image.

For the background strip, I used a piece of Beautiful Ordinary Life Designer Series Paper in Lost Lagoon, but I wanted to give it a little extra personality. I stamped the leafy images from the Caring Animals stamp set directly onto the DSP using Lost Lagoon ink for a subtle tone-on-tone effect. It’s a simple technique that adds depth and ties the background in beautifully with the embossed botanical theme.

To create a little extra dimension, I stamped the lion and sentiment in Lost Lagoon on my die-cut circle first, then stamped the lion again in Black Memento Ink on a separate piece of cardstock. After colouring and fussy cutting him, I popped him up with Stampin’ Dimensionals so he extends beyond the edge of the circle. It’s an easy technique that really helps the focal image stand out. To finish the focal point, I wove Linen Thread through the stitched openings around the Spotlight on Nature circle and tied a bow in the bottom left corner. I love the soft texture it adds and how it draws attention to the beautiful stitched detail of the die. To finish the card, I added a few gems for sparkle from the In Color 2026-2028 Dots.

One of my favourite things about colour challenges is seeing how everyone interprets the same palette in completely different ways. This combination felt soft and elegant while still being playful thanks to the adorable lion.

I hope you’ll stop by Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the Design Team created, then join us with your own interpretation of these beautiful colours. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Want to grab the supplies for this card? Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!


HSS492 – A Bold Floral Birthday Card

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Hello, friends!

It feels so good to be back! If you’ve noticed I’ve been a little MIA lately, you’re absolutely right. Life has been wonderfully busy with home renovations and family commitments, which has meant my crafting (and blogging!) has taken a bit of a back seat. The good news is things are finally starting to settle down, and I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll have my craft room back up and running very soon. I can’t wait to get back to creating and sharing with you more regularly!

Today I’m excited to share my latest project for the Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge HSS492!

The inspiration board immediately caught my eye with its vibrant pinks, warm sunset oranges, bold black accents, and beautiful florals. Rather than recreate one specific image, I pulled inspiration from the overall colour palette and modern floral feel.

For my card, I blended Melon Mambo and Timid Tiger together using a Blending Brush to create a bold ombré background. I absolutely love how these two colours melt into each other—it reminds me of a gorgeous summer sunset!

To keep the focus on the colourful background, I heat embossed the label and birthday greeting from the Exciting Times stamp set in white. The crisp white sentiment really pops against those vibrant colours.

The finishing touch was adding the gorgeous black Floral Flight Accents. Their bold outline design creates such striking contrast and frames the sentiment beautifully without hiding too much of the blended background. A few 2026–2028 In Color Butterflies add just the right amount of sparkle and movement to complete the design.

One of my favourite things about inspiration challenges is that everyone sees something different. Whether it’s the colours, patterns, florals, or overall feeling of the inspiration board, it’s always amazing to see the variety of projects our design team creates.

I’d love to hear what inspires you most from this challenge board. Is it the tropical sunset, the bold black-and-white patterns, or those gorgeous bright florals?

Be sure to hop over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see the rest of the Design Team’s beautiful creations, and I hope you’ll play along with us this week!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and thank you for sticking with me while life has been a little hectic.

Want to grab the supplies for this card? Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

The join process has changed a bit (sign up for $135 and get a $170 coupon) and you now get a fantastic Welcome Box too. The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!


HSS486 – Zooming into Inspiration!

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It’s time for a new challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments , and this week we have a fun Inspiration Board for HSS486!

From race cars and checkered flags to sports and action-packed scenes, this board is full of energy, movement, and bold colour—and that’s exactly what inspired my card.

I was immediately drawn to the race car and checkered flags, which led me straight to the Ready Set Go stamp set. I wanted to capture that fast-paced, high-energy feel, so I designed my card with strong diagonal layers to mimic speed and motion.

My base is Coastal Cabana, with blended panels to create a racetrack-style background. The repeated “ZOOM!” stamping adds to the sense of movement, while the angled design keeps your eye travelling across the card.

The race car is coloured in Timid Tiger and Poppy Parade—inspired by the bold, vibrant tones from the board. I popped it up for dimension and added a few enamel dots for a playful finishing touch.

🏁 Inspired by the board:

  • Checkered flags → stamped accents
  • Race car → focal image
  • Action/movement → diagonal layout & “ZOOM!” background
  • Bold colours → bright, high-contrast palette

This card would be perfect for anyone who loves cars, sports, or anything fast and fun!

Be sure to check out the full inspiration board and join us for the challenge—I’d love to see what inspires you!

Want to grab the supplies for this card? Shop the links below or head to my shop.


SHOP HERE

Looking for even more inspiration and more ways to enjoy stamping? Join my Stampin’ Up! Ink Pad Pals team!

  • Save 20%+ on your orders.
  • Get free access to my monthly card class tutorials.
  • Enjoy our monthly team meetings with stamping fun and collaboration.

Contact me to find out more or see the details on my website.

Join Now!

Be sure to visit the Hand Stamped Sentiments blog to see all the gorgeous inspiration from the design team—and then join us by creating your own project using this colour challenge.