A Little Retro Christmas Cheer with Festive Cheer | GDP570

There’s something about retro Christmas decorations that makes me smile! I love the playful patterns and cheerful colours, and that’s exactly the look I was going for with this week’s Global Design Project #GDP570.

For my card, I pulled out the Festive Cheer stamp set from Stampin’ Up! and had some fun creating a whimsical Christmas card with a slightly vintage feel.

A Fun Twist on Christmas Colours

While I love traditional Christmas colours, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up a little!

For this card, I chose four Stampin’ Up! colours: Coastal Cabana , Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade , Smoky Slate.

I love how these colours work together! The combination gives the card a fun, retro Christmas feel without straying too far from the traditional holiday palette.

The whimsical ornaments really steal the show, with their mix of stripes, polka dots, and festive details. A little sparkle adds just the right finishing touch!

Watch the Festive Cheer Cardmaking Tutorial

I shared this card during my regular Wednesday evening crafting time. This week’s video was pre-recorded because of a family commitment, but I still wanted to share a little creative inspiration with you!

In the video, I’ll walk you through how I created the card so you can follow along or use the ideas to inspire your own Christmas creations.

🎥 Watch the video replay below!

Join the Global Design Project Challenge

This card was inspired by Global Design Project Challenge #GDP570.

I always enjoy participating in these challenges because they encourage me to try new ideas, experiment with different products, and sometimes step outside my usual creative comfort zone.

If you’re looking for a little cardmaking inspiration, be sure to visit the Global Design Project to see what the other designers and participants have created!

Ready to Create Some Christmas Cheer?

If the Festive Cheer stamp set has caught your eye, I’d love to help you get started with your own handmade Christmas cards!

You can shop for your favourite Stampin’ Up! supplies through my online store.

✂️Supplies Used:



✂️ A Little Extra Crafting Excitement — 3-Day Die Sale!

Speaking of creative possibilities, Stampin’ Up! has a special offer happening right now!

From October 21–23, 2026, you can save 15% on select dies and die cutting tools!

If you’ve had a die set on your wish list, this might be the perfect time to treat yourself. Dies are one of my favourite tools for adding beautiful details, layers, and dimension to handmade cards.

A few things to know:

  • The sale runs for just three days, October 21–23.
  • The 15% discount applies to select dies and die cutting tools, while supplies last.
  • The Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine is not included.
  • You can see all qualifying products in the online store.

🛍️ Shop the 3-Day Die Sale

Don’t wait too long to check out your wish list — the sale ends Friday, October 23!

When you place a $65+ order with me I will also send you this fabulous 19 project PDF Tutorial . This bundle is filled with inspiration and is a FREE gift from me to say thanks for your order!

And if you’re looking for Christmas gift inspiration for the crafty people on your list, don’t forget to check out the 2026 Stampin’ Up! Gift Guide!

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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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. PLUS from Oct 6-31 you get an ADDITIONAL $70 Stampin’ Rewards!!! What a fantastic BONUS!

The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • 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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Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this card inspires you to have a little fun with your Christmas colours and create something that makes you smile.

Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


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GDP569 – A Handmade Anniversary Card with Botanical Expressions

There’s something extra special about creating a handmade card for someone you love, especially when the timing couldn’t be better!

This week’s Global Design Project challenge is a colour challenge, and I decided to use it to create an anniversary card. Both my parents and my in-laws are celebrating their anniversaries this week, so I had the perfect reason to get creative!

For my card, I used the Botanical Expressions Dies to create the pretty floral details, paired with the Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder for a lovely textured background.

But one of my favourite parts of this card is actually on the inside!

I used a beautiful sentiment from the Phrases & Frames Stamp Set that celebrates the joys of today, the memories of yesterday and the hopes of tomorrow. Such a lovely message for an anniversary!

I love how this card came together, and how the challenge colours worked so beautifully for the design.

Watch the GDP569 Cardmaking Replay!

I created this card during my Wednesday Night LIVE, sharing the process and a few tips along the way.

If you missed joining me live, you can catch the replay below and create along with me!

If you enjoy a little creative inspiration, why not play along with this week’s Global Design Project colour challenge #GDP569?

It’s always fun to see how everyone interprets the same colours in completely different ways!

✂️Supplies Used:



When you place a $65+ order with me I will also send you this fabulous 19 project PDF Tutorial . This bundle is filled with inspiration and is a FREE gift from me to say thanks for your order!

Looking for Christmas Gift Inspiration? 🎁

The NEW Stampin’ Up! 2026 Gift Guide is here!

Whether you’re shopping for a crafty friend, looking for stocking stuffers or making your own Christmas wish list, you’ll find lots of creative inspiration.

🎄 Browse the 2026 Gift Guide

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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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. PLUS from Oct 6-31 you get an ADDITIONAL $70 Stampin’ Rewards!!! What a fantastic BONUS!

The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.

Thanks for stopping by and crafting with me!

Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.

HSS #499 – A Colourful Birthday Card with Botanical Expressions

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.


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.



GDP568 – CASE the Designer with Holly Jolly Branches

This week at the Global Design Project, we are CASEing the Designer, and our inspiration comes from the very talented Krista Frattin!

For my card, I chose to CASE the basic layout of Krista’s beautiful design. I loved the three main elements across the centre, the layers running behind them, and the sentiment placed across the front. From there, I took it in a completely different direction for Christmas!

I paired the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle with the Whispering Woods 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper. Instead of Krista’s gardening tools, I used three evergreen trees as my focal point. I love how the Pretty Peacock trees pop against that fun watercolour-style DSP.

A few simple layers of ribbon and cardstock behind the sentiment helped me carry over more of Krista’s original layout without making the card feel too busy. And, of course, I added a few little snowflake accents for a bit of winter sparkle.

My sentiment, “wishing you a festive season,” finishes it off perfectly.

I definitely need to keep adding to my Christmas card stash, so I was happy to turn this week’s CASE challenge into another holiday card!

When you look at Krista’s card, what catches your eye first? The layout? The three focal images? The layers? That is one of my favourite things about a CASE challenge — we can all start with the same inspiration and end up somewhere completely different.

I hope you’ll play along with us this week for #GDP568. I’d love to see what inspires you!

✂️Supplies Used:



When you place a $65+ order with me I will also send you this fabulous 19 project PDF Tutorial . This bundle is filled with inspiration and is a FREE gift from me to say thanks for your order!

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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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. PLUS from Oct 6-31 you get an ADDITIONAL $70 Stampin’ Rewards!!! What a fantastic BONUS!

The perks once you’ve joined remain the same.

  • 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.
Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.

GDP567: Happy Halloween with Harvest Hues

Halloween isn’t a big thing in my house anymore now that the kids are grown, so when I saw that this week’s Global Design Project challenge was Halloween, I had to work a little magic! 🎃

For #GDP567, I decided to keep things bright, fun and definitely more cute than spooky.

I started with the Harvest Hues Mix & Match Ephemera Pack, which turned out to have just what I needed. That happy little jack-o’-lantern and the candy corn pieces gave me an instant Halloween theme without needing a Halloween stamp set.

For the sentiment, I pulled out the Simple Alphabet Stamp Set and stamped a big, bold halloween. I love being able to create exactly the words I need with an alphabet set!

I kept the background mostly white but added lots of texture by embossing with the Swirls of Magic EF. A few little pops of orange and some Shimmering Stripes Specialty DSP tucked behind the sentiment strips finished everything off.

Sometimes a challenge really does make you look at the supplies you already have in a completely different way—and I think this one turned out pretty darn cute!

I hope you’ll join us over at the Global Design Project and create something for the Halloween theme this week. Be sure to share your project using #GDP567 so we can see what you create!

✂️Supplies Used:



When you place a $65+ order with me I will also send you this fabulous 17 project PDF Tutorial . This bundle is filled with inspiration and is a FREE gift from me to say thanks for your order!

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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.
Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


A woman with long hair smiling at the camera, wearing glasses, set against a blurred background of greenery.
Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.

HSS498 – An Autumn Inspiration Challenge

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.


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.



GDP566 Sketch Challenge – Autumn Birthday Wishes

Two of my favourite things came together for this week’s Global Design Project challenge — a sketch challenge and autumn!

For #GDP566, I reached for the September Product of the Month DSP. I’ve been loving this paper for my September birthday cards. The warm autumn colours are so pretty, and I especially love how the metallic leaf pattern adds a little extra something without making the card feel too busy.

I followed the GDP sketch fairly closely, layering the patterned paper over a Secret Sea card base and adding the lighter panel for my sentiment.

The flowers were fussy cut from another sheet of the POM DSP – the perfect way to carry the colours through the card. I love how they frame the sentiment without covering up too much of that gorgeous DSP!

For the greeting, I used a sentiment from Exciting Times, then finished everything off with a few 2025–2027 In Colour Flat Pearls.

Simple layers, beautiful autumn colours and a sketch to get me started — definitely my kind of card!

And if you’ve been thinking about joining this week’s Global Design Project challenge, you still have one day left to play along! I’d love to see what you create for #GDP566.

✂️Supplies Used:



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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.
Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


A woman with long hair smiling at the camera, wearing glasses, set against a blurred background of greenery.
Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.

GDP565 | Metallic Christmas Wishes with Hot Foil

It’s time for another Global Design Project challenge, and this week we are playing with METALLICS! ✨

If you’ve been following along lately, you probably already know that I am a little obsessed with hot foiling right now, so this challenge was right up my alley!

For my #GDP565 card, I decided to keep the colour palette almost completely white and let the beautiful metallic details do all the work.

I started with a Basic White card base and added another layer of Basic White embossed with the Swirls of Magic 3D Embossing Folder. I absolutely love all of the swirls, stars and tiny details in this folder. It adds so much texture while still keeping the card clean and elegant.

The real star of this card, though, is that fabulous Christmas Wishes focal image! I used the A Christmas Wish Hot Foil Die to add the gorgeous metallic foil to Basic White cardstock. I love how dramatic the large sentiment looks against the white-on-white background—and the shine is even prettier in person!

I carried a little more metallic detail through the card with the gold striped 3/8″ mesh ribbon, a few gold adhesive backed dots and a sweet bow. A smaller “From Me to You” sentiment heat embossed in gold finishes everything off without competing with that beautiful focal image.

This is exactly why I am having so much fun with hot foil right now. You really don’t need a complicated card design when you have a gorgeous foiled image, lots of texture and just a little bit of shine!

Be sure to pop over to the Global Design Project to see what the rest of the Design Team created for this week’s metallic challenge. There are always so many fabulous ideas!

And then we would love to have you create something featuring metallics and join us for #GDP566!

✂️Supplies Used:



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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.
Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


A woman with long hair smiling at the camera, wearing glasses, set against a blurred background of greenery.
Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.

HSS497 Sketch Challenge – Holly Jolly Christmas Card

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.


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.



GDP564 CASE the Designer: A Playful Cat Birthday Card

It’s time for another Global Design Project challenge, and this week we are CASEing the Designer for #GDP564!

Our inspiration card was created by the talented Janneke Dijkstra de Jong, and there were so many fun little details in her design that caught my eye. For my card, I was inspired by the clustered focal point, layered elements, little tag, black twine and all that beautiful white space in Janneke’s original design.

A creatively designed card featuring colorful embellishments, including a yellow tag with the text 'JUST BECAUSE', surrounded by patterned hearts and flowers on a white background.
A handmade birthday card featuring playful cat illustrations, a 'happy birthday' message on a pink background, and a yellow ribbon that reads 'HAVE THE BEST DAY'. The card is decorated with floral designs and a black and white patterned element.

I went with a sweet group of cats for my focal point and created a fun birthday card with a playful mix of pink, yellow, black and white. I love how the little pops of black ground all those softer colours.

I also carried over the layered look from the inspiration card with my pink birthday tag, sentiment strip and patterned pieces tucked behind the cats. The black twine was another detail I definitely wanted to keep—it adds just the right bit of contrast.

And how cute are those tiny butterflies?

One of my favourite things about CASE the Designer challenges is seeing how completely different cards can grow from the same starting point. Sometimes it’s the layout that inspires you, sometimes the colours, and sometimes it’s just one tiny detail that sends you in a completely different direction.

Be sure to head over to the Global Design Project to see what the rest of the Design Team created for #GDP564. I can’t wait to see how everyone CASEs Janneke’s beautiful card this week!

✂️Supplies Used:



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

A colorful welcome box featuring the word 'WELCOME' in multiple languages including 'BIENVENUE', 'WILLKOMMEN', and 'WELKOM', with a light pink background and playful circles.

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 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.

Graphic promoting a team invitation with the text 'Join My Team The Ink Pad Pals' on a pink watercolor background.
Text graphic with the phrase 'Happy Stampin'!' in a stylish font and the name 'Leah' below, set against a pink watercolor background.


A woman with long hair smiling at the camera, wearing glasses, set against a blurred background of greenery.
Logo for 'Stampin With Leah' featuring a colorful bird illustration on a pink watercolor background, with the tagline 'A Place for Creative Inspiration'.