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.

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GDP568 – CASE the Designer with Holly Jolly Branches

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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!

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GDP567: Happy Halloween with Harvest Hues

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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!

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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.

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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.


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GDP566 Sketch Challenge – Autumn Birthday Wishes

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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:


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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.
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GDP565 | Metallic Christmas Wishes with Hot Foil

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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:


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

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GDP564 CASE the Designer: A Playful Cat Birthday Card

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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:


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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.

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Harvest Birthday Wishes | GDP563 Themed Challenge

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Sometimes the best cards come together when you have to work with what you’ve got!

This week’s Global Design Project #GDP563 challenge has a harvest and garden theme, which was perfect inspiration for a fall card. The only problem? Most of my stamps are still packed away while we renovate!

So I turned to one of my favourite resources for a quick and easy seasonal card: Designer Series Paper.

For this card, I used the August Product of the Month — Glow of Harvest 12″ x 12″ Specialty Designer Series Paper. The shimmer in this paper is absolutely gorgeous, and I knew those little pumpkins were just begging to be fussy cut!

I paired the pumpkins with the simple Addressed to You stamp set. I love the fun oval outline and that pretty scripty birthday sentiment. Sometimes you really don’t need a lot of stamping to create a card that has plenty of personality.

And because I loved last week’s GDP sketch so much, I couldn’t resist using that sketch again as the starting point for this card. I think the layout works perfectly with the pumpkins and lets that beautiful shimmer take centre stage.

I also added a few subtle stamped flowers in the background to give the card a little extra interest without taking away from the focal point.

I hope this harvest-inspired birthday card gives you a little inspiration to look at your Designer Series Paper in a new way — especially when your stamp collection happens to be packed in boxes! 😉

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

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Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to check out the other Global Design Project #GDP563 creations for even more harvest and garden-inspired cardmaking ideas.


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.


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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.

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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.