This week the Art With Heart team is showcasing Early Espresso, the richest brown in the Stampin’ Up! Neutrals family. I love how this deep, warm neutral can work as a strong base colour while also adding contrast and depth to lighter shades.
For this card I’ve paired Early Espresso with softer colours: Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Petal PInk and Pecan Pie.
My card was inspired by a gorgeous housewarming card created by former Artisan, Tammy Wilson. Tammy used the Weekend Adventures Stamp Set and I realised that although this stamp has been designed for memory keeping, it also works really well for cardmaking too. It might have accidentally fallen into my card when I placed my next order, LOL!
I CASED Tammy’s idea of idea of creating a mug rack with hooks, but instead of a housewarming card, I stamped my mugs with snowflakes from the Delicate Pines stamp set to create a soft country Christmas vibe.
How to make my Early Espresso Country Christmas card
The “mug rack” and card base feature the Country Woods DSP, perfect for creating that timber look. Each mug is “hung” on a Neutral Matte Dot, acting as little hooks.
The card front is embossed with the Exposed Brick EF, giving subtle texture and a rustic feel. The “It’s the most magical time of the year” sentiment on the front comes from Delicate Pines Stamp Set, stamped in Early Espresso.
I stamped the mugs from the Weekend Adventures stamp set using the Saddle Brown Stazon ink and coloured in using the following Stampin’ Blends:
- Left mug: Pool Party + Light Crumb Cake
- Middle mug: Pecan Pie + Light Crumb Cake
- Right mug: Light Pretty in Pink + Petal Pink
The snowflakes are also stamped using Saddle Brown Stazon, with Traditional Sparking Sequins adding a touch of sparkle in the centres for that frosty, magical feel. Die cut greenery adds dimension and uses dies from the Delicate Pines dies.
Fussy Cutting the Mugs
Taking the extra time to fussy cut really makes the mugs pop, and the open handles add a professional finish.
Inside, I stamped a message from Gift of Joy: “Wishing you a season wrapped in love and tied up with joy” with additional stamped snowflakes for decoration.
This was such a fun project to make, and it really shows how versatile Early Espresso can be for Christmas crafting. It pairs effortlessly with both pastels and warm tones, giving a grounded, cosy vibe.
Take a look at some more Early Espresso inspiration on our Insta Hop!
Our blog hop is now an Instagram hop but the good news is that you don’t need to have an Instagram account to view all of the other projects!
Simply copy any of the Insta handles below into a new search engine window to follow the Instagram hop at any point.
Next in our Hop is Kate @craftwithkate. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
The full list of this week’s InstaHop is listed below:
Kate @craftwithkate
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Helen @apaperparadise
Sharon @sharondaverncreates
Leanne @createwithleanne2
Claire @clairedalycreates
Rachel @rachelpalmieristampin
Theresa @teegeeinspirations
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Flirty Flamingo.
Looking for some more Christmas card inspiration?
Our Heart of Christmas blog hop is back for 2025 and we will go live at 8pm (EAST) every Monday night with Christmas card inspiration. This hop is a traditional blog hop (not an Insta Hop) so you can see all of the team’s creations by reading my blog and clicking through to the next person .
I hope you can join us then!
