If it’s July, it must be birthday card making time at my place! With eight birthdays to celebrate for immediate family members in July, the only month busier for family birthdays is December and you can imagine what a hoot that is!
Week 11 of our Art With Heart 2025-26 Colour Creations Insta Hop celebrates Blueberry Bushel, a rich blue colour that I’ve used this week to make birthday cards for my brother and my father.
One card showcases the darker side of Blueberry Bushel, while the other card showcases its softer side.
I wonder which card will be your favourite?
Everyday Skies Trifold Angle Card
It’s hard to believe my dad is turning 86! A number like this deserves a special card, so I decided to use this stunning design in the Everyday Skies DSP to create an elegant Trifold Angle Card with matching envelope.
This Everyday Skies DSP design pairs Blueberry Bushel with Azure Afternoon, Balmy Blue, Bubble Bath, Fresh Freesia, Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Misty Moonlight and a touch of Petal Pink.
To make the matching envelope I used a C6 Basic White envelope, layered with some of the Everyday Skies DSP. As this is a 6″ x 6″ (15.2 x 15.2 cm) Designer Series Paper it is too small to handmake a full envelope for this sized card, so add the DSP to the front of the envelope is an easy compromise.
I’ve used stamps and dies from the Birthday Celebration Bundle, the Stylish Shapes dies and the the You Are Remarkable Stamp Set, to create the 86 on the front of the card as well as the sentiments on the panels of the card.
The back panel of the card has been left blank for a handwritten birthday message.
I seriously cannot stop using the Everyday Skies DSP – it is perfect for so many different card styles and occasions.
Sunshine Vibes Birthday Card
This birthday card for my brother uses the half circle stamp from the Sunshine Vibes stamp step to create a modern graphic looking card in Blueberry Bushel, Pecan Pie, Night of Navy and Early Espresso. I’ve also used some of the smaller stamps in the stamp set to add details to the stamped half circles.
To line up the circles I drew pencil lines as a guide, stamping out from the centre and then I layered 5mm strips of Basic White Cardstock over the top of the stamped images to tidy the card up. Here’s a “work in progress” image of the card.
A few Neutrals Adhesive-Backed Sequins add a touch of bling, while the layered and white heat embossed “Happy Birthday” sentiment comes from the the Beautiful Butterflies Stamp Set.
Take a look at some more Blueberry Bushel 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 window to follow the Instagram hop at any point.
Next in our hop is Rosa @hum.and.stamp. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
Here’s the full list of this week’s InstaHop:
Rosa @hum.and.stamp
Kate @craftwithkate
Helen @apaperparadise
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Leanne @createwithleanne2Â
Rachel Woollard @handstamped_by_rachel
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Bubble Bath,
Welcome to week ten of our Art With Heart 2025-26 Colour Creations Insta hop!
This week we’re celebrating Blackberry Bliss, a bold and dramatic, rich, deep purple hue.
Cardmaking doesn’t get any simpler than my card this week! I’ve used a large background stamp (Peaceful View) to stamp a sheet of DSP to create a peaceful sunrise/sunset scene.
My simple stamping card is so quick and easy to make, showcasing Blackberry Bliss with this stunning sheet of Thoughtful Journey 6″ x 6″ (15.2 x 15.2 cm) Designer Series Paper DSP. It’s simply perfect to use as a background for the Peaceful View Stamp set.
Taking my colour inspiration from the DSP, I’ve combined Blackberry Bliss with Petunia Pop and Basic White. The “Thank you” sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set, heat embossed in white on a strip of Blackberry Bliss cardstock.
This is a tent fold card with a Basic White card base, so it stand up beautifully for display.
More Peaceful View Inspiration with Everyday Skies DSP
Although these cards don’t feature Blackberry Bliss, I just wanted to show you how lovely the Peaceful View stamp looks when stamped onto various sheets from the Everyday Skies DSP.
Simply chose two of the colours in the DSP to layer behind the DSP and your card will look coordinated every time!
Take a look at some more Blackberry Bliss 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 window to follow the Instagram hop at any point.
Next in our hop is Andrea @andreaksargent. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
Here’s the full list of this week’s InstaHop:
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Helen @apaperparadise
Kate @craftwithkate
Leanne @createwithleanne2Â
Rachel Woollard @handstamped_by_rachel
Vicki @vickiboucher
Sharon @sharondaverncreates
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Blueberry Bushel.
Welcome to week nine of our Art With Heart 2025-26 Colour Creations Insta hop!
This week we’re celebrating Berry Burst, a bold, vibrant fuchsia-pink with rich magenta undertones, sitting somewhere between a deep pink and a bright raspberry. Originally introduced as part of the 2017–2019 In Color collection, Berry Burst was brought back in 2023 and is now part of the core colour range in the Brights collection.
I’ve made two cards for this week’s blog, both featuring the the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape and the Extraordinary Flora Bundle that die cuts out the flowers from the washi tape. Such a time saver!
A Personalised Birthday Card Using the Party Dies Bundle
It was my youngest niece’s 7th birthday this week and she loves pinks and purples so I took the opportunity to make a personalised birthday card for her in Berry Burst (with a matching envelope).
This card uses three new products I’ve ordered from the 2025-26 annual catalogue: the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape, the Extraordinary Flora Bundle and the Party Dies Bundle (Includes the Party Alphabet and Party Banners Dies)
Here’s a peek at the inside of the card and the matching envelope. I went a bit nuts with the flowers, but when you’re turning 7 is there really such a thing as too many flowers?
Using Partial Die Cutting to Create a Folded Banner Card
For Eve’s card, I wanted to do something a little different—a banner shaped card that still opened like a traditional folding card.
The solution? Partial die cutting using the Nested Banner Dies.
I started with a piece of A4 Basic White cardstock, cut in half lengthways and folded in half to create a tent-fold card base. Then I placed the large banner die on top, making sure the top edge of the die slightly overhung the folded edge so the die wouldn’t cut all the way through at the top fold.
Next, I ran it through my die cutting machine, but only partially. I positioned the top cutting plate so it stopped just short of the fold line, allowing the die to cut through the sides and bottom while leaving the top fold intact.
The result is a banner-shaped card base that opens like a regular card but looks anything but ordinary!
I used both Party Banners Dies together to create a gold foil frame—a great way to add shimmer without wasting a full sheet of foil.
I then layered an embossed white panel (embossed using the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder and die cut using the Party Banners Dies), die-cut Berry Burst letters, and added cascade of colourful die cut floral embellishments from the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape to bring it all to life.
Berry Burst Birthday Card #2
While I was die cutting the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape I was having so much fun I decided to make another birthday card. After all, it’s always handy to have a stash of birthday cards on hand. This birthday card features the Unbounded Beauty Designer Series Paper and its colours perfectly match the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape.
I’ve stamped the “Happy Birthday” sentiment from the Simply Said Stamp Set and die cut it using circles from the Stylish Shapes dies. Like I did with Eve’s birthday card, I used the Gold Foil from the Brushed Silver & Gold Foil Specialty Paper (on sale now in the Last Chance Products) to add some bling.
I had so much fun creating these very feminine Berry Burst cards using the Extraordinary Flora Washi Tape!
Take a look at some more Berry Burst 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 window to follow the Instagram hop at any point.
Next in our hop is Rachel Palmeri @rachelpalmieristampin. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
Here’s the full list of this week’s InstaHop:
Rachel Palmeri @rachelpalmieristampin
Helen @apaperparadise
Vicki @vickiboucher
Rosa @hum.and.stamp
Kate @craftwithkate
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Leanne @createwithleanne2Â
Cathy @whatcathymadeÂ
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Blackberry Bliss.
Welcome to week eight of our Art With Heart 2025-26 Colour Creations Insta hop!
This week we’re celebrating one of our neutral colours, a mid-coloured gray called Basic Gray and I couldn’t resist using a brand new Online Exclusives embossing folder to make my cards.
Introducing the Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder
The new the Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder is huge! It measures 6″ x 8-1/2″ (15.2 x 21.6 cm) so once I embossed and coloured my cardstock I had enough to make 2 cards.
I used my Stampin’ Up! Brayer to coat the inside of one side of the embossing folder with Basic Gray before embossing a piece of Basic White Cardstock.Â
I then used Stampin Up! blends in Darling Duckling, Old Olive and 200 to colour the sunflowers before cutting the embossed cardstock and layering it onto Basic White Cardstock and a Basic Gray card base.
These side photos show just how much texture is in the cards!
The sentiment on the slimline card is from the You Are Remarkable Stamp Set, Stamped in Basic Gray.
The sentiment on the square card is from the Greetings for All Mix & Match Ephemera Pack. I made a matching envelope for this card using the The Lovely Garden 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Designer Series Paper.
This Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder is wonderful for making quick and easy cards and I can’t wait to play with it more. It will be available for purchase from July 1, 2025.
Take a look at some more Basic Gray 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 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.
Full list of this week’s InstaHop:
Kate @craftwithkate
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Leanne @createwithleanne2Â
Vicki @vickiboucher
Claire @clairedalycreatesÂ
Helen Reeve @apaperparadise
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
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We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Berry Burst.
Welcome to week seven of our Art With Heart 2025-26 Colour Creations Insta hop!
This week we’re celebrating another beautiful blue, the soft and dreamy Balmy Blue. My colour combination is very monochromatic, inspired by the beautiful blue tiled patterns in the Mediterranean Blooms DSP.
Screenshot
This is the sheet of DSP I chose to make my gift bag and matching card.
Making an origami folded paper handbag
I saw a beautiful origami folded bag online recently created by Mikaela Titheridge @thecraftyoinkpen, however she did not provide any instructions for the folding of the bag. So I searched online and found instructions for making this style of bag using 6×6 inch DSP and I simply sized it up for 12×12 inch DSP. There are plenty of online tutorials to make this particular origami fold, in both written and video format.
I created this card for a special friend whose birthday we celebrated this week because she loves blue!
Like Mikaela, I used the Everyday Arches Dies to make the top flap of the handbag. The die was too long for the back of the bag so ran it through my die cutting machine twice, moving the die up to achieve the desired length.
I scored and folded the die to make a 1cm wide top section of the flap and cut a matching 1cm wide handle from night of Navy and Balmy Blue cardstock, glued together.
I also used the Everyday Arches dies to make a matching card. The paper tassels on the front of this card (made using the Birthday Celebration Dies) match the bakers twine tassels I’ve made for the origami handbag.
The inside of the card is stamped in Night of Navy ink using a sentiment from the Everyday Arches Stamp Set and floral embellishments die cut using the Birthday Celebration Dies.
The tassels on my handbag are made using Balmy Blue bakers twine from the Baker’s Twine Three Color Pack and White bakers twine from the Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack.
To make your own tassel follow these steps.
Cut a piece of cardstock roughly 5 cm tall and wrap the baker’s twine around the cardstock about 13 times.
Slide a separate piece of twine under the looped twine at the top edge of the cardstock and tie it tightly. This will become the loop you can use to hang or attach the tassel.
Slide the wrapped twine off the cardboard carefully. Cut through the loops at the opposite end from where you tied the top.
About 1 cm below the top tie, wrap another piece of twine several times around the tassel to form the neck. Tie it off securely and trim any excess.Even out the ends of the tassel by trimming the bottom.
The front flap of the handbag is embellished with a Balmy blue dot from the Rainbow Adhesive-Backed Dots and I used small adhesive magnetic discs to create a resealable closure for the bag.
Supplied needed to make this project yourself
You can make this project with any type of DSP, however if you’d like to make the same bag as me these are the supplied I used.
Mediterranean Blooms 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Designer Series Paper
Balmy Blue cardstock
Night of Navy cardstock
Everyday Aches Dies
Everyday Arches Stamp Set
Night of Navy Classic Stampin Pad
Rainbow Adhesive-Backed Dots
Birthday Celebration Dies
Tear & Tape Adhesive
Baker’s Twine Three Color Pack
Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack
Take a look at some more Balmy Blue 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 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 are listed below:
Kate @craftwithkate
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Rachel W @handstamped_by_rachel
Leanne @createwithleanne2Â
Vicki @vickiboucher
Helen @apaperparadise
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
Our AWH Colour Creations team will be back next Wednesday, 25th June, showcasing Basic Gray.
