I have worked in publishing all my life, and whether books are found in libraries, bookshops or stacked at home, they bring me an enormous amount of comfort, inspiration and joy.
So for Week 37 of Colour Creations I knew I wanted to create something that celebrated that love of books using a combination of the On Display bundle and the book themed paper from the Hobby Haven DSP.
My bookcase was die cut from Pecan Pie card stock using the largest bookcase die in the bundle. Once the bookcase was adhered to the card base, I carefully fussy cut the shelves to open up each compartment. Yes, this happened after I had already glued it down. Oops!
I’ve filled the shelves with individually fussy cut images from the Hobby Haven DSP. Stacked books, an open book, a coffee cup, a little lamp and a vase of flowers all come together to create a cosy, collected look.
I deliberately arranged the books so they feel a little imperfect and well-loved, rather than styled and symmetrical, much like a real bookcase that has grown over time.
The sentiment, a simple “hello”, is stamped in Pecan Pie using the On Display Stamp Set, which is part of the same bundle. It sits neatly in the top right shelf, almost like the greeting is tucked in among the books themselves.
Take a look at some more Pecan Pie 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
Rosa @hum.and.stamp
Helen @apaperparadise
Vicki @vickiboucher
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
Thank you for joining me for Week 37 of Colour Creations. We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Petal Pink. I hope you can join us then.
Welcome to Week 36 of Colour Creations, where we are playing with the soft warmth of Peach Pie.
For this project, I paired Peach Pie with a Secret Sea card base to create strong contrast and visual depth. These two colours work beautifully together. The Peach Pie really pops against the deep, moody background, while Secret Sea anchors the design and keeps it feeling polished rather than pastel-heavy.
The layout of my card was inspired by the scrapbook page on page 2, inside the front cover of the new January–April Mini Catalogue.
I loved how the squares were set on an angle in the 12 x 12 inch layout, so I scaled that idea down for a 5 x 5 inch square card. I’ve cut squares of the Square Snippets Designer Series Paper, which pairs perfectly with the Joyful Squares Bundle.
By cutting smaller squares and tilting them, I was able to recreate the look of the scrapbook page in a card-friendly format without losing the impact of the original design.
The simple “hello” sentiment is heat embossed in white on some of the Square Snippets Designer Series Paper. I then stamped the corner stamps from the Joyful Squares Bundle to frame the hello and white heat embossed those too as well as the further stamping on the card base.
The embellishments are from the Rainbow Adhesive-Backed Dots.
The “hello” sentiment comes from the January Product of the Month, the Fabulous Sayings Stamp Set. This set includes sentiments for just about every occasion, making it one of those go-to basics you will reach for again and again. At just $9, it is an easy addition to any craft stash.
Inside the card I’ve added a Basic White insert and stamped it using stamps from the Joyful Squares bundle. The handmade envolope is made from a 6×12 inch piece of the the Lovely & Beautiful 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper.
Peach Pie brings warmth and softness, while Secret Sea adds drama and contrast. Together, they create a balanced combination that feels modern, fresh and very versatile. If you are ever unsure how to make a lighter colour stand out, pairing it with a deep neutral like Secret Sea is a great place to start.
Take a look at some more Peach Pie 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 Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
The full list of this week’s InstaHop is listed below:
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kate @craftwithkate
Helen @apaperparadise
Rosa @hum.and.stamp
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
Thank you for joining me for Week 36 of Colour Creations. We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Pecan Pie. I hope you can join us then.
Welcome to Week 25 of Colour Creations, where we are working with the ever versatile Old Olive. Old Olive is my favourite green and it seems to be the most “natural” of all of the Stampin’ Up! greens, along with Mossy Meadow.
This week’s creation is a scrapbook page documenting part of our 2025 New Zealand trip, something I have not done in a very long time. Cardmaking has been my creative focus for years, but this trip was such a special moment in time that it felt important to record it in a different way.
Slowing down, printing photos and telling the story on a full 12″ x 12″ page felt right. and the Nature’s Walk DSP was the perfect background for my photos of Arrowtown, New Zealand.
Our day trip to Arrowtown was the only wet day of our entire trip but even in the rain Arrowtown was spectacular with its mossy greens, historic weathered timber buildings, stone walls and flowing river.
The organic patterns and layered greens of the Nature’s Walk Designer Series Paper mirror the landscape beautifully and really anchor the photos without overwhelming them.
For the title, I used the Alphabet À La Mode Dies to spell out ARROWTOWN. I love how bold alphabet dies help ground a scrapbook page and instantly tell you where you are before you even take in the details.
The Joyful Squares Bundle was perfect for adding small focal elements, recording the date and framing some of the journaling. I kept the embellishing minimal, letting the photos do the talking, but these little details help guide the eye around the page.
The sentiment pieces come from the Exploring Nature Stamp Set, which could not have been more appropriate. Phrases like “Not lost, just exploring” captured exactly how this trip felt.
And even though I hate my handwriting, one of my favourite details on the page is the small journaling note about the rain. Sometimes the imperfect moments are the ones you remember most.
Take a look at some more Old Olive 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 Andrea @andreaksargent. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
The full list of this week’s InstaHop is listed below:
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kate @craftwithkate
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Helen @apaperparadise
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
Thank you for joining me for Week 25 of Colour Creations. I hope this page encourages you to revisit an old photo, a special trip or a memory that deserves to be told on paper.
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Peach Pie. I hope you can join us then.
Welcome to Week 25 of Colour Creations, where we are working with the timeless and elegant Night of Navy.
It was my mum’s birthday on January 1 and I decided to use the gorgeous On Display Bundle, an Online Exclusive that combines detailed bookshelf dies with coordinating stamps and witty, book-themed sentiments. Mum loves books, cats and the colour blue so this was the perfect card for her birthday!
I’ve also used the I also used the January 2026 Product of the Month, the True Blue Florals 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Designer Series Paper, in several places throughout the project.
The Product of the Month is a new exclusive product with a new one released each month. The Product of the Month costs just $9 (with any single order of $125 or more).
You can see the the True Blue Florals DSP used on the pot plant pot (top left shelf), the bottle (far right, second shelf from the top), and as the artwork inside the picture frame (far left, middle shelf).
I also used this Designer Series Paper to create a coordinating handmade envelope, which ties the entire card together beautifully and makes the finished piece feel extra special.
My colour combination for this project includes Night of Navy, Garden Green, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Balmy Blue, and Basic White.
I chose to pair Night of Navy with Balmy Blue because these are the two colours in the True Blue Florals DSP.
The sentiments on the front and the inside of the card are all from the On Display stamp set.
Take a look at some more Night of Navy 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
Helen @apaperparadise
Andrea @andreaksargent
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Vicki @vickiboucher
Rosa @hum.and.stamp
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Old Olive. I hope you can join us then.
Tonight’s our final Heart of Christmas blog hop for 2025 AND it’s only a month to Christmas? Have you made your Christmas cards yet?
I’ve got six cards to share with you tonight, all made using the Calm & Bright Kit. You get everything you need to make nine cards, three of three different designs. This gorgeous kit does not photograph well on the website, however, in real life it is stunning!
Here is the photo from the website:
I love the stamp set that’s included in the kit!
These are the three cards I made following the instructions with a few small tweaks.
Can you see how much more vibrant these cards are in real life? The main reason they are more vibrant is that I’ve used the Lost Lagoon ink spot (included in the kit) for all my stamping, whereas the sample images on the instructions actually use Gray Granite instead.
These are the tweaks I made on each of the cards.
For the card one I used one of the larger layering pieces from the card kit as there are a lot of trees on this design.
For card two I’ve removed the twine wrapped around the base and replaced the star stamped bauble with a simple bow of the white twine.
Card three has one of the smaller layering rectangles and I’ve simplified the design by removing the wrapped twine and the star tag.
These cards are so pretty with their soft colour combination of Pretty in Pink, Lost Lagoon and so much white space!
I then made three more cards, changing the designs around and adding in some Basic Beige card bases to match the envelopes that come in the kit.
For this card I’ve cut down one of the white card bases that come in the kit and layered it onto a Basic Beige card base. I’ve kept the card design similar to the kit design, simply changing where the bow, foliage and tag is placed.
This might be my favourite version of all the cards I’ve created from this kit. I’ve stamped the tiny star stamp on the tree multiple times and added some of the tiny pink dots to the Lost Lagoon tree. I loved stamping the tiny house stamp on the tag to match the pink house above the sentiment!
This final card uses one of the card bases from the kit, but once again I’ve mixed up the design.
Here are all three of my versions of the cards from the kit. Do you have a favourite?
Take a look at some more Christmas Card inspiration!
Now it’s time to hop in over to our next participant, the lovely Sharon Davern I can’t wait to see what Sharon has made this week!
If the next button link is not working or you’d like to see the entire list of participants go to Sharon Davern‘s blog. Sharon has done an amazing job of hosting our Heart of Christmas blog every Monday. Thank you so much, Sharon.
Our AWH team will be back on Wednesday night, showcasing Lost Lagoon on our Insta Hop. I hope you can join us then!
Lemon Lolly is such a soft and gentle shade of yellow, however I must admit I really struggled with my colour combination for Week 29 of our AWH Colour Creations Blog Hop.
I ended up creating a card that looks a little like spring and yet uses a sentiment that works beautifully all year round.
For this Lemon Lolly project I used:
Greetings for You Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (sentiment)
Good Times Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (wreath and flowers)
Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder
Large Gold Hoop from the Modern Christmas Suite
The colour combination is Lemon Lolly (card base and ink blending), Darling Duckling (flower centres), Granny Apple Green (wreath), Basic White (embossed layer) and Gold Foil accents.
I embossed a Basic White layer with the Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder and used a blending brush to add shading with Lemon Lolly ink. The ink blended much darker than I expected, however it really highlights the gorgeous texture of the embossed layer behind the wreath.
To bring structure to the wreath, I used the large gold hoop from the Modern Christmas Suite and attached it with glue dots. I then layered the wreath elements with dimensionals so the whole arrangement feels full and lifted.
The sentiment “From Our House to Yours” is from the Greetings for You Mix & Match Ephemera Pack. Even though the greeting could be used for a festive card, it works just as well for a general friendship or “thinking of you” card.
Take a look at some more Lemon Lolly 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
Rachel @handstamped_by_rachel
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Lost Lagoon. I hope you can join us then.
Looking for some Christmas card inspiration?
Our Heart of Christmas blog hop goes live at 8pm (EAST) every Monday night with Christmas card inspiration and next Monday is our final hop for the year. 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 .
Can you believe this is our penultimate Heart of Christmas blog hop for 2025 AND it’s only five weeks to Christmas today?
If you feel like the silly season is already in full swing and you won’t have time to make your Christmas cards this year, don’t panic as I’ve got the perfect card for you!
This design is so easy to make (I designed it and made it it under 10 minutes), it’s easy to mass produce and it can be made using any colour combination, DSP or sentiment.
I’ve used products from the the Modern Christmas Suite collection, including the Ornamental Christmas Bundle and the the Modern Christmas 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper. I heat embossed the sentiment in gold to match the DSP and the feature star.
This photo shows just how pretty the gold foil star looks on top of the gold foiled paper.
For the inside of the card I’ve stamped the beautiful scripted “Merry Christmas” stamp and added some gold foil embellishments die cut using the Ornamental Christmas dies.
Take a look at some more Christmas Card inspiration!
Now it’s time to hop in over to our next participant, the lovely Judy May I can’t wait to see what Judy has made this week!
If the next button link is not working or you’d like to see the entire list of participants go to Sharon Davern‘s blog. Sharon does an amazing job of hosting our Heart of Christmas blog every Monday.
Our AWH team will be back on Wednesday night, showcasing Lost Lagoon on our Insta Hop. I hope you can join us then!
I’ve been away visiting stunning New Zealand but I’m so excited to be back to blogging with the Art With Heart Team for our Colour Creations Insta Hop.
A big thank you goes to my dear friend, Kate Morgan, who ensured the AWH Colour Creations Insta Hop went smoothly while I was overseas. Thank you, Kate!
The Lasting Linen stamp set
Week 28 is all about Lemon Lime Twist a vibrant, almost “fluro” green and I’ve taken inspiration from this project the Stampin’ Up! design team created to showcase one of the new online products, the Lasting Linen stamp set. This is such a versatile background stamp that will work with any colour!
I loved this card so much I also purchased the Friendly Foliage bundle featured on it. Here’s my version of the card.
While the original Stampin’ Up! version of this card features Old Olive, my colour combination pairs the vibrant Lemon Lime Twist with the soft neutral, Basic Beige and Basic White. A tiny touch of Old Olive is added via the bow.
I’ve also added an extra layer of Lemon Lime Twist to the base card, some more of the pretty foliage elements and changed the length and positioning of the “Thinking of you” sentiment.
A double bow of Basic White Bakers Twine from the The Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack and a bow of Old Olive Linen Thread from the Early Espresso & Old Olive Linen Thread Pack are the finishing touch.
Take a look at some more Lemon Lime Twist 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
Sharon @sharondaverncreates
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Helen @apaperparadise
Rachel @handstamped_by_rachel
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Lemon Lolly. I hope you can join us then.
Looking for some Christmas card inspiration?
Our Heart of Christmas blog hop goes 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’ve been away overseas on holidays for the past few weeks, but it feels so good to be back in my craft room again! And can you believe it’s nearly Christmas already? Time is flying, and after tonight there are only three more Heart of Christmas blog hops left for the year.
For my card this week, I wanted to create something lighthearted and full of festive cheer. This little dachshund in a Christmas jumper just makes me smile! I’ve paired him with a vintage-style post box and some tiny envelopes, ready to deliver all the Christmas joy.
My dog is a German Shorthaired Pointer (which is basically a sausage dog on steroids with super long legs) so I have a soft spot in my heart for dachshunds.
The colour palette for this card includes Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Real Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, and Basic White as I also created this card for a colour challenge. I don’t usually use Very Vanilla, however this colour combination is a fun and fresh mix that feels both classic and playful.
The background paper and envelopes are from the North Pole Delivery DSP, which adds that perfect snowy touch.
The adorable dog image comes from the Long Time No See stamp set, coloured with Stampin’ Blends to match his festive jumper.
I finished the design with a combination of stamped sentiments from the Peace On Earth stamp set and die-cut “Christmas” from the Words for the Season Dies to create my “Sending Christmas Joy” sentiment.
I love how this card captures the happiness of reconnecting with family and friends at Christmas through the age old tradition of sending Christmas cards.
Take a look at some more Christmas Card inspiration!
Now it’s time to hop in over to our next participant, the lovely Rachel Woollard. I can’t wait to see what Rachel has made this week!
If the next button link is not working or you’d like to see the entire list of participants go to Sharon Davern‘s blog. Sharon does an amazing job of hosting our Heart of Christmas blog every Monday.
Our AWH team will be back on Wednesday night, showcasing Lemon Lime Twist on our Insta Hop. I hope you can join us then!
A group of the Art With Heart Team is hopping through the Stampin’ Up! colours in alphabetical order and week 25 is all about Granny Apple Green, a bright green that adds freshness and life to a project.
You could say that my “no stamping” cards this week have been bought to you by Stampin Up’s Ephemera packs!
I‘ve used ephemera from the Good Times Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (the wreath and the pear), the Greetings for You Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (the joy sentiment) and the Saying Something Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (the “all my love & thanks to you” sentiment).
Both cards also feature the new Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder (coming soon in November). I love how its stitched design adds gentle texture without overpowering the focal elements.
Granny Apple Colour Combination
My colour combination is inspired by the beautiful watercolour pear from the Good Times Mix & Match Ephemera Pack.
The Painterly Pears Designer Series Paper adds touches of Mossy Meadow and Old Olive too.
Granny Apple Green looks so fresh and really pops against the Early Espresso card bases and the embossed Basic White cardstock layer.
Two “No Stamping” Tent cards
When folded, the card stands upright with the fold along the top edge and the opening at the bottom, making it ideal for display.
A double bow of the Early Espresso & Old Olive Linen Thread bow ties in the organic tones of the pear beautifully. I finished both cards with a few Traditional Sparkling Sequins in gold and green for a touch of shimmer.
Take a look at some more Granny Apple Green 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 Sharon @sharondaverncreates. Be sure to check out her gorgeous project/s.
The full list of this week’s InstaHop is listed below:
Kate @craftwithkate
Kirsty @crafty.littlemiss
Helen @apaperparadise
Andrea @andreaksargent
Vicki @vickiboucher
Cathy @whatcathymade – you are here!
Sharon @sharondaverncreates
We’ll be back next Wednesday when we are showcasing Gray Granite. I hope you can join us then.
Looking for some more Christmas card inspiration?
Our Heart of Christmas blog hop goes 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 .
