Author: Karen Brown

Glitter Ball Ornament handmade card for Winter and Christmas holidays Hero Arts October 2025 Release and Blog Hop | Merry Era
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Hero Arts October 2025 Release and Blog Hop | Merry Era

Karen Brown15 Comments
2 bright and colorful handmade holiday cards created with the Hero Arts Studio October 2025 Kits

Hero Arts October 2025 Release | Merry Era

It’s time for the Hero Arts October 2025 Release Blog Hop, and this month’s theme is Merry Era! I had so much fun creating two festive cards that sparkle and shine in very different ways.

Glittery Pink Christmas Ball

Handmade Christmas card featuring a large white glitter ornament on Dahlia pink cardstock with a layered yellow bow, and a navy sentiment reading “Merry & Bright.”

For my first card, I reached for the “Have a Ball” Die Set from the October 2025 Card Kit. I wanted a sparkly look, so I die cut the large Christmas ball twice from white glitter cardstock for extra stability. My card base is Dahlia cardstock (included in the kit) which makes the ornament pop.

The layered bow was cut from Beeswax and Tuscan cardstock, also in the kit, and I finished it off with a BetterPress “Merry & Bright” sentiment stamped on navy cardstock. I love the subtle glitter that catches the light—this card is festive yet elegant.

💡 Design tip: This die set would work beautifully for New Year’s cards too!

What’s Included in the Kit?
October 2025 Hero Arts Card Kit contents

           • Deck the Halls with Disco Balls 6×8 Stamp Set
           • Deck the Halls with Disco Balls Coordinating Dies
           • Have a Ball Die Set
           • Gold Embossing Powder .5 oz
           • 10 Sheets of Cardstock- 1 of each color, 5.5″ x 8.5″   
           • Two Sheets of Gold Matte Paper, 5.5″ x 8.5″ 

Merry & Bright die cut Christmas Ornament card created with Hero Arts Studio October 2025 Card Kit of the Month.

Receive a FREE beautiful Merry Everything Die Set when you purchase The Whole Studio!

Hero Arts has many different Monthly Kits that you can subscribe to including:

Twinkling Lights

Handmade holiday card with gold die-cut light strings and colorful cardstock bulbs arranged on teal cardstock, finished with a bold circular sentiment reading “Christmas is Too Sparkly … Said No One Ever.”

For my second card, I used the Twinkle Lights Fancy Dies. I die cut the string of Christmas lights from gold paper (included in the kit) and then added pops of color by cutting the bulbs from colorful cardstock scraps.

Placing the strands artfully across teal cardstock created a playful, modern background. The circular sentiment—“Christmas is Too Sparkly … Said No One Ever”—is also part of the October Card Kit.

💡 Tip for small die cuts: A Ninja Jewel Picker and Bearly Arts Glue are lifesavers when attaching those tiny bulbs!

The combination of shiny gold strings, bright bulbs, and the bold sentiment makes this card full of Christmas cheer.

Hero Arts Twinkle Lights die cut card with strands of colorful Christmas lights strung across a vivid blue background.

>>> Click HERE. to see my other October Card Kit Cards.

GIVEAWAY 

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, October 5th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!
  

BLOG HOP ORDER


Hero Arts
Nichol Spohr
Seeka
Rosie Lopez
Rachel Kleinman
Natasha Polite
Mindy Eggen
Michelle Short
Michelle Lupton
Lisa Tilson
Karen Brown You Are Here!
Jennifer Kotas
Jeannie Lieu
Charlene Madrid
Channin Pelletier
Anna Mahtani

Die cut handmade Halloween Card with pumpkin, ghost and black cat. Spellbinders September Club Kits – Seasonal Fun!
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Spellbinders September Club Kits – Seasonal Fun!

Karen Brown1 Comment
Two seasonal die cut fall/Halloween cards featuring Spellbinders September 2025 Large Die of the Month Kit (whimsical pumpkin house) and Small Die of the Month (smiling Jack-o-lantern with black cat, ghost and flowers)

The Spellbinders September 2025 Club Kits are here, and this month’s themes are packed with seasonal charm—perfect for Halloween, autumn, and everything in between! Today, I’m sharing two cards featuring the Large Die of the Month and Small Die of the Month.

👉 A quick reminder: the last day to subscribe is September 27th—so don’t miss out!

Large Die of the Month – Pumpkin House

Adorable Seasonal autumn card with vivid oranges, teals and greens created with Spellbinders September 2025 Large Die of the Month Kit

The Large Die of the Month is designed as an Acorn House, but I gave it a seasonal twist by transforming mine into a Pumpkin House! I can’t seem to get enough orange this month.

A gray squirrel is making his way to the front door, while the acorn cap roof is decorated with green and teal leaves plus two aqua flowers. The playful colors and crisp white background bring the whole scene to life.

It’s whimsical, unexpected, and full of cozy fall personality.

Die cut "pumpkin" house card, with a gray squirrel walking toward the door. The roof is decorated with teal and green leaves and two aqua flowers.

Small Die of the Month – Boo to You!

Card with a smiling jack-o’-lantern, a ghost, a cat, and flowers in bright orange, teal, aqua, and green cardstock on a white card base. Sentiment reads 'Boo to You' in heat embossed lettering.

This month’s Small Die of the Month might be one of the cutest yet! It features a smiling jack-o’-lantern, along with a sweet little cat, a friendly ghost, and whimsical flowers.

I loved carrying over the same vibrant color scheme from my Large Die card—orange, teal, aqua, and green—so the two feel like companion pieces.

I couldn’t resist heat embossing a “Boo to You” sentiment to go along with this cheerful pumpkin scene. The vivid colors—bright orange paired with teal, aqua, and green—make the characters pop against the crisp white A2 card base. A touch of gray and black adds grounding contrast while keeping the vibe playful.

This card is pure Halloween happiness! 🎃✨

Fun handmade Halloween card created with Spellbinders September 2025 Small Die of the Month Kit.

Coordinated Companion Cards

I love how these two cards—though built with different kits—look like they belong together. The shared palette of vivid oranges, aquas, teals, greens, and neutrals ties them into a cheerful seasonal set.

And if you’d like even more inspiration, I’ll also link to my September Stitching Die of the Month card—another beauty from this month’s Club collection.

Helpful Links:

Fall theme apple orchard homemade card. Apple Picking Scene Card | Hero Arts ‘I Pick You’ Collection
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting · Stamping

Apple Picking Scene Card | Hero Arts ‘I Pick You’ Collection

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Handmade fall card featuring a stamped and stenciled apple orchard scene with ladder, basket, and boots. Apples are shaded red, leaves in green, and scene is framed with a navy die cut rounded rectangle.

Fall is in the air! Today I’m sharing a heartwarming scene card I created with the Hero Arts September Collection: I Pick You. The In The Orchard Bundle instantly brought back childhood memories of going apple picking with my family at Wiggins Farms—where we’d spend the day filling baskets and sipping fresh cider.

This Collection is also part of an Instagram Hop…come hop with us! @karens_mini

Helpful Links:

🍏 Building the Scene

Hero Arts In the Orchard stamped, stenciled and die cut scene card featuring picking apples in an orchard.

This stamp + stencil combo makes it easy to create a layered, idyllic orchard scene. I stamped the images first, then used the coordinating layering stencils to add color with small blending brushes. To give my coloring more depth and dimension, I used two shades of ink for each color family:

  • Apples: Pale Tomato + Cherry
  • Leaves: Fresh Lawn + Green Apple
  • Boots: Lemon Drop + Spicy Mustard

The combination of stamping + stencil blending creates crisp, dimensional images that still look soft and organic. And Hero Arts stencils always line up beautifully with the stamped images!

Handmade autumn scene card of a whimsical apple orchard and featuring Hero Arts "In the Orchard" stamp, stencil and die bundle.

🍎 Finishing Details

Once everything was colored, I die cut my elements to build the orchard scene—complete with a ladder, a basket, and classic Hunter-style boots. For the finishing touch, I die cut a navy frame using my Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies to bring everything together.

This seasonal card is full of fall charm and is perfect for sending a cozy autumn hello!

Handstiched floral card. Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month – Beautiful Blooming Florals
cardmaking · Cardmaking Kit · stitching

Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month – Beautiful Blooming Florals

Karen Brown1 Comment
Handmade stitched floral card with layered pink, coral, and yellow die cut flowers on a Waterfall aqua blue background, accented with gems.

This month’s Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month is a true floral beauty! The set includes three sizes of blooms, and I couldn’t wait to dive in with floss, cardstock, and gems to create a stitched garden full of detail and color.

You might also enjoy my blog post for the September Small and Large Die of the Month Kit.

🌼 My Stitching Process

To give my flowers a sturdy stitching base, I die cut each bloom twice and glued the layers together before stitching. This little extra step makes the stitching so much easier and helps the finished blooms hold their shape beautifully.

I used two threads of floss throughout, which was just the right weight for crisp yet delicate details.

Close-up of stitched die cut flowers with pale pink and yellow floss, Citrus Spritz leaves, and gem embellishment.

🎨 Stitching Recipe & Color Palette

For this project, I worked from the Color Cubes Palette #391 (Color Cubes Bundle) and pulled together a warm, happy scheme:

The combo of pinks, corals, and yellows pops beautifully against the fresh aqua-blue background!

✨ Finishing Touches

  • I added a touch of sparkle with Woodland Tales gems, which highlight the flower centers perfectly.
  • For the foliage, I decided to switch things up! Instead of using the leaves included in the set, I reached for the pretty die cut leaves from Citrus Spritz (Here is a LINK to a post using the Citrus Spritz Die Set).

💡 Extra Tips for Stitched Dies

  • Don’t be afraid to mix and match leaves, blooms, and embellishments from other kits for added variety.
  • Layering blooms in groups of three always creates a pleasing, balanced look.
  • Keep a small piece of tape handy to hold your floss tails on the back of stitched elements until you’re ready to glue them down.
Handmade die cut and stitched card using the floral Spellbinders September 2025 Stitching Die Club Kit.

This month’s kit is such a joy—relaxing to stitch, yet bold and beautiful when assembled. I can see these blooms being used for birthdays, thank you cards or just becuase.

Die cut critter card of snuggly animals in bed. Cozy Die Cut Scene Card
cardmaking · Die cutting

Cozy Die Cut Scene Card

Karen Brown1 Comment

Hello, crafty friends! Karen Brown here today with a card that is extra cozy, extra cute, and full of September Hero Studio goodness. This month’s release is all about comfort and charm, and I couldn’t resist creating a sweet little bedtime scene featuring some of the most adorable die-cut critters ever.

Key Products: Hero Studio Fancy Die of the Month and Whole Studio Bonus Gift

I really LOVE this die set and I created another card that you might like to see HERE.

Card Details

For my design, I started with the September Fancy Die of the Month: Cozy Critters. At the center of the card is a fox, tucked snugly into a brass bed, clutching its “lovey”—a tiny stuffed bunny. To set the scene, I crafted a Celestial Blue quilt with lovely etched stitching details and paired it with two crisp Snow White pillows.

At the foot of the bed, a striped orange tabby cat curls up contentedly, holding its own little stuffed animal. This cutie comes from the Whole Studio Kit Bonus: Cozy Kitty, which coordinated perfectly to complete my charming bedtime vignette.

Background & Sentiment

Every good bedroom needs wallpaper, so I created a subtle patterned background. I stenciled soft stars over ColorWheel Chiffon cardstock using the Scattered Stars Stencil (from the Hocus Pocus Collection) with Peony and Contour inks. The result reminded me of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star—a sweet lullaby touch for a bedtime card.

To finish, I added a clean and simple sentiment, “hello there”, from the Message Strips stamp and cut set. It felt like the perfect greeting for this dreamy scene.

I had so much fun creating this bedtime scene with the September 2025 Hero Studio Release. Between the fox, the kitty, and those snuggly quilts, I think this one might be my coziest card yet! I can already picture more cards made with this die set— seasonal quilts, or even personalized critter bedrooms.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and sweet dreams of your next crafty adventure!

Hero Arts September 2025 Card Kit Inspirational cards. Hero Arts September 2025 Club Kit Release: Fall into Fall
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Hero Arts September 2025 Club Kit Release: Fall into Fall

Karen Brown18 Comments
Two fun homemade cards created with the September 2025 Hero Studio card kit and Fancy Dies Kits.

Hello friends! It’s time for the Hero Arts September Club Kit Release, and this month’s theme is Fall into Fall. 🍁 Autumn crafting is one of my very favorite seasons, and this release is packed with stamps, dies, and sentiments perfect for cozy, colorful cardmaking. I have two very different projects to share with you today—one-layer stamping and coloring, and a layered die cut scene—that both capture the warmth of fall.

Card 1: One-Layer Stamped + Colored Fall Scene

One-layer fall card featuring stamped and colored pumpkins, mushrooms, acorns, and leaves with the sentiment “Fall is my Favorite Color” created with Hero Arts September 2025 Card Kit of the Month. Embellished with enamel dots.

The September Card Kit includes gorgeous fall imagery: pumpkins, acorns, mushrooms, leaves, and more. I wanted to let the stamps take center stage, so I designed a one-layer background that doubles as the focal point.

I stamped a scattering of pumpkins, mushrooms, and leaves across a white card panel, then brought them to life with alcohol marker coloring in classic fall hues:

  • Oranges and yellows for pumpkins
  • Warm tans and browns for acorns
  • Fresh greens, yellows and oranges for leaves

The finishing touch is the sentiment, “Fall is My Favorite Color,” stamped boldly in black. A few enamel dots (also included in the kit!) add just the right amount of shine.

This card is simple, flat, and easy to mail—but still rich in detail and warmth.

Hero Studio September 2025 stamped one layer card featuring alcohol marker colored pumpkins, fall leaves, acorns and mushrooms + a few enamel dot embellishments.

What’s Included in the September Card Kit?

  • Fall is my Favorite 6×8 Stamp Set
  • Fall is my Favorite Coordinating Dies
  • Treehouse Die Set
  • Sunset Enamel Dots
  • Brown Twine, 1 yard
  • 10 Sheets of Cardstock- 1 of each color, 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Truffle, Merlot, Cinnamon, Terra Cotta, Carrot, Coral, Bellini, Beeswax, Saffron, Tuscan)

Receive a FREE adorable Cozy Kitty Die Set when you purchase The Whole Studio!

Hero Arts has many different Monthly Kits that you can subscribe to including:

🦊🐻 Card 2: Cozy Critters Fancy Die Scene

Adorable die cut scene card featuring an adorable brown bear and red fox snuggling in a brass bed with their stuffed animals. Created with the Hero Arts September 2025 Fancy Die Kit of the Month: Cozy Critters.

Next, I dove into the September Fancy Dies: Cozy Critters. This set has my heart! I created a cozy little bedtime scene featuring a brown bear and an orange fox tucked into a brass bed with a green quilt.

  • The bear is snuggling with a little stuffed duck.
  • The fox is holding the sweetest bunny.

The scene is playful, heartwarming, and perfect for fall—but I think it would also make an adorable Valentine’s Day card!

Die cut scene card featuring a brown bear and orange fox tucked into a brass bed with a green quilt. Bear snuggles a duck, fox holds a bunny. Sentiment “Wishing You a Cozy Fall” with a subtle stenciled wallpaper background.

The sentiment, “Wishing You a Cozy Fall,” comes from the September Clear Stamp & Cut Set and fits perfectly with the theme. For the background, I added a touch of subtle pattern using the Retro Rainbow Stencil with Contour Ink. The soft “wallpaper” design adds depth without competing with the cozy critters in bed.

Love this die set? I have another adorable creation that you can see HERE.

Charming Die Cut Scene card featuring cozy die cut critters from the September Hero Studio Club Kits.

Blog Hop

Hero Arts is celebrating this release with a Blog Hop full of inspiration from the creative team. Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Friday, September 5th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Leave a comment on all stops for more chances to win!


Hero Arts Creative Team:
Anna Mahtani
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Karen Brown You Are Here!
Lea Lawson
Lisa Tilson
Michelle Lupton
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Nichol Spohr
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka

Christmas Crackers die cut handmade card. 4 Tips for Christmas Cardmaking
cardmaking · Die cutting · Tutorial

4 Tips for Christmas Cardmaking

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Bright, colorful Christmas card with a blue "dimpled" background, purple and orange die cut Christmas Crackers and a folliage accents.

Featuring the Christmas Cracker Die Set + Dimpled Embossing Folder

The holidays are the perfect time to get crafty, and Spellbinders’ new Christmas releases make it so much fun! Today I’m sharing a festive card I created with the Christmas Cracker Die Set from Yana’s Christmas Collection and the Dimpled 3D Embossing Folder from Suzanne Hue’s Texture and Foliage Collection.

Along the way, I’ll walk you through 4 tried-and-true tips that will make your holiday cardmaking easier, more enjoyable, and more beautiful.

Tip 1: Use Quality Cardstock

Handmade Christmas card featuring a colorful die cut Christmas cracker in shades of purple, orange, blue, and green. The background is embossed with a dimpled 3D pattern, and some die cuts are raised on foam for added dimension

The foundation of any good die cut is quality cardstock. Thin or flimsy paper isn’t substantial enough for die cutting. For this project, I used Spellbinders’ Color Wheel Cardstock—which is heavyweight, smooth, and cuts like butter.

Here are some of the gorgeous shades I pulled:

  • 🌊 Cascade
  • 💜 Fairy Tale
  • 🌸 Lavender & Lilac
  • 🌞 Beeswax
  • 🍊 Carrot
  • 🍎 Pomegranate
  • 🌿 Peridot & Rainforest

Together these created a vibrant, cheerful, and slightly unexpected holiday palette.

Tip 2: Swatch Your Cardstock

Handmade die cut Christmas card using Spellbinders Yana's Christmas Cracker set with the Dimpled 3D Embossing folder.

Having your cardstock organized and swatched makes choosing colors so much faster. I’ll link HERE to a post where I go into detail on how I keep my swatches handy and easy to use.

For this project, I flipped through my swatches until I landed on the perfect non-traditional holiday mix. Seeing them side by side helped me visualize how the colors would work layered on the Christmas cracker.

Products Used:

Tip 3: Use Color Inspiration

Handmade die cut Christmas Card created with the non-traditional colors of blue, purple, orange, red and green.

When in doubt, let a color system do the heavy lifting! For this card, I turned to Color Cubes Volume 2, specifically palette card #252, which inspired the purple, red, orange, yellow, blue color mix. I also own Volume 1. You can find the Color Cubes Bundle HERE.

I’ll also link to a previous blog post that features Spellbinders’ Color Deck System, another fabulous way to spark ideas when you feel stuck or want to try something different.

Click HERE if you’d like to see another Christmas Card using the same #252 Color Cubes palette card.

Tip 4: Add Texture and Dimension

Die Cut Christmas cracker card with loads of texture, dimension and vivid colors.

Flat die cuts are nice, but texture and lift make a card pop. For this background, I embossed a panel with the new Dimpled 3D Embossing Folder—a subtle yet impactful pattern that catches the light beautifully.

I also used foam squares behind some of the cracker die cuts to add depth and shadow. Craft foam also works great, especially on larger die cuts. The best glue for smaller die cuts is Bearly Glue. I love the fine nozzle! Simple details like these can make your handmade card feel polished and professional.

Adorable Pupkin (Dog in a Pumpkin Costume) die cut Halloween Card. Halloween Card | Spellbinders Pupkin
cardmaking · Die cutting

Halloween Card | Spellbinders Pupkin

Karen Brown2 Comments

Sometimes the cutest cards come together quickly—and this one might just be my favorite of the season! I couldn’t resist Spellbinders’ new Pupkin die set, which features an adorable dog all dressed up as a jack-o’-lantern and carrying a tiny skull-shaped trick-or-treat bucket. Cuteness overload!

This card is extra special because I made it for my daughter in memory of her sweet, goofy lab, Tank, who once rocked his very own pumpkin costume. ❤️

I layered several color coordinating mats from past Small Die of the Month and Large Die of the Month kits and I used ColorWheel cardstock and Sand for my pup’s body. The vibrant layers really make our little Pupkin pop! This design is fast, fun, and easy to assemble—perfect for Halloween cardmaking sessions.

Handmade stenciled Halloween card and tag. A Simple Guide To Using Layering Stencils in Cardmaking
cardmaking · Die cutting · Stenciling

A Simple Guide To Using Layering Stencils in Cardmaking

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Purple and orange layered stencil card with gold foiled “Hello” sentiment, framed with vellum, lavender, and gold cardstock.

Some cards practically make themselves—this was one of them. Today I’m featuring a project made with the August 2025 Hero Arts Layering Stencil of the Month, Sunnyside Manor. This dreamy stencil has a charming layered interwoven scene that comes to life with just a few colors of ink.

Step-by-Step: How to Use Layering Stencils

If you’re new to layering stencils or just want to brush up, here’s how I created this scene using the Sunnyside Manor Stencil set:

1. Start with a Colored Card Base (Optional)

I used lavender cardstock to add an extra tone to the finished design before I ever inked. You can also use white for a clean slate.

For this version, I created a bold and beautiful palette using three shades of purple and a pop of orange. I started directly on a lavender card base, giving me a built-in fourth shade of purple before I even began inking.

2. Secure the First Stencil

Place Layer 1 over your cardstock and secure it using low-tack tape or a sticky mat to keep everything from shifting. Hero Arts Stencils have great square guides in the four corners so each layer lines up perfectly everytime! I take a pencil and mark each square before I begin.

If you’d like to see this process in one of my How to Stencil Videos, click HERE.

3. Blend Your First Ink Color

Using a blending brush, apply your first ink (I used Thistle). Blend evenly and lift the stencil carefully once done.

4. Repeat for Each Layer

Align Layer 2 (they’re clearly numbered on the lower left) and easy to line up with the square guides or by eye).

Ink with your second color: Purple Galaxy

Layer 3: Tangerine

Layer 4: Amethyst

Hero Arts inks dry quickly, but if you’re planning to hot foil or emboss over it, give the ink a moment to fully dry.

5. Add Your Sentiment:

Hero Studio August 2025 Sunnyside Manor layered stencil card in 4 shades of purple + orange.

The card has a soft shimmer, deep contrast, and that quiet elegance that stenciling always brings. I find stenciling to be my Zen moment—and this one was so satisfying.

Interested in more August Club Kit Cards, you can read my August 2025 Release Day Blog Post HERE.

Two Hero Studio Halloween cards and tags in purple and orange.

>>>> Hero Arts Club Kits Overview <<<<

Why I Love This Stencil

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly but artistically satisfying project, this one is for you.

Stenciling has become my go-to technique for beautiful, relaxing cardmaking. The Sunnyside Manor Layering Stencil is especially satisfying—the layers line up easily and the design allows for infinite color combos. Whether you go soft and serene or bold and whimsical, this stencil adapts beautifully.

Interested in seeing some other layering stencils…..click HERE.

Two cute aquatic fish theme die cut cards Spellbinders August 2025 Club Kits: Under the Sea Magic!
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting · stitching

Spellbinders August 2025 Club Kits: Under the Sea Magic!

Karen Brown1 Comment
2 colorful aquatic theme die cut scene cards featuring bright bold colors, a graphic look and LOTS of fish.

This month’s Spellbinders Club Kits dive deep into all things aquatic—and let me tell you, these kits are fin-tastic! 🐠💦 From vibrant fish to stitched sailboats, the August kits are perfect for summer crafting or anytime you want to send a smile that makes a splash. I created three nautical-themed cards using the Die of the Month, Large Die of the Month, Stitching Die of the Month, and my Caboodle Bonus Gift.

🐟 Card 1: Colorful Coral Reef Scene (Die of the Month + Caboodle Bonus Gift)

Die cut coral reef scene with colorful fish on Oceanside blue background. Made with Spellbinders August 2025 Die of the Month and Caboodle Bonus.

This card is bright, whimsical, and just so much fun to put together! I started with a rich Oceanside cardstock panel for the background “water.” Then I built a vibrant underwater world using the Die of the Month and my Caboodle Bonus Gift for even more fishy flair. I skipped the scuba diver die cuts and instead filled the scene with colorful fish in pink, coral, orange, purple, yellow, white, and aqua, all cut from my scrap bin. 🌈

TIP: Many of the elements are quite small—my Bearly Art glue with the fine-tip nozzle was essential for precise placement. I love that this card feels playful and full of life without being fussy!

Die cut card with lots of cute colorful fish swimming around a coral reef.

🐡 Card 2: Make a Splash with the Large Die of the Month

Pink fish in a plastic bag on blue background with “Make a Splash” sentiment. Made with Spellbinders August 2025 Large Die of the Month.

This Large Die of the Month card features the cutest little pink fish swimming home in a plastic bag! It’s such a clever, nostalgic design. I layered the fish-in-bag die cut over another Oceanside background and added a pink string “tie” at the top of the bag. The sentiment “Make a Splash” is included in the kit and absolutely perfect. It’s a great all-occasion card—birthday, congratulations, or just because.

If you like the graphic look of these first two cards, you might be interested in reading my post: What’s Brewing.

Darling "fish in a plastic bag" die cut card card in pinks and blues.

🚢 Card 3: Stitched Sailboat on the Sea (Stitching Die of the Month)

Stitched and die cut brown sailboat with red and yellow flags on blue sea and “Born to Shine Year After Year” sentiment. Made with Spellbinder's August 2025 Stitching Die of the Month.

My final card gives major paper boat vibes, thanks to the Stitching Die of the Month. I die cut the boat from brown cardstock and stitched the details with marine blue embroidery floss. The little red and yellow pennants waving from the mast make it feel festive and fun. 🌊 I added a blue die cut sea, a white die cut cloud, and hot foiled the uplifting La Dolce Vita sentiment:
“Born to shine year after year.” ✨

Stitching Tip: I die cut the boat twice and layered the pieces together before stitching for extra sturdiness. I used two threads of floss for the perfect amount of detail.

Masculine die cut and hands-stitched boat card perfect for birthdays.

These cards came together so easily and would be adorable for summer birthdays, kids’ celebrations, or just brightening someone’s day. Don’t forget—this is all part of the August 2025 Club Kit Release, and if you’re a Deluxe Caboodle subscriber, you get everything plus the bonus die, and save a whopping 58%!

Helpful Links: