Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting · Mixed Media

Spellbinders December 2025 Die of the Month | Gel Press Print Card Ideas

Die cut owl with a flower crown sitting on a branch, framed inside a white Polaroid-style border with a rub-on ‘love’ sentiment. Background and card base are made from textured green, red, tan, and white Gel Press prints

If you love mixed media, adorable woodland critters, and any excuse to use your Gel Press prints, the December 2025 Spellbinders Small Die of the Month Better Together is going to make your crafty heart flutter. This month’s kit includes two owls and two otters, but for today’s project, I kept things simple with a single sweet owl—perfect for a Valentine’s Day card for my daughter.

How to Use Gel Press Prints in Cardmaking

I reached into my stash of Gel Press prints (one of my favorite studio habits!) and created a simple but visually rich design. The card base is a greenish-yellow pulled print, while the Polaroid-style frame background uses a print with layers of tan, brick red, green, and white. The organic textures and imperfect blends from the prints give this card a soft art journal meets Valentine vibe.

For the focal point, I die cut the owl and assembled her with a tiny flower crown, then perched her on the included die cut branch. She’s framed inside a Polaroid-style photo using the Hero Arts Nesting Journaling Photo Frames, which provide the perfect amount of white space.

A single rub-on sentiment—“love” from the Hero Arts Ornate Frames Transfer Sheet (RT127)—sits on the bottom right of the Polaroid border for an easy, minimal look. Because the background is so full of visual interest thanks to the Gel Press print, the clean sentiment balances everything beautifully.

Handmade Owl Valentine Card using Spellbinders December 2025 Die of the Month Kit + Gel Press Prints.

Key Products Used


Spellbinder Small Die of the Month
Hero Arts Nesting Journaling Photo Frames
Hero Arts RT127 Ornate Frames Rub-On Transfers
✨ Gel Press Prints (my favorite kind of stash!)

Why I Love This Project

This card is:

  • beginner-friendly
  • fabulous for using your stash of Gel Press backgrounds
  • perfect for mixed media fans and Valentine’s Day
  • totally customizable (the kit includes two owls and two otters!)

I also included a process photo showing stacks of my finished Gel Press prints. The print used for the Polaroid background is the top middle print in that photo. I love Gel Press play days, and it feels great putting those prints to use in my cardmaking.

Stacks of completed Gel Press prints in various colors. The top middle print is tan, brick red, green, and white—the print used for the card’s Polaroid background

This simple mixed media Valentine is going to my daughter—and I think she’ll love the sweet little owl with the tiny flower crown.

Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Girly Spa-Themed Die Cut Card | Wrapped in Care – December 2025 Club Kit

Feminine die cut card idea:  delightful spa day theme card of a girl in a spa towel turban enjoying a day of beauty.

The Spellbinders December 2025 Large Die of the Month, Wrapped in Care, is an absolute delight—especially if you love creating feminine cards with personality. This adorable die set builds the sweetest girl wrapped in a fluffy spa towel turban, fully embracing her day of beauty. It’s charming, whimsical, and so customizable, which made it perfect for creating a card for my daughter. Naturally, I personalized her hair and skin tone to match!

To build the scene, I embossed my background using a past Embossing Folder of the Month, which gave the card a serene, peaceful spa vibe. The textures really elevate the focal girl and tie the whole design together. For colors, I reached for my ColorWheel cardstock, one of my favorite studio essentials. The shades are Chiffon, Cascade, and Celestial, with additional details cut from scraps.

This blog post also highlights my trusty Swatching Dies and Stamps, which are invaluable when choosing harmonious colors.

Die cutting process photo showing the assembly of my December 2025 Large Die of the Month card.

I included a process photo that shows my Spellbinders Shears, my Craft Stax Tray Set (perfect for corralling all the tiny die cut bits), and of course, I used my trusty Platinum 6 die cutting machine—the real MVP.

A simple chipboard sentiment—“enjoy today”—finishes the card with the perfect message for a little self-care moment.

If you love spa themes, feminine cards, or die cutting with loads of personality, the Wrapped in Care kit is going to be a favorite.

Helpful Links:

Spellbinders December 2025 Die of the Month: Wrapped in Care die cut handmade girlfriend card.
cardmaking · Die cutting

Spellbinders November 2025 Large Die of the Month – Charmed to Know You

2 handmade purse theme cards created with Spellbinders November 2025 Large Die of the Month Kit.

Today I’m sharing two darling purse-themed cards using the Spellbinders November 2025 Large Die of the Month Kit Charmed to Know You. This set is pure cuteness with so many ways to personalize your bag design. Think mini luxury handbag boutique… but in cardstock form!

This die kit creates a fabulous purse with dangling charms, handles, layered details, and all the embellishments your fashionable heart could want. While it’s designed for 5” x 7” cards, I also made a 4” x 6” version because these purses are just too cute not to size-down and play.

💡 Crafter tip: I keep a clear pouch full of scrap cardstock and it was PERFECT for cutting the tiny charms. Little paper leftovers finally had their big couture moment!


💜 Card 1 – Cream & Lilac Glam

Feminine birthay card featuring a die cut handbag with three cute charms dangling from the handle.

For my first card, I created a Alabaster cream purse with brown leather straps and brushed gold hardware — classic and chic!

I paired it with a lilac background (ColorWheel cardstock) and added a darling mini change purse, a pink scarf, and two charms:
✨ a sweet little bear with a matching pink neck kerchief
🍒 happy smiling cherries

The finishing touch? A gorgeous La Dolce Vita hot foil sentiment on lilac cardstock:

Make it a Day to Remember

And yes — this purse absolutely feels like it’s ready for brunch, shopping, and maybe a macaron or two.


🖤 Card 2 – Chic Neutrals & Lucky Charms

Fun girly birthday card featuring a gray and gold handbag with three charms hanging from the gold hardware:  two dice and a pink pig.

My second purse fits a 4” x 6” card base and features granite and anchor gray cardstock with a brushed gold chain handle — sleek and modern!

I got playful with my charms:
🐷 I turned the Caboodle Bonus Gift pig into a charm
🎲 and added two dangling dice on each side

A sweet mini pink bow sits above all three — because even edgy handbags deserve a touch of sweetness.

The sentiment is a dainty Glimmer-foiled “Happy Birthday” — perfect for the girly-girl in your life who loves a little luxury and whimsy.


2 handmade die cut cards featuring cute charms and purses created from the November 2025 Spellbinders Large Die of the Month Kit.

🌟 Final Thoughts

This month’s Large Die of the Month is a handbag lover’s dream — charming (pun absolutely intended), customizable, and so much fun to style. Try different color palettes, charm combos, and sizes to create purses for every personality.

Interested in my other November Card Kit Creations?

Helpful Links:

Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting · papercrafting

Bold Color Block Brunch Theme Card | Spellbinders November Kit

Handmade brunch-themed card with bold color-block rectangles in pink, green, lilac, and blue, featuring die-cut egg, bacon, champagne glass, and waffle with stick arms and legs, plus a 'Thanks a Brunch' sentiment.

Let’s Do Brunch! | Spellbinders November 2025 Small Die of the Month

If you love playful cardmaking and adorable food-themed dies, this month’s Spellbinders Die of the Month — Let’s Do Brunch — is going to spark so much joy! This clever die set is packed with cheeky breakfast and brunch icons, complete with arms, legs, and serious personality. Think cute eggs, dancing bacon, bubbly champagne… all ready to brunch and boogie.

And the sentiment?
“Thanks a Brunch.”

Brunch food theme die cut card created with Spellbinders November 2025 Die of the Month Kit.

My Bold + Graphic Brunch Card

For today’s project, I leaned into a bold, graphic color-block look to really spotlight each quirky character. I trimmed and pieced together four vibrant cardstock quadrants to create a modern grid background. The clean, high-contrast shapes make the little food friends shine!

Card Details

  • Theme: Foodie / Brunch / Thank You
  • Style: Modern color-block + cute character die cuts
  • Colors:
  • Characters:
    ✅ Smiling sunny-side-up egg
    ✅ Dancing bacon strip
    ✅ Cheerful champagne glass (cut from vellum for fun transparency!)
    ✅ Sweet little waffle

Each food item gets tiny stick arms and legs — a charming little detail that gives them so much life.

📐 Measurements

To create the crisp color-blocked effect:

  • Cut four rectangles: 2 1/8″ x 2 ¾” each
  • Tape all four from the back
  • Adhere the full panel to an A2 card base to stabilize

Simple steps, big visual impact!

Close-up of smiling die-cut breakfast characters on a modern graphic card with vellum champagne glass and bright pastel cardstock blocks

Design Tips

  • Vellum = perfect for glasses, bottles, and any glass objects
  • Foam Squares behind your food characters adds dimension and personality
  • Mixing playful images with clean graphic lines = fresh modern design

Don’t Miss This Kit!

If you’ve been looking for a unique, fun die set that works for birthdays, thank-yous, brunch invites, foodie friends, or just-because cards — this one’s a winner.

Be sure to check out my post for the November Stitching Die of the Month too — my favorite stitching kit of the year!

Thanks a brunch for stopping by today — and tell me, which cute brunch buddy is your favorite?

Helpful Links:

Cardmaking Kit · stitching

My Favorite Stitching Kit Yet! | Spellbinders November 2025 Stitching Die of the Month

Adorable handmade card with a Chihuahua dog peeking out of a die cut handstitched purse with colors in 4 shades of aqua.

If you love stitching dies and adorable pups, you’re in for a treat with the Spellbinders November 2025 Stitching Die of the Month. This kit is pure joy — it features the most darling Chihuahua peeking out of a stitched purse, complete with a tiny sweater and irresistible details. I think this might be my favorite stitching kit of the year!

✂️ A Stitch Above the Rest

For the purse, I followed the etched diamond stitching guide using DMC #964 aqua floss (two strands). I like to die cut each stitched panel twice and glue them together before I start stitching — it gives the piece a nice sturdy base and helps it hold its shape.

The stitching adds beautiful texture, and the aqua floss blends perfectly with the Teal Topaz ColorWheel cardstock.

🎨 My Color Recipe

Here’s the cardstock and stitching palette I used:

Fun dog theme hand stitched die cut card created with Spellbinders November Stitching Die of the Month Club Kit.

👜 The Perfect Sentiment & Finishing Touches

For the sentiment, I used the “Hello” Die from Hero Arts’ November Fancy Die Kit — it’s the perfect elegant touch without stealing focus from the little pup. The background features the Hero Arts Elegant Window Fancy Die, which frames the scene beautifully.

The main ColorWheel palette of aquas and neutrals (Teal Topaz, Blue Spruce, Waterfall and Fawn) keeps everything cohesive while letting that sweet Chihuahua shine. The stitched purse adds just the right amount of dimension, making this card one of those “pick up and look closer” moments.

This one’s going to my daughter’s mother-in-law, who happens to have two Chihuahuas — so I know it’ll be a hit!

I have an adorable Color Block Food Theme card coming on November 11th…come back and take a peek.

Helpful Links:

Cardmaking Kit · Give Away · papercrafting

One More Chapter! Hero Arts November 2025 Release + Blog Hop


Book theme cards created with the November 2025 Hero Arts Hero Studio Card Kits.

Hello, Karen Brown here — and I am curling up with a good card kit! The November Hero Studio Release is a dream come true for book lovers. This month’s theme, “One More Chapter,” celebrates cozy reading nooks, favorite stories, and the joy of escaping into a good book.

Even better, there’s a Hero Arts Blog Hop to celebrate — and prizes! So grab a cup of tea (or coffee), and come along for some page-turning inspiration.

Die-cut handmade scene card featuring a girl reading a book framed with a postage stamp border and scripty hello sentiment

📖 Card 1: My Happy Place

For my first project, I used the “Happy Place” die set from the November Card Kit of the Month to create a cozy die-cut scene.

Picture this: a girl tucked in with her favorite book, surrounded by soft periwinkle blue and warm orange tones. The card has a charming, feminine feel — like a Saturday morning spent lost in a good story.

I framed the scene with the Nesting Postage Stamp Dies to give it that “happy mail” vibe and added a sweet scripty Hello from the Fancy Die Book Bag set.

This one’s heading to a book club friend who, like me, can never resist reading just one more chapter!

Handmade book theme scene card created with Hero Arts November 2025 Card Kit.  Colors are periwinkle blue, orange and brown.

What’s Included in the Kit?


                       • To Be Read Pile 4×6 Clear Stamp Set and Coordinating Dies
                       • Happy Place Die Set
                       • Professional Bookworm 3×4 Stamp & Cut
                       • Gold Hero Wax, 1 oz.
                       • 10 Sheets of Cardstock- 1 of each color, 5.5″ x 8.5″

>>> Receive a FREE Do Not Disturb Stamp and Cut  when you purchase The Whole Studio!

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

Card 2: Escaping Reality One Page at a Time

Bold die cut  and stamped typographic card spelling “JOY” with the O as a stamped oval reading “Escaping Reality One Page at a Time,” layered over a blue checkerboard background.

Next, I pulled out the Stamp & Cut of the Month: One Page at a Time. I love this set — it’s perfect for pairing bold typography with clever bookish sentiments.

I stamped the oval sentiment “Escaping Reality One Page at a Time” and used it as the O in my big JOY design. Then I die cut a bold J and Y from the Letter Fancy Die sets (J–N and W–Z) in bright orange, adding white shadows behind them to tie in the stamped oval.

The letters are large, 2 1/2″, creating a bold and dynamic visual card.

Stamped and die cut reading theme card created with Hero Arts November 2025 Stamp and Cut Kit called "One Page at a Time".

For the background, I created a tone-on-tone checkerboard using the November Cling of the Month — stamped Cornflower ink on Periwinkle cardstock for a crisp, graphic finish.

The result? A bold, cheerful, and clever card that feels fresh and literary — perfect for your favorite reader.

JOY  sentiment card created using Hero Arts large alphabet Letter Fancy Dies with blue and orange color palette.

GIVEAWAY 

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Wednesday, November 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
Anna Mahtani
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Karen Brown <<<< You Are Here!
Lisa Tilson
Michelle Lupton
Michelle Short
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka
Nichol Spohr

💡 Final Thoughts

I adore how all the November Hero Studio kits coordinate beautifully — from cozy die-cut scenes to playful sentiments and graphic backgrounds. Whether you love to stamp, die cut, or mix both, this release has something for every creative reader at heart.

And if you’re tempted by all the coordinating goodness, consider the Whole Studio Bundle — it’s a $240 value for just $130. That’s a deal worth bookmarking!

You might also want to take a peek at Past Club Kits that are still available.

cardmaking · Give Away

CASE Me A Christmas Card 2025

Adorable Christmas card using Hero Arts Elf Culture Stamp and Die Set, Nesting Postage Stamp dies and White Holiday Collage Hero Transfer background on red paper.

I’m so excited to be part of CASE Me A Christmas Card 2025! My talented crafty friend @michelle_lupton invited me to join this year’s creative lineup, and I was thrilled to say yes. This fun annual event features ten creative hops throughout October—two on YouTube and eight on Instagram—where cardmakers CASE (Copy And Selectively Edit) cards from one another.

Key Instagram hashtag: #casemeachristmascard

Link to Join Our Instagram Hop

To join the fun, create your own Christmas card inspired by one from the hop and upload it via Inlinkz on Michelle’s blog. You can also win prizes from amazing sponsors just by participating or leaving comments on the hop posts!

I’m part of Hop #9 and am CASEing the wonderful @expressivepaper – Kathy Pisupati. Kathy created an absolutely adorable Halloween card that I just had to reimagine as a Christmas design!

Kathy’s Halloween Card:

@expresspaper card for CASE my Christmas Card 2025

My Card Details

I was inspired by Kathy’s use of postage stamp dies (always a favorite of mine) and her clever background. Instead of stenciling, I used one of my other go-to products—Hero Transfers—to create my own twist.

I stamped an adorable raccoon reaching for a hug, paired with the perfect sentiment: “Does Somebody Need a Hug?” My color palette is limited to Christmas red, white, and small dabs of aqua and tan, which gives the card a striking and dramatic look while keeping it silly, fun, and a little bit heartwarming. I also think it’s a great option for masculine cards this holiday season!

Key Products Used On My Card:

Adorable Christmas card with a raccoon reaching for a hug and the sentiment "Does Anybody Need a Hug?".  Bright red and white Hero Transfer rub-on background with three stamped and postage stamp die cut focal elements.

Enjoy the hop!

cardmaking · Hot Foiling · stitching

Rainbow Ink Stenciled Cards with Foil Accents | Year-Round Inspiration

Two cards in soft pinks and other pastel colors that are stenciled, hot foiled and die cut.  The theme is gift wrapped packages and the elements can be used for Christmas, thank you cards, birthdays, showers and graduations.

The new Hero Arts October 2025 Best Gift Ever Collection is here, and I couldn’t resist creating with the Best Gift Ever Boxes Bundle. These products are incredibly versatile—you can use them for birthdays, Christmas, graduations, showers, or anytime you need a festive card. I went with pastel rainbow colors and magenta foil for two cheerful and celebratory designs.

Handmade pastel rainbow card with hot foiled, stenciled and die cut gift packages with magenta foil perfect for a birthday or shower.

Card Process

  1. I began by hot foiling the ribbon and bow details from the Wrap It Up LetterPress + Foil Plates in Magenta Foil on Deluxe Smooth Cardstock. This cardstock gives crisp foiling and smooth ink blending results.
  2. Next, I pulled out the Gorgeous Gifts Layering Stencils to add sherbet-like rainbow colors to my packages.
  3. Once stenciled, I die cut the gifts with the Gift Boxes Die Set. I repeated steps 1-3 twice to create enough pieces for two cards.
  4. For the sentiments, I again hot foiled in magenta foil:
  5. I arranged the die-cut gifts and sentiments into a loose square composition, mounting them with foam squares onto a white scalloped square panel (from the Square Scallop Infinity Dies). Finally, I adhered them to a pale pink card base.

The result? Two pastel, rainbow-inspired cards with a touch of elegant foil shine. These gifts are perfect for any season or occasion—and I love how the foil details elevate the look for something extra special.

💡 Foiling Note: I own two foiling machines, but I consistently get my best results with the Spellbinders Glimmer System. In fact, I haven’t reached for my other machine since 2023! This is, of course, just my personal experience, but I thought it might be helpful to share if you’re curious about foiling systems.

Handmade thank you card in rainbow pastel colors using Hero Arts Best Gift Ever Collection.   Hot Foiling, Layered Stenciling and die cutting techniques used.

I am also participating in an Instagram Hop for this release, and we’d love for you to pop by! You can find all the details HERE.

Interested in another post on foiling? Click HERE.

Cardmaking Kit · stitching

Spellbinders October 2025 Stitching Die of the Month | Peppermint Prancer

Spellbinders October 2025 Stitching Die of the Month handmade Christmas card with a stitched red and white peppermint candy used as the O in JOY, with a playful Rudolph reindeer sprawled across it on a Cascade blue background

The October 2025 Stitching Die of the Month is called Peppermint Prancer, and it’s as festive as it sounds! This month’s design combines the sweetness of peppermint candy with the whimsy of a playful reindeer—perfect for cheerful holiday cards.


🍬 The Peppermint

I started with a Cascade blue background to give my card a crisp winter feel. The stitched peppermint takes center stage: alternating red and white cardstock wedges stitched with contrasting thread—red stitches on the white wedges and white stitches on the red wedges. The result is a bold, candy-like design that feels dimensional and playful.

Die cut JOY sentiment with large stitched peppermint as the O, with Rudolph the reindeer holding on playfully.  Card created with Spellbinders October 2025 Stitching Die of the Month Club Kit.

🦌 The Reindeer

Of course, no holiday peppermint is complete without a reindeer! I gave my prancer a bright red die cut nose to turn him into Rudolph, and I positioned him sprawled out across the peppermint as if he’s hanging on for dear life. It makes the whole card feel lighthearted and full of energy.


🎄 The Sentiment

Here’s where the fun twist comes in: the stitched peppermint doubles as the “O” in the word JOY. I die cut a bold J and Y (included in the kit) from the same red cardstock as the peppermint so the word stretches across the entire card front. The peppermint pulls double duty as both candy and sentiment—an easy way to make your design more impactful.


Close-up of stitched peppermint candy with contrasting thread: red thread on white wedges, white thread on red wedges on a Rudolph handmade card.

✂️ Stitching Details & Supplies

I stitched with two strands of embroidery floss and recommend keeping thread taut but not tight for smooth stitches. For those new to stitching dies, I’ll be linking to my favorite stitching accessories and tools so you can jump right in.

Helpful Links:

And if you’d like to see more from the October Club Kits, I’ll also link my other projects using this month’s dies.

cardmaking · Hot Foiling · Video

Video: Make This Playful Elf Christmas Card

Today I’m sharing a playful Christmas elf card that combines bold colors, a cheeky sentiment, and a versatile foiled background. Even better—I filmed the entire process so you can craft along step by step.

I have a list of key supplies used below the video.

👉 Or Watch the full video tutorial here!

Interesed in more of my videos? Click HERE to go to my YouTube Channel.

Key Products Used:

Adorable die-cut Christmas elf card on a hot-foiled background that simulates falling snow.

The Background – Snow or Confetti, You Choose!

I started with the Hero Arts Celebration Press Plate (part of the Yule Fuel Collection). I love how versatile this plate is—it looks like snowflakes when foiled in white but could also become a confetti background in bright colors. For this project, I went snowy, since my elf needed a winter wonderland to stand in.

Close-up of foiled snowy background created with the Celebration Press Plate. White foil dots on blue cardstock, resembling falling snow for a handmade Christmas card.

The Sassy Elf

Next came my focal point: a die cut elf from the Yule Fuel Collection. He’s cheeky, a little silly, and absolutely festive. To give him personality, I used ColorWheel Cardstock in:

  • Cascade (blue)
  • Dahlia (pink)
  • Fern (green)

The mix of colors makes him bold and fun—perfect for standing out against the snowy background.

Title: Fun & Festive Christmas Elf Card | Yule Fuel Collection

Description: Create a quirky, colorful handmade Christmas card featuring a sassy die cut elf, snowy foiled background, and the playful sentiment “OMG! Santa!”. Step-by-step video tutorial included—perfect DIY holiday card idea!

The Cheeky Sentiment

Every good elf needs a punchline, and this one couldn’t be better:
“OMG! Santa!”

The die cut letters are crisp, bright, and perfectly straight across the card front (in the video, I share my favorite tip for gluing letters evenly every time).

Watch the Video Tutorial

And in my video, I show you:

  • Exactly how I foiled the Celebration Press Plate
  • How to glue tricky die cut letters so they’re straight and evenly spaced
  • My step-by-step process for putting the whole card together

 Or Watch the full video tutorial here!

Handmade Christmas card featuring a die cut elf in pink, blue, and green standing on a snowy foiled background with bold die cut sentiment reading ‘OMG! Santa!’ from the Yule Fuel Collection

Trust me—you’ll be smiling the whole time you make this card.