Christmas in Summer – Card 8: Magic Where You Least Expect It

 Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing Card 8 from my Christmas in Summer series, and I’ll admit, this one’s a little different. Not your usual festive scene, but something softer... almost like a winter postcard from the coast.

At the centre is a sweet little birdhouse with a bluebird tucked inside, framed by pastel florals, delicate coral-like branches and an embossed heart-shaped window. There’s even a tiny starfish and striped fabric detail, which brings just enough seaside charm without going full summer holiday mode.

The sentiment says: “Believe in the magic of the season” - and I love that. It’s a gentle reminder that magic shows up in quiet moments too: in soft colours, natural textures, and little details you might miss at first glance.

I wanted this card to feel calm, handmade, and maybe a little nostalgic. It has layers, but nothing flashy - just soft dimension and a hint of sparkle if the light catches it right. Definitely one of those cards you keep on your shelf for longer than December.

Let me know what you think - do you like mixing seasonal styles like this?

I still have two more cards coming in this series… and they’re heading in a completely new direction.

Thank you for stopping by.

Natalia x

A Soft Floral Thank You Card

 Hello my crafty friends,

Today I’m sharing a delicate and colourful thank you card I created using beautiful layered stencils and dies from Hunkydory. I wanted to play with soft pastels and vibrant accents, so I blended the background with a soft cloudy tone and added floral elements in peach, pink, and yellow hues.

The sentiment is a bold focal point – a lovely mix of hot pink and crisp white, standing out against the gentle background. To add more dimension, I used an embossed script on the yellow panel and arranged the flowers in little clusters around the sentiment strip.

I love how this card turned out – it’s cheerful yet soft, perfect for expressing gratitude in a handmade way. A few tiny gems added just the right amount of sparkle.

Let me know in the comments if you also enjoy using stencils and layered florals in your cardmaking.

Until next time,

Natalia x

Christmas in Summer – Card 7: Robin in the Winter Pines

 Hello creative friends!

Welcome back to my Christmas in Summer card series. Today I’m excited to share Card 7, created for Hunkydory, featuring this cheerful robin enjoying a wintry pine forest scene.

Even though it’s warm outside, there’s something magical about crafting for Christmas all year round. This card is a perfect reminder that creativity doesn’t follow seasons—it flows when inspiration strikes.

🐦 About the Card:

The focal point is a beautifully stamped robin perched on a textured branch, surrounded by pine needles and delicate snowflakes. The background is a mix of layered inky blues and icy aquas, creating depth and a frosty forest vibe.

The sentiment “Warm & Cosy Winter Wishes” brings it all together with a comforting touch.

💡 Tip: Layering stamped backgrounds with different tones gives a dimensional look without adding bulk—perfect for cards you plan to post.

Thanks for following along with my Christmas in Summer series—Card 8 is coming soon! Let me know in the comments if you enjoy winter cards in July too 💙

Stay creative,

Natalia

Amazing Greenhouse Card – A Celebration of Growth

Hello and welcome!

I'm so glad you're here—today I’m sharing a special card that celebrates growth, joy, and the calming beauty of nature.

For this design, I used patterned paper as a soft, botanical backdrop. The charming Plants and Pots dies add texture and warmth, while the star of the composition is the Amazing Greenhouse die. I brought it to life with layers of Distress Oxide inks and gentle touches from watercolour markers, creating a tranquil, glassy effect that feels fresh and inviting.

I finished the card with a cheerful sentiment:

“Well done, you did it!”

Perfect for any occasion that deserves a heartfelt, leafy congratulations.

Thank you for stopping by—I hope this project brings a bit of green joy to your day. 🌱

Let me know what you think, or share your own botanical creations in the comments below!

Natalia x

One Die — Four Cards: A Creative Challenge with Craft & You Design

 Hello there and welcome to my blog!

Sometimes, the most exciting ideas don’t come from having a hundred tools on your desk — but from focusing on just one. That’s exactly what happened here.

I took a single floral panel die from Craft & You Design and gave myself a challenge:

Can I create four completely different cards using only this one shape?

Spoiler: turns out one die isn’t limiting — it’s basically a gateway to a full creative takeover.

💌 Four moods, one die:

• A soft, pastel card with dreamy ink blending
• A bold inlay design packed with colour and dimension
• A playful shaker with tiny embellishments and movement
• A glossy layered look with vellum and embossing

Each card tells a different story — but they’re all built from the same starting point.

And that die? It’s a stunner. Gentle curves, leafy swirls, delicate petals… and big enough to fill your hand. It works perfectly as a background or a focal point, and it adapts to pretty much any style.

🎥 What you’ll find in the video tutorial:

• Step-by-step guidance through each card
• Tricks for working with vellum and ink
• Layering techniques for clean and bold designs
• Shaker construction tips
• Ideas to stretch your stash and rethink familiar tools

💬 This kind of creative challenge is one of my favourites — it pushes you to look at your supplies with fresh eyes and trust your imagination.

So if you’ve got a die sitting quietly in your drawer… maybe today’s the day to wake it up.

📺 Watch the full video over on my YouTube channel, where I share the full process and plenty of behind-the-scenes thoughts.

link here: https://youtu.be/LqpEJyZjAMQ

Thanks for being here — and happy making!

Natalia x

Christmas in Summer – Card 6: Soft Glow and Simple Joy

 Hello lovely souls, and welcome to a quiet celebration in paper form.

Card 6 in my Christmas in Summer series is all about balance — between colour and space, sparkle and silence.

This design features a stylised tree made of soft layered shapes, topped with a gentle burst of yellow glow — no glitter, just light. The background transitions from mint to soft apricot, creating a sunrise feeling that brings peace and energy at once.

I added a sentiment: “May the Peace and Blessings of Christmas” — because sometimes that’s exactly what we hope for the people we love. Nothing flashy. Just warmth.

I wanted this card to feel modern and sacred. Simple shapes, soft textures, and just one tree to say it all.

Thanks for journeying through Card 6 with me — next stop, number 7, and it’s bold and unexpected!

Natalia x

Garden Therapy – Handmade Card with Polkadoodles

Hello crafty friends!

Today I’m sharing a card made with the Garden Therapy clear stamps and outline dies from Polkadoodles. I absolutely love how fun and lighthearted this set is – and who can resist that sentiment? "Gardening is cheaper than therapy & you get carrots" 🥕💛

For the background, I used Distress Oxide inks to create a soft yellow gradient, giving it a warm and sunny feel. All the stamped images were coloured with watercolour markers, and I added a bit of dimension by layering the veggies and popping them through window cut-outs.

I framed the whole scene with a bright scalloped die – it really makes the green pop and gives a fresh spring vibe.

This set is perfect if you love garden-inspired crafts with a bit of humour!

Thanks for stopping by,

Natalia x

Christmas in Summer – Card 5: A Gentle Forest in Layers

 Hello my crafty friends!

Today I’m sharing Card 5 in my Christmas in Summer series

— and it’s the quietest forest I’ve ever built.

This card is created with a stair-step base — each fold revealing its own pine tree, inked in muted winter shades. It feels like walking into a quiet woodland path, where every layer leads a little further inward.

The two sentiments are simple, but placed with care:

→ “Season’s Greetings” on the front panel,

→ “....Holly Jolly Christmas.....” nestled inside, surrounded by trees and calm.

I wanted this card to feel dimensional but peaceful — not bold, just quietly expressive. It’s one of those designs that speaks slowly, like snow falling. And it reminded me that sometimes the structure of a card carries as much emotion as the colours do.

Thanks for visiting — Card 6 is next, and it’s all about glowing simplicity.

Natalia x

Say Cheese Birthday Celebration – Stepper Shaker Card

Hello again!

Today I’m sharing a cheerful birthday stepper card made with the Say Cheese Birthday Celebration stamp and die set from Polkadoodles. I absolutely love how playful and interactive this one turned out!

The background is created with Distress Oxide inks, softly blended and splashed for a bit of texture. The sweet little camera is stamped and coloured with watercolour markers, and placed inside a shaker box filled with sequins and confetti – perfect for birthday sparkle!

And here’s the twist – the camera moves! A small hidden thread allows it to swing gently, making this card even more fun to open.

To bring in more birthday vibes, I added stamped candles at the bottom, matching the bright palette. This was a joy to build, layer by layer, especially with the dies that cut everything so easily and cleanly.

Let me know what you think – and if you love shaker cards too!

Crafty hugs,

Natalia

Christmas in Summer – Card 4: Joy in Bloom

 Hello friends, and welcome back to my Christmas-in-July journey!

Today I’m sharing Card 4 in my festive summer series — and it’s one that brings colour, comfort, and a little bird-sized joy.

The centrepiece is a soft robin perched inside a delicate floral frame — a blend of rose pinks, warm greens, and soft shadowing. The sentiment “Sending You Christmas Cheer” says exactly what I hoped this card would feel like: a warm hello through the winter postbox (even if we’re still in flip-flop season!)

I wanted something that felt nostalgic yet fresh, so I kept a natural palette and allowed the illustration to do most of the talking. A few textured accents — embossing here, some foiled shimmer there — give it dimension without overwhelming the calmness of the piece.

This card is for someone you truly want to wrap in warmth and tell: “I’m thinking of you. I hope the season brings good things.”

Sometimes that’s all a card needs to do.

Thanks so much for following along! 

Card 5 is coming next... and it’s got some pop-up surprises!

Natalia x

Just Because... and a Jar of Vegetables

 Hello friends, and welcome back to my creative corner!

Today I’m sharing something totally unexpected — a shaker card filled with vegetables! No glitter. No snowflakes. Just a cheerful jar bursting with garden joy.

Created for Polkadoodles, this card includes bright cut-outs of carrots, tomatoes, radishes, leafy greens, and two tiny garden tools — a hand fork and a trowel — tucked in like secrets ready to be found. The woodgrain background makes everything feel homely and earthy, while the shaker adds playful movement.

At the top: “JUST BECAUSE”

And at the bottom: “You’re amazing just the way you are”

Because kindness doesn’t need a season or a reason — and who wouldn’t smile getting a card filled with vegetables?

This design reminded me that crafting doesn’t have to fit expectations. You can shake joy out of a tomato just as easily as from a snow globe.

Materials used:

– Polkadoodles veggie stamps & die cuts

– Acetate shaker window

– Foam tape for dimension

– Wood-texture - stencil

– Sentiment stamp and dies

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Natalia x