VIDEO | Spellbinders | Chinese New Year Cards feat. Good Fortune Horse

After a long break away from making videos, I'm back with a set of four cards I made to ring in Chinese New Year! The Year of the Fire Horse began on February 17, 2026 and I was thrilled that Spellbinders released the Good Fortune Horse [available from SB | SBC | SSS] die and clear stamp set just for the occasion.

The colour palette I selected was inspired by Marina Zlochin's work and I'm sure you will find her illustrations equally inspiring! The cardstock colours are mostly from Concord & 9th with Taylored Expressions and Spellbinders, too: Cranberry, Poppy, Sweet Potato Pie, Carnation, Grape Soda, Eggplant, Almond and Mirror Gold.

This first card features an Almond card base with Color Block Scenic Scape hills cut from Mirror Gold, Grape Soda and Eggplant. The horse was cut from Poppy and Cranberry, the mane and tail from Carnation and Sweet Potato Pie, the saddle from Sweet Potato Pie and Almond, and the hooves from Mirror Gold.

I used my favourite sentiment from this set which is the perfect Chinese New Year sentiment. I stamped it in my mini MISTI using Versamark Watermark ink and heat set it with WOW Polished Gold embossing powder.

My second card features a Poppy card base cut from the largest of the Perfect Touch Rectangles [available from SB | SBC]. The horse was cut from Grape Soda and Eggplant, the mane, tail and saddle from Mirror Gold and Almond, and the hooves from Mirror Gold.

Again, the sentiment was stamped it in my mini MISTI using Versamark Watermark ink and heat set it with WOW Polished Gold embossing powder. To finish, I added five Gold Pearls.

This third card features a Carnation which I partially dry embossed using the Stargazer embossing folder [available from SB | SBC | SSS]. I misted the cardstock before running it through the die cutting machine to get the best impression and prevent cracking. This horse was also cut from Grape Soda and Eggplant, the mane and tail from Poppy and Cranberry, the saddle from Sweet Potato Pie and Poppy, and the hooves from Mirror Gold.

Since this sentiment was off-centre, I shifted it to the left and the horse to the right so that the front two hooves lined up above the height of the letters r and s on the cursive word cheers.

My card features an Eggplant card base cut with one of the Modern Essential Ovals [available from SB | SBC | SSS] and the outer frame dry embossed with the Mosaic Memories embossing folder. The horse was cut from Poppy and Cranberry, the mane and tail from Almond and Mirror Gold, the saddle from Mirror Gold and Carnation, and the hooves from Mirror Gold.

Due to the design of the oval and textured frame, I wasn't able to stamp this sentiment right on the Eggplant card base so I stamped it on a piece of Almond cardstock and trimmed it to fit. The oval insert and all of the horses were attached using 1mm foam squares.

I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Lunar New Year Challenge | A Dragon Birthday feat. RAM Stamps

My second card for the November Lunar New Year Challenge features products from RAM Stamps and Spellbinders. The four main products featured here are the 'Year of the Dragon - Metal' Digital Stamp, 'Year of the Dragon' Digital Pattern Paper Pack, Always You Timeless Sentiments BetterPress Press Plates and Underwater Tunnel Etched Dies.

The 'Year of the Dragon - Metal' Digital Stamp comes with both outline and no-line versions, plus a few sentiments. I printed the dragon and bird image in two sizes on Neenah 80lb cardstock before deciding on a two-inch high version. I also printed out three patterns from the 'Year of the Dragon' Digital Pattern Paper Pack only using two of them in the end.

Before colouring the image with Copic markers, I selected a birthday sentiment from the Always You Timeless Sentiments BetterPress Press Plates, positioned it with Best Ever Craft Tape and heat foiled it with Matte Gold Hot Foil.

After printing the dark waves and dragon prints from the 'Year of the Dragon' Digital Pattern Paper Pack, I cut the Underwater Tunnel Etched Dies and Precision Layering A2 A Etched Dies together to create the overlay panels. After playing around with the position over the coloured image, I decided to cut an extra second layer from Matte Gold Foil Paper to highlight the foiled sentiment. I assembled all the layers with liquid glue to keep it flat and easy to mail.

The rules are simple. You must create a new Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year or a 2024 Dragon Birthday card and add the link to your post in the link-up party. For November, we're inviting you to continue making 2025 Year of the Snake cards! Multiple entries are allowed. Backlinking to an older project is strictly prohibited.

Our November Lunar New Year Challenge will run from 12:00am EST on November 1, 2024 through 12:00pm EST on November 30, 2024. We would love to see you using products from our four generous sponsors! The four lucky winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries and announced at the start of the December Challenge. 

(save and share with your project)

Visit the November Link-Up Party post HERE to see all of the design team projects and be inspired to create your own! When sharing your challenge entries on social media, feel free to save this badge and post it along with your project. Please tag us @lunarnewyearchallenge on Instagram and use the hashtag #lunarnewyearchallenge so everyone can find and be inspired by all your amazing projects.

If you're inspired, some affiliate links are included below at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you again soon!

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Spellbinders Guest Post feat. the Shine Bright Collection by Carissa Wiley

Hello, crafty friends! I'm on the Spellbinders Blog with three cards featuring the Shine Bright Collection by Carissa Wiley, one of many awesome releases now available in the Spellbinders store!

Affiliated product links are listed below at no extra cost to you. Details on how I made each card and more photos are on the Spellbinders Blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies: 

Spellbinders Guest Post feat. Amaryllis Christmas by Yana Smakula

Hello, crafty friends! I'm on the Spellbinders Blog with three cards featuring the Amaryllis Christmas by Yana Smakula, one of many awesome releases now available in the Spellbinders store!

If you missed my post featuring another card using products from this collection, you can find all the details HERE or by clicking on the image below.

Affiliated product links are listed below at no extra cost to you. Details on how I made each card and more photos are on the Spellbinders Blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies: 

Spellbinders | NEW RELEASE | Amaryllis Christmas by Yana Smakula

Today's post features more new release products from Spellbinders and this shaped card features the Amaryllis Christmas Collection by Yana Smakula. Every collection designed by Yana is absolutely gorgeous and this one is no exception! 

It may have been designed for the holidays but Yana's Amaryllis Dies can definitely be used for more than Christmas cards and I'm sharing a card that shows how it can be used for birthdays and other celebratory occasions.

I love that this has a base die on which all the die cut pieces can be glued to. That makes it so easy to work with and arrange on a card. While the obvious option is to ink blend or colour the inlaid pieces, I chose to cut them from Lavender Glaze, Briar Rose and Passion Fruit. I cut the outline with Mirror Gold cardstock and assembled all the pieces on a Vellum base.

I used the Nested Postage Labels for the card base and stitched panel. I cut the card base from Artichoke cardstock and the stitched panel from Snowdrift, which I dry embossed using the Amaryllis Garden 3D Embossing Folder.

After creating the postage-shaped card base and glueing the embossed panel on it, I heat foiled the sentiment from Let's Celebrate Sentiments Press Plate & Die Set using Polished Brass Hot Foil on Mocha cardstock. I chose this colour because it closely resembled a pot or soil and thought this combination of foil and cardstock complemented the other colours nicely.

Both Yana's Amaryllis and the Let's Celebrate Sentiment were popped up on foam squares. To finish, I added three Fashion Oyster Pearls.

Be sure to check out the full Amaryllis Christmas Collection HERE or by clicking on the banner above. I'll be sharing more inspiration from the new collections soon so be sure to stop by again soon!

If you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below and remember to accept your cookies so I can be credited for the referral. Spellbinders would love to know that you were inspired by me. Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Deborah's 2K Celebration Hop + Giveaways!

We're celebrating Deborah Hellman's 2K milestone on Instagram! Congratulations, Deborah!! A bunch of Deborah's crafty friends have all made congratulations cards for her and there are so many prizes to be won so be sure to head over to Instagram and hop along for inspiration, discover new designers and comment for your chance to win. All of the rules and a list of prizes are below and on Instagram.

To create my card, I first searched through my stash for congrats sentiments and I ended up selecting the Spellbinders Always You Timeless Sentiments and the size and fonts led me to the Four Petal Thank You Floral which I've only used once before. Believe it or not, it's quick and easy because the arrangement is already prepared and you just add the flowers!

I always say I'm not going to take so many photos but the dimension is so beautiful on this bouquet, even without foam tape! I did add low tack foam squares behind the blue and yellow flowers but this card will still mail easily.

The colour palette I used includes Alabaster, Beeswax, Tuscan, Rainforest, Fern, Salt Water Taffy, Audrey Blue and Tropical Punch. I added Gold Glitter centres to complement the BetterPress sentiment which was actually heat foiled with Polished Brass Hot Foil. 

While I had the supplies out, I decided to make two cards because I was so pleased with the way the congrats card turned out. The differences are the sentiments and the embossing folders.

The congrats card features the Lush Leaves 3D Embossing Folder and the birthday card features the All Wrapped Up 3D Embossing Folder. The panel that features the foiled sentiments was cut from the Mirrored Arch Labels.

The full hop list is as follows in case you get lost along the way or there's a broken link on the hop:

@hellmad

@unpamperedstamper

@itsacardknocklife

@craftee1

@carlyteeminner

@vjsjoey

@nickiheartscards

@createwithkas

@emily.leiphart

@lauren.taylor.made

@rookiecardmaker

@miscreacionesbypc

@claudiacubascards

@addi.mahajan

@wavingmywand

@pajamacrafterstamps

@bdk_creations

@southerncolorin

There are $1230 worth of prizes being given away on Instagram so be sure to head over there, hop along, and follow all of the participating designers and sponsoring companies for a chance to win!

Colorado Craft Company  - $300 prize package (US Only)

Stamp-n-Storage - (1) $100 gift certificate (gc) and (2) $50 gc

LV Handcrafted - 1 EZ Holiday Crafting All Access Pass value $145

Magnuson Custom Stamps - (3) $30 gc toward a custom stamp

Glassboard Studio - set of 12" and 6" New Magnetic Rulers $50 value (US only)

The Greeting Farm - $50 gc

This Calls for Confetti - $50 gc

Stamp Anniething - $35 gc

Your Paper Insider - (1) paper subscription box $35 value (US only)

The Maker Session - Dauber Wand Package - $30 value (US only)

Kat Scrappiness - $25 gc

Simon Says Stamp - $25 gc

Gina K Designs - $25 gc

Whimsy Stamps  - $25 gc

Not 2 Shabby - $25 gc

Crafty Stamp Co - $25 gc

Pink & Main - $25 prize package (US only)

Altenew - $20 gc

Pajama Crafter Stamps - $20 gc

Artful Angel - $15 gc

Polkadoodles Crafts - $15 gc

If you're inspired, some affiliate links are included below at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you again soon!

Supplies: 

Spellbinders Guest Post feat. Happy Hour Collection

Hello, crafty friends! I'm on the Spellbinders Blog with three cards featuring different ways to use the Happy Hour Collection, one of many awesome releases now available in the Spellbinders store!

Affiliated product links are listed below at no extra cost to you. Details on how I made each card and more photos are on the Spellbinders Blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies: 

Spellbinders | 50th Birthday Card feat. August 2024 Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month - Colorful Splash

Welcome back, crafty friends! Today, I'm sharing my sister's 50th birthday card and it features the August 2024 Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month from Spellbinders. If you missed my son's 16th birthday card featuring the "Colorful Splash" Glimmer Hot Foil background, you can find more inspiration in that post HERE.  Club Kits close on the 27th of each month so get them while you can!

While the Colorful Splash was more subtle on my son's card, I wanted this one to be more bold but since the overall card is fairly monochromatic, it could lean either way. I cut an A2 base panel and used Pastel Mint Hot Foil on Oceanside cardstock.

Next, I die cut the Stitched Numbers, from both Glitter Teal Foam Sheets and Aqua Sky cardstock for the shadow layer. For the sentiment, one of three from Colorful Splash, I heat foiled it with Matte Silver Hot Foil on Peacock cardstock and die cut it using one of the fishtail dies from Mini Everyday Sentiments.

To make the floral arrangement, I die cut the flowers from the Floral Spray Dies from the Bayfair Collection using a palette of Pale Rose, Nectar, Pink Sand, Spiced Cider and Meadow cardstock. You can find more inspiration using the Floral Spray Dies in THIS post and all my Bayfair Collection posts HERE.

After completing my flower arrangement around the numbers, I carefully attached them to the heat foiled base panel with a combination of liquid glue, glue dots, foam squares and foam strips for many layers of dimension.

To finish, I popped on the sentiment strip and added a few Oyster pearl embellishments. My sister is going to the Dominican Republic with a few friends for her big day so I thought this sentiment and the card was perfect for her special 50th birthday. What do you think?!

Here's a list of monthly club kits I share, as well as some of the value kits offered by Spellbinders:

Stitching Die of the Month

Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month

The Deluxe Caboodle Value Club

I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. Spellbinders would love to know that you were inspired by me. Thanks so much for your continued support!

Supplies: