Memory Box Backyard Wren JOY Postage Card…

September 1, 2026 Pam Sparks3 Comments

Hi everyone! A little Christmas spirit here thanks to the inspiration of Donna Mikasa! You can see her card on her blog HERE and on Instagram HERE.

Die cutting and ink blending with Distress Vintage Photo for the wren. Assemble it going by the indentations the die leaves on the pieces makes it really easy! YAY!

I die cut a Lawn Fawn Postage Rectangle Stackables in the largest size in white Hammermill 100# Color Copy Cover cardstock. Then I embossed it with Simon Says Stamp Vine Canopy embossing folder. It’s so pretty!

The holly is from the Spellbinders Christmas Cracker die set. I cut the holly leaves off the stem. The pine branch is from Impression Obsession, no longer available.

I used a green A2 size cardbase, adhered the embossed panel to the front.

The JOY sentiment is a die from Savvy stamps, no longer available but possibly another company has something similar! I glued together three red JOYs. I like that look so much. I glued it in the upper right corner to give the ‘feel’ of the forever words or the cent amount.

The wren is adhered with the thin foam mounting tape I like…linked below. The branches, berries and holly are glued directly to the card panel. Allow room when you’re applying the mount tape to the back of the wren so you can stick stuff under easily.

Inside I die cut another white postage panel and stamped a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp set linked below.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I appreciate it!

Here’s links to the dies and supplies I used to make this! Have fun looking and shopping!

12% off at SBC right now!

Memory Box – 94723 Backyard Wren… [ STR ]	Simon Says Stamp Embossing Folder… [ SSS ]	Simon Says Clear Stamps INSIDE… [ SSS ]
Lawn Fawn – Lawn Cuts – Dies -… [ SBC \| SSS ]	Spellbinders – City Holiday… [ SBC \| SSS ]	Spellbinders – Platinum Die Cutting… [ SBC \| SPL \| SSS ]
Scrapbook Adhesives Crafty Foam Tape… [ STR ]	Nuvo Deluxe Clear Drying Adhesive;… [ STR \| SSS ]	Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Precision… [ STR \| SSS ]

All Occasion · Birthday · cards · Die Piecing · Easel · Embossing Folders · Spellbinders dies

Spellbinders Chess and Checkers Easel Birthday Card and SALE info!

August 21, 2026August 22, 2026 Pam Sparks10 Comments

Hi everyone! One of our grandsons just turned 20! HOW?! They grow up so fast! Our daughter found an antique chess table for him for his gift so then I knew I had to buy this collection for a birthday card! It can be checkers too so I know I’ll be able to use it some more.

Fortunately I saw some other cards made by Spellbinder cardmakers and was able to pretty much copy the set up. I know nothing about Chess!

The sentiment set that coordinates is really great too! I love that! Sometimes I get so bogged down trying to figure out sentiments! haha

I recommend doing the embossing folder first then stenciling in the colors. I used woodgrain paper to start with so I didn’t have to add a lot of ink to the lighter brown.

I cut the embossed, stenciled panel and the smaller portion worked out perfect for the bottom inside corner! So happy how that worked!

Easel cards are so easy to make. Make your top panel, then cut a card base and score the top in half. Glue the full top panel to the bottom of the card base (below the score) and boom, that’s it!

Here it is laying flat. Fits perfectly flat in an envelope and mail as usual.

One last close up photo…

Here’s a simple video showing it finished… (it doesn’t show the colors right but it gives you an idea for construction) Click the bottom right corner for full screen.

Linking to some card challenges…

Crazy is our fame – STENCILS are our game! – stencils and optional CAS (I used the Layered Harlequin Stencil set)

Seize the Birthday #332 – anything goes birthday

A Cut Above August – anything does with dies

NBUS #89 – never before used stuff!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I appreciate it!

Here’s the dies and supplies I used to make this easel card. Email if you have any questions.

A GREAT SALE @ Spellbinders right now! Remember the Baking sets I just used? IT’S ON SALE 40% off!

HERE!

The Checkmate Collection that I used for my easel card is part of the sale too!!!

13% OFF @ Scrapbook.com. Click/Tap SBC below.

$5 OFF your next order @ Simon Says Stamp with code FRESH.

Spellbinders – Checkmate Collection -… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Spellbinders Layered Harlequin 3D… [ SSS ]	Chess & Checkers Etched Dies \| Hero… [ SPL \| SSS \| SBC ]
Well Played Sentiments Clear Stamp &… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]	harlequin embossing folder [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]	Layered Harlequin Stencil \| Hero Arts… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]
Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring… [ SSS \| SBC ]	Scor-Pal 12×12 INCH MEASURING AND… [ SSS ]	Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Self-Adhesive… [ STR \| SSS \| SBC ]
Versafine – Onyx Black – full-sized… [ STR \| SBC \| SSS ]	MISTI TEAL PRECISION STAMPER Stamping… [ SSS \| SBC ]	MISTI Stamping Tool – The Most… [ SBC \| SSS ]
MISTI Stamping Tool – The Most… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Tonic Studios Tim Holtz 8.5 Inch… [ SBC \| SSS ]	Memory Box – SH44004 Black Glossy… [ STR ]
Simon Says Stamp 10 Sheets Great for… [ SSS ]	Lawn Fawn VANILLA MALT Cardstock LF1576 [ SSS ]	Lawn Fawn LIGHT BROWN WOODGRAIN 8.5 x… [ SSS \| SBC ]

BetterPress · Birthday · cards · Embossing Folders · Hot Foiling · Spellbinders dies · Summer · Thinking of You

Spellbinders Magical Fuchsia Card…

July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 Pam Sparks12 Comments

Hi cardmakers and friends! Have you tried coloring with layering stencils yet? Do you like it? At first I felt challenged but I’ve persevered and with a few little tricks I feel confident to keep purchasing them because I love the look and I do enjoy doing it!

For this focal point I used the fuchsia plate, which can be used as a betterpress plate or a hot foil plate, with gold hot foil and the hot foil system.

Then I colored with inks and the coordinating layering stencils! Keep scrolling because I have some of the experiments photographed to show you!

I didn’t feel like I found the ideal position for the card photos so I’m just posting more!

I used the Nested Postage Labels & Tag die set for the panels.

The sentiment is from the same set as the fuchsia, the Magical Fuchsia Press and Foil Plate & Die set.

I used my favorite thin foam mounting tape to adhere the postage layer to the cardbase and the fuchsia to the pink panel.

Linking to some card challenges…

AAA Cards #319 – Color Challenge, use 3 of the 4 colors. Look close and you’ll see the orange!

Try it on Tuesday – Summer Blooms

Just Add Ink #790 – Stencils and or Dies, I used both

Tic Tac Toe #297 – first or second vertical rows

NBUS #88 – Mutual Appreciation Celebration!

Now for the practice pieces…

This one I stenciled first then tried to run it through the embossing folder. It shifted. I think I decided it’s better to emboss first, then stencil because you can move the stencil.

It looked pretty bad so I thought why not just use my gathered twigs mini blending tool and give it the aged look! I think I need to do this over because I do like this browning effect! haha, not a surprise to some of you who know my past of making everything brown for a few years!

This one turned out better on the coloring, embossing lining up but then I didn’t get the die lined up well for cutting it out!

I think I embossed this one after coloring with the stencils too… better than the purple one but still getting out of the lines made the die cutting look worse.

Die cutting the foiled image is definitely easier and a better result, the image on my card.

All in all, our cards are handmade which makes them more valuable, right?! lol

Thank you so much for clicking over and I hope you enjoyed this floral break from fishing cards! I do have another fishing card coming for sure and probably some from the past I haven’t posted. Some other cards too! I’m having fun! Happy Summer!

Looking or shopping links to what I used to make this card…

Spellbinders Magical Fuchsia… [ SBC \| SPL ]	Spellbinders Magical Fuchsia Press… [ SSS ]	Spellbinders Magical Fuchsia… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]
Spellbinders – Magical Fuschia… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Spellbinders Magical Fuschia Stencils… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Nested Postage Labels & Tag Etched… [ SPL \| SSS ]
Scrapbook Adhesives Crafty Foam Tape… [ STR ]	Nuvo Deluxe Clear Drying Adhesive;… [ STR \| SBC \| SSS \| ACH ]	Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Precision… [ STR \| SSS ]
Spellbinders – BetterPress Collection… [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Spellbinders – Glimmer Hot Foil System [ SBC \| SSS \| SPL ]	Spellbinders – Glimmer Hot Foil Roll… [ SBC \| SPL ]

cards · Congratulations · Die Piecing · Embossing Folders · Foiling · Graduation · Hot Foiling · Memory Box · Minc · Quickutz · Sizzix · Spellbinders dies · Spring · Stencils · Taylored Expressions

Even MORE Graduation Cards for 2026!

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 Pam Sparks14 Comments

It was so fun to personalize some cards for my daughters to use! You can guess this one was for a drummer!

Linking to the Crafty Catz Challenge – anything goes!

and linking to DL.ART Thankful Thursday Challenge – anything goes/optional graduation

and linking to Time Out Challenges – playing music!

I’ll link up what I used below. The drum set is from My Favorite Things. No longer open but maybe it can be found searching. I don’t see the congratulations anymore either so I’ll link up a different one, it’s not as long though.

This one was for a vocalist and pianist! So fun!

Linking my piano keyboard card to the Simply Clean & Simple May Challenge – Clean and Simple.

and linking to Cards 4 Guyz – Clean and Simple.

and linking to Try it Tuesday – Keep it simple!

congradulations is another stamp from My Favorite Things…

Keyboard and Microphone are from Spellbinders, linked below.

This one was for a cello player that plays basketball and volleyball too!

The filmstrip is a really old Sizzix or Accucut die!

Linking my old filmstrip die card to the Neglected Stuff Challenge – use at least one old neglected product.

and linking to the Alphabet Challenge – B is for ball

Cap, basketball, words and numbers from Spellbinders. (it looks like the sports set is discontinued)

Stars from Memory Box.

Below, more cards that would work for anyone….

I like the cap on numbers and letters! lol This is the TE Little Bits cap, Quickutz extra Large Blossom numbers, TE layered Star stencil and TE congrats grad sentiment.

Linking my congrats grad card to the Stencil Fun Challenge – stencils are the game!

and linking to the Just Add Ink Challenge – add stencils or dies or both!

and this one…

TE star background stamp and cap die. Quickutz Diesel Numbers. Sub sentiments are from My Favorite Things. I found some other small sentiments and linked them up below…

Last but not least…although it looks like the words didn’t all take the foiling, they did! No idea why it looks black. I made two of these.

TE foiling cards and TE graduation cap.

Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle dies.

That’s all I think! eek! I had fun making…I hope you’ve been having fun too!

Now back to the regularly scheduled program! haha I have a sympathy card, some birthday cards and baby cards to share!

ttul!

Some shopping links for products that are still current…

Simon Says Stamp CONGRATULATIONS… [ SSS ]	Simon Says Clear Stamp EZ Strips… [ SSS ]	Hero Arts Everyday Sentiment Strips 2… [ SSS ]
Classic Mouse Graduation Etched Dies… [ SPL \| SSS \| SBC ]	Mini Musical Instruments Etched Dies… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]	Classic Mouse Graduation Sentiments… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]

cards · Congratulations · Die Piecing · Embossing Folders · Graduation · Memory Box · Penny Black · Poppystamps · Quickutz · Spellbinders dies · Spring · Taylored Expressions

Graduation Cards Galore!

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 Pam Sparks9 Comments

Linking my Globe Card to the Word Art Wednesday Challenge – anything goes!

I finally got the TE Little Bits Grad Cap to make this card. I copied it from their website (edited to add the card designer is Kavya). One difference is I used the Penny Black wood floor. (linked below)

Linking my congradulations card to the Paper Funday May Challenge – anything goes!

This card I used Spellbinders Bold numbers sets, TE grad cap and MFT sentiment.

Linking this colorful card to the A Cut Above May Challenge – anything goes with a die cut.

This one is a TE die and the mini sentiments are from MFT. Oh, the star stamp is from TE also.

I used Black Glossy cardstock to die cut it. Linked below.

I had fun with this! I used the NEW poppystamps Joyride Car, an old Quickutz die for the grad caps, Memory Box Puffy Clouds and the FLY HIGH sentiment is a dollar stamp, probably over 20 years old from JoAnns! I’d never used it before!

I’m linking my FLY High card to the NBUS challenge #86 – never before used stuff!

and to the Four Seasons Spring Challenge – because Spring is graduations!

and to the Neglected Stuff Challenge – because this Fly High sentiment has to be over 20 years old!

I just inked the background with Distress inks.

This one it’s hard to see but the black behind the cut out letters is embossed with Spellbinders Music folder, I’ll link it below and you can definitely see it better in the last photo.

The grad cap and scroll I used here are from the Classic Mouse Graduation die set…linked below.

I used Altenew’s Bold alphabet to die cut the word GRAD, I’ll link it below.

I did different color hats…

I’m linking my GRAD card to the Can You Handle the Pressure? Challenge – anything goes with an embossing folder.

and to the Die Cut Divas Challenge blog – all about celebrations!

and to the Word POWER Challenge – focus on the sentiment!

So fun! I have one more post coming with grad cards…hopefully you’ll be inspired like I was by all the cards out in the interwebs!

I got out all my graduation supplies and now I have a real mess. haha It’s kind of tempting to keep them all together instead of putting them back away by company.

Thank you so much for stopping by and scrolling through! Holler if you have any questions!

Here’s shopping links to what’s available that I used…

Penny Black – Creative Dies – Wood… [ SBC ]	Poppystamps – 2697 Joyride Car craft die [ STR ]	Favorite Song 3D Embossing Folder -… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]
Altenew – Dies – Caps Bold Alphabet [ SBC \| SSS \| ALTN ]	Bold Numbers Etched Dies from the… [ SPL \| SBC \| SBC \| SPL ]	Spellbinders Bold Color Mix Numbers… [ SSS ]
Sweeping Celebration Sentiments Press… [ SPL \| SBC \| SSS ]	Classic Mouse Graduation Etched Dies… [ SPL ]	Memory Box – SH44004 Black Glossy… [ STR \| SSS ]
Scrapbook Adhesives Crafty Foam Tape… [ STR ]	Hammermill WHITE 100 LB SMOOTH… [ SSS ]	Spellbinders – Card Shoppe Essentials… [ SBC ]
Spellbinders Splatter White Opaque… [ SSS ]	Splatter White Opaque Watercolor \|… [ SPL ]	Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Perfect… [ SSS ]
Bazzill FOIL Cardstock – matte and shiny [ STR ]	Nuvo Deluxe Clear Drying Adhesive;… [ STR \| SSS ]	Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Precision… [ STR \| SSS ]
Craft Tweezers – EK Tools – 5 inch… [ STR \| SSS ]	Lawn Fawn – Lawn Cuts – Dies – Simple… [ SBC ]