Hooray for Summer Treats! ☀️🍧

Today I'm sharing a bright and cheerful card featuring products from the brand new Better With Sprinkles release from Catherine Pooler Designs! This fun-filled collection is packed with sweet summer treats, playful sentiments, and fresh new colors that are perfect for all your summertime crafting.

For this card, I wanted the background to be the star of the show. I created a soft, wavy design using the gorgeous new Party Collection ink color, Boardwalk. By blending the ink in varying intensities, I was able to create layers of cool blue waves that remind me of a sunny day by the water.

To add a little extra sparkle and shine, I splattered the entire panel with the new Oh Boy! Shimmer. The subtle shimmer catches the light beautifully and adds just the right amount of summer magic.

 

I kept the focal point simple with one of the adorable images and sentiments from the new Life Is Better With Sprinkles stamp and coordinating die set. This sweet set includes six fun summer dessert-themed greetings along with coordinating images that are perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and sending a little sunshine to someone special. I love how this tiny popsicle and sentiment pop against the bold blue background!

Sometimes all you need is a simple design, a fresh color palette, and a touch of sparkle to create a card that's ready to celebrate.

Release Information:

• StampNation Members: Shop early on Tuesday, June 16
• Public Release: Available Wednesday, June 17

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope this card inspires you to play with layered ink blending and add a little shimmer to your next project.

Happy crafting! 💙🍧✨

~ Ally ~ 

Lighting Up the Night with Summer Celebrations

Hello crafty friends!

Today I’m sharing a card featuring some of the adorable images from the new Sweet November Stamps Summer Celebrations digital release! This cheerful scene combines elements from several sets to create a magical summer evening filled with friendship, fireworks, and fun memories.

For my focal point, I used the sweet kiddos and colorful fireworks from the Light Show collection. I just love the perspective of these two friends sitting together and watching the fireworks dance across the night sky. To give them the perfect place to enjoy the show, I added the picnic table from the Popsicles collection.

I colored everything with Copic Markers, building a deep twilight sky that allows all of those bright fireworks to really shine. The vibrant reds, yellows, greens, blues, and purples create a spectacular display against the dark background, while the warm tones on the children help draw the eye to the focal point of the scene.

To finish the card, I added the sentiment "You Brighten My Day!" on a simple banner die cut. It felt like the perfect greeting to complement the joyful fireworks and the heartwarming friendship captured in the image.

I love how this card celebrates those special summer moments—sitting outside with friends, watching fireworks light up the sky, and making memories that last long after the show is over.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the entire Summer Celebrations release from Sweet November Stamps for even more adorable images perfect for all your summertime crafting.

Happy coloring! ✨🎆🎇

~ Ally ~ 

Drift, Dance, Dream with Laguna

Hello friends! Happy Wednesday!

Today I’m sharing a bright and cheerful beach scene featuring the adorable Laguna little mermaid from Sweet November Stamps. With her sweet smile, curly hair, and vibrant pink tail, she was the perfect focal point for a sunny seaside card!

To create the scene, I paired Laguna with the large island image from the Dock on the Bay Scene Builder stamp set. The tropical shoreline instantly set the stage for a relaxing day by the water. I colored the entire scene with Copic Markers, blending soft aqua waters, sandy beaches, and lush island greenery to bring the coastal setting to life.

For Laguna herself, I chose bright pinks for her tail and added a fun pop of orange to her bow. The contrast against the cool blues of the water helps her stand out beautifully against the background. I also added lots of shading and highlights to give the scene depth while keeping the overall look bright and playful.

The sentiment comes from the new Merwee Tide Dancers stamp set and perfectly captures the carefree summer vibe of the card: "Drift, Dance, Dream." I stamped it in black to anchor the design and balance the bright colors throughout the scene.

To finish the card, I mounted the completed panel onto some fun Catherine Pooler polka dot patterned paper. The colorful dots add an extra touch of whimsy and frame the beach scene without distracting from the focal image.

This card has me dreaming of warm sunshine, sandy beaches, and ocean breezes. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope Laguna inspires you to create your own little seaside escape!

Happy crafting! 💕

~ Ally ~ 

A Sea-Sational Postage Adventure

Hello, crafty friends!

I'm back today with another card featuring the brand-new Sea-Sational MerMay release from Sweet November Stamps! This time, I couldn't resist using every single image from the adorable new Seababies stamp set to create a fun underwater postage-style scene card.

For this design, I started by masking off each section of a postage-style die-cut panel, creating multiple tiny underwater vignettes. I love how each little "stamp" becomes its own miniature scene while still working together as one cohesive card. The sweet mer-babies are joined by all their ocean friends, including playful fish, crabs, coral, and even a tiny snail exploring the sea floor.

Once all of the images were stamped, I colored everything with Copic Markers, bringing the cheerful underwater world to life with bright, beachy colors. To create the vibrant ocean backgrounds, I used my Copic Airbrush System, blending soft shades of blue throughout each postage section. The airbrushed backgrounds add so much depth while keeping the focus on those adorable images.

I finished the card with a simple sentiment and plenty of bubbles scattered throughout the scenes to tie everything together. The postage layout was the perfect way to showcase all the sweet characters included in the Seababies set, and it makes for such a fun storytelling card!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the entire Sea-Sational MerMay release—it's packed with adorable mermaids, ocean critters, and underwater scenes that are perfect for all your summer crafting projects.

Happy stamping! 🧜‍♀️🐠🦀💙

~ Ally ~