Too Glam to Give a Clam – A Monochromatic Mermaid Card

Today I’m sharing the card I created for my StampNation PenPal for August. This month’s challenge was all about GREEN, and I decided it was the perfect excuse to dive under the sea and play with an entire palette of gorgeous aqua and green tones!

For my focal image, I chose this beautiful mermaid from the Sweet November Stamps “Mermees So Emotional” stamp set. I had so much fun coloring her in soft minty greens and aquas, keeping everything very monochromatic while still adding lots of depth and detail.

To create her underwater home, I tucked her into a pretty ticket-edged frame die from Whimsy Stamps. Behind her, I added lots of flowing underwater foliage using Catherine Pooler Designs’ Under the Sea Cover Plate Die. I kept all of those elements within the same aqua-green color family so the mermaid would remain the star of the scene. I also added some wavy kelp using the Catherine Pooler "Jellyfish Layered Stencil" and Minted ink.

Of course, I couldn’t resist adding some splatters throughout the background for a little extra bubbly texture and movement. The finished scene feels soft, cool and dreamy—just like being beneath the surface of the ocean!

This card also happened to work perfectly for a recent episode of Craft Roulette. Here’s how I incorporated all four parameters:

• Project: 4x8 Card
• Colors – Excited: Green represents life, growth and energy
• Element – Cold or Chilly: The cool ocean/sea water
• Random – Stitches: The stitched detailing around the ticket-style frame

I finished the card with the fun sentiment, “Too glam to give a clam.” It was just too perfect for this gorgeous mermaid!

I absolutely love how this monochromatic card came together. Playing with different shades of green and aqua was such a fun challenge, and I love how all of the layered underwater details still allow that fabulous mermaid to shine.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope this inspires you to choose one color family and see just how much depth and interest you can create with it. Happy crafting!

~ Ally ~ 

Oh So Merry ~ Catherine Pooler & Sizzix

Sometimes the simplest cards are the most fun to make! For today’s Catherine Pooler Designs and Sizzix release card, I really wanted the fabulous alphabet dies from the “Oh So Merry” Thinlit Dies to be the stars of the show.

I started by creating my own custom cardstock colors using Spruce, Sage, Buttercream and Rose Petal inks. I simply inked up pieces of cardstock with each color and then die cut all of the different letters from those beautiful coordinating swatches. I love how the different letter styles, sizes and little stitched and pierced details give the sentiment so much personality!

Once all of my letters were cut, I played around with the arrangement until I had my fun “Merry and Bright” greeting. I adhered everything onto a kraft-colored cardstock panel that I had lightly splattered with some Sage ink for just a little extra texture and interest.

That’s it! No fancy embellishments or complicated techniques—just some pretty ink colors, a great set of alphabet dies and a little bit of playful arranging. I love how these whimsical letters really do all the work on this card.

Such a simple and cheerful holiday card, and definitely one of those designs that would be easy to recreate in all kinds of different color combinations!

You can shop Catherine Pooler Designs here: https://shop.catherinepooler.com?aff=49

Happy holiday cardmaking!

~ Ally ~ 

Copper-Kissed Autumn Greetings

Today I’m sharing another card featuring the beautiful “Autumn on Main” Collection from Catherine Pooler Designs. I kept the design for this card fairly simple, letting those gorgeous fall colors—and plenty of copper shine—take center stage!

I began by stamping three of the maple leaves from the “Fall Flourishes” Stamp Set and heat embossing them with Copper embossing powder. I love how the metallic embossed lines give the leaves such a warm, elegant look.

Next came all that glorious autumn color! I blended Tiara, Tiki Torch, Rockin’ Red, and just a touch of Cranberry Fizz ink across each leaf. I allowed the colors to overlap and blend together so every leaf had its own fiery mix of yellows, oranges, and deep reds.

To add a little extra texture, I splattered the leaves with some water and then added a sprinkling of the new Copper Shimmer. The shimmer catches the light beautifully and coordinates perfectly with the copper embossing.

Once the leaves were dry, I die cut them and arranged them around a simple white die cut panel. I added the “Autumn Greetings” sentiment from the “Autumn Greetings” Stamp Set, also embossed in Copper, and added a few more Copper Shimmer splatters to tie everything together.

For the finishing touch, I layered the panel over a piece of rich Cranberry Fizz Cardstock. That deep burgundy background really makes the glowing autumn leaves pop!

I love how something as simple as a few beautifully ink-blended leaves can make such a bold seasonal card. The combination of those warm Catherine Pooler ink colors with all that copper sparkle just feels like autumn! 🍁✨

~ Ally ~ 

A Little Autumn Harvest

Hello crafty friends! Today I’m sharing another card featuring goodies from Catherine Pooler Designs, and this one actually started with a leftover piece from a previous project. I love finding ways to use those little bits and pieces on my craft desk—especially when they inspire an entirely new card! For my previous card, I had inked cardstock with Uptown Ink and die cut the delicate scripted “Harvest” from the Harvest Duo Word Dies. Rather than toss away the negative portion that remained, I knew I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into another design. 

I started my card by die cutting a piece of white cardstock with one of the Scallops & Dots Dies to create that sweet scalloped edge. Next, I positioned the shadow die from the Harvest Duo Word Dies toward the lower right corner and die cut it directly from the scalloped panel. I tucked my leftover Uptown-inked negative die cut behind that opening and then backed the entire panel with white cardstock. I love how this gives the greeting such a clean, almost inlaid appearance while still allowing that gorgeous deep teal Uptown color to really stand out.

With my sentiment in place, it was time to add some autumn color! I used all three of the adorable little leaf images from the Autumn Greetings Stamp Set, stamping them in Aquatini, Orange Twist, Tiara and Uptown Inks. I kept the leaves dancing loosely down the center of the card to create a playful trail of fall color without overwhelming the large scripted greeting.

For one final little touch, I added splatters of the new Copper Shimmer across the background. Those tiny sparkling copper flecks add just enough shine when the light catches them and pair so beautifully with the warm autumn ink colors.

I really love how this simple card came together—and even more that it started with a leftover die-cut piece from another project! It’s always fun when something that could have landed in the scrap bin becomes the inspiration for a whole new card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to take another look at those negative die cuts and crafty leftovers sitting on your desk—you never know what your next card might begin with!

Happy crafting! 🍂✨

~ Ally ~