After creating a bright and colourful sunburst card, I found myself wondering how the same technique might look with a softer colour palette, which led to today's tone on tone card featuring a playful paper pieced mermaid.

Bright Cardmaking Colour Palette

The jungle colour palette at As You See It Challenge features Coastal Cabana, a rich aqua blue. I decided to pair this bright tone with scraps of pool party to create a tone on tone sunburst. The result creates plenty of texture and visual interest while maintaining a calm, cohesive feel.

I love how a simple change in colour palette can completely transform a technique. The same sunburst background that felt bold and energetic in my previous project suddenly became elegant and serene. It's a wonderful reminder that colour choices play a huge role in shaping the mood of a handmade card.

Magical Day Mermaid

The layout for this project was inspired by a sketch challenge from Sunday Stamps. Once the background was complete, I began thinking about a focal image. Although I didn’t set out with a strict beach theme at the beginning, the colours and soft layered textures naturally steered the design in that direction, evoking calm seaside waters and coastal vibes. I wanted something playful, so I chose a mermaid image from my collection, which fits beautifully with the current Simon Says Stamp “At the Beach” challenge.

To colour the mermaid, I used a paper piecing technique, one of my favourite ways to use even the smallest paper scraps.

Watch the Video

Coming soon to my YouTube channel.

Free Scrap Busting Cardmaking Printable (Subscriber Bonus)

If you enjoyed this project and the idea of turning paper scraps into something completely new, I’ve put together a free Cardmaking with Scraps printable as a welcome gift for email subscribers.

It’s a great next step if you’d like more inspiration for using up your stash in a fun, relaxed way.

👉 You can access the free printable (and the growing subscriber library) when you join my email list here:
https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/2095513/189121847385654530/share

Happy crafting!

Tone on Tone Sunburst Background with a Paper Pieced Mermaid

June 24, 2026

This scrap paper card began with a challenge to "shop my stash" and quickly turned into a colourful handmade summer card inspired by sunshine, holidays and happy memories.


Summer Vacation Themed Card

The starting point for this project was the Shopping Our Stash "Summertime" challenge. I wanted to create something bright and cheerful while also making a dent in my ever-growing pile of leftovers. That's when the idea for a sunburst card background came to mind.

Scrap Patterned Paper Sunburst

The colour palette was inspired by the current challenge at All About papercraft challenges. I pulled together scraps in a range of oranges, yellow and blue tones and arranged them around the centre of the card. The combination immediately felt bright, playful and perfect for a summer card. 

As with many creative projects, the card evolved as I worked. Once the sunburst was assembled, I added a small rectangular panel over the centre point. This not only covered the joins where all the paper scraps met, but also created the perfect place to build my focal cluster.

The finishing details were inspired by the Time Out vacation theme challenge. As soon as I started thinking about vacations and summertime adventures, I knew I wanted elements that reflected travel and memory-making. So I added a film frame die cut, a small sun embellishment and a camera image. Together, these elements reminded me of summer holidays, sightseeing adventures, taking photographs and capturing special moments with family and friends. 

Watch The Video

Coming soon to my YouTube channel.

If you have a collection of patterned paper scraps sitting in your craft room, I encourage you to give this scrap busting card project a try. Sunburst backgrounds are surprisingly easy to create, work beautifully on a DIY greeting card, and can be adapted to suit almost any colour palette or theme.

Free Scrap Busting Cardmaking Printable (Subscriber Bonus)

If you enjoyed this project and the idea of turning patterned paper scraps into something completely new, I’ve put together a free Cardmaking with Scraps printable as a welcome gift for email subscribers.

It’s a great next step if you’d like more inspiration for using up your stash in a fun, relaxed way.

👉 You can access the free printable (and the growing subscriber library) when you join my email list here:
https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/2095513/189121847385654530/share

Happy crafting!

A Sunburst Card from Scrap Paper | Summer Vacation Theme

This week's project started with June's challenge photo from the Inspiration Station blog, featuring a basket of strawberries. The texture in the basket immediately reminded me of the paper weaving technique I shared back in Season One of Cardmaking with Scraps. Instead of using the weaving as a background, though, I wondered if I could make my own little basket and turn it into the feature of the card.

Creating a Card Entirely from Scraps

Working entirely from scraps, I wove narrow strips of Crumb Cake cardstock to create a miniature basket. This kraft basket is the perfect fit for this fortnight's Shop Your Stash blog's KRAFT-astic challenge, which encourages the use of kraft papers.

From there, I needed to add some strawberries. I don't actually own a strawberry stamp or die, but luckily they're pretty simple to draw! I chose a selection of rich pink scraps inspired by the Sunday Stamps Garden Grandeur colour palette. 

The deep greens in the patterned paper and foliage were also inspired by this palette, while the spotted background tied in beautifully with an optional dots theme at this month's Paper Funday challenge. 

To pull all of the elements together, I followed the current sketch from the As You See It Challenge.

A Fresh Way to Use Paper Weaving in Cardmaking

What I love most about this project is that it shows how a technique can evolve. The same paper weaving method that once created a background became a dimensional embellishment instead, proving that sometimes a fresh look at the scraps already on your desk can lead to something completely new.

Watch the Video 

Free Cardmaking with Scraps Printable (June Subscriber Bonus)

If you'd like to see the original woven background project that inspired this little basket feature, my Cardmaking with Scraps printable is currently available as a free download for email subscribers throughout June. It's a fun way to explore the technique in its original form before experimenting with your own creative twists.

👉 You can access it through the subscriber library when you join my email list.

The Cutest Way to Use Up Paper Scraps 🍓 | A Paper Weaving Twist

June 11, 2026

One of the things I love about creating backgrounds from scraps is that every piece turns out differently. This abstract landscape-inspired background was so much fun to put together, using a mix of leftover cardstock scraps to create a colourful scene.

The challenge, of course, comes after the background is finished. Once you've created something this detailed, it can be surprisingly difficult to decide how to turn it into a finished card without covering up all that hard work!

Turning a DIY Background into a Finished Card

When I'm feeling a little stuck, I often turn to challenge blogs for inspiration, and this card ended up drawing ideas from several current challenges. The starting point was the Hot Air Balloon Day challenge at Festive Friday. As soon as I saw the theme, I knew hot air balloons would be the perfect addition to this landscape-style background. 

As per the challenge theme, I incorporated a hot air balloon, a birthday theme, bunting, primary colours and epoxy embellishments. The hot air balloon adds a playful focal point while still allowing the background to remain the star of the show.

To help with the card layout, I also drew inspiration from the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge. I added layers of vellum and a scrap of blue polka dot patterned paper behind the hot air balloon to create a central focal area while still letting the background shine through. 

The "Just Add Polka Dots" challenge at Just Add Ink, inspired me to reach for some spotty patterned papers both in the background and on the hot air balloon itself, adding another layer of interest and texture to the finished design.

Watch the Tutorial

Creating DIY Patterned Paper from Scraps

If you enjoy this kind of scrap-based cardmaking, I’ve also put together a free Cardmaking with Scraps printable guide for email subscribers.

It includes 8 scrap-friendly card projects with measurements, photos and step-by-step “recipes” you can keep beside your desk for inspiration when you’re working through your stash.

👉 You can access it through the subscriber library when you join my email list.


A Landscape Built from Leftovers

June 1, 2026

After finishing my clean and simple speed stamping card, I still had all the supplies sitting out on my desk — leftover patterned paper, ink, ribbon, stamps, and embellishments.

So while the colours and ideas were still fresh in my mind, I decided to create a second version using the same products, but this time in a style that feels much more natural to me — layered, detailed, and a little more embellished.

This bonus card was inspired by the latest sketch from Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge, and it ended up becoming the perfect opportunity to “step up” the original design.

Building a Layered Floral Background

For this version, I decided on a crumb cake card base and layered a decorative patterned paper panel over the top. 

For the stamped focal panel, I kept the floral stamping much simpler than the original card. Instead of creating an all-over stamped background, I used just two flowers, one full-strength stamped image, and one stamped-off image for softer contrast.

This helped create a cleaner focal point while still keeping the soft layered effect I loved from the first card.

Adding Texture, Die Cuts, and Embellishments

I added stamped crumb cake leaves around the flowers and then layered in some die-cut yellow leaves to pull out the softer yellow tones from the striped patterned paper.

Those extra details immediately gave the card more dimension and helped create the more layered style I naturally gravitate toward.

Watch the Tutorial

If you’d like to see both versions come together, including the original 10-minute challenge card, you can watch the full video below.




From Clean & Simple to Layered Florals | A Stepped-Up Card Design

May 28, 2026

Sometimes the styles we struggle with the most end up being the most fun challenges to try.

When I spotted this week's As You See It 'Speed Stamping' Challenge, I knew I wanted to play along. As someone who usually leans heavily into layers, texture, and detail, the idea of creating something quickly and keeping it clean and simple definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone.

Choosing a Floral Stamp for the Challenge

The Beautiful Promenade stamp set features a soft open-petal floral that instantly reminded me of an open tulip, perfect for the challenge's 'Tulips and other bulb flowers' theme.
The challenge image also featured some gorgeous pink tones, so I decided to lean fully into that palette for this project. 

Creating Soft Layers with Stamping Off

One of the things I really wanted to avoid was having the background feel too harsh or overpowering. The ink colour I chose was quite bold and vibrant, so I used a simple stamping off technique to soften the look as I stamped the floral outlines.
I added the inner floral stamped image from the same set in Blushing Bride. This stamp has a really lovely striped style that adds texture without feeling too busy. I continued using the stamping off technique here, which helped create subtle variation in colour depth across the design and kept the overall card feeling light and airy.

Using Patterned Paper to Pull the Colours Together

For the sentiment layer, I used a light blue cardstock so the simply stamped black greeting would really stand out. I found a small striped pink, crumb cake, yellow and blue paper offcut that worked perfectly with the colour palette and instantly brought the whole design together.  

Racing the Clock for Extra Details

I had originally planned to keep the card very simple, but once everything started coming together, I decided to take the risk and add one extra detail, a thread bow, before the timer ran out.
Somehow, despite fumbling the bow as I became very aware of how quickly the remaining time was disappearing, I managed to hit stop on the stopwatch with only seconds to spare! I was pretty proud of that finish.
If you’d like to see the full process, including the race to finish before the 10 minute timer ended, you can watch the video below.




Beat the Clock: Clean & Simple Stamping in Under 10 Minutes


Have you ever had a piece of patterned paper that you really wanted to love, but every time you tried to use it, it just felt a little too bold or overpowering?

That was exactly how I felt about this black and white bee paper sitting in my stash. After loving how the ink blending softened the paper on my previous card, I wanted to experiment with it a little more.

Black & White Paper Paper Transformation

I started blending a mix of yellow tones, deepening the colour around the edges to create a soft glowing effect through the middle of the background.

I also added a subtle bokeh-style effect using sponge daubers and the same ink colours. You see the full step-by-step transformation here:

Freshly Made Sketches Inspired Design

The current sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches features a rectangle focal point in the centre of the card. I paired that idea with inspiration from a recent frame based project I made and created an open stitched rectangle frame. Leaving the centre open allowed the transformed patterned paper to really shine through as the focal point.

Finishing Details for This Thank You Card

The thank you sentiment was inspired by the current TGIF Challenges theme, which is focused on thank you cards this week.

After packing everything away, I kept thinking the card needed a little extra contrast. So, inspired by the little blue wings of the bee, I pulled out a soft blue scrap and layered that over the floral die cuts instead — a change that ended up making the whole design pop much more.

I’m really happy with how this card came together. It feels soft and layered while still letting that bold patterned paper remain the star of the design.


Ink Blending on Black & White Patterned Paper

May 21, 2026

When I saw the current  Festive Friday Challenge celebrating World Bee Day, I immediately thought of this gorgeous black and white bee-themed patterned paper that has been sitting in my collection for years.

I’ve always loved the paper, which is probably why I could never part with it, but I also found it surprisingly difficult to use. The pattern is quite large for cardmaking, and the stark black and white contrast feels very bold, even with the beautiful gold foil floral details throughout.

After experimenting with ink blending last week, I was inspired to see if I could soften the look of this paper and transform it into something that felt a little more like my style.

Using Ink Blending to Soften High Contrast Patterned Paper

I reached for my blending brushes and started layering yellow and orange ink over the patterned paper. The original paper already had the black base and beautiful gold foil accents, but the warm ink blending completely changed the feel of it. I loved how much softer the background became once the colour was added.

To add a little extra detail, I stamped some subtle hexagon elements using the retired Touches of Texture stamp set — an old favourite from my collection. The hexagon pattern worked perfectly with the bee theme without overpowering the design.


Card Sketch Inspiration from Atlantic Hearts Challenge

Once the background was finished, I needed to figure out how to actually use it on a card. I was inspired by the current sketch challenge over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, and used their layout as the basis for pulling the design together.

Because the patterned paper was still fairly bold and busy, I decided to keep the focal area smaller and simpler. For the centre panel, I stamped and coloured a simple floral image from Touches of Texture using similar yellows and soft neutrals to tie everything together.

When I finished the card, it still felt like it needed a little something extra, so I added some soft blue spotted stamping behind the flowers. I also layered in a piece of blue ombré patterned paper from my desk stash to help frame the focal panel and add a little contrast against all the warm tones.

Of course, I couldn’t resist adding the tiny bee from the Touches of Texture stamp set. I popped it up on dimensionals for a little extra detail and fun.

This project was such a good reminder that sometimes all a piece of patterned paper needs is a little colour and experimentation to completely change the feel of it.

Softening Bold Black and White Patterned Paper with Ink Blending

May 20, 2026

Today I’m sharing an easy way to transform subtle patterned paper into a bold, cohesive card background. Using a simple heat emboss resist technique and ink blending, you can take mismatched paper pieces and turn them into one beautifully designed sheet.

I started with a subtle cream offcut featuring tiny rust-coloured leaves. After cutting this scrap strip into three sections and arranging them to create a card-front panel, the pattern no longer lined up—and that became the perfect starting point for this transformation.

Heat Emboss Resist Technique

Using a solid leaf stamp from the Cup of Tea set, I stamped repeatedly in Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder. This created a resist effect, protecting parts of the original pattern from the ink blending process that followed.

This technique was inspired by the current Just Add Ink #785 challenge (Stencils & Dies!). While not a traditional stencil, it’s a great way to create a similar effect using stamps.

Autumn Card Idea

I blended warm autumn tones—Bumblebee, Terracotta, and Cajun Craze—building up the colour gradually and leaning into the soft glow that develops as the layers deepen.

Transform Patterned Paper

To bring everything together, I used a little tip I originally learned from Jennifer McGuire—removing the clear embossing after blending for a softer, matte finish. I’ve shared the full process over in my video if you’d like to see it in action.

Bringing It All Together Using a Sketch

I finished the card using this week’s TGIF challenge sketch, adding a floral element from the Gallery Blooms stamp set, coloured with alcohol markers. 

Watch the Video Tutorial

You can watch the full step-by-step transformation here:


From Subtle to Wow: Transforming Patterned Paper

May 14, 2026

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