August Is Here! Here's What to Take Advantage Of

Hello, my stamping friend! 

Can you believe it's already August? There's a lot happening this month, so let's get you caught up on everything worth grabbing before it's gone. 

 🏷️ Last Chance List Refresh 

 The Last Chance List just got a refresh, with new items added and savings up to 50% off! These are retiring favorites — once they sell out, they're gone for good. If there's something you've had your eye on, now's the time. 

 🍂 August Product of the Month — Glow of Harvest 

This month's featured product is Glow of Harvest, a gorgeous specialty paper with soft shimmer, fall pumpkins, leaves, and acorns in warm browns, beige, and soft orange. You can add it to your order for just $5 when you spend $75 — such a steal for a paper this beautiful. 

📄 Select DSP & Cardstock Sale 

Select Designer Series Paper and cardstock packs are on sale this month too — a great time to stock up before fall projects kick into full gear. 

 ✨ New Kits just landed! 

Two brand-new kits just landed, and they're both pure home decor fun! The Witchy Whimsy Hat Kit lets you craft your own decorative witch's hat — spiders, webs, black cats, and eyeballs mixed with pretty rosettes, ribbon, and lace for a playful (not scary!) Halloween accent piece. And the Crafted Blooms Kit is a total showstopper: three dimensional floral art pieces with uplifting sentiments, perfect for displaying on a clipboard, corkboard, or your favorite deep-set frame. Neither one is cards — they're both made purely to decorate your space, and I love that. 

🎁 Paper Pumpkin — Sign-Up Deadline & Special Offer 

 If you want August's Paper Pumpkin kit, sign-ups close August 10! And if it's been a while since you subscribed (or you've never tried it), I've got a treat for you: 25% off your first month. It's the easiest way to see what all the fuss is about. 

That's a lot of goodness packed into one month! Let me know if you have questions about any of these, or if you'd like help building an order. 

Happy Stamping! 💛 — Oksana

Simple Sketch with Endless Possibilities – Flora Suite Inspiration

Hello, my stamping friend!

One of my favorite things about card making is discovering a layout that can be used over and over again. Today’s card, created with the beautiful Moonlit Flora Suite

This sketch begins with a 3 7/8 x 5 1/8” piece of Designer Series Paper, a focal embellishment, and a sentiment. It’s simple to assemble, yet the finished card has lots of dimension and visual interest. 

What I love most is how versatile this sketch is. While it looks beautiful with the Moonlit Flora Suite, you could easily recreate it using almost any Designer Series Paper in your collection. Change the colors, flowers, die cuts, or sentiments, and you’ll have a completely different look every time.

I’ve included the sketch to inspire you to look at your paper stash in a new way. Sometimes all you need is a fresh layout to spark your creativity

Would you like to see how to make it? Watch a short video with step-by step instructions.

I hope this sketch inspires you to pull out your favorite papers and create something beautiful. If you do, I’d love to see what you make!

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, my paid tutorial includes additional card designs, complete measurements, and step-by-step instructions to help you make the most of this beautiful suite. 

 Happy stamping,

Begonia Belle

Hello, my stamping friend!

The Begonia Belle stamp set is July Product of the Month, and honestly… it deserves the spotlight. This gorgeous two‑step stamping set lets you build your dream begonia in any color palette you love. Soft pastels, bold bright, moody jewel tones — it all works.

This card is one we created during Crafting Happy Hours at a local Wine shop, and it’s the perfect example of how simple layouts can still be absolutely stunning. Two‑step stamping makes it easy, beautiful, and beginner‑friendly.

The best part? The Begonia Belle stamp set is only $5 with a $75 order this month. A total steal for a set that gives you endless color possibilities.

If you’ve been wanting a stamp set that’s simple, elegant, and wildly customizable, this one’s a keeper.

Say hello to Sketch #2 — simple, flexible, and perfect for quick cardmaking.

I used this sketch for my Begonia Belle card. Two DSP strips + an accent layer + your focal point = done. 

Both of these cards were created using this sketch - I just changed the orientation:

Color Combo used: Bubble Bath/Berry Burst and Peaceful Pine.

Measurements:

• Peaceful Pine CS: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2";
• Berry Burst CS: (2) 1/2 x 5 1/2"; 
• Basic White CS: 2 3/4 x 5 1/2"; piece for stamping;
• DSP: (2) 3/4 x 5 1/2";

Quick video:

Now is your turn! Create a card using this sketch, And do not forget to add the Begonia Belle stamp to your collection. All supplies are available in my store. 

Happy Stamping!

Begonia Belle Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [168592] $5.00	2026–2028 In Color™ Designer Series Paper [168218] $12.50	Berry Burst 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144243] $14.00	Peaceful Pine 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [167691] $14.00	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780] $14.00
Bubble Bath Classic Stampin' Pad [161664] $11.00	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [147143] $11.00	Peaceful Pine Classic Stampin Pad [167679] $14.00	Sweet Words & Labels Dies [167627] $37.00	Iridescent Pearl Basic Jewels [158987] $8.00

Relax Fun Fold Card

 Hello, my stamping friend.

May your day be calm, cozy, and full of the things that make you smile. Today’s card is exactly what the weekend should feel like… soft, peaceful, and a little bit creative. I’m still playing with the Waterside Retreat Suite and loving every minute.

Here is the video on how to create the card:

Measurements and Instructions:

Love this suite of products and would like more ideas? Check my 6 WOW Cards:

Happy Stamping!

Relaxing Waterside Bundle (English) [167928] $46.75	Waterside Retreat Designer Series Paper [167920] $13.00	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953] $14.00	Misty Moonlight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [153081] $14.00	Basic Beige 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [164511] $14.00
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780] $14.00	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110] $9.00	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090] $9.00	Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [161665] $11.00	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183] $30.00

APPT Blog Hop - June 2026 Kit

 

Hello, my stamping friend!

Thank you so much for stopping by today on our Paper Pumpkin Blog Hop. This month’s June 2026 Paper Pumpkin: Bikes & Blooms kit is such a fun one. The bold bicycle images, the bright florals, and the summery colors make this kit an instant favorite for me. I don’t ride a bike myself, but my daughter does—it’s her main mode of transportation—so I immediately thought of her when creating my alternatives.

I designed two projects for today’s hop: a simple corner easel fold card and a large 3‑D box perfect for holding cards or small gifts.

For my first project, I created a corner easel fold card using one of the bicycle images from the kit. This fold is simple but adds such a fun interactive element. 

I trimmed a portion of the bike image and added flowers and butterflies from the kit to give it an extra summery feel. The easel stands beautifully and shows off the artwork from the kit.

This card uses mostly kit contents with just a few basics added—some coordinating cardstock layers to help the focal point pop.

My second project is a large 3‑D box inspired by one of the stunning card fronts in the kit. One of the cards features a big, bold bicycle with a large basket, and I knew immediately that I wanted to turn that into a box front. I used the entire card front as the focal panel and built a box from a full sheet of 8½” x 11” cardstock.

Here are the score lines if you want to recreate it:

• Score the short side at 4½” and 5 1/2” on the 11" side
• Score 1 ½” and 7" on 8 ½” side. 

The finished box fits all the cards from the kit perfectly. I created a few cards exactly as instructed, just adding extra cardstock layers and borders for more dimension.. This box also works great for small gifts.

My goal with Paper Pumpkin is always to extend the kit while still using as much of the contents as possible—adding only simple basics like cardstock. 

I hope today’s projects inspire you to look at your kit pieces in new ways.

Continue hopping along to see more creative ideas.

And don’t forget to sign up for the July Paper Pumpkin—you won’t want to miss it.

Happy stamping!

All Aflutter - Card Sketch #1

Hello, my stamping friend!

Today I’m starting a new series focused on easy card layouts — simple designs you can recreate quickly and keep in your crafting arsenal for those times when you want something beautiful without a lot of fuss.

I used this sketch to design a card for my Crafting Happy Hour class at local wine shop.

This card features the All Aflutter Bundle along with the Berry Botanical Velum. It uses two vellum panels measuring 2” x 4”. These panels can be swapped out with any DSP you have on hand, which makes this layout incredibly versatile. You can adapt it to almost any bundle or theme 

Measurements:

• Card Base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2";
• Layer 1: 4 x 5 1/4";
• Layer 2: 3 3/4 x 5";
• DSP: (2) 2 x 4"; 

Even though the layout is simple, this card became a favorite among many in class. 

The All Aflutter butterflies add such a fun, lively touch, and the bundle itself has quickly become one of my go‑to sets. It’s perfect for cards, tags, boxes, and so many projects.

Want more ideas with this bundle?  Check All Aflutter Tutorial. 

The All A Flutter Bundle is also my Tutorial of the Month. I partnered with a group of talented demonstrators to create seven stunning fun‑fold cards featuring this bundle. The full tutorial collection is available now in my store. 

Give this layout a try! Stay tuned — more easy layouts are coming soon.

Happy Stamping!

All Aflutter Bundle (English) [167570] $41.25	Berry Botanical Vellum  Specialty Designer Series Paper [167985] $5.00	Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad [155611] $11.00	Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad [165285] $11.00	Peaceful Pine Classic Stampin Pad [167679] $14.00
Peaceful Pine 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [167691] $14.00	Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155613] $14.00	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780] $14.00	Sweet Words & Labels Dies [167627] $37.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.25