watercolor background - nataliegramleystamps

more color mondays – barely blush, hydrangea hue and blackberry bliss

by nataliegramleystamps | Oct 19, 2026 | card samples, Christmas card ideas, color challenge, die cutting, embossing folders, fun fold, In Colors, more color mondays, my favorites, new catalog, techniques, watercolor

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge features Barely Blush, Hydrangea Hue, and Blackberry Bliss. These are three of the five colors of the October Stampin’ Up! Creativity Challenge.

This fun and easy missing middle fun fold uses the Dreamy Snowflakes Bundle and watercolored snowflake die embellsihments in the challenge colors!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″, (2) 1 1/4″ x 4″
Hydrangea Hue CS: (2) 1 3/8″ x 4 1/8″,
2 5/8″ x 4 3/8″

Score the 4 1/4″ x 11″ card base in half at 5 1/2″.

Cut at 1 1/2″ and 4″, save the two cut panels for the finished card.

Take the (2) 1 1/4″ Basic White panels and emboss with the Dreamy Snowflakes embossing folder, mount them on the Hydrangea Hue mattes.

Take the middle layer that you cut off the card front and stamp the smaller snowflakes from the Dreamy Snowflakes stamp set in the three challenge colors.

Adhere the middle layer to the Hydrangea Hue matte.

Take Fluid 100 paper and wet the surface with a water painter.

Drop the three colors on the wet surface of the Fluid 100 and allow to bleed together – continue to drop ink color until the surface is covered to desired hue and coverage.

Dry and die cut the Dreamy Snowflakes dies.

Adhere the snowflakes to the stamped middle panel.

Add the embossed matted panel to the top flap.

Adhere the other matted embossed layer to the first cut panel. Position that panel so it is aligned to the bottom and sides.

Place tape on the bottom and top of the middle layer and adhere to the center of the top panel and the bottom panel.

Wrap the Hydrangea Hue Bordered ribbon around the middle layer and tie a knot.

Add some Hydrangea Hue 2026-2028 In Color Dots for some coordinated colored embellishments to finish off this sweet Christmas card!

Try this missing middle fun fold card with your supplies and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’,
Natalie

Product List

Dreamy Snowflakes Bundle (English)

[168385]

$58.50

Dreamy Snowflakes Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[168378]

$25.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Hydrangea Hue 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[167687]

$14.00

Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper

[149612]

$9.00

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

[147092]

$9.00

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[133648]

$5.50

Hydrangea Hue Classic Stampin' Pad

[167677]

$14.00

Hydrangea Hue Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[167672]

$6.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Seal

[152813]

$9.00

Stampin' Seal+

[149699]

$13.00

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[138995]

$7.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Blending Brushes

[153611]

$17.00

Blender Pens

[102845]

$14.00

Water Painters

[168253]

$13.00

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Paper Snips

[103579]

$12.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Dreamy Snowflakes Hybrid Embossing Folder

[168384]

$40.00

Hydrangea Hue 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Bordered Ribbon

[168578]

$9.00

2026–2028 In Color™ Dots

[167546]

$9.00

← elegant leaves easy m fold card shining stars card - october product of the month →

winter birthday card

by nataliegramleystamps | Oct 2, 2026 | card samples, Christmas card ideas, Designer Series Paper, die cutting, embossing folders, In Colors, masculine cards, specialty papers, techniques

Today’s card is a great Dreamy Snowflakes Winter Birthday card with the NEW Winter Dreams Specialty flocked paper in Secret Sea!
So elegant and fun – soft to the touch and great patterns!

Measurements:
BASE: Secret Sea CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″, 3″ square for die
DSP: 2 1/4″ square

Stamp the birthday sentiment I chose the “have a beautiful birthday” from the Poetic Petals stamp set on one of the Basic White CS layers.

Emboss the first Basic white layer with the sentiment with the Dreamy Snowflakes embossing folder.

Take the second Basic white layer and stamp the trio of snowflakes in Secret Sea ink and blend the edges with a blending brush and Secret Sea ink.

Adhere the trio snowflake stamped layer to the inside of the Secret Sea card base.

Adhere the sentiment layer on the front of the card base.

Using the middle square die from the Tile Garden die set, die ciut the 3″ Basic White CS square.

Cut the Specialty paper Winter Dreams to 2 1/4″ square.

Blend the die edges with a blending brush and Misty Moonlight ink.

Adhere the DSP to the Blended die cut square.

Pop up the DSP square on Stampin’ Dimensionals to the top center of the embossed layer.

Adhere the Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes to finish off this lovely winter birthday card!

I made to alternative cards with the extra watercolored paper from the card this past week. I first made the card embossing the Basic White layer before stamping the sentiment so I added the sentiment to a leftover watercolored Fluid 100 paper.

Instead of an embossed layer I used the rest of the watercolored paper for the background layer!

I love all the different versions and these Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes are such a sweet embellishment!

Try making a winter birthday card for your stash – now it’s your turn to create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List

Dreamy Snowflakes Bundle (English)

[168385]

$58.50

Dreamy Snowflakes Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[168378]

$25.00

Poetic Petals Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[168266]

$20.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper

[149612]

$9.00

Secret Sea 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165624]

$14.00

Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad

[153118]

$11.00

Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad

[165285]

$11.00

Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad

[147113]

$9.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Seal

[152813]

$9.00

Stampin' Seal+

[149699]

$13.00

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[138995]

$7.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Blending Brushes

[153611]

$17.00

Blender Pens

[102845]

$14.00

Water Painters

[168253]

$13.00

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Paper Snips

[103579]

$12.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Dreamy Snowflakes Hybrid Embossing Folder

[168384]

$40.00

Tile Garden Dies

[168573]

$37.00

Adhesive Backed Snowflakes

[168316]

$9.00

← tile garden die card More Color Mondays - golden glow, hydrangea hue and crisp cantaloupe →

more color mondays – pretty peacock, melon mambo and poppy parade

by nataliegramleystamps | Dec 29, 2025 | card samples, color challenge, die cutting, more color mondays, new catalog, techniques

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge features Pretty Peacock, Melon mambo and Poppy Parade.

There are a couple of fun techniques to this card and a SNEAK PEAK of the Boardwalk Fun Bundle.

Measurements:
BASE: Melon Mambo CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Poppy Parade CS: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″, scraps for dies
Basic White CS: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
Pretty Peacock CS: scraps for dies
Melon mambo CS: scrap for dies

Adhere the Poppy Parade CS to the Melon Mambo CS base.

Color the bottom of one of the Basic White CS layers with a blending brush with Pretty Peacock ink.

Using another blending brush color the top of the Basic White layer with the Melon Mambo ink.

Color the top of the Basic White layer with a blending brush and Poppy Parade ink.

Spray the glass surface with water and pat the Basic White layer over the water covered glass and mix the watercolor onto the blended color surface.

Dry the layer with a heat tool.

Using the edge of a Versamark ink pad, swipe in lines over the top of the layer and concentrated in a small squiggle down at the bottom.

Sprinkle gold embossing powder over the versamark ink.

Heat with a heat tool until embossing powder melts.

Adhere the watercolored layer onto the card base.

Stamp Happy Birthday in Pretty Peacock ink on the second Basic White layer.

Color over the Basic White layer with the Melon Mambo and Poppy Parade blending brushes.

Die a small palm tree from the Boardwalk Fun die set from Pretty Peacock cardstock. Adhere the palm tree die to the right of the stamped sentiment.

Adhere the layer to the inside of the card.

Die cut the ferris wheel and the taller palm tree in Pretty Peacock CS.

Adhere to the middle of the colored layer on the card front. Pop up the ferris wheel on Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Die cut the ferris wheel carts in Poppy Parade and Melon Mambo cardstock.

Adhere the carts onto the ferris wheel in alternating colors.

Die cut the ticket die in Melon Mambo cardstock.

Stamp the Enjoy the Ride in Melon Mambo ink onto the ticket die.

Pop up the ticket onto the card front on the lower left hand corner at the base of the Ferris Wheel dies.

I love the way this background turned out – try this watercolor and heat embossing technique.

Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Reminder this card is a SNEAK PEAK of an upcoming stamp bundle – the photo links for the sneak peak items will not be included below until they are available.