GDP – Stampin' With Candice

Hello Sunshine & Travel Dreams ✈️🌞

Did you know that today is National Shop for Travel Day?
That feels perfectly timed because my future travel plans include a Caribbean cruise—and after almost two years of planning, I’m finally down to under 100 days! 🎉

With travel on the brain, it felt only right that during my live yesterday I featured the Beach Boardwalk Suite. This collection also has a coordinating scrapbooking kit, and I can hardly wait to use it to document our trip once we return. 🌊📸

For this project, I used the Global Design Project #GDP530 layout challenge as my starting point. I pushed myself a little out of my comfort zone and treated the layout more as inspiration rather than a strict roadmap—which is definitely not my norm!

Two colorful greeting cards featuring a beach scene with palm trees, a large sun, and the text 'HEY, SUNSHINE'. The background has soft pastel colors and textured layers.

Design Inspiration & Creative Changes

One of the main elements in the challenge layout is three circles on the side. Instead of circles, I swapped them out for three palm trees, keeping the visual balance while adding a fun tropical twist. 🌴🌴🌴

I also decided to turn this into a slimline card, which is one of my favorite formats. This size fits perfectly in a legal-size envelope, making it great for mailing or gifting.

Card Size & Base

While there are many slimline sizes, I typically make mine 8-1/2″ x 3-1/2″. I also love turning them into pocket cards for money or gift cards.

Card base: 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″, scored at 3-1/2″ and 7″
Card base color: White

Background & Layers

I cut a second piece of white cardstock to 8-1/4″ x 3-1/4″ and used my blending brushes with Strawberry Slush, Petunia Pop, and Pool Party to create a soft ombre background.

For the square focal element, I cut a piece of Beach Boardwalk DSP #166820 using the largest square from the Stylish Shapes Dies #159183 and framed it with a 3″ x 3″ piece of cardstock:

Card 1 frame: Strawberry Slush
Card 2 frame: Petunia Pop

Want to see all the steps come together?
Be sure to check out the replay from my live, where I walk you through the entire process and share extra tips along the way. 🎥✨

Stamping & Die Cutting Details

Two hand-crafted greeting cards featuring a watercolor background with pink and blue tones, silhouettes of palm trees, and a yellow sun.

Palm trees stamped from Boardwalk Fun Stamp Set #166822 in Petunia Pop on the DSP
Additional palm trees die cut in black cardstock using Boardwalk Fun Dies #166828
I layered two of them over the stamped palm trees to create a shadow effect.

For the sun, I used one of the stitched circle dies (third smallest) cut from white cardstock and blended Daffodil Delight and Timid Tiger for added depth ☀️.

Sand, Waves & Finishing Touches

Sand: Torn Crumb Cake cardstock, stamped with dots from Swirled Designs #167030 in Pecan Pie, then softly blended for dimension
Waves: DSP cut with Light & Wonder Dies #165762, edges highlighted with Pool Party ink

I stamped “Hey, Sunshine” in black ink in the bottom right corner and wrapped Strawberry Slush Ribbon around the ombre background before assembling everything.

The palm trees were popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals, and I finished them off with a simple knot secured using Mini Glue Dots. A few Strawberry Slush & Pretty in Pink Gems #165615 added just the right amount of sparkle ✨.

Inside Pocket

A colorful greeting card design featuring palm trees and a sun, with the text 'HEY, SUNSHINE'. The card is partially open, revealing a two-dollar bill inside.

On the inside, I added a strip of DSP to the top of the 1-1/2″ folded section and used Tear & Tape on the sides to create a pocket—perfect for cash or a gift card.

This bright, happy card has me so ready for warm weather and sunshine, especially while we’re still in the middle of winter ❄️➡️☀️.

💬 Tell me:
What trip are you dreaming of taking this year? And can you see yourself using the Beach Boardwalk Suite for your summer plans?

If so, be sure to add this amazing suite (and all the fun extras!) to your cart today. 🛒🌴
If you enjoyed this project, remember to click follow so you’ll be notified when I share more creative inspiration and upcoming projects.

Thanks so much for stopping by—I truly appreciate you! ☀️✨

👉 You can shop current Stampin’ Up! supplies and tools here:
Shop with Me Here

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact me today to place your order!
435-232-2655 Cell ( Call or Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

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January 13, 2026

CandiceLeave a comment

Create Unique Backgrounds with Nature’s Symphony Techniques

This week the Global Design Project featured another color challenge using Night of Navy, Azure Afternoon, and Balmy Blue. I briefly considered using December’s Product of the Month since those blues would have worked perfectly, but in the end I decided to do something a little different and create my own background paper.

I pulled out the Nature’s Symphony Stamp Set (#166919) and Dies (#166925) and had so much fun experimenting that I ended up mixing and matching the technique with several different background colors. Each one turned out completely unique. Can you guess which one was my original? I’ll give you a hint—it started with Very Vanilla cardstock, which I really love because it highlights the technique.

A collection of five handcrafted greeting cards featuring various shades of blue and white floral designs, with the text 'YOU MAKE ME SMILE' prominently displayed on each card.

Creating the Textured Background

I originally planned to stamp the image and let it peek through the die-cut opening, but once I started playing, I realized I wanted even more texture. Instead, I layered stamped and die-cut elements to really build depth.

To make your own background, start with a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock cut with the second-largest die from the Perennial Postage set (#162607).

Stamp the large leaf image randomly in Balmy Blue
Add the textured line image in Azure Afternoon
Finish by stamping the small leaf in Night of Navy

Now for the fun (and slightly scary) part—crumple the paper. Yes, really! Squish it up to create a rough, worn texture full of dimension. Once flattened out a bit, use Blending Brushes (#160518) with Balmy Blue and Night of Navy to add even more depth.

A handmade greeting card with a blue floral design featuring layered leaves and flowers, with the text 'YOU MAKE ME SMILE' prominently displayed in a white speech bubble.

Close-up of a card featuring a decorative design with blue leaves and a central message that says 'You Make Me Smile' in a playful font.

Adding Extra Texture

In the Nature’s Symphony die set, there’s a small die made up of hash marks. It doesn’t cut out an image—it cuts tiny hash marks creating textures instead. Run this die across your background in multiple directions. After sending it through the Cut & Emboss Machine, the paper will be flatter again, so go ahead and crumple it one more time. Be gentle—those cut areas can catch—but allow some sections to bend and open for even more interest. Add a little extra ink with your blending brushes to highlight those textured areas.

A handmade card featuring a blue background with a layered design, adorned with various leaf shapes in different shades of blue. The message 'You Make Me Smile' is prominently displayed in a decorative frame at the center.

A handmade card featuring blue and white paper leaves and flowers, with the message 'YOU MAKE ME SMILE' prominently displayed on a scalloped tag. The background is a textured dark blue, enhancing the layered design.

Finishing the Cards

Once the background was complete, all that was left was deciding what colors to stamp and die-cut for the remaining elements. I used the same technique on multiple cardstock colors, but Very Vanilla really lets all the details shine.

I finished each card by layering the die-cut elements, using Dimensionals behind the delicate leaf piece for added depth. A quick tip: if you cut the cardstock layer that sits behind your postage die piece to the correct size, you can die-cut one of the leaf shapes from the center first, saving cardstock before adhering it.

For the greeting, I used the second-smallest rectangle postage die, added small piece of paper that I used the Three Banner Punch #167050 to turn into a tach and finished with Very Vanilla Baker’s Twine behind it. Did you notice on some of the cards it isn’t very vanilla? I customized the twine color by brushing ink directly onto it with a blending brush—a great trick when you need ribbon in just the right shade. I always keep white or vanilla twine on hand for this reason. To finish things off, I added a touch of bling with Muted Palette Dots (#165155).

Final Result

In the end, I created five stunning cards, all using the same basic technique but each with its own unique look and feel. It may sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty easy once you try it—and I even made a hyper-speed video so you can see the whole process in action.

Which one do you think was my original? 💙

👉 You can shop current Stampin’ Up! supplies and tools here:
Shop with Me Here

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact me today to place your order!
435-232-2655 Cell ( Call or Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

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January 11, 2026

CandiceLeave a comment

Finding Inspiration Through Casing a Designer | #GDP528

Casing Inspiration: Three Unique Card Designs

A card design featuring pink flowers and blue accents, with a stamped greeting saying 'Thinking of you,' framed by a gray vertical panel, and a pink border.

I don’t know about you, but inspiration is often one of the hardest parts of creating. Looking at what you have and figuring out how to turn it into something that not only speaks to you—but to others as well—can feel overwhelming at times. That’s where casing comes into play.

Casing (Copy And Share Everything) is one of my favorite ways to spark creativity. I often look to other designers when I need a jump-start, and the Global Design Project – Case the Designer challenges are a perfect source of inspiration.

This week we cased designer Ann Alexander, and during my live I shared how I pulled different elements from her card to inspire three very different designs of my own.

Card One – Same Layout, New Look

A handmade card featuring a botanical illustration of leaves in white on a textured blue background, with a greeting that says 'to a great guy'.

For my first card, I stayed fairly true to the original layout, but changed things up by using very different colors and imagery. I started with one of the new suites coming in January, Nature Walk (#166936), and used several elements from the suite including the stamp set, dies, Designer Series Paper, and embellishments.

To keep this card simple, I let the DSP do most of the work and added a stamped leaf image in Secret Sea along with a simple greeting. This is a great example of how keeping the layout but changing the products can completely transform a design.

Card Two – Color Combo with a Twist

Card featuring a floral arrangement in a cup with a greeting that says 'HERE'S TO YOU!', set against a layered background of gray and pink.

For my second card, I wanted to focus more on the color inspiration while still using the basic design—this time with a bit of a twist. Because the floral image in Weekend Adventures (#167318) isn’t a large focal image like the cased card, I chose to frame it using the Everyday Arches Dies (#164629).

I stamped the image on Watercolor Paper (#149612) and colored it using Water Painters (#168253) with ink pads for a soft, blended look. The greeting was heat-embossed in white on black cardstock and punched out using the Banner Sayings Bundle (#167051).

To add texture, I used the Lovely Stripes 3D Embossing Folder (#167179 – coming in January) and kept the color palette clean and bold with Melon Mambo and Smoky Slate cardstock. I finished the card with Muted Palette Dots (#165155) for a subtle pop of detail.

Card Three – Smaller Scale, Same Inspiration

My final card is the one I demonstrated during the live. I kept the same core color palette from card two, but added Balmy Blue and Pretty in Pink cardstock for a softer feel.

A handcrafted greeting card featuring a floral design in a coffee cup on a pink background, with a black 'HERE'S TO YOU!' greeting, layered elements, and decorative embellishments.

A floral card design featuring a colorful arrangement of flowers in a mug, set against a pink and gray background with a greeting that says 'HERE'S TO YOU!'

This time, I resized the layout to better fit the smaller image by cutting the design down and adjusting the focal point. I also flipped the card and went with a horizontal design rather than a vertical one. I layered Balmy Blue Sheer Ribbon (#165767) behind the image and finished the card with Rhinestone Basic Jewels for just the right amount of sparkle.

A Simple Splatter Technique (Used on All Three Cards)

Across all three cards, I used one of my favorite easy splatter techniques with ink pads and Water Painters. What I love about this method is how versatile it is—you can splatter in any color, make the drops big or small, and it won’t ruin your marker tips or waste ink.

Be sure to watch the video to see just how quick and easy this technique really is!

One Design, Endless Possibilities

A display of three unique greeting cards featuring floral designs, each in different color schemes and layouts. The cards showcase a mix of elements such as stamped images, embellishments, and various backgrounds.

Seeing all three cards together really highlights why I love casing a designer so much. Even though each card was inspired by the same original design, they each have their own personality.

One focuses on layout with a fresh color palette
One leans into color inspiration with a bold, textured feel
And one adjusts the scale and proportions to better fit the image

By changing just a few key elements—colors, focal point size, textures, and embellishments—you can completely transform a design while still honoring the original inspiration.

The final result is three different and unique cards, all sparked by the same design. That’s the beauty of casing—it’s not about copying, it’s about letting someone else’s creativity jump-start your own.

So the next time you’re feeling stuck, take a look at the work of designers you admire and see what elements you can borrow to get your creativity flowing. Let their creativity spark your own. Remember—there’s no right or wrong way to case a card. The goal is simply to get those creative juices flowing and make it yours.

👉 You can shop current Stampin’ Up! supplies and tools here:
Shop with Me Here

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact me today to place your order!
435-232-2655 Cell ( Call or Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com