Weekly Challenge – Page 2 – Stampin' With Candice

Day 27 – Farmhouse Holiday: Ready to Jingle & Mingle

A Little Red Truck, a Christmas Tree, and the Perfect Thanksgiving Crafting Day

Happy Thanksgiving!
I honestly can’t think of a better way to celebrate than spending time doing what I love—crafting! And when today’s theme brought together Farmhouse Holiday + Jingle & Mingle, I knew exactly what I wanted to play with.

Because if you know me (or if you’ve ever stepped foot into my home during the holidays), you already know I’m obsessed with the little red truck hauling a Christmas tree. I have plenty of decorations to prove it! So when Stampin’ Up! released the Road to Christmas Kit (#166227), I knew immediately it was coming home with me—and I’ve been saving it all month for today’s challenge.

Two holiday-themed cards featuring vintage red trucks filled with Christmas trees, surrounded by festive decorations and cheerful sentiments.

Graphic announcing Day 27 of the 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge, featuring a light blue background with decorative snowflakes and a call to create a festive party or celebration vibe.

Of course, I started by making the cards exactly as instructed (because the kit is adorable!), but then I wanted to get creative. Today’s featured card is my all-out farmhouse holiday spin with one of my favorite fun elements…

A pop-up arch!

🚚❤️ Building the Pop-Up Arch Feature

To transform the kit pieces into something extra special, I started with the Everyday Arches Dies (#164629).

Layered Arch Design

I cut the background piece from the kit using one of the arch dies.
Then I cut a slightly larger arch from kraft cardstock.
To create the pop-up mechanism, I folded a piece of kraft cardstock in half and cut the arch again—but this time leaving the top edge just over the fold line, so it didn’t cut all the way through.
I scored the top of that folded arch at 2-1/2″.
Then I attached the full kraft arch to the lower part of the folded piece.
This allows the entire arch to pop up beautifully when the card opens!

It adds such a fun, dimensional farmhouse feel.

📨 Modifying the Kit Elements

🎄 Card Base Details

To build the card base:

I cut the card front from the kit in half.
Trimmed it to 5-3/8″ x 4-1/8″.
Mounted it on a Cherry Cobbler base cut to 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″.

💬 Sentiments & Envelope Magic

Instead of using the English phrases from the kit, I grabbed one of the greetings in a different language and layered my own sentiment on top using the Greetings for You Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (#166208).

Then I pulled out one of the kit envelopes (which are WAY too fun to use only as envelopes!). I cut it open and:

Trimmed the center to 5-1/4″ x 4″ for another project.
Used the leftover side strip as a perfect decorative layer behind my sayings—both outside and inside!

Tip:
You don’t need to put the entire strip behind the whole sentiment—just enough to peek out. That allowed me to stretch the piece for both front and inside sentiments.

For the inside, I layered the sentiment on Cherry Cobbler and Lost Lagoon cardstock so the pop-up arch had something sturdy to catch on when standing.

A bit of red baker’s twine finished the front perfectly.

A handmade Christmas card featuring a little red truck loaded with gifts, surrounded by pine trees, and embellished with a pop-up arch design.

A pop-up Christmas card featuring a vintage red truck carrying gifts, with a backdrop of green trees and a sentiment that reads 'Happy Christmas.' The card is designed in a farmhouse style.

🎄 Quick, Easy, and Kit-Friendly

One fun thing to note:

There is NO stamping on this card!

Using the kit + ephemera + a few dies made this pop-up card fast, unique, and perfectly on-theme. This is exactly why I love Stampin’ Up!’s kits—they make it so easy to elevate a project with a few added touches.

❤️ What Do You Think?

I love how farmhouse and festive this turned out—and that little red truck makes me happy every time I see it. If you’re a farmhouse Christmas fan too, you will love the Road to Christmas kit.

Would you try a pop-up arch card like this?

✨ Bonus Project!

Remember that extra piece I trimmed from the envelope? I couldn’t resist turning it into another card! I pulled out my beloved retired Trucking Along Set (#162299) and created a fun bonus project using that piece.

I love when a single kit piece inspires multiple cards—and this one came together so easily with that adorable little truck!

A festive handmade card featuring a red truck with a Christmas tree, surrounded by pine trees, and accented with red embellishments on a patterned background.

A festive card featuring a little red truck carrying a Christmas tree, surrounded by green pine trees and a celebratory message.

Want more details on how I created this bonus card?
Let me know, and I’ll be happy to post a full tutorial! 🚚🎄✨

👉 Want to recreate it? 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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#StampinWithCandice #StamperCandi #ACardADayInNovember2025 #30DayChristmasCardMakingChallenge #ChristmasCards #HandmadeCards #CreativeTechniques #HolidayCrafting #cardmaker #cardmaking #christmascards #handmadecards #papercraft #StampinUpKits #christmaschallenge

November 27, 2025November 27, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 26 – Woodland Christmas Wonderland

A Sneak Peek of a Brand-New Stamp Set!

Today’s themes were both centered around the woods, so it was the perfect opportunity to share a sneak peek from the upcoming Mini Catalog! I’m so excited to introduce you to the brand-new Aspen Grove Stamp Set (#167018). This set is stunning and incredibly versatile—perfect for winter scenes, masculine cards, nature themes, and yes… even Christmas.

Graphic for 'Card a Day in November' challenge featuring 'Woodland Christmas' theme, with snowflakes and a pastel background.

A graphic promoting the 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge, featuring the theme 'Woodland Wonderland' with a light blue background and snowflake designs.

I can already tell this is going to be one of my new go-to sets, and I can’t wait to design even more cards with it.

🌲 A Woodland Window Christmas Card

To create today’s project, I paired the new Aspen Grove set with a retired favorite, Dashing Deer (#147728). The deer fit perfectly into the woodland scene and brought the entire design to life.

I chose a muted, natural color palette:

Very Vanilla
Crumb Cake
Pecan Pie
Early Espresso
Mossy Meadow
Touch of Cherry Cobbler (just enough to add color without breaking the rustic feel)

The tones stayed soft and woodsy—perfect for today’s “Woodland Wonderland” vibe.

🦌 The Window Card Technique

I wanted the deer to appear in full on the inside of the card, but only peeking through the trees from the front. The Stylish Shapes Dies (#159183) worked beautifully to make this window opening.

Important tip:
I originally tried cutting four layers at once… and quickly found out that wasn’t going to happen! 😆
I ended up cutting two layers at a time and working my way through the stack. Much better results!

🌳 Texture & Finishing Touches

The Birch Wood 3D Embossing Folder added amazing texture to the front panel. Once embossed, I used a Blending Brush to lightly add ink over the raised areas—making the grain pop and deepening the woodland feel.

To finish the design, I wrapped the card with Early Espresso and Old Olive Linen Thread (#165986). The natural fibers tied the whole rustic theme together perfectly.

🎁 What Do You Think?

I’m so excited about this new Aspen Grove set. It’s unique, natural, and incredibly inspiring—and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on it next month!

Are you excited to try this set for yourself?
I’d love to hear what you think of today’s sneak peek and window card!

👉 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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November 26, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 25 – Yule Be Amazed – Color combo

Playful Woodland Critters + Witty Wordplay + Color Challenge #5

Today’s challenge brought together two fun themes: Yule Be Amazed—full of playful woodland critters and witty wordplay—and Color Challenge #5 using the Concord & 9th palette of Wildberry, Lakefront, and Harbor.

To match this with Stampin’ Up! colors, I chose a bright, cheerful combination of Lost Lagoon, Balmy Blue, and Melon Mambo. At first, I wasn’t sure how to bring both themes into one card. Woodland critters made me think browns and greens… not exactly what this color combo offers!

So I turned to my wall of retired stamp sets in search of inspiration—and that’s when the answer practically jumped off the shelf.

⛄️ When Snowmen Become Woodland Critters

I spotted the retired Spirited Snowmen Set (#148072) and instantly thought of one of my favorite children’s books—
“Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner.

In the story, the snowmen come to life and play outside in the woods after dark. And that’s when it hit me:
If snowmen can play in the woods at night… why can’t they count as playful woodland critters?

With that little spark, everything fell into place.

A handmade card featuring a whimsical snowman skating on ice, surrounded by a soft, snowy background with blue hues. The snowman is wearing a colorful scarf and a hat, and there is a sentiment that reads, 'your friendship warms my heart.' The card is adorned with a sheer ribbon and decorative elements inspired by a playful woodland theme.

A greeting card featuring the phrase 'winter cheer' in bold red text on a light blue banner, surrounded by decorative snowflakes.

🎨 Coloring the Scene

To get a soft, playful look, I stamped the snowman in Black StazOn (#101406) on Watercolor Paper (#149612).

Then I used my Water Painters (#168253) and the ink pads in my three challenge colors to bring him to life. Watercoloring gave the image a gentle, whimsical feel—perfect for the theme—and made it easy to blend shadowing under him so it looks like he’s skating on ice.

For additional details, I used:

Pumpkin Pie (nose)
Pecan Pie (arms)
Basic Gray (skates)

A touch of Wink of Stella on the snowman and skates added the perfect shimmer.

❄️ Building the Background

To create the snowy nighttime feel, I used the Snowy Delights Decorative Masks (#165808) with a blending brush. The soft Balmy Blue and Lost Lagoon inks blended beautifully behind the snowman and tied the entire color combo together.

🎀 Finishing Touches

The final details pulled everything together:

Balmy Blue Sheer Ribbon (#165767)
Three Banner Punch (#167050) for the sentiment
A soft matting layer in challenge colors

The finished card is sweet, whimsical, and full of playful charm—perfect for sharing a little holiday cheer.

A whimsical snowman with a pink and teal scarf and a carrot nose, smiling while skating. The image is outlined with glitter for added shimmer.

A promotional image for the 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge, featuring color challenge #5 with swatches of Wildberry, Lakefront, and Harbor.

👉 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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November 25, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 24 – Twinkle All the Way & Tree-mendous Wishes

A Sparkly Technique Using Iridescent Treat Bags!

Day 24 is here, and today was full of sparkle with the themes Twinkle All the Way and Tree-mendous Wishes. On my live, I shared a fun technique using the Iridescent Treat Bags (#166204) in a completely unexpected way to create a gorgeous, shimmering background.

Two handmade holiday cards featuring intricate sparkling trees, each tagged with the word 'merry', set against a softly colored background with embellishments.

If you missed the live, be sure to catch the replay—you’ll definitely want to try this one!

✨ Using Treat Bags for Sparkle (In a Whole New Way!)

The magic of this card starts with the treat bags themselves. Instead of using them as packaging, I cut the bag apart to create a flat section large enough to run through my die-cutting machine.

Then I glued that piece directly onto my background cardstock.

Because these bags have a beautiful pink/yellow iridescent shimmer, the color shifts depending on the cardstock behind it:

My first sample used Pretty in Pink
During the live, I used Bubble Bath

Both produce totally different looks, and that’s what makes this technique so fun!

For today’s project, I paired the shimmer with the retired Decorative Trees Dies (#164084) for a clean, elegant seasonal look.

🎄 Building the Card

To keep things quick and easy, I went straight to page 24 of the Annual Catalog and pulled inspiration from one of the tag templates. (If you need a catalog, send me a message—I’d be happy to get one to you!)

Here’s how the card came together:

Layers & Elements

Background: Silent Snowfall Designer Series Paper (#166062)
Tree Layering:
- One solid shimmery tree
- One intricate tree cut from Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper (#165929) layered on top
Tag & Sentiment:
- Cut using the Merry Tags & More Dies #(#165639)
- Tag created from the Celebration Expressions Memories & More Card Pack (#165307)
  - Not a Christmas pack—but the colors and designs worked perfectly (and bonus: tons of great backgrounds for future cards or scrapbook pages!)

Finishing Touches

Sheer Balmy Blue Ribbon (#165767)
White Baker’s Twine (#155475)
Strawberry Slush & Pretty in Pink Gems (#165615)

And one fun detail about this project:
There is no stamping on the entire card!
It’s a great reminder of how versatile your dies, embellishments, Memories & More packs, and specialty papers can be.

Card on top is Bubble Bath Background – Card on bottom is Pretty in Pink Background.

A festive card featuring a pink tree die cut on a tag, with the word 'merry' in blue, placed on a light blue background. The card is adorned with light blue ribbon and colorful embellishments.

A decorated tag featuring a pink and white Christmas tree with glitter accents, the word 'merry' in blue, and pink sequins on a light blue background.

🌟 Bonus Samples

I also created a few additional samples to showcase how cool it looks when you emboss the iridescent treat bags. On the shaker card sample, I paired the treat bag layer with white cardstock—you can really see the yellow shimmer come to life!

A festive card featuring a translucent tree design with a snowman in a winter scene, surrounded by colorful sequins, on a pink and blue background with the text 'tis the season' at the top.

A festive shaker card featuring a clear tree shape filled with sequins and a snowman drawing, set against a pink polka dot background with a sentiment that says 'tis the season.'

This is definitely a technique worth trying on multiple projects.

👉 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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November 24, 2025November 24, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 23 – Elfie Time!

Fun Fold Gift Card Holder + Sketch Challenge #5

Today’s theme was Elfie Time, and the moment I read it, I knew exactly which stamp set I had to pull out—my beloved retired #Elfie (#150509). Pairing it with Sketch Challenge #5 inspired a playful twist: a Fun Fold Gift Card Holder!

This design is so easy to create and perfect for the holidays—because who doesn’t love receiving (or giving!) a cute handmade gift card holder?

I shared the full tutorial during a live in the Card A Day in November 2025 group as well as on my YouTube and Facebook pages. If you missed it, no worries—you can still catch the replay. And huge thanks to Kevin for inviting me on to share this project!

🎁 How to Make the Fun Fold Gift Card Holder

This fold comes together quickly and can be decorated for any theme or season. Here’s the basic template:

Card Base

Cut: 9-1/2″ x 5-1/2″
Score at: 3-1/2″ and 7-1/2″
This creates:
A 3-1/4″ panel (the main front)
A 4-1/4″ panel (the inside)
A 2″ flap (perfect for the pocket)

Belly Band

Cut: 1-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ (or longer depending on embellishments)
Wrap loosely around the card so it slides easily.

Gift Card Cutout

You’ll need circle punches or dies:

1-3/4″ for the pocket opening (#119850)
2″ for the decorative circle layer (#133782)

Interior Layer

If you’re using a different color inside:

Cut 2-1/2″ x 5-1/4″
Make sure it extends past the punched opening for a clean look.

Tools That Help

Bone folder (#102300)
Tear & Tape (#154031)
Mini Glue Dots (#103683)
Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (#144108)
Circle punches/dies

And then… decorate to your heart’s content!

🧝 Elfie Samples

Of course I made more than one! Here’s what I used:

Elfie Cards

Color combos:

Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Summer Splash
Others:
- White Baker’s Twine (#155475)
- Real Red & White Peppermint Embellishments (#164050)
- Strawberry Slush and Pretty in Pink Gems (#165615)
- Forever Plaid Embossing Folder (#164049)
- A Little Cheer (#166121)
- Stylish Shapes Dies (#159183)
- Wink of Stella (#141897)
- Blending Brush (#160518)
- Masking Paper (#155480)
- Blends – Poppy Parade, Summer Splash, Pool Party, Pecan Pie, Petal Pink, Pretty in Pink

Both versions turned out adorable and festive!

A handmade holiday gift card holder featuring a playful elf design, with a red and teal color scheme and a greeting saying 'A Holiday Hello'.

A Fun Fold Gift Card Holder featuring a playful elf design with a greeting that says 'A Holiday Hello' on a light blue background.

❄️ Additional Sample – Christmas Cuties

I also made a version using the retired Christmas Cuties (#139787) paired with the Need for Tweed Designer Series Paper (#166144) for a quick, textured background.

Color combo:

Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Others:
- Real Red Baker’s Twine (#164051)
- Shimmer Star Foam Stickers (#166202)
- A Little Cheer (#166121)
- Perennial Postage Dies (#162607)

A different look but just as charming!

A handmade gift card holder designed for the Christmas season, featuring an elf illustration, festive patterns in red and green, and the greeting 'Happy Christmas.'

A festive handmade card featuring a cheerful elf character, surrounded by red and green decorative elements. The card includes the text 'Happy Christmas' and is embellished with twine and stars.

🎄 Do You Love This Fun Fold as Much as I Do?

I adore how quick and adaptable this Fun Fold Gift Card Holder is, and I can’t wait to see what you create with it!

If you try this fold, please share your photos—I love seeing everyone’s creative twist on the design.

👉 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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November 23, 2025November 26, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 22 – A Little Bit of Festive Flora & Oh Deer!

Silly Deer Mishaps + Paper Pumpkin Fun

Today’s challenge theme brought together two fun ideas: festive flora and oh deer—and that instantly reminded me of this month’s Paper Pumpkin kit and its adorably silly deer mishaps. The original kit was designed to create cute tags and gift boxes, but you know me… I couldn’t resist turning those tags into full cards!

A layout sketch for a card-making challenge, featuring a framed design in pale pink against a light blue background.

The TGIFC551 Sketch Challenge (even though it’s finished now) was the perfect layout inspiration. I loved the balance and simplicity of the sketch, and it translated beautifully to both tag designs in the kit.

Transforming the Tag into a Card

To bring out the playful “oh deer!” vibe, I reached for one of my favorite retired sets: Cookie-Cutter Christmas (#142043) with the coordinating punch. That sweet little deer was exactly what the project needed.

I added a festive pop using the Real Red Shiny Ribbon (#165876)—a tiny bow with a big holiday statement!

For the card base, I stamped the Linen Background Stamp (#167107) to add soft texture without overwhelming the design. It really ties everything together and gives the card a more polished look.

The end result?
A fun, festive, simple-to-create card that came together quickly and still feels special and works for both the challenges.

Bonus Card!

Two handmade Christmas cards featuring festive designs, one with a reindeer and a red ribbon, and the other with holiday greenery and a bow.

A handmade Christmas card featuring a festive red and green tag design, adorned with a white bow and greenery, and a 'Merry Christmas' sentiment.

Since I loved the layout so much, I used the second tag design from the kit to create an additional card using the same sketch. Paper Pumpkin always makes it so easy to branch out and try new ideas—whether you follow the directions as-is or grab your supplies and create something entirely different.