Happy Summer Card

Have you ever had one of those moments where everything just seems to line up perfectly? That happened to me today as I was browsing for inspiration and stumbled across the As You See It Challenge #350. The sketch for the layout looked so familiar—it was so similar to the layout I’m using for tonight’s YouTube Live Paper Party! With just a slight shift in placement, it worked beautifully, and I took that as a sign to create a card for the challenge right away.

As if that wasn’t serendipitous enough, I also saw the vibrant color palette from Color Throwdown #835 and immediately knew those shades were perfect for the cheerful summer vibe I had in mind. I pulled out the adorable Choose Happy stamp set and got to work.

I started by stamping the sun and the sweet little bee—complete with a cute trail—onto a scrap piece of Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The “Happy Summer” sentiment from the same set was stamped on another white scrap. I colored everything in with Stampin’ Blends: Daffodil Delight and Lemon Lolly for the sun and bee, with a soft touch of Petal Pink on the wings. Once they were dry, I snipped out both images with Paper Snips.

The base of the card is Coastal Cabana, layered with a panel of Daffodil Delight, and then topped with a panel of Basic White. I adhered three strips of Full of Life DSP across the front, each piece in shades of turquoise, green, and yellow to echo that fresh, happy color combo from the challenge.

Initially, I forgot to add the White Baker’s Twine from the Essentials Pack, which I had planned to wrap around the Daffodil Delight and Basic White layers. Thankfully, it was an easy fix—I carefully removed the panels, wrapped the twine around, tied a simple knot toward the right side of the card front, and re-adhered the layers using Dimensionals. Crisis averted!

The greeting strip got bannered ends for a fun finish and was popped up with Dimensionals. The sun and bee were then added, slightly overlapping the sentiment on either side for a playful, balanced look. A bit of shimmer from Wink of Stella on the sun’s rays and bee wings was the perfect touch to make this card shine.

Inside the card, I added a panel of Basic White matted with Daffodil Delight to coordinate with the front and give lots of space to write a sunny little message.

This card came together so perfectly for both my Paper Party Live and the two challenges—it felt like crafting kismet! Here’s the video for you with step-by-step visuals:

Speaking of which, I’d love for you to join me live for Paper Party Live today (Thursday, June 19 8 PM EDT) over on my YouTube channel: JuliaSueStamping on YouTube. It’s a fun, real-time crafting hangout where you bring your own DSP, cardstock, and a favorite stamp set; we’ll make a card together! If you can’t make it live, no worries—the replay will be available afterward.

Here’s the supply list and cutting guide for the Paper Party Live so you can prep ahead if you’d like to join the fun – and these are the measurements I used for today’s card:

• Any stamp set with a sentiment and an image (I’m using Textured Notes)
• Patterned Paper (DSP): 5 x 3-3/4 inches (I’m using Woven Textures)
• Coordinating Cardstock (card base + 3 strips): 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, scored at 4-1/4 inches; three pieces cut 1-1/4 x 2-3/4 inches (I’m using Basic Beige)
• 2nd Coordinating Cardstock: two pieces cut 5-1/8 x 3-7/8 inches (I’m using Pecan Pie)
• Basic White: 3-3/4 x 5 inches (for inside), plus a scrap for your sentiment
• Embellishments (optional but fun!)

Let’s stamp, chat, and create something beautiful together. Hope to see you at the party! Tomorrow’s blog post will contain the details for cutting next week’s Paper Party Live supplies!

Supplies Used: