Happy Spring Card with Di's DigiStamps Bunny Love Digi

I have the pleasure to once again be guest designing for Kleuren met Potloden (Coloring with Pencils). Today's Happy Spring card features the Bunny Love digi from Di's DigiStamps, who is one of the challenge sponsors. Is he a cutie or what?! I love that sweet look on his face and his striped t-shirt (he looks quite French).

This card's for a guy and I didn't want to go all pastel, so I decided to revisit the Prima Marketing Doodle Deux paper pad (retired) I've used on two other past colorful Easter cards – this egg shaped one and this multi-framed one. In searching the blog for this paper brand, it would seem that I've only used this paper for Easter and on the two aforementioned cards, it's funny because I certainly didn't have Easter/Spring in mind when I bought it. It's also another craft item that's been lingering in a paper drawer since its last outing in 2020.

The sentiment was created with Enviro font. The adhesive border strip is something I have had for a long, long time. Matt enamel dots top it all off.

If  you're a pencil colorer, come link up with us at Kleuren met Potloden; we'd love to see your projects! Power to the pencil!

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Prima Marketing Doodle Deux paper pad

Digital stamp – Di's DigiStamps Bunny Love

Dies – Die-namics square stax

Embellishments – matt enamel dots

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

Pentel .05 black fine line pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Di's Design Challenge 11/04 – Load on Flowers, Simply Create Too #208 – Furry Friends, and Creative Friday #384 – Illustration.

Cards

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! I feel a bit funny saying that as every day should be Earth Day, not just one day a year. It's not like we've got anywhere else to go, right? As our French president Emmanuel Macron has said, 'There is no Planet B.' Unfortunately, instead of governments (and let's face it, major change has to be made at the governmental level) moving forward in efforts to protect our world and insure a habitable planet for future generations, in some parts of the world today governments are actually moving backwards, rolling back protections already in place, which makes it all the more important that we remember on this day what is at stake and do what we can do as individuals to help protect our home, our planet, Earth.

I didn't prepare a card, but thought I would share with you some photos I took on a recent morning bike ride, showing just how beautiful Mother Nature is and reminding everyone you don't have to travel very far to see it – step outside and look around.

Swiss colza fields with the French Jura mountains in the distance.

Some very happy busy bees hard at work.

France, Miscellaneous Musings, Switzerland

Easter Card with Di's DigiStamps Easter Parade Digi

Happy Easter weekend to everyone observing the holiday. Enjoy those chocolate bunnies and eggs! This card features the Easter Parade digi from Di's DigiStamps (retired). Oh but Di does have some cute spring/Easter themed digis. I look back on previous spring/Easter projects and see just how many I've used through the years, e.g. this Bunny's Egg Hunt (from my alcohol marker period).

Paper is from a Craft Universe paper pad I picked up recently at our local Action store for only €0.99. This is its first outing. Remember in recent posts I mentioned I was trying to use what I had rather than buy new? Obviously my resolve caved when confronted with super-cute €0.99 50-sheet paper pads perfectly sized for cardmaking at 15.2 cm square; I bought six. I also ran across a massive die sale in an outlet I frequent with name brands like Sizzix, Creative Expressions and Studio Light at a fraction of their retail price. Of course I re-homed a few of those, too. I've just about decided that if you really want to find an excellent buy on craft supplies, just write a blogpost saying you're trying not to buy them; good buys just seem to pop up like mushrooms after that. The sentiment was created with Josefin Sans font. I've dressed it up with some enamel dots and my trusty no-brand border strip and ric-rac dies. 

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Craft Universe paper pad

Digital stamp – Di's DigiStamps Easter Parade

Dies – no-brand stitched postage stamp edge square, stitched square and border strip, Gemini Fancy Borders Ric-Rac

Embellishments – enamel dots

Font – Josefin Sans 

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

Pentel .05 black fine line pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #252 – ATG, Love Those Pretty Patterned Papers April – ATG w/patterned papers, and SOS #545 – Hippity Hop Easter card with rabbit or chick.

Cards

Die Cut Easter Gift Box

It's the first time I've  used this cutting die to create this gift box full of chocolate Easter eggs to give to our neighbors. I honestly forgot I even had it. I was rummaging around in my die storage drawers when I came across it and the funny thing is I had it on a wish list to buy. It's a good thing I found it before I ordered another one. 

I whipped this up last minute so I kept the embellishments simple. The Easter Greetings sentiment is from Kim's Digital Stamps - Twelve Round Greetings - Mixed sheet, cut with Die-Namics circle stax dies. Patterned paper is from Echo Park's Bundle of Joy Girl paper collection kit. To have my felt bunnies facing one another I removed the tail from the front of one, turned it around and glued it on the back...voila! It stays shut without the ribbon, but I thought that made it more Easter-ish.

The size of this box is handy for small things and it cuts well (the die makes it so much easier to cut and fold than the template I used for these Easter take-out boxes from a view years back). I purchased it on Amazon, but I see the price is a lot less on AliExpress (at least for me here in Europe). I've started purchasing craft things on AliExpress, but I'll save saying more about that for another post. Here's what it looks like if you're interested in hunting it down for yourself.

I'm linking up with the following challenges: The Neglected Stuff Challenge 4/25 – ATG,  Creative Fingers #299 – ATG, and Creative Creases #102 – ATG w/fun fold.

Creative Projects

Easter card with Whimsie Doodles Love Chocolate Bunnies Digi

This French Easter card is going to Swiss friends. I swear the girl on the front reminds me so much of the female in the couple that I've colored her with that in mind; I wonder if she'll notice? The Love Chocolate Bunnies digi was a past freebie from the now defunct Whimsie Doodles (I've had it probably a decade and never used it – oh well, no time like the present).

I've used Bickley Script for the font (so pretty!); it means 'Happy Easter' in French. The paper is from Swiss brand IAM Creative Design. I've used one of my new no-brand €0.99 wonky stitched rectangle dies again. Pretty felt flowers with rhinestone centers top it all off. You might have noticed that I don't often use human digis on my cards (I prefer animals), but having said that Whimsie Doodles did have some sweet girly figures, like the one on this upcycled candy box. I really hated to see them shut down (sigh).

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, IAM Creative Design paper set 

Digital stamp – Whimsie Doodles Love Chocolate Bunnies 

Dies – no-brand wonky stitched rectangle

Embellishments – felt flowers

Font – Bickley Script

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Papercraft Challenges #117 – Easter Elegance, Girlz Rebel Challenge #39 –ATG with flowers,  Creatalicious #288 – ATG, Crafter's Cafe #318 – ATG option feminine, The Creative Crafters #87 – ATG, Try it On Tuesday 15/04 – Oh So Sweet, and SOS#545 – Hippity Hop.

Cards

Yes! You Can Get Good Coloring Results with Inexpensive Colored Pencils

This card marks the fourth time I've used this Bite Me digi and sentiment from the now defunct Whimsie Doodles for an Easter card. It just cracks me up and I like the fact it works well for a guy or a gal (I've sent it to both). If you're curious about the other three check out the 2016, 2018, and 2024 versions. Which one do you like best?

I decided to use Studio Light Die Essentials 257 small card and envelope die for this year's rendering. This is a great little die set; I love the envelope you can easily make to match the card. The paper is a magazine freebie from Culture Scrapbooking's Feb/Mar/April '25 issue. I dressed the bunny up with a little bow. I'm also using a new no-brand wonky stitched rectangle die I purchased recently for only €0.99 for the set of five.

I'd like to point out something different about this card. I did NOT use my Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils to color the digi. I picked up this box of 24 colored pencils at a Migros Outlet (a Swiss grocery store chain) recently for only CHF 2.25 (apx. $2.75 US). I wanted to prove a point; that you don't have to spend a lot of money on colored pencils to get good results. Yes, I like my Luminance pencils, but they are expensive (especially in the USA, I was shocked when I googled the price today) and for a beginning colorer that could very well be cost-prohibitive. Granted, I only used two pencils on this digi, but the result is very good. What did help was my Derwent blender pencil and Zest-It's non-toxic pencil blender (my secret blending weapon and the only liquid blender I use). If you'd like to see a Derwent blender pencil in action, check out this past tutorial that also shows how to achieve decent color blending with just one pencil. Another project colored with inexpensive pencils is this autumn card. 

These pencils don't have a lot of colors, but what's there is good. If I had one complaint it would be that there's no white; white is good for blending. But for CHF 2.25 pencils like these are an excellent way to try pencil coloring before investing in costly better brands.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Culture Scrapbooking Magazine paper freebie
Digital stamp and sentiment – Whimsie Doodles Bite Me
Dies – Studio Light Die Essentials 257, no-brand wonky stitched rectangle
Embellishments – bow
Color – Migros Bellcolor colored pencils
Art-n-Fly white pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: SOSS#261 – M is for Manly, Sweet Stampin' 12/04 – Easter Creations, Kleuren met Potloden 10/04 – ATG colored with pencils, We Love to Create Challenge 4 – ATG, and Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #251 – ATG.

Cards

What is a Good Replacement for CraftArtist 2 Professional and an Easter Card

Do you remember Digital Delights by Louby Lou? It was another digital stamp site I liked that has since gone out of business. I liked Wendy's digis so much I was even a member of the design team for a while. I have quite a few cards on the blog made with these digis, e.g. this swimming Peggy Legz card which is an all-time past favorite. 

I especially liked the sets Wendy had. I have one with digital stamps of all the Zodiac signs (so far I've used the Cancer, Taurus, Capricorn and Pisces ones). She also had a set with cupcake digis from all the months of the year; this one is the March digi. 

Remember me talking about the old Serif CraftArtist 2 Professional app a while back and how I was still using it and planned to until I couldn't anymore? Well, the couldn't day came and after a recent Windows update it wouldn't work for me anymore. I wrote Serif and told them about my plight and lo and behold they sent me the latest Affinity apps! Yippee!!! Thank you, Serif Affinity! The one that I'm now using is Affinity Photo 2 and it's in this app that I created the above oval shaped sentiment using Candy Round BTN font and the app's ability to place type along a path. Something I did often in Craft Artist (as explained on this Penguin Christmas card). If you're interested in trying Affinity Photo for yourself, you can get a 7-day free trial  HERE. I am liking it so far. It's similar to Craft Artist, but it's far more complex and I'm definitely in the learning curve. 

The dotted paper is from my scraps drawer and the floral ones are the front/back sides of a free sheet included in the Feb/March/April 2025 issue of Culture Scrapbooking magazine. Enamel dots top it all off. 

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, scrap piece & Culture Scrapbooking freebie

Digital stamp – Digital Delights March Cupcake (retired) 

Dies – Die-namics oval stax

Embellishments – enamel dots

Font – Candy Round BTN

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

Pentel .05 black fine line pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Kleuren met Potloden (Coloring with Pencils) April – ATG with colored pencils, C.R.A.F.T Challenge #752 – Spring/Easter/ATG, Sparkles Monthly Challenge #186 – Easter, Double 'D' Challenge 02/04 – Easter, Fab 'n' Funky #614 – Think Spring, and The Sisterhood of Crafters 09/04 – Springtime Designer Paper. 

Cards

Easter Card with Di's DigiStamps Micey Easter Wagon Digi

No doubt about it; Di's DigiStamps is my favorite digital stamp seller for Easter/Spring digis. This year's batch of  Easter/Spring cards have been created predominately with Di's digis and when I look back at past favorites, they feature Di's digis, too, e.g. this white bunny card (which also explains how I color a white bunny if you're interested). What I like best about Di's digis is that they're cute without being cutesy. 

Today's card features Di's Micey Easter Wagon digital stamp (retired), Dovecraft's Bloomin' Lovely paper pad (retired), and a sentiment created with Delighter Script font (not retired :-). Pink pearl dots give a bit of bling. This is the second time I've colored this digi; the first time I was still using alcohol markers (which one do you like better?). IMHO I don't miss the alcohol markers at all.

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Dovecraft Bloomin' Lovely

Digital stamp – Di's DigiStamps Micey Easter Wagon

Dies – no-brand stitched squares and border strip

Embellishments – pearl dots

Font – Delighter Script 

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

Pentel .05 black fine line pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Di's DigiStamps Challenge 28/03 – 2 or more patterned papers, Creative Fingers #298 – ATG, Festive Friday Challenge 04/04 – Easter & Bunnies, As You Like It 03/04 – Cute or Floral and why (definitely cute – I prefer coloring animals – and yet...lots of my cute digis have a floral element, too), and Craft Rocket #124 – Layer It Up. 

Cards

Christmas Card Featuring Vera Lane Studio Holidee Digital Stamp

Here's another addition to my Christmas card stash, featuring Vera Lane Studio's Holidee digi; I love the VLS digi packs featuring the character Dee and her sassy humor (e.g. this Mama Dee's Mother's Day card). Although I've had this digi a while now, this is my first time to use it.  It just cracks me up, but I realize the humor isn't for everyone (I've got someone in mind for this one).

I die cut the frame (Studio Light Another Love Story) long ago but decided against using it on the card I had intended it for. Since it's so pretty I saved it, thinking I'd use it on something else; the 'something else' is this card. It is a pretty frame and I do like the way it looks, but it is a real rhymes with 'witch' to glue down.  The background paper is from Mode & Travaux magazine's special 2021 Noël paper issue (something else I've had a while and not used). Nuvo Crystal Drops in navy blue top it all off.

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Mode & Travaux 2021 Noël paper issue

Digital stamp and sentiment – Vera Lane Studio Holidee 

Die – Studio Light Another Love Story die set SL-ALS-CD01

Embellishments – Navy Blue Nuvo Crystal Drops

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Gelly Roll .08 white pen

Pentel .05 black fine line pen

I'm linking up with the following challenges: Everybody Art Challenge #576 – Funny Photo or Stamp, The Holly and Ivy Christmas #181 – ATG Christmas, The Unicorn Challenge #108 – Use Dies, Girlz Creative Christmas #118 – ATG Christmas, Crafts Galore Encore #134 – ATG, Peace on Earth #84 – ATG Christmas, Kleuren met Potloden March – ATG colored with pencils, and NBUS #73 – Never Before Used Stuff.

Cards