What Are the Best Sources for Card Making Ideas?

Have you ever sat at your desk or craft table, staring at Designer's Series Paper and wondering about card designs? Hopefully, these next five tips will help give you ideas!

Other designers' cards can provide a starting point for your creative abilities. Then there are sketches to follow for ideas, as well as other social media images. Take pictures of your environment and surroundings for inspiration. Finally, check out your stash of older cards and update them with the latest stamp sets and DSP.

Let's dig deeper into each of these ideas! Is card making on your to-do list for the weekend?

Take care,

Linda Ann

Questions? Click on the navy button for additional blog information and quick resource inks.

Some posts contain Amazon affiliate or Stamp-n-Storage associate links, where I earn a small commission from qualified purchases. It is important to me that I only recommend quality products that I use and enjoy! I am also an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

5 Easy Tips to Get Inspired

1. Discover what is happening with designer's card making choices.

Begin by studying the most recent cards posted on blogs, social media, and videos. What stamps, dies, and embossing folders are popular? Are there exciting color schemes that catch your eye? Basically, look for the latest trends you would enjoy as a starting point for your card making.

Sometimes I make the exact card the designer shared, then I construct another card, tweaking the design to fit my style.

If posting your card, always remember to give the designer credit!

Nest of Winter Card

Inspiration: Susan Campfield

Note: The bottom fun fold needs to be popped out.

2. Sketches are helpful starting points.

➤A simple black-and-white sketch is an excellent tool to start one's creative mind. I came across Nicole Watts' YouTube video on how she creates sketch designs. The tips are a learning experience!

Click here to see Nicole Watt's YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/OVtKrenL6Bk?si=Wrx_eCLK2QCHN2pT

➤If drawing sketches doesn't interest you, seeking out designs posted online is another option. A sketch is a helpful guide. Begin by reading the recipe, or if it is not available, calculate the measurements. Remember that a sketch is a basic design, which can be adjusted by making elements larger or smaller. You can even change the shapes to make the card your own. Dies and punches are useful tools for this task, as they create layers.

Circle in the Corner Sketch by Linda Ann

➤Next, using the sketch, select cardstock, Designer Series Paper, and embellishments for your card. Wondering what colors to use? The Color Coach tools are helpful. There are two options available from Stampin' Up! One is a color wheel and the other are color scheme cards.

To purchase the Color Coach Wheel:

https://www.stampinup.com/products/color-coach-english?demoid=2254893

Read more about the Color Coach Scheme Cards and access to free download:

https://tranquillitycottage.blogspot.com/2024/10/10-tips-to-coordinate-cardstock-with.html

➤I decided to use the Cute as a Bug Designer Series Paper to create the Circle in the Corner card. Scraps of DSP, cut in rectangles, were glued together to form the background.

Thanks a Million Cute as a Bug Card

3. A widely used resource for card designing is social media.

The most popular social media for card ideas are Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. As this post is being written, many new avenues on the Internet lead to card ideas. Remember to follow the paths. Another approach is to check out the designers' blogs; they have galleries of cards.

➤Click here for Gallery: Tranquillity Cottage Designs Gallery of Cards.

Check out the helpful links from Tranquillity Cottage by Linda Ann. Remember to "like" and "follow" to receive notifications of the latest posts.

➤Blog: https://tranquillitycottage.blogspot.com/

➤Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquillitycottage/

➤Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tranquillitycottage/

➤Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tranquilgal/_saved/

Have you searched the Stampin' Up! catalogs for ideas? I found this card in the May-August 2026 issue.

You Did It! Card

4. Look at your surroundings for card design ideas.

Each day this weekend, when I walked out to my studio cottage, a new plant was blooming in the garden. It amazes me because I stopped taking care of my perennial plants and shrubs about ten years ago because of health reasons. The weeds took over, and I was impatiently waiting for the landscapers to arrive. They never did. Seeing the poppies, peonies, and lily of the valley plants in bloom was awesome!

Look at the nature surrounding you for design ideas. The Moonlit Flora Designer Series Paper and my garden flowers have given me much inspiration for making a simple card. The DSP captures the moodiness of my garden as the sun begins to set.

My husband was watching the car races, which motivated me to create a birthday card for him. Watch for future blog posts to see the additional cards that I had so much fun making!

What else can be an inspiration?

➤Jelly that a friend gave you as a gift.
➤A sports event that you attended or streamed.
➤Fishing on the lake.
➤Driving in the city.
➤The list goes on and on.

My childhood was spent at the cabin: Ohhh, the hours sitting on the dock and enjoying life. When I saw Karen Ksenzakovic's card, I knew it would be my inspiration for a life at the lake card.

Waterside Retreat in the Arches Card

5. The last tip that may give you a starting point when deciding which card to make is to look at past cards.

I have been reorganizing my studio in the cottage because the space has more than one purpose. We are putting in a floor-to-ceiling library; my husband's book collection has grown. I will admit, it is fun to discover used books when we visit bookstores in nearby towns. I digress. In my organization, I started sorting my cards and filing them in a new drawer.

As you may have guessed, I was having way too much fun going through the cards. These words were said aloud more than once: "I should make this card again." Sitting on my desk are a few cards with recipes printed and current supplies patiently waiting. Now you know how tip number five came about.

I love sharing my organizing tips with you! Series 8 was published on my blog in May. Here is a link to the entire series called, The Art of Organizing Crafts.

If you are interested in my storage products, you will find many of them on the Tranquillity Cottage Amazon Storefront by following this link or clicking on the button. I appreciate you shopping with me.

The next time you are ready to design cards, remember the five tips: designer's galleries, sketches, social media, surroundings, and past cards. Have fun stamping!

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Stampin' Up! Products Mentioned in this Blog Post

(Some of the products have retired.)

Hope You Know Cling Stamp Set (English) [161409]	Fern & Flora Bundle (English) [167745]	Spotlight On Nature Bundle [163581]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780]	Secret Sea 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [165624]	Nests Of Winter 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [164183]
Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad [165285]	Dewdrops Embellishments [167748]	Secret Sea 3/8" (1 Cm) Faux Linen Ribbon [165273]
Relaxing Waterside Bundle (English) [167928]	Waterside Retreat Suite Collection (English) [167932]	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131297]
Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [122924]	Glossy Dots Assortment [158827]
Baker's Twine Three Color Pack [162759]	Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [167099]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [147097]
Forever Plaid 3 D Embossing Folder [164049]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]	Everyday Arches Bundle (English) [164630]
Banner Sayings Bundle (English) [167051]	Spotlight On Nature Bundle [163581]	Three Banner Punch [167050]
Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133675]
Cute As A Bug 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [166994]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]	Glossy Dots Assortment [158827]
Nested Essentials Dies [161597]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Secret Sea Classic Stampin' Pad [165285]
2025–2027 In Color™ Flat Pearls [165192]	Secret Sea 3/8" (1 Cm) Faux Linen Ribbon [165273]	Baker's Twine Essentials Pack [155475]