Sometimes a handmade card is more than stamps, ink, and paper. Sometimes it becomes a full-circle moment between two cardmakers—and that is exactly what happened with this colorful Buggin’ You card!
While attending Craft Roulette Live, we practiced Ardyth’s LIMES technique. This creative card-making exercise begins with another person’s card design, which you then interpret and change to reflect your own crafting style
A Card Swap with the Perfect Surprise
During Craft Roulette Live, we participated in a handmade card swap. The organizers saved one card from each participant and randomly handed them back out for the LIMES exercise.
I was so excited when I received a card created by Debra, a Pajama Crafter Stamps customer who loves the Buggin’ You Stamp Set—and that was the set she used on her swap card!
Seriously, what were the chances that her card would randomly find its way to me?
Even more surprisingly, I happened to have the Buggin’ You Stamp Set with me at the event. I immediately decided to create my own version of her design and give Debra a card featuring one of her favorite stamped images, hand-colored by me.
It was simply meant to be!
Putting My Own Spin on the Original Card
Debra’s original design featured an embossed panel, patterned paper, and a hand-colored image from the Buggin’ You Stamp Set. I used those three elements as the inspiration for my LIMES card while making a few creative substitutions.
I didn’t have any embossing folders with me, but I did have the In My Hearts of Heart Stencil. Instead of adding raised texture, I blended black ink through the stencil to create a bold heart-filled background panel.
The softly blended black and gray hearts added visual texture while coordinating beautifully with the crisp white cardstock and deep red matting. I love a good red, white, and black color combination—it is classic, dramatic, and makes bright colors pop!
Rainbow Hair and Sweet Hand-Colored Details
Of course, I had to color this sweet girl’s hair in a full rainbow. Who doesn’t love rainbows?
Her wonderfully wild curls were the perfect place to add vibrant sections of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Deep black shadows create contrast between the colorful curls, while tiny white gel-pen highlights add shine, movement, and playful dimension.
I carried the red and black combination into her adorable ladybug-inspired outfit and the tiny ladybug resting in the grass. The soft skin tones, rosy cheeks, shaded clothing, delicate wings, and bright green grass help ground the image without competing with that fabulous rainbow hair.
The sentiment, “You’re Simply Incredible,” stretches across the grassy border and could not have been more fitting—for either the card or its recipient!
Christmas Paper Isn’t Just for Christmas
To bring Debra’s patterned-paper element into my version, I added a red plaid design from the Cottage Christmas Paper Pack.
Yes, Christmas paper on a non-Christmas card—and it works beautifully!
The red and white plaid complements the ladybug theme, reinforces the card’s color palette, and adds another pattern without overwhelming the hand-colored focal image. This proves that you do not have to use Christmas patterned paper only for Christmas projects.
ook beyond a paper pack’s theme and choose designs based on their colors and patterns. Plaids, stripes, dots, florals, and subtle textures can often be used for handmade cards throughout the entire year.
Creating Dimension with a Fun-Fold Design
The dimensional fun-fold card base gives each design element its own place to shine. The large hand-colored image takes center stage, while the stenciled hearts and red plaid paper peek out from behind it.
Deep red cardstock mats frame each panel and visually connect the different patterns. The strong vertical panels also create height and balance behind the wide focal panel, making the card interesting from every angle.
As a final touch, I added several tiny red, pink, and translucent heart embellishments around the image. These dimensional accents reinforce the stenciled heart theme and lead the eye toward the sweet little character.
A Handmade Card with Heart
I was thrilled with the way this card turned out, but I was even more excited to give it to Debra.
Debra, I hope you loved your card! I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you in person and that your beautiful swap card somehow found its way to me. Re-creating your design with one of your favorite Pajama Crafter Stamps images made this LIMES exercise incredibly special.
This experience is a perfect example of what I love about the card-making community. We inspire one another, learn from one another, and form meaningful connections through the handmade cards we share
Try the LIMES Technique
The next time you need fresh card-making inspiration, choose a handmade card you love and try the LIMES technique.
Study the original card and identify the elements that catch your eye. Then make a few thoughtful changes using the stamps, stencils, patterned papers, coloring supplies, and embellishments you already own.
You might change the:
- Color palette
- Card fold or layout
- Stamped image
- Background technique
- Embossed design
- Patterned paper
- Sentiment placement
- Coloring medium
- Embellishments
The goal is not to create an exact copy. It is to celebrate the original cardmaker’s creativity while giving the design a new personality through your own artistic choices.
And who knows? Your next card-making exercise might create a special memory, too!
Have you ever used someone else’s handmade card as inspiration? Tell us which elements you kept and what you changed to make the design your own.
Happy Crafting,
Joy
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