A Cozy Penguin in My Cocoa

Hi friends!

I’m so excited to be a guest designer for the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge this month! 

I used The Paper Shelter’s There's a Penguin in My Cocoa digital stamp, and let me tell you, this little guy is just too cute for words. I knew right away I wanted to make a bold, cheerful Christmas card that really lets him shine.

Focal Fun

I printed and colored my penguin directly on a panel using Copic markers — love how digital stamps make it easy to size and tweak to your card design. The penguin came complete with his cozy cocoa mug and gifts on either side, so he practically screams Christmas cheer!

To frame him, I added a red mat. I knew I wanted the card to pop, and red + green + hints of blue seemed perfect for that festive punch.

A Playful Floor

Next up: the “floor.” I cut a small strip of red-blue diagonal striped paper — kind of like a fun little rug for our penguin. Placing it under the focal panel gave the scene a nice grounded look and a subtle nod to the bold holiday palette.

The Snowflake Background

I used a snowflake pattern paper behind the panel to add texture and interest. Because the penguin panel is bold and full of color, I kept the background slightly muted so it wouldn’t compete.

The Sentiment Dilemma

Now, here’s where things got fun (and a little tricky). I wanted the sentiment to feel playful and whimsical, so I decided to go with a fishtail banner. I tried a few options — red fishtail with white embossing, white fishtail with red stamping, and even playing with double layers. Honestly, they all looked great!

In the end, I went with a white fishtail stamped in red, angled slightly in the top left corner for a whimsical touch. Foam tape helped it pop above the penguin without smushing the stamped panel — because yes, this little penguin deserves all the room to shine!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope this sweet penguin made you smile!

Cozy Winter Critter Card – Guest Designer for Critter Crazy Challenge

Hi friends! 

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for the Critter Crazy Challenge! This challenge is always Anything Goes, with the fun requirement of including a critter, which makes it one of my favorites to participate in. For my card, I chose an adorable polar bear from the My Favorite Things Polar Bear Pals stamp set to create a cozy winter scene.

I started by layering patterned papers from Honey Bee Stamps Vintage Holiday. The main background is a soft pink snowflake panel measuring 4 x 5.25 inches, and I added a vertical navy blue snowflake strip, sized 2 x 5.25 inches, on top. The blue strip runs from top to bottom, creating contrast and interest without overpowering the design. I adhered the panels together and ran the combined piece through my die cutting machine using the My Favorite Things Wonky Stitched Rectangle Die, which adds a subtle stitched detail to the edges.

To frame my polar bear scene, I die cut a scalloped circle from white cardstock using the Pinkfresh Studio Essentials: Stitched Scallop Circle Dies, then layered a smaller stitched circle on top. Before assembling, I added soft shading to the upper portion of the stitched circle using Distress Oxide Stormy Sky, creating a gentle winter sky behind my critter. To ground the bear, I adhered a snow drift along the bottom of the circle, using foam tape on the left side to lift it slightly and add dimension.

The polar bear and his bucket of fish were stamped and colored using Copic markers, keeping the bear soft and neutral while adding a pop of pink in the fish to coordinate with the pink background panel. I popped the bear up with foam tape and adhered the bucket behind him with liquid glue, letting it tuck naturally at his side.

To add a little winter sparkle, I scattered glittery snowflakes cut from the Waffle Flower Crafts Small Snowflakes Die, layering a few for dimension and slightly rotating them to create a natural, falling-snow effect.

The sentiment comes from the Polar Bear Pals stamp set and was stamped in VersaFine Black ink. I die cut it using one of the pretty Scalloped Sentiment Label Dies from La-La Land Crafts and placed it near the bottom of the panel to balance the design and keep the eye drawn to the center scene.

I love how the combination of soft pinks, deep navy blues, and crisp white cardstock creates a cozy, wintry feel. The layered stitched elements, gentle ink shading, and a little sparkle all come together to highlight the sweet polar bear and his bucket of fish, making this card playful, heartwarming, and perfect for any winter occasion.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you’ll join us over at the Critter Crazy Challenge and share your own Anything Goes project featuring a critter. I can’t wait to see what everyone creates!