Just Dreamin' Stamps: Making a Splash: A Summer Birthday Card

Summer is in full swing, and there's no better way to celebrate a July birthday than with a card that's bursting with sunshine, poolside vibes, and a little sparkle. Today I'm sharing a fun beach-themed birthday card that came together using some of my favorite summer products — think flip flops, sunglasses, an inner tube, and a tall glass of lemonade!

Getting Started

I began by adhering Summer Happiness Washi Tape onto a panel of Basic White cardstock. This washi tape is such a great shortcut for adding pattern and color without any stamping — plus it gave me the perfect base for cutting out some of my embellishments later on.

That washi-covered panel was layered onto a Coastal Cabana cardstock mat, which was then layered onto a Strawberry Slush cardstock panel, and finally adhered to a Basic White cardstock card base. This layered mat approach adds just the right amount of dimension and color-blocking before any of the fun details even go on.

The Fun Details

No beach party is complete without flip flops! I cut these out using the Summer Happiness dies, paired with Strawberry Slush and Darling Duckling cardstock for that classic pink-and-yellow combo.

The inner tube and beach ball are from the Splash and Relax bundle. I stamped both images onto Basic White cardstock and then cut them out using the coordinating dies for clean, crisp edges.

For the sentiment, I turned to the Loveliest Tree stamp set, stamping "Happy Birthday" in Coastal Cabana ink onto an oval die-cut from the Classic Labels Mix & Match Ephemera Pack, which became the perfect focal point nestled among all the summer icons.

The Finishing Touches

To really make this card shine, I added Rhinestone Jewels to the sunglasses, the flip flops, and scattered a few more around as accents. There's something about a little sparkle that instantly elevates a card from cute to "wow."

Inside the Card

The inside is just as fun as the outside! The sentiment — "It's your day to make a splash" — comes from the Splash and Relax stamp set, stamped in Coastal Cabana ink.

I used the masking technique to stamp the inner tube and beach ball onto the inside panel, layering them so they overlap naturally, just like they would floating together in a pool.

To finish it off, I cut a glass of lemonade out of cardstock-backed Summer Happiness Washi Tape using the coordinating die — a sweet little detail that ties the inside back to the washi tape used on the front.

On the Envelope

Even the envelope got some summer love! I adhered a strip of Summer Happiness Washi Tape to the envelope flap, so the fun starts before the recipient even opens the card.

Final Thoughts

This card was such a joy to create — every element, from the layered cardstock to the die-cut flip flops and the sparkly rhinestones, came together to capture that carefree, sun-soaked feeling of summer. Whether it's for a poolside birthday or just to bring a little sunshine to someone's mailbox, this design is sure to make a splash!

Happy crafting! ☀️🩴🍋

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