Hey friends!
This week I played along with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where the theme was Stitch It and the highlighted company was one of my favorites—Waffle Flower. 🎉 When I browsed my Waffle Flower stash, the gingerbread postage collage stencils immediately caught my eye. One of my favorite family traditions growing up was making gingerbread houses with my grandma. That memory was the perfect inspiration for this gingerbread-themed card.
The Background: Gingerbread Glow
I started with kraft cardstock, which instantly set the gingerbread theme. To make my dye inks pop on top of the kraft, I first stenciled everything with white pigment ink—except the cookie parts. For those, I went straight in with Altenew Caramel Toffee, one of my all-time favorite fall shades. It’s the most perfect pumpkin-spice-gingerbread color!
Instead of blending a solid background, I wanted to try something a little different… a bokeh effect to mimic Christmas light reflections. Using my Waffle Flower shader brushes, I dabbed in colorful circles of ink. The result? A soft, glowing background that feels warm and festive while still letting the gingerbread shine.
Sweet Details & Stitching
For the icing, I grabbed my white gel pen—the perfect way to make all those details pop. I then stamped my postage greetings using the Waffle Flower Postage Collage North Pole Stamps in dark brown ink to tie in with that gingerbread warmth.
Now for the stitching! At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d incorporate it, but then I realized the Postage Collage die already gives you the perfect holes. (Thank you, Waffle Flower!) I pulled some embroidery thread from my stash, paired up two colors at a time, and stitched right through those holes for a fun, colorful border.
The Finishing Touches
To bring it all together, I stamped and die cut a sentiment from the Hero Arts Holiday Greetings Stamp & Cut, then tucked a little double bow behind it for extra elegance. For another cozy touch, I wrapped more thread around the corners of a blue cardstock panel before adhering it to my card base.
A simple white mat, some foam tape for dimension, and a hint of Wink of Stella shimmer on the images finished off this festive project. ✨
Final Thoughts
I love how this card combines stitching, stenciling, and a little unexpected bokeh effect into one gingerbread-sweet creation. It’s the kind of project that feels both nostalgic and playful at the same time!
What do you think—would you try adding real stitching to your card projects?
Until next time,
Denise 💌
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