12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar

It’s time for another Colour INKspiration Challenge, and this week we’re playing with #197 — a calm, coastal palette of Misty Moonlight, Night of Navy, and Crumb Cake. These colours instantly reminded me of natural textures and soft, layered neutrals, so I decided to create a project that captures that easy, relaxed feel.

For my card, I used the 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar Stamp Set — specifically, the Stamp Set and Dies from Door 1. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’m opening one door each week leading up to Christmas, sharing a new creative idea every Monday during my Lives. It’s such a fun way to make the most of this beautiful Advent Calendar and discover a new stamp or die each week!

The Design

I started by creating a simple background with a panel of Country Woods Designer Series Paper, choosing the woodgrain print for that soft, rustic look. To give it more depth, I layered with Crumb Cake and Misty Moonlight cardstock pieces. I lightly ink-blended around the edges of both colours to add a bit of shadow and warmth — it’s a subtle detail that really ties the layers together.

The floral images are from the Stamp Set included with the Advent Calendar. I stamped them in Misty Moonlight, die-cut them with the coordinating dies, and then layered the outlines over the solid flowers. Each bloom is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals for extra depth, and I tucked in a few neutral die-cut leaves in Crumb Cake for balance.

After photographing my card, I couldn’t resist adding a little Wink of Stella to the petals — it gives just the right amount of shimmer without overpowering the design. The finishing touch is a trio of Drusy Gems in the flower centres. I love the sparkle they bring!

The Sentiment

For the greeting, I stamped the sentiment and then cut the word apart — BIG and thanks — to create a bold focal sentiment. The contrast of block and script fonts makes it stand out perfectly against the layered background. It’s clean, modern, and fits beautifully with the Colour INKspiration theme.

A Challenge Worth Joining

If you haven’t joined a Colour INKspiration Challenge before, it’s such a great way to stretch your creativity. Each fortnight we’re given a gorgeous photo inspiration and a specific colour combination to work with — and this one, with its soothing coastal tones, is perfect for cards that feel calm yet stylish.

You don’t have to be on the Design Crew to play along — just make a project using the challenge colours and share it in the Colour INKspiration Facebook Group. It’s a wonderful community of Stampin’ Up! enthusiasts who love seeing how others interpret the same palette.

Try It Yourself

If you’ve got the 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar, why not open up Door 1 and give this card a try? It’s a great design to recreate in any colour combination, but the Misty Moonlight, Night of Navy, and Crumb Cake combo really shines.

You can find the 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar, Country Woods Designer Series Paper, and Drusy Gems in my online Stampin’ Up! store. They’re the perfect mix for creating elegant, layered cards that still have that handmade warmth.