{"id":18218,"date":"2026-10-02T11:03:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T00:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/?p=18218"},"modified":"2026-10-02T11:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T00:33:43","slug":"stampin-up-advent-calendar-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/stampin-up-advent-calendar-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Stampin\u2019 Up! Advent Calendar Door 2: A Floral Cardmaking Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes the best cardmaking lessons come from the cards that don\u2019t go exactly to plan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this week\u2019s Thursday Live, I opened Door 2 of my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stampinup.com.au\/products\/12-days-of-creativity-advent-calendar-english?demoid=4000014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stampin Up Advent Calendar<\/a> and discovered a beautiful selection of Designer Series Paper, floral images and coordinating patterns to play with. I had a general idea in my head, but as often happens when we create, the card took on a life of its own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wonderful thing about handmade cards is that they don\u2019t always need to be perfect from the very beginning. Sometimes it is about experimenting, stepping back, changing a few things and finding ways to bring all those elements together.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_1350d1-eb .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_1350d1-eb size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2.jpg\" alt=\"Stampin Up Advent Calendar card\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-560x560.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Advent-Door-2-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating Layers With Designer Series Paper and Die Cuts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Designer Series Paper from the Advent Calendar was the starting point for this card. With multiple double-sided designs included, there are so many possibilities for mixing patterns, textures and colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I chose a floral design and paired it with a Hydrangea Hue card base, adding extra interest with ink splattering. This is such a simple technique that creates beautiful texture and a handmade feel.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_9e9b00-de .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_9e9b00-de size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-1.jpg 1537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little tip when splattering ink: bring your brush closer to your cardstock if you want smaller, more concentrated dots. Standing further away will create a much wider splatter effect (and possibly decorate your craft room, your hands and everything nearby too!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For extra dimension, I used nested square dies to create frames and added die-cut floral pieces behind the main images. Layering different shapes is a great way to add depth without needing lots of extra embellishments.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_c6d1fe-ba .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_c6d1fe-ba size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-2.jpg 1537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Your Card Isn\u2019t Working\u2026 Keep Experimenting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, my card was not looking quite how I imagined, and the busy Designer Series Paper was competing with the floral images.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_1269e5-dd .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_1269e5-dd size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-3.jpg 1537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of giving up, I experimented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I added more colour to the flowers using Stampin\u2019 Blends, deepening the tones to create more contrast between the background and the stamped images. Adding darker shades helped the flowers stand out and gave the design more balance.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_afbb7f-8e .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_afbb7f-8e size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-4.jpg 1537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a great reminder that colouring doesn\u2019t always have to start with a blank image. You can use Stampin\u2019 Blends to enhance stamped images, add shadows, increase contrast and completely change the feel of a project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes a card just needs a little extra time and a few adjustments before it starts to shine.  This card needed alot of adjusting, and I ended up taking off the top layers and changing the card base.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_697d9d-eb .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_697d9d-eb size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/YT-5.jpg 1537w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Handmade Card Full of Lessons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While this card definitely tested my patience, it also reminded me why I love sharing the creative process live. We all have projects that don\u2019t quite work straight away, and learning how to adjust and adapt is part of becoming a more confident cardmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Stampin\u2019 Up! Advent Calendar is packed with coordinating products designed to inspire creativity, and Door 2 was a great example of how many different directions you can take one collection of supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_186e69-22 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_186e69-22 size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stampinup.com.au\/products\/12-days-of-creativity-advent-calendar-english?demoid=4000014\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-1024x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-18161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-1536x1536.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-560x560.webp 560w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-400x400.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-600x600.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589-100x100.webp 100w, https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/168589.webp 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you love detailed layered cards, colouring, die cutting or simply experimenting with new products, there are endless possibilities waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, not every card needs to be perfect straight away. Sometimes the most rewarding projects are the ones where you take a few creative risks and discover something unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t forget you can find the PDF Tutorial for this card in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/freebie-library-sign-up\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"13277\">Freebie Library<\/a> (currently over 170 Tutorials).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Catch the replay of the Stampin up advent calendar Card<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stampin&amp;apos; Up! Advent Calendar Door 2 | How to save a card from ruin!\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h-SVmlMv_Gk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy crafting!<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image18218_a7f930-d8 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18218_a7f930-d8 size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/alisa-tilsner-round-logo-transparent-e1623752213720.png\" alt=\"Alisa\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-11857\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shop my <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stampinup.net\/esuite\/home\/alisatilsner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ONLINE STORE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/join-stampin-up-australia\/\">Join The Artful Stampers<\/a><a aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/join-stampin-up-australia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Team<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/join-stampin-up-australia\/\"> <\/a>&#8211; Happy Shoppers, <g class=\"gr_ gr_11 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace\" id=\"11\" data-gr-id=\"11\">Hobbiest<\/g>, Part Time and Full Time welcome!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/tutorial-and-card-making-membership\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"14602\">Creative Card Makers Club<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watch me on <a aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/alisatilsner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Socialise with me on <a aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AlisaTilsnerIndependentStampinUpDemonstrator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FaceBook<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"mailto:alisacraig@westnet.com.au\">Email Me<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes the best cardmaking lessons come from the cards that don\u2019t go exactly to plan! In this week\u2019s Thursday Live, I opened Door 2 of my Stampin Up Advent Calendar and discovered a beautiful selection of Designer Series Paper, floral images and coordinating patterns to play with. I had a general idea in my head,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":18212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[457,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stampin-up-thank-you-card-ideas","category-stampin-up-video-tutorials"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18218"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18225,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18218\/revisions\/18225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alisatilsner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}