Custom Designs - That DeCor

From Renovation to Relationship

Before Christmas, Phil and I finally renovated our master bathroom — a project that had been years in the making.

It actually started about four years ago, when we shrank one of the windows so we could expand the shower. That had to be done before redoing the siding. Then came the hunt for a contractor… which took nearly two years on its own. And then one day we got the call:

“I can start next week!”

We definitely hadn’t expected that, but we rolled with it.

Choosing the Finishing Touches

Part of the renovation meant finally getting blinds for the “new” window — which, yes, had been without one since it was installed.

We had two companies come out for estimates and chose a wonderful local business, That DeCor. Marie helped us select blinds that fit our colour scheme, budget, and functionality needs perfectly. When installation day came, she mentioned she’d love to see the finished bathroom once everything was complete.

It took me a little while, but I finally reached out to her last week.

A Thoughtful First Impression

When we originally worked with Marie, she gave us a beautiful package that included warranty information, a locally made magazine, and even a gift certificate for sourdough from a local artisan baker. It was thoughtful and intentional — and memorable.

She had also shown interest in my cardmaking and crafting.

When she came back to see the completed bathroom, we started chatting… and one conversation led to another. By the end of it, we had a plan:

I would create a collection of Thank You cards for her to send to her clients — something she had been wanting to do for quite some time.

We even decided that I would keep the cards and handle sending them to her clients as needed.

We had a plan.

Designing with Her Brand in Mind

Marie sent me her brand colours, and I immediately started pulling coordinating shades from my Stampin’ Up! collection:

Lemon Lolly
Darling Duckling
Daffodil Delight
Basic Grey
Smoky Slate
Petal Pink
Flirty Flamingo

Then I browsed the Stampin’ Up! website for DSP that might suit her palette — and as luck would have it, my order had just arrived with the new Product of the Month: Painted Illusions paper.

The colours were perfect.

Bringing the Cards to Life

Once I started, the designs came together quickly.

Stampin’ Up! offers a set of 45 card sketches (and even more throughout the catalogues), and I used those as inspiration for several layouts. Having a sketch to begin with makes the creative process flow so much more easily.

I:

• Focused on cutting the DSP in areas that best showcased her colour scheme

• Used Basic White Thick cardstock for the bases

• Stamped the scripted Thank You from the January Product of the Month set, Fabulous Sayings

• Highlighted the sentiment using the Modern Oval punch

• Layered additional punched ovals for depth

• Finished with twine and Hues of Blue Flowers embellishments

I experimented with different colour combinations — sometimes layering several shades together, sometimes letting just one take the lead — while keeping the overall designs clean and fresh. I also brought in a favourite detail of mine: die-cut leaves from Nature Walk in soft greys. They added just enough texture to ground the brighter tones and pull everything together.

And then came my favourite.

When You Run Out of Paper (But Not Ideas)

By the time I made the last card, I was running low on DSP — and since even demonstrators are limited to one package of Product of the Month paper, I couldn’t reorder.

So I pivoted.

Instead of DSP, I used the background stamp from Beautiful Motifs from the current Annual Catalogue. I stamped tone-on-tone with Lemon Lolly ink on Lemon Lolly cardstock, then layered in detail using the coordinating dies.

On one card, I even remembered to cut the center from the Basic White layer before adhering it — a small but satisfying way to conserve paper (and no one will ever see the missing piece hidden underneath!).

A little inking, layering, and a popped-up sentiment later — and it came together so softly and beautifully.

Simple. Fresh. Elegant.

More Than Just Cards

What began as a bathroom renovation turned into a creative partnership.

Designing a cohesive collection that reflects a client’s colours, values, and vision is the kind of creative challenge I truly enjoy. It’s thoughtful work. Intentional work — and more than just cards. It’s relationship-building.

I hope this is the first of many opportunities to create custom pieces for other businesses.

Because this?
This is the kind of project I love.

Thank you to Melva Peters for helping to organize the Share it Sunday Blog Hop through Crafty Collaborations! I hope that you check out the other blogs. Don't forget to leave a comment to let me know that you've been here!