Darn Groundhog!

I heard that, according to the groundhog, spring is still a ways off. Well… I refuse to listen to him. My Spring Vibes sampler has me excited for spring’s arrival, and maybe it will get you in the mood too.

The new Splash of Sparkles DSP from the January Online Exclusives caught my eye right away. I knew I wanted to create a spring sampler for my next class, and this paper just screams spring. The pastels, rainbows, playful patterns, and touches of gold and iridescent shimmer make it feel light, fresh, and happy.

I started with the rainbow watercolour circles for the background and pulled all the coordinating cardstock colours to match. Stampin’ Up! makes this part easy by listing coordinating colours right on the package insert and online—no guesswork required.

From there, I cut a 9" x 9" piece of DSP for the background and then worked with the rectangle and watercolour splashes patterns, cutting them into smaller panels. I chose my favourite pieces and played with the layout until four panels—two small and two larger—felt balanced. I trimmed the white borders down as much as possible to keep the focus on the colour.

To build the panels, I layered cardstock with Pastels Shimmer DSP for a soft glow, adding contrast with cardstock in Shaded Spruce, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, and Timid Tiger. Pool Party Pastels Shimmer helped tie everything together, and I stepped the layers down by ¼", popping the cardstock layers up with dimensionals and keeping the DSP flat.

Once everything was assembled, I laid the panels onto the background—and it felt busy. That pause sent me in a different direction, and I shifted my focus to the title.

Several years ago, I created a sampler with rainbow layers fanned out to show off multiple colours, and that idea came back to me here. It felt like the perfect way to capture the Spring Vibes I was going for—light, colourful, and full of movement. As soon as I started stacking the layers, the title came to life and gave the eye a place to rest.

The words Spring Vibes are made up of seven layers of cardstock: Lemon Lolly, Timid Tiger, Bubble Bath, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, and Shaded Spruce, topped with Pool Party Pastels Shimmer. That mix of colour and shimmer helped set the tone for the entire sampler.

With the title in place, I softened the centre panel by adding a vellum layer over the watercolour circles. It toned things down while still letting the colour show through. Lemon Lolly and Bubble Bath shimmer helped the centre panel stand out without overpowering the rest.

The background still needed calming, so I added Two-Tone cardstock in Blueberry Bushel, using the lighter side. Layering a strip of DSP over it brought everything together and allowed the patterns to shine without competing.

For the stamped elements, I chose A Round of Hellos—springy without being too Easter-y. I stamped the flowers on vellum so they would feel light and float over the panels, fussy cutting them instead of using a punch. I repeated colour inking on both the vellum circles and sentiments to keep things cohesive.

Once all the pieces were ready, I built the panels by layering and adjusting until everything felt right. Because of the vellum, adhesive had to be hidden—a glue dot tucked behind the stamped areas worked perfectly.

After plenty of dimensionals, the sampler was fully assembled. I finished it off with Brushed Brass Butterflies (now on the Last Chance list). I tested the new Bubble Bath ribbon, but couldn’t find a place where it truly fit, so I left it out.

In the end, I’m really happy with how this sampler turned out. There’s a lot of colour, but it feels soft rather than loud—sweet, cheerful, and very spring-inspired. If nothing else, it makes me dream of spring flowers that will be here before we know it.

Create With Me

If you’d like to make this project with me, you’ll find class details and registration at the link below when they’re available:
👉 Spring Vibes 9"x 9" Sampler

I offer both in-person and kit-to-go options, whenever possible. Class kits include:

• Pre-cut materials

• A printed PDF with measurements and instructions

• Access to a video tutorial so you can craft at your own pace

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