Palette Card File

Hello friends,

I created a new Card File using both Green and Yellow Palette papers. The 8 x 8" Palette paper is the perfect scale for the 3 x 4" cards. The mix and match nature of the paper packs make it easy to have all the prints you need right at your fingertips. There is also something so refreshing about the Green and Yellow combination—it feels like the first breath of Spring. 

By sticking to a limited palette of three Oxide Inks, the entire Card File remains cohesive even with a variety of textures and prints. It’s a garden-inspired project that fits right in the palm of your hand, perfect for storing little notes, quotes, or tiny mementos.

Now lets get started!

There are lots of cards in the Card File, but working through them three at a time makes it manageable! 

I started with the collage paper on the tabbed cards. 

The Palette paper series comes with sheets of paper that are printed in strips. I cut along the pattern to get lots of strips to work with.

I used the strips to cover the folded cards, then stitched with my machine along the seam lines. I also added Clipping Stickers, Cello Tape and string.

I covered the flat cards with paper from both the Palette Green and Palette Yellow. They go together perfectly. The stamped pieces were made with the Mini Motivation stamp - they fit perfectly across the 3" card.

I bought a new embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp. It's called Dancing Flowers and it makes the most beautiful impression.

I decided to color the cards with Oxide Ink in Speckled Egg, Tattered Rose, and Bundled Sage. As you can see, I pressed the Oxide Ink onto the glass mat and picked up the ink with a paintbrush to paint the flowers. 

With the cards painted, I was able to cover the envelopes and add blue stamp cards inside. These would be great for a gift card holder too!

For the pockets, I used Green Palette paper on the outside and covered the tags with Palette Yellow. 

The addition of the Mini Paper Dolls and Clipping stickers made each tag just a bit different.

I knew I was going to need some ribbon for this project so I colored 1/4" rayon ribbon with Distress Spray Stain in Rustic Wilderness, Tattered Rose, Antique Linen.

The three library pockets were covered with a Palette Yellow floral. For the insert cards, I stamped numbers from the Deconstructed stamp in Scorched Timber. Stamps from the Postmarked sticker book and Cello Tape added a bit more color, as well as eyelets and the ribbon.

The last of the cards are the three fold-out of zig zag cards. I kept these very light an airy with ver simple stamping using the Floral Outline stamp repeated over and over. I used the same three Oxides as before to create the soft look, using one color at a time. 

Once the image was stamped over one of the zig-zags, I went back with a soft brush and added watery ink of the same color to fill in parts of the image. This is such a soothing technique I could do it for hours!

Here are the cards folded up. I used ribbon and Tiny Clips to keep them together.

And open, you can see I used Photobooth, Noteworthy stamps and Field Notes Snippets for the zig-zag cards.

Bundled Sage

Speckled Egg

Tattered Rose

The three zig-zags together.

The three stamped cards were made with Spellbinders Cardstock and the Motivation 3 stamp set. I tucked one card into each section of the Card File.

I should mention that I removed the handle that comes on the end of the Card File and added a Label Frame with a Quote Chip Label. The words were perfect for the theme of this Card File and the Label Frame was the perfect size for the front of the File.

Here are some other Card Files that I have made in the past:

Palette Orange Card File (using fabric)

Halloween Card File (this is a series of posts starting with this one) 

Christmas Card File

Christmas Card File

Festive Art Christmas Card File (I love this one because it is so different!)

Now carry on,
paula

Bright Hopes

Hello Friends,

Hello everyone! I’m so happy to be here sharing a new Springtime make with you. It actually felt more like Summer on the Central Coast today—we hit a gorgeous 85 degrees!

Lately, I’ve been immersed in a nature-inspired project behind the scenes, and I just couldn't shake that organic vibe... probably because my desk was still covered in leftover bits and pieces. I decided to lean into it and ended up reaching for some windows I created last year. They didn't make the cut for my previous project, but the moment I slid them into place here, I knew they were perfect for creating this little nook. A quick touch of Alcohol Ink on the transparency was all it took to bring it all together. Let's get started so I can show you all the details!

Paper

I always start with the paper. I suppose it doesn't really matter what paper you use, but I'll tell you about my choices. First, the green floral paper on the outside of the Vignette Drawer is a favorite from Backdrops 1 pack. I liked that it has a garden vibe! The paper on the inside is from the Worn Wallpaper Scraps pack. I picked it because it looks like wallpaper from someones house and that is the feel I want for the top compartment. 

Pocket Watch

Once the box was covered, I needed to make a hole for the eye screw. I used a poke tool to make a pilot hole about halfway back. I chose to make the hole a bit off center.

Making the pilot hole, makes adding the eye screw very easy. The eye screw came from the idea-ology Vignette Hardware pack.

Pocket Watch

I added Gold Mixative over the large Pocket Watch and a Hook Clasp. Once dry, I dripped Mushroom Alcohol Ink over the top and rubbed it around with a cotton swap. Love how it aged the gold.

NOTE: I did end up cutting off 4 links of chain (and reattaching the jump ring), to get the right length for this size box.  

Rock Candy

I colored Chunky Rock Candy Glitter with Slate Alcohol Ink. 

How To: Pour Chunky Rock Candy into a plastic/disposable tasting cup. Squeeze a few drops of Slate Alcohol Ink into the glitter and stir with a craft stick.  Pour out onto a paper plate or disposable paper to dry.

Add the Chunky Rock Candy to the back of the Pocket Watch before closing.

Red label - Field Notes Ephemera pack

Words - Clippings Stickers

+ Cello Tape Stickers

Windows

Window from Baseboard Window pack. Use a metal ruler and knife to cut in half.

Paint the Windows black - you can use Distress Paint or black craft paint.

Once dry, sand with steel wool to remove some of the paint.

Use a Walnut Stain Distress Crayon to scribble over the black paint - don't worry that it is covering all the areas that you just sanded away!

Spritz with water and use a wet wipe to pounce over the surface to remove a bit of the crayon.

Here is how they look when they are done. Aged wooden windows!

I wanted to take it a step further and add a transparency to the windows. NOTE: I took mine from a Baseboard pack I had, but you could also get them from the Christmas Transparencies pack.

I added Cloudy Blue and Lettuce Alcohol Ink to a few of the panes. It's easy to do. Just paint the Alcohol Ink on the back side using a brush made for use with Alcohol Ink (easily cleanable with isopropyl Alcohol).

Paper Dolls

I did a mix of colors for the lady's dress. I could have gone with blue tones but then decided I wanted her to stand out from the background.

I was trying to think of something for her to hold in her hand and I decided on some flowers. These were previously dyed with Antique Linen Spray Stain. I simply glued them to her hand with Collage Medium.

Eggs

The eggs were easy to color. I just put them in a small bag and squirted Speckled Egg paint into the bag and squished it around. Once coated, I dumped them out onto a silicone mat and let them dry. I came back about a hour later and added speckles with a Splatter Brush and some Scorched Timber paint.

Tiny Books

The last thing I did before assemblage was make three little books. The book covers came from the Memoir pack. I used this easy method:

1. Cut strips of old book paper the same width as the front of the cover. (1 1/8 or 1 1/4")

2. Fold paper back and fold (fan fold) until paper runs out. Repeat till you have enough to fill the book.

3. Even out the papers on one side. 

4. Use a Binder Clip to hold the opposite side.

5. Add hot glue to the open side and slip into the pre-scored book cover.

6. Ink with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink and a Blending Tool.

If you would like to watch a tutorial - Tim has one on YouTube. He made tiny books for Halloween 2025. If you click to the time stamps, there is a direct link at 1:38:50 minute mark. 

Finished Project Photos

The window frame was added like a folding screen. Because the Pocket Watch was hung a bit to the left, I needed to fit the window in accordingly. In person it is pronounced and looks good at this angle + it fills in the background since the Vignette Drawer is deep.

You can see that I not only hung the Pocket Watch, but I also added a tiny bird from the Sweetheart Pack + a Antiqued Gem. The camera has caught the light so it looks white, but it is a clear gem.

I added a 3/8" block to the back of the Paper Doll (Poses) so she can stand freely. I just added Collage Medium to the bottom of the block to glue her into place.

I covered the center shelf with an ephemera piece from Memoir Ephemera pack. There are two sizes - this is the smaller one. 

The bottom compartment is all about nature. I added the tiny books, then made a nest from a bit of wire, spanish moss and Collage Medium. It wasn't hard to do, but a bit messy as you need to keep squishing the spanish moss into the center to make the indentation for the eggs. I used a heat tool to dry the nest/glue so it sped the process along. Bits of natural colored moss were added once the nest was in place on top of the books. 

The Speckled Egg Toadstool (largest size) was added on the right, tucked up next to the edge of the books. Once that was in place, I added moss, eggs and another flower. Then in a last step, I added touches of Collage Medium then sprinkled additional Slate color Chunky Glitter. I love the bit of shine!

I also added Screw Heads to each end of the ruler

I hope you like this project as much as I do! I love the whimsical nature of the garden scene, the Toadstools growing wildly, and the lady sitting there calmly in the midst. All so fun!

I also hope that you never give up on something that didn't work out. I saved the windows for months, only to have them be the perfect backdrop for this project!

Now carry on,

paula