Hey y’all! February’s Inkin’ Krew Blog Hop theme is “Birthday,” which feels especially fitting because February is my son’s birthday month. I just finished baking his cake, which is a bit of a role reversal these days! He’s usually the cake maker in the family, creating fantastic birthday cakes for his children (my grandchildren!) complete with characters made from candy and sugar. His creations are always imaginative and so much fun. This year, though, he’ll have to settle for a simple two-layer chocolate-on-chocolate confection with a few swirls of icing, made with lots of love.

This week I’m featuring the Cute as a Bug Suite Collection from Stampin’ Up!, and while these products can be used for so many occasions, the adorable little critters are absolutely perfect for cheerful birthday cards.

Get ready to bug out with this delightful suite! The Cute as a Bug Suite Collection includes playful garden bugs, picnic-inspired patterns, charming ladybug embellishments, and coordinating textures that make creating easy and fun. Everything is designed to work together beautifully, making nature-inspired cards, scrapbook pages, and paper projects come together effortlessly.

The Sweet Bugs Stamp Set is filled with whimsical garden friends, ladybugs, butterflies, snails, and more, illustrated in a playful line-art style that’s perfect for coloring. Because it’s a Two-Step Stampin’ set, you can layer images to add depth, color, and personality to your projects. These stamps are ideal for kids’ cards, birthday greetings, spring projects, and sweet “just because” designs.

Pair the stamps with the Sweet Bugs Dies to quickly cut out critters, mushrooms, and garden elements for layered scenes and dimensional designs. The dies coordinate perfectly with the stamp images and many of the images in the Cute as a Bug Designer Series Paper. The DSP brings everything together with bright, cheerful patterns featuring ladybugs, florals, and picnic-style prints. The double-sided designs make it easy to mix and match layers, whether you’re creating cards, preserving happy memories in scrapbook pages or creating 3D projects.

To add texture and finishing touches, the suite also includes Old Olive Specialty Rickrack, which adds a fun zigzag accent, and Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes, perfect for adding dimension, shine, and a touch of whimsy to your projects.

Suite collections like this make crafting so easy because every piece is designed to coordinate beautifully. You can mix stamps, dies, paper, ribbon, and embellishments with confidence, knowing everything will come together effortlessly. Keep scrolling to see cards created with this collection and be sure to visit the Christie Crafts Greeting Card Gallery to see all of my Cute as a Bug projects!

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Cute As A Bug Birthday Cards

Since the Sweet Bugs Stamp Set doesn’t include a specific happy birthday sentiment, I pulled in a few stamps from my stash to fit this month’s birthday theme. The set does include “hello friend,” “love you lots,” and “spread joy,” which could also easily work for birthday cards.

This cheerful garden card starts with a Basic White card base layered with a soft Cloud Cover panel to create a calm background. On a smaller Cloud Cover panel, stamp “happy birthday” repeatedly using the Fabulous Sayings stamp set in Mossy Meadow ink for a playful patterned look. Mat the panel with Basic White cardstock and adhere it to the card front. Add a small strip of the floral pattern from the Cute as a Bug DSP along the bottom for extra texture. Die cut a circle from Old Olive cardstock and adhere it slightly off-center to ground the focal images. Fussy cut the strawberry plant and blossoms from the Cute as a Bug DSP, then attach them along the bottom edge with dimensionals for depth. Finish by placing a few Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes on the leaves to tie the whole garden scene together.

This sweet birthday card begins with a Basic White card base layered with two coordinating patterns from the Cute as a Bug DSP, a soft daisy print panel and a vertical strip of the Petal Pink speckled design for contrast. Die cut framing circles using the Spotlight on Nature Dies from Basic White and Soft Sea Foam cardstock, then layer them on the card front to create a gentle focal background. Add the adorable cricket holding a flower and the small daisy, fussy cut from the Cute as a Bug DSP. Stamp and fussy cut the “happy birthday” and “to a fabulous friend” sentiments from the Fabulous Sayings stamp set and place them just below the cricket. Finish the card with a few subtle embellishments for added detail.

This nature-inspired card begins with a Basic White card base. The background layer is divided between the floral print from the Cute as a Bug DSP on the top half and Basic White cardstock embossed with a fern pattern on the bottom half. A thin strip of Mossy Meadow cardstock covers the seam between the two sections. Next, add a panel of the greenery print from the Cute as a Bug DSP, matted with Mossy Meadow cardstock. The Basic White focal panel is softly shaded with Mossy Meadow ink using a blending brush, then the “dear friend” sentiment is stamped near the bottom in Mossy Meadow ink. Wrap a strip of Old Olive Specialty Rickrack across the panel, then add the die-cut Mossy Meadow and Calypso Coral mushrooms from the Cute as a Bug DSP, popping them up with dimensionals for depth. The yellow mushroom is fussy cut from the paper and added alongside the others. Finish with a few Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes for a subtle, playful detail.

Be sure to visit the Christie Crafts Greeting Card Gallery
to see all of my Cute as a Bug projects!

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Cute as a Bug Video Tutorial

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Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this project gives you a little birthday-card inspiration and maybe even encourages you to “bug” someone you love with a handmade card. If you have any questions about the products or techniques I used, feel free to email me at christie.king@gmail.com or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you and see what you create! Be sure to subscribe to Christie Crafts for more inspiration, project ideas, and the latest Stampin’ Up! news.

Be sure to visit the other talented creators in this month’s Inkin’ Krew Blog Hop for even more birthday inspiration!

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Click the Next button to see another “Birthday” project!

This month’s talented contributors::

1. Ann Louise Fodgaard
2. Tara Carpenter
3. Mary Deatherage
4. Karen Finkle
5. Karen Ksenzakovic
6. Terry Lynn Bright
7. Charlene Tackvic
8. Christie King <- You are here!
9. Nicole Bloxom
10. Amy Koenders

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Do you love paper crafting as much as I do? Whether you’re knee-deep in cardstock every weekend or just getting started, joining Stampin’ Up! as a Demonstrator might be the best next step. I joined for the discount and stayed for the friendships, inspiration, and fun! ❤

JOIN US!

Once you join, you’ll get at least a 20% discount on all of your Stampin’ Up! purchases, invitations to Demonstrator only events, and the ability to place orders from upcoming catalogs and promotions in advance!

We welcome all types of Demonstrators from those only join to get the discount for themselves to those who want to run a business!  We’re a relaxed group that loves to create with no pressure to sell!

There is absolutely never any obligation or penalty if you decide being a Demonstrator isn’t for you. So why not give it a try? We have fun Facebook groups where we chat, share creative ideas, and support one another. Plus, we host virtual gatherings, training sessions, and even offer occasional giveaways just for our team. It’s a welcoming space full of inspiration and encouragement!

Email me christie.king@gmail.com if you have any questions. You can also see more information about the benefits of becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator HERE.

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