Spotlight on Nature and Petals of Beauty

Today’s card was created for the “A Cut Above” January 2026 Die Cut Challenge found over on the Paper Playful blog. I love participating in challenges like this because they encourage me to focus on specific techniques—in this case, die cutting—while still allowing plenty of creative freedom.

The A2 card base was made from Basic White cardstock and layered with a Night of Navy mat. For the background, I used the True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper, the December Product of the Month, which pairs beautifully with classic blue tones.

To highlight the die-cut theme from the challenge, I used the Spotlight on Nature Circle Dies to cut two layered circles. The larger circle was cut from Night of Navy cardstock to create a mat, while the smaller circle was cut from Basic White and stamped with “It’s Your Birthday” from the Words of Beauty stamp set. This is a large, versatile set that has quickly become one of my favorites to reach for—I especially love the detailed edges.

To complete the focal point, I tucked foliage die cuts from the Petals of Beauty Dies along the side of the circles. I then stamped the trio of tiny florals from the Petals of Beauty stamp set in Night of Navy with a touch of Petal Pink and cut them out using the coordinating dies. These layered elements add texture and dimension while coordinating beautifully with the Designer Series Paper.

If you enjoy working with dies, I highly recommend checking out the A Cut Above Challenge linked on Paper Playful—I’ll have the link below so you can join in and share your own die-cut creations.