A Simple Handmade Card with Layers, Texture & Personality (Video)

simple handmade card with vellum, embossing, and layered paper

Sometimes the best cards aren’t the most complicated ones.

Today’s project is a standard top-fold card—no fancy folds, no tricky mechanics—but it’s full of texture, layering, and sweet details that make it feel extra special. This is the kind of card you can create quickly, customize easily, and reach for again and again when you want something handmade without overthinking it.

simple handmade card with vellum, embossing, and layered paper

Why You’ll Love This Card Design

What makes this card shine is how simple elements work together:

  • A soft embossed background adds instant interest
  • A layer of vellum gently softens the design
  • Patterned paper brings in color and personality
  • Small die-cut details and embellishments finish it off without overwhelming the card

It’s proof that you don’t need a complicated layout to create a card that feels thoughtful and complete.

simple handmade card with vellum, embossing, and layered paper

Let the Paper Do the Work

One of my favorite things about this design is how easily it can be customized. For this version, I used a sweet lamb image, but the layout itself works beautifully with any character or focal image you love.

Don’t have this exact bundle? No problem.

You could swap in:

  • bunnies, puppies, or other animals
  • floral images
  • seasonal icons
  • even sentiments as the main focal point

The same layout works every time—just change the paper and focal element to match the occasion or the person you’re creating for.

simple handmade card with vellum, embossing, and layered paper

Texture Makes Simple Cards Feel Special

Even though this is a quick card, it doesn’t feel flat. The combination of embossing, vellum, and layered paper creates depth and dimension without adding bulk or complexity.

This is a great reminder that:

Simple doesn’t have to mean boring.

If you enjoy cards that come together quickly but still feel polished and handmade, this is a design you’ll want to keep in your back pocket.

simple handmade card with vellum, embossing, and layered paper

Want to Create Along With Me?

This style of project is exactly the kind of card we love creating together during my classes and workshops—approachable, adaptable, and full of creative possibilities.

Whether you’re crafting for fun, building confidence, or looking to stretch your supplies, projects like this are a great place to start.

If you love cards that are simple, textured, and easy to personalize, I think you’re going to really enjoy this one.

Project Layers (Imperial)

  • 4-1/4” x 11” Bubble Bath CS
  • 4” x 5-1/4” Bubble Bath CS- emboss
  • 3-1/4” x 1” DSP
  • 3-1/2” x 5/8” Lemon Lime Twist CS
  • 2-1/2” x 1” Lemon Lime Twist CS- doe cut
  • 3-1/4” x 4-1/2” Vellum
  • 2-3/4” x 3” Basic White CS
  • 4” x 5-1/4” Basic White CS

I have created a printable recipe with the complete supply list and cut dimensions for you. Simple click the button below to access the printable file.

Print Project Recipe

Want to give this one a try? I showed how to create this adorable project in my Tuesday YouTube PREMIER. Follow along at your own pace, while I walk you through how this card comes together and share tips for working with layered textures so everything stays clean and cohesive.

Watch the video replay below and be sure to leave me a comment.

Don’t forget to share the video with your crafty friends! While you are watching, I would appreciate you subscribing to my YouTube channel.

(note if viewing this post via email subscription, you may need to click the post name to display the video)

Did this spark new ideas for your next project?
Tell me in the comments below — What would you change if you made this card your own—the occasion, the critter, or the colors?

I can’t wait to hear your ideas!

Don’t forget to join me for some papercrafting every Tuesday at 12:30PM ET on my YouTube Channel where we will play with some new goodies from the current Catalogs! Jump on over and follow me now. Looking forward to seeing you and your crafty friends for our next papercrafting class!

Hope you enjoy!

Love this project? Here is your shopping list so you can re-create this idea on your own…just click on the images below to add them to your cart. 

Shopping List 

Bubble Bath 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 161718 ]
Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 144245 ]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 166780 ]
Celebratory Sips 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 165586 ]
Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [ 167099 ]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [ 132708 ]
Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147143 ]
Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147145 ]
Strawberry Slush & Pretty In Pink Gems [ 165615 ]
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [ 149653 ]
Take Your Pick [ 144107 ]
Paper Trimmer [ 152392 ]
Bone Folder [ 102300 ]
Stampin' Seal [ 152813 ]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [ 110755 ]
Stampin' Dimensionals [ 104430 ]
Add All to Cart

Additional Supplies Coming January 6, 2026:

  • 166888 WOOLLY FRIENDS BUNDLE
  • 167179 LOVELY STRIPES 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER
  • 166946 EASTER BASKET DIES

This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.

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Stampin Up, Wendy Lee, Stampin Up, rubber stamps, #creativeleeyours, hand made cards, stamping, online shopping, FMN

Grab This Month’s $5 Product of the Month!

Want a fun bonus with your order? When you spend $75+, Stampin’ Up! lets you add this month’s Product of the Month for just $5 — and it’s an item you can’t get anywhere else!

It’s limited, exclusive, and the perfect little extra to treat yourself while you craft.

Shop to Unlock This Month’s Product →

We love offering you the best in paper crafting! To do that and keep our product offering fresh, trendy, and relevant, we regularly evaluate product performance. As demand for a product changes, we’ll move products to our Last Chance Products category in the online store and begin the retiring process to make room for new products. Our Last Chance Products will be an ongoing offer, so you can shop this category at any time throughout the year!

What are you waiting for? Start shopping! After all, this selection of Last Chance Products is only available while supplies last.

CLICK HERE to see all the retiring goodies in the online store and add them to your shopping cart.

Join the Virtual Cardmaking Retreat

Stampin’ Up! is hosting a 2-Day Virtual Cardmaking Retreat in January where you’ll create 15 beautiful handmade cards in a guided, step-by-step experience—right from home. It’s a wonderful way to build confidence, learn new techniques, and enjoy the feel of a retreat without traveling.

Purchase the Virtual Cardmaking Retreat Kit HERE

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I’m sure you agree…papercrafting can bring so much joy. Whether you use it for stress relief, to share your creativity, or have meaningful cards and gifts always at your fingertips, papercrafting has value that goes far beyond the projects.

There’s so much we can give our attention to and spend our time doing today, but what if you had something at your fingertips that allows you to create memories and express yourself instead of watching Netflix? That’s where our paper crafting kits come in!

Click Here for Full Details To Get Started

The January 2026 Cultivated Creativity Kit features the

Nature’s Symphony Bundle from Stampin’ Up!’s Occassion’s Mini Catalog—a versatile, nature-inspired bundle designed to make creating masculine-friendly and all-occasion cards feel effortless and inspiring.

This month’s kit is all about rich texture, layered details, and refined designs that look impressive without being complicated. You’ll create 4 stunning all-occasion cards plus a coordinating giftable project, all thoughtfully designed to help you build confidence with texture, depth, and natural elements you’ll reach for again and again.

If you love cards that feel intentional, timeless, and perfect for the guys—while still working beautifully year-round—this is a kit you won’t want to miss.

Ready to craft? Register no later than January 20, 2026 (while supplies last) to get this fantabulous kit mailed to you!

Get Started
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It’s time for my 12 weeks of Holidays project ideas! I am excited to share Halloween, Fall, Birthday, Christmas, Winter and Valentine sets of projects with you each Thursday for 12 weeks that I hope will inspire you to create! These ideas are Exclusive to my email subscribers, so if you want to see them all, be sure to subscribe to my list HERE.

CreativeLee Yours,

OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS AND INFORMATION:

  • Join my Stampin’ Up!® Diemonds team and get the awesome customizable starter kit HERE. It’s the best bundle ever!
  • Ready for a fun, monthly craft kit delivered directly to you, so you get all the joy of creating without having to do all the research, design and prep? Cultivated Creativity is for you! Click HERE to get started.
  • Join my Online Forget Me Not (FMN) Card Club and elevate your hand made cards HERE.
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  • Shop my Tutorials to spark your creativity as I guide you through creating beautiful projects HERE.
  • Earn Exclusive BONUS tutorials with my rewards program. CLICK HERE for details.

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