Soakin’ Up the Sun with Di’s Beach Ready Mouse! - Design Team Inspiration for Di’s Digital Designs Challenge Blog

Hello crafty friends!

I’m back today with a fun-in-the-sun card I made for the newest challenge over at Di’s Digital Designs Challenge Blog. Our theme this time is “Sun or Water,” and what better way to celebrate summer than with a trip to the beach?

For my project, I created a DL-sized card featuring the adorable “Beach Ready Mouse” digital stamp from Di’s shop. Isn’t this little guy just the cutest in his floaty and beach gear? I colored him up with my Ohuhu Alcohol Markers, sticking to bright summery tones to capture the sunshiney vibe.

To give the background a true beach feel, I started with sand-colored cardstock and added texture with brown, yellow, and white paint spatters—a fun way to mimic that speckled look of real sand. I inked the edges with brown for extra depth and cut the edge into a wavy shape so the blue cardstock “sea” underneath would peek through.

Then came my favorite part: sea foam! I used white Glacier Paste and built it up along the border between the sand and sea layers to look like frothy, bubbly waves lapping at the shore. It added such a cool texture and dimension!

For embellishments, I couldn’t resist adding a sandcastle, starfish, and seashell die cuts to complete the beachy scene. A “Happy Birthday” sentiment banner finishes it off—making this a perfect card for a summer birthday.

This card was a joy to make and definitely has me dreaming of toes in the sand and ocean breezes. I hope it inspires you to join our Sun or Water Challenge over on the blog!

Until next time—stay crafty and soak up that summer inspiration! ☀️🌊