Today we are excited to welcome January guest, Mitchell Koenig to the blog to share his talents with us! We love Mitchell’s beautifully designed cards, and seeing his family crafty sessions (and his gorgeous studio!) on his Instagram Stories! Let’s take a look at what he has created to share with all of us today!

Hi, crafty friends! I’m Mitchell Koenig – Creative Director by day, card maker by night, and self-proclaimed lover of all things paper and pretty. I’m still a bit of a newbie to card making, so I’m beyond excited (and honestly, a little honored) to share a project with you today!

Today, I’m thrilled to share a flirty card project using Spellbinders’ Fabulous Birthday Etched Dies from The Bougie Birthday Collection by Nina Boettcher. While these dies are birthday-themed, I thought it’d be fun to take them in a totally different direction and make a card that’s playful and chic – perfect for Valentine’s Day.

This card is all about combining bold elements, soft colors, and a touch of shimmer to create a stunning masterpiece. Let’s dive into the details of this flirty and fabulous card and I’ll share how I bring the thinking from my day job into my card designs.

 

Supplies | Spellbinders: Fabulous Birthday Etched Dies, Two Way Heart Stencil, 2024 Crafty Advent Calendar; Vivant – Finn Silver Metallic Cord; Pinkfresh Studio: Essentials – Nested Rectangles Postage Edge; Taylored Expressions: Glitter Cardstock – Black; Simon Says Stamp: Pawsitively Saturated Ink Cubes – Red Berries

When I first saw the playful phrases on the Fabulous Birthday Etched dies, I immediately thought they would make an amazing Valentine’s card! I love finding new ways to use products outside their intended purpose. Just because something is labeled as “birthday” doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up and give it a whole new vibe!

With my background in graphic design, I’ve always been obsessed with typography and this script font set the tone for my card project. As a Creative Director, I spend a lot of time helping brands figure out their personality. I’m constantly asking questions like, “How do we want people to feel when they interact with this brand?” Or “What vibe do we want to create?” From there, I choose everything—color palettes, fonts, design elements, and even the tone of voice used in their writing.

The same thought process can be used when designing a card. For this one, the playful, flirty script was my starting point. That vibe guided every other design decision—the soft ombré pinks, the bold black-and-white elements, the flirty heart stencil, and even the metallic silver touches.

And honestly, can you even say “fabulous” without a pink ombré moment? The Two Way Heart Stencil from Spellbinders gave me just the right flirty vibe to match the script font. I added the postage stamp die cuts to really make the sentiment pop and tie everything together.

The bold contrast of black and white against the pink, paired with those metallic silver accents, gives the card a chic and playful feel—perfect for a flirty and fabulous Valentine’s Day!

My tip to you is to think about the personality or vibe of your products and use that to guide your decision-making as you design your next card project! What do you think? Are you ready to try giving your products a new twist?

My crafting journey started way back in the early 2000s, during my high school days when I was obsessed with photography. Scrapbooking became my creative outlet for showcasing my snapshots and I absolutely fell in love with creating things with my hands. My maiden name is Kraft, so crafty hobby seemed like the perfect fit! I worked at my local scrapbook store, taught classes, joined design teams – and even designed a few papers and stamps. But, as life happens, after college, my career took center stage, and crafting kind of took a back seat.

After more than a decade, I’ve found success in my professional life (yay!), but I realized I was missing something. I craved a creative outlet beyond graphic design—a way to reignite my passion for making things. Enter card making! It started with a few videos popping up in my social feeds and a little nudge from a pal from my scrapbooking days (thanks again, Cathy ❤️). Before I knew it, I was knee-deep in inks, dies, and glitter—building out my craft studio and even roping my husband and mom into the fun!

Find more of Mitchell’s creations on his Instagram feed

What a beautiful, bold card! Thanks so much for inspiring us today, Mitchell! We loved having you here on the SCT blog and look forward to seeing what you create next!