Groovy Vibes – A Retro Card - Monday Sketch Cards

There’s something irresistibly joyful about the retro era. The bold colours, playful patterns, and timeless fashion feel just as fresh today as they did decades ago. This card is a little love letter to that vintage spirit—and a reminder that retro style never goes out of fashion.

Inspired by the iconic looks and graphic design of the 1960s and 1970s, the focal point of this design is a chic mod figure dressed in a classic go-go ensemble. Her tailored coat, patterned tights, and stylish hat capture that confident, fashion-forward vibe perfectly. She stands proudly against a backdrop of groovy patterns—record-inspired circles, kaleidoscopic florals, and geometric shapes in a vibrant colour palette from the Groovy Vibes collection.

The sentiment “retro” is framed in a pastel sunburst that adds a cheerful pop and pulls the whole design together. Metallic teal strips bring in a bit of shimmer and a modern touch, proving that retro can still shine today. This card makes me smile—it’s bold, nostalgic, and full of personality. Perfect for birthdays, encouragement, or simply saying hello to a fellow vintage lover, it celebrates style, self-expression, and the joy of looking back while creating something new.

How to Make the Card

1. Create the Base
Start with an A2 card base. Cut a piece of green patterned paper from the collection to the same size and adhere it to the front of the card to create your background.

2. Add the Retro Pattern Strips
Choose three bold retro papers with different designs—think abstract shapes, records, and florals. Cut them into strips measuring 1" x 4.25". Adhere the strips vertically on the card front, leaving a 3/8" border on the sides and a 5/8" border at the top.

3. Add the Mod Figure
Fussy cut the vintage mod woman image and adhere her slightly left of center over the patterned strips. Use foam adhesive to give her dimension and make her pop.

4. Add Metallic Accents
Place three metallic teal strips (or washi tape) horizontally across the card, tucking them behind the figure. This adds shine and helps ground the design.

5. Create the Sunburst Sentiment
Use a circle die or punch to create the sentiment base. Form a pastel sunburst by piecing together narrow wedges of colored paper around the circle’s edge. Stamp or print the word “retro” on a white circle and adhere it to the center. Attach the finished sentiment to the lower right of the card using foam adhesive.

You can find the entire Groovy Vibes collection on the Relatively Thoughtful website.

Crafty hugs,

Alisa

A Beneath the Brambles Binder

 Good morning and a very happy Sunday! Today I'm sharing a binder and an acetate page made with the stunning Beneath the Brambles collection by Arden Creative, and on sale at Relatively Thoughtful.

The binder was inexpensive, but not very pretty, and I do like my album covers to match the papers that I will be using. I've already shown the giant tag here, and to complete the cover, I've added some cardstock that's been stamped and embossed, along with some die cuts, rub-ons, and PET tape.

RT blog

All of the products used can be found here in the Relatively Thoughtful store.

Woodgrain die set

Clipboard Coverings set vol 2

Background Elements clear stamps

Rub on transfer set

Laser Cut Inkable Florals set

Laser Cut Sentiments pack

Decoupage paper

Ephemera Pack

Oooh, I used a lot of stuff, didn't I? Thank goodness it all works beautifully together.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

April sketch card

 

Happy Monday! 

Today, I’m excited to share a Happy Birthday card I created using both paper and digital ephemera from the Relatively Thoughtful April Fools collection.  These digital papers and ephemera were created to coordinate perfectly with each other.  

There’s something special about sitting down with a table full of paper scraps, embellishments, and a spark of inspiration. This birthday card came together exactly that way — a joyful mix of color, pattern, and whimsy that made the whole crafting process feel fun and intuitive. 

The card features a lively, layered background built from coordinating papers: a festive balloon print paired with bold blocks of green, orange, and blue. Each piece is cut at slightly different angles and sizes, then stacked, so the edges peek out just enough to create depth and movement. The overlapping shapes give the card a scrapbook‑style energy that feels playful without being overwhelming.  At the center of the design is a cheerful jester figure in bright reds, blues, and yellows.

 The illustration adds a touch of storybook charm and instantly becomes the focal point. To balance the layout, I added a small, framed sentiment tag reading “Birthday Wishes”, giving the card a polished, finished look. Three tiny iridescent stars sit off to the side, adding just the right amount of sparkle. This card was a joy to make — the kind of project where the colors guide you; the layers fall into place, and the result feels like a little celebration all on its own. If you love crafting with patterned paper or experimenting with layered layouts, this style is a great way to play with texture and color while keeping the process simple and fun. 

 I began by cutting a 5.5” x 4.25” background panel from the balloon-patterned paper in the digital printable, then positioned it to completely cover my 5.5” x 4.25” white card base.  Next, I cut the green patterned paper from the digital printable into a 5.25” x 4” sheet and centered it on top of the balloon-patterned paper that I previously attached to my A2 card base. I then attached the other balloon-patterned paper from the digital download, which I cut into a fishtail piece, onto the solid green 5.25” x 4” piece. 

I then layered the brown patterned paper onto the top of the fishtail paper and then layered the third balloon-patterned paper, also from the digital download, on top of the brown patterned paper.  

The jester from the free download is elevated with low‑profile foam along with the sentiment. 

I placed three iridescent stars on top of the brown patterned paper to break up the space. 

This stunning, beautifully crafted collection is available in its entirety for free at the Relatively Thoughtful store. 

Take care,

Alisa

Cute card

Happy Sunday!

Today I’m excited to share an A2-sized card I created using both paper and digital ephemera from the Relatively Thoughtful Cute Poppy Girls collection.  

The printable collection is gorgeous, and a matching set is available for purchase that complements it beautifully. It’s clear that these digital papers and ephemera were created to perfectly coordinate with each other.  

I began by cutting a 5.25” x 4” background panel from the green and yellow patterned paper in the purchasable digital printable, then centered it on my white cardstock base.

Next, I attached the poppy-patterned paper from the purchased digital download onto the solid red fishtail piece, then layered the linen-weave patterned paper, also from the purchased digital download, on top of the poppy design.

The poppy girl from the free download was elevated with low‑profile foam. Using the foam along with a puffy sentiment is such a clever choice, giving the card presence without overpowering the delicate artwork in the papers.  

This stunning, beautifully crafted collection is available in its entirety at the Relatively Thoughtful store.

Happy crafting,

Alisa

Queen of Egypt

 Good morning and a very happy Sunday. Today I'm sharing a fun fold card made with the beautiful Cleopatra Queen of Egypt collection from Relatively Thoughtful.

This is such a beautiful collection with the browns and teals.

I love the dimension you can achieve with this card style. It really shows off the papers perfectly.

These are the fabulous toppers; they are 'floating' on a piece of acetate.

Sally's collections always contain lots of cut-apart sheets with images and sentiments.

Although the card stands like this, it still folds flat for posting.

The collection can be found here, in both digital and physical form, in A4 and US letter sizes.

UK Digital collection

A4 papercraft collection

US Digital

US papercraft collection

Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

Relatively Thoughtful blog 

A Field Notes Binder for Relatively Thoughtful

 Good morning and a very happy Sunday. I've been playing with the Arden Creative Field Notes collection again, and this time I've decorated a 6x8 binder.

This was an inexpensive binder, but it wasn't a very nice design, so I've used this beautiful collection to alter it.

The covers are made from the 12x12 collection, and the spine is covered in Ephemera tape.

I've used the PET tape as an accent on the back cover.

For the inside of the binder, I've used this sunny yellow from the 12x12 solids collection, along with ephemera tape and PET tape.

The postage stamps are another of the ephemera tapes and they fit in here perfectly.

The butterflies are rub-ons, and they blend in seamlessly with the papers.

The words are from the Page Makers Ephemera Pack.

I've made a cluster for the front cover.

Everything is for sale here in the Relatively Thoughtful store.

Field Notes 12x12 solids

12x12 collection

Ephemera rolls

PET Tape

Page Makers Ephemera Pack

Rub-On Transfers

All I have to do now is fill it with lots of lovely pages and photos!

Take care, and enjoy the rest of your weekend x

An A2-sized card

Good morning and happy Monday!

Today I’m sharing an A2-sized card I made using the beautiful Autumn Glow digital papers and ephemera from Relatively Thoughtful. 

 

 

 

This free printable collection is stunning, and there’s a coordinating set available for purchase that pairs perfectly with it. You can tell the digital papers, and ephemera were designed to work together. This card would make someone feel instantly warm and appreciated. 

 

 

I began by cutting a 5 7/16” x 4 3/16” background panel from the green patterned paper in the download and centred it on my white cardstock base. 

 

 

 

Next, I adhered solid brown textured cardstock to the patterned fishtail piece, then layered the brown patterned paper from the download over it. The green patterned background with the brown fishtail element creates a grounded, earthy palette that suits the collection perfectly. I placed the brown patterned paper on the opposite side of the card, tucked under the bird. 

 

 

The bird, from the download, and sentiment, from a different download, were popped up with low-profile foam. Popping the bird and sentiment up on low‑profile foam is such a smart choice. It gives the card presence without overwhelming the delicate artwork in the papers. 

 

 

 

Autumn Glow really does have that warm, nostalgic charm. It’s such a gorgeous, well-designed collection, and the full set can be found in the Relatively Thoughtful store. 

 

 

Take care, and enjoy the rest of your day.

Alisa

xx