Finding beauty in the broken (and the Blog I forgot I had!)
Well… hello there!
It’s been a very long time since I last wrote a blog post. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s not because I’ve been quietly working away on some grand creative project or planning the perfect comeback. It’s because I genuinely forgot my blog existed in the busyness of life!
Which, as it turns out, makes today’s post feel oddly perfect – because the cards I’m sharing were made using Stampin’ Up!’s Kintsugi Inspirations Suite, a collection that’s all about embracing imperfections, breaks, and the beauty that comes from them.
Just like a forgotten blog making a slightly awkward but heartfelt comeback!
A little about Kintsugi
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, kintsugi highlights them – treating the break as part of the object’s history and something that adds beauty and value.
There’s something deeply comforting about this idea:
- That broken doesn’t mean ruined
- That mistakes don’t have to be hidden
- That imperfect things can still be beautiful (and even more meaningful).
It’s a philosophy that resonates not just in art, but in life… and apparently in blogging consistency too!
Why I loved creating with the Kintsugi Inspirations Suite
The Kintsugi Inspirations Suite captures that philosophy beautifully. The rich blues, elegant gold accents, organic shapes, and thoughtful sentiments make it perfect for cards (or scrapbook pages) that feel reflective, encouraging and heartfelt.
As I worked on these cards I kept thinking about:
- how handmade cards don’t need to be perfect to be cherished
- how layers, texture and even slight wonkiness add character
- how creativity often flows best when we let go of perfection.
And yes, how forgetting your blog for a while doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come back to it!
What I’ve created!
It took a while for me to get started (yes, perfectionism is still something I’m trying to let go of!), so I took to my favourite place to be inspired – other demonstrators and I started by case-ing their ideas. It wasn’t long before my own individual ideas started to flow!
The first card here (and ironically the final card I made) features a Z-fold. I used some die-cuts from the Gallery Blooms suite and also used the textured notes dies. The larger jar here has been stamped using Misty Moonlight and then coloured using blends.
The second card is cased from one of the cards in our annual catalog. It features the embossing folder, gold foil accents, the stamp set and die cuts. I love how the gold foil highlights the kintsugi art form in the embossed background.
The third card features this gorgeous DSP of the cherry blossom. The vase here is stamped in Versamark ink, then heat embossed using gold powder. I then used the die cut ‘crack’ (or tree branch – depending on how you use it!). I love the gorgeous embellishments that are part of the suite, the gold filigree dots just add that something extra!
The next card was based on a design by Gail Ellis. I modified her design slightly. I love the way the cracks have been used to form the cherry blossom branch. The smaller ‘pot’ is actually the cup from the Cheers and Sips suite (an online exclusive product from last year). I think it works well to compliment the vase!
The final card featured here is, I think, one of my favourites! I stamped the vase and the teacup and coloured them using blends. I then die-cut the cherry blossoms in the gold foil. The sentiment used here is from the 12 days of crafting advent calendar.
A gentle reminder (to myself mostly!)
This suite feels like a quiet permission slip:
- to create without pressure
- to keep going, even when there are cracks
- and to embrace imperfections
So here’s to the Kintsugi Inspirations Suite, to handmade cards that tell stories, and to blogs that patiently wait for us to remember they’re there!
Thanks for being here – whether it’s your first visit or a return after a long break, just like mine!
xx
Jen
Shop the suite by clicking the link below!
https://www.stampinup.com.au/products/kintsugi-inspirations-suite-collection-english?demoid=4021267