A handmade card in the letterbox is such a lovely way to say thank you. Today I’m sharing our October customer card, made with the Painted Patch Suite Collection. Place an order with us in our Australian online store during October 2026 and you’ll receive one of these cards, with a handwritten message from me! 💌

This project started with gorgeous patterned paper and a plan to make a stack of cards. Then I decided to add a simple fun fold, because I love doing a little something extra for our customers.

Painted Patch paper takes centre stage

I love letting beautiful paper do plenty of the work on a card. For this design, I paired the colourful Painted Patch paper with a Secret Sea card base and Pool Party layers.

The dark base gives the design a lovely frame, while the Pool Party borders pick up the lighter blue tones in the paper. The warm ribbon adds another colour from the design without needing lots of extra decoration.

This is a great way to choose colours for your own cards: start with your patterned paper, then pull out one or two colours for the cardstock and finishing touches.

A simple gatefold with a little trial and error

There was a little “trust the maths, Kylie” moment while I worked out the folds! 😂 That’s part of crafting along together: you get to see the adjustments as well as the finished project.

The two front panels meet in the middle, creating a gatefold. Each panel has a Pool Party layer and a piece of patterned paper, so the design continues across the front.

If you’re trying a different fold, make a test base first. Check that the panels meet neatly before cutting your favourite paper. Once you’re happy with the layout, it’s much easier to prepare several cards at once.

A ribbon belly band to hold it together

A Secret Sea belly band wraps around the card and slides off to reveal the gatefold. I added ribbon around the band and finished it with a simple knot.

One useful trick from the video: if your cardstock strip doesn’t quite meet around the card, add a separate piece across the front to join the ends. This gives you a neat finish and a place to add your ribbon.

Wrap the band so it can slide comfortably, and keep adhesive away from the card underneath. You want it to hold the panels closed while still being easy to remove.

The white heat-embossed “I hope your day is fabulous” sentiment stands out against the dark cardstock. A few coordinating embellishments finish the front.

A little detail on the inside too

I continued the coordinating paper and cardstock inside the sample card. Opening a fun fold is already enjoyable, and those extra details make the inside feel connected to the front.

When you’re cutting paper for your cards, keep useful offcuts nearby. They can be perfect for adding a coordinating detail inside another project.

Love It, Chop It: make a stack to share

This project is a lovely example of Love It, Chop It. Enjoy your patterned paper by turning it into cards you can send!

For batch crafting, choose your paper combinations first, then cut the bases and layers together. Assemble the panels before moving on to the belly bands and sentiments. Working through one step at a time helps you make a stack without starting from scratch for every card.

Watch me make the card

Craft along with me in the video below, where I work out the gatefold, choose the layers and add the belly band and finishing touches.

If the video isn’t displaying, watch the Painted Patch card-making video on YouTube here.

Buy Now from Kylie's Australian Store

Shop the Stampin' Up! products used in this project.

Would you like one in your letterbox?

Place an order with us in our Australian Stampin’ Up! online store during October 2026 and we’ll send you one of these handmade customer cards as our thank you. I’ll write a message inside and pop it in the post to you. 😊

Making these cards is one of my favourite ways to thank you for choosing to shop with us. Your support means so much to Kylie and Bruno.

Shop with Kylie + Bruno

Do you enjoy making a whole stack of cards, or do you prefer to work on one at a time? I’d love to hear how you use your patterned paper!