The weather finally is warmer here in Springfield, Ill. The threat of spring super-snowstorms seems like a distant memory. The days are getting longer and summer will be here soon. I could do without the humid heat this region offers in summertime, but I look forward to the numerous fairs, festivals and other events during the season.

When I received a new stamp set last week with a “you are my sunshine” sentiment, the time was right to create a bright, sunny card. I decided to do without the “you are my” on that stamp and add “hey there” from another set.

My card needed some rays, though. I don’t have a stamp or patterned paper for that, but I had a plan. I created sunshine by cutting rays out of cardstock. Easy!

Here’s how to make it:

Make a card from a 4 1/4-by-12-inch piece of pool-blue, textured cardstock (I used Bazzill Basics in artesian pool). Cut a 3 3/4-by-5 1/2-inch piece of light-yellow textured cardstock and adhere it, centered, to the card’s front.

Cut a 3 3/4-by-5 1/2-inch piece of yellow cardstock. Draw five diagonal lines in pencil on the cardstock, starting from the lower-left corner and evenly spacing them apart.

Cut along the pencil lines, erase the lines and adhere the first, third and fifth pieces to the light-yellow cardstock.

Punch a 1-inch circle from a piece of orange cardstock. Stamp a sun image (such as from the Lost and Found Union Square “Perfect” collection by My Mind’s Eye) in neon-orange ink (Hero Arts).

Stamp “hey there SUNSHINE” (I created my sentiment by using “hey” and “there” from the Hey There Cupcake collection by Stampendous and “SUNSHINE” from the “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE” stamp from the Up and Away collection from Find Your Wings and Fly by Rhonna Farrer for My Mind’s Eye) in neon-blue ink (Hero Arts) onto a piece of light-blue cardstock (I used one from the Park Bench collection by Fancy Pants Designs).

Trim this piece to 3 1/2 inches wide by 1/2 an inch high. Cut a 3 1/2-by-3/4-inch piece of golden-yellow, cream and light-blue chevron-patterned cardstock (Park Bench) and adhere the blue cardstock, centered, to this piece. Use the circle punch to trim the left edge.

Using dimensional adhesive, affix the sentiment piece to the lower portion of the card’s front, lining up the right edges. Attach the orange circle, using dimensional adhesive, close to the left edge of this piece. Adhere a large, mirrored rhinestone (such as from the Tweet Memories collection by Heidi Grace Designs for Colorbok) to the center of the circle.