"Rough Day?" Light-Up Peek-A-Boo Blowfish Card | Featuring Pajama Crafter Stamps

Ever feel like you’re one puff away from bursting? This cheeky interactive card is the perfect remedy for a rough day—and it even lights up! Featuring a glowing plankton, a humorous hidden message, and an encouraging quote, this card is sure to get a laugh and a wow.

This fun card is packed with personality—from the punny blowfish to a clever light-up feature that mimics blowing out a candle. The glowing plankton brings both literal and metaphorical meaning to the phrase “blow me”, reminding the recipient to release the stress of a rough day and let the light go out.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Ink Blend the Ocean Background:

   I began by ink blending an ocean scene using a mix of blue water-reactive inks onto a piece of watercolor cardstock cut to 4.25" x 5.5". I repeated the same blend on the inside of a top-folding A2 card base to carry the underwater vibe throughout the card.

   
   

2. Die Cut the Peek-A-Boo Circle:

   Next, I used a circle die to create a window just above the center point on both a separate card panel and the front of the card base. This allows the blowfish on the inside to peek through when the card is closed.

   
   

3. Stamp the Sentiments:

   I heat embossed “rough day?” in white on the front panel and “BLOW ME” on the inside—perfectly setting up the punchline and interactive element.

   
   

4. Add the Thought Bubble:

   Using a speech bubble die cut from white cardstock, I stamped the quote:

   
   

   “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus

   
   

   It’s a little dose of stoic wisdom to pair with the silliness of the blowfish moment.

   
   

5. Stamp, Color & Cut the Blowfish:

   I stamped the blowfish image in alcohol marker–friendly ink and colored it with alcohol markers in pink, purple, and blue for a fun pop of contrast. I cut it out using my electronic die cutting machine, then set it aside for final assembly.

   
   

6. Add the Light-Up Plankton:

   Now for the interactive twist! I die cut a small hole beneath the “BLOW ME” sentiment using a tiny circle die from my collection. Behind the hole, I lined up a Pear Blossom Press Candle Light, placing it so one tiny plankton appears to glow like a flickering candle flame.

   
   

   The idea here is both literal and metaphorical: the plankton becomes a symbolic candle. You press the button to turn on the light, then “blow me” to blow out the light—just like blowing out birthday candles... or a stressful moment.

   
   

7. Press Here Indicator:

   I used a “press here” stamp and coordinating die from PBP and adhered the label on the inside of the card right over the "on" button for the light, letting the recipient know where to interact with the card.

   
   

8. Conceal the Electronics:

   To keep the card neat, I adhered another 4.25" x 5.5" piece of white cardstock to the back of the card base using foam tape. This hides the light mechanism and adds sturdiness.

   
   

9. Final Assembly & Camouflage:

   I attached the colored blowfish to the inside of the card using foam tape, positioning it through the circle window on the card front. To finish, I added small yellow dots throughout the ocean background to represent plankton—and subtly camouflaged the area around the light-up hole for a seamless look.

   
   
   
   

   

   
   

This ocean-inspired card delivers a fun surprise with heartfelt meaning. It’s silly and soothing all at once—a reminder to let go of the stress, have a chuckle, and blow it all away (plankton included!).

Want to see the light-up plankton in action? Check out the YouTube tutorial here!

Until next time,

Going to do some crafty shopping?

Consider using my affiliate links to help support my blog at no extra cost to you!

Pajama Crafter Stamps Puffer Fish Stamp Set: https://pajamacrafterstamps.com/products/mother-puffer-stamps Pear Blossom Press Candlelight (2-pack): https://collabs.shop/7fweml