Fairy Tale Florals + Fussy Cutting - a fun afternoon's crafting

 This afternoon, after a quick tidy up of my desk, I carved out a little “play time” in the craft room—and I knew straight away I wanted to use the colours from Altenew’s latest Inspiration Challenge. I also decided to pair it with Jen’s Live Challenge for this week: “Fussy” (use something you’ve fussy cut on your project).

I was inspired by Natasha Foote’s YouTube video from April 21st, where she stamped a large image onto a card front and then fussy cut around the outside edge. Perfect timing, because I’d just treated myself to a new pair of Tim Holtz fussy-cutting scissors this week—and I was very keen to give them a go.

I went shopping in my Altenew stash and pulled out Fairy Tale Florals. There’s a gorgeous large image in that set, and it was exactly what I needed for this design.

I stamped the floral image directly onto my card base and coloured it with the matching simple colouring stencil. For the flowers, I blended Rubellite and Razzleberry Crisp Dye Inks; for the leaves, I used Frayed Leaf and Forest Glades Crisp Dye Inks.  I used a Gold Posca pen to add gold on the stamen and flower centre. 

Next, I drew a pencil line about 1 inch in from the edge (top to bottom) and then fussy cut around the flowers so the design “breaks” the edge of the card front.  Boy, the new scissors awesome!

To add more detail, I masked off just over 1 inch on the inside of the card and blended Rubellite ink through Altenew’s Deco Leaves stencil. I used whatever ink was left on the blending brush to softly tint the stenciled area, keeping it light and airy.

To finish it off, I added a very narrow strip of gold cardstock along the inside edge of the stenciling, then stamped a small black sentiment from Altenew’s Best Sentiments mini stamp set.

Hope you are able to get some crafting time over the weekend too.  

Altenew Live Challenge - Ombre

 I watched Jen's Live Challenge on replay over the weekend and had some fun making an ombre background and some ombre florals.

I started by ink blending the four colours from Lapis Lazuli Crisp Dye inks.  I took a Tim Holtz stencil - Doily and then used the darkest of the colours to add the stenciling.   I trimmed the panel and matted with a die cut from Gina K Master Layout 2.  Love how this leaves a good sized border on the card base.  To make my flowers I used Altenew Zero-Waste 3D Floral cover plate and die cut from white card.  Used the Lapis Lazuli inks and Deep Blue Seas inks to add the blues - in a gradient way.  Also used some greens for the leaves in a gradient as well.    Added a sentiment with the Scripty Sentiment die.  I had some pearlescent Charcoal acrylic ink on a scrap from some over paint on my gelli plate and once it dry was a lovely shimmery colour and was perfect for this sentiment.  Used white for the shadow layer.   This one has lots of dimension so will need to make a box envelope for it. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your weekend has been as crafty as mine.  

Hello 2026 with Altenew Challenge Live.

Yesterday was a really warm one... and in the morning I hid in my craft room to keep cool.. I was watching Jen from Altenew on her live challenge on Facebook.   She does a weekly challenge live and usually I have to watch on replay but as I'm still on my summer holidays, I got to watch live and I crafted while watching.   The challenge was to use "Hello" on your project. 

I immediately remembered a Circle Greetings - Hello die and pulled it out together with a stencil and a sentiment stamp set. 

I made a 4.25" square card. Cut a panel at 4 x 4 and die cut the circle greetings die from the middle.  I decided to use the Altenew Sweet Spring stencil and used only two tones of green - Volcano Lake and Emerald Crisp Dry inks. Added some bronze-gold watercolour splatter.  I die cut the "hello" part twice more, once in white and once in textured gold card.  The white one when underneath and the gold on top.  Added some extra card strips on the back to give some height.  Gold embossed the sentiment from Sentiment Strips 2.  Finished with some matching gold dots. 

I didn't quite get it finished during the live - mainly because I changed my mind about the stenciling behind.  First panel didn't float my boat so started again.  

Did end up down at the beach later in the day - lay under the shade of a Pohutakawa tree and enjoyed the warmth of the day.  

Tiny but Mighty...

 The Altenew Challenge Live this week - Tiny but Mighty - make a card 3" x 3" or smaller....  today I have been feeling a little better and decided to give the challenge a try. 

I pulled out a few of my Altenew Mini Delight stamp sets and had a play. 

I started by making the background panel.... used some blue and green Altenew inks and a large blending tool.   Took the Bitty Botanicals and some Jade ink and added some subtle leaves in the background.  Added some watercolour splatters with Altenew paints.   Stamped Adorable Anthurium stamp after having die cut the image.   Used Green Fields and A Pocketful of Sunshine alcohol markers to add the colour.    Used a sentiment from the Adore You Added on stamp set.    Finished with some of my homemade enamel dots.   I trimmed the panel down and matted on some dark green card and then onto my little 3" square card base.   Love the pop of the yellow pot with the gorgeous greens of the leaves.   Had great fun making this one.... 

Radiant Rainbow - Altenew Live Challenge #15

 Got to watch Jen Rzasa this week - and loved the challenge - Radiant Rainbow.   Jen did an amazing rainbow stenciled floral... amazing.  

I started this last evening after work - and finished today. 

My background was made using a My Favourite Things stencil Petal Circle - which I used Distress Oxides in Worn Lipstick, Wilted Violet, Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn inks.  I then moved the stencil slightly and blended again.   Added a light blending of the same colour over each area.   I used a Gina K stencil to cut out a 4" square. And then spritzed with Shimmer mist in Frost.   I then die cut a circle and stamped a sentiment from Altenew's Classic Greetings.  I then took the smallest of the Altenew's Leafy Canopy and stamped in Versamark and white embossed it.  Once it was die cut, I took my metallic watercolour paints and painted rainbow colours!   They are so vibrant in real life, but hard to see the shimmer in the photo.    Finished with some silver dots for embellishments.

Mini Mission . Altenew Live Challenge #14

I didn't get to watch this week's Altenew Live challenge with Jen Rzasa due to being really busy at work.  I usually have my iphone on in the background so had to watch it on replay during my lunch break.... and I was super excited to see my card was Jen's winner....

Jen's challenge this week was make a project using just ONE mini stamp set (plus a die if the set has one!) I chose to use a Mini Delight set called Butterfly Dreams.  It has a stamp set that has some butterflies and sentiments and a die set that has a birdcage and a branch.  #altenewchallengelive

I wanted a bit of stamping in my background, so used the branch from the die set and cut it out of some fun foam and used it as a stamp!  That counts I'm sure!  I stamped in with one of the inks from Enchanted Garden Crisp Dye inks and one of the inks from Frosted Foliage Fresh Dye inks - stamping once in full strength and one second generation stamping.   Die cut the birdcage from some purple card and rose gold accents.   I had tried about 6 times to get the layers done on the butterflies, but gave up and used Alcohol markers to colour.  I used a craft knife to cut the panel down, leaving parts of the wings over the edge.  The sentiment is stamped in black so used black and purple for my matting layers.   Added some dots made with the same rose gold card. 

Using the die cut from fun foam, as a stamp

I made this card yesterday afternoon - what a great way to spend my birthday... playing in the craft room!  And then out to dinner with our friends - Yvonne and Micheal.  

Bye Bye Black - Atlenew Challenge Live#13

 I was able to watch Jen Rzasa's live challenge this week - Bye Bye Black - don't use black ink on your project.  

I have to say I already had the stenciled background done and in my scrap pile.  It had been destined for the bin as I didn't mask while stenciling and got some of the green onto the pink and in one spot it looked terrible.  I had put it aside to bin, but hadn't quite got around to doing so.   I looked at it and decided I could salvage some of it.... and here's what I did!

 I trimmed the worst bit off and cut to 3" by 4.5" and matted it with a 3/8" border in the green card,  I can still see a couple of spots where the green went where it was not meant to, but all in all, looked pretty good.  The stencil was Altenew Rose Bouquet (an older one layer stencil). I then stamped the sentiment from Altenew Friendship Blooms stamp set in Rubellite ink.  Finished by added some dots made by covering a bit of the green card in clear packaging tape and used my dots die to cut a few out.  Love how this can make glossy dots in the exact colour to co-ordinate with the project. 

#altenewchallengelive