Pumpkin Patch Thank You Card

Today at church I received a $100 gift card to a local restaurant as a thank you for the cards and cookies I've sent to a man who lost his wife this spring. I definitely wasn't expecting him to give me a gift, and definitely not one so generous! But when I tried to explain that I just wanted to do something kind for him as I know this has been a hard year for him and that I didn't want him to give me anything in return, he said he also wanted to do something kind for me and to please allow him to. My 32nd wedding anniversary is this week, so my husband and I decided that the Lord wanted us to have a nice dinner out to celebrate.

Of course I had to make a special card to give to my brother in Christ who was so generous! I used Altenew's Pumpkin Patch stamp and coordinating stencil set and then added the Grid stencil over some of the pumpkins and used some paste over a couple other pumpkins. After everything was dry, I fussy cut the pumpkins. I created the background by using a scrap of orange cardstock with a subtle pattern of leaves on it and stenciled a darker orange onto the cardstock panel using Altenew's Grid stencil. I then did some ombre inking on a piece of scrap paper using the same Grid stencil and stamped the Thank you sentiment from the Pumpkin Patch set and die cut it. I stamped the "you are so generous" sentiment from the same Pumpkin Patch stamp set onto the same orange cardstock I used behind the pumpkins and adhered the sentiments with foam tape. I'll send out the card with a note to let him know we are praying for him during this first Christmas without his wife of over 60 years.

 Challenges I'm entering:

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge: Use dies (I used the coordinating die for the "Thank you" sentiment")

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!: ATG with a stencil or optional twist of Winter/Christmas (1/3; ends 1/4/25)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with optional twist of any winter holiday

Stamping Sensations: ATG with the option of winter (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: ATG with option of winter (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles: ATG (ends at the end of the month)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG or lots of white (ends 12/20/24)

Gem of A Craft Challenge: ATG (ends 12/20/24)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (ends 12/16/24)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (ends 12/18/24)

A Place To Start: ATG with optional twist of holidays (ends at the end of the month)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting: Thing 1: ATG (3/4; ends 12/31/24)

The Diva's that cut ....paper!: At least one uneven edge (I hope my pumpkins count as I fussy cut them so all the edges are uneven). My die cut is the "thank you" sentiment that I die cut using the coordinating die from the set. (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Silent Night Christmas Card

I signed up for a Christmas card swap in the FaceBook Altenew Fan Group, and I'm sending cards to New Zealand, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and several different states in the US. I spent an evening cutting out poinsettia layers from various cardstocks and embossing panels and then went to work assembling several cards. This one uses a top-folding white A2 card base I created using heavyweight white cardstock. 

For the background on the front of this card, I took some specialty gold paper and embossed it using Altenew's Perfect Poinsettias 3D embossing folder. I added double-sided adhesive to the back of it and carefully adhered it to the card front. The die cut poinsettia was made using Altenew's 3D Poinsettia layering die set and posterboard I had colored with alcohol inks. The center of the poinsettia was die cut using gold cardstock. 

For the sentiment, I stamped "silent night, holy night" from Altenew's Blessings stamp set using Altenew's Ruby Red ink. 

For the inside of the card, I trimmed a panel I had sprayed with Tree Lot Distress mica stain and stamped "We wish you a season filled with the warmth of the holiday spirit and the love of family and friends" from the same Blessings stamp set and added a small poinsettia I had created using the smallest leaf layer in the 3D Poinsettia layering die set (I die cut several of them using different shades of red and a green layer for the bottom). 

I can post the card on my blog now that Suna in New Zealand has received it! She posted a photo of it in the Altenew FaceBook Fan Group this morning. So glad it made it to her and that she liked it!

Close up:

Inside the card:

The Ultimate Inspiration Challenge - Altenew: Choose any theme from the previous year:

I chose November's color palette:

 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (5/6; ends 12/12/24)

Gem of A Craft Challenge: ATG (2/4; ends 12/21/24)

jingle belles: Card inspired by the Jingle Belles header (my card features a poinsettia)

Colorful Options: Red, green, and gold (ends at the end of the month)

Inspiration Station: My card matches the red and green colors and Christmas theme of the photo 

A Cut Above: ATG with a die cut (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

A Place To Start: ATG with optional twist of happy holidays (ends at the end of the month)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting: Thing 1: It's up to you  Thing 3: Wrap it up (I used metallic thread behind the poinsettia) Thing 2: Entered Beautiful Blossoms Challenge, Colorful Options Challenge, Inspiration Station (trying to enter, but the new linky isn't up yet...I'll try again soon), and Jingle Belles (2/4; ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Make it sparkle (I used gold cardstock for the center of the poinsettia and specialty gold paper behind the poinsettia) (2/5; ends 12/9/24)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with twist of winter holidays (ends at the end of the month)

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG or winter flora and fauna (2/3; ends 12/6/24)

Can You Handle The Pressure?: ATG with a twist of winter fun (1/3; ends 12/12/24)

As You Like It Challenge: Gold, Silver or Glitter: I definitely find myself using gold most often of those choices whether it be gold cardstock, specialty paper, gold embossing powder, or gold thread. I think it's a very elegant touch for any card. (1/3; ends 12/11/24)

Billowing Peonies Gift Bag

I needed a gift bag to give 3 jars of my homemade jam to a friend as a thank you gift, and I found a plain white bag in my stash of saved bags. My husband teases me about saving all the gift bags I receive, but why not recycle them? In this case, rather than giving a plain white bag, I decided to decorate the bag and include a sentiment on it. 

I used Altenew's Billowing Peonies set to stamp, stencil, and die cut the floral focal point. This is one of my all-time favorite sets from Altenew! It's just stunning! After finishing that part, I chose three shimmer sprays from my collection that coordinated with the ink colors I used for the flowers and leaves and sprayed the bag. The shimmer sprays I used: Lindy's Cotton Candy Pink, Lindy's Sea Mint Green, and Lindy's Crème Brûlée Cream. You can't tell from the photos, but the background is shimmery in person. I let that dry and then added the Billowing Peonies using Altenew's Ultra Sticky Double-Sided Tape. 

To finish the bag, I stamped the "thank you" sentiment using Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: Splendid Bouquet kit and die cut it with the coordinating die. I adhered it with more double-sided tape and then added 3 jams wrapped in pretty pink tissue papers: blueberry jam, cherry jam, and raspberry-peach jam. My friend texted me today that she had already opened the raspberry-peach and was loving it! (She just got the bag last night!)

Close up:

Challenges I'm entering:

The Ultimate Inspiration Challenge - Altenew: Choice of any of the challenge colors/themes from the year (I chose August's color palette):

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (1/3; ends 12/9/24) C10

A Cut Above: ATG with a die cut (1/3; ends at the end of the  month)

A Place To Start: ATG with optional twist of happy holidays (ends at the end of the month)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting: Thing 1: It's up to you (1/4; ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Make it sparkle (I used shimmer sprays) (1/5; ends 12/9/24)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with twist of winter holidays (ends at the end of the month)

Stamping Sensations: ATG with the option of winter (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: ATG or winter (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG or winter flora and fauna (1/3; ends 12/6/24)

No more challenges.