Bountiful Blessings Card

I recently started subscribing to Papertrey Ink's monthly Reflections subscription, and while I was on the website, I checked out the monthly challenge and decided I wanted to create a card for it. I pulled out the Color Pop: Autumn set and used the challenge colors to ink blend and stamp my card elements. I've had this kit for some time now but hadn't ever played with it, so I was learning as I went. I discovered the stamps create beautiful additions to the stenciled background, but I discovered that too late as I had already added my sentiments to the stenciled panel before I realized how the stamps coordinate with the stencils. No problem though! I used the coordinating dies to die cut a couple elements that I went back and ink blended with the stencils (they were easy to line up with the stencils) and then stamped the tops of them and added them to the card front using foam tape for dimension. I layered the panel on a piece of cardstock I had ink blended around the edges to match the yellow in the stenciled background and then added the panel to a top-folding kraft card base. I finished the card by adding 3 pink enamel dots. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

September 2026 Inspiration Challenge – Papertrey Ink: 

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (2/5; ends 10/7/26)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends 10/14/26)

Allsorts challenge blog: Anything Autumn or ATG (3/5; ends 10/8/26)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (3/3; ends 10/5/26) C10

Inspiration Station: My card has a fall theme like the one in the inspiration photo (5/8; ends at the end of the month) 

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG with option to use die cuts (ends 10/12/26)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with option of  Bright and Breezy (4/8; ends at the end of the month)

A Place To Start: ATG with option of Relates to a Song (3/8; ends at the end of the month)

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!: ATG with stencils with option of yellow (I used the Paper Echoes stencil on the card front, the inside of the card, and the envelope) (3/3; ends at the end of the month)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

 

Apple Branch Card

I'm delighted to be hosting Altenew's September Inspiration Challenge, and I chose a color palette with lovely fall colors. To see the card I created for the challenge post, check out this link: Carrie's Custom Cards: Altenew September Inspiration Challenge. 

For this card using the challenge colors, I created a top-folding white A2 card base. Then I trimmed a panel of black cardstock to 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 and adhered it to the card front. Next, I used Catherine Pooler's Over Coffee ink on Altenew's Weathered Bark 3D embossing folder and ran a piece of brown cardstock through my Platinum 6 machine. The texture from this embossing folder is amazing, and it's even better when I add ink to the embossing folder so it gets in the crevices and darkens those areas. I made sure the ink was dry before trimming the embossed panel to 4 1/8 by 5 3/8 inches. I adhered that panel to the card front using a piece of fun foam I had trimmed to 4 by 5 1/2 inches so it has a bit of dimension. 

For the apples, I die cut the pieces to create 4 apples from Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: Fruits & Flowers project kit and watercolored them using Altenew's Ruby Red Watercolor Brush Marker. Then I created the branch and leaves using Altenew's Creative Cuts: Fresh Pears die set and ink blended the leaves using Altenew's Whispering Woodland Fresh Dye Ink collection. For the branch, I ink blended Altenew's Choco Hazelnut ink onto the branch. I stamped the "You are apple-solutely the best!" sentiment from Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: Sweet Harvest project kit and trimmed the sentiment into a banner shape. I adhered the branch, leaves, apples, and sentiment using Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape. 

If you're interested in doing some crafty shopping at Altenew, I'd be so grateful if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link.  I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Altenew carries many wonderful craft products and has a great weekly sales section if you are looking for bargain prices to grow your Altenew collection. 

TIME OUT Challenges: Colors of the season where you're located: I'm in Michigan, USA, so fall colors are beginning to show and it's apple season (4/5; ends 9/30/26) C5

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends 10/14/26)

Allsorts challenge blog: Anything Autumn or ATG (2/5; ends 10/8/26)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (2/3; ends 10/5/26) C10

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

 

Rustling Leaves Feel Better Card

I recently watched a YouTube live with Altenew Ambassador and Educator Lana Tabor (see video here: Get More from 3D Embossing Folders | Altenew LIVE + $20 GIVEAWAY), and I loved her card design and decided to CASE her card with a different color scheme and a press plate set rather than an embossing folder. 

I started with Altenew's Rustling Leaves press plate. I inked up the foliage groupings with Altenew's Cherry Sweet Fresh Die Ink first and then ran the plates through a second time after inking them up with Altenew's Snapdragon Fresh Dye Ink. Then I die cut them with the coordinating dies and ink blended them using the coordinating stencil. I again used Cherry Sweet and Snapdragon inks for the ink blending. 

I trimmed an ink-smooshed panel to 4 1/8 by 5 3/8 inches and die cut an arch out of it using Altenew's Nesting Arches die set. I die cut another arch out of gold cardstock using the arch die in Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: The Afternoon Spread project kit. Then I ink blended some Cherry Sweet ink onto a white panel and placed it behind the orange ink-smooshed panel and added the gold arch. I then die cut a smaller arch out of the orange ink-smooshed paper and adhered it onto the panel. I adhered all the layers to a top-folding white A2 card base. 

Next, I arranged my die cut leaves onto the panel and die cut the "feel better" sentiment out of the same gold cardstock I used for the gold arch in the background and the shadow die from white cardstock. The sentiment is from Altenew's Warm & Cozy Sentiment Die Set. I die cut a few of the shadow layers and adhered them together for a bit of dimension on the sentiment. I adhered the leaves and sentiment to the card panel to finish the card. This one went to a friend from church who is recovering from cancer treatments. 

If you're interested in doing some crafty shopping at Altenew, I'd be so grateful if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link.  I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Altenew carries many wonderful craft products and has a great weekly sales section if you are looking for bargain prices to grow your Altenew collection. 

 Challenges I'm entering:

TIME OUT Challenges: Colors of the season where you're located: I'm in Michigan, USA, so fall colors are beginning to show (3/5; ends 9/30/26) C5

Inspiration Station: My card has a fall theme like the one in the inspiration photo (4/8; ends at the end of the month) 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; 3/10 for the challenge; ends 9/30/26)

Allsorts challenge blog: Anything Autumn or ATG (2/5; ends 10/8/26)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (1/3; ends 10/5/26)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

Sending Love Houseplants Card

I recently attended a Zoom with Altenew Educator Evette Jacobson where she had participants play with ink smooshing through stencils and heat embossing with just water instead of ink to hold the embossing powder. It was so much fun! 

For my card, I ink smooshed through Altenew's Cascading Elegance stencil using inks from the following Altenew collections: Warm & Cozy, Cherry Blossom, Golden Sunset. I used these same inks to ink smoosh onto a couple more panels of white cardstock. I added gold embossing powder to one of the ink smooshed panels and then heat set it. The places where the ink smooshing was still wet held the embossing powder and left some lovely gold areas. 

I used the ink smooshed and gold embossed panel to die cut leaves from Altenew's Crispy Leaves die set, and then I used the other ink smooshed panel without any embossing to die cut some foliage elements from Altenew's Creative Cuts: Houseplants set. I also ink smooshed a panel using inks from Altenew's Delectable Desserts ink collection and used that panel to die cut the pieces for the little planter. I assembled the pieces for the planter and decided where I wanted all the little foliage elements to go, and then I adhered everything to the panel I had ink smooshed through the stencil on. Some elements were adhered with liquid glue and some with Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape. I had trimmed the panel to 4 by 5 1/4, and I adhered it to a panel of orange cardstock that I trimmed to 4 1/8 by 5 3/8 inches. I added a couple pieces of tulle I ripped and used a spray adhesive on to add more texture to the background. I added some twine around the bottom of the panel before adhering the panel to a top-folding white card base. 

To finish the card, I die cut "sending love" and its shadow from Altenew's Strong Oak Stencil Art and coordinating die set and adhered the sentiment to the card front. I die cut one layer in yellow and ink blended one layer with Rubellite ink to match the pink ink in the background and on the leaves. I die cut the shadow layer in vellum. When I stacked the die cuts, I did a slight offset so the yellow layer peeks out a bit behind the pink layer. 

If you're interested in doing some crafty shopping at Altenew, I'd be so grateful if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link.  I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Altenew carries many wonderful craft products and has a great weekly sales section if you are looking for bargain prices to grow your Altenew collection. 

 Challenges I'm entering:

TIME OUT Challenges: Colors of the season where you're located: I'm in Michigan, USA, so fall colors are beginning to show (2/5; ends 9/30/26) C5

Inspiration Station: My card has a fall theme like the one in the inspiration photo (3/8; ends at the end of the month) 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends 9/30/26)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Make your own background (2/5; ends 9/28/26)

Allsorts challenge blog: Anything Autumn or ATG (1/5; ends 10/8/26)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

Majestic Maple Card

I wanted to include a fall-themed card in a package I sent to my oldest daughter with jars of homemade raspberry jam recently, so I took out Altenew's Majestic Maple Layering Die Set and created this card.

I started with a top-folding A2 card I trimmed and scored using kraft cardstock. Then I die cut the pieces of the Majestic Maple die set using brown cardstock for the trunk and 3 different watercolor papers I had painted with a variety of metallic acrylic paints for the 3 layers of the foliage on the tree. I layered everything together and used Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape for some of the layers to give it dimension. 

For the background, I embossed some watercolor cardstock I had painted with brown watercolor using Altenew's Rolling Hills 3D embossing folder. I trimmed a piece of dark brown cardstock the same color as the tree trunk to 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches and then trimmed the watercolored and embossed panel to 4 1/8 by 5 3/8 and adhered them together and then adhered them to the card base. 

I adhered the Majestic Maple tree to the card panel and then decided on a sentiment. In a perfect world, I would have added the sentiment first to make my life easier, but thankfully my card base fit in my Stampwheel 2.0, and I was able to stamp the "hope today is beautiful" sentiment (from Altenew's Magnolia Ballerina stamp set) with VersaFine Clair: Pinecone ink despite the dimension on the Maple tree die cuts. I needed to stamp it a couple times to get all parts of the stamp nice and crisp, but thankfully it worked. I would recommend stamping the sentiment before adding the die cut next time! 😂

If you're interested in doing some crafty shopping at Altenew, I'd be so grateful if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link.  I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Altenew carries many wonderful craft products and has a great weekly sales section if you are looking for bargain prices to grow your Altenew collection. 

Close up:

Challenges I'm entering:

TIME OUT Challenges: Colors of the season where you're located: I'm in Michigan, USA, so fall colors are beginning to show (1/5; ends 9/30/26) C5

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Make Your Own Background (I watercolored and then embossed my background panel) (1/5; ends 9/28/26)

Inspiration Station: My card has a fall theme like the one in the inspiration photo (2/8; ends at the end of the month) 

Allsorts challenge blog: Sympathy/Thinking of You/Get Well or ATG (1/5; ends 9/24/26)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends 9/30/26)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

2-4-6-8 Card For Tic Tac Toe Challenge #302

I'm thrilled to be a Guest Designer over on the Tic Tac Toe Challenge blog for challenge #302 today! The challenge board this time is great for fall cards but will work for many other themes as well. Here's a look at the  wonderful board this time: 

I chose the first row across: Orange, Die Cuts, and Fun Fold for my card, but I could also claim the diagonal from bottom to top: Pumpkins, Free, Fun Fold.  

I started by choosing the fun fold I wanted to use, and I chose the 2-4-6-8 card design, which is such a simple but fun design. I wanted to make something with a Halloween theme, so I chose Halloween-themed cardstock for the fun fold base. I started with a piece of the pattern paper that was 12 by 5 1/4 inches and scored on the long side at 2, 4, 6, and 8. Then I burnished the score lines and added glue to create the panels of the card. To finish the card base, I adhered my pattern paper to a 4 1/4 by 5 1/2-inch panel of black cardstock. 

Next, I die cut circles using Gina Marie Designs Stitched Circles set. Then I die cut the little jack-o-lantern (from a retired Lawn Fawn set) and ink blended him with Altenew's Cherry Sweet and Firebrick inks to try to match the reddish-orange color in the cardstock. I also die cut some candies, the Happy Halloween sentiment, and a little trick-or-treat bag using dies from Top Dog Dies (they went out of business years ago unfortunately). I ink blended the die cuts with a mix of orange inks from Altenew, again trying to match the oranges in the cardstock. 

I adhered my die cuts to my circles and adhered the circles to the card panels of the fun fold. I think my grandchildren will enjoy this Halloween card. I know they will enjoy the candy I'll give them with it! 😂

I hope you will play along with the challenge over on the Tic Tac Toe Challenge blog here: Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week.   https://wp.me/p8FwYv-2rT

Challenges I'm entering: 

Creative Creases #119 - Sept. 4th thru Oct. 1st: ATG with a fun fold project (I'm on the DT and entering just for inspiration)

Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge: ATG with pattern papers (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends 9/30/26)

Cut It Up: Orange and Black (1/3; ends 9/28/26)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with option of  Bright and Breezy (3/8; ends at the end of the month)

A Place To Start: ATG with option of Relates to a Song (3/8; ends at the end of the month)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG with option to use die cuts (ends 10/12/26)

A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: ATG (ends at the end of the month)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-26

Watercolor Floral Die Cut Card

I recently attended an Altenew Educator Workshop led by the talented Ishani, and she had us do some watercoloring and then die cutting to create a beautiful floral card. 

I started by watercoloring a few panels of watercolor paper using Altenew's Ultraviolet and Prussian Blue gouache from the Artistis' Gouache Set--Strolling Through New York. Then I die cut tiny flower petals using Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Lilac die set. I blued many of the lilacs onto a piece of white cardstock and then trimmed the cardstock around the flowers. Later I filled in all the white spots with additional flowers. 

My next step was to trim a panel of watercolor paper I had painted with the Prussian Blue gouache to 5 by 7 because I decided I wanted a large card so I could use all the flowers I had die cut. I die cut another couple sets of lilacs out of the center of the blue watercolored panel since I knew I would be coving the panel with another panel and the die cut areas wouldn't show. No point wasting that beautiful watercolored paper, right?! 

For the next layer, I trimmed a panel of watercolor paper to just under 5 by 7 and ink smooshed some of Altenew's Ultraviolet dye ink onto the panel. Then I stenciled the same ink through Altenew's Paper Echoes stencil in strategic areas of the panel. Then I used a distressing tool to distress and curl the top left and bottom right sections of the stenciled panel. 

I adhered the blue panel to my white 5 by 7 card base and then adhered the stenciled and ink smooshed panel to those layers. I used my lilacs (they were adhered down to the white cardstock from earlier, so I could move them around on the background) as a guide for where to place the leaves I die cut using Altenew's Creative Cuts: Strawberry Patch dies. Once I decided on their placement, I adhered them with liquid glue and then adhered the lilac cluster using Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape. Then I proceeded to add more lilacs using Instant Dimension Foam Tape and curling some of the petals up until I had the white spots covered and a nice amount of dimension and texture. I added 3 bees to the flowers because I wanted to use a punny sentiment on the inside of the card.

For the inside of the card, I trimmed a watercolor panel to just under 5 by 7 and ink smooshed it with more of the Ultraviolet ink I had used on the front of the card. I also used the Paper Echoes stencil again and then added a few extra die cuts and an additional bee. The "thank you for bee-ing so sweet" sentiment is from Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: Honeycomb Haven project kit. I stamped it in Altenew's Obsidian ink and die cut it with Altenew's Nesting A2 Panels die set. I glued everything down and set about adding all the tiny gems to the flower centers on the front and inside of the card.

For the envelope, I stenciled the Paper Echoes stencil once again using Ultraviolet ink and then added a couple leaves and flowers to finish up. 

If you're interested in doing some crafty shopping at Altenew, I'd be so grateful if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link.  I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Altenew carries many wonderful craft products and has a great weekly sales section if you are looking for bargain prices to grow your Altenew collection. 

Inside of the card: 

A look at the coordinating envelope: 

Close ups: 

Distressed details: 

More views:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (6/6; ends 9/12/26)

Allsorts challenge blog: Sympathy/Thinking of You/Get Well or ATG (1/5; ends 9/15/25)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (2/4; ends 10/3/26)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG or option of following a sketch (5/6; ends at the end of the month)

Paper Rocks Scissors: ATG with paper and/or scissors (I used scissors to cut the foam tape) (5/5; ends at the end of the month)

A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: ATG (ends at the end of the month)

Mix It Up Challenge Blog: ATG with option of Embossing (5/5; ends 10/15/26)

Love To Craft Challenge Blog: ATG (5/5; ends 10/15/26)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG with option to use die cuts (ends 9/12/26)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 5/10 for the challenge; ends 9/16/26)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with option of  Bright and Breezy (2/8; ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Add some texture (2/5; ends 9/16/26)

A Place To Start: ATG with option of Relates to a Song (Don't Worry, Be(e) Happy!) (2/8; ends at the end of the month)

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!: ATG with stencils with option of yellow (I used the Paper Echoes stencil on the card front, the inside of the card, and the envelope) (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

Triple B: ATG with birds, blooms, and/or butterflies (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

I'd like to leave a blessing for all the lovely visitors to my blog: 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

--Numbers 6: 22-26