Sweet Harvest Watercolor

I have been having so much fun with Altenew's November Craft-Your-Life: Sweet Harvest project kit! I used it to create this New Year's card. I started by stamping and die cutting the apple branch using Your Paper Insider's watercolor paper. Then I used Altenew's watercolor brush markers in the following colors: Moss, Tree Bark, Ruby Red, and Crimson to watercolor the image. After watercoloring the image, I thought I would add some red Stickles to the apples to give them some sparkle, but the Stickles didn't react well with the watercolor and bleached it out a bit. I went back with the stencils and ink blended some of Altenew's Burnt Red and Mahogony inks from the Martian Terrain ink collection to fix the problem.

For the background, I decided to upcycle a piece of chipboard that was included in some specialty Origami papers from Your Paper Insider's Box 13. I used Simon Hurley's Bee Sting Lunar Paste through one of the stencils in the Sweet Harvest set and set it aside to dry. Once it was dry, I ink blended Altenew's Ruby Red and Burnt Red inks over the panel. Then I splattered it with Tart Cranberry Distress Mica Stain. I didn't love the color, so I then ink blended Mahogony over the panel before adhering the apple branch to the panel with Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape. 

I stamped the "wishing you a happy new year" sentiment using Hero Arts' Merry Stamp & Cut set. I added it to the apple branch to finish the card. 

If you'd like to subscribe to Your Paper Insider's quarterly box of mystery papers or shop for any of their specialty paper collections, I'd be so grateful if you shopped with my affiliate link. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you: Your Paper Insider.  And if you're interested in shopping at Altenew, I'd love it if you used my affiliate link here: Carrie's Altenew Link. Altenew carries many versatile Craft-Your-Life project kits like the one I used for this card. 

Challenges I'm entering:

Lunar New Year Challenge: ATG with birthday or New Year cards following the guidelines for Chinese new year cards or birthday cards featuring the animals of the Chinese zodiac or pandas (ends at the end of the month)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting: Thing 1: 3 colors (red, green, and brown), 2 layers (the upcycled chipboard layer and the apple branch layer), 1 image (apple branch) (3/4; ends 12/7/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 3/10 for the challenge; ends 12/03/25)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (unlimited entries; ends 12/12/25)

Crafter's Cafe: ATG with the option to use the color yellow (5/8; ends 12/12/25)

Mix It Up Challenge Blog: ATG with option of CAS (6/8; ends 12/15/25)

Allsorts challenge blog: Focal sentiment or ATG (3/5; ends 12/5/25)

"Just Us Girls" Challenge: Stencil Week (I used stencils for the apples and for the background pattern) (1/3; ends 12/3/27) 

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/4; ends 12/30/25)

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!: ATG with stencils with an optional twist of gold (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (1/5; ends 12/3/25)

Stamping Sensations: Christmas or ATG (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Double D Challenges: Fall Colors (1/3; ends 11/30/25)

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