Thank You Card for A Perfect Time To Craft

I was blessed to win 1st Prize in the January challenge over on the A Perfect Time to Craft blog, and one of the perks besides the lovely digital papers I won was the opportunity to be a Guest Designer for the July challenge. For being a Guest Designer, I had my choice of another of Anne Constantly-Carding's beautiful sets of digital papers, and I chose the lovely Starry Night set which you can purchase here: Starry Night Alcohol Ink Background Set - Payhip. The set is full of gorgeous alcohol ink backgrounds. 

I wanted to use the beautiful digital alcohol ink papers for my card, so I started by printing out the first paper in the set and noticed it had lovely white splatters in the design. I decided the colors would look great on a black background, so I trimmed a panel of black cardstock to 3 1/2" by 6" and added splatters of Altenew's Titanium White Gouache I had spritzed with a little water. For my card base, I created a white mini slimline card base that is 3 3/4" by 6 1/4". 

To create the flowers and leaves, I die cut Altenew's Amaryllis set using the Starry Night digital paper. Then I arranged the flowers and leaves the way I wanted them on the black panel and added glue and Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape to adhere them to the panel. I then added a piece of black fun foam I had trimmed to 3 1/4" by 5 3/4" and added that to the back of the panel before adhering the panel to my white card base. 

For the sentiment, I stamped and die cut the "thanks" sentiment using Altenew's Build-A-Garden: Bougainvillea set. I used the die to die cut an additional layer out of black fun foam so the sentiment pops up a bit.

If you'd like to participate in the A Perfect Time to Craft challenge, it's always anything goes, and you can add your projects here: A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge. I hope I'll see you in the gallery this month! 😊

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Allsorts challenge blog: Seaside or ATG (5/5; ends 7/4/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (5/5 for the week; 10/10 for the challenge; ends 7/2/25)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (3/5; ends 7/2/25)

Dream Valley Challenge: ATG (2/3; ends 7/18/25)

Crafty Catz: ATG (2/5; ends 7/10/25)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (2/3; ends 7/10/25)

Sending Hugs Wedge Panel Card

A dear friend of mine is adjusting to being on her own after months of having her son stay with her after her neck and back surgeries that started back in January. She's finally able to be on her own, but I know she's a little concerned about how things will go without her son's help. He lives in another state, so I think she's also just sad that he's so far away. I thought she'd enjoy a special card, so I chose a fun fold I've been playing around with recently. Have you heard of a wedge panel card? The inspiration for this card design comes from Di's Den for Stamping and Crafting on YouTube, and you find the tutorial here: #300 (25) Wedge Panel Card. Di made her card an A2 size, but I wanted a larger card to fit more flowers on, so I just turned mine into a 5 by 7 by altering the measurements slightly. I also left the center section flat rather than adding the pop-up Di used on her card. I wanted my flowers to curve around the wedge pieces. 

I started my card by trimming and scoring the base and then trimming and scoring all the wedge pieces. I added all the layers using Art Glitter liquid glue. 

Then I die cut Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Zinnias flowers and leaves to create loads of pretty zinnias to embellish the front of the card. I also die cut the word "sending" using Altenew's Creative Cuts: Doves in Flight set. That set is great because it has several word dies and their shadows along with the pretty doves. I arranged all my flowers and leaves on the card front and adhered everything down using Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape along with more liquid glue. Then I added the "sending" sentiment using liquid glue. 

For the inside of the card, I stamped one of the floral images from Altenew's Billowing Peonies set using my Stampwheel 2.0. That allowed me to turn the plate 180 degrees and stamp the image again on the top of the panel. I stamped it in green ink onto a light green panel for a tone-on-tone look. Then I stamped "hugs and lots of love" from the same Billowing Peonies set using pink ink. I added another pink zinnia to finish the inside. 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

Side View:

Inside the card:

Other angles:

Challenges I'm entering: 

 Creative Creases #104: ATG with a fun fold project (I'm on the DT so entering just for fun)

The Diva's that cut ....paper!: The Beginning of June 2025: Color challenge: 

Allsorts challenge blog: Seaside or ATG (4/5; ends 7/4/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (4/5 for the week; 9/10 for the challenge; ends 7/2/25)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (4/6; ends 7/12/25)

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite Color Combo and Why: I love shades of red/pink and green because they are such a lovely combination that seems so elegant. (2/3; ends 7/10/25)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (2/5; ends 7/2/25)

The Paper Shelter: ATG or Cut it Out (I die cut the the flowers and leaves) (2/2; ends 7/2/25)

Dream Valley Challenge: ATG (1/3; ends 7/18/25)

Crafty Catz: ATG (1/5; ends 7/10/25)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (1/3; ends 7/10/25)

Slatted Z-Fold Birthday Card for Your Paper Insider

I was recently approached on Instagram by Your Paper Insider asking if I'd like one of their free mystery paper boxes in exchange for creating and sharing a card using the papers on social media. First, because Instagram is full of scams, I checked out their account, and I saw cards by crafters I admire and respect like Nicki Baxley on their Instagram account. Then I double checked with Nicki Baxley, and she highly recommended the company, so I happily accepted and received a box of beautiful papers within 3 days! 

This fun fold card features 4 of the papers from the 28 papers in the box. I've included a photo of the papers I used for the card at the end of my post if you'd like to check them out. I plan to do several other cards with the papers from the box. There were 28 papers included in the box, and they are a great variety of colors, thicknesses, types, etc. from vellum to heavy-duty cardstocks like the one I used for the card base here. If you're interested in ordering a box from Your Paper Insider to try out their papers, here's the link to their website: Your Paper Insider. My papers were from Box 11. 

To create the fun fold card, I followed a tutorial by Iced Images here: 🔴 5" x 7" Slatted Z-Fold Card | Livestream. She didn't add layers to her slats, so I just measured the areas I wanted to add the woodgrain paper to and took off 1/4 inch to make those layers. 

I used Altenew's Painted Geranium Stencil Art set and coordinating die for the floral image. I ink blended Altenew's Mahogany Bark, Mauve, Fresh Leaf, and Reindeer Moss Fresh Dye Inks through the stencils to create this tall and elegant floral focal point. 

The "happy birthday" and "wishing you a beautiful day" sentiments are from Altenew's Build-A-Garden: Nature's Magic set. I stamped them with brown ink onto scraps of the leftover mauve cardstock and added them to the front of the card with Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape. 

To finish the card, I added 3 enamel dots from Altenew's Whispering Woodland Enamel Dots set. 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

Side view:

Here's a close up of the papers. I really love the woodgrain 

one and the floral embossed vellum especially:

Flat lay photos:

A look at the papers I chose to match my Painted Geranium 

stenciled and die cut image:

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Creative Creases #104: ATG with a fun fold project (I'm on the DT so entering just for fun)

Allsorts challenge blog: Seaside or ATG (3/5; ends 7/4/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; 3/10 for the challenge; ends 7/2/25)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (3/6; ends 7/12/25)

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite Color Combo and Why: I love pink and green because they are such a lovely combination that reminds me of spring. (1/3; ends 7/10/25)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (1/5; ends 7/2/25)

The Paper Shelter: ATG or Cut it Out (I die cut the geraniums) (1/2; ends 7/2/25)

The Diva's that cut ....paper!: The Beginning of June 2025: Color palette with a die cut: 

Addicted to Stamps and More!: Die cuts and stencils (1/3; ends 7/1/25) C10

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!: ATG with stencils with option of Summer Fun (3/3; ends 6/28/25)

No more challenges. 

So Mushroom In My Heart Chair Step Card

 I love fun folds, and I recently saw one I hadn't done before. It's called a Chair Step Card, and you'll see in my photos how it got its name. I followed a tutorial from Di's Den for Stamping and Crafting here: #312 (25) Chair Step Card. 

Since I recently purchased Altenew's Mushroom Cottages Layering Die Set and their Mushroom Greetings Stamp Set, I thought I would combine them to create a card using the monthly challenge colors for the Inspiration Challenge on the Altenew blog. I chose some green cardstock for the base layer, some orange watercolor paper I had watercolored using Altenew's 36 Watercolor Pan Set (I used Sunkissed from the set) for the middle layer, and Kraft cardstock for the top layer. After I trimmed and scored all the pieces, I embossed the Kraft cardstock pieces with Altenew's Garden Harmony 3D embossing folder. 

I die cut and assembled my mushroom houses and foliage and arranged them on my card before stamping the sentiments and the stamped mushrooms for the back of the card. I colored the stamped mushrooms with my Ohuhu alcohol ink markers. After adhering everything with a mixture of Art Glitter glue and Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape, I splattered the card with copper watercolor from Altenew's Metallic Watercolor 14 Pan Set. 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

Side view:

Here's a look at the back of the card:

Challenges I'm entering:

June 2025 Inspiration Challenge | Hope and Inspiration Card 

Creative Creases #104: ATG with a fun fold project (I'm on the DT so just entering for fun)

Allsorts challenge blog: Seaside or ATG (2/5; ends 7/4/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends 7/2/25)

A Place To Start: ATG with option of recycle it (8/8; ends at the end of the month)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with option of for the guys (8/8; ends at the end of the month)

Ellibelle's Corner: Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 4 - Anything In or From a Garden: ATG with something found in a garden (5/5; ends 7/9/25)

Ellibelle's Corner: Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday: ATG (6/6; ends at the end of July)

Crafty Catz: ATG with option: Use hot colors (5/5; ends 6/27/25)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (3/3; ends 6/27/25)

As You Like It Challenge: To add a sentiment or not and why: I love to add sentiments to my cards because they add another level of personalization and often have an encouraging/uplifting message. Sometimes I only put them on the inside of the card though as in this case because the flowers were too pretty to cover up (3/3; ends 6/26/25)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge: Cute/ATG (1/2; ends 6/25/25)

Can You Handle The Pressure?: ATG with an embossing folder with optional twist of add a butterfly (2/3; ends 6/25/25)

Homework for AECP class: Color Your Day: Lesson 1: create a card inspired by color (I chose the Inspiration Challenge Color Palette) 
 

Bay Window Anniversary Card

My daughter and son-in-law have their first wedding anniversary coming up soon, and I made this card for them during a class by Altenew Educator Pam Bodecker where she showed us how to stamp Altenew's Billowing Peonies large floral stamp twice onto a sheet of 8 1/2 by 11-inch cardstock using the Stampwheel 2.0 to create 4 A2 card panels. I also used stamps from Altenew's Build-A-Garden: Nature's Magic stamps between the two Billowing Peonies stamps to fill in the gap (those are the yellow flowers). I made a set of 4 Bay Window fold cards from the 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of cardstock I stamped and ink blended during Pam's class. The cards fold flat to fit in an envelope (see the third photo below).  I love getting 2-for-1 cards, but 4-for-1 is even better! The removable side of the Stampwheel 2.0 is pure genius! I needed some get well soon and thank you cards, also, so I used those sentiments on the other 3 cards in the set. My daughter loves peonies and pink and was delighted when I gave her the card yesterday when she was over for a Father's Day dinner at our house. 

If you'd like instructions and measurements for making this card, please see Connie Stewart's video here: 🔴 Make a Bay Window Card: The Easy Step-By-Step Tutorial. 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

The small tab on the right side of the card gets tucked under the panel on the inside of the card that has foam tape on one side to lift it a bit for the tab to slide under: 

Inside the card:

A look at the other cards I made from the same sheet of cardstock I had stamped and ink blended through the coordinating stencils:

For the "thank you" and "feel better" sentiments, I used stamped and coordinating dies from Altenew's Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations set. For the "Happy anniversary" die cut, I used Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips Die Set.

Challenges I'm entering:

Creative Creases #104: ATG with a fun fold project (I'm on the DT so just entering for fun)

Allsorts challenge blog: Seaside or ATG (1/5; ends 7/4/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends 7/2/25)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (2/6; ends 7/12/25)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (1/3; ends 6/30/25) C10

Stamping Sensations: Our Furry Friends or ATG (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: Nature Inspired or ATG (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge: Cute or ATG (2/2; ends 6/25/25)

 

Daisy Bed Ink Blended Card

My oldest daughter has been working very hard to prepare for the Cheese Monger Invitational competition in New York City later this month along with studying for the Cheese Professionals Certification Exam and working full time plus working on home projects with her husband, and I just wanted to make her a card to let her know I see the way she's working so hard. I'm so proud of how far she's come with her mental health and her ability to manage stress. 

I started her card by creating a top-folding A2 card base out of white cardstock. Then I trimmed an A2 size panel and embossed it with Altenew's Daisy Bed 3D embossing folder. I then masked off the edges of the panel using the largest rectangle in Altenew's Rounded Rectangle Mask Stencil set. I ink blended the following Altenew inks: Fresh Lemon, Orange Cream, and Magenta. 

For the butterfly and "I see your strength and beauty" sentiment, I used Altenew's Beautiful Butterfly Press Plates set and black ink. After pressing them in the BetterPress system, I die cut them with the coordinating dies. Then I ink blended the butterfly using the coordinating stencil and Sunkissed, Orange Cream, and Magenta inks. I decided to add a second butterfly on the bottom of the first one so I could lift the wings a bit, so I found one I had made earlier in my stash that has some Antique Silver Shimmer Relief Paste on the edges and pinks from the Bubblegum Dreams Ink Collection on the wings. 

To finish the card, I added the butterfly and sentiment with Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape and then added some enamel dots from Altenew's Colorful Wonder and Bubblegum Dreams collections for the yellow and pink enamel dots. I then used Ripened Pumpkin Nuvo Crystal Drops for the orange dots around the sentiment. 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Ellibelle's Corner: I spy with my little eye: At least one butterfly (2/3; ends 6/16/25)

Crafty Calendar Challenge: Add a sentiment (3/3; ends at the end of the month)

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

Craft Rocket Challenges: No design paper (unlimited entries; ends at the end of the month)

Crafty Catz: ATG with option: Use hot colors (5/5; ends 6/27/25)

Ellibelle's Corner: Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 4 - Anything In or From a Garden: Anything in or from a garden (5/5; ends 7/9/25)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: ATG (1/3; ends 6/16/25) C10

Can You Handle The Pressure?: ATG with a twist of butterflies (1/3; ends 6/25/25)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Fur, feathers, flowers (5/5; ends 6/18/25)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: diagonal from bottom left: ink blending, free, die cuts (3/3; ends 6/19/25)

No more challenges. 

Bouquet Of Poppies White Embossed Card

I recently had a Zoom craft session with some other crafters, and Evie Jacobson led us in a fun technique trimming a card panel and then stamping it with a large stamp using embossing ink, covering it with embossing powder, heat setting it and then ink blending over it after taping the edges. In my case, I trimmed my card panel to 5 by 7 and used Altenew's Stampwheel 2.0 to stamp the large Bouquet of Poppies stamp onto my paper with embossing ink. I used white embossing powder to heat set the image and then used mint tape in the 1-inch width to tape off all the sides of the card panel before ink blending some inks from Altenew's Bubblegum Dreams and Warm & Cozy ink collections. 

Once the panel was done, I die cut the word "Thanks" out of the center using Altenew's Mega Thanks die. I die cut the word using fun foam and also silver cardstock and glued in the layers. I was careful to save the little pieces from the letters that have inner parts so I could glue those back in place. 

I added a butterfly from Altenew's Beautiful Butterfly Press Plates set and used the coordinating die to cut it out and the coordinating stencil to color it in using the same colors I had ink blended over the stamped poppies. 

To finish the card, I added some silver sequins. This card is going out to my sister who recently gave me a gift bag of cards she had made along with a few other nice presents when we were together for a family gathering last weekend. She lives about 10 hours away from me, so we don't see each other very often, but when we do, we talk about cards! She was the one who got me interested in cardmaking almost 20 years ago! 

I've recently become an affiliate for Altenew, so if you are interested in ordering something lovely from Altenew and would like to use my link, thank you very much! Here's the link: Carrie's Altenew affiliate page 

Here's a close up to show how pretty the white-on-white embossing around the sides is:

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Crafty Calendar Challenge: Add a sentiment (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

Allsorts challenge blog: What makes you happy or ATG (Flowers definitely make me happy! And so does ink blending and die cutting!😁) (5/5; ends 6/20/25)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Fur, feathers, flowers (5/5; ends 6/18/25)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (5/5 for the week; 8/10 for the challenge; ends 6/18/25)

A Place To Start: ATG with option of recycle it (8/8; ends at the end of the month)

613 Avenue Create: ATG with option of for the guys (8/8; ends at the end of the month)

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

Craft Rocket Challenges: No design paper (unlimited entries; ends at the end of the month)

Crafty Catz: ATG with option: Use hot colors (4/5; ends 6/27/25)

Ellibelle's Corner: Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 4 - Anything In or From a Garden: Anything in or from a garden (4/5; ends 7/9/25)

Ellibelle's Corner: I spy with my little eye: At least one butterfly (1/5; ends 6/16/25)

Word Power: ATG with words as the focus (2/3; ends at the end of the month)