Hello creative friends! I am participating in another event from Altenew, called the Bloom & Grow Educator Instagram Reel Hop. The hop starts on Instagram from @altenewllc, so be sure to begin there and follow along! This blog post describes the steps I used to create my card. There’s a quick 2 minute reel over on my Instagram account !

The creative challenge was to use Altenew Foil Plates or Press Plates with a Spring theme, or Spring colors. It’s kind of like a writing prompt for crafters! I often enjoy making cards when I am given a direction to get me started, especially if I’m feeling unmotivated.

I purchased the Spellbinders BetterPress System for myself for Christmas this year, and the Altenew Blossoming Bouquet Press Plate was the first press plate I purchased. I wanted something that would really highlight the beautiful, crisp image transfer that this system offers. I knew I wanted a floral, so Altenew was my first choice. They do florals the best in my opinion! I had the idea to mirror the pattern, filling most of the card with the deisgn. This led me to choose a larger, 5×7 format for my design. It took me some trial and error to get the pattern to repeat exactly how I wanted it. I used a piece of paper to cover up the part of the pressplate that I didn’t want to transfer, and tried to stop rolling it through my Sizzix BigShot diecut machine in the right spot, at the halfway point. I anticipated using some kind of a band in the middle, possibly a sentiment strip, to cover up where the two images would meet, so it didn’t need to be perfect.

That was the hard part, and the most work for this card. Next, you just need to choose a medium to color your flowers and leaves, and you’re almost done!

I love how the Altenew inks coordinate so easily with each other. I chose the Blushberry Bliss Fresh Dye Ink Mini Cube set for the flowers, using the lightest 3 colors on the larger flowers, and the darker three on the smaller flowers.

I am by no stretch of the word an “artist”. I can’t draw a straight line, or a circle. I have no sense of shadows or depth. Unless I’m tryin gto copy someone else’s work, I just try to get some obvious shadows and then add more color wherever. The above photos show the greens from the Jade Dreams set, starting with Misty Sage and then adding in Mossy Meadow and Green Opal here and there. I really like how there colors coordinated with the Blushberry Bliss set!

Being around Valentine’s Day, I decided to make this card for my husband who very recently passed after a long illness, hence the “hey love” sentiment (created with Mossy Meadow ink, diecut with Versatile Greetings Die Set). I decided the sentiment was too large to squeeze in to the center of the card, as I orginally planned, so I placed near the bottom, and added a simple vellum band in the center of the card to cammoflage the place where the designs came together. A few Altenew Antique Gold sequins, and we’re done! This card panel was trimmed to 4.75″ x 6.75″ and layered onto a 5″x7″ card with foam tape.

I like this card design because you can replicate it with very few supplies, and things you already have on hand most likely: 1. A larger floral stamp, press plate, or foil plate, 2. Inks or markers to color, and 3. Any sentiment and embellishments you choose. The challenge is in the mirroring, and what to do to make the image cohesive in the middle!

Thank you for stopping by my blog – I appreciate you! Give yourself permission to take care of yourself today and spend time doing what fills your heart! When your heart is full, there is more to give to others!

Altenew products used:
Altenew Blossoming Bouquet Press Plate
Altenew Versatile Greetings Die Set
Altenew Fresh Dye Ink Mini Cube sets- Jade Dreams, Blushberry Bliss, Sun-kissed Delights
Altenew Sequins – Antique Gold