cardmaking · papercrafting

Altenew | Mini Stamps

CAS Clean and Simple card using Altenew's Typewriter Flowers mini stamp and die bundle.

Using Mini Stamp Sets in Cardmaking

Hello and welcome! I think mini stamps can make such fun cards! This set, called Typewriter Flowers, is my new favorite mini stamp and die set. I wanted to create a clean and simple card and I like how this technique focuses on the whimsical typewriter.

I used my Altenew Artist Alcohol Markers to do some simple coloring. In addition to the regular brush, Altenew markers have a second fine coloring head for small areas. I used the fine nib a lot on this card and it is one of the reasons I usually reach for Altenew markers over other brands.

Altenew's Typewriter Flowers mini stamp and die bundle + handmade card.

My second card uses Altenew’s Letter Flowers Stamp and Dies. I again colored with Altenew Artist Alcohol Markers and made a simple background using three strips of coordinating washi tape. I die cut the letter and adhered to my background with Instant Dimension Foam Tape.

This set makes such a bright cheerful card.

Altenew Letter Flowers mini stamp and die bundle.

My last card uses Altenew’s Journal Flowers Bundle. I did some quick coloring and made a background with Altenew’s Playful Circles Embossing Folder. I adhered the book with Instant Dimension Foam Tape and then added a pink Enamel Dot to the center of the Turquoise flower.

Altenew's Journal Flowers mini stamp and die bundle + handmade card.

I like the texture that the embossing adds to this card.

Altenew's Playful Circles 3D Embossing background + Journal Flowers mini stamp.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · papercrafting

Spellbinders | Floral Reflections Collection

Spellbinders Sealed Wildflower Die kit for clean and simple die cut cards.

Sealed Wildflower Die Kit (S4-1255)

I am so happy you stopped by! Spellbinders new Floral Reflections Collection is live and I LOVE how fresh the collection is. I made two cheerful cards, one for a friend’s birthday the second is ready to send for a get well.

Spellbinders Sealed Wildflower Kit S4-1255 die cut card.

For my first card, I used the Sealed Wildflower die kit (S4-1255). I felt like clean and simple was the way to showcase these lovely die cuts so I selected Waterfall cardstock for my backdrop. I kept my color palette simple: aqua, melon, dark green and white and added coordinating enamel dots to my flower centers. My sentiment was hot foiled and die cut using GLP-260: Mini Everyday Sentiments. Using an A2 top folding card base, I added my waterfall panel with craft foam for a bit of dimension.

Spellbinders "Sealed Wildflower" kit (S4-1255) on a die cut handmade card in aqua, white and orange.

Flower Frenzy Embossing Folder (E3D-048)

I adore the lovely texture on the new Flower Frenzy Embossing Folder (E3D-048). I embossed a panel of Waterfall cardstock and then die cut a tag. I die cut a second tag in white which acts as a shadow backdrop.

All I needed was one sweet grouping of flowers to embellish the tag and I again used the Sealed Wildflowers die kit. My base is an A2 top folding card and then I added a kraft background mat and enamel dots to the flower centers and mounted my tags using foam tape for dimension.

I love the texture that the embossing folder adds to the card, but by using a tag, the overall feel is still clean and simple.

Flower Frenzy Embossing Folder (E3D-048) die cut handmade embossed tag and card in aqua, orange and kraft.

I like to keep Get Well cards on hand so they are ready to send when the need arises. This card is in my desk drawer ready to go.

Embossing tags for handmade cards.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at my die cut cards.

Karen

cardmaking · papercrafting

Spellbinders September 2022 Card Club Kits

Spellbinders Large Die of the Month Thankful Tractor handmade card.
Thankful Tractor Card

Hello friends! It’s reveal day for Spellbinders September Club Kits and I am excited to share four cards with you. My projects feature the Large Die of the Month, Small Die of the Month and Embossing Folder of the Month and as you can see, the new kits are so fun!

Spellbinders September 2022 Large Die of the Month Club Kit: Thankful Tractor

Its harvest time and I love the veggies and adorable tractor included with this month’s Large Die of the Month kit called Thankful Tractor! The kit is large so I made a substantial 5 x 7″ card. I used bright bold green, yellow and orange cardstock for my focal elements. To set the stage I embossed my background with the September Embossing Folder of the Month. Next, I tore a piece of kraft cardstock and then lightly ink blended my “dirt”. I assembled my project with glue and foam tape. I found using a sticky mat helped with the die cut assembly.

Die Cut Tractor Card with trailer filled with vegetables, pumpkin, corn and squash.
Spellbinders Thankful Tractor

Spellbinders September Embossing Folder of the Month: Scattered Fall

I love the vegetables so much that I made a second card. I again embossed the background with the September Embossing Folder of the Month. The basket was die cut from Frosted Silver Mirror Cardstock using last month’s Large Die Kit of the Month called “Strawberry Patch”.

Spellbinders September 2022 Large Die of the Month card with die-cut vegetables.
Spellbinders Scattered Fall Embossing Folder

I added a sentiment (retired) and flowers from the kit that were embellished with Crystal Mix Gems (SCS-128) and then used a Spellbinders A2 Top Fold Card Base.

Die Cut Basket full of vegetables card with pumpkin, eggplant, squash, and corn.

Spellbinders Small Die of the Month: Stitched Fall Leaves

This month’s Small Die of the Month has loads of beautiful stitched leaves with coordinating shadows plus two word sentiments (hello fall). For my first card, I wanted to showcase the elegant simplicity of just one leaf. The stitching went very quickly and I kept the rest of the card clean and simple.

I used the included hello sentiment die. This is a beautiful yet delicate die and I’ve found it works well if you attach a sheet of double sided adhesive paper to the cardstock prior to die cutting. After you die cut, just pull away the backing paper and apply!

Wouldn’t it be fun to make a series of these as a gift?

Spellbinders September 2022 Small Die of the Month card:  Stitched Fall Leaves.
Stitched Fall Leaves

Products Used:

Clean and Simple stitched die cut leaf card.

“Unstitched” Card

Spellbinders Unstitched Leaf Card.
“Unstitched” Fall Leaves

The leaf dies in the September Small Die of the Month kit are so fun that I wanted to make a card without stitching. To keep the theme, I mounted the leaf and shadow on a panel die-cut with one of my favorites, Essential Rectangles Dies. I love how this keeps the unstitched card theme. The gold details are achieved using Brushed Gold Cardstock and I mounted the panel with foam tape on an A2 Top Fold Cardbase. I find the result is a fresh clean card.

Spellbinders September 2022 Die of the  Month Card:  Stitched Leaves in white and gold.

I think the September kits are sure to be favorites…what do you think?

Karen

cardmaking

Altenew Educators’ “Clean and Simple” Blog Hop and Linky Party + Giveaway

Altenew's Modern Eucalyptus on a Clean and Simple handmade card.

Tips for Clean and Simple Handmade Cards

Hello and welcome! You are probably here “hopping” with the Altenew Educators and I am pleased you stopped by! To start at the beginning of Altenew’s Hop, please click HERE.

Today I have two clean and simple cards to share. This is not my typical style, but I do love CAS cards. To me, Clean and Simple means LOTs of white space. To make that work, I like contrast so I used bold colors and black accents to make my card pop.

Tips for Clean and Simple Cards.

I think Mini stamps work so well with CAS cards so I chose Altenew’s Modern Eucalyptus Stamp and Die Bundle for my first card. I did some simple coloring with Altenew Artist Markers (Sets F: Sunshine Valley and G: Water Garden) and then die cut my Eucalyptus. I wanted to spotlight the plant, so I also cut a small background panel using one of my most used staples – Rounded Rectangles Dies. I heat embossed the sentiment (Birthday Greetings) and laid it over the rounded rectangle die cut. A thin black border helps tie the elements together.

Tips for Clean and Simple Cardmaking

For my second card, I used Altenew’s Tall Vase Stamp and Die Bundle. I colored and die cut the image and then mounted on a small die cut (Rounded Rectangles Dies) and added my sentiment: Birthday Greetings.

Using mini stamp sets in cardmaking.

Pro Tips for Successful Clean and Simple Cards:

  • Mini Stamps Work Great
  • Bold Simple Colors
  • Add a hint or two of black
  • Remember to use contrast
  • Don’t forget to leave lots of open white space

I think it would be fun to make a pack with thank you sentiments for a handmade gift.

Prizes:

$130 in total prizes! Altenew is giving away a $20 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners and a $15 gift certificate to 4 winners! To win, please comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 07/03/2022. 

There’s MORE! Join our party! We have included an Inlinkz at the Altenew blog for you to enter your beautiful, Altenew “Clean and Simple” creations. 

We will pick one of our favorite handmade creations from those who joined the linky party, and they will receive a $10 Altenew gift certificate!

Altenew will draw 5 random winners from the comments left on each blog hop stop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 07/04/2022.

Hop list:

Altenew Card Blog

Michelle Burnier

Annemarie Caister

Kari VanNoy

Susan Stagno

Ann Taylor

Susan Busada

Nenette S. Madero

Irina Fonina

Eva Bussom

Rosie Neustaedter

Joylita D’souza

Helen Kalb

Lana Taber

Neha Aggarwal

Penny Pynnonen

Karen Brown You Are Here! 🙂

Bridget Casey

Nandini Karmarkar

Nancy Souza

Pam Boedeker

Tenia Nelson

Rachael Shedeed

Virginia Lu

Amber Rain Davis

Roteja Galvan

Laurie Patterson

Keep hopping!

Karen