Altenew Inspiration Challenge - August 2022

Hello friends and welcome to my fun and happy place!

Today, I am sharing something special with you. Every month Altenew is inviting you to an inspiration challenge. They post an image with three or four major colors that you get to use and create something that is inspired by that image.

This is an inspiration challenge image for this month and I have decided to play along!

I wish I could promise you that I will be doing this every month, but I will promise that I will give my best to participate in as many challenges as my time allows me to.

You know how much I love Altenew and how much I would like to be on their design team; and this is one step closer.

If they like my design, I will be invited as a guest designer in one of their future releases, so fingers crossed!

Supply list for today’s project:

And this is what I created:

Step One is always paper cutting. For my card base I used Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lbs Cardstock; and for the panel I used brown paper that has been in my stash for a long time. I trimmed my card base to 4 x 9 and the panel is slightly smaller.

Step two, I added some interest and shine to my dull, brown card panel. Honestly, I never really enjoy brown color when I am creating cards. This is why these challenges are great because they push you out of your comfort zone. Adding a little bit of that shimmery ink, really changed the look of the dullness of the brown color and gave it more sophistication.

Next, I moved to die cutting. I first used the intricate Ornate Door die. I cut the design using the glitter cardstock from Altenew. This cardstock is on a heavier side, so I ended up putting it through the Gemini machine. And the results were incredible. I love this die!

And, there was still more die cutting. I cut my leaves and roses using gradient cardstock from Altenew. This was super fast and easy to do. I love using Altenew Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine for small and quick die cutting. This die cutting machine is tiny but mighty! It has a great pressure and it is just perfect for last minute cutting. Since it’s petite, you can keep it on your desk and it looks pretty as well.

Next step is completely optional. I wanted my flowers to be exceptionally red, and when you do not have desired color cardstock, you can always color it with dye inks. For my flowers I used Grapevine, Velvet and Crimson and for my leaves I used Shadow Creek. After I had my die cut ready, I simply put it all together.

Once I had all my pieces ready, I arranged my cuts to my liking. I personally never miss this step. I find it to be as important as creating a concept on my notebook. These two steps might be redundant for some, but it helps me stay on my design, I work much faster and, helps me visualize my project before is completed. Once I was happy with my layout, I used Press & Seal

to pick up my flowers up without losing my layout. One thing I would like to mention is that if you wish Press & Seal to work, you have to rub it on your die cuts before you lift it up. The plastic foil is sticky, but it is not tacky enough where it can damage the paper. I personally just rub it well with my finger; I do not use a bone folder for this because you can end up leaving the marking s on the paper that way.

I then glued my card panel to the base. The ink has already dried and it was easy to handle it; and I attached the intricate die cut as well.

And, last thing left to do is to attach the roses. I applied the glue on the back and carefully positioned my cuts onto the card. The Press & Seal truly helped! If you have never tried it, I highly recommend you do.

And the card was done!

I never believed that I would like this color

combination. What a wonderful challenge! I am so happy I decided to participate and push myself out of my familiarities. It feels good to push the boundaries a little bit more and try different techniques, color combinations and materials. And that is why craft rooms are such special spaces, you never know what will come out of them!😁