Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Altenew Crafty Friends Blog Hop + Giveaway



Hello friends! I'm excited to be part of Altenew's 2-Day Crafty Friends Blog Hop + Giveaway. If you're already hopping with us, you'll have arrived here by way of Galina Filippenko. If not, be sure to head over to the Altenew Card Blog to begin! And when you're finished here, you'll visit Papercraft Magazines next (I'll link again at the end).

Today's hop is all about celebrating our unique community and all that it means to us! We have lots of sponsors and prizes and special offers, so stay tuned for that in a bit.

I can still remember seeing a hand-stamped card for the very first time. A friend of mine came in to the Little Gym class our kids were attending waving it around saying "I MADE this." (That was at least 15 years ago, only because the preschooler I was taking to the gym class is now 17!) I really do believe I was hooked on card making that instant. That magic never gets old! Little did I know then that the real blessing would be the online (and sometimes in-person) community that has built up around this hobby. I was shy and very slow to put myself out there in the online community. It actually took me four years to work up the courage to post a card of my own. Now I realize that every day I chose to watch instead of participate was just another day I missed out on the joy, support, and camaraderie of our community! 

I've put together two projects for today, both featuring the Fantasy Floral Die Set and the More Than Words stamp set. 


As soon as I saw the Fantasy Floral Die Set I wanted to watercolor those die-cuts! That layered effect of the flower dies is gorgeous.



 I die-cut these from watercolor paper, used used Zigs to color, and added some splatter after everything had dried.



For the background, I spritzed the watercolor paper with water, then scribbled Zigs on an acrylic block and smooshed to the watercolor paper. After I let that dry, I lightly splattered with a metallic gold mist. Last, I stamped one of the More Than Words sentiments in black.



This next card was a bit of an accident. I had stamped the beautiful Charmed image onto watercolor paper, intending to watercolor that image. But when I happened to lay the watercolored Fantasy Floral  die-cuts down on top, I ended up really liking the simple black-and-white Charmed line art as a background pattern. 


I added a strip of black and white striped paper along the right, the More Than Words sentiment, and some clear sequins to finish.


And now for some special offers, prizes, and a giveaway:


Special Offer
FREE U.S. shipping with code CRAFTY or $5 OFF international shipping with code FRIENDS at checkout. Offer valid from October 17th at 12:01 am EDT through October 19th at 11:59 pm EDT. Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other promo codes.




Prizes
Altenew is giving away a $100 Altenew prize pack to FIVE lucky winners. There are also 13 awesome companies/magazines who are offering the following prizes:

Jennifer McGuire Ink: 1 prize pack of three Altenew stamp sets
Online Card Classes: 3 class spots
Create and Craft TV: £50 gift certificate
My Sweet Petunia: Mini MISTI
Ellen Hutson LLC: $30 gift certificate
Pretty Pink Posh: $30 gift certificate
Simon Says Stamp: $30 gift certificate
Chameleon Pens: 1 pack of 5 Chameleon pens
Tombow USA: 1 pack of 10 dual brush pens
WOW! Embossing Powder: $25 gift certificate
Butterfly Reflections Ink: $25 gift certificate
Freckled Fawn: $20 gift certificate
Papercraft Magazines: One copy of each of the latest issues of four magazines
Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine: 1-year subscription


Be sure to leave comments by Friday, October 27th, 2017 at 11:59 PM EDT for a chance to win! 21 WINNERS will be chosen at random from the comments left on all of these blogs listed below and will be announced on the Altenew Card Blog and Altenew Scrapbook Blog on October 28th, 2017



Giveaway:
And last, leave a comment here on my blog by 11:59 Eastern Time on Thursday, October 26 for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Altenew. I will post the winner here on Friday, October 27. Good luck!

For more Crafty Friends inspiration, visit all the stops on the hop:


Thanks so much for visiting today, and thank you Altenew for having me!


412 comments:

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Roberta S. said...

Love the coloring of both cards. Your second card is unique and I love it. Thank you for sharing your crafty friends story. Found your line about "I chose to watch instead of participate was just another day I missed out on the real blessing of this hobby" very inspiring & encouraging. I need to quit watching so much & just craft. Thank you for that push. The crafty community is one of the best highlights of my day.

denisemouton said...

I really like the watercolor look of your card Amy. I reminds me a bit of your cute logo :)

Deb Selby said...

Both cards are lovely. Love smooshed backgrounds.

Linda said...

What beautiful cards. You did a great job on all of them. I never thought to watercolor the die cuts. Thanks for the inspiration!

Mary M said...

Great Hop with GREAT prizes....thanks for all the inspiration

ScrapaDiddle said...

Everyone makes the prettiest cards but these two take the cake, they are gorgeous!

pcm said...

beautiful cards!

Rufus said...

Your watercolored die cuts are simply amazing!

mom2five said...

OH MY GOSH!!! That is the most beautiful card.

Stefanie White said...

I love happy accident cards! Both cards are wonderful, that flower die is one of my favorites also.

cindybearj said...

What gorgeous cards! I love the dimension and the stripes on the second one are awesome.

Erika Crawford said...

I love how we get fun surprises once in a while. Love both cards!!!

Laurelin Whitfield said...

Where would we be without our crafty friends - they inspire us, encourage us, and give us excuses to continue making ever more cards!! Thank you for celebrating them with this fabulous blog hop!

Sue Bayliss said...

A beautiful card I love the colours you used

Sue Bayliss said...

A beautiful card I love the colours you used

Raven said...

Beautiful cards!

Liisa said...

I am ever grateful to all of the crafters who share their talents on their blogs and videos. There is such a great wealth of inspiration to every crafter despite their level of experience and talent. Thanks for sharing!!

duchessmel said...

Both cards have a very unusual and very beautiful look. Thanks so much for sharing!

Karthikha said...

Super beautiful!! I love the watercolored blooms! They are sooo pretty!

n56leiker said...

Both of your cards are so beautiful!

liz said...

Love that die. I already bought it. Now I need to get busy!

PA said...

Great 3-D card with depth. Very colorful and well done. Nice!

lilymay said...

I just love this card, the stamp set is gorgeous but I love the way you have designed your background

Sabrina said...

Lovely cards, thank you!

Renee V said...

Wow can't believe this is just die cuts! LOVELY!!!!!!!1

Anne said...

Oh my! Your cards are so gorgeous, such brilliant watercolouring! TFS!

Colleen said...

I love your first card, the colors are so pretty and the messiness of the watercolor on the flowers are awesome

Louise said...

Beautiful cards, love the lay outs

charliemmh said...

Your coloring is so pretty. I love the 3D effect. I think I will look to see if I can try this technique with some of my Altenew sets. Thanks for the inspiration.

Ishita said...

Its Such a pretty card ! I love the flowers so perfect 🌸. Keep inspiring & thank you for sharing !

Monika/Buzsy said...

Gorgeous cards Amy. Love the rich water colored look. The plastered background looks fantastic on the first card. Crafty friends are the best! :)

Laura said...

Beautiful watercoloring! Thank you for sharing :)

Regine said...

stunning cards! love the colours

Tanja said...

Such a fantastic card! This is my fave watercoloured card that I have seen for a long while. The Fantasy flower set seems to be a great one too.

sammi said...

Such a cheerful and colorful card. Love the stitching. Thank you for inpiring me!

Luanne said...

On my Amy, these are just beyond gorgeous! Very beautiful!

CADC Blog said...

Love the soft watercoloring.

laurel said...

I love the look of the water colored die cuts. What a great way to use them 💖💖

Teresa Stevens said...

I love this card and can understand how you couldnt wait to get your hands on that stamp set! You created a beautiful card that can be used for many occasions!

Marcie Lovett said...

Love the coloring and layering. Fantastic card!

Hussena said...

Both your cards are just drop dead gorgeous...I haven't tried watercoloring with the fantasy floral die but your cards have definitely inspired me to give it a try ..Love, love ,love your cards, coloring and the design !!

Crazy8farm said...

Gorgeous card!!

Phi said...

Both your cards are so pretty. I really have to get the floral fantasy dies.

Unknown said...

I love the technique you used for these cards!

FD91354 said...

Beautiful card. Yes, I had a similar instance. A friend came in showing how easily she made a card and invited me to a party and I was hooked. That was years ago. I crafted cards for many years before it died off for me. Recently I've picked it back up. Its amazing where things have gone/grown.

Eloise said...

Stunning..love the shading, and water coloring. Very talented. Thank you

ChristinaLabbe@aol.com said...

Love the layering in your card! It's a beautiful effect.

cm said...

What a fabulous theme for a blog hop and I agree: crafty friends are the best! Meeting several in person has been one of my highlights of card-making! Your cards are gorgeous! Thank you for being part of this heart-warming celebration!
~carol

Angela R. said...

Love these cards. Thanks dor sharing your beautiful work

Mary said...

Beautiful! And I really, really love the accident card...so pretty, clean and simple.

Robin P said...

Thanks for sharing 2 very beautiful cards and your story.

Glorie said...

Love the watercolor on the die cuts! So soft and ethereal.

Jackie said...

I love blog hops, so inspiring!

Hannah said...

Very effective technique for coloring the flowers!

Kristine said...

Beautiful watercoloring! Thank you for the great inspiration!

Sobi said...

beautiful watercolor technique

Tina Strayer said...

Beautiful card. Such lovely water coloring!! So glad you were on the blog hop so that I can now follow you :-) Thanks for sharing.

Jane Luxem said...

I've been following you for years and your artwork is amazing! Thanks to all of you for offering this giveaway!

Kjudy1 said...

What a beautiful card. I love the intricate design.

Lieve said...

Great colouring of the die-cuts; but I love your backgrounds; the intended and the accident-one !
Thank you for sharing your talent !

Carol Rossouw said...

Wow! What absolutely beautiful cards! I love this crafting community and the fact that it can bring people together from all over the world. I have "met" some wonderful friends in places like Florida (USA) and even New Zealand!

KristenMary said...

Love the second one especially!

Angela Walters said...

Both of your cards are beautiful! I love it when accidents turn into beautiful pieces of art like your second card!

Jeanne Beam said...

Very beautiful cards. Love your watercolor style. Thanks for sharing...




Unknown said...

I love both your cards, even the "accidental "one! Altenew's floral stamps and dies are the best! I too love the community of online crafters. I don't have a blog of my own yet but someday I will have the skill and confidence to contribute and not just view. Thanks for sharing.

A Tad Bit Off said...

Your cards are fantastic!!

Super Stick Chick said...

Love your beautiful watercolor. Just got this rose die and can't wait to try your technique with it.

Lisa Coville said...

This card is gorgeous Amy. Can't believe you did this with your Zigs. I love the soft background and am definitely going to try to recreate this. Thanks for the inspiration (and instructions)!!!

Geri S said...

Beautiful cards for friends! Altenew flower sets are perfect to use! Wish I could be as brave as you to post - I think it will take me longer than 4 years when I see such beautiful works as those in this blog hop!

Kathy McConnell said...

Your cards are so delicate and beautiful! I love them both, especially with the die cut designs slightly overlaying the stitched border.

Keiren Dunfee said...

Love the soft rich colors of this card!

mtscrapgal said...

Thanks for 2 beautiful cards. The layered die cuts are vry interesting.

Unknown said...

Very pretty! I always forget to splatter.
I am going to try harder...
LDYJS@outlook.com

Tammy B said...

Your cards are beautiful! I really like how you used the outline of the stamp as your background as well.

Marjorie DUMONTIER said...

Your cards are so fabulous !

Jenny said...

Love this floral die set and the water coloring on your card is great

Kristina "Tina" said...

The accident one is my favorite. I might just steal that idea here soon! Amazing what a little re-thinking will come out to be! Love it! Stunning, both cards.

QuilterLaura said...

Okay, this is just about the most beautiful card I have ever seen. It took my breath away...thank you!

Scraphönan said...

So so beutiful!

Denise Bryant said...

Fabulous dimension and colors! Gorgeous card!

NatQuebec said...

Amazing cards, love your watercoloring.

Cheryl said...

That is GORGEOUS! Love the watercolor look with the layered die cuts!!!

Miriam Prantner said...

Absolutely stunning! These dies are at the top of my Altenew wishlist! LOVE these beautiful cards!

lritchie said...

Beautiful card and the crafting community is amazing and so supportive!

Diedre said...

❤️❤️❤️ you cards. I think I may need to add the sentiment stamps to my inventory...

Felicia said...

Both cards are amazing

Susie Sonnier said...

Lovely card

Sue Wareham said...

Beautiful card projects

Pam said...

Beautiful card. Love your color choices.

Megan said...

i will have to get this die amazing

Joy said...

beautiful cards and watercolors!

Judy M said...

YOUR CARDS ARE WONDERFUL, THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION.

vlrbreingan@yahoo.com said...

Omgoodness,your watercolor coloring is so yummy.The depth you create is stunning.Thank you

dnisme@blogspot.com said...

Wow! Wow! Wow! Love your cards! Gorgeous!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing. Such a pretty card!

froggers said...

What a lovely card. Such pretty colors

Lady Fair said...

Oh my goodness, your coloring has such depth, love the bold contrast. Love how you embellished the card, it really compliments the coloring.

April said...

These are beautiful! I love the dimension and colors!

Dawn J said...

Wow! One idea yet two interpretations. These are beautiful.

Linda Anderson said...

Gorgeous cards. I love the black line background to your 2nd card. A very pretty look. Sometimes not planned works out very well! Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely give this a try!

Chark said...

very cool idea!

Unknown said...

So pretty! I love the dimension!

Di said...

Those layered die cuts make beautiful watercolored cards. Beautiful job!

Heather said...

These are gorgeous!! It's hard to believe that they are created with just die cuts (mostly)! The water coloring really makes the die cuts spectacular!!

aasheeta said...

Thanks for sharing your ideas!

LizaDehnel said...

You are one of my favorite designers. Your creativity is astounding and I love the cards and projects you make and choose to share. Thank you for sharing your talent with us! You’ve inspired to me to a bit more out there with my cards. Thank you!

Christine Alexander said...

gorgeous watercolouring, and love the layered effect of the die cuts :)

Sheryl said...

Fabulous card. TFS

JmB said...

These cards are so beautiful. I loved hearing your story. Thank you for sharing.

Diane said...

Your card is so beautiful.

Andrew and Bertha Pilgrim said...

These are two really beautiful cards. The colours are really vibrant. That die cut is wonderful.

cropmom66 said...

This card is beautiful! I love everything about it!

Dana M said...

Gorgeous cards, stunning watercoloring technique!

CathyL said...

I love your watercoloring!

Linda Krull said...

Your creativity is amazing!!! Great colors, beautiful designs and simply stunning!!!

Ro said...

Gorgeous simply perfect n every way

Unknown said...

Gorgeous cards. Wonderfully designed and colored.

Sandy Small said...

I love your Dream big "accident" card, it is very striking!

Kapina said...

WOW! Just Wow! I'm not going to say anything else...I can't stop looking at it! WOW!

Margery C said...

Gorgeous card! Love how you watercolored the dies and made that flower stunning.

Arianna Barbara said...

Oh my goodness!!!
Awesome cards and stunning colouring!!!

Unknown said...

I came from Galina's post, and left there a comment about this magical world of inks, stamps, dies etc. Now after reading your post and seeing your cards, I have to correct myself: magical world of coloring, stamping, cutting glueing, creating.Because buying supplies is also very fun, but it became kind of separate hobby of its own :-)
So thank you very much for inspiration, I love your cards and will try to find more time to bring in more of this magic into my life.

Susanne W said...

I love the watercolouring, this I need to try (and of course I need those dies too)

Unknown said...

These are real stunners. Beautiful.

newfymom said...

This card is absolutely GORGEOUS! I'm totally inspired! I love the colors, too!

Shari Czerwinski said...

Beautiful layers and coloring!

Karen R said...

Love your card! The water coloring is beautiful on the die cuts and I just love how the black and white stripes add the pop. Thanks for the inspiration.

Linda M said...

I love both cards. Your watercoloring is beautiful!

Unknown said...

Beautiful card. :)

Colleen said...

Both of your cards are just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!

Michelle Varol said...

What a beautiful card.. love it.. want that die big time!

erika said...

wow! Your cards are beautiful!

Unknown said...

Really love both cards. I especially love the “happy accident “, love it when that happens.

LadyRobyn said...

Wow! 2 amazing cards. Love every thing about each of them.

kartelene said...

splendide work thank you for sharing

Broni said...

These are both such gorgeous cards, Amy! I love the softness of the first one but that second one with the black and white accents is absolutely perfect!!

Jennifer Archambault said...

Lovely card! That watercolor technique is inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

Andrea Hastilow said...

Love the colours used on this card and the back and white border makes it o, fantastic, thank you x

Talitha said...

Love both cards! Such pretty coloring.

phlower said...

Love the layered watercolored dies! What a unique idea! Thanks for sharing.

Carol Henderson said...

Wonderful, wonderful watercolor! Thank you.

Laura said...

What a beautiful card!!

blaze said...

I am such a fan of yours!!!(You don't want to know how many of your card designs are pinned to my Pinterest!)

Nana Griffin said...

A beautiful job on both cards!y

Unknown said...

Just simply gorgeous! Love your cards!

Wanda Cullen said...

Amy, my jaw is still on the ground with both of these cards! You've enabled me yet again with these dies! Love the black outline stamp peeking out from the dies on the second card...genius!

Jean Arizona said...

Beautiful card with soft colors. Thanks for sharing.

Patty Jendrzejek said...

I love both of these cards. Your comment about not sharing your work has me thinking that maybe I'll actually post some of my own cards one day. Thanks for the inspiration!

Ericka Strange said...

These cards are beautiful and I love the watercoloring with the die cut. So stunning!

Cindy C. said...

Both card so pretty, love the watercolors!

Sharon said...

It never ceases to amaze me how adding a black and white element to a card always makes it pop! Love both your cards .. thank you.

Kathy said...

Such beautiful dimension on these cards. Love your watercoloring!

Lwardwallace said...

Amy - I'm a huge fan of your work. These cards are spectacular.

KimB said...

I love the liquid watercolour feel to these Amy and how bright the colours are. What a great way to use die cuts!

Degoodsbystephanie said...

Wow so beautiful! They look so soft, like they would actually be soft to the touch, great job!

trishden said...

Love the layers and your water coloring. Thanks for sharing
Trish F
trishden948(at)yahoo(dot)com

k said...

✨Beautiful! ✩ ♡🌟 Love all of the colors. 😊 Totally made me smile. ✩ You make it look easy!

Deeps said...

Both your cards are a work of art. Love them.

Beth said...

Such a lovely card. The one with the outline in back is just beautiful.

Lori Hefner said...

Beautiful! I love the colors you chose and the layering really sets the other card off!! Love your inspiration! Thank you:) I really need to invest in some zig marker because I love the look that they give:)

Jan G said...

Beautiful card. Love the way you layered the flowers.

Ali Farmer (alilovescardmaking) said...

These are so gorgeous - just stunning! (Ali)

Abbie1 (Barb) said...

Just gorgeous Amy, goes to show some of the best come out of making an error :)

Linda BL said...

Loved the way you used the outline images with the die cuts in your second card.

Unknown said...

Sometimes splatter is so subtle, but so perfect! Your handiwork is beautiful.

maria f. said...

IMHO it really doesn't get any better than this. Those die cuts have not really tickled my fancy. Until you watercolored them so gorgeously. I love your designs. All those touches of black just serve to set off the magenta more.

Sharon said...

Wow your first card is absolutely stunning! I love the soft watercolouring and those layered die cuts are so inventive!

Mary Holshouser said...

The flowers are colored so
wonderfully. They just
pop off the card.
thanks for sharing

D.Ann C said...

These are both absolutely beautiful! Gonna make someone's day, for sure!

Pam D. said...

Beautiful! Going to have to try this, thanks for the inspiration!

Isabel Z said...

Wow, this is an amazing giveaway and I love blog hops b/c they inspire me to create.

Mclay said...

Oh my goodness, Amy! I have to have each of these products soon!! Both cards are stunning & I want to copy them! Wonderful inspiration!

Karen L K said...

Such pretty cards! Those flowers and leaves look so great with the colors you chose and the watercoloring.

Megan said...

Gorgeous! Fun technique with the watercolored dies!

Sue McRae said...

Love the simple and striking designs of these cards!

Laurie said...

Beautiful cards! I love the layering in the dies. So unique!

bevyb said...

Beautiful cards..I have to try this technique.
Sometimes the most beautiful cards happen by accident...I too like the black and white under the water colored die cuts

Lisa Moline said...

Beautiful cards! Love the watercoloring and that subtle background on each one of them is great! Thank you for sharing and inspiring!

Betty J said...

I love this die set and what you have done with them. Stunning!

Debbie B said...

Gorgeous cards! Love that die cut rose! Your watercoloring is perfection! Love this crafty friends blog hop! So much fun hearing everyone's stories. Very special!

Holly Graham said...

Beautiful card! I absolutely love the dimension.

Unknown said...

Wow your cards are stunning! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.

Henriëtte Creatively Happy said...

Never thought of doing it this way, love it. I have to try this, thanks for the great idea!

Michele K. Henderson said...

Wow! Amy, these are SO pretty! I love the color, the style, the layout--I love it ALL My favorite of the day!
Take care!
Michele

Denise G. said...

The cards are just stunning! Thanks for the inspiring designs and story!

Nunzia Carusio said...

Interesting technique. I need to try 😆
Thanks for this blog hop.
Nunzia

Jackie said...

Gorgeous cards!! You've watercoloured so beautifully!! And I love the black outline in the background on your second card!! It adds depth and dimension. I'll be giving that a try. The fantasy florals set with the layered dies is amazing and so innovative. Altenew takes floral stamps and dies above and beyond! Thanks for sharing your story in this blog hop that is reminding us to be thankful for our crafty (and not so crafty) friends and the blessing they are to us!

Janet's Joy said...

Stunning cards! I love your watercolouring!

Mary-Anne V said...

Wow you used these flower dies so beautifully.

Unknown said...

this is just exquisite! WOW!!!! Amazing!!! Always love your cards amy! XO

KathyMcc said...

Your cards are just so beautiful! I really love the one with the black and white background and stripes on the edge. That flower really pops off the page!

Danielle Dietz said...

Beautiful card. I love the water colored flowers!

Nicole R said...

These cards are breath taking! The watercolor on the die cut images is beautiful and I love the colors.

Holly said...

Gorgeous cards, especially the first one! I love how you water colored the die pieces.

Kris in Alaska said...

Those are just so very lovely!

Rebecca Ednie said...

Wow! So gorgeous! I have to get these dies!

Nandini said...

Really gorgeous card. This die set is on my wish list from the time it was released!

McStamper said...

Love your beautiful, creative cards.

Sindhu said...

Stunning cards...love the 3d rose and its coloring...

Stacey Kowbel said...

I love the water colouring on those die cuts! Beautiful.

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