Altenew | July 2026 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello there, thank you so much for being here! Today I am delighted to be joining Altenew to celebrate the July 2026 release with a fun blog hop. As always with Altenew, the July release is full of festive products, but there are some non-festive ones too, if that is not your thing! There is also a new cardstock pack releasing, as well as new foam adhesive. 

I am going to start off by sharing my festive cards first, then move onto the non-festive ones. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

FESTIVE GREENERY

My first card today uses the new Altenew Festive Greenery Die Set. This wonderful set features, as the name suggests, different greenery/foliage. My card uses just one of the foliage pieces to create a wreath. I cut it multiple times from Altenew Crafty Necessities: Dew Drops Cardstock. The berries were die cut from Altenew Crafty Necessities: Frosty Pink Cardstock. 

I added ink blending to the foliage with Altenew Aqualicious and Teal Cave (Sweet Dreams) Fresh Dye Inks and for the berries, I used Altenew Pinkalicious and Razzleberry (Cherry Blossom) Fresh Dye Inks. The berries were adhered to the foliage pieces using liquid glue. I took a US A2 sized white card base and drew a faint circle on top with pencil (using a Nesting Circle Die as a template). 

I then used the circle as a guide of where to place the foliage. I die cut the 'happy holidays' sentiment from the new Altenew Holiday Essentials Die Set from white cardstock five times. I adhered them one on top of another for dimension and then onto the card. To finish, I embellished with Altenew Clear Iridescent Stellar Sequins. 

LUSH BOTANICALS: POINSETTIA

My next card uses the Altenew Lush Botanicals: Poinsettias 3D Embossing Folder & Die Set. I die cut the petals from Altenew Crafty Necessities: Frosty Pink Cardstock, and the flower centres from white cardstock. I placed the die cuts into the embossing folder and ran them through my die cutting machine to add the embossed details on them (so pretty!). 

I added ink blending to the petals using Altenew Coral Berry Fresh Dye Ink. Once the ink was dry, the flowers were assembled using liquid glue. I took a US A2 sized white card base and stamped the sentiment from the new Altenew Holiday Messages Stamp Set on top using Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink. 

The poinsettias were adhered to the card using the new Altenew Foam Adhesive Dots 1/6". I then cut off the excess from the sides using scissors. To finish, I embellished with Altenew Clear Iridescent Stellar Sequins. 

FOREST FRIENDS

My next card uses the beautiful new Altenew Forest Friends Silhouettes Die Set, which I die cut using Altenew Crafty Necessities Cardstock, die cutting each layer three times. I added ink blending to the top layer with Altenew Sweet Dreams Fresh Dye Inks and adhered the other non-inked ones underneath for added dimension. 

• Tree background layer: Aqualicious Cardstock with Teal Cave Ink. 
• Tree: Teal Cave Cardstock with Galactic Stream Ink. 
• Deer: Galactic Stream Cardstock with Galactic Stream Ink + Jet Black Ink.

I then added ink blending to the bottom of a panel of Altenew Crafty Necessities: Dew Drops Cardstock using Aqualcious Ink. This was adhered to the US A2 sized white card base first, leaving a gap at the bottom for the snow, followed by the die cut layers. I then mixed Altenew Titanium White Artists' Gouache with a little water and splattered it on top before setting it aside to dry. 

I stamped the sentiment from the Altenew Sleigh Ride Greetings Stamp Set onto white cardstock using Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink. It was die cut out using the coordinating die and the die cut again another two times from white cardstock and adhered behind, before adhering to the card. To finish, I embellished with Altenew Clear Iridescent Stellar Sequins.

WINTERBERRY POINSETTIAS

My next card uses the new Altenew Winterberry Poinsettias 3D Embossing Folder and Stencils. I started off by placing a panel of white cardstock inside the embossing folder and ran it through my die cutting machine. I then placed the stencils on top, one by one, to add ink blending. 

I used Altenew Cherry Blossom Fresh Dye Inks (all four) for the poinsettia petals, Altenew Golden Sunset Fresh Dye Inks (Sunray and Chamomile) for the centres, Altenew Sweet Dreams Fresh Dye Inks (three lightest) for the foliage, Altenew Coffee Break Fresh Dye Inks (Mocha) for the branches, and Altenew Cherry Blossom Fresh Dye Inks (Pink Diamond) for the berries. 

The panel was adhered to a US A2 sized white card base with Altenew Glue Tape. I stamped a sentiment from the Altenew Festive Triangles Stamp Set onto Altenew Crafty Necessities: Jet Black Cardstock using Altenew Embossing Ink. I applied Altenew Pure White Crisp Embossing Powder and heat set. It was cut into a strip and adhered to the card using the new Altenew Foam Adhesive Strips 1/16". To finish, I embellished with Altenew Clear Iridescent Stellar Sequins.

Now for the non-festive cards: 

BLOSSOMING TRIO

For my card, I started off by stamping the flower from the Altenew Build-A-Garden: Blossoming Trio Stamp Set onto white cardstock using Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink. I then used the coordinating stencils to add ink blending to colour it in. I used Altenew Glacier Caves Fresh Dye Inks for the flower, Altenew Green Valley Fresh Dye Inks for the leaves, and Altenew Sweet Dreams Fresh Dye Inks for the foliage. 

It was die cut out using the coordinating die. I then die cut two circles from white cardstock using the Altenew Nesting Circles Die Set. I ran one of them through my die cutting machine to deboss the Altenew Making Moments Press Plate on top. I then added a score line towards the top of the other one to create a hinge, before cutting a little off the bottom to help the card stand up. 

I added Altenew Ultra Sticky Tape to the hinge and then adhered it to the back of the debossed one. The flower was adhered on top using Altenew Instant Dimension Foam Tape. I stamped a sentiment from the set onto white cardstock and die cut out out before adhering onto the card. To finish, I embellished with Altenew Ivory Pearl Dots. 

GERBERA DAISY

In case you missed them, I shared these cards in my release post, which you can see here. They use the new Altenew Craft-A-Flower: Gerbera Daisy Layering Die Set. 

BLOG HOP:

As mentioned, this post is part of a fun, inspirational blog hop. Please click on the other participants below to visit their blogs: 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

GIVEAWAY:

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $100 gift certificate to 1 lucky winner and a $50 gift certificate to 4 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by July 16th 2026 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 5 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew's Blog Hop Post on July 18th, 2026. The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Here are the links to what I have used on the projects. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful time on the rest of the hop and a wonderful rest of the day too! Take care!

Spellbinders | Spectacular Santa

Hello there, I am delighted to be over on the Spellbinders Blog today, sharing a step by step tutorial on how I made the card below. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

I used the Spellbinders Spectacular Santa Etched Dies from the new Spectacular Christmas Collection which is out now! 

I simply die cut Santa from Spellbinders ColorWheel Cardstock + Treasured Gold Cardstock for the belt buckle and bell and assembled him. The sentiment is from the Spellbinders Spectacular Holiday Sentiments Stamp & Die Set. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Here are the links to what I have used on the project. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

For more information on how I made the card (with step by step photos), please head over to the blog post here. I will be sharing more using this collection later in the month. Thank you so much for the stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I will be back later with another post but in the mean-time, I hope you have a great day! 

Simon Says Stamp | Blooming Flower

Hello there, today I have a card to share using the Simon Says Stamp Blooming Flower Stencils & Die. The stencil set creates a no-line look with the petals and stem/leaves. I found it easier to line up the stencils on top of the die cut, rather than stencilling and then die cutting. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

I started off by die cutting the Simon Says Stamp Blooming Flower Die from white cardstock. I then placed the Simon Says Stamp Blooming Flower Stencils on top, one by one, to add ink blending on top. I used Altenew Fresh Dye Inks in Aqualcious and Hydrangea for the petals, and Firefly, Grass Field and Shadow Creek (Green Valley collection) for the leaves and stem. 

I took a white US A2 sized card base and placed the Simon Says Stamp Brick Wall Stencil on top. I added ink blending, just around where the flower will be, using Altenew Wisteria Fresh Dye Ink. I removed the stencil and then mixed Wisteria and Hydrangea Ink with a little water and splattered them on top for some added interest. 

The flower was adhered on top using thin foam squares. I stamped a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp CZ Silhouette Sentiments Stamp Set onto black cardstock using Versamark Ink. I applied white embossing powder and heat set. It was cut into a strip using the Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Labels Dies and adhered to the card with more thin foam squares. To finish, I embellished with Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Here are the links to what I have used on the project. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

Obviously I went with a very non-realistic colour scheme for the flower but that's the great thing about cardmaking, the flowers can be any colour you want! There are lots of examples on the Simon Says Stamp website though of crafters using more realistic colours if mine isn't your thing. Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful day! 

Spellbinders Clubs | Frosty Fun

Hello there, today I have a card to share using the Spellbinders July 2026 Small Die of the Month Club Kit called Snow Much Fun. It features two adorable penguins (I am just using one today), as well as snowscapes, three different snowflakes and a 'snow much fun' sentiment. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

I started off my card by die cutting the penguin from the Spellbinders July 2026 Small Die of the Month Club Kit. It was cut from Spellbinders ColorWheel Cardstock in Classic White, Raven, Beeswax (feet and beak) and Chiffon (cheeks). I cut the hat from Lavender and Classic White, and the scarf from Lavender and Lilac. The pieces were adhered together using liquid glue. 

I then die cut the skis and poles from Spellbinders Silver Matte Treasured Cardstock, as well as white cardstock. The silver layer was adhered on top of the white for added stability. Although the set has some snowscapes, I decided to mask mine off instead. So I took a US A2 sized card white card base and masked off a snow bank/hill using Post-It Tape. 

I then added ink blending above using Tim Holtz Wilted Violet Distress Ink and a Spellbinders Large Ink Blending Brush. I mixed Spellbinders Splatter White with a little water and splattered it over the ink blending. The post it tape was removed and the splatter let sit to dry. Once dry, I stamped the sentiment from the Spellbinders Hedge-Hugs Stamp Set onto the card using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. 

I then placed the skis onto the card so I could line them up with the angle of the snow bank/hill. I added glue onto the bottom of the penguin's feet and then adhered it on top of the skis. I picked up the penguin (with the skis now attached) and added glue to the back of the skis and thin foam squares to the body before adhering him down. 

I then adhered the poles to his flippers. I die cut one of the snowflake dies in the set three times from white cardstock and adhered them to the card (one being cut in half to match the angle of the snow bank/hill). To finish, I added teeny Spellbinders Silver Mix Color Essentials Gems to the centres of the snowflakes. 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the project. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

That penguin is just adorable! The other one in the set is sliding down the hill, so cute! Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a great day! 

Altenew July 2026 Release | Gerbera Daisy

Hello there, today I have two cards to share with you using the new Craft-A-Flower: Gerbera Daisy Die Set from the Altenew July 2026 release. As per tradition with Altenew, the July release is packed full of festive products. There are also non-festive products in the collection though, and that is what I am sharing today. Please come back on Saturday to see my festive ones! 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

As you can see, both card use the same design, just different colours. I had a actually planned on putting both flowers on one card but when I tried, the card just felt a little too busy for me, so in the end, I made two cards with one flower on each! 

I started off by die cutting the Altenew Craft-A-Flower: Gerbera Daisy Layering Die Set from white cardstock. I added ink blending to the petals using Altenew Bubblegum Dreams Fresh Dye Inks for the pink flower, and Altenew Enchanted Garden Fresh Dye Inks for the purple one. 

The flower centres were ink blended using Altenew Golden Sunset Fresh Dye Inks, and the leaves using Altenew Green Valley Fresh Dye Inks. The flowers were adhered together but before adding in the flower centres, I used the Altenew Petal Shaper Tool Set to shape the petals. The flower centres were then adhered on top. 

I adhered the leaves to the US A2 sized card bases first, followed by the flowers, both using liquid glue. I then stamped the sentiment from Altenew Build-A-Garden: Blossoming Trio twice onto Altenew Crafty Necessities: Jet Black Cardstock using Altenew Embossing Ink. 

I applied Altenew Pure White Crisp Embossing Powder and heat set. They were cut into strips and adhered to the cards using Altenew Black Instant Dimension Foam Tape. In hindsight, I wish I had stamped the sentiment on the pink flower card using black ink onto white cardstock. Looking at it now, I think that would have been better and I will probably change it before sending it out! To finish, I embellished with Altenew Clear Iridescent Stellar Sequins. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Here are the links to what I have used on the projects. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

As mentioned, I will back on Saturday to share more projects using the Altenew July 2026 release. Until then, I hope you will check out the release, it is a fabulous one!

Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful day and a great week ahead! 

Simon Says Stamp | Dancing Meadow Flowers & Foliage

Hello there, I hope you are well! Apologies for my lack of posts over the last week, I haven't been well. I'm finally back sharing a card and tag that I made using the Dancing Meadows Die from the latest Simon Says Stamp release called Shine On. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

The die is made as a cover plate, so that you can use both the positive (the flowers & foliage) and the negative (the background). For my card, I simply cut small pieces of cardstock and placed them behind the parts I wanted to cut, rather than cutting the whole plate from each shade of cardstock. 

I started off my card by die cutting the Simon Says Stamp Dancing Meadows Die from various shades of Spellbinders ColorWheel Cardstock - Blush and Tutu for the flowers, Peridot, Seaside and Waterfall and Teal Topaz for the foliage, and white for the flower centres. 

I die cut one of the dies from the Simon Says Stamp Scalloped Arches Frames Dies three times from white cardstock. I adhered them one on top of another and then onto a US A2 sized card base made from Spellbinders Chiffon ColorWheel Cardstock. The foliage was adhered first, using liquid glue. 

I then adhered the flowers on top, followed by the flower centres. I stamped a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Lettered Many Thanks Stamp Set onto white cardstock using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. It was cut into a strip and adhered to the card using thin foam squares. To finish, I embellished Spellbinders Crystal Mix Color Essentials Gems. 

I originally cut the Simon Says Stamp Dancing Meadows Die from white cardstock, so that I could play around with the design for the first card. I didn't want to waste the die cuts, so I thought I would use them on an accompanying tag. 

I die cut the same colours of cardstock that I used for the card - Chiffon, Blush, Tutu, Seaside and Waterfall using the Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Labels 2.0 Dies. I adhered them to a panel of white cardstock at a diagonal. I then die cut the panel using a Simon Says Stamp Rounded Tag Die. 

The foliage and flowers were adhered on top using liquid glue for the foliage and thin foam squares for the flowers. I stamped and die cut out another sentiment and adhered it on top. To finish, I added twine through the top of the tag and tied in a bow, followed by embellishing with Spellbinders Crystal Mix Color Essentials Gems. 

SUPPLIES:

 

Here are the links to what I have used on the projects. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful day! 

Spellbinders | 23 and Crafty Birthday Blog Hop

Hello there, I am delighted to be joining Spellbinders today for a fun blog hop to celebrate their 23rd birthday. There have been fun giveaways, freebies, releases and more this month so far, and today, we are celebrating by sharing some birthday card inspiration with you! 

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Please see below for my full disclosure.

My card today uses Chompster from the Spellbinders Just Add Cake Cardmaking Kit. He is so fun! He can be eating all sorts of different items but for today, I went with a cupcake! I started off by die cutting Chompster from Spellbinders ColorWheel Cardstock in Blush, Tutu, Classic White and Raven. He was assembled and adhered using Bearly Art Glue. 

I cut two of the main body, as well as two of each arm, and layered them up one on top of another for some added dimension. The glasses were cut from Wild Berry, the hat from Lilac and Lavender, and the cupcake from Fairy Tale, Fawn and Lavender. The cherry was cut from Wild Berry and Truffle. I assembled the cupcake first and then adhered it to his mouth, followed by his arms. 

I added a panel of Spellbinders Chiffon ColorWheel Cardstock to a US A2 sized white card base and then adhered Chompster on top using thin foam tape. His hat was then adhered on top. I stamped a sentiment from the Just Add Cake Sentiments Stamp Set (in the kit also) onto white cardstock using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. 

It was die cut out using the coordinating dies and adhered to the card. I added Crystal Glaze to the cherry and Stickles to his hat. To finish, I embellished with Spellbinders Pink Color Essentials Gems. 

BLOG HOP:

As mentioned, this post is part of a fun, inspirational blog hop (with prizes!). You should have arrived here from Amy Rysavy. Next on the hop is Heejung Hunsberger. If you get lost along the way, or want to start from the beginning, please head over to the Spellbinders Blog. 

GIVEAWAY:

Spellbinders are giving away a $25 gift certificate to three blog hoppers. To enter, leave a comment on the stops along the hop by Sunday, 28th June 2026 at 11.59pm MST. The winners will be announced on the Spellbinders blog hop post the following Wednesday. 

SUPPLIES:

Here are the links to what I have used on the project. Affiliate links are used on some products. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on my link, I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support when using these links. Please click on the logo below the product to shop at your favourite store. All products were personally purchased except marked with an asterisk (*) which were kindly sent to me to use. You can read my full disclosure here.

Wishing Spellbinders a very happy 23rd Birthday and here's to many more to come! Thank you so much for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a great time on the rest of the hop and a wonderful day!