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:
Amy Sheffer (you are here)
Thanks so much for visiting today, and thank you Altenew for having me!
411 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 411 Newer› Newest»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.
I really like the watercolor look of your card Amy. I reminds me a bit of your cute logo :)
Both cards are lovely. Love smooshed backgrounds.
What beautiful cards. You did a great job on all of them. I never thought to watercolor the die cuts. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great Hop with GREAT prizes....thanks for all the inspiration
Everyone makes the prettiest cards but these two take the cake, they are gorgeous!
beautiful cards!
Your watercolored die cuts are simply amazing!
OH MY GOSH!!! That is the most beautiful card.
I love happy accident cards! Both cards are wonderful, that flower die is one of my favorites also.
What gorgeous cards! I love the dimension and the stripes on the second one are awesome.
I love how we get fun surprises once in a while. Love both cards!!!
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!
A beautiful card I love the colours you used
A beautiful card I love the colours you used
Beautiful cards!
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!!
Both cards have a very unusual and very beautiful look. Thanks so much for sharing!
Super beautiful!! I love the watercolored blooms! They are sooo pretty!
Both of your cards are so beautiful!
Love that die. I already bought it. Now I need to get busy!
Great 3-D card with depth. Very colorful and well done. Nice!
I just love this card, the stamp set is gorgeous but I love the way you have designed your background
Lovely cards, thank you!
Wow can't believe this is just die cuts! LOVELY!!!!!!!1
Oh my! Your cards are so gorgeous, such brilliant watercolouring! TFS!
I love your first card, the colors are so pretty and the messiness of the watercolor on the flowers are awesome
Beautiful cards, love the lay outs
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.
Its Such a pretty card ! I love the flowers so perfect 🌸. Keep inspiring & thank you for sharing !
Gorgeous cards Amy. Love the rich water colored look. The plastered background looks fantastic on the first card. Crafty friends are the best! :)
Beautiful watercoloring! Thank you for sharing :)
stunning cards! love the colours
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.
Such a cheerful and colorful card. Love the stitching. Thank you for inpiring me!
On my Amy, these are just beyond gorgeous! Very beautiful!
Love the soft watercoloring.
I love the look of the water colored die cuts. What a great way to use them 💖💖
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!
Love the coloring and layering. Fantastic card!
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 !!
Gorgeous card!!
Both your cards are so pretty. I really have to get the floral fantasy dies.
I love the technique you used for these cards!
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.
Stunning..love the shading, and water coloring. Very talented. Thank you
Love the layering in your card! It's a beautiful effect.
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
Love these cards. Thanks dor sharing your beautiful work
Beautiful! And I really, really love the accident card...so pretty, clean and simple.
Thanks for sharing 2 very beautiful cards and your story.
Love the watercolor on the die cuts! So soft and ethereal.
I love blog hops, so inspiring!
Very effective technique for coloring the flowers!
Beautiful watercoloring! Thank you for the great inspiration!
beautiful watercolor technique
Beautiful card. Such lovely water coloring!! So glad you were on the blog hop so that I can now follow you :-) Thanks for sharing.
I've been following you for years and your artwork is amazing! Thanks to all of you for offering this giveaway!
What a beautiful card. I love the intricate design.
Great colouring of the die-cuts; but I love your backgrounds; the intended and the accident-one !
Thank you for sharing your talent !
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!
Love the second one especially!
Both of your cards are beautiful! I love it when accidents turn into beautiful pieces of art like your second card!
Very beautiful cards. Love your watercolor style. Thanks for sharing...
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.
Your cards are fantastic!!
Love your beautiful watercolor. Just got this rose die and can't wait to try your technique with it.
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)!!!
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!
Your cards are so delicate and beautiful! I love them both, especially with the die cut designs slightly overlaying the stitched border.
Love the soft rich colors of this card!
Thanks for 2 beautiful cards. The layered die cuts are vry interesting.
Very pretty! I always forget to splatter.
I am going to try harder...
LDYJS@outlook.com
Your cards are beautiful! I really like how you used the outline of the stamp as your background as well.
Your cards are so fabulous !
Love this floral die set and the water coloring on your card is great
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.
Okay, this is just about the most beautiful card I have ever seen. It took my breath away...thank you!
So so beutiful!
Fabulous dimension and colors! Gorgeous card!
Amazing cards, love your watercoloring.
That is GORGEOUS! Love the watercolor look with the layered die cuts!!!
Absolutely stunning! These dies are at the top of my Altenew wishlist! LOVE these beautiful cards!
Beautiful card and the crafting community is amazing and so supportive!
❤️❤️❤️ you cards. I think I may need to add the sentiment stamps to my inventory...
Both cards are amazing
Lovely card
Beautiful card projects
Beautiful card. Love your color choices.
i will have to get this die amazing
beautiful cards and watercolors!
YOUR CARDS ARE WONDERFUL, THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION.
Omgoodness,your watercolor coloring is so yummy.The depth you create is stunning.Thank you
Wow! Wow! Wow! Love your cards! Gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing. Such a pretty card!
What a lovely card. Such pretty colors
Oh my goodness, your coloring has such depth, love the bold contrast. Love how you embellished the card, it really compliments the coloring.
These are beautiful! I love the dimension and colors!
Wow! One idea yet two interpretations. These are beautiful.
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!
very cool idea!
Those layered die cuts make beautiful watercolored cards. Beautiful job!
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!!
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
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!
gorgeous watercolouring, and love the layered effect of the die cuts :)
Fabulous card. TFS
These cards are so beautiful. I loved hearing your story. Thank you for sharing.
Your card is so beautiful.
These are two really beautiful cards. The colours are really vibrant. That die cut is wonderful.
This card is beautiful! I love everything about it!
Gorgeous cards, stunning watercoloring technique!
I love your watercoloring!
Your creativity is amazing!!! Great colors, beautiful designs and simply stunning!!!
Gorgeous simply perfect n every way
Gorgeous cards. Wonderfully designed and colored.
I love your Dream big "accident" card, it is very striking!
WOW! Just Wow! I'm not going to say anything else...I can't stop looking at it! WOW!
Gorgeous card! Love how you watercolored the dies and made that flower stunning.
Oh my goodness!!!
Awesome cards and stunning colouring!!!
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.
I love the watercolouring, this I need to try (and of course I need those dies too)
These are real stunners. Beautiful.
This card is absolutely GORGEOUS! I'm totally inspired! I love the colors, too!
Beautiful layers and coloring!
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.
I love both cards. Your watercoloring is beautiful!
Beautiful card. :)
Both of your cards are just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
What a beautiful card.. love it.. want that die big time!
wow! Your cards are beautiful!
Really love both cards. I especially love the “happy accident “, love it when that happens.
Wow! 2 amazing cards. Love every thing about each of them.
splendide work thank you for sharing
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!!
Lovely card! That watercolor technique is inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
Love the colours used on this card and the back and white border makes it o, fantastic, thank you x
Love both cards! Such pretty coloring.
Love the layered watercolored dies! What a unique idea! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful, wonderful watercolor! Thank you.
What a beautiful card!!
I am such a fan of yours!!!(You don't want to know how many of your card designs are pinned to my Pinterest!)
A beautiful job on both cards!y
Just simply gorgeous! Love your cards!
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!
Beautiful card with soft colors. Thanks for sharing.
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!
These cards are beautiful and I love the watercoloring with the die cut. So stunning!
Both card so pretty, love the watercolors!
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.
Such beautiful dimension on these cards. Love your watercoloring!
Amy - I'm a huge fan of your work. These cards are spectacular.
I love the liquid watercolour feel to these Amy and how bright the colours are. What a great way to use die cuts!
Wow so beautiful! They look so soft, like they would actually be soft to the touch, great job!
Love the layers and your water coloring. Thanks for sharing
Trish F
trishden948(at)yahoo(dot)com
✨Beautiful! ✩ ♡🌟 Love all of the colors. 😊 Totally made me smile. ✩ You make it look easy!
Both your cards are a work of art. Love them.
Such a lovely card. The one with the outline in back is just beautiful.
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:)
Beautiful card. Love the way you layered the flowers.
These are so gorgeous - just stunning! (Ali)
Just gorgeous Amy, goes to show some of the best come out of making an error :)
Loved the way you used the outline images with the die cuts in your second card.
Sometimes splatter is so subtle, but so perfect! Your handiwork is beautiful.
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.
Wow your first card is absolutely stunning! I love the soft watercolouring and those layered die cuts are so inventive!
The flowers are colored so
wonderfully. They just
pop off the card.
thanks for sharing
These are both absolutely beautiful! Gonna make someone's day, for sure!
Beautiful! Going to have to try this, thanks for the inspiration!
Wow, this is an amazing giveaway and I love blog hops b/c they inspire me to create.
Oh my goodness, Amy! I have to have each of these products soon!! Both cards are stunning & I want to copy them! Wonderful inspiration!
Such pretty cards! Those flowers and leaves look so great with the colors you chose and the watercoloring.
Gorgeous! Fun technique with the watercolored dies!
Love the simple and striking designs of these cards!
Beautiful cards! I love the layering in the dies. So unique!
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
Beautiful cards! Love the watercoloring and that subtle background on each one of them is great! Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
I love this die set and what you have done with them. Stunning!
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!
Beautiful card! I absolutely love the dimension.
Wow your cards are stunning! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.
Never thought of doing it this way, love it. I have to try this, thanks for the great idea!
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
The cards are just stunning! Thanks for the inspiring designs and story!
Interesting technique. I need to try 😆
Thanks for this blog hop.
Nunzia
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!
Stunning cards! I love your watercolouring!
Wow you used these flower dies so beautifully.
this is just exquisite! WOW!!!! Amazing!!! Always love your cards amy! XO
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!
Beautiful card. I love the water colored flowers!
These cards are breath taking! The watercolor on the die cut images is beautiful and I love the colors.
Gorgeous cards, especially the first one! I love how you water colored the die pieces.
Those are just so very lovely!
Wow! So gorgeous! I have to get these dies!
Really gorgeous card. This die set is on my wish list from the time it was released!
Love your beautiful, creative cards.
Stunning cards...love the 3d rose and its coloring...
I love the water colouring on those die cuts! Beautiful.
Love your card! Never thought about stamping an image below the colored images. Nice idea!
Post a Comment