Hello, crafty friends! I hope you have been doing well. Today, I am sharing a beautiful new stamp set from Altenew’s April release – the Build-A-Garden: Garland Grace. But, I’m changing things up a bit, and the results are pretty unrecognizable from the original stamp! In my video today, I also share a few different ways to use Press & Foil Plates.
Exclusive Discount:
And speaking of Press & Foil Plates, I have an exclusive discount offer for 10% off Altenew’s Press & Foil Plates collection. Use code ALLIPRESS20 at checkout to get 10% off any of the Press & Foil Plates. This discount is good through April 24, 2026 at 11:59 pm EDT. It is good for one-time use only, and it cannot be combined with other codes. Altenew is also currently offering free shipping on orders over $75.
I do have a new YouTube video today. You can CLICK HERE to view it on YouTube, or you can view it below.
NOTE: all supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this blog post.
My card today features the new Build-A-Garden: Garland Grace stamp set. This is a beautiful, large floral stamp, along with a lot of sentiments. The set is also available with the Add-on Die Bundle, and that is what I used today. One of the great things about Altenew stamps like this is that they come with a gorgeous pamphlet full of colorful card ideas. Because this is a large stamp, there are several ways to cut it down to fit onto an A2 card base, which is the size card that I typically make. But, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to just use the small flowers and have them frame the card. I like to die cut my paper first before stamping. Because I knew I was only using the small flowers, that is the only part that I stamped. I used Limestone ink, and I stamped it onto three separate die cuts. I then used the matching stencils to color the flowers and the leaves. I used Fresh Lemon, Cotton Candy, and Maple Yellow Fresh Dye Inks. I then found some colored pencils in my very neglected set of Prismacolors and added some detail to the flowers. I also darkened up the stems.
For my background, I used the Essential Textures: Fine Woodgrain Press Plate. In my video, you will see me ink up this plate like you would normally expect. But, then I decided to try and emboss with it. And that was the winner. I love the white background, but the added texture really makes it special.
For my sentiment, I pulled the Fancy Hugs out of my stash – I have had this die forever! I played around with my floral pieces, and I love how there were so many ways to “hug” this sentiment. After obsessing over every possible layout, I finally landed on this one, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I did pop the floral die cuts up on thin foam tape. I added some yellow enamel dots that match the ink that I used.
I also wanted to share this card that I made a few weeks ago featuring another Press & Foil Plate. This is the Floral Serenade plate, and I just love it. I did some tone on tone stamping with it, using black ink on dark gray card stock. I then pumped up the drama even more by inking up the edges with the black ink. The bright cheerful flowers from the Houseplants Layering Die Set just pop against this background, and I love it! The sentiment comes from the new Build-A-Garden: Garland Grace stamp that I featured on my first card. You’ll also notice some of those same yellow enamel dots on this card. I used them for the center of a few of the pink flowers.
I have one more card to share, which features that same Floral Serenade plate from above. Look how different it looks when you stamp it on white paper! And yet, the yellow flowers pop just the same. These flowers (the Fabulous Florets) are retired, but I just had to use them because the flowers on the plate reminded me of them. Plus, it’s always a win when you dive into your stash.
I hope my cards bring a smile to your face today. As always, I appreciate you visiting my blog.
Wishing you all a crafty day,
Allison
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