Hey, hi! It’s good to see you again! I’m joining Altenew today for the Winter Essentials Blog Hop and sharing a couple of cards made with two of the stand alone die sets in the release, that I think you’re going to love!!
You should be arriving here from Jennifer McGuire’s blog, but if you missed the start of the hop you can click back to the first stop on the hop at the Altenew Card Blog.
How cute are these die cut scenes right??? I used the Modern Fireplace and Mantel Decor – Winter die sets to make a Christmas card an then added a few other sets to make a fun homey card suitable for any season.
Lets start with the holiday card! I began by die cutting all of the components of the fireplace itself from Classic Crest 110 lb cardstock, cutting several layers of the mantel shelf and stacking them to achieve a truly 3D effect.
I die cut the tile die from grey cardstock and “emphasized” the lines of the tiles by adding some very light gray shadows with the lightest shade of the gray Artist Markers. I added more grey shading to the paneling lines, the layers of lintel and the fireplace base as well as adding depth to the fireplace backer panels behind the fire itself. The crease lines are already there in the paper after you run it through the die cutting machine so it’s not difficult to follow them with a marker, to get the shadows just right!
I die cut the two layers of the fire itself, the larger one from orange cardstock and the smaller flame from mirror gold cardstock. It’s hard to see the effect in a few of the photos, but the way the gold cardstock catches the light and glints and glitters like a real fire is very fun!
I die cut and layered 3 layers of the grate that the log sits on, for the extra realism and sturdiness it gives. Next, I die cut the elements in the Mantel Decor – Winter die set – the candle holders, candles, stockings, wreath and bow. I die cut the candle holders from white cardstock and added some shadow with a light gray Artist Marker. I did the same with the bow – die cutting from red cardstock and adding shadows where the creases indicate, with an alcohol-based marker.
I die cut the wreath from green leafy patterned paper for a fun, realistic effect, and shadowed the side of the red candles with red marker. The stockings are all die cut from patterned paper scraps in my stash and I added a stocking trim of cream colored cardstock. Finally I adhered everything to some yellow patterned paper that simulates wallpaper. I didn’t add any greeting to the front of the card because I thought the overall scene looks cute enough to frame for some holiday decor! (I stamped “happy holidays” from the Tag Sentiments stamp set on the inside of the card).
Next up is a lovely scene that I made to scratch an itch! We have been talking about putting a fireplace in our family room at home in Arizona (yes, it does get cold there in the winter!) for a few years now, but have so far done nothing more than collect Pinterest photos. This design is one that I would love to make reality in our home!
To keep the focus on the other decor elements I chose not to add a fire to the logs in the fire grate, and once again I added shadows to the fireplace tiles, the grate box and the mantel and paneled surrounds.
I used the Monstera 3D Die set to create the potted plant in front, and die cut the candle holders from woodgrained paper this time, topping them with white candles, which when combined with the unlit log in the fireplace suggest another season other than winter.
The “framed art print” might be my favorite feature of the scene! I had a piece of practice painting leftover from a previous session with the PAF: Anemone stamp set and I cut it to fit perfectly inside one of the frames in the Fine Frames Square Die set. I die cut two layers for the frame, from kraft cardstock and adhered them together with the “painting” inside the frame.
This time I wanted to add a greeting that could also double as a printed banner one might actually use in their home decor. I manipulated the sentiment stamp from the Ditsy Print stamp set to stamp a graceful arc onto some white cardstock. Then I used a pencil to sketch an outline that I could follow with scissors. I cut fishtail ends on the banner and folded the ends back on themselves, scoring first then folding, making it perfectly fit the width of the frame.
Both cards have an extra level of sturdiness to them with the many layers that build up the fireplace itself and then the embellishments. If I were mailing them I might consider using a padded envelope to reduce the risk of them getting bent or damaged.
Your next stop on the hop is Laura Bassen’s blog and you surely won’t want to miss seeing what she has created!
To celebrate this release, Altenew is offering a free gift!
Receive a FREE Gift (brand new Winter Essentials release mini inspiration guide) with every order from 10/19/2020 at 12:01 am EDT until 10/21/2020 at 11:59 pm EDT or while supplies last. Shop here –>https://altenew.com/collections/all-altenew-products The free gift will be added to cart automatically. *Not valid on online class, workshop, print media orders.
As well, there are prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog by 10/25/2020 for a chance to win. They will also draw a winner to receive a $15 gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Altenew Winners Page on 10/27/2020.
Should you encounter a broken link anywhere along the way, you can refer back to the complete blog hop list below. Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!
Norine Borys – You are here.
