just made from paper

Thursday, 2 April 2026

Altenew 12th Anniversary Blog Hop + Giveaway (over $2,400 in Total Prizes)

Hello everyone! Today we’re celebrating a truly meaningful milestone, Altenew’s 12th anniversary! It’s incredible to see how much creativity, inspiration, and beautiful design has been shared over the years.

Being part of the Altenew Design Team since the very beginning has been such a special journey, and I feel incredibly grateful to have grown alongside this wonderful brand. What makes it even more meaningful is the amazing community, the endless creativity, inspiration, and shared passion for crafting that brings us all together.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and celebrating this special occasion with us!

If you came here from Jennifer Johnston’s blog, you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back the Altenew Blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

Giveaway Prizes:

Over $2,400 in total prizes! Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 12 lucky winners. There are also 23 awesome companies/crafty friends who are celebrating with us, and they are offering the following prizes:

Altenew: 12 x $50 Gift Certificates
Altenew Academy: 12 x Online Card Class ($39.99 value each)
Stamp-n-Storage: 1 x Ink Pad Carousel for Altenew Fresh Dye Inks (Valued at $150)
Online Card Classes: 5 x Online Card Classes (Valued at $25+ each)
Lawn Fawn: 1x $100 Gift Certificate
Honey Bee Stamps: 1x $100 Gift Certificate
Pink and Main: 1 x $100 Gift Certificate
Jennifer McGuire Ink: 1 x $100 Gift Certificate
Ranger Industries: 1 x $75 Gift Certificate
Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Simon Says Stamp: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Alex Syberia Designs: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Pretty Pink Posh: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
My Craft Room: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Krafters Cart: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Pinkfresh Studio: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Craft Giraffe: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Scrapbook.com: 1 x $50 Gift Certificate
Michelle's Cards & Stamps: 1 x AUD $50 Gift Certificate
Auzz Trinkets N Krafts: 1 x AUD $50 Gift Certificate
Bumbleberry Papercrafts:1 x £25 Gift Certificate
Seven Hills: 1 x £25 Gift Certificate
Trinity Stamps: 1 x $25 Gift Certificate
Creative Chick Co.: 1 x $25 Gift Certificate

Be sure to leave comments by 04/12/2026 for a chance to win one of 45 prizes! To make the hop more exciting, start your comment with "Hi from (city or country where you're from)!" 45 winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the blogs listed below and will be announced on the Altenew Blog on 04/13/2026.

Altenew Anniversary Special Offers:

April 1 - 2, 2026: Get a FREE Brushed Copper Metallic Cardstock (10 sheets/set) (worth $10.99) on orders over $89 from April 1, 2026 at 12:01 AM EDT until April 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT. Shop HERE

April 1 - 3, 2026: Enjoy FREE U.S. Shipping on orders over $39 from April 1, 2026 at 12:01 AM EDT until April 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT. Shop HERE

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If I ever had to choose my favourite product from Altenew, it would be any of their floral designs. There’s always something special about creating with Altenew florals, whether it’s painting, colouring, stencilling, or die cutting, you can never go wrong. The finished result is always beautiful.

For today’s blog hop, I used the Craft-A-Flower Clematis Layering Die Set to create some simple yet beautifully realistic flowers.

I used white crepe paper to die-cut the petals, gluing two sheets together first to make them a little thicker. For the centres and leaves, I used standard white cardstock. I then added colour using Olive and Moss Fresh Dye Inks with the Mini Blending Brush Set. My final step was to assemble all the layers and shape the flowers by gently pulling in the direction of the crepe paper grain.

These beautiful crepe paper flowers are incredibly versatile! You can use them for cards, mixed media projects, home or party décor. I chose to use one to top a wrapped present, adding a personal and special touch.

For my wrapping paper, I used plain white paper and a linear pattern stencil from the Stencil Art: Styled Backgrounds Layering Stencil Set (6-in-1), applying Olive Fresh Dye Ink to create a subtle yet playful background. I also added a tag made with the Creative Labels Bundle for a finishing touch.

That’s it for me, your next stop is Michelle Short.

You can find the full line up below.

Thank you for stopping by today!
Aga

Saturday, 7 March 2026

Altenew March 2026 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew March 2026 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Lea Lawson’s blog you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back the Altenew Blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 March 12th 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 March 13th, 2026.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing two quick and easy cards created with products from the March 2026 Release collection. For my first card I used Clematis Layering Die Set. Let me assure you, that’s the easiest and most realistic-looking paper flower I’ve ever had the pleasure of making!

I die-cut all the elements from white cardstock and simply blended some Fresh Dye Inks to bring them to life. I mixed Purple Wine with Deep Iris for the petals. For the green parts, I used Bamboo, Olive, and Moss from the Tropical Forest Fresh Dye Ink Set.

I assembled all the elements and gently curled the petals and leaves to give them a more realistic look. To finish the card I added a tiny sentiment from the Leafscape Stamp Set.

For my second card, I used the Stencil Art: Styled Backgrounds Layering Stencil Set (6-in-1), which features three stylish hand-drawn designs.

For the background, I stencilled a chic linear pattern with Moss Fresh Dye Ink. I thought it would be fun to combine it with a floral design, so I added a smaller panel stencilled with the whimsical floral field stencil.

For the second pattern, I mixed Deep Iris with Nimbus, along with Olive and Moss Fresh Dye Inks. To finish the card, I added a bold HELLO sentiment from the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Garden Gala Stamp Set, popped up with Black Instant Dimension Foam Tape.

That’s it from me today! Your next stop is Cathy Zielske. You can find the full line up below.
Have a great day!

Aga

Sunday, 8 February 2026

Altenew February 2026 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew February 2026 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Pamela Korte’s blog then you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back to Altenew’s blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 February 15th 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 February 17th, 2026.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing two CAS cards created with the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Frozen Moments from the February 2026 Release collection. For the first card, I used the coordinating stencil set to create beautiful floral background. I used Cloudy Sky and Nimbus from the Tranquility Fresh Dye Ink Set, Lavender Fields, Deep Iris and Midnight Violet from the Shades of Purple Fresh Dye Ink Set, along with Olive and Moss from the Tropical Forest Fresh Dye Ink Set and Evergreen for delicate colour combination.

I love this stencilled background and didn’t want to make it too busy, so I only added a small frame cut from Green Opal cardstock using the coordinating die set.

To finish the card, I added a sentiment from the set, stamped onto a white oval leftover from the frame cut.

The second card features mostly the same products, but I aimed for a very different design.

I used Green Opal cardstock as my card base and to cut the larger baroque-inspired frame. For the centre of the frame, I again stencilled the floral cluster onto white cardstock.

To finish the card, I added a letter “M” cut from Gold Metallic cardstock with the Fine Alphabet Die Set to create a monogram card.

That’s it from me today! I’m the last stop on the blog hop, thank you for hopping along with us all the way to the end. If you missed any of the previous stops, be sure to head back to the Altenew Blog or check out the full line up below.

Aga

Friday, 9 January 2026

Altenew January 2026 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew January 2026 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Svitlana Shayevich’s blog then you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back to Altenew’s blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 January 15th 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 January 17th, 2026.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing two floral cards created with products from the January 2026 Release collection. For the first card, I combined the Serene Lattice Stencil with the Craft-A-Flower: Buttercup Bunch Layering Die Set. I started by stencilling the background using blue shades from Tranquility Fresh Dye Ink bundle, to create a subtle lattice pattern that adds interest without overpowering the florals.

friends

The Buttercup Bunch flowers were die-cut from white cardstock, layered, and ink-blended with Buttercream and Warm Sunshine inks from the Summer Afternoon Fresh Dye Ink Set. The green elements were coloured using Olive and Evergreen Fresh Dye Inks to add depth and contrast to the floral arrangement.

friends

To finish the card, I added a sentiment from the Build-A-Garden: Happy Blossoms.

The second card features the Build-A-Garden: Happy Blossoms set. I stamped the floral image with black ink and used the coordinating five-piece layering stencil set to colour it in.

I decided to stay with the same colour combination as the first card and used Buttercream, Cloudy Sky, Nimbus, Olive and Evergreen Fresh Dye Inks to create a soft yet vibrant floral design.

To finish the card, I stamped and die-cut a lovely coordinating sentiment from the set.

That’s it from me today! I’m the last stop on today’s hop, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the inspiration along the way. If you’d like to start from the beginning, you can find the full lineup below.

Thank you for stopping by!
Aga

Saturday, 13 December 2025

Altenew December 2025 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew December 2025 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Svitlana Shayevich’s blog then you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back to Altenew’s blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 December 18th 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 December 20th, 2025.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing two simple cards created with products from the December 2025 Release collection. For the first card I used a beautiful panel made with Piped Floral Lace 3D Embossing Folder and Misty Sage Cardstock.

I started by cutting out a circle from the green panel and then ran it through the die-cutting machine with an embossing folder. To enhance the elegant and delicate texture of the lacework, I gently brushed Mossy Meadow Fresh Dye Ink over the pattern.

Next, I fussy cut an additional part of the pattern and added it to the circle. To finish the card, I added a sentiment from the Essential Sentiments Set.

For my second card, I used products from the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Whispers in the Canopy. This set contains everything you need to create nature-inspired scenes: a beautiful silhouette backdrop stamp, versatile sentiments, a coordinating die set, a simple colouring stencil set and a 3D embossing folder.

First, I stamped my background with Limestone Fresh Dye Ink. Next, I cut out elements from the Whispers in the Canopy Layering Die Set from white cardstock and assembled my bird and birdhouse. To colour the bird, I used Misty Moor Fresh Dye Ink along with blue shades from Tranquility Fresh Dye Ink.

To finish the card, I added green elements from the die set and a sentiment.

That’s it from me today! Your next stop is Cathy Zielske.
You can find the full line up below.

Thank you for stopping by today!
Aga

Friday, 7 November 2025

Altenew November 2025 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew November 2025 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Michelle Short’s blog then you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back to Altenew’s blog, and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 November 13th 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 November 15th, 2025.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing two simple cards created with products from the November 2025 Release collection. For the first card I used a beautiful panel made with Sweet Spray Set, a great bundle set for stunning floral creations!

I started by stamping the floral image from the Sweet Spray stamp set with black ink and used the coordinating stencil set to add colour to the background. I used Blueberry, Blue Horizon, Wisteria, and Hydrangea inks for the flowers, along with Olive and Moss for the green parts. I used brushes from Micro Blending Brush Set, they worked perfectly for applying different ink colours, as the elements of these stencils are quite small.

To finish the card, I added a sentiment from the limited Stylish Greetings Die Set, which includes outlines and shadow layers for six versatile sentiments.

For my second card, I used the Dancing Cosmos Embossing Folder, which I inked with Cloudy Sky Fresh Dye Ink before running it through my die-cutting machine.

I trimmed the embossed piece to create a simple yet beautiful panel that reminds me of prints made from hand-carved wood or rubber blocks.

To finish it, I once again used a sentiment from the Stylish Greetings Die Set, cut from Cloudy Sky Cardstock for a monochromatic look.

That’s it from me today! Your next stop is Andreja Majhen.
You can find the full line up below.

Thank you for stopping by today!
Aga

Sunday, 12 October 2025

Altenew October 2025 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Altenew October 2025 Release Blog Hop! If you came here from Altenew’s blog, you're on the right track. If not, be sure to go back and start from there so you don't miss a thing!

$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 October 19th 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 October 21st, 2025.

The winner of the $100 gift certificate will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew blog.

Today I’m sharing a CAS floral card created with products from the October 2025 Release collection. The Craft-A-Flower: Garden Cosmos Layering Die Set is a stunning addition to the Altenew 3D flowers family, with five layered blooms, flowing leaves, and graceful stems, perfect for bringing the beauty of cosmos flowers to life in your handmade projects. It’s one of my favourite sets from this month’s release!

I started by die-cutting all the elements from white cardstock, then used Altenew Fresh Dye Inks along with mini blending brushes to add colour to the flowers and leaves. For the florals, I chose pink shades from the Rose Petal Fresh Dye Ink Bundle, paired with lush greens from the Tropical Forest Fresh Dye Ink set for the foliage.

For the background, I created a panel by inking The Original Sticky Mat with black ink and making a simple impression on white cardstock. To finish the card I added a tiny sentiment from Build-A-Garden: Serene Blooms.