Hi there! The first Marvelous Monthly release for 2023 has arrived, and we are hopping along to celebrate! You should have arrived here from Caly Person, and your next stop is Mindy Eggen. You can also start at the beginning at the Altenew blog in case you get lost! I am focusing on two new product sets today: Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations and Craft-A-Flower: Orchids. Here’s a peek at the Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations Bundle kit for this month:
The Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations product suite comes with a large stamp set, layering stencil set, and small blending tool. You can also purchase these same products bundled together with the coordinating dies to create a complete product kit. Such an awesome value! You can even subscribe to be sure that you receive these wonderful Build-A-Garden products each month!
The new Craft-A-Flower: Orchids die set features several different shapes of layering die orchid blooms, as well as a few different options for stems, so that you can create a variety of different shapes of orchid branches. Orchids are such a unique flower, and these layering dies have such a variety of angles and shapes that you can create truly unique arrangements. These Craft-A-Flower dies are always so much fun and can be be used in such a wide variety of techniques! If you enjoy layering dies, I highly encourage you to check out the subscription plan (see all of the details HERE); then you can get them delivered monthly, and at a discount!
After lots of reds and greens for the holidays, I am having a love affair with pink and black lately, and my cards today feature bold shades of pink accented with dramatic black backgrounds. Let’s get started with the details!
Both of my cards feature bold black backgrounds, and for this first card, I chose to start by stamping the different images from Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations using Obsidian black pigment ink, the clear embossing over the top to create a nice, crisp outline for my flowers. I used the coordinating stencils included in the Grand Carnations kit with Puffy Heart and Purple Wine inks to create these vibrant pink carnations. After ink blending, I I used a black alcohol ink marker around the edges of the embossed images to create a black background. I only went out far enough to ensure that the edge of the die cuts would be black; this is easier to me than trying to color the edges after I’ve die cut the images. I die cut the finished images and set them aside.
For the card base, I wanted to create a subtly patterned background using the patterned stencil included in the Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations. I taped an A2 panel of black cardstock to the stencil, then spritzed the Iridescent Shimmer Spray over the top. This spray is truly iridescent; if you notice, at one angle the pattern has a greenish cast, but at the other, the pattern takes on a pinkish hue. So fun and so perfect to match the colors of the flowers!
I trimmed down a strip of black glitter cardstock, then adhered it to the spritzed patterned card front using foam adhesive. I white embossed a couple of greetings from the Build-A-Garden: Grand Carnations on black cardstock, then trimmed the strip and used the coordinating die from the add-on die set to cut them out. I popped up the flowers using foam adhesive, then tucked the greeting amongst the blooms with some foam tape. I added a few gems for some more sparkle!
This next card is an homage to pink ombré. I began by die cutting the elements for the different flowers from the Craft-A-Flower: Orchids in three different shades of pink in light, medium, and dark. I wanted to create an ombré orchid stem. I die cut all of the layers from the same shades of cardstock, then used my alcohol markers in coordinating shades to add some subtle shadows on each petal so that there would be some extra depth and dimension on the flowers. You could also do this with some subtle ink blending!
I die cut the different stems from some deep turquoise cardstock, using the largest one to arrange my flowers and cutting off a few buds to add into the arrangement for a few more touches of that pretty jewel-green.
To create the background, I die cut the Lacy Doily die three times from an A2 panel of black cardstock, offsetting it along the edge to create a bit of a pattern. I adhered them to a different black A2 card base, creating a very subtle but super textured background. Next, I added the orchid arrangement with some foam adhesive. I love how vibrant those pink orchids are against that background! I added a greeting from the XOXO & More die set, cut from hot pink foil for the detailed sentiment and some more black cardstock for the outline layer. I adhered it using a double layer of foam tape for extra height. The last touch was to add some more sparkly pink gems!
Well, that’s all for these dramatic projects today. Now for some fun giveaway information!
$300+ in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a FULL RELEASE BUNDLE to 1 grand prize winner and a $25 gift certificate to 4 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by January 22, 2023 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 Winners Page on January 24, 2023. *The grand prize winner will be chosen from comments left on the Altenew Card Blog.
Here’s the full blog hop list:
Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!
Gorgeous pink flowers Emily! I LOVE them against the black!
Such fantastic cards. The design elements are wonderful and I love your orchids!
Two beautiful cards and I love your choice of colors!
Oh my these cards are just stunning on the black backround!
So pretty! I always forget about using a black background and these have reminded me to try it soon.
Both so beautiful, the dark background really let the flowers shine!
I especially like your orchids. They are gorgeous
Those pink orchids over the dark background are very dramatic and absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!
Great cards! Love this release.
Very pretty cards. I love the colors.. tyfs 🙂
Love the bright colors! The orchid card is my favorite!
Stunning!!!! I love the way your flowers just POP off the black!!!
Agreeing with the masses! The black background is perfect! I can see how much work and thought you put into these cards! Bravo! Love them!
Thanks for sharing your stunning cards!
Absolutely gorgeous cards. I am so inspired by the popularity of the dark backgrounds.
GIRL……black cardstock makes me weak in the knees! Absolutely gorgeous!
Beautiful cards! Love the orchid dies and stencil – makes the flowers look very real!
The colors on black are stunning! Beautiful work.
Gorgeous cards!
The bold contrast of the black background to the bright pink flowers are gorgeous!
Simply stunning!!!
Stunning! The black really makes the pinks pop!
The black background really makes everything stand out so beautifully!
Bright pink against a black background…brilliant.
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous cards–the orchids are my favorite!
Love the bright pink colors and the contrasting dark background
I especially like your idea of filling the space between the stamp and die with black ink. It makes the flowers pop. Thanks for sharing that tip.
So lovely. The black really makes the flowers stand out. Nice work.
Both cards are lovely! I really like the orchids- they are some of my favorite flowers and these Altenew orchids are amazing. There are so many parts- I appreciate your skill putting all the pieces together to make this amazing card.
Very beautiful cards! I like the bright flowers against the black backgrounds.
I love the vivid colors against the dark backgrounds. So very pretty!
Wow! I love the bold vivid colours against the black! Both the cards are stunning! A combination I must try now! Thank you for inspiring!
– Aditi (aditi.m.psychologist@gmail.com)
Not sure if my previous comment went through! So here’s one more!
I simple love the bold vivid colours against the black! Both your cards are stunning! This is a colour combo I must now try! Thank you for inspiring!- – Aditi (aditi.m.psychologist@gmail.com)
Beautiful orchids , thanks for sharing your talent!!
I love the ombre look of the flowers in the first card! So beautiful!
I love your cards. The colors are gorgeous. The carnations are my favorite from the new release; the orchids are running a close second now.
I love love the ombre color orchids. How unique and creative.
Super pretty, love the teals and pinks against the black!!!
Beautiful cards. My favorite is the Craft-A-Flower Orchids. How stunning against the dark card base!
Hi Emily. Dark backgrounds on cards are my absolute favorite. Your alcohol marker coloring is amazing the way you shaded the orchids to such vibrant rich colors. I also love your choice of colors on the carnations the stem is eye catching. Both these cards are gorgeous, and I look forward to your next projects.
Emily, I’m lovin’ all this texture you’ve got going on here! Gorgeous cards! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Beautiful cards! That choice of the pink over the black backgrounds was great – so striking!