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Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

3D embossing folder

Altenew March 2022 Whimsical Fairy Tale Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Today, Altenew is releasing another beautiful collection of embossing folders, called the Whimsical Fairy Tale collection, and we’re celebrating with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from Hussena Calcuttawala, and your next stop is LauraJane. You can also start back at the beginning at the Altenew Blog in case you get lost! This beautiful new collection features a variety of themes, but as usual, I gravitated towards the bold floral folders, particularly the Peony Sunshine folder. It’s massive, it’s super detailed, and I absolutely adore it. I’ve taken the “3D” portion of the title to a new level with some watercoloring today, so let’s get started with the details!

I began by running the Peony Sunshine embossing folder through my die cut machine with a panel of Arches Cold Press watercolor paper. I find that this super heavy duty paper is perfect for use with these embossing folders; the embossing is nice and crisp, and it holds up beautifully to watercoloring. Once I’d embossed my watercolor panel, I used the Artists’ Watercolor 24 Pan Set to add lots of beautiful reds and corals to the image. The 3D embossing creates little wells, but the watercolor can still bleed even with those dimensional hills and valleys, so it’s best to treat this as you would with no-line watercoloring: work in sections, and allow the initial wet areas to dry before moving to the sections next to it to avoid bleeding. Once the panel was dry, I fussy cut around the edge with my sharp scissors.

Next, I used a blending brush with the the Woven stencil to lightly blend some Dark Night ink on a navy blue A2 cardstock base. This pattern is super subtle, but adds just a touch of interest to the area behind the peony! I wanted to keep this color scheme very springy and almost nautical feeling, so I kept things simple with a coral and navy color palette. To help coordinate with those coral tones in the peony, I splattered some rose gold metallic paint from the  metallic watercolor  pan set over the top of the stenciled background.

For the greeting, I die cut the Simple Greeting dies, cutting the background from some more navy cardstock and the detailed top layer from some matte rose gold cardstock to coordinate with the metallic rose gold splatters. I also heat embossed a greeting from Sentiment Strips 3 using rose gold embossing powder onto a strip of the same navy blue cardstock. I popped up the watercolored peony, sentiment strip, and sentiment die cuts using Instant Dimension Foam Tape, finally adding some shimmering gems for some more sparkle.

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now, for some fun giveaway information:

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 03/31/2022 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 04/02/2022.

Your next stop on the hop is LauraJane. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Altenew Fabulous Flora Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Altenew released their gorgeous new Fabulous Flora collection, and we’re hopping to celebrate! You should have arrived here from Terri Koszler, and your next stop is Linda Parker. You can also start back at the beginning at the Altenew Blog in case you get lost! I can’t get enough of watercolored 3D embossing folders, so my project today features some vivid watercoloring using the new Cupped Blossoms 3D Embossing Folder, so let’s get started with the details!

I began by running the Cupped Blossoms 3D Embossing Folder through my die cut machine with some Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper. I like using this super thick, textured paper with my embossing folders, because it holds up really well to the intense pressure and added texture that the folders provide.

I wanted to add tons of intense color to my panel, allowing those stunning peony images to really pop from the page, so I began by doing some almost reverse psychology on my watercolored image, adding the intense teal background around the edges of the plain flowers. This allows me to more accurately gauge the level of intensity when I start to add pigment to the flowers. I struggle with keeping things light enough to add bright highlights, and that dark background helps put things in better perspective. Painting the embossed images is done similarly to doing no-line painting on a stamped image; work in sections, keeping the wet areas well away from each other so that they don’t bleed into each other. Once each section is dry, you can work in the section directly next to it. It does take a bit of strategy, but the finished result is so beautiful, I think!

Once my watercolored panel had dried, I matted it on an A2 piece of coordinating deep magenta cardstock, giving it just a touch of color around the edge of the frame. I die cut the Circled Greetings: Hugs die from white cardstock three times, adhering them all together using liquid adhesive to create a dimensional die cut. The stark white contrasts beautifully with the intense teal background. Simple, but those spectacular, massive peonies deserve to be the star of the show!

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now for some fun giveaway information:

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 01/27/2022  for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 02/01/2022.

Your next stop is Linda Parker. Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy hopping!

Blog Post Title: Altenew NEW Year-End Celebration Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Today, Altenew is releasing a new collection of standalone dies: Celebration Collection! Standalone dies are some of my most favorite crafting tools with which to work… they’re just so fun and can create such unique effects depending on your technique! We are inspiring you with the new release by hopping along; you should have arrived here from Dana Joy, and your next stop is Fiona Duff. You can also start back at the beginning at the Altenew Blog. I have two projects for you today featuring a sweet pink and aqua color combination, so let’s get started with the details!

We are rapidly approaching the finish line for Christmas crafting, so I thought I’d mix things up a little with some fresh springy colors for today’s hop! I adore pinks and aquas together, and they were a perfect match for the sweet new products that I worked with today. Let’s get started with the details!

I began my first card using the Simple Frame 3D Embossing Folder and Stencil combo. I first embossed my pale pink A2 card panel using the folder, then used the mask and stencils to do some ink blending on the interior of the frame, concentrating the deep pink at the top and fading down to nothing towards the bottom in a smooth ombré.

Next, I die cut the pieces for the Celebrate With Cake birthday cake (or other celebratory confection?) using aqua for the layers, Dazzling Diamond Glitter paper for the frosting decoration, and deep pink for the cake stand. I assembled everything with liquid glue and adhered it to the blended frame panel using Instant Dimension Foam Tape. I also die cut a new Fancy Yay from some more Dazzling Diamond Glitter Paper and added it to the card front with some more foam tape. Some iridescent gems finished it off and tied all of the colors and sparkles together!

My secon project features the same color scheme, but a much more somber overall feel. I began by embossing some white pearlescent cardstock using the beautiful Whimsical Bouquet embossing folder. The embossed images are so beautifully crisp on the pearlescent cardstock; the coating on the cardstock helps to emboss the raised areas perfectly, with no warping or paper breakage.

Next, I quickly embossed, watercolored, and die cut a few blooms and foliage from the Flower Garden Stamp and Die bundle. I love using white pearl embossing powder for floral watercoloring. It’s subtlety helps to almost give the appearance of no-line coloring, but still with the added ease of watercoloring the raised heat embossed areas. I die cut one of the new Nesting Slim Labels dies from some aqua cardstock. I oriented the label to one side of the embossed card base and trimmed the edge so that it was flush with the edge of the card base. I then adhered the label, watercolored flowers, and a white hugs die cut using some more Instant Dimension Foam Tape. Some pink pearls finished off the project!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! To celebrate the new release, Altenew is hosting some fun giveaways:

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 12/23/2021 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 12/25/2021.

Your next stop on the hop is Fiona Duff. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Altenew Craft-A-Flower: Carolina Allspice Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($200 in total prizes)

Hi there! Today, Altenew is adding Carolina Allspice to the Craft A Flower family, and we’re celebrating with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from Tenia Nelson, and your next stop is Jaycee Gaspar. You can also start back at the Altenew Card Blog in case you get lost! To me, the most fun thing about these Craft-A-Flower die sets is the sheer volume of techniques that you can use with them. Colored cardstock, ink blending, alcohol markers, watercolor… your choices are endless! Today, I’ve chosen to create a bold, graphic flower using the Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors to create the variation and colors for my Carolina Allspice flower. Let’s get started with the details!

I began by die cutting all of the individual layers of the Carolina Allspice bloom and foliage from some Altenew Watercolor Paper. Using the color-printed guide included in the die packaging, I watercolored each layer using the Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolors in a gradient coral color scheme, adding splotches of yellow and red and purple to give each die cut layer some interest. I did the same with the layers of foliage, mixing the dark and light green to create the middle layer. This technique creates such a unique, kind of artsy-looking effect on your layered flower!

Next, I used the Garden Harmony 3D Embossing Folder to create a pretty background for my Carolina Allspice flower. I ran an A2 panel of pale peach cardstock through my die cut machine, then used the Metallic Watercolors to add some gold splatters to my card base and continue the organic, artsy look begun with the die cut flower.

I love that the Carolina Allspice set has a sentiment die included with it; it makes creating a quick card so simple! I die cut the “thanks” die twice from some more watercolor cardstock, adhered them together, then painted a few layers of metallic gold over the top to create an almost gilded sentiment die cut. I adhered the flower and the greeting to the embossed card front, then added a few metallic gems for some more shine and add the third metallic element to complete the “rule of three.”

Well, that’s all for my project today! Now for some fun giveaway information!

$200 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $20 gift certificate to 5 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 12/13/2021 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 7 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 12/15/2021.

Your next stop on the hop is Jaycee Gaspar. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!

Altenew NEW Sweet Moments Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes) ($300 in total prizes)

Hi there! Today, Altenew is releasing a brand new collection of stamps, dies, and some fabulous new hot plates and embossing folders, and we are celebrating with a blog hop! You should have arrived here from Dana Joy, and your next stop is Mindy Eggen. You can also always start back at the Altenew Blog in case you get lost! I have two projects featuring some of the new goodies today, so let’s get started with the details!

(affiliate links used where possible)

My first project features one of my most favorite new techniques: watercolor on 3D embossing folders, and the Playful Blooms 3D Embossing Folder is absolutely a joy to paint. These massive blooms are so detailed, and when you add the additional dimension of the watercoloring, it’s just a knockout! I began by running an A2 panel of Arches Cold Press watercolor paper through my machine using the Playful Blooms 3D Embossing Folder. The Arches paper is super thick, so you get almost a reverse letterpress effect, and it holds up beautifully to the intense embossing.

I used the Altenew Artists’ 24 Pan Watercolor to watercolor the roses and alstroemeria images in a sunny yellow and orange palette. I always love the finished result of yellow flowers, but I seem to only gravitate towards pinks and purples. The trick with watercoloring these embossed images is to treat it like no-line watercoloring: work in sections to keep the wet areas separate to prevent them bleeding into one another. I added some metallic gold splatters and details to the finished panel using gold paint from the Metallic Watercolor Pan set.

Once all of my watercoloring had been completed I turned my attention to the sentiment. I used gold embossing powder to heat emboss the greeting from the new Inside and Out: Thanks on a piece of vellum and a strip of coordinating coral cardstock. I added the greeting on the embossed card front using some Instant Dimension Foam Tape and finished everything off with some shiny gold pearls!

My second project is a simple one, but I think the new All Kinds of Amazing hot foil plate doesn’t need much help to make a stunning card. I used my Gemini Jr Hot Foil System to add super shiny gold foil to this kelly green cardstock. The contrast of the shiny gold foil with the bright green cardstock is so pretty, and the embossing plate embossed beautifully on this cardstock.

I trimmed the foiled panel down a bit to allow a shiny gold foil mat around the edge. I adhered the green foiled panel to the A2 sized gold foil card front using some more Instant Dimension Foam Tape. A simple card, but I think that the shiny gold foil is super effective on it’s own! A little foam tape, et voilà!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! Now, for some fun giveaway information!

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 12/09/2021 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 12/11/2021.

Your next stop on the hop is Mindy Eggen. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!