Hello friends! Today I’m playing along with the Altenew June 2026 Inspiration Challenge! One of the reasons I love participating in challenges is that they encourage me to try something different. It’s easy to reach for the same colors and techniques we love, but challenges often push us to explore new combinations and look at our supplies in a fresh way.
And honestly, some of my favorite projects happen when I step outside my creative comfort zone.
🎨 Starting with a Beautiful Bloom
For today’s card, I reached for the gorgeous Build-A-Garden Sulfur Cosmos set.
I stamped the image using Permanent Black Ink and then pulled out the coordinating stencils, mini ink cubes, and blending brushes to begin bringing the bloom to life. One of my favorite things about layering stencils is how quickly the image comes together. With each layer, the flower gains more depth and dimension, transforming from a simple outline into a vibrant focal point.
Watching the petals emerge is always a little bit magical.
✨ Adding Extra Depth
Once the stencil work was complete, I wanted to add even more dimension to the flower. This is where I reached for my Altenew Alcohol Markers.
One thing I absolutely love about Altenew products is how their color families coordinate across different mediums. It makes it easy to combine inks, markers, and other coloring products without having to guess which shades will work together.
Using alcohol markers in the same color family, I deepened some of the shadows and added extra shading to the petals.
The additional contrast helped the flower feel more realistic and gave it a little more visual impact.
🌿 Building the Background
After finishing the bloom, I added the hello sentiment and clear heat embossed it to help it stand out against the background.
I wasn’t quite ready to stop there, though.
Using the final stencil from the set, I added subtle patterning around the card to create additional interest without competing with the flower.
To soften everything and tie the colors together, I lightly shaded the background using the Frosty Pink Alcohol Marker. This simple step adds just enough color to frame the focal image while keeping the overall design clean and elegant.
✏️ Finishing Touches
As with many of my cards, I finished the design with one of my favorite details—a hand-drawn border. Sometimes the smallest details help pull everything together and give a card that finished look.
💡 A Little Creative Challenge
The next time you finish stenciling an image, try adding a second coloring medium on top.
Use:
- Alcohol markers over ink blending
- Colored pencils over watercolor
- Gel pens over markers
Those extra layers can add incredible depth and help your images really shine.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this project inspires you to pull out your Altenew supplies, experiment with layering different coloring mediums, and maybe even join the Inspiration Challenge yourself.
Have a wonderful week and happy creating! 🌸💛✨
 Altenew – Build-A-Garden Sulfur Cosmos Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew – Permanent Black Ink Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew Enchanted Garden Fresh Dye Ink Mini Cube Set Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew Red Cosmos Fresh Dye Ink Mini Cube Set Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew Tropical Forest Fresh Dye Ink Mini Cube Set Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew – Tropical Garden Artist Alcohol Markers Set E Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew – Cosmic Garden Artist Alcohol Markers Set A Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew – English Country Garden Artist Alcohol Markers Set C Shop at: Alt |
 Altenew Mini Blending Brushes Shop at: Alt | |
Beautifully done!
Thank you so very much!