How to Make a Thank You Card by Hand

Steps

1. 1. Stamp the Floral Image

   Load the Breezy Petals Stamp Set into the Stampwheel 2.0 and ink it with Altenew Permanent Black Pigment Ink. Press it firmly onto white card stock to get a clean, crisp outline of the floral design.

   Tip: Ink the stamp pad evenly before pressing - rock it gently across the stamp surface in small circles to avoid patchy coverage.

   

2. 2. Color the Flowers with Stencils

   Grab the coordinating Breezy Petals stencils and line them up over the stamped image. Use blending brushes and your choice of Altenew inks to fill in each section of the design.

   Tip: Use a circular buffing motion with the blending brush rather than back-and-forth strokes - it gives more even coverage and blends colors together naturally at the edges.

   

3. 3. Die-Cut the Floral Panel

   Once the coloring is complete and the ink is fully dry, lay the coordinating die over the floral image and position it carefully so the die covers the design the way you want. Secure the die to the card stock with a few small pieces of Altenew satin tape so it can't shift while running through the machine.

   Tip: The satin tape trick is worth doing every time - even a small slip means the die cuts through the wrong part of your colored image and you lose the work.

   

4. 4. Stamp and Cut the Sentiment

   Use the leftover white card stock from around your floral panel - no need for a fresh sheet. Find the 'thank you' sentiment stamp in the same Breezy Petals set and ink it with black pigment ink, then stamp it cleanly.

   Tip: Stamp on a scrap piece first to check ink coverage before committing to your card stock - sentiment stamps with thin script lettering can look patchy if the pad is low on ink.

   

5. 5. Prepare the Pink Background Panel

   Cut a piece of Altenew frosty pink card stock to 4 by 5.25 inches. Remove the nozzle from the Altenew pure white ink spray bottle and flick it toward the card stock to create scattered white dot splatters across the surface.

   Tip: Do the ink splatters over a piece of scrap paper to protect your work surface - the white ink sprays wider than you expect and the droplets scatter a foot or more.

   

6. 6. Layer the Background onto the Card Base

   Take an A2-sized piece of Altenew grass field card stock as your card base - this is the green layer that becomes the outer border of the card. Apply Make It Sticky glue tape to the back of the pink panel and press it centered onto the green card base, leaving a narrow green border showing on all sides.

   Tip: Use a bone folder to burnish the glue tape down firmly before peeling the backing strip - it helps the tape stick fully on the first press and prevents lifting corners later.

   

7. 7. Add Dimension with Foam Tape

   Cut small pieces of Altenew Instant Dimension foam tape and apply them to the back of the colored floral die-cut panel - a few pieces distributed across the panel is enough. Do the same on the back of the sentiment die-cut.

   Tip: Press firmly from the center outward when attaching the die-cut pieces to avoid air pockets under the foam tape - air pockets let the edges curl up over time.

   

8. 8. Finish with Gem Sparkles

   Pick up individual metallic gold gem sparkles with the tip of a wax pencil or tweezers and place them across the card face - a few scattered near the flowers and one or two on the plain pink background area. They catch the light and give the card that finished, professional look without any additional stamping.

   Tip: A wax pickup pencil (also called a wax pencil or rhinestone picker) makes placing small gems much easier than tweezers - the gem sticks to the waxy tip and releases cleanly when...