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Alex Syberia Designs August Release - Happy Cuties and Peony Corners - Giveaway

Hello crafty friend! Welcome to the Happy Cuties and Peony Corners August Release Blog Hop by Alex Syberia Designs ! Leave a comment on the blogs posts on the hop for a chance to win! Beside the lovely inspirations we have a pretty nice giveaway too! You can find the details about it in this post!


THIS CARD FEATURES


Do your projects look better in real life than in photos? Start with 5 simple ways to make your craft photos do them justice. 🎁 Get my free photo ebook for cardmakers and colorists here!

STAMPING AND STENCILING

I started this card with the beautiful Peony Corners Stamp Set. I picked the corner image and stamped it twice with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink using my MISTI stamping platform. Once the images were stamped, I heat set them with my heat gun before moving on to the coloring.



For the coloring I used the coordinating Peony Corners Stencil Set. I started with the flower centers using Squeezed Lemonade and added a little Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide Ink here and there. Then I blended Kitsch Flamingo around the petals, going slightly over the yellow areas too. This little overlap created that pretty peachy color which I really love.


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For the second layer, I turned the stencil and added Picked Raspberry to the larger flowers and Spun Sugar Distress Oxide Ink to the smaller ones.

Next I moved on to the leaves and flower centers with the other stencil. For these areas I used Black Soot, Hickory Smoke and Old Paper Distress Oxide Inks, then finished the flower centers with Black Soot as well.


STAMPING AND DIE CUTTING

Once all the ink blending was finished, I placed the cardstock back into my MISTI. I had kept the stamp in exactly the same position, so I could stamp the images once again with VersaFine Onyx Black Ink. This brought back the crisp outlines beautifully after all the ink blending.

After heat setting the ink, I used the coordinating Peony Corners Die Set and ran both images through my Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.


HOT FOILED SENTIMENT

For the sentiment I used the Essential Sentiments Press Plate & Die Set. I really love this set because with just one foiling and one die-cutting step, you can create a whole bunch of beautiful sentiments at once. Such a time saver!

I used the satin gold foil from the Satin Metallics Variety Pack, then die cut all the sentiments so I could choose the one that worked best with my card.



PUTTING THE CARD TOGETHER

For the card base, I paired a warm yellowish olive cardstock with a brighter pink cardstock. I really love how these colors work with the peachy pink flowers. They already give me a tiny bit of an autumn feeling, and you know how much I love that season!

I adhered the Peony Corners with 3D foam squares to give the card some dimension. Then I added the hot foiled sentiment on top, raising it a little higher so it would stand out nicely between the flowers.



Finally, I added a few clear sequins for a little extra sparkle, and the card was finished. I absolutely love how these colors turned out together! And you will see this beautiful Peony Corners set from me again very soon, because I also have a YouTube video tutorial coming with it. So keep an eye on my Instagram for the sneak peek! 👀✨

If you are new here, you can also find me on Instagram as @mona.toth where I share photo tips for crafters, and more cardmaking inspirations. (Yes, I have a facebook page too) :) 

GIVEAWAY

Alex Syberia Designs is giving away a $15 or £15 gift card to three lucky winners.

The giveaway is open internationally. All three winners will be selected from entrants who take part in the blog hop by 11:59 pm BST on August 16 2026. The winners will be announced on the 'Giveaway Winners' page of the Alex Syberia Designs blog on 17 August 2026.

BLOG HOP ORDER


USED SUPPLIES

I’ve listed all the supplies I used below, so you can easily find them. Some of the links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my blog and creative work!



Polar Bear Christmas Card Tutorial with Alcohol Markers - Spellbinders

Hi cardmaking friends, today I am guesting over on the Spellbinders Blog with an easy to follow step-by-step tutorial featuring the Polar Friends Stamp and Die Set by Simon Hurley. Here is a peek of the card.

Do your projects look better in real life? Start with 5 simple ways to make your craft photos do them justice. 🎁 Get my free photo ebook for cardmakers and colorists here!

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to color this adorable polar bear with alcohol markers, and turn it into a bright Christmas card with an arched window. This is just a sneak peek, so please check the original post with the easy to follow step-by-step tutorial on the Spellbinders blog.

Pin this post to your Pinterest board and save this card idea for later.

USED SUPPLIES

I’ve listed all the supplies I used below, so you can easily find them. Some of the links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my blog and creative work!

Easy Rainbow Floral Card Video Tutorial with Lush Peony Bouquet by Alex Syberia Designs

I really love easy techniques like this because you don’t need a complicated color plan. Just pick three ink colors, let them overlap a little through the stencil, and your flowers have that happy rainbow glow.


For this cardmaking project, I used:

  • Lush Floral Full Release Bundle [ US | UK ]
  • Floral Trio Die Set  [ US | UK ]
  • Floral Trio Press + Hot Foil Plate  [ US | UK ]
  • Floral Trio Press + Hot Foil Plate & Stencil Bundle  [ US | UK ]
  • Lush Peony Bouquet Press + Hot Foil Plate  [ UK ]
  • Lush Peony Bouquet Press + Hot Foil Plate & Stencil Bundle  [ US | UK ]
For the additional supplies with shop links visit the thumbnails below this post.

Watch the video tutorial

This card is also part of the Alex Syberia Designs YouTube Hop, and there is a giveaway too.


Turn your phone if you want to watch the video here, or watch on YouTube by clicking here. Don’t forget to comment under the video for a chance to win on the giveaway. 

Pin this post to your Pinterest board and save this card idea for later.

Creating the foiled floral image

I have to be honest, I was a little scared of the BetterPress system at first. I thought it would be complicated or fussy, but now I think I’m officially in love. I started with the Lush Peony Bouquet Press + Hot Foil Plate.


You can use this plate in different ways. If you have the Glimmer Hot Foil System, you can foil with it. If you have the BetterPress system, you can use it with ink for that beautiful pressed look.

For today’s card, I wanted to keep the process simple and quick, so I decided to foil the image with black foil.


Bold rainbow floral version

For the first version, I wanted a stronger, more vibrant rainbow look. I placed the first stencil over the foiled image and blended three Catherine Pooler ink colors through it:



I let the colors overlap a little while blending, and this created such a pretty rainbow effect on the flowers.

For the leaves, I used:


I really liked adding a little color twist to the leaves instead of using only green. It makes the whole card feel more playful and fresh.


Soft pastel rainbow version

For the second version, I wanted to show the same idea in a softer way. If you prefer a gentle pastel look, I think Distress Oxide inks are perfect for this technique.

For the base layer, I used:



These colors blend together so beautifully and create a soft rainbow effect without looking too strong.


Then I placed the next stencil layer on top to add the shadows and details. For this deeper layer, I used similar but stronger shades:


For the leaves, I wanted a lighter result, so I used:



Adding some details

At this point, the flowers already looked beautiful, but I wanted to add a few extra handmade details. So I used a white pencil and pigment pen to add a bit of light here and there on the flowers and leaves. 


I also added some black splatters, because I love how black splatters make a floral card feel a little more artsy and playful.

Creating the card background

For the background, I used a die cut panel made with the Charming Flora Cover Die. I also had some watercolor panels on my desk from one of my morning creative sessions, so I used one of them here.


For the sentiment, I decided to use a gold foiled sentiment on white cardstock made with Classic Sentiments because it added a soft and elegant touch to the colorful flowers.

Then I added a few sequins to make the card glow a little.


Card Photo Idea

If you loved to see these photos, you can see now how much difference it makes if you finish your photos before posting. Because editing is the final step that makes your card glow online instantly. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.


All the photos in this post were edited with one of the six looks from Crafter’s Photo Filters: a simple 2-step shortcut for brighter, more polished craft photos in seconds. Visit my shop to learn more.

More card ideas with the Lush Floral Collection

I already shared these blue Floral Trio cards in a previous blog post, so if you would like to see those in more detail, you can read that post here. 


Used Supplies

If you shop through my affiliate links, you get your crafty goodies without any additional cost to you, and I may earn a small commission that helps support my blog and channel. That makes it a win-win for both of us. I really appreciate your support. Affiliate Disclaimer.