Embellishments in FOCUS! Two Different Ways and a SALE!

Today is a great day for embellishment lovers! We'll be working on creating two cards using the same stencil as the main product for both cards, but we are going to switch up the color scheme and the types of embellishments for finishing touches. 

Hey, hey Altenew friends and fans! It's your embellishments crazed gal Erica on the blog and YouTube channel today. I am a self-confessed embellishments freak and oh so often Bring the Bling (that's my catch phrase AND motto, LOL) If you saw a recent post from me, you might have a fairly good idea...

I'm loving the fact that there is a huge range of different embellishments from Altenew, and there is something to fit pretty much any project you have in mind. Gem Sparkles are some of my favourites, hands down. They certainly Bring The Bling every time, and my only issue is keeping them stocked as I do tend to be really rather generous with my usage of them. 

It's not everyone's cup of tea to use as many embellishments as I do, but I am trying to not hoard all my pretties. I have them, so I am determined to use them and not just let them sit there and gather dust. Using embellishments with wild abandon gives me so much joy, which is all the reason I need to go to (Bling) town. 

For today's cards I have used the Dancing Drops stencil on two panels. One done in a rainbow look and one in a blue ombrè, which I also love so much. 

I have also used the same stamp set for the sentiment, which is the Tranquil Greetings stamp set. It's filled with wonderful sentiments, some which are uplifting and encouraging, as well as birthday greetings and sympathy. It has a coordinating diecut set too, which is so handy. It makes it a breeze to give that really lovely finishing touch to the sentiment when it's perfectly cut out, doesn't it? Another plus is that it's easy peasy to cut out extra pieces to layer them up. Which I did for both cards. 

When it came to picking out the embellishments for the cards I thought I'd go for Gem Sparkles for both of them. There are some gorgeous blue Gem Sparkle sets, like the Deep Sea Sapphire Gem Sparkles

I really thought I'd use these for the blue ombrè card, but I was not sold on the look when I had the embellishments and the background next to each other. Maybe another colour would have worked better, but I decided to switch to another type of embellishments instead: Enamel Dots! I don't use these as often as Gem Sparkles so it felt like it was time to break them out. 

The range of enamel dots is very impressive, and did you know that there is pretty much a coordinating enamel dots set for every ink colour family there is? If you are looking for true colour compatibility, this is where it's at. Just look for the colour family name, and search to see if there is a coordinating embellishments set in that range and you are all set. I have said it in the past and I will say it again. you can tell that there are crafters behind Altenew, because of the attention to detail and colour compatibility. 

I might have skipped ahead a little here with the actual card making bit going a bit too focused on the embellishments so let's back up a bit. After ink blending my little heart out, using ALL of the inks, a sticky mat from the Stampwheel, and so many ink blending tools, I had two pretty backgrounds. 

These I have trimmed down a little, about a 1/4 of an inch so it's 4"x5.25" instead of the usual A2 size of 4.25"x5.5". On the back of both of these, I added three strips of 1' wide Instant Dimension Foam Tape before adhering them to a card base each. 

The sentiments are heat embossed with Antique Gold Crisp Embossing Powder and then cut out with the coordinating diecut. Heat embossing is a great way to add some subtle and elegant embellishments to your card. It's a little touch of luxury that really takes the look of the card up a notch. 

I also cut out another three pieces for each sentiment. I did four to have some options, so there was a fair bit of extra diecutting but this part makes such a difference it's definitely worth doing. Think of your sentiment as an extra part of embellishments on your card, it should stand out. Unless you are planning on mailing your cards, rather than give them in person, then the flatter the better. 

I tend to adhere my sentiments first and then use the embellishments around it, as I have done things differently in the past and it's not worked out so great. When you add your embellishments first it does limit the space left for a sentiment and can make placing a bit awkward. At least when you use as many embellishments as I do. 

So we have our card bases, our backgrounds, so much Instant Dimension Foam Tape and sentiments all done. Now it's time for the best part: embellishments!! I seriously love adding bling, sparkle and embellishments to my cards, it's so fun! My biggest problem is picking which one to use, placements of the embellishments have never been a problem for me, which I know can be daunting for some of you. 

After rummaging through my embellishments box (and yes, I have a big box full of embellishments because why not? Options are good!) I settled on a brand new packet of Iridescent Crystals Gem Sparkles and honestly.. the name says it all. They are incredibly gorgeous. 

These will probably work with just about any kind of project you might have, because of the clear iridescent look of them. In terms of embellishments I would say 'perfection' pretty much. 

The placements of the embellishments, on both cards, have been done by using the pattern of the stencil. I placed both the gem sparkles and the enamel dots on some of the bigger drops, in clusters of threes, all around the sentiment. I often use embellishments to draw the eye in towards the sentiment and for these cards I did just that. 

Of course a card doesn't need bulky embellishments or sparkle. You can also splatter some metallic water colour/ink/spray on top for a completely flat, yet shimmery, background. 

I have, on occasion, used both techniques when I want to really Bring The Bling, and for some cards it works fabulous but it's not for every single occasion, that's for sure. Embellishments are supposed to elevate your card, not overcrowd it (she says being a chronic over-blinger) 

I hope you have enjoyed this embellishments in focus post and feel inspired! If you have any questions, or need a boost in your embellishments journey, drop me a comment down below and I will get back to you.

With love and light, creativity and ALL THE EMBELLLISHMENTS, from Erica 

If you love using embellishments, don't forget to take advantage of an ongoing sale at Altenew! For 3 days only, you can get up to 50% OFF when shopping from the embellishments collection. It's the perfect chance to refill your favorite gems, sparkles, and dots, or finally get the ones you've been eyeing for a while!

That's not all, but you can also get a FREE Flowery Hexagon Stamp Set (worth $6.99) on orders over $79 from August 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM EST until August 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. Happy shopping!