July 2026 Guest Designer of the Month | Zero-Waste Die Two Ways

Hello, crafty friends!

I'm so excited to be here as a first-time Guest Designer for Altenew!

My name is Simeen, and I started making cards about three years ago as a way to unwind once my littles were asleep for the night. Before I knew it, those quiet evenings at my craft table had become the highlight of my day, and what started as a hobby quickly turned into a true passion. There's something so special about creating a handmade card that lets someone know they're loved, celebrated, or simply being thought of.

If you've ever described your crafting style as clean and simple, then we're kindred spirits! That's exactly why I love creating with Altenew products. Their thoughtfully designed products help me achieve detailed, artistic results while staying true to my clean and simple style. They inspire me to try new techniques while making the creative process so much fun.

Today I'm sharing two cards featuring the Zero Waste: Hearts Aplenty, a product that immediately inspired me to see just how many looks I could create from a single die. I challenged myself to use the same soft pastel rainbow color palette in two different ways to keep the designs bright and cheerful while staying true to my clean and simple style.

So now I have a question for you...

Are You Team Inlay or Team Strips?

For my first card, I chose the paper-piecing route by inlaying each individual heart back into the die-cut panel.

I started by die cutting the Zero Waste: Hearts Aplenty Die from white cardstock. Then I die cut each color from my rainbow cardstock and carefully inlaid every heart into its matching opening. It definitely takes a little more time, but I find the process incredibly relaxing. There's something so satisfying about watching the design come together one piece at a time.

The finished result has subtle dimension from each individual heart, creating a polished look that's well worth the extra effort.

To finish the card, I added a sentiment from the One-Go: Solid Sentiment Banners set using Instant Dimension Foam Tape for a little extra lift. I love how the bold black sentiment pops against the soft rainbow colors while letting the hearts remain the focal point.

For my second card, I wanted to create the same colorful look using a much quicker technique.

Instead of inlaying each heart, I adhered strips of cardstock behind the die-cut panel. The result is an instant rainbow background that comes together in just a fraction of the time, making it a great option when you're creating multiples or looking for a quicker project.

I finished the design with another sentiment from the One-Go: Solid Sentiment Banners set, again popped up with Instant Dimension Foam Tape, proving that sometimes all you need is a colorful background and a heartfelt greeting.

That's what I love most about zero waste dies—one product can inspire completely different designs and techniques.

Whether you enjoy the relaxing process of paper piecing or prefer the speed of adding colorful strips behind your die cuts, both techniques create beautiful cards full of color and dimension.

So tell me... are you Team Inlay or Team Strips? I'd love to hear which technique you would try first!

Thank you so much to the Altenew team for inviting me to be a Guest Designer this month. It's truly an honor to share my projects with this amazing crafting community.

Three years ago, I never would have imagined that those quiet evenings at my craft table would lead me to guest designing for one of my favorite crafting companies. If you're just beginning your own cardmaking journey, I hope these projects encourage you to keep creating, keep experimenting, and enjoy the process. You never know where your creativity might take you.

If you'd like to see more of my clean and simple card designs, I'd love to connect with you! You can find me on Instagram at @simeen.creates, where I share cardmaking inspiration, new projects, and a behind-the-scenes look at my creative journey.

Happy crafting!

What is a zero-waste die?

A zero-waste die is designed to utilize both the positive cuts (the shapes that fall out) and the negative cuts (the outline panel left behind), ensuring no paper scraps go to waste.

What is the paper inlay technique in cardmaking?

Paper inlaying (or paper piecing) involves die-cutting a shape out of a base card and then fitting different colored die-cut pieces back into those empty negative spaces like a puzzle, creating a smooth, flush texture.

How do you add dimension to clean and simple cards?

You can easily add dimension to clean and simple designs by using foam tape behind your sentiments or by slightly raising your die-cut panels off the card base.

Which of these two techniques fits your personal crafting style best?