May 2026 Inspiration Challenge

Each month, a member of the Altenew Design Team (or guest designer) selects a photo that they have taken and then uses that as inspiration for a project. We want to share the fun, of course, and so we invite YOU to use your own creativity to make a project inspired by this month's photo. This month's host is Bridget Casey. 

Hello Altenew family! Bridget Casey here, and I’m so excited to share this card as inspiration for this month’s challenge!

This month, we are celebrating the beauty of spring and the joy of handmade gestures. For this card, I leaned into one of my all-time favorite design combinations: bold, dimensional florals paired with a clean, textured background. There is something truly captivating about letting florals take center stage, especially when they are built up with soft ink blending and intricate layered die cuts.

To anchor the design for the May 2026 Inspiration Challenge, I focused on high-contrast colors and realistic depth. I chose the Craft-A-Flower: Butterfly Ranunculus to create large, impactful blooms that feel like they are jumping off the card.

• Petal Perfection: I die-cut all the floral layers from Crafty Necessities: Morning Frost Cardstock. To give them life, I blended Rubellite and Razzleberry Fresh Dye inks. By concentrating the deeper tones at the petal centers and blending softly outward, I achieved a natural, gradient look.

• Vibrant Centers: For a "pop" of contrast, the flower centers were finished with warm tones from the Fall Harvest Fresh Dye Ink Set, specifically using Pumpkin Pie, Yellow Ochre, and Sicilian Amber.

• Artistic Foliage: The leaves were die-cut from Crafty Necessities: Frayed Leaf Cardstock and enhanced with Olive Grove Fresh Dye Ink. These greens provide much-needed movement and balance, subtly peeking out to guide the eye through the floral arrangement.

A great card is all about the details. For the background, I wanted to keep things sophisticated without distracting from the main attraction.

• The Backdrop: I embossed a white panel using the 3D Embossing Folder from the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Fruits & Flowers. This provides a tactile, pillowy texture that adds professional interest to the "white space."

• The Sentiment: I completed the card with a clean sentiment strip from Wholehearted Sentiments: Mother’s Day Edition that reads: “You inspire me every day.” It’s a bold, simple statement that perfectly grounds the feminine design.

• Elegant Accents: A few strategically placed pearl embellishments bring in just the right touch of elegance and shine to finish the look.

Now it’s your turn to get crafty! We want to see how you interpret this month's theme. Whether you are inspired by my specific color palette, the dimensional layering of the Butterfly Ranunculus, or the clean and textured layout, there are no limits to your creativity.

Have a wonderful and crafty day,
Bridget Casey 

Ready to share your own masterpiece? We love seeing how different artists interpret the same photo. To make sure your entry is eligible for our prizes, please follow these simple guidelines:

• Altenew products should be the focus, but other companies' products can be used.
• Make sure to use our challenge image above in your blog post.
• When uploading your project, make sure you link your entry post, not your entire blog.
• If you don't have a blog, feel free to upload your entries to the Crafter's Gallery and get the link to your photo.
• You may enter the challenge as many times as you wish!
• The challenge ends on May 31st, 2026, at 11:55 pm EST.

We love rewarding our community! After the challenge ends, FOUR WINNERS will be selected. Each will receive a $30 gift certificate to spend at www.altenew.com. Winners will be announced on June 10th, 2026 on the Altenew Instagram account.

Feel free to use the badge above and let everyone know you are a participant in our Inspiration Challenge!

Now it’s your turn!

Whether you’re inspired by a color palette, a shape, or a feeling, I can’t wait to see how you interpret this month’s challenge theme. Will your take be bold and graphic, or soft and true to life? Either way, be sure to link up your project and share your creative journey with us!

Click the blue button below to link your entry (or entries!). Good luck and happy crafting!