Birthday Cake Gift Card Holder

 

                                    

The challenge twist this month at A Place to Start is to make a card without using rectangles. Here's a birthday cake shaped card with a gift card holder inside. It's super easy to make using these Emily Moore Designs products. 

Cutting the Cake Shape Card Base

To cut the base of the cake shape card, just align the left side of the cake base die along the folded edge but leave the die hanging off of the paper so that side won't be cut. 

Make it Special 

Use some brown glitter card stock for the chocolate icing and some patterned dot paper for some extra special touches. The dots remind me of sprinkles! I aligned some icing dollops over the gift card holder edges. 

Supplies:

Emily Moore Designs Gift Card Holder- Make a Cake, "for you" word dies, Short and Sweet Happy Birthday dies

Gina K Cozy Textures Patterned Paper (retired), Intricut die cutting machine

Paper Studio glitter cardstock pack

Challenges:

 A Place to Start August Challenge ATG, twist of no rectangles 8/3-8/28

Special Delivery

 

Red, white, and blue isn't just for fireworks and flags. This mail delivery card has a patriotic color scheme without any traditional July 4th elements. Check out the rest of the design team work at Cupcake Inspirations and play along this month. 

Once again, the Altenew Mini Delight subscription packs a punch for the very reasonable price of $10.99. This mailbox and cute little letters from the July 2026 release can be used at any time of year. Look at that little ribbon and seal on the envelope. These little details add so much! 

To complete this look, the mailbox is shaded with Altenew Nimbus and Cloudy Sky inks. Gina K inks are used to create the background and floral stamped images. 

Supplies:

Altenew Special Delivery Mini Delight July 2026, Fresh Dye inks (cloudy sky, nimbus)

Gina K Designs inks (faded brick, blue denim, powder blue)

Hobby Lobby foam squares

Black & White Challenge

The black & white challenge twist at A Place to Start this month is a real challenge for color lovers. These clematis blooms are beautiful in purple, but also stunning in a white with a tone-on-tone design using embossing powder. Give this challenge a try or create with color. You can still enter with "anything goes" because the twist is always optional.  

Tone on Tone

For the clematis blooms, use a stamp and clear embossing powder to create a shiny tone on tone patterned paper. 

Eye Catching Centers

 Black glitter paper layered with matte black gives the centers added interest. Finish it off with some patterned paper for the background and leaves. 

Supplies:

Altenew: Clematis Craft-a-Flower Layering die set, Timeless Glow stamp set, Crystal Clear Embossing Powder, Clear embossing ink, Essential Rock Collection patterned paper pack (retired)

Recollections: Black glitter paper 

Black dot paper, unknown

Challenges: 

A Place to Start- anything goes with optional twist of black & white 7/6-7/31

Pammie's Inky Pinkie Challlenges anything goes 7/6-7/13

Paper Rocks Scissors

Ocean of Thanks

 

A good stencil is timeless and an economical way to make a card. This colorful ocean card looked great with just the beautiful background and the sentiment. I combined it with a neutral seahorse and some vellum to level it up. This month at Cupcake Inspirations, anything goes! Create a card or project and share it with us. 

I created this background panel, and 3 more, with a stencil and four ink colors. It was super easy and fun! I had made this seahorse several times in various colors, but I wanted to try a more neutral one. It worked will with this colorful background.

If your background seems too busy, add a strip of vellum to mute it. Stamp your sentiment in a matching color as I did here with the deepest blue of the panel, Blue Denim. 

You can also keep it simple with a sentiment and a little shine. 

Supplies:

Gina K Designs Seashells Stencil, Inks (Sandy Beach, Sea Glass, Turquoise Sea, Blue Denim)

Altenew Graceful Seahorse stamp & die set

Gold cardstock, vellum 

Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations- anything goes 6/8-7/13

A Beachy Frame

      Don't limit yourself to making only cards. Get the most out of your stamp & die sets by using them in other ways. The challenge this month at A Place to Start is "Not a Card". This challenge might get you thinking in new ways. 

I had this frame lying around unused. The natural raffia material worked well with this seahorse set for a beach photo. 

Watercolor Background

Watercolors create an underwater feel for this background. This scrap of watercolor paper was just big enough to use. Painting and splattering the color gives is a more organic look. The sea weed is stamped in various shades of green and cut out. 

Seahorse 

This adorable seahorse is easy to assemble with the keyhole system and etched numbers in the die cuts. A little ink blending on her back and some glitter card stock for her fin and head make her extra special. 

Finish it up with a sentiment and some enamel dots. Now it's ready for displaying your favorite photo. 

Supplies:

Altenew Mini Delight Graceful Seahorse (May 2026), Little Starfish, Cool Summer Nights enamel dots, Fresh Dye Inks (terracotta, emerald, olive), 36 pan watercolor set

Gina K Designs Christmas Pine ink 

Challenges:

A Place to Start 6/1-7/3 Anything Goes, optional twist of anything but a card

Four Seasons Challenge. 6/1-6/25 Anything goes summer

Critter Crazy Challenge #111. 6/1-6/25 Feature a critter (seahorse)

Die Cut Divas. Anthing goes with a die cut 

Paper Rocks Scissors use paper and/or scissors. 

Peaches and Cream

 

Peaches and Cream is the color theme at Cupcake Inspirations this month. Concord and 9th's Creamsicle ink was perfect with this peach cardstock for a tone on tone look in the background. It reminds me of the 90s, especially with this end table. 

Altenew's Mini Delight Timeless Glow comes with a stamp and die set. The dies are easy to layer. The lamp base can also be used as a vase with the flower spray die. 

                                                  

   A gold gel pen enhances the embossing on the table. 

              

     The lamp is easily customizable with the layering dies: entire lamp, base, shade, shade ribbing. Add some yellow ink for the glow of the light. 

Assembling the card with foam tape to pop up the background piece adds dimension. Gina K's Tiara Frame goes so well with this lamp and table. The sentiments in the stamp set are catchy and can be used for friends or anyone you want to cheer up. I chose "a little light to brighten your day" for a card I can send to Love For Our Elders this month. 

Supplies:

Altenew Timeless Glow Stamp and Die Set

Gina K Tiara Twin Frames, Tiny Tags

Concord & 9th Creamsicle ink

Gold gel pen, metallic gold cardstock, foam tape, gold thread

Challenges: 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge: Peaches and Cream 5/11-6/8

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- use dies 5/13-5/20

Garden Stair Stepper

The May theme for A Place to Start challenge blog is Fancy Folds.  This "Easy Stair Stepper" base really was easy even though it is considered advanced! If your are not into folding, you can also play along with "Anything Goes". 

The Easy Stair Stepper Fold

I followed the Altnew You Tube video 10 Advanced Card Folds to make this fancy fold. 

The card base measures 9x 4.25 inches and is scored at: 1.25, 2.5, and 5.75 inches. Fold using mountain, valley, then mountain and your base is done! 

The green card portion is 11 x 3 inches and scored in the center at 5.5 inches. It will fit like a tent over the stair base. 

The Altenew Mini Delight Gardener's Corner was just released in April. It's perfect for the those who are looking forward to gardening this spring. The sentiments include hugs, hello, friendship and one for someone recovering from an illness (you're growing stronger every day).

The green panel was stamped with the foliage stamp in Fresh Asparagus ink (Gina K). The little trowel and hand spade stamp are cute additions. 

                   

The wooden box die has embossed wood lines that become more prominent with some ink blending. Fill the box with several shades of foliage and flowers. You can pop the box up with some foam tape. 

Using various shades of purple and lavender add interest. The dark Andromeda ink ties in with the purple also. Add some enamel dots to finish it off. Instead of tying a ribbon through the tag hole, you can cover it with a dot as well. 

Supplies: 

Altenew: Gardener's Corner Mini Delight stamp and die set (April 2026)

              Enchanted Garden Enamel Dots

              Fresh Dye Ink in Andromeda, Paper Bag

Gina K Designs: Tiny Tags die set, Fresh Asparagus & Stormy Sky inks

Challenges: 

A Place to Start- Playing the Fancy Folds Twist  5/4-6/4

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge SSS Mother's Day/Feminine 5/4-5/11

Stamps & Fun Use dies

A Cut Above. May challenge- Use dies 

The Paper Players. Feminine theme