September 2019 Guest Designer: Zsoka Marko

Hello, Altenew friends! Welcome to our September 2019 Guest Designer post. Today, we are so thrilled to have the amazing Zsoka Marko! We know that most of you are already big fans of her – and we totally get it! She doesn't just create handmade cards, she's also into scrapbooking. How awesome is this lady?! We always love having her in our release blog hops too. If you want to see more of her work feel free to check out her blog. You can also have a quick look through her Instagram feed.

Get to know Zsoka!

Hello crafty peeps, I'm Zsoka Marko and I've been crafting ever since I can remember… I tried every craft under the sun, from glass/porcelain/silk painting, bead weaving, mosaic in all form, to cake/cookie decorating and lots more. Scrapbooking has been my main focus since early 2015 and a little over 1.5 years ago I started making cards as well. I doubt my love for patterned papers will ever die but I slowly learned to love stamping as well – I especially enjoy creating full stamped backgrounds that remind me of patterned paper. Since it's September, I thought I'd create a few Fall/Thanksgiving themed cards for today's post!

Let's check out her projects!

My first duo features watercoloring which I hardly ever do, but the Weekend Doodles stamp and coordinating die set is one of my absolute favorite Altenew sets of late.

I stamped the images on watercolor paper and heat embossed them with gold embossing powder. I then colored them in loosely. For my first card, I added some kraft cardstock to my A2 size, top folding card base. Next, I embossed my sentiment in white, then splattered white ink all over. I glued two flower die-cuts in opposite corners, added some twine and done! Super easy!

Then I stamped some kraft card stock with the Rustic Linen background stamp and embossed it with white embossing powder. I trimmed it down and attached it to the white card base. I stamped the sentiment in brown. Next, I die cut a T from white cardstock, using the Mega Alphabet T die. I kind of wrapped the flower around the T, glued them together, added some foam adhesive to the back and attached it to my card. Some twine finishes off this card too.

Next up a duo with the amazing Sunflower Daisy stamp and coordinating die set. I mean, just how realistic do those flowers look?! So much depth and dimension!

I started by stamping some flowers on white cardstock. I had to create masks so they could be stamped behind each other. I then decided to stamp and die cut single flowers too so I could add some dimension to my card. But first, I dry embossed the stamped panel for added interest. I glued down the die-cut leaves, then started adding the flowers with foam adhesive. I also tuck some gold thread behind one of them. Once done, I splattered gold ink all over the card front. I added a gold embossed sentiment and some twine to finish it off.

I'm not a technique-oriented card maker but I do love the following technique, I think someone told me it was called Eclipse? Anyway, I stamped my design on white cardstock, then die cut FALL out of the panel, using the Caps Bold Alphabet die set. I also die-cut FALL from orange cardstock 5 times. I glued the layers together with the stamped image on top. In the meantime, I ran the background panel through my die-cutting machine with the Cross Stitch Canvas die on top. This is one of my favorite Altenew dies, it instantly gives so much texture and interest to a card, it's absolutely stunning over stamped images! I adhered this panel to my card base, then glued down the letters too. I added gold splatters. Then using a sentiment from the Bountiful Branch stamp set (I actually cut apart Season's Greetings for this one) I gold heat-embossed Greetings on a vellum strip, which I wrapped around my card. To finish off this card, I added twine and an orange button at the top.

And so we've arrived at my last duo for today! For the card on the left, I stamped a background with the A Walk in the Woods stamp set – I stamped it twice, in 2 different inks, turning the stamp 180 degrees between the two layers. I then die cut a circle out of the middle with the circle die from the Welcome Home die set. The fall-out piece I used on my second card. I gold heat-embossed a sentiment (from the Bold Bunch stamp set) on white cardstock, I adhered it to my card base, then glued the stamped piece on top.

I used the Frilly Frame die to die cut a frame for the white circle. I stamped lots of sweet little flowers with the Painted Flowers stamp set and fussy cut all of them (I didn't realize there's a coordinating die set so I don't have it – this would come in handy if you have so many flowers!). I layered them over the die-cut frame at the bottom and glued them down using liquid glue as well as foam tape, to add dimension. As a finishing touch, I added gold ink splatters, some shabby ribbon, and a button.

For my last card, I die cut a panel from kraft cardstock using the Cozy Flannel cover die and glued it on my white card base. I die cut another frame with the Frilly Frame die and attached it to the fall-out piece I had left from my previous card. I stamped the sentiment in black ink (from the Sunflower Daisy stamp set). I added foam tape to the back and adhered it down on the card base. As before, I layered some flowers around the frame, added gold splatters and some twine.

That's it! It was so fun mixing and matching new and old products on these cards! I hope I could inspire you to dig into your stash and start creating! 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! And thank you Altenew for having me!

Happy crafting!

Zsoka's card duos are so beautifully inspiring, we cannot pick which one is the best! We just LOVE all of them! Which one caught your eye? Make sure you comment below and send the incredibly talented Zsoka lots of LOVE! Thank you for being our September 2019 Guest Designer, Zsoka!

You can find more of her work on her blog and Instagram. Don't forget to leave her some love in the comment section below!

Thank you for stopping by!

~SUPPLY LIST~

Weekend Doodles Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Weekend Doodles Die Set [ ALTN ] Rustic Linen Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Mega Alphabet T Die [ ALTN ] Caps Bold Alphabet Die Set [ ALTN ] Sunflower Daisy Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Sunflower Daisy Die Set [ ALTN ] Cross Stitch Canvas Die [ ALTN ] Bountiful Branch Stamp Set [ ALTN ] A Walk in the Woods Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Welcome Home Die Set [ ALTN ] Bold Bunch Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Frilly Frame Die [ ALTN ] Painted Flowers Stamp Set [ ALTN ] Cozy Flannel Cover Die [ ALTN ]