A Colorful Adventure in Cardmaking Inspired by AECP Level 2 Polychromatic

Hello Crafty Friends!

I'm back with another handmade card inspired by an Altenew course for the Educator Certification Program (AECP)—this time it's Polychromatic. If you're curious about the name, polychromatic comes from Greek roots meaning “many (poly) colors (chroma),” and that’s exactly what this class celebrates: creative color combinations.

Now, I love color—all of it! But in my cardmaking, I often lean toward limiting my palette to three colors plus a neutral or two. For this challenge, I wanted to step out of that comfort zone and go full spectrum. What better way to do that than with a truly polychromatic card? And what a fun contrast to my last post, which featured a calm, monochromatic green design.

To bring this colorful idea to life, I reached for the Travel Boots stamp set with its fun little boot image. I stamped it in every color of the rainbow—plus a few extras! For inks, I used Altenew’s Fresh Dye Ink in Dusty Pink, Ruby Red, Snapdragon, Mid Yellow, Rubellite, Choco Hazelnut, Pool, Navy, Icy Water, Galactic Stream and Parrot. I filled an entire white card panel with the boots, stamping off the edges to create a seamless, patterned look. Then I brought in coloring pencils to match each stamped boot, giving them an extra pop of color.

With my background complete, it was time for the fun part—the Eclipse Technique. I die-cut the word “hike” using the Bold Alphabet Die Set, then cut the same letters again from black fun foam for dimension. After adhering the stamped panel to a white card base, I carefully glued the raised letters back into their original spots. The result is subtle, playful dimension that draws the eye right to the word.

To finish the sentiment, I stamped “more” in crisp black on white cardstock and placed it across the raised “hike.” And just like that, my cheerful rainbow hike card was done!

What do you think? Are you a fan of colorful cards too? I’d love to see what you create—feel free to tag me on Instagram @caracaro33 so I can cheer you on!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time—stay crafty and inspired! 🌈