Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Impressive Heat Embossing Techniques online course.
My inspiration for this card was my box of Distress Embossing Glazes! I enjoyed the lesson that the instructor shared where she used embossing powder for several layers of a layering stamp set flower. I decided to do the same, and I wanted to use my distress embossing glazes to see what it would look like with the more transparent glazes, as opposed to embossing powder, which tends to be more opaque. I picked 3 glazes that I was hoping would go together fairly well: Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy, and Candied Apple.
I chose the Altenew Golden Days layering stamp set, as it had a nice, large flower that I thought would work well for this technique. I also used the coordinating Golden Days die set.
I felt it was important to use anti-static powder between each stamped layer, before stamping the VersaMark ink. This kept things clean and neat. I started by stamping the outline flower layer (A1) with VersaMark ink, and then applying a gold embossing powder and heat setting. This gave me a nice reference point to line up the layering stamps. Next I stamped the A2 layer with VersaMark, applied my lightest embossing glaze, Tattered Rose, and heat set. I used Saltwater Taffy embossing glass with the A3 layer, and Candied Apple with the A4 layer. I didn’t think it was necessary to use the center flower stamps, so I skipped them. I was thinking that the Candied Apple would be too red, but since it is layered over Saltwater Taffy, and it is translucent, it appears more orange. As I was styling the card to photograph it, I realized I had an artificial flower that almost matched my embossed flower in color.
After I finished the flower, I used a color wheel to pick blue-green for the leaves. I skipped the outline leaf stamp, and only used the 2 top layers of the leaf set. I like how the leaves turned out to be a more muted style than the flowers. That really made the flowers stand out, in my opinion.
For the background, I considered using an embossing folder, but used this linen texture paper instead. I used one of the included sentiments in the Golden Days Stamp Set, using Candied Apple Distress Oxide Ink to coordinate. The A2 card was finished with a few orange gems. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Golden Days Layering Stamp Set Altenew Golden Days Die Set
Other products: Ranger Distress Embossing Glaze – Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy, Candied Apple Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Pad – Candied Apple, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Color Your Day online course.
My inspiration from this card was from a different cover die that the instructor used. I knew I had this lovely Fragrant Flowers cover die, and I just love paper piecing with it! I also used the instructor’s suggestion for colors. I started with a piece of watercolor paper that I had colored purple with Ranger Distress Ink in Villainous Potion. Using a generic color wheel that I purchased at a local arts and crafts store, I selected the split complimentary colors of yellow/green and yellow/orange. The course instructor also suggested to use a 70-20-10 rule when combining colors. She said about 70% of your design should be the main color, followed by 20% of a different color, and 10% of the “pop” of color for interest. I used Ranger Distress Ink in Mustard Seed for my yellow/orange, and Twisted CItron with a little Mowed Lawn for the yellow/green. I added double sided adhesive to the back of each piece of colored watercolor paper, and then diecut the Fragrant Flowers die out of each one. I have a Big Shot machine, and usually if I’m using double sided adhesive on the back of cardstock or watercolor paper, I need to run it through 2 or 3 times in order to get a clean cut all the way through the adhesive backing.
Once I had my dies cut out, I removed all of the “inside” pieces of the purple to leave the outlines, and then adhered that to a piece of white cardstock. I picked a few flowers to paper piece in the yellow petals, around what I thought looked like about 20%. Then I used some of the green for a few of the swirls, just to add that pop of complimentary color.
The sentiment is from Versatile Greetings, and I used a black velvet textured cardstock for the “hello”, as well as the background frame. I love texture, and the combination of the cutout background, the filled in flowers, and the velvet cardstock is really great. I could pet this card for quite some time. I hope the recipient does too!
To add a touch of sparkle, I used some gold Ranger Stickles for the flower centers. This is a standard A2 sized card, and probably thin enough to go through the USPS mail with a regular stamp.
If you love jigsaw puzzles, you’ll want to try this paper piecing technique! The cool part is that if you lose a piece, you can just cut another! Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Fragrant Flowers Die Set Altenew Versatile Greetings Die Set
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Beautiful Details online course. First let me just say that I am fully aware that my “details” don’t quite fit the “beautiful” description! Ha ha. The point is that I tried, and practiced, and came up with something that I’m not entirely unhappy with, using a technique that was VERY challenging for me! I will also say that as creators, we are often our own worst critic. The instructor for this class, Arika Rahtu, is extremely talented! She did a wonderful job with this class, encouraging participants to try the techniques she shared, and also to practice, practice, practice! She talked about when she started as a beginner, and how she had to practice a lot to get to the point where she is now.
I didn’t have any of the stamp sets that she used in the course, so I used the Altenew Vintage Roses set, because there were some individual leaf layer stamps I thogught I could use. In the first lesson, Arika uses second and third generation stamping to get different shades of the same color to create the base of her flowers. I tried this several times, and just could not get anything I was happy with. Adding the “details” made it even worse, in my opinion. But, I was inspired to try my version of her technique, and also use the diagonal theme.
I ended up making these “flowers” by stamping one of the leaf layers twice. I stamped “just breathe” from the Bad Days Happen Stamp Set in the center of a piece of Neenah Classic Crest 110lb. Solar White cardstock. I used a leaf spray from the Vintage Roses stamp set first as the base of the flower, then added the two “petals”. I used a fine tip black marker to add some details (outlines) to the petals, and a white gelly roller pen to add some interest to the green flower base.
I cut a thin rectangle frame using some nested rectangle dies out of a coordinating cardstock, and added this as a border. I also added a few sequins.
For me, I would call this a “clean and simple” card, compared to the style I usually make. This class definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone. To anyone who enjoys adding drawn in details, this would be the class for you! It is a very inspiring instructor, and a very inspiring class for those of you with more artistic talent! Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Vintage Roses Stamp Set Altenew Bad Days Happen Stamp Set Altenew Fresh Dye Ink Cubes – Crimson, Eucalyptus
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Polychromatic online course. This was another very good class. Several of the techniques used markers, and that’s probably my weakest medium to use, so I chose to make a card with a technique that would work with one of my Altenew Stamp Sets.
I was inspired by Lesson 4, which included two beautiful butterfly cards. The technique was watercoloring with similar colors, like pinks, violets and purples, or blues and teals. I used similar color combinations, but the big thing for me was that I did not only use the colors that are packaged together in the minicube sets. The colors I used for the main peony (Pink Diamond, Cosmic Berry, Grape Agate) all come from different sets. One of the reasons why I love Altenew inks is that you can purchased coordinating 4 piece minicube sets, where all of the colors are perfectly coordinated to compliment each other. This totally takes the guesswork out of selecting colors, and I suppose some might argue it takes the fun out of it as well! I find it helps me learn, and build confidence, until I’m ready to try something on my own.
I stamped the peony with the outline stamp first, and then used the same light pink color to stamp the first layer. This made it sort of difficult to see the outline in order to line up the next two stamp layers that I used, but I thought I got it close enough that it still looks nice.
For the background of my card, I stamped a couple layers of several of the leaves and the blossom directly onto the background panel. I used the lightest pink, Pink Diamond. I also used Wisteria, Hydrangea, and Ultraviolet which did come in the same minicube set. After the ink was dry, I ran the background through my die cut machine with a simple dotted embossing folder from my stash, to add some dimension. In the lesson, the instructor used a stitched rectangle die to add interest and texture to the white space.
I used one layer of the “hello” die from the Versatile Greetings set, and cut the sentiment out of paper that I had colored with the Ultraviolet ink pad. I really like the effect of stamping, and then dry embossing, to add texture. I don’t think I’ve done that before, or at least not very often. I also used the direct-to-paper method to color the border for my card with the Ultraviolet ink.
Up close, you can see that some of the pink ink on the flower is a little splotchy. I decided to leave it that way, again for interest and texture. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Peony Bouquet Stamp Set Altenew Peony Bouquet Die Set Altenew Versatile Greetings Die Set Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Cubes – Pink Diamond, Cosmic Berry, Grape Agate, Wisteria, Hydrangea, Ultraviolet
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Creative Watercolor Media online course. This was a fun class, because 3 of my favorite instructors teamed up together for this one: Laura Bassen, Jennifer Rzasa, and Debby Hughes. They each shared 2 cards, and several different techniques for achieving watercolor effects.
I was inspired by a card that Laura made. It was a loose watercolor floral panel. She used reinkers as watercolor paints. I don’t have many reinkers, and definitely not in a coordinating color scheme, so I used my Ranger Distress Mica Stain Sprays instead. I also used the suggestion of using plain clear water to help the inks blend better, and made sure to work the inks while everything was still wet. I tried really hard to “let the perfectionist side of you take a back seat”. I’ll definitely have to practice that suggestion, but I’m pretty happy with my final card.
I started with a half sheet (6 x 9) of Canson watercolor paper, the pad with the blue cover. I believe it’s hot press, so relatively smooth for stamping. Laura recommended starting with a big piece of paper, and actually got two A2 sized panels out of her sheet of watercolor paper. I was struggling with the technique a little, and didn’t finish my panel. I also prefer to work on more manageable sizes of paper, rather than a big piece. As I was applying the inks, I felt that I hadn’t stamped the flowers close enough together, and was going to scrap this attempt and start over. In the end, I ended up cropping down my panel to one A2 sized section I was happy with. Before I get too far, let me go back to the beginning…
I chose the Beautiful Day Stamp Set to work with, because I liked the size and detail of the large flower outline stamp. I thought it had some nice open space to apply the watercolors. I used Versamark embossing ink, and embossed with clear embossing powder. I also used a sprig and leaf cluster from the same set. I stamped an image, added embossing powder so I could see what I had just stamped, and moved on to another image. When I was done with the panel, I heat set the entire piece all at once. You need to be careful not to knock off any powder before you heat set it. Once that was done, I selected 5 different coordinating mica stain sprays for the flowers, and 2 greens for the leaves. I sprayed three or four pumps of each stain into a different disposable portion cup (like from a takeout food order). You can use a palette if you have one. The cool thing about these water-based mica stain sprays is that they dried up in the portion cups overnight, and all I had to do was add water to be able to use them again the next day. I’d imagine any water based spray would work the same.
I used the technique introduced in the class where you apply water to the image first, and then dab on the watercolor ink or paint, letting it move and blend with the water. Instead of misting the images with a mini mister as Laura did, I used a clear paint brush. This let me control where the water went, and therefore also where the ink went. My piece ended up not as loose as the background that Laura created in the class. I tried to let myself go a little more outside the lines with the leaf cluster on the far right below, but I didn’t like it as much. That’s when I stopped, and decided to take a break and come back after it dried, with less self-judgment in my eyes! To fill in some of the white space between the flowers, I spattered the pink mica spray over the entire piece, and let dry.
I wanted a subtle border on the final card. I used Spellbinders Fluted Classics Rectangles dies to cut an A2 sized panel from my background. I like how this die finished off the edge of the card, but didn’t detract from the beautiful colors of the mica sprays. I considered creating a border with cardstock (black, white, silver, or lavender), but didn’t like it as much as the effect of leaving it with just an etched border for this card. I finished off the card with the Altenew Fancy Hugs die, which I cut from black cardstock, and layered on top of 3 white diecuts for dimension. I also added a sub-sentiment from the Paint-A-Flower: Camelia Waterhouse Outline Stamp Set, and a few clear confetti sequins.
This is a pretty straight forward technique. You can make it as loose or as controlled as you want it to be. If you don’t have mica sprays, maybe you have metallic watercolor paints? Or, try it with some vibrant reinkers. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Beautiful Day Stamp Set Altenew Paint-A-Flower: Camellia Waterhouse Altenew Fancy Hugs Die
Also used: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mica Stain Sprays – Hocus Pocus, Fortune Teller, Cocktail Party, Shniy Bauble, Harvest Moon, Wicked Elixir, Tree Lot
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s With a Twist online course. I chose one of my favorite stamp sets, Altenew’s Golden Days. It’s a beautiful flower, and I find it works for almost any occasion. I like the additional leaf that looks more like a flourish. Yes, part of the fun of this hobby is collecting all the stuff, but I do find I tend to grab my favorites time and time again. Try learning new techniques and trying different color combinations with the stamps, dies, and stencils that you already own. You’ll be amazed with what you can create, and the completely different looks you can achieve!
Some of the “things with a twist” that I did with this card included starting with colored cardstock. I actually started with a lighter coral/salmon color. I usually would start with white, and let the inks do all the heavy lifting. I selected some matching inks, which happen to be Ranger Tim Holtz’s Distress Oxide ink pads. After I stamped the flowers on the lighter cardstock, I decided to go a little more outside of my usual box (the point of this course), and tried the same inks on a bit more vibrant color cardstock, which is what I ended up going with for the final card. I did not use the largest layering stamp, or one of the flower center pieces. (It’s okay – there are no rules that you have to use them all!) I like how by using the colored cardstock to stamp on, you don’t end up with a white border around the outline, as you would if you used white cardstock to start. Not the look I’ll be going for every time, but it’s great when you happen to have the right color paper on hand, and you want to “twist” things up a bit!
Next I picked a bunch of colored paper from my stash, mostly blues, but some greens, reds and yellows. I decided to head towards a blue, and finally selected this teal blue.
Another twist was using a neutral for the leaves. I tried both tans and grays, and decided to go with the gray to keep the cooler look for the card.
Here’s the big one: cutting off the corner and having the card front reveal the inside of the card. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but I do really like how it came out.
This card was pretty straight forward as far as putting it together, so I didn’t take any in-process photos. I’d suggest to stamp and diecut your pieces, arrange them on the card, and then decide where you want to trim the front panel. Be mindful of your layering to create some interest, and add more diecuts if necessary. I ended up adding another leaf cluster at the end. The “hugs” sentiment was created with a small piece of metallic matte paper from my stash. To finish this card, I attached the front panel to a 4.25″ by 5.5″ base made with Neenah Classic Crest 100 lb cardstock, trimmed to match the front panel. A few confetti sequins were added to accent the sentiment. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Altenew Golden Days Layering Stamp Set Altenew Golden Days Die Set Altenew Versatile Greetings Die Set Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Pads – Abandoned Coral, Worn Lipstick, Salwater Taffy, Hickory Smoke, Lost Shadow, Brushed Corduroy, Fossilized Amber
Hello creative friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s In the Mood for Color.
I was inspired by the color yellow, and by my friend and colleague whose nickname is Happy. Yellow is my happy color. It reminds me of sunshine, and warmth, and really good macaroni and cheese! Mmmmm.
I started with a piece of watercolor cardstock, 4 x 5.25 inches. I blended from the lightest shade in the Summer Afternoon mini cube set, Buttercream, to Warm Sunshine, and then to Caramel Toffee. I used blending brushes, and several layeres, to get a nice smooth transition from the lighter shade to the darker shade. At this point, it was time to make dinner, so I walked away and let this dry. You could also heat set the background. I like to make sure it’s nice and dry if I’m going to use embossing powder, so the powder doesn’t stick where I don’t want it. I also dust the dried paper with antistatic powder before stamping and embossing. I stamped the flower from the Cameilia Waterhouse set using VersaMark embossing ink, applied gold embossing powder, and heat set. I also stamped the flower image on maskin paper, and cut that out, so I could add some paint spatters to the background for interest, but keep them off of the flowers.
I decided that I wanted the flowers to stand out a little more, so I used several Altenew Watercolor Brush Markers to enhance the color of the flowers, and give the leaves a hint of green.
I chose a sentiment from the Bad Days Happen set, enbossed that with gold embossing powder as well, and added some gold thread behind the sentiment. This of course was the hardest part… trying to get the thread to lay perfectly (in my mind at least) behind the sentiment. I also added some clear water drop gems for a little extra shine.
I matted my panel with black cardstock, and then attached it to a 4.25 by 5.5 inch A2 white card base. I hope this gave you some inspiration to play with color, especially monochromatic designs, to share a thought or convey a special feeling to a loved one through the gift of a card. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Paint-A-Flower: Camelia Waterhouse Outline Stamp Set Bad Days Happen Stamp Set Crisp Dye Ink Set – Summer Afternoon Watercolor Brush Marker – Warm Sunshine, Mango Smoothie, Mountain Mist Metallic Thread – Antique Gold
Hello crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Beyond Basic Backgrounds class.
I was inspired by the additional card project that was shown for lesson 1. In the first lesson, the instructor Lydia made a stencil by diecutting multiples of the same flower die from a piece of cardstock, to create her own stencil. She then blended an ombre color scheme through the stencil onto another piece of white cardstock, and then stamped an outline flower stamp over the inked flower base layer. Her additional card project used a similar stencil to stamp multi-layer flowers onto cardstock. She then attached the stencil as an overlay, using foam tape, to add dimension. This is the approach that I used.
The stamp set that I selected had small flowers with both individual petals and leaves. I thought it would be pretty to create a cascade of falling flowers, with a few leaves and petals sprinkled in. I started by laying out the placement on my stencil, and then die cutting the various dies into the stencil. I used Neenah Solar White 110 lb Classic Crest for both the stencil and the background. I made sure to cut a few flowers hanging off of the top and side, to add some movement. Once I had my stencil cut, I used it to position the base layer stamps for the flowers, leaves, and petals. I used my Misti stamping tool to apply the stamped images through the stencil, so they would line up. After the first layer was stamped, I removed the stencil (to keep it clean) and finished stamping the reset of the flower, petal, and leaf layers.
After all the stamping was completed, I attached the stencil to the card front with dimensional foam tape. I used a Mother’s Day sentiment from my stash. To get a clear stamped image that wouldn’t rub off the Vellum paper, I found a similar color purple Pigment ink, and then used an iridescent embossing powder on top, and heat set it. I placed the sentiment band at an angle, and folded it around the stencil, cutting off the extra. The photo really doesn’t do this iridescent embossing powder justice. It was beautiful and very eye-catching over the purple ink, and really made the card. I added a few flat iridescent sequins to complete the card.
This technique would work fantastic with any small stamps that you have. It’s a great way to stretch the usefulness of any smaller stamp by repeating the image and adding interest with the raised top stencil piece. You can repeat the stamping in a set pattern, or stamp randomly, like I did. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you give this background technique a try – I’d love to see what you create! It’s a pretty straight-forward technique with impressive results!
Altenew products used: Vintage Roses Layering Stamp Set Vintage Roses Die Set Crisp Dye Ink Sets – Enchanted Garden, Green Fields
Hello crafty friends! This was definitely what it was supposed to be – a challenge! Of course I may have overthought it, but I guess we shall see! I am participating in the Altenew Educator Certification program. You may have seen some of my posts as I worked through the Level 1 courses. After completing the courses, I am given a final challenge to complete in 3 weeks. That seems like plenty of time, unless your work life gets busy, and the gardens need spring clean up, and your kid is getting married, and… Well, you get it. There’s never enough time for creativity!
My challenge was to create a gift set of his and her cards, one masculine and one feminine, The cards were supposed to vary, and have a similar and cohesive theme. There had to be a total of 8 to 12 cards, and I needed to use one recycled element on the cards or in the packaging. I also needed to use and reference techniques that we used from 3 of the 10 classes we took for the Level 1 course. I could write a blog post or a video.
Although I used techniques from each one of the 10 classes that I took, I concentrated on techniques from Celebrations: Stencil Techniques, Easy Die Cutting Techniques, and All about Layering 4. I used ideas from Celebration: Stencil Techniques in all of my cards. These included dulling the stickiness of low tack tape, circular motions when ink blending through stencils, securing the stencil on the back of the cardstock, cleaning tools immediately, tinting texture paste with ink, using watercolor cardstock, using complementary colors, using anti-static powder, and heating vellum gently from the back. Easy Die Cutting Techniques reminded me to get the matching dies when available for stamp sets, use negative die cutting (shaker window), use shaker cards, and mix and match die cuts from different sets.Some of the techniques used in All About Layering 4 include snipping away parts of die cuts you don’t need, creating die cut stacked sentiments to add dimension, using both glue and foam tape to add dimension, coloring texture paste, and ink blending behind images.
To keep a cohesive theme, I stuck with one color scheme for each of the sets. For the feminine set, I used Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Sets in Rose Petal, Enchanted Garden, Green Fields, and Summer Afternoon. The masculine cards used Altenew Fresh Dye Ink Sets in Woodland Escape, Frosted Foliage, and Blue Mountains. I also limited myself to one stamp set and one die set for the focal points of each card in the feminine series. For the masculine series, I added one additional stamp set, so as to not have them all floral themed. All of the cards used white cardstock for the majority of the background. All of the cards used the same stencil in one way or another. 6 out of the 8 cards used the same Sentiment die set (Versatile Greetings – love this one!).
Let’s take a quick look at each card, starting with the feminine set. For the first card, I used the Square Weave Pattern stencil to dry emboss a piece of white cardstock for the background. I did not have an embossing pad for my die cut machine (Sizzix Big Shot), so I used a piece of fun foam under the paper, and laid the stencil on top of the paper. I ran this through my machine 3 times, using the standard plates. It’s very subtle, but also adds just the right amount of interest. I like the effect, and it’s a simple way to get more use out of your stencils, For the flowers, I used 110 white cardstock with the Sulfer Cosmos Layering Die Set. After I cut the dies, I placed them back in the negative space, and ink blended the petals, before gluing them together. For the purple base layer and “hugs” sentiment, I used the darkest shade, Andromeda, in Enchanted Garden direct-to-paper. The sub-sentiment is from Sentiment Strips 3 Stamp Set, and was stamped in black and then embossed with clear embossing powder.
The next card used the Golden Days stamp set with the coordinating dies. For the background, I dyed some opaque texture paste with Forest Glades ink, and then applied that through the stencil. After that dried, I layered the flower and leaves with dimensional foam squares that were two different thicknesses. The “sweet friend” sentiment was cut from cardstock to coordinate with the background, layered on top of a white diecut, and then popped up using dimensional foam squares which were cut to fit.
The “celebrate” card used the stencil to create an ombre effect for the background. I used the 3 lighter colors from the Rose Petal ink set. The main sentiment was cut from silver shimmer paper, and layered on to another white die cut. I glued that to the card, and then popped up the sub-sentiment, “Sparkle on, Darling”, from Sentiment Strips 3, with extra thick squares. I wanted the sub-setiment to be more prominent than the “celebrate” main sentiment. The smaller Sulfur Cosmos flower was lightly inked using the Summer Afternoon yellows and light greens from the Green Fields mini ink set.
The final feminine card is a shaker card. I had the idea to use vellum instead of clear acetate for the shaker window, just because I had never seen it done before, and I didn’t have any super interesting shaker elements. I stamped the outine from Golden Days in black ink, and then applied clear embossing powder and carefully heat set it, so as not to burn the vellum, I added a strip of paper that I had ink blended through the stencil, and then die cut the window for the shaker using the Golden Days die. Two leaf clusters were layered on top of the card around the window. After applying the vellum flower to the back of the cardfront, I created space for the shaker filler using foam tape, added the sequins, and then sealed up the card with a piece of pink cardstock, which would also serve as a border. I applied a few sequins and the “hello” sentiment from Versatile Greetings.
The masculine cards were made with a similar thought process as the feminine cards, but with the goal of having them be distinctly different. The first masculine card used the dry embossed stenciled background, only one of the Sulfur Cosmos flowers, and a different layout. The background border and sentiment were colored direct-to-paper with Redwood Fresh Dye Ink. Different thicknesses of foam sqaures were used to create dimension.
The second masculine card used opaque texture paste through the stencil, but the paste was colored with Eucalyptus from Frosted Foliage. I had originally thought I would use a different set of leaves on this card to mix things up a bit. I used the leaves from Jumbo Garden Picks Layering Die Set, lightly blending some Silver Sage onto one of the layers. I just wasn’t super pleased with the finished card, I ended up making some different leaves using the Golden Days stamp set and the Woodland Escape Fresh Dye Mini Ink set. This is way out of the box for me! Brown leaves? And it’s not Fall? Well, I actually liked them a lot better. Sometimes I have to walk away from my desk for a bit, and come back with fresh eyes. When I was a winemaker, we would talk about “palate fatigue” from too much wine tasting (without consuming). It’s like sensory overload for your tastebuds, and soon you’re not able to differentiate or determine flavor components. I suppose it’s the same with my eyes, or my brain. After a short break, I was happy with this card, and happy with myself from stepping out of my comfort zone.
For the next card, I decided to bring some black in. I used black shimmer paper to add a touch of sparkle, like my feminine Celebrate card. I blended Water Hyacinth, Alpine Aster, and Crystal Violet from the Blue Mountains Fresh Dye Mini Ink set through the stencil to create the background, and tried to stick with the rule of thirds, which I learned in one of the classes, but I can’t remember which one!
The last masculine card was a shaker card, again using vellum for the windows. This time I brought in a more “masculine” stamp set that I saw in the “For the Guys” course. This was maybe the hardest card to design, as I don’t tend to do a lot with critters or scene building (yes, there’s a good course for the too). I ended up making this shaker card with 4 different compartments. To try to line everything up as close to perfect as I could get, I used strips of paper between multiple square dies (from Sizzix Tim Holtz) to get my windows straight and evenly spaced. For the sentiment, I used this lovely Oscar Wilde thought (not Altenew). I put a small strip of ombre blended stenciled paper in the background to keep this card within my theme.
The final piece was to create a gift box for the cards. This is where I used my recycled component. I had a nice cardboard box that came with my Invisalign retainers. The top closes with a magnet. I had saved it because I thought I could store something in it, like colored pencils or something. Even though the cards didn’t exactly fit, they fit well, and I thought I could tie them in separate bundles with ribbon. The outside of the box was black. I decided to cover it with some beautiful Altenew Fabric I has gotten as a gift with purchase a while back. Since the fabric had a white background, I first covered the outside of the box with white cardstock, using Ranger Collage Medium. Then I ironed the fabric, turning under the edges to fit the box, and applied that using more collage medium. There happened to be an insert inside the box to hold marketing literature, which was a perfect place to put a little “For You” message, including a “handmade by Vicki Fedor 2023” stamp that was a bonus 9th Anniversary celebration gift from Altenew.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Wish me luck on passing this challenge! I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Craft-A-Flower: Sulfur Cosmos Layering Die Set Golden Days Layering Stamp Set and Die Set Square Weave Pattern Stencil Geometric Menagerie Stamp Set Sentiment Strips 3 Stamp Set Sending Hugs Outline Stamp Set Fancy Celebrate Die Fancy For You Die Versatile Greetings Die Set Crisp Dye Mini Ink Sets – Rose Petal, Enchanted Garden, Green Fields, Summer Afternoon Fresh Dye Mini Ink Sets – Woodland Escape, Frosted Foliage, Blue Mountains
Also used: Hero Arts Literary Quotes Stamp Set Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Stacked Tiles Squares
Hello crafty friends! Today I’m sharing a card that I made after participating in Altenew Academy’s Irresistible Inking Techniques class.
I was inspired by the lesson on using an acrylic block as a background stamp. I had never tried that before. I happened to have a round acrylic block, and I thought that would be fun to use. Looking through my products, I found the Paint-A-Flower: Camellia Waterhouse outline stamp set. Each flower in the stamp was about the size of the acrylic block. I thought I would start my inking my circle block and stamping two circles with Warm Sunshine and Pink Pearl, and then stamp the flowers on top. I used watercolor paper, as I was pretty sure I would end up painting part of this card. I stamped the flowers in black ink, and then embossed with clear embossing powder, as the lesson suggested, to help keep the painting crisp.
I decided to paint the leaves with ink that I pressed out of the inkpads onto my craft mat, using the Green Fields Crisp Dye Ink set.. I applied the ink with a waterbrush. After I colored the leaves, I decided to leave the flowers as they were, simply colored with the acrylic block stamping. I used the acrylic block again to stamp the green background. Since the embossed edges of the outline stamp was raised, when I stamped the background with the acrylic block, the ink didn’t go all the way to the outline stamp, leaving a white highlight, which I liked.
I also used the spattering technique that was described in the course. As suggested, I created a mask for the flowers before adding the black and white spatters. I used gouache white paint and Ranger Distress Black Paint.
For the sentiment, I used the Fancy Hugs die, cutting one layer out of black cardstock, and two layers out of white cardstock, and stacking them up for dimension. I used a sub-sentiment from the stamp set as well, stamped in black in and embossed in clear. To finish the card, I added 3 orange gems and layered the panel on black cardstock, and then applied to my card base.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, I hope you try some different inking techniques – I’d love to see what you create! I appreciate you!
Altenew products used: Paint-A-Flower: Camellia Waterhouse Outline Stamp Set Fancy Hugs Die Crisp Dye Ink Sets – Tea Party, Green Fields, Summer Afternoon
Vicki Fedor 