AECP Level 1 Final Challenge-Masculine Card Set

 

I have recently completed the 10 classes in Level 1 of the Altenew Educator Certification Program and I learned so many techniques, tips & tricks.  The instructors were so easy to follow and gave such great inspiration!

As my final challenge for Level 1, I was challenged to make 2 sets of cards-one masculine & one feminine. Each set should have a similar & cohesive theme. A package for each set should also be included. I really enjoyed making these sets. My masculine version follows. Please read on to see the specifics for each card.

I used techniques from several of the classes for this set-For The Guys(geometrics), Easy Ink Blending, Let It Shine, Clean & Simple Boutique Cards and Irresistible Inking Techniques.  For my cohesive color scheme, I chose Navy, Grey and Burgundy with Silver highlights. 

Card # 1 uses the Cube Builder Stencil. I used grey cardstock, inked half in Navy, flipped the stencil and inked the other side in Burgundy. For my inking tool, I used a finger dauber. These have been around a long time and I had them on hand.  I also inked the edges for more contrast. The sentiment is from the Ornamental Bliss stamp set. I stamped it in Navy and Burgundy onto grey cardstock, inked the edges as well and backed it with a Burgundy piece of cardstock.  I used fun foam for added dimension when adhering it to the card front.

Card # 2-I really got inky with this one! If you look closely, you can see that I wore out the burgundy finger dauber!  I used nesting circle dies to cut several different sizes of circles out of masking paper. Using white cardstock, I then inked one circle at a time in each of the colors in my color scheme and in different sizes of circles.  After this was done, I cut a circle from the corner. I stamped my sentiment from the Stunning Cosmos stamp set onto a white card front and added a few splatters using watered down ink from my Burgundy ink pad and a paint brush. I then adhered my inked circle piece onto the A2 card.  My husband says this one is his favorite!

Card # 3-This card utilizes a recycled element.  We had some Drywall joint tape from an old home improvement project and it sure came in handy! I applied Grey Denim ink onto the tape using my finger dauber and let it dry.  I applied the tape to my navy piece at an angle.  This tape is sticky on one side so it was no problem to adhere it to the cardstock. I then stamped my sentiment from the Ornamental Bliss stamp set using Versa Mark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. I added splatters using watered down white acrylic paint and a paint brush. The small diamond shaped pieces were cut from grey cardstock using the small die from the Shattered Triangle die set. White enamel dots were added as well. This piece was then backed with Grey and Burgundy cardstock to follow my color scheme.

Card # 4-I started with grey cardstock and embossed it using the Modern Squares 3D embossing folder from Altenew. I inked various areas using Navy ink and attached it to a Navy piece of cardstock.  I then used the Waterbrush Hello die from Altenew to cut 3 pieces from Navy cardstock.  I used Navy so that from the side, the card would look more cohesive.  I covered the complete die with Versa Mark Ink and embossed it using silver embossing powder. I did this 2 times, adhered it to my Grey embossed piece, added a few solid silver sequins and attached it to an A2 card.

Card # 5- Again using grey cardstock as my base, I used the Deco Wallpaper Stencil and inked part of it in Navy and part in Burgundy.  I went darker in some spots than others and let the lower left corner fade away.  This was the look I wanted to achieve. 

I used the stencil to trace one of the large diamond shapes onto a scrap of white cardstock.  I then cut triangles from Grey cardstock, inked those using the stencil and inked the edges as well. These were adhered using foam for dimension. I stamped the sentiment from Ornamental Bliss onto a piece of Vellum using Versa Mark Ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. Here is a tip for adhering vellum to your cardstock-squirt a small amount of glue onto a scrap piece of cardstock & using your fingertip, smear the glue onto the vellum.  It will dry clear and unseen. Navy enamel dots finish out this card.

                                                       Below is a closeup of my template.

Card # 6-This card starts with a white piece of cardstock. I attached a piece of brushed silver cardstock to the left side and embossed it using a folder with a triangular pattern.  I then used the Shattered Triangle Die Set from Altenew to cut several pieces from Grey, Navy and Burgundy cardstock. Here is another tip- After deciding how I wanted them placed on my card front, I used GLAD Press'n'Seal to pick up my pieces and keep them in place. I then flipped them over, applied adhesive and placed them on the card front. I stamped the sentiment from the Ornamental Bliss stamp set onto another piece of brushed silver, backed it with a Burgundy piece of cardstock and adhered it to the card front with adhesive dots.

The white piece was adhered to a Burgundy piece before being added to an A2 card.

My gift packaging takes a traditional path. I rolled several ideas around, made several "containers" and threw several away! I have boxes of paper and cardstock that I have "collected" over the years.  I started looking through them for possible inspiration. Below is a piece of patterned paper that I thought was perfect!

My tag was made using strips from each of my colors and vellum.  The sentiment is stamped in Navy using the Label Love stamp set from Altenew. If you look closely, you will see one of the banners is checked.  I use the drywall tape as a stencil, was unhappy with the card front, but used it as a piece of my tag.

The picture below was made before I adhered the tag to the top, but shows how nicely the cards fit. My box measures 4 1/2" x 6" x 1 1/2".  I measured the height of my cards and envelopes to determine how deep to make my box, then measured the width and length of my cards to determine the width and length of my box. I wanted my burgundy card stock bottom to show, so I cut my box top to 1" in depth.

Happy Stamping!

AECP-Let It Shine

 

The AECP classes are super fantastic!  I really enjoyed my latest one-Let It Shine.  By the time I finished, I had so many ideas running through my head I was dizzy!  Some of my ideas looked better in my head than they do on paper. Now my desk top is full of die cuts & embossed pieces. Some of them will find their way to other cards in the future. However, I do have several samples to share with you today & can't decide on a favorite. Let me know in the comments which is your favorite.

The Altenew Build A Flower-Gardenia stamp set was used for this card.  I stamped the flower layers using Pale Mauve, Amethyst, Grape Agate & Plum inks & the leaves using Sweet Leaf, Just Green & Hunter Green.  I then stamped the last layer of the flower again in VersaMark ink & applied an iridescent embossing powder for a little sparkle. These were cut out with the matching dies.  I cut a square frame from some silver mirror card stock as well & then set all these pieces aside.  I used the Dotted Scales Debossing Cover Plate from Altenew on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of white card stock, adhered it to an A2 card & then arranged my stamped & die cut images.  The sentiment is from the Altenew Delicate Bouquet, stamped with VersaMark ink & heat embossed in silver. This was adhered to a piece of silver mirror cardstock.  A few sequins add the final touch.  Below is a close up of the sparkle on the flower.

Next up is a VERY shiny card.  I had some copper mirror cardstock in my stash & decided to try it.  I used the Altenew Floral In 'N' Out die & loved the way it turned out.  This was the first time I used this die, but sure won't be the last.  I used a kraft colored card stock as I thought white was just too stark. To mimic a basket, I ran a small piece of the kraft card stock through an embossing folder & then inked a few spots with Altenew Mocha for dimension. The leaves were cut using Altenew Watercolor Garden Layering Die Set. The sentiment was stamped with Mocha ink & then VersaMark.  I then heat embossed it using a clear embossing powder & cut it out with a small die. The "basket" piece was adhered with fun foam & the sentiment was backed with 2 more layers of cardstock. I also rounded the corners of the right side-I thought this helped to visualize the illusion of a basket.

Below is a close up of the sentiment.

Of course, we all hear "Christmas in July", so my next card is a Christmas one.  I actually used one stamp set for the whole card-Altenew Holiday Flower.  I cut a piece of vellum 4 1/2" x 5 1/4" & scored it at 1/2" from the top on the 4 1/2" side.  This allows you to adhere it to your card stock from behind.  I stamped the vellum piece with VersaMark ink & heat embossed in gold.  The flowers & leaves were colored on the BACK SIDE using Copic markers. I then attached the top of my vellum to a white piece of card stock using double sided tape. This was adhered to a matching green card stock measuring 1/8" larger than my white card stock. I did adhere my vellum using small glue dots behind my poinsettias in some strategic places. This was adhered to an A2 card base & finished off with a few gems.

Again, here is a close up.

My next 2 cards are similar & are very quick & easy.  I have had the Altenew Daisy Bed embossing folder for awhile & had not used it until today.  I LOVE the way this folder embosses.  This is a great folder for quick & beautiful cards.  Just spritz your paper lightly with water & run it through your machine.

After running it through my machine, I let it dry & swiped my VersaMark ink pad across it lightly.  I then applied gold embossing powder & heat embossed it.  The sentiment is gold heat embossed & from the Altenew Sentiment Strips set.

If you look closely, you will see a faint white shine to the flowers.  I have some white sparkle paint from years ago & applied it to the petals with a finger dauber. I attached the front panel to 2 more layers of card stock & then adhered it to my card front.

This card was made in a similar manner. I used a finger dauber to apply VersaMark ink to the flower centers only & then heat embossed using gold embossing powder. Use a dry paint brush to remove any stray embossing powder before heat embossing.

Happy Stamping!

AECP-Seasonal Scene Building

Another wonderful class is complete & I thoroughly enjoyed this one too! I knew I wanted to make a shaker card using the Tropical Toucan. Four colors of Distress Oxide Inks were blended onto 2 different pieces of 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock-Wilted Violet, Kitsch Flamingo, Squeezed Lemonade, & Spiced Marmalade. On one piece, I used a small star stencil & some sparkling embossing paste for a few stars in the sky. The sentiment is from Altenew Beautiful Quotes.  The sentiment & tree branch are stamped in black ink & the blossoms are stamped in Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink.  I also stamped the toucan in black ink & colored him using Copic markers.  I fussy cut the image & adhered him with foam dots for added dimension. I cut this piece down & added several frame layers in black cardstock, adhering a piece of acetate between 2 of them. Tiny confetti stars were placed into the framed area before adhering it closed & then it was mounted onto my ink blended card front.

Below is another card using techniques from the class.  I used an old background stamp in my stash for the wood look.  I stamped the image on 2 different shades of brown cardstock using Mocha ink.  Using layering circle dies, I cut the window from the lighter one & a frame from the darker one.  I also used this piece for a plank & the circle behind my sentiment.  The seaweed is stamped using Just Green & the coral is stamped in Coral Bliss (naturally).  I colored the sea creatures using pencils, cut everything out & placed them on a piece of light blue cardstock.  A few bubbles were stamped using light blue ink. This is not a shaker card, but I did adhere a piece of acetate between the window & my "sea". This was then adhered to an A2 card front.

My last (but by far, not the least) card for today goes to a very special boy in Texas!  He loves "woof-woofs", so I hope he enjoys it.  This card utilizes a lot of masking as each image is an individual stamp.   After stamping & coloring the images with Copic markers, I again masked each piece to ink blend the wall & floor. The wall was ink blended in Arctic ink & the floor in Sand Dunes ink. I also added some print to the wall using Arctic ink on a small stamp to make it appear like wallpaper.  The sentiment is stamped in Ultramarine ink & is from the Dotted Blooms set. I cut it out in banner form & adhered it with foam dots.

Below is the inside of the card.  These images were also masked as each stamp is individual. Coloring was again done with Copic markers. In this picture you can see the shadows added under the dogs.  I did this in the card front as well but couldn't seem to capture it in the photo.

Happy Stamping!

Altenew Challenge Inspiration-July

This is a quick post for the July Inspiration Challenge. I chose to use the colors but not the sketch design and came up with this card. Some of the special women in my family came to mind as I was creating this, so it may be in a mailbox soon.

I ink blended 2 colors of Distress Oxide inks onto white cardstock. I cut the Leaf Frame from a light green cardstock twice. To one, I applied Versamark Ink to various spots & heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I then cut it apart & adhered some of the cut outs to the frame.  All of this was adhered to my ink blended piece. The sentiment is from the Build A Flower-Gardenia set & heat embossed in gold.

Happy Stamping!

AECP-Irresistible Inking Techniques

 These AECP classes are so, so much fun & the techniques can be used with so many stamp sets & styles!  This card utilizes 3 of the techniques taught in this class-direct ink to paper (on the edge of my focal piece, block stamping (using your acrylic block as a stamp) & painting with your inks (the flower petals on my focal piece).  

The close up shows the painting technique better.  I first inked my acrylic block with Sea Forest, then spritzed with water & stamped it onto thick white cardstock. Be sure your inked area is dry before continuing.  I used my heat tool. I then embossed my flower from the Dotted Blooms stamp set with gold embossing powder.  To color my petals, I placed my ink cube on a non-porous surface, spritzed with a little water & used a paint brush to color the petals. The edges were inked by applying the ink cube directly to the edges. Dimension was added to this piece with 2 more pieces of cardstock adhered to the back.  The sentiment is from the Paint A Flower Daffodil set. I only used one color of ink for this card but did add some extra bling with the gold glitter washi tape from my stash.

This card is so simple but fun. It utilizes the same technique as the one above. I stamped my focal point several times on my card front in  Iceberg Ink for added interest. The inks I used were Iceberg, Azurite, Maple Yellow & Sweet Leaf. My focal point is from Starry Flowers & heat embossed in black.  The sentiment is from Paint A Flower-Anemone. Below is a close up.

My flower for this card & the next is from the Kind Reminders set.  I really love all the images in this set. I heat embossed the image using copper embossing powder and painted the image using the same technique as before. The leaves were painted using Just Green & Hunter Green.  The flower was painted using Plum & Amethyst. The sentiment is from the same set & heat embossed in copper. 

I added splatters by mixing my Plum & Amethyst inks. When everything was dry, I adhered the white thick cardstock to a piece of copper foil cardstock & then adhered that to an A2 card.

This card is very similar to the one before, using the same stamp from Kind Reminders. The focal image is heat embossed using black embossing powder.  This time I used Dew Drops for the leaves & Plum & Gray Denim for the flower.  I also added darker shades by using the Kind Reminders Stencil.  This added a bit more dimension without any added layers. The sentiment is stamped in black ink & popped up using foam squares.  It is from the Starry Flowers set. I added a few black gems, mounted the piece onto black cardstock & adhered it to an A2 card.

I hope you found some inspiration today.  Happy Stamping!

AECP-For The Guys

 Another great AECP class is completed!  This was a very fun class & Jennifer is so encouraging!  The above card utilizes ink blending to form the galaxy effect.  I started with a piece of  white cardstock & ink blended Maple Yellow, Coral Bliss, Aqualicious, & Grape Agate into the center.  I then used Galactic Stream to blend those colors.  After this, black was ink blended over the whole piece with a more concentrated color on the edges.  When this was dry, I thinned down some white acrylic paint & splattered on the piece for the stars.  Be careful to cover your workspace as this can get a little messy(ask me how I know).  I cut 2 of  the Layered Cityscape Cover Die B out of black cardstock.  Behind this piece, I placed a shimmer piece of cardstock to simulate light in a dark building. After adhering all the pieces together, I attached it to a top folding A2 card.  Below is a close up of the card.

My next card is my take on Jennifer's geometric design.  I don't have any geometric type stamps so this is what I came up with. It is very simple in design but uses a "female" stamp set to form a "male" card.  The stripes were made using the stem from Stunning Cosmos.  I stamped it in alternating blues to form the stripes.  The colors used were Azurite, Persian Blue & Arctic. I cut varying size circles & inked the edges. After adhering them to a 3 1/4" x 5 3/4" white cardstock, I rounded each corner. The edges of the slimline card were inked in Persian Blue to match the striped circles. Using the negative from my striped piece as a stencil, I then stamped the envelope to match. The sentiment is from the Ornamental Bliss stamp set. This size card fits nicely into a regular envelope.

  

This class also mentioned boys & not just guys.  Since my boys are all 4 and under, primary colors seemed appropriate.  This card is very simple & quick. 

The above card was made with my dad in mind.  His birthday is in July & he is a veteran.  This card is definitely going in the mail to him soon.

My last card was fun to create.  Using the Shutter Cover Die, I cut one out of black cardstock & one out of white cardstock. I then adhered the white piece onto an A2 cardfront. The "negative" pieces from the  black die cut were then inlaid & adhered into the negative places of the white shutter die. The Tropical Toucan was stamped in black ink & colored with Copic markers. The only black alcohol marker I have is a sparkly one, so my toucan is sparkly.  The greeting is black heat embossed & I backed my toucan with a matching yellow cardstock for added color & dimension.  I think a very appropriate greeting for this card on the inside is - Toucan Do It!

Now on to my next class!