My Guy

Hi y'all!

I'm just cruzin' along these AECP classes!  I must admit I created a stampin' widower this week....he's been so patient with  me....  My beloved hubby truly is the best!  He allowed me to build an AWESOME art studio....which I'm sure he's regretting right about now....where I've been spending a ton of time in this week!

The class I just took for AECP was For the Guys by Jennifer Rzasa.  I don't have boys, so my masculine stamping stock is minimal....other than patterned papers....  I had to think long and hard on how to use what I had to make masculine cards for my hubby.  Now I historically have made cards for him that are cheeky....pun intended....like this one, or have some sort of gnome reference....we have an affection for gnomes....like this one and this one. 

The class did give me some good ideas for cards.  So many in fact, while I thought I would just make 1 card,  I ended up making 3! 

 First, as an art major, I have a love for anything referencing a master artist.  Jennifer had a great idea for an Andy Warhol card and since I LOVE color I had to do one!

Obviously, when you look at this card, you don't think 'guy card' but my hubby is one rare bird!  I mean, just look at his fabulous fashion sense.  He is NOT afraid of color!  See what I mean on why this is a perfect card for him?

I used a free set I received from Altenew called Thanks Dad....and thanks Altenew!....  I loved the bow tie image and immediately thought of this stamp when Warhol came up!  I didn't add a sentiment, so I could use it for any occasion and possibly stick it in a frame for his desk.  And yes, it would match my color-lovin' house!

I added Altenew's Layered Plaid die B to each of the color panels in the background.  I realize it's busier than a Warhol, but it just called for a little something extra.

This second card I again used theAltenew Layered Plaid dies, both A & B.  I used masculine colors, but this card could easily be made in any color combination for man, woman or beast! 

I used the Wonderful Wycinanki for the damask motif.  I heat embossed it with 2 layers, silver and pearl silver.  It's a subtle difference and I like that.  It keeps it looking simple with such a fussy background.

Finally....this is my FAVORITE one for him!  It makes me giggle! 

I tried to think of different ways of using the Altenew stamps I own.  This was actually my second concept I created....but I had to save the best for last....  These stamps are from the Wonderful Wycinanki set!  They are supposed to be leaves, but I've made them into little flames for this card.  Aren't they adorable!?!

Using my handy Misti tool, I was able to make sure all the flames lined up perfectly and easily.  The orange and yellow stamping were done by hand.  I don't own any Altenew letter stamps or dies....yet....so I had to pull out a REALLY old Stampin' Up! one that I kept for a rainy day....It's not raining, but it is cloudy and that worked for me....  If I were to do it again, I would die cut the 'hot' part of the sentiment so as to keep the pattern from being broken up.

I'm going to spend tomorrow with my beloved and eldest daughter, so I won't be creating.  Well, maybe when they go to bed I'll sneak away....

Have a colorful day!

Ink blending 101

Hi y'all!

I'm continuing with my studies in AECP today.  I spent the day working on the Easy Blending Techniques taught by Amy Lee.  I love her style, it's bright, cheerful and whimsical!  I was excited to see what she was going to show us.

Ink blending is one of the first things I would teach after basic stamping back in the day.  Its great for making coordinating cardstock to any project. I always used a large sponge which I cut down to a manageable size.  Nowadays they have all kinds of tools to use for blending.  I still have all the old school stuff, but I have managed to pick up some daubers and a square blending block as well.  The latter I was never impressed with as I felt it always left lines on my papers.  Until now!  With Amy's techniques I didn't have a single line created while blending!  The trick is to blot off some of the ink before you put it to paper...its seems obvious now....

I actually made 5 different projects, but I'm only going to share 2 here.  I used Altenew's Best Mom set for both of them and while the set and the colors are the same, the cards are very different.

This first one was so fun to make!  After stamping and embossing the flower branch with embossing powder, I ombre'd the background using the inks from the Cool Summer Night collection.  I started with the lightest color Sea Glass on the right then worked my way to the left darkening the colors as I went.  Having the darker color over the stamped image really made them pop!

I then used a technique Amy showed us.  Since Altenew's crisp inks are water soluble, I added water to the shapes and added more color to them loosely to give it a watercolor feel.  I added  Frayed Leaf, Forest Green, Lavender Fields, Deep Iris and Midnight Violet.  It was fun to add the colors and a little went a LONG way!

I then lightly splattered the background with some of the ink colors and water.  I finished it off by adding a sentiment from Fancy Greetings on vellum paper with white embossing.  To make the panel stand out, I blended Ocean Waves on the back of the vellum just to give it a little something to stand out.  I added some embellies and it's finished!

The second card is is much more simple.  I stamped and embossed in black the image from the set, die cut it and using daubers added color to it.  I used Frayed Leaf, Sea Glass and some Ocean Waves over the different parts of the die cut.  I then used the same technique and added color and water to the shapes in the image.  I used the same colors; Ocean Waves, Lavender Fields, Deep Iris, Midnight Violet and Forest Green and added just the tiniest bits of color to the image with water.  I like how it came out especially with the black embossing for the image!

I finished off the card with a dry embossed background using the Layered Plaid die, and added a sentiment from the Wonderful Wycinanki stamp set.  I completed its look with some enamel accents in black.

If you think blending is an antiquated technique, think again!  I found this class to be challenging and it allowed me to rethink it.  I really think I'll be using this technique more in my creations!

Have a colorful day!

One layer wonder

Here's a creation I made for my application for AECP.  I wanted to create a 1 layer card that looked like it had dimension.  I love this stamp set from Altenew, Sunflower Daisy.  Its intimidating, but once you try it out, I think you'll love it as much as I do!

The flower is a great image, it takes 7 stamps to complete it, but I only did 6.  I didn't use the base stamp because I wanted my daisy to look white with pink accents. 

I stamped the leaves and added some watercolor shading to the background to make it pop off the card.  Finally I added the sentiment and the cute embellies at the end!  I'm entering this cutie at the Addicted to CAS blog this week!

A new class

Its a gorgeous day in Ohio!  I have the day off so I'm spending my time in the art studio.  I have completed another class for the AECP program called Clean and Simple Boutique Cards, taught by none other than Jennifer Rzasa.  You don't have to be a part of the AECP to take the class, and I highly recommend if you struggle with CAS cards like me.


Clean and Simple is not my normal forte'.  I tend to be fussy and over complicated with my work.  Always trying to do something a 'little extra'....my daughters call me 'Extra', it's my thing....  I knew this class would be a challenge for me!  I have 3 projects I completed from this class, each showcasing a different lesson.

I started off the class by making this simple, 1 layer card.  I think I made this card at LEAST 6 times....I would change the color, the layout, the ink would bleed through the washi tape, then it would bleed through 2 layers of washi tape....it was the bane of my existence!   I will say I do like how it came out after all the trial and error.

I used Altenew's Leaf Clusters stamp set for my images and my sentiment.  I used 3 layers of washi tape....just to be sure NOTHING was getting through it....so I would have a blank space for my sentiment.  Then using my Misti, I stamped the background layer twice with Frayed Leaf ink.  I like the intensity and the full coverage of the inks when they are stamped twice, they look luscious!  The forefront leaves were stamped in Forest Green ink, again I double stamped these as well.  I then used my ink pads to make a watercolor wash to splatter those 2 inks on the background.  It's an old trick I use often for water coloring and Jennifer also shows you how to do it in her class....go check it out!....

I removed the washi tape and stamped the sentiment.  I kept the layout all to the left, I like the juxtaposition of all the images on one side with lots of white on the other.  It's just a different way of balancing the space.

After I stamped the sentiment, I added the black lines with a Sharpie marker and a ruler....'cause it's what I got!....  I then highlighted the leaves by hand lining them with a .03 Micro marker.  In the end, I think it's a nice card.  SUPER simple 1 layer card for me!  So I'm entering it in the Addicted to CAS blog this week!

This second card I focused on using a single stamp to create a background.  I thought about using a floral stamp and even started with one, but decided to do a sentiment instead from Altenew Fancy Greetings....because I can't just keep it simple....  I used this sentiment for my daughter.  She is in the process of trying out for the play in school and is struggling with her confidence.  She loves when I give her cards....she still has the one from her first day of 1st grade I put in her lunch box, she's in 10th grade now....and I love making them for her!

First, it's NOT at all what I had planned, but I LOVE how this came out!  It's teenager grunge and I like it!  Like the first card, I probably made this background 4 times before I liked it.  I started off by stamping the sentiment just above center.  This is an old technique I learned in art school when I learned to frame my work.  If the focal point is exactly smack in the center, it has an uneasy, 'not sure if its really centered' feeling.  If you add a small amount of space to the bottom of your mat when you frame, it gives a better illusion of being centered in the frame.....see, my art degree DOES pays off....  Doesn't it look centered? Anyhoo, I used a black pigment ink then added clear embossing powder to it for some shine and to protect it from the next part of the process.

Next I stamped the sentiment repeatedly to create the background using Versamark ink.  Now, if I had used glossy paper and blended ink on it, the Versamark would have slightly resisted the ink, making it a bit lighter in the background.  Since I'm all out of glossy paper, I decided to try using the Versamark but with watercolors instead.  It didn't resist the paint....at all....and I panicked....after all, that is a lot of plotting and stamping!....  Then as I panicked and wiped away the excess paint with a wipe...a magical thing happened!  The Versamark absorbed the paint more than the paper did!  I then tested my luck and added 3 or 4 light layers of watercolor and repeated the process of wiping it off after a few seconds.  It created this cool watermark background.  I felt like a genius!  I'm sure someone else has done this before, but I'm just so super pleased with myself and will now have to do it again.

I finished it off my highlighting the main sentiment with some extra watercolor paints that I didn't wipe away and some black splatter.  I did use my heat gun to speed the drying process up which helped with the grunge look.

My final project for the class actually combines the last 3 lessons of the class.  I started by creating this card, combining lessons 4 & 5.  I used the Altenew Layered Plaid and Fantasy Floral die sets.  To say this was an easy card in an understatement!

Following Jennifer's advice, I decided to use some luxury papers for my flowers. Since I'm EXTRA, I used all luxury papers for all the layers....yup.... It may have been overkill, but I'm LOVING IT!!! I used 5 different luxury papers; 3 glitter papers, copper shimmer paper and gold mirror paper....the gold mirror paper is awesome on the flowers!..... 

This was my first time using the Fantasy Floral die set, and can I just say, EASEY PEASY!!!  Such a great die set and it make gorgeous flowers!  I couldn't stop making them, it was addicting!  Just look at the shimmer and shine!!

For the back panel, I just ran the Layered Plaid die with a rubber shim to emboss instead of cut the paper....such a great background....I added a sentiment from the Beautiful Day stamp set and assembled them all together.  If I hadn't made a million flowers, it would have only taken me about 10  minutes to make this card.

Then, after I watched Jennifer's last lesson....and with my plethora of flowers on hand....I decided to make a card gift set and some tags to go along with it.  Each card and tag has a different sentiment from Altenew Fancy Greetings and flower color combo.

I finished off the box with a simple stripe of copper glitter to match the cards.  I used  1/4" double stick tape around a plastic box I had on hand.  After removing the paper on the tape, I covered it with the glitter and viola!  Simple and fabulous box!  I tied it off with some ribbon and added one of the tags to it.

That was the longest post EVA!!!  I hope you enjoyed it!

Have a colorful day!!!

Last one!

Hi y'all!

Its my last one for the day...I promise!  This little ditty was also inspired by the All About Layering class I'm taking with Altenew for the AECP.  I'm tellin' ya, it's a great class!  You should partake....

With this card I combined lessons 8 & 9.  Using Vintage Roses from Altenew, I stamped the flowers and the leaves with ALL THE LAYERS.  *whew!*  That was a lot of stamping, but just look how it came out!  Like a vintage little dish my grandmother used to have.  I just love it!

I used the Tea Party ink collection for the roses and the Green Fields ink collection for the leaves.  I then used some watercolor paints to add some color around them.  I chose the yellow because the color combo remind me of 40's and 50's vintage cloth or dishes, just as sweet as can be! I then splattered the background with yellow, green and black.  Then, I added my sentiment with black pigment ink and clear embossed it so it would shine!  I also added some sparkle with sequins and some pink Stickles, 'cause I love me some sparkle!

Have a colorful day!!

Beautiful Day

Hi y'all!

In May I invested in new inks from Altenew....the 15 yr old colors I had from Stampin' Up! were all retired!....and I LOVE them!!  I really do appreciate the various shades of the colors.  Some people claim you can just off stamp, but this is different.  Each image is crisp and full of color, not just a shadow of what it 'should' be.  These inks just makes my creating that much more diverse and polished looking.  I highly recommend...just sayin'.  The inks were PERFECTION for this new stamp set!

This is another card I created from the All About Layering class from Altenew with the AECP Program.  This card uses layered stamping techniques from many of the lessons as well as the sentiment layering from Lesson 10.  First, I love layering the die cut sentiments, it gives them major pop on the card!  I used 3 layers of dark green then topped it with a black layer, POP!
Second, I must admit I'm obsessed with this new stamp set Wonderful Wycinanki!  I love the bold images and I have a soft spot for Polish art.  I used Polish art as inspiration project last year for the EWP artshow....my preschoolers love color too!....  This project I used lighter colors than I would normally use, as I'm sending it off to a pastel loving friend.  Next time, SUPER. BOLD. COLOR!!

So EXCITED!!!!!

Hi y'all!

I am SUPER excited to share some news today!  I applied and was recently chosen to be a part of the Altenew Educator Certification Program....or AECP for short....!  I am SO incredibly excited to work with them.  Returning to paper crafting after a nearly 6 year hiatus, kept finding these gorgeous stamped images on cards EVERYWHERE!  I did my research and found they were from Altenew.  I was familiar with Jennifer Rzasa back before I disappeared because we were on the 'Our Creative Corner' Design Team together!....its a small world!.....  now, she's one of the geniuses behind Altenew!....I can sort of say 'I knew her when'....

Anyhoo, part of the program is participating in some of the classes they offer.  The first class I have completed is the All About Layering class.  This is actually offered for free on the Altenew website!  It has great techniques you may or may not already know, and they also explain some of the layered stamp sets for you so you can excel at using them.  The 3 cards to the left are some I created from a few of the lessons in the class.  They were made a few weeks before I was officially accepted into the program....but I had already started the class.....

I have completed all the lessons in the class, and I have created a card....well 3 MORE actually....using several of the lessons combined into one project.  The card below includes techniques from Lessons 2, 4 and 5. 

I used gold embossing powder with the layered Beautiful Day stamp set, both on the background stamping and on the main flower image.  I opted not to put the gold on the green leaves, as I wanted the flower and its accented background to be the focal points.  I also went back in on the background stamp with a blender pen and some ink to create shading in the flowers and leaves.....you can see it a little better in the close-up photos....  

I also added some splatters to the background using some of my old Tattered Angels Shimmer Mists in Pomegrante and Vintage Pink as well as some gold shimmer watercolor paints.

I am also killing 2 birds with 1 stone, I'm entering this in this month's Altenew Inspiration Challenge.

I'll be posting my other 2 cards in a few, so stay tuned!!!

Have a colorful day!!

My little artist!

Hi y'all!

I just have to share this with you!  My sweet 10 yr old is a budding artist.  She loves nothing more than to spend time in our art studio, creating, experimenting and testing out new products.....new to her at least....  I recently gave her a set of watercolor paints I had replaced and she has been going to town with them! 

She created this FABULOUS background paper for me to use for card making!  First, isn't she thoughful?  Second, I never knew those watercolors could do that!  I told her it looked like a galaxy of stars, and I knew I have a perfect set to go with it!  I embossed with white and die cut the rocket on black paper.  I then used the same paints and made a thick water color paint to fill in the spaces.  It has a chalk paint feel and look to it.  It's completely adorable!  I'm planning on sticking this in her lunch box next week to make her feel special and to show off her handiwork to her friends!

Global Design Project is having a challenge this week:

What perfect timing!?!?!

Have a colorful day!

Gnome or not to gnome...

Hi y'all!

Just a quick one here today!  I created this card for the My Favorite Things Color Challenge this week.  The background paper I created 2 months ago when I was working on multi media papers.  It's just been sitting in my stash since then, waiting for it's chance to shine.  It went perfectly with the MFT color challenge, so I thought I'd use it. 

I struggled creating this card, the layout, the coloring, the imagery....I just couldn't figure out what to do.  I decided on the gnome, because I knew I could give it to my Beloved and he would appreciate it....he loves gnomes....  I don't have any Copics that match, so I had to improvise and layer them to get the right colors.  I think I like it?  I know he will!

Hope you have a colorful day!!