Magical Marker Techniques - AECP Level 2

 Good afternoon!  Today, I am sharing the project that I created for my second to the last class in Level Two of the Altenew Educator Certification Program - Magical Marker Techniques. 

This class was a lot of fun - full of different ways to use alcohol ink markers.  My favorite lesson, and the one that I focused on for this card was actually the first lesson - using alcohol inks on metal.  I had no idea that this was a possibility. 

In this lesson, Sara used aluminum sheets from the craft store.  I didn't have any on hand, and I wasn't able to find any online.  I thought I had, but it ended up being about 1/2" thick.  Needless to say, it is being returned.  I decided that I would try to think outside the box a little, and use some heavy duty aluminum foil.  It took me several attempts to get it to work, but it was a ton of fun! 

To start, I took a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and selected my colors.  I scribbled lines of ink over the foil, not really being careful.  Once the sheet was covered, I spritzed alcohol, allowing the ink to react and the alcohol to dry before spritzing again.  Once I was satisfied with my surface, I set it aside to dry completely. 

Using the Shattered Triangle Dies, I cut several of each size from white cardstock backed with an adhesive sheet.  Using the solid triangle, I die-cut the same number of triangles from my colored foil.  I adhered the white piece to the foil shapes and set them aside to prepare my card panel. 

I started with a card base of 6 3/4' x 6 1/4", scored on the long side.  I cut a card panel of 3 1/4" x 6 1/4" and splattered shimmer spray on it.  I wish that the shinmer showed better in the photos.  It looks like a beautiful opal.  When the panel was dry, I adhered a strip of washi tape to one side and then attached the panel to my card base.  Using very sticky double-sided adhesive, I adhered my triangles and then added my sentiments.  

This card was a lot of fun to make once I worked the kinks out.  

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock: White
• Reynold's Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
• Altenew Halftone Smile Stamps and Dies
• Altenew Shattered Triangles Dies
• Altenew Artist Markers:  B635, B815, C003, R504, R826, C006
• Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray:   Tibetan Poppy Teal
• Altenew Washi Tape: Silver Glitter
• 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

I am also entering this card in the following challenge:

Make the Cards Challenge #21

As always, thanks for spending a little time with me!  Happy stamping!  ❤

Luka the Fireman

 Hello again!  Today is a two-fer!  I am finally getting around to posting this card that I am so incredibly proud of!  

If you have been following my journey, you know that I have really been working hard to improve my coloring skills. I had no idea that there were so many techniques to learn.  I am so thankful for the amazing classes that Alyce at Kit and Clowder provides!  I am learning so much, and see progress each time I finish a class.  

I had so much fun with the Monthly Coloring Class from September, 2016 - All About Boys.  The background was provided by Alyce and the fireman image is Fireman Luka from La La Land Crafts. 

I took photos as I progressed through this class, so that I would remember what I started with and how the image came along.  

I was pretty happy with how Luka turned out!  I am still building my Copic collection, so choosing alternate colors is always challenging for me, but I had fun doing it.  The dog was a whole different kettle of fish. I really struggled with it, and was not at all happy with how it turned out until I did what Alyce says every single time... I walked away and came back and looked at it from a different perspective and realized he didn't turn out too badly! 

I was so incredibly pleased with how the firetruck turned out!  This part of the lesson was full of new techniques for me - metal, glass, and more shadows.  I am still struggling with control of my marker strokes, especially on fine lines, so I loved Alyce's tip of coming back in with a white gel pen to add the highlights where needed.  

The fire started out as a hot mess - again that combination of trying to select alternate colors and some of my markers are chisel tips, rather than a brush, and I had no clue how to use them.  I found that I needed to trust the process and see where it would lead me.  I am so glad that I did. 

The background was the most challenging part for me.  Again, lots of new techniques, but it was a ton of fun to watch it come together.  

I turned little Luka into a 5 x 7 card, and I haven't added the sentiment yet, as I don't know who he will go to, and he is deserving of the perfect recipient and sentiment.  

As always, thank you for letting me share my fun with you!  Happy crafting! 

Wild Rose Congrats Card

 Good morning, crafty friends!  Today, I wanted to share a card with you that took me a while to finish. 

I received a free digital stamp from Alyce (@kitandclowder) and @alexsyberiadesign.  It is this gorgeous Wild Rose Panel.  It was begging to be colored and turned into a card. 

I printed my A2 panel on Spectrum Noir card stock that is made for Alcohol Markers and started coloring.  This was a bit of a struggle for me because on an A2 panel, the detail is VERY fine, and I have still not mastered using a light hand.  Thank goodness for the Colorless Blender Pens to help me minimize my Oops spots!  

Once I was happy with my card panel, I trimmed it down and wrapped it with the glorious Altenew Metallic Thread.  I adhered the panel to a black panel and attached that to my card base.  I added a loopy bow on top of the wrapped thread.   I used a die-cut sentiment and glued it down and finished off with some black rhinestones. 

I absolutely love this card!  The digital stamp was so much fun to color in, and I am thrilled with how it turned out. 

Products Used: 

• Recollections 110# Card Stock:  White, Black
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultrasmooth Card Stock:  White
• Altenew Signature Words Dies
• Altenew Artist Markers: R705, R823, R702, C002, G446, G425, G515, G503
• Altenew Metallic Thread
• Honey Bee Stamps Obsidian Rhinestones

Thank you for stopping in and sharing a few minutes of your time with me!  Happy stamping! 

A2 Daffodil Friendship Card

 Hey everyone!  Well, it is the start of a new week!  I hope that you had a fantastic weekend!   I did something that I have never done before!  I made a card using a digital stamp.  What a fun process this was!  

I was recently introduced to Alex Syberia Design and have been following her on Instagram.  Her designs are absolutely incredible!  If you are not familiar with her work, please check it out!  

I printed this gorgeous Daffodils A2 Cover Panel on card stock that is made for using alcohol markers.  I colored the image in using my Altenew Artist Markers (colors listed below).  I found this to be a very enjoyable challenge, as the details were fine (and I am still learning to use my markers) but not impossible.  To be honest, when I started, it looked like a hot mess, but I kept on, and the result is so beautiful!  

When I was happy with the card panel I set it aside and went to work figuring out what I wanted to do with it.  I cut a panel of lightweight black cardstock to frame the image, and I trimmed the colored panel down to size.  I die-cut the top two layers of the Honey Bee Stamps Friend dies, the top layer in a bright yellow that matched the daffodils and the bottom in black.  When I put them together on the card panel, I hated it. I tried again with an orange card stock and again, it didn't work for me.  After several more tries, I decided to color a strip of white card stock using the darkest two yellows that I used for the daffodils and die-cut it.  I was so much happier with the result!   The softer blend of colors didn't take away from the image. 

I wrapped some Altenew Metallic Thread around the side of my panel and adhered it to the black panel.  I then added a loopy bow to it, and adhered my sentiment over the bow.  I attached my panel to a white card base and finished up with some clear sequins.  That was also a process, as I tried about 5 different colors of embellishments before I finally settled on the clear sequins.  

I am over the moon in love with this card, and I know the friend that it is intended for will love it too!  

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock:  White
• Recollections 65# Card Stock :  Black
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultra Smooth Card Stock:  White
• Alex Syberia Design Digital Stamp:  Daffodils A2 Cover Panel
• Altenew Artist Markers:  G446, G425,  G515, G503, Y316, Y207, Y106, C004
• Altenew Metallic Thread:  Enchanted Gold
• Honey Bee Stamps Friend Die
• Simon Says Stamp Clear Sequins

Thanks for stopping in!  Happy Stamping! 

Happy Mother's Day!

 First, I want to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there that are killing it every day!  You are incredibly strong, phenomenally brave, and your efforts are noticed!  

Before I share the card that I made for my mom, I just want to share with you that I have been incredibly blessed to have both a mom and a step-mom who always did their best by me, even when it didn't seem like it... and let me tell you, I was no easy child to raise!  I am thankful every day for these two women who helped shape me into the woman I am today.  

A while back, I took the Altanew Academy Course - All About Layering 6 - Dies Edition with Lydia Evans.  This was a great course and I hadn't yet used any of the layering dies, so it was the perfect opportunity to learn some tips and tricks.  I was inspired by Lydia's cut-away card and decided to make my Mother's Day card using this technique. 

To begin, I created some sticker sheets from my card-stock using adhesive sheets.  This was a game changer, as it eliminates the need to glue detailed layers together, which always ends up in a mess for me.  I then die-cut multiple images with the Altenew Craft A Flower: Antique Rose Dies.  I left them in place and colored them in using my Altenew Artist Markers, one color for each layer.  There was no need to be precise, I literally scribbled the color over my die-cut pieces.  Once the ink had dried, I began layering my flowers and leaves up, leaving the adhesive backing on the bottom layer until I was ready to use them. 

I adhered a piece of patterned paper to the inside panel of my card.  I then cut the front panel at a diagonal (that was scary!!!!) and trimmed it down the scored edge to remove the cutaway piece.  I arranged the flowers and leaves on the front panel so that they peek up over the edge and when I was happy with the placement, I removed the adhesive backing and adhered them.  Because I had sticky bits hanging over the top of the card base, I couldn't close my card or the sticky pieces would have stuck and she couldn't have opened it.  While that would have been pretty funny, I did want her to be able to enjoy the inside of the card too.  I used my powder tool to remove the stickiness; however, I wasn't entirely happy with that, as it left a bit of a tiny, so I die-cut two more pieces of the bottom layer of the rose, trimmed them down, added adhesive and stuck them to the backside of the flower.  

I stamped my sentiment directly on to the card panel and finished up with some enamel dots that I had made with Nuvo Drops, which I just love.  I just create a whole bunch of dots and let them dry overnight and I always have a supply on hand.  The cost is pennies to make them! 

My mom loved her card and I hope you do too!  Please take time for yourself today!  Celebrate all of the hard work you do each and every day!  Happy stamping!  

With a Twist - AECP Level 2

 Good morning!  I am so happy we made it to Friday.  For a moment or two, I wasn't sure it would happen!  It has been a doozie of a week, and I have never been more thankful for a creative outlet that allows me to relax. 

Today, I am sharing my third project for Level 2 of the Altenew Educator Certification Program.   This course was With a Twist and it focused on adding an interesting spin on tried and true techniques.  I had a very difficult time choosing which lesson to focus on, as they were all so much fun, but in the end, the final lesson was my favorite.

In this lesson, Therese focused on Faux Embossing using die-cuts and I absolutely loved this technique.  You will see in the close up photos that the card appears to be embossed; however it is not. 

To start, I stamped my image multiple times (8 to be precise) and then colored them in using alcohol markers.   While I used the same colors for each flower, I tried to vary the amount of shading and highlights in them to add some interest.  Once I had them all colored in, I die-cut the images and set them aside.  

Using a panel of the same card stock - something Therese stressed multiple times, as the whites need to be the same shade - I determined where I wanted my sentiment to be and I stamped it twice.  I then began laying my images out on my card panel to determine where I wanted them to go.  

I wanted it to appear random, so I made sure that the images hung off the edge of the panel.  I only used seven of the eight images that I had stamped and die-cut, so I have one left over for another project.  Once I was satisfied with the placement, I began adhering them down.  For this, I used a Tombow Adhesive Runner, as I wanted to be sure that they laid nice and flat.  Once they were all attached, I trimmed off any of the overhang using my scissors, but I didn't scrap those pieces. I used them to fill in areas where I felt there was too much white space, again trimming off any overhanging pieces.

Once I was happy with my panel, I adhered it to my card base.  I decided not to add any embellishments as the background is quite busy, and I didn't feel that it needed anymore.  While this card was definitely a labor of love, it was relatively simple to achieve this beautiful look.  I really love this card and I know that I will use this technique over and over! 

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock:  White
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultra Smooth Card Stock:  White
• Altenew Whimsical Flowers Arrangement Stamps and Die
• Altenew Artist Markers:  R217, R206, R301, R400, G935, G915, G825, G804, Y207, Y106, C004
• Memento Ink:  Tuxedo Black
• Tombow Adhesive Runner

Thanks so much for popping in!  I hope that you saw something that inspires you to create!  Have a fantastic weekend and happy stamping!  

In the Mood for Color - AECP Level 2

Happy Tuesday, friends!  Today, I am sharing my project for the next AECP Level 2 Course - In the Mood for Color.  This was a fun class exploring how to use color to convey a mood or feeling.  I loved that it challenged me to stop and think about the message that I am trying to send, and what the colors I selected mean.  

Usually, I just randomly choose colors without any thought for what they represent, so the lessons that I learned enabled me to take a step back and be intentional with my color selection. 

For today's card, I chose the color green.  Green typically represents growth, and it is also a soothing color.  I know that many of us have been challenged to grow and to find new ways of doing things over the course of the last year, so I felt it was especially appropriate.  Additionally, I love the fact that it is a soothing color - something I think we can all use right now! 

I stamped multiple images from the Altenew Book Engravings stamp set on bleed proof cardstock in black ink.  I colored the images using my Altenew Artist Markers (colors listed under supplies used).  I decided that I would incorporate some aqua shades, as they are a form of green, and to me, they reflect the ocean, which again is very soothing.  Once my images were colored, I used the coordinating dies to die-cut them and set them aside. 

I embossed a panel of white cardstock using the new Altenew Enchanting Vines Embossing Folder.  I then used my Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen to paint some sparkle over the raised images.  Because much of the embossed panel is covered by the flowers, it is really very subtle, and doesn't show up well in the photos, but it is beautiful. 

Once my embossed panel was dry, I adhered it to my card base and I began arranging my flowers and leaves on the panel.  When I was happy with the arrangement, I used a few pieces of low-tack tape to hold them in place from the front. I used a trick that I learned from Lydia's classes, and I flipped the cluster over, and placed foam tape over the joined seams to ensure that everything would be held in place.  I added my floral piece to the card front.   I embossed a sentiment from the Sentiment Strips 2 stamp set in white onto a strip of black card stock.  I adhered it to the front of the card with foam tape.  Lastly, I added a handful of clear sequins to the card. 

I am so happy with my card.  I think that it conveys the exact message that I was striving for. 

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock:  White, Black
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultra Smooth Card Stock:  White
• Altenew Enchanting Vines Embossing Folder
• Altenew Book Engravings Stamps and Dies
• Altenew Sentiment Strips 2 Stamp Set
• Altenew Artist Markers:  B201, B204, B313, B227, G702, G714, G554
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Memento Ink: Tuxedo Black
• Wow! Embossing Powder:  Opaque Bright White
• Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen
• Foam Tape

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy stamping!  

I did it!

 Hi friends!  Just a super quick post to say I DID IT!  Did what, you ask?  I passed my final challenge for AECP Level 1 and am now moving on to Level 2! 

Phew!  What a relief. I am so excited to begin this next step on this journey! 

Thanks so much for all of the love and support you have shown me!  

Xoxo, 

Kim

Bookworm Card and Bookmark

 Greetings, crafty friends!  Anyone that knows me knows that I am an avid reader.  I can often be found with my nose stuck in a book.  I have been having the most fun working on a gift for a really special friend!  She is an indie author and has written some of my favorite contemporary books.   I wanted to send her something to brighten her day and when I saw the Altenew Tall Tale stamp set, I knew that I had to use it to make something for her.  The card was inspired by Karen Brown's slimline card and the bookmark was inspired by Teri Kozler's. 

I started with a panel of white card stock and stamped the bookshelf three times, making sure to get different parts of the shelf.  I then colored in the images using my Altenew Artist Alcohol Markers.  I wanted the card to be bright and cheerful, so I used more colors than I can list!  (OK, truthfully, I didn't write them down.) 

I adhered my panel to a black card base and stamped the sentiment on a small white panel, layered on black card stock and attached it to my card.  For the inside of the card, I stamped my sentiment and the cute little glasses on a white panel and adhered it to the inside of the card base.  I haven't figured out how to take a good photo of the inside of a card, so I don't usually include that, but I had to share how cute it is with the glasses.

To make the bookmark, I laid out my stamps how I wanted them so that I could determine the size of my panel.  I created masks for the girl and the stack of books by stamping them on copy paper and fussy cutting them out, then set aside.  Using my stamping platform, I arranged my stamps, taking into consideration which image that I wanted in the forefront.  (This is a technique I learned in my last AECP course- Seasonal Scene Building!)  For the bookmark, the girl is in the front, so I placed her first and lined up the books on top to get the placement correct.  I removed the books and stamped the girl.  I then placed the mask over the girl and lined up the stack of books and stamped them "under" her. 

 I colored my images with my Artist Alcohol Markers, again, striving for bright, cheerful colors.  I didn't care for so much white space, so I decided to use the Altenew Whimsical Herringbone stamp set to add a background.  I placed my masks over the girl and the stack of books, inked up my background stamp in Limestone, and stamped it over my masked images.  I then added my sentiment to the bookmark panel.   I adhered the stamped panel to a slightly larger black panel and punched a hole at the top, so that I could attach some trim. 

To say that I am in love with these stamps and this project would be a huge understatement!  I was really excited to use some of the techniques that I have learned in my AECP journey, and I know that I will use these stamps time and time again. 

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock: Black
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultra Smooth Card Stock:  White
• Altenew Tall Tale Stamp Set
• Altenew Whimsical Herringbone Stamp Set
• Altenew Crisp Dye Ink:  Limestone
• Memento Ink:  Tuxedo Black
• Altenew Artist Alcohol Markers
• Stampin' Up Trim: Playful Pets (Black and White), Linen Thread (Coral)

I am so excited for Jody to receive her surprise.  I hope that it brings a bit of cheer to her day!  Thanks so much for popping by.   Happy stamping! 

Altenew Academy - Creative Coloring with Erum: Day 6

 Hello, crafty friends!  Happy Monday.  Today, I am sharing a card that I made for the day 6 lesson of Altenew Academy's Creative Coloring with Erum.  Better late, than never!  

This lesson was all about adding faux dimension to your image to create a one-layer card.  For those of you that don't know, watercoloring is my nemesis.  I try and fail repeatedly, but I am determined to learn. 

For this card, I stamped the outline image from Altenew's Fairy Tale Rose stamp set on my watercolor paper.  I used Versafine Black pigment ink so that the water would not cause it to smear.  

Once it was dry, I broke out my Altenew Woodless Watercolor Pencils for the first time to color my image.  Can I just say that these pencils are a dream?!  The pigments are so vibrant, and you only need to lay down the slightest amount of color.   For this project, I used Crimson, Heart Beat, and Fresh Lemon.  Working one petal at a time, I added just a small amount of pigment and then blended it out using a water brush.  I really struggle with controlling the amount of water, so I found that the water brush really helped. I squeezed a small amount of water out and tapped it off on the back of my hand and then painted over my petal.   Once, my petals were finished, I moved on to the leaves and stem, following the same process using Shadow Creek, Grass Fields, and Limeade.  Once my image was dry, I went back in and repeated the process where I thought more color was needed. 

When my panel was dry, I added a watercolor wash in Sea Glass to the background of the panel.  I was really nervous doing this, as I was afraid I would ruin my image, but it worked.  I chose to use the Aqua colors for my background, as blues are complimentary colors to the yellow.  This really allows the yellow shades to stand out.  Once that was dry, I masked my image and I laid down a stencil and using my ink-blending tool, I added Sea Glass and Ocean Waves inks over the stencil.  Once I was happy with the color that I laid down, I peeled off my stencil.  

Now for the REALLY scary part - adding the dimension to this panel that I worked so hard on using alcohol ink markers.  For this, I used two colors of gray - one light and one dark.  Starting with the lighter shade, I added tiny flicks of color around my image, heavier on the undersides of petals and leaves and in corners where a shadow would be.  Shadows and highlights are a real struggle for me - I never seem to know where to place them, so I fake it and stick to the general rule of under sides for shadows, and top sides for highlights. I worked in small areas and went back in and added the darker gray shade and then went back over it with the lighter shade to blend it together.  I ended up with a few shadows in the wrong places but, oh well!  

Once I was pleased with my shadows, I added some drops of water and set the panel aside to dry.  While I waited, I embossed my sentiment from the Altenew Storybook Sentiments stamp set on a strip of vellum.  Once the panel was dry, I placed the vellum where I wanted it, folded the ends over and adhered them to the back of the panel.   I then attached the panel to my card base.   Lastly, I added some clear sequins to the front of my card. 

I see all of my mistakes so clearly when I look at my card; however, I am very pleased with the result.  This card contains a lot of firsts for me - using the pencils, adding the watercolor background after creating the image, and stenciling over the image.   All of these were intimidating for me, but I am so glad that I powered through! 

Key Learnings:

• Use a very light hand to lay down the pigment with the watercolor pencils.  This will help avoid harsh lines or very vibrant colors (unless that is what you are trying to achieve).
• You can always add more color, but you can't take it away.

Products Used:

• 
  
• Recollectiond 110# Card Stock:  White
• Arches 300gsm/140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper
• Vellum
• Altenew Woodless Watercolor Pencils:  Crimson, Heart Beat, Fresh Lemon, Shadow Creek, Grass Fields, Limeade
• Altenew Crisp Dye Ink:  Sea Glass, Ocean Waves
• Altenew Fairy Tale Rose Stamp Set
• Altenew Storybook Sentiments Stamp Set
• Stampin' Up Basic Masks
• Gold Embossing Powder
• Versafine Ink Pad:  Black
• Stampin' Blends (Light and Dark):  Smoky Slate
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Simon Says Stamp Clear Sequins
• Tim Holtz Mini Ink Blending Tool

Thank so much for stopping in!  Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts. 

Happy stamping! 

Seasonal Scene Building - AECP Level 1

 Happy Sunday, friends!  I hope that you are having an amazing weekend.  We took some time away from the farm yesterday and went and got muddy.  We took our UTV out on the trail with friends.  It was a great day and thankfully, the weather held.  Today, not so much.  

 I digress, though, as this isn't about my outdoor adventures.  Today, I am sharing with you my project for the Seasonal Scene Building course.  This is my last course for Level One of the Altenew Educator Program.  I will have to submit a final project and then I can move on to Level Two. 

I have to admit that I saved this course for last, because I knew it would be challenging and it might take me a while to come up with a project that I was happy with it.  To be honest, I was really intimidated.  I wanted plenty of time to practice, and I am so happy with the results! 

My project is focused on Lesson 1 which covers building a scene on one layer using multiple stamps, masking, and a stamp positioning tool.  I was saving the Altenew Camp Time stamp set for this project, and I had some ideas of how I wanted to approach this.  I knew I wanted a campfire in my scene as so many of my best memories are time spent around the fire with friends and family.  I also wanted to use alcohol markers to color in my images, so I began by swatching my markers to determine the colors I wanted to use.  I ended up not using a few of the colors that I swatched, as I didn't care for them.  That is really the point of the process.  Better to take the few minutes to swatch the colors, than to find that the color pallette isn't what I wanted halfway through coloring my scene and wasting all of the effort. 

Next, I began to design my scene.  I determined what images that I wanted to have in the forefront (in this scene, the thermos and the campfire), and created masks of those images by stamping them on copy paper and fussy cutting them.  I then chose the next image that would be placed (the chair) and created a mask for it.   I almost regretted my decision to use the chair, as fussy cutting it was brutal.  Because I wanted the rocks and grass to show behind the chair, I had to cut out all of the inner areas of the chair frame.  It took ages, as I am the world's worst fussy cutter, but it was well worth the effort.

Once I had my masks ready to go, I began to arrange my images as I wanted them to appear in my scene.  I placed the campfire and thermos images in place on my stamp positioning tool first, as they would be the first images to be stamped.  I then laid the chair in place, followed by the landscape images.  Once I had them exactly where I wanted them to be on my card panel, I removed all but the campfire and the thermos.  Before wasting a sheet of card stock, I practiced  on a piece of copy paper to make sure that I was happy with how my scene looked.  This allowed me to adjust the placement of my images. 

When I was satisfied, I followed the same process, and this time, stamped the campfire and thermos on my card panel.  I adhered my masks using some temporary adhesive and stamped the chair.  I adhered the mask over the chair and stamped the rocks and grass.  I removed the masks and set the panel aside to give the ink time to dry to avoid any smearing of the ink.  I then colored in my images with alcohol markers. 

Once I was finished coloring, I decided there was too much white space, so I added some ink splatters using a few of my grey markers.  I stamped my sentiments from the Altenew Peaceful Serenity stamp set.  Lastly, I trimmed down my panel and adhered it to a black panel, and then to the card base. 

Lessons Learned:

• Swatching is a huge time and frustration saver.
• Taking the time to create my scene on scrap paper, saved me a lot of frustration, as I ended up needing to adjust the image placement.
• This process really required me to think about what I was doing and in what order.  I kept placing my images down in the order that they appear on the card, rather than the order they needed to be stamped in.  

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# Card Stock: White
• Spectrum Noir Premium Ultra Smooth Card Stock:  White
• Black Card Stock
• Altenew Camp Time Stamp Set
• Altenew Peaceful Serenity Stamp Set
• Memento Ink: Tuxedo Black
• Stampin' Up Stampin' Blends (Light and Dark):  Gray Granite, Smoky Slate, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red
• Spectrum Noir Illustrator Markers:  TB2. TB3, TB4, MB1, MB3, DG1, DG2, DG3, EB2, EB4, EB6, True Black
• Tombow Adhesive

As always, thanks for dropping in!  Happy stamping! 

Altenew Academy - Creative Coloring With Erum - Lesson 1

 Hello, crafty friends!  This evening I am taking a break from my AECP courses to share a project from the newest Altenew Academy course - Creative Coloring With Erum.  This course covers advanced coloring techniques, and I have to admit, it is a bit intimidating, as I consider myself mostly a beginner with coloring; however, I jumped at the opportunity to learn from Erum.  If you have not seen her work, you need to!  You can find her on Instagram here.

Anyhow, today’s lesson was all about adding to layered stamps using alcohol markers.  Did I mention how intimidating this is for me?   I decided that I would just trust the process and give my best effort.  I am so glad that I did! 

Now, you all know that I love Altenew’s layering floral stamps and use them often.  I had no idea that by spending some time and adding detail with markers would produce results like this.  For my card, I used Altenew’s You Are Beautiful stamps and dies.  I stamped the solid image in Blush and the detailed image in Crimson.  The below photo shows what the image looked like when I started and what it looked like when I finished.  I added detail using the Altenew Alcohol Markers in the Red Sunset family.  For the stamen, I stamped the two images in Sunray and Snapdragon.  I then stippled the center using Stampin’ Blends in Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, and Bronze.  This was a very slow process for me, as I have never done it before, but it was well worth the time invested. 

Using the same process, I stamped the leaves in Bamboo and Moss, and added the detail using my Stampin’ Blends in (using both light and dark pens) Granny Apple Green and Mellow Moss.  The leaves were much more difficult for me to figure out the right way to add the detail.  Once I had all of my images colored, I die-cut them using the coordinating dies and set them aside.   

Using a Decorative Mask from Stampin’ Up, I created a subtle background using Rouge, Coral Bliss, and Crimson inks.  I added Crimson ink to the edges of my card panel by running the ink pad directly along the edges. I stamped my sentiment from the same set in Black ink on a scrap of white and trimmed it down.  I arranged my flowers on my panel and adhered them.  I trimmed any areas that hung over the edge using my scissors.  I used foam squares behind my sentiment to add a bit of dimension, and finished up by adding some clear sequins.

While I know that I have a lot to learn (and lots of practicing to do), I am unbelievably proud of myself.   This was definitely a labor of love, but one I am thrilled with. 

Key Learnings

• Don’t be afraid to try - even when the challenge seems daunting, the effort will be worth it. 
• I found that turning my image as I worked was really helpful, as it allowed me to “flick” away from my body and I seemed to have more control.
• I can do this!

Products Used:

• Recollections 110# White Card Stock
• Stampin’ Up Whisper White Card Stock
• Altenew You Are Beautiful Stamps and Dies
• Stampin’ Up Basic Decorative Masks
• Altenew Crisp Dye Ink:  Blush, Rouge, Coral Bliss, Crimson, Bamboo, Moss’ Sunray, Snapdragon
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Altenew Alcohol Markers (Red Sunset Color Family):  Blush, Rouge, Crimson, Velvet
• Stampin’ Blends (Light and Dark):  Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green, Mellow Moss, Bronze
• Blending Brush
• Foam Squares
• Simon Says Stamp Clear Sequins

Thanks so much for popping by!  Happy Stamping!