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!
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